Commander Cody saw his doom fast approaching. In the middle of the bridge, with numerous droids standing on the other side, he and his army were quickly overwhelmed by their superior fire power.
He hadn't had the chance to catch his breath for hours now and still his men were dying one by one. They had been losing the war on the distant planet of Yerbana for some time now, but luckily the Republic had sent them reinforcements. Anakin and Obi Wan themselves would soon join the fight and hopefully turn the tide of the battle. Cody could only hope they would arrive in time.
But now, there was a missile heading straight for him, and he knew there was no way he could get out of its blast radius in time. He flinched backwards, his arms rising to block the blinding light of the fire that was soon to follow. The clone saw his short life flashing before his eyes and regretted the fact that it had only been war he'd endured.
A familiar figure jumped in front of him, used his lightsaber and blasted the missile away before it could've blown him to pieces. For a moment the clone commander could see nothing through the dust, until it cleared slowly and showed the scowling figure of his general with his lightsaber at the ready.
His auburn hair was tousled, strands hanging before his clear blue eyes while his skin was covered in root and dust. "General!" Cody shouted in surprise, his stomach now fluttering with a newfound hope. He momentarily forgot about the blaster shots heading straight for him.
Luckily, the jedi master deflected them with ease. "Cody, get down!" He yelled, exasperated, and quickly ushered the clones around him to the nearest barricade. Blaster shots almost grazed his limbs, the dust creeping into his nose while shouts and screams erupted from all around him.
It was pure chaos. Obi Wan darted behind a huge piece of debris, taking in his surroundings while Cody caught his breath. "Well, I can see things are going splendidly on this front." He sarcastically said.
"It's no good, we can't locate the tactical droid. He's staying out of sight." Cody reported, the frustration seeping into his voice.
Before he could mutter anything else another explosion ripped through the air, almost throwing their bodies to the ground. Both of them quickly shielded their faces with their arms. Another few feet to the side and they could've been blasted to bits.
Obi Wan opened his eyes when the dust had settled, letting his gaze wander over the battlefield. He didn't see a quick solution and his men were dying fast. He couldn't do this on his own for he had no way to lure the tactical droid from his hiding place. He did know who could, though, who always seemed to think of a plan. "Anakin, where are you?" Kenobi muttered, frustrated.
"Will a Valerian queen do too, master jedi?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded in his head. Obi Wan's head perked up, his eyes quickly scanning the skies for his betrothed. He'd send her with Anakin, thinking that his would be the more dangerous battlefield of the two.
The horizon was coloured a deep blue, the sun illuminating the hills of the landscape. He didn't spot the familiar ball of fire as he'd expected. Soon, he couldn't see anything at all, for a darkness had fallen down like a curtain over the entire bridge.
The blaster shots halted with it, confused yelling coming from every side of him. He could even hear the droids shuffling on their metal feet in the distance, equally confused by the sudden darkness they were enveloped with.
To him, that darkness felt familiar. It almost seemed to wrap itself around him in greeting, whispering in his ear. A smile quickly played along his lips, his heart fluttering in relief. The very air smelled of her.
"Always, my darling." He spoke into her mind. Their bond had strengthened to the point that they could easily communicate telepathically from a distance if they were within the same star system. When she was close, he could sense her emotions as if they were his own. It made it that much harder to resist her when they were together. Not that he'd held himself back most of the time they were alone.
Obi Wan heard her first rather than saw her, for a great rumbling shook the bridge. Both him and the clone beside him had to steady themselves on their knees, fingers spread over the surface where they could feel the vibrations.
Explosion after explosion erupted on the other side of the battlefield, making him peek over his hiding place and see for himself what kind of havoc she was creating. He could only see the plumes of fire amidst the darkness, accompanied by an occasional red blaster shot piercing it.
"Lyanna, what are you doing?" He sighed deeply as his eyes scanned the battlefield. From the corner of his eye, he could see Cody glancing his way.
"Found him." A pair of fiery wings unfolded in the midst of the darkness, her entire body alight with the flames. In her hand she held a now halved droid, the metal around her grip melting.
Before he could even process what he was seeing she swung her wings and shot over him and his army, leaving behind a trail of smoke and fire and temporarily brightening their surroundings. He felt the warmth on his cheek and smelt the familiar scent of burnt wood she left behind.
She'd casually dropped the remaining pieces of the tactical droid about 10 feet away from him, its head now rolling towards him and bumping against his leg. The machine emitted a few last sounds before the eyes flickered out and its body shut down.
Obi Wan had turned back towards the other side of the battlefield before most of his men had. The entire droid army had been blasted apart, most of their armour melted and now soaking the concrete in metal. The remaining droids were looking around, searching for their leader and the next order it usually gave.
"Where was she all this time?" One of the clones complained from behind one of the other barricades as he emerged from his hiding place. His eyes followed her figure as she doubled back, the flames twirling behind her.
Commander Cody stood perplexed for a few moments, eyes scanning the remaining droids that were now looking around in panic. He'd fought with the Valerian before but she managed to surprise him every single time. "General?" He turned towards his leader, his hands already grasping for his blaster while most of his men sped into the fray around him.
"Yes, Cody, you may join the fun as well." Obi Wan rolled his eyes and stood up, smiling as his men quickly darted towards the enemies that were still standing.
He didn't even glance aside when the heat got closer and closer. The way his heart fluttered and his mind became flooded with emotions that weren't entirely his own told him enough.
Soft footsteps met the ground and he heard the rustling of her feathers as they folded together, the sputtering of the last flames as they slowly diminished. Most of all, he felt her relief and her excitement, together with a hint of smugness as she strode over to him. "General." She purred, the last hints of fire slipping into her voice.
"That was quite the entrance, my darling." The jedi smiled softly as his eyes stayed glued to the battle.
"Yes, well, I learned from the best." The queen crossed her arms before her chest as she settled next to him, her green eyes following his gaze to the molten mess at the other side. She leaned in closer to his ear so she could whisper. "With the best I mean Anakin, of course." She finished with a quick peck on his cheek.
"Of course." Obi Wan rolled his eyes and finally turned to look at her. She'd donned the mask that obscured the upper half of her face, pared with the black dragonscale armour. In favour of practicality, she'd foregone the red cape that signified her royal heritage. If it weren't for her bright red hair, she'd been entirely black.
Before it would've scared him, but now he knew that instead of succumbing to the dark side, she had mastered it. "Speaking of my former padawan, where is he?" He mirrored her stance and crossed his arms.
"Well, he was planning to help you but I stopped him and went myself."
Obi Wan frowned and glanced aside. "Why?"
"Because Anakin was planning to commit a war crime." Lyanna answered and rolled her eyes, scoffing softly. When Obi Wan lifted his eyebrow she continued. "He was planning to fake a surrender to draw out the tactical droid. Now, I don't know what you taught him, but in Valeria that is considered a war crime and is punishable by death no matter what side you're on."
Obi Wan chuckled softly as he nestled his head in the palm of his head. "Yes, well, Anakin has always been reckless. Not much I could do to rid him of that." He turned towards the queen fully and let his hand run through his hair. "But is burning an entire army, or rather... genocide really that much better?"
Lyanna laughed, cocking her head to the side as she watched him challengingly. "We Valerians have standards, Kenobi. Better to overdo it then to leave them wanting. And, of course, keep our honour intact while doing so."
"Of course." He mocked her and raised his eyebrow further, his eyes narrowing playfully. He felt the heat in her peaking while her eyes softened, her lips parting just slightly. Her entire body seemed to hum in contentment and... something more.
Obi Wan had to use every last ounce of his willpower not to draw her closer and claim her lips for himself. Luckily, his commlink beeped before he could do anything in the company of his men. "Yes, Anakin?" Obi Wan answered the call and locked gaze with the queen before him.
"If you're done relaxing with your girlfriend, Yularen said there's something we need to see." Anakin's voice erupted from the commlink. Lyanna rolled her eyes and scoffed, smiling. They had ceased their efforts to correct him long ago.
"What is it?"
"We've received a transmission from someone using the subspace frequency "Fulcrum"."
"Perhaps the siege at Onderon has taken a turn for the worse." Obi Wan muttered thoughtfully, his fingers drawing through his beard as his gaze turned distant.
"That's what I thought, but it's not Saw Gerrera. Yularen hasn't elaborated further though, so we best take it."
"Right, I'll be right there." Obi Wan answered.
Lyanna lifted her eyebrows, her eyes darting to the clones while they finished with the last droids. "Don't sound too disappointed, master, you've still got about 15 minutes in the ship left to spend alone with her." Anakin jabbed playfully.
Obi Wan took his time to answer, a deep sigh escaping his lips while Lyanna only chuckled. She'd been enjoying their constant bickering for the last few months and hadn't ever bothered to fight Anakin, for she enjoyed his occasional comments far too much. "Anakin, don't make me scour through your previous calls. I'm sure there's more than 1 conversation with a certain senator, and not all of them about politics."
Green eyes quickly darted his way. "Obi!" Lyanna hissed, slapping his arm softly.
"All right, all right." Anakin's laugh sounded from the tiny machine on the master's arm. "I'll see you on the ship." Another sound came from the commlink, signalling the end of the call.
"You're a hypocrite, you know that?" Lyanna whispered as she linked her arm through his and pulled him towards the end of the bridge where his ship was waiting. Obi Wan only huffed, his muscles tensing beneath her grip.
She felt his worry bubbling to the surface, together with a hint of frustration. Lyanna smiled and stood upon her toes so she could reach his cheek again and place a soft kiss there. "A lovable hypocrite, but a hypocrite nonetheless."
~
About 20 minutes later, Obi Wan and Lyanna stepped out of their ship and onto the Republic crouser waiting in orbit. The jedi's cheeks were coloured a deep red while the queen kept a satisfied grin upon her face.
Her eyes flickered to his hair occasionally, finding more and more strands of hair that stood out. She didn't even bother to put them back. They were standing a casual few foot apart, both their hands grasped tightly before their bodies as if to keep themselves in check.
"Had a nice flight?" Anakin came from around the corner and joined them in their track towards the command centre. Lyanna smiled at him brightly in greeting while Obi Wan purposely avoided his gaze.
"Just fine, thank you." Obi Wan answered before the queen could even open her mouth, drawing his fingers through his hair to neaten the mess.
Anakin seemed to delight in the curtness of his master. "Not too bumpy, I hope? Yerbana's airspace is known for its turbulence." He smirked broadly and cast a meaningful glance his former master's way.
"Anakin, one of these days, -"
"Anything else Yularen said about the transmission?" Lyanna quickly interrupted; her hand instinctively placed upon Obi Wan's wrist to calm him. He wilfully stopped talking and instead clenched his jaw tightly.
The queen didn't notice the clones they passed. Most of them saluted their generals, but some also bowed before her as she passed them. It seemed that in her months of service to the Republic she'd reclaimed their respect. Maybe even redeemed her actions in Coruscant.
"No, not much else." Anakin answered. "But we'll soon find out." They walked into the room, several clones waiting there and talking amongst themselves. "So, what's so important you brought us all the way back... here?" Anakin asked while he diverted his eyes away from the queen's and towards where he expected Yularen to stand. Then, he halted and his eyes widened, his body frozen in shock.
Lyanna frowned, not sure what had happened, until she followed his gaze and spotted the hologram of none other than his former padawan. The hologram flickered, the blue casting her otherwise warm features in a cold glow. "Ahsoka." She muttered. The girl had left the jedi order some time ago, and while Anakin hadn't stopped talking about her, the queen had thought she wouldn't see her ever again.
But here she was, standing next to another woman with Mandalorian armour. Her red hair was cropped short, her armour a tint of blue with several decorations. Anxiety immediately sparked within her belly but she discovered that it wasn't hers, but Obi Wan's. Lyanna glanced aside, grasping Obi Wan's hand. "Are you okay?"
His fingers were slack for a moment until they relaxed and wrapped around hers. "That's Bo Katan." He answered. "She's... she's Satine's sister."
Lyanna's eyes widened as she glanced at him worriedly. It seemed that the past wasn't done with him yet. "I'm sorry." Obi Wan squeezed her hand softly, letting her know that it was okay.
During their little exchange, Ahsoka had turned around and faced her former master. With her arms crossed before her chest she nodded at him; her face devoid of any emotion. "Hello, master. It's been a while."
~
Maul. He was back.
Two months in peace, two months filled with fighting the Separatists, regaining ground and pushing them back only to have him resurfacing in the meantime. This time, he was on Mandalore, and the people had been pushed to the brink. Bo Katan had come for aid and Ahsoka was with her, demanding that they, the Republic, help them in capturing Maul.
In a way, the queen felt guilty. It was her fault that he was still out there and wreaking havoc. If she hadn't let him go, he wouldn't be on Mandalore terrorizing its citizens. Yet, at the same time, there was no saying what would've happened to Valeria had she not defended its reputation. She basically traded the fate of her planet for another, and it wasn't something she was proud of. She especially hated the fact that she couldn't bring herself to regret it.
Lyanna sighed, her back pressed against the wall while she watched the four of them debating their course of action. "Maul's influence on Mandalore is destroying my people! He murdered their ruler, my sister. I thought she meant something to you." Bo Katan hissed the last few words as she leaned forward, her warrior spirit rising to the surface.
"She did, and still does." Obi Wan sighed in defeat, a deepfelt sorrow that the queen felt drowning him. Lyanna almost pushed herself off the wall to come to his side but managed to refrain herself. The hate in the Mandalorian's gaze was already evident enough without her showing her that Obi Wan had moved on.
Instead, the Valerian offered a mental hand, a warm feeling to brush against his consciousness. She felt him relax slightly after that and saw his shoulders losing some of their tension. "But I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgement. The council will decide what our course of action will be."
The master turned around before Bo's glare could penetrate his shield, walking out of the room calmly. She knew though that there were numerous emotions boiling beneath the surface, ones he barely kept contained in the confines of his heart.
Lyanna stood there for a moment, perplexed, not sure what to think of his decision. Even though he'd vowed to leave the jedi order, his loyalty to them remained strong. He refused to allow their relationship to influence his decisions when it came to the war and she respected that. While she knew emotions weren't the best thing to act on, they also did often paint the right course of action in difficult decisions.
His choice was something she couldn't entirely understand. After all that had happened with Maul, she wanted to jump at the opportunity to finally end him. She shook herself out of her daydream and glanced back at the Mandalorian, catching the glare she was sending her way. "Excuse me." Lyanna mumbled before the warrior could discover the truth in her eyes and darted after Obi Wan, heart hammering.
"I told you this was a waste of time." She heard the Mandalorian hiss as she stepped out of the room, eyes scanning the next for the familiar brown cloak. Numerous clones were walking around the area, keeping the ship safely in orbit and communicating with the countless others spread through the galaxy. Their murmuring filled the room, paired with the occasional 'majesty' as they passed her.
"Obi!" She half whispered half shouted when the doors had slid shut behind her, speeding towards his side on the command deck. He remained silent as she stopped next to him, her hand enveloping his in the confines of his cloak where no one could see. She leaned in closer so that none of the clones darting around them could hear.
"You know the council won't help her." Lyanna whispered, eyes searching his. If they thought Maul obtaining the Aether wasn't dangerous enough, this surely wouldn't be either.
"It's worth a try."
The queen sighed deeply, frustrated, eyes darting around the room. If she knew the council, it would be a miracle if they extended even one clone for their aid. "Listen, I know you think that it's emotion driving you, but this is Maul. We both know what he's capable of. He needs to be stopped permanently this time, before he can wreak any more havoc on our watch. You know that if we wait we might not find him again any time soon." Obi Wan diverted his eyes to the ground. "They gave us a rare opportunity, Obi, take it. We might not be granted another."
"The war is at its peak, Lyanna, I can't leave it now." He whispered back. "They need me, just as we talked about before."
Lyanna groaned softly in frustration and stepped back, pacing in front of him. Her hand went to her lips, her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't even realize how much she mimicked the jedi next to her. Her feet stopped in her tracks when an idea arose. "Then send me."
Obi Wan sighed and folded his arms before his chest. "I can't even begin to explain how much of a bad idea that is."
The queen turned to him abruptly. "Why?" She raised her eyebrows. "I've proved before that I can handle him, and this time I will be wielding more than a scalpel or handcuffs."
"You don't belong on Mandalore." The jedi answered. "They won't take kindly to any foreign invaders, especially one that wields the force as you do. You'll be taken for a witch, a charlatan." When Lyanna only narrowed her eyes he quickly continued. "Trust me, Lyanna, I know them."
The queen looked away from his stare, wrapping her arms around herself as she sighed. She felt that what he said was in earnest, and that he wasn't only trying to protect her. Feeling his emotions were making it hard to get angry with him. "We can't leave them alone in this, Obi."
"I know. That's why I'm going to try." He turned to the communication device in front of him and pressed a few buttons, making a call to the jedi council. At the same time there seemed to be another call coming in, one through the emergency frequency. "That's... strange." Obi Wan accepted the transmission and was instantly met by the image of a distressed friend. "Master Windu, what seems to be the problem?"
Lyanna turned towards the figure, noting the way his tunic was weirdly dishevelled and there was a rare, panicked look on his face. It was the first time she saw the master this distraught. Her heart froze as she stepped closer and listened attentively.
"There's been an attack on the capital. General Grievous has kidnapped the Chancellor and I've lost contact with Shaak Ti. His fleet is now above Coruscant and keeping us pinned. We need your help immediately."
Lyanna took in a startled breath, her eyes widening while she felt the panic rising within her betrothed. Her eyes darted his way, watching the realization sparking in his. "All right, we'll be there as quickly as we can." Obi Wan answered, his voice catching on a note of urgency. He ended the call and turned towards the nearest clone trooper. "Sound the alarm and prepare for hyperspace, we'll be departing for Coruscant as soon as we can."
Just like that he was sprinting out of the command centre and down the hall while the queen was still processing what was happening. "Wait, what, -" Lyanna mumbled, catching on when he was already out the doors and the alarm was blaring through the entire vehicle.
"Obi Wan, wait!" She darted after him and caught up as he was giving orders to Cody. Shuffling on her feet uneasily, she ignored the clones that were now frantically darting through the halls. "What about Ahsoka, what about Maul?"
The jedi turned back towards her as Cody was sent on his way, his brows furrowing for a moment. "That can wait."
"What? This is Maul, -!" She halted in her protests the second he laid both his hands on her shoulders and leaned in, the urgency clear in his eyes. She felt his fear peaking and the determination that came with it.
"This may be the end of the war, Lyanna. This battle will decide the fate of the universe." Obi Wan spoke. "I need to go and save the Chancellor before all our efforts are in vain. Hopefully, we'll defeat General Grievous and Count Dooku and end this."
His eyes flickered between hers while she processed the information. The stony voice of the jedi changed into the softer note of the man beneath as he leaned in closer. "I need you to go home now, my darling." His hand lifted from her shoulder to cup her cheek, thumb softly caressing her jaw. "I'll join you as soon as I can."
Lyanna's eyes widened, fighting the tears that welled up. They were both so overcome with emotion that they only enhanced each other's, so badly that it became overwhelming. "I want to come with you." She whispered when the urge to sob had faded away. She placed her hand on top of his, squeezing tightly, knowing what his answer was but still asking. "Let me help you."
Obi Wan smiled softly and leaned his forehead against hers, breathing in deeply. His fear seemed to eb away and be replaced by a strange sense of contentment. A warm feeling, one that slowly drove away the icy prick of fear. It calmed the chaos within her heart. "This is not your fight, it never was. If I risk your life again Aidan will have my head."
Lyanna managed only a soft scoff as her eyes narrowed. "This is my choice, Obi Wan."
The jedi sighed as he drew back and took her hands in his. "I know, and I won't stop you." He lifted her gaze back to hers and took a few deep breaths, waiting for both their emotions to settle. "It's time, Lyanna. Time for you to return to Valeria. They will need you when this war ends."
It's time. Her heart stopped beating in her chest momentarily as she remembered one of the phrases her mother had spoken to her those 2 months ago. When the jedi tells you it is time, I need you to listen and do as he says or else Valeria will fall before we can even save it. Green eyes widened and fear expanded like a plague in her body.
Ragnarök, it was coming. And it was coming much sooner than she'd expected.
Lyanna glanced towards their hands as her mind ran, thinking about the little time she had left, how much more she wanted to spend with the jedi before her. She'd taken the last two months for granted and now her time was up. She'd wasted it away fighting battles that weren't hers to begin with.
"Dammit." She whispered underneath her breath and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. She had to face whatever was coming head on. All there was left for her to hope for was that the man before her would be there fighting with her. She lifted her head and met his eyes, fighting away the tears. "You better come back to me, Obi Wan."
He bent forward and placed a careful and slow kiss on the top of her head. "I promise, my darling."
The queen sunk her teeth into her bottom lip to keep herself from crying out. Gods, she didn't want to leave him. Every fibre in her body told her to grasp onto him and never let go, whilst er mind told her to follow her mother's directions. She hated the fact that she needed to heed her commands, hated that this fate had been chosen for her. But if the future of Valeria was at stake, she couldn't ignore it.
While her mind was running that over Obi Wan had already turned to one of the clones. She barely caught onto the last few phrases. "- to Valeria, and make sure nobody else knows of her return but the jedi council. Ask for the king directly, or they won't let you enter their airspace." He turned back to her while the clone waited. "He will take you home."
"I need to say goodbye to Anakin." Her voice wavered with the fear that was clawing at her heart. Obi Wan felt it tearing at her and quickly took her hands in his, letting his warmth draw away the ice.
"There's no time, but I will relay your message." He lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on the top before he pushed her softly in the direction of the clone. "Go now, before this ship departs for Coruscant."
The clone's hand closed around her wrist and pulled her with him. Before she'd even thought about doing it, her feet were carrying her with him. Everything was moving so fast; she couldn't even think about what she wanted to say to Obi Wan. "Tell him." She yelled over her shoulder as she was dragged away.
She saw Obi Wan's brows furrowing in confusion as he folded his arms before his chest, trying to keep her within his sights for as long as he could. "Tell him, Obi, before it's too late!" The queen shouted before she rounded the corner.
For a moment he stood perplexed until he convinced himself to walk towards the area he knew Anakin resided in and leave the queen behind. His heart was hammering and felt like it was being torn in two now that the distance between them grew. At the same time, he knew within his heart that this was the right choice.
Still, there was a feeling, a gnawing sense he couldn't ignore. Something wasn't right. There was someone luring on the horizon, waiting to strike. Someone that had been hiding in the shadows for far too long and was now readying for his final assault. One that would tear the jedi's world down.
Obi Wan didn't know how to stop it. He could only face it head on and hope for the best outcome.
"Tell him, Obi Wan, please." Her voice sounded in his head while she boarded the ship. "Tell Anakin what you tried to tell me on Adrena. Tell him the truth about us."
Before he could think of what to answer her ship had jumped into hyperspace, and he could no longer reach her. He shook his head to get it clear and quickly jumped into another sprint. Within seconds he saw Anakin, his commander Rex and Ahsoka at the end of the hall.
He came to an abrupt stop before them as the alarm sounded loudly in his ears. "Anakin, Rex, prepare the forces. We're jumping into hyperspace immediately."
And thus, the revenge of the Sith has started.
Hehehehe.
Prepare yourselves.
(Palpatine be like: I am... inevitable)