"The Chancellor says the Jedi have tried to overthrow the Senate." Padme worried. "All the remaining ones will be hunted."
"Padme, everything will be alright." Anakin held his wife to reassure her.
"Run away with me, Anakin." She pleaded. "Help me raise our child away from here."
Not wanting to hear anymore, Xaela turned away from them and to Obi-Wan, who was already watching her. She couldn't meet his eyes, but if she could she would see that he was looking at her with the same love that she envied Anakin and Padme for.
"Next time you go to fight in a war, do you mind telling me?" She asked and he smiled.
"I'll keep that in mind." He mused, missing her scolding, and tried to kiss her forehead but Xaela took a step back and crossed her arms.
"I'm serious." She said. "Any one of the Jedi murdered could have been you or me. Could I at least get a goodbye?"
Obi-Wan saw that she meant it and sighed like always. But this time was different, she had a right to be upset.
"If all goes well, I will never have to fight in another war again." He told her. "I'll never have to say goodbye."
Xaela looked him in the eyes and saw his sincerity. She knew that they still weren't safe as long as the Chancellor was alive, and if this was her last time with Obi-Wan before either of them died, she didn't want to be upset at him. So Xaela took a step towards him, arms still crossed like a stubborn child and rested her head against his chest so he could hold her.
She felt him chuckled and wrap his arms around her. Xaela smiled and ran her hands up his chest to loop around his neck. He buried his head into her shoulder and sighed, not wanting to let her go.
They stayed like that for as long as they could.
"What did happen to Anakins hand?" His question was muffled by her shoulder.
"I sliced it off."
Obi-Wan was silent.
"I do hope you had a good reason." He said.
Xaela moved back so that he could straighten up and look her in the eyes.
"Me too." She admitted.
"Okay, you two." Anakin interrupted them. "It's time to end this war."
~*~
Padme reluctantly stayed on Coruscant, only giving in to the begging of Anakin, who knew that if she went into labour, 3PO could take her to the hospital. Everyone could see the conflict in his eyes still, he was still not sure that he would be strong enough to save her should anything happen. But Xaela was determine to make him see that he was.
As the trio landed on the Volcanic planet, Obi-Wan measured their plan of attack.
"Xaela and I will take the Trade Federation and other allies. Anakin, find Master Yoda and the Chancellor, we'll come for backup when we're finished."
Anakin nodded but Xaela saw his hesitation.
"You are strong enough." She said. "I will drill it into your brain if I have to."
Anakin simply nodded and pushed her head away.
"May the Force be with you." She said.
"May the Force be with you."
Obi-Wan and Xaela ran through the heat and into one of the bunkers where their intel said the targets would be.
"Do you think they're expecting Palpatine?" Xaela asked outside the door and Obi-Wan thought, looked at the brown robe he was wearing, then Xaela's black one.
"I have an idea."
They switched robes and Xaela was told to find an aerial opening into the room. It didn't take long before she found herself behind one of the machine on the balcony. She had taken off Obi-Wan's robe because it was too big, she didn't want to trip over it and make a fool out of herself.
The doors below hissed open and in walked the Jedi Master, black robe on and hood up, hiding his face.
"Lord Sidious, you will be pleased with our findings." Viceroy greeted.
"I'm sure I will." Obi-Wan threw the hood back and quick gasps could be heard as he ignited his lightsaber.
Xaela threw herself over the railing and onto the bottom floor, on the opposite side of the room from Obi-Wan. She lit her saber and the enemies looked back and forth between the two. The Jedi shared a nod before they fought.
Deflecting blaster shots and taking out the allies didn't prove difficult between the two of them. They had worked together for so long that they fought seamlessly and effectively. By the time they defeated all of the Chancellor's allies, they had hardly broken a sweat and their breathing had only a slight increase.
Obi-Wan crossed the room and grabbed Xaela by the hips, pulling her to him as he kissed her. Xaela held his shoulders to steady herself. She had to admit that she got more lightheaded from his kisses than she did fighting the Trade Federation. She could not believe how much she adored this man.
"What was that for?" She asked when he let her go.
His thumb was still stroking her hip and he shrugged.
"Good job?" He said and Xaela laughed, giving him another peck.
Then they ran to catch up with Anakin and Master Yoda, though when the got to the battle, only the former was there. Palpatine was putting up a fight, but Anakin was doing incredibly well considering his replacement hand was acquired in their rush. But still, the electricity shooting from the Sith lord's fingers took everyone by surprise, and Anakin's saber visibly cracked trying to hold it off.
He was exhausted, sweating, and starting to become frantic. Xaela had to help him. She unclipped her lightsaber from her belt.
"Anakin!" She yelled and he quickly looked at his friend.
Xaela threw her weapon at him and he caught it, igniting it and crossing them both to hold off Palpatine's power.
"Don't be so cocky, young Skywalker, I have more tricks up my sleeve." His voice crawled across Xaela's skin like a hundred bugs and she knew she had to do more.
She turned to Obi-Wan behind her and took his lightsaber off of his belt.
"Hey!" He said. "What-"
But he was cut off by her kissing him once again. She broke away with a half apologetic, half 'wish me luck' smile and immediately jumped into Battle before he could stop her.
She swiped at Palpatine's back, to which he divided his attention from Anakin to block her.
The two of them worked feverishly in the wind turbine terrain, Xaela with Obi-Wan's lightsaber, and Anakin with his own and Xaela's. The Master couldn't help the swell of pride he felt watching his two former Padawan working so well together, and he had no doubt in Anakin's prophecy. Still, he felt like he had to do something, so he disappeared in search of the controls.
Xaela jumped opposite of Anakin onto a lower bearing beam so she could attack from the bottom while he went for the high ground. Palpatine became increasing frustrated and somewhat scared of the two Jedi. Having thought that they were killed in the execution of Order 66, he had no reason to prepare for their arrival on Mustafar. The three of them felt the wind pick up, and looking down, they could see the large turbine starting. Anakin and Xaela shared a look, knowing if they could knock Palpatine off balance, he would fall and die.
Anakin made a slight gesture on his chin, the sign for a plan Xaela hadn't seen in years. She honestly didn't know if it was going to work, but her faith in Anakin lead her to blindly agree.
The Sentinel drew the Sith's attention towards her by charging. A silly move to anyone who was watching, it threw him off at first, however he instantly regained composure and cracked down purple lighting on Xaela. The lightsaber took most of it, but some caught her left arm in its beam, making her scream out in pain. She tried to hold her stance, but was quickly failing.
"Silly Jedi!" Palpatine boomed.
What he didn't know was that Anakin had snuck up behind him and was charging. He just let go of his hold on Xaela and turned, only for Anakin to kick him in the chest and sent him flying across the beam and right to the edge.
Xaela fell, dropping Obi-Wan's saber into the turbine and nearly falling off the beam herself. She looked up to see Anakin standing over the ex-Chancellor with the two weapons crossed over the Sith's throat. Xaela could not feel what he was feeling, he was blocking her out, but she had no fear. She had absolute trust that Anakin would do the right thing.
And he did.
She saw him slice off Palpatine's arms, the Sith Lord crying out in pain, and Anakin kicked him over the edge. The body of the Chancellor falling into the turbine blade.
Anakin immediately ran over to Xaela, helping her up and over to the safety of the sidelines where Obi-Wan was. She collapsed into him arms, holding onto her left arm.
"Master Yoda called." He said. "Padme's gone into labour."