Follow the Rules

Mystery solved

She had found it. The smell she was looking for. That scent of wood, spices and sweat that she could smell on the brown cloak. It belonged to Obiwan. How could she have been so oblivious, of course, it was Obiwans. She had smelt it on him the night on the chase when he had sat on her lap and of course, the cloak belonged to him because it obviously wasn't Anakin's and Padme doesn't own cloaks like that...

Her face was burning in embarrassment. She had slept cuddling into that cloak.

"Good call my young padawan." Obiwan complimented Anakin, letting go of Melanie's waist. He didn't want to. He quite liked holding her that close. Feeling her breathe on his shoulder. Focus on the job at hand, he told himself.

Below them was a battlefield. The republics new clone army vs the droid army.

"Attack those federation starships! Quickly!" Ordered Obiwan.

They continued to fly around shooting at the enemy until Obiwan caught sight of something.

"It's Dooku. Shoot him down." Anakin yelled to the clones.

"We're out of rockets, sir." One replied.

"Follow him then."

"We're going to need some help." Insisted Padme.

"There isn't enough time." Melanie started and Obiwan finished by saying "Anakin and I can handle this!"

Dooku's guards circled back behind the ship and started firing at the gunship. Melanie, who still wasn't holding on to anything, tumbled out with Padme and a few troopers. She heard the boys shout before landing in the sand dune. As soon as she hit the sand, she blacked out.

Obi-Wan and Anakin were torn.

"Put the ship down!" Anakin yelled.

"Anakin! Don't let your personal feelings get in the way. Follow that speeder." However, he worried about Melanie's safety.

"Lower the ship." Persisted Anakin.

"I can't take Dooku alone, I need you! If we catch him, we can end this war right now! We have a job to do!"

"I don't care! Put the ship down!"

"You will be expelled from the Jedi Order." Obiwan was fuming, how could his apprentice do this. To abandon 10 years of training for a love affair.

"I can't leave her!"

"Come to your senses! What do you think Padme would do were she in your position?"

"She would do her duty." Anakin resigned, looking down. Their ship continued after Dooku but the tension remained.

Melanie finally came to and picked herself up off the sand. She found her staff half-buried in the sand and retracted it, attaching it to her belt. Melanie crawled towards Padme who lay a few feet away and shook her.

"Padme, come on, wake up." Her friend groaned and opened her eyes.

"Are you two alright?" A trooper asked as she sprinted up to them. The two girls nodded. "We'd better get back to the forward command centre."

"No. No. Gather what troops you can. We've got to get to that hangar. Get a transport. Hurry!" Padme ordered. Melanie was proud of her for stepping up.

"Right away." The trooper said and all three of them sprinted back to the other troopers.

A transport came within minutes and they were on their way. Melanie was nervous for the boys. Were they still alive? Would she arrive at the hangar and find that her nightmare had come true?

They arrived at the hanger just in time to see a ship leaving.

"Dooku..." Melanie groaned as she recognised the face. She gasped as she realised that the fact that Dooku was able to get away meant that he had conquered Obi-wan and Anakin. She sprinted inside leaving the troopers to feebly fire at Dooku's ship.

As she rounded the corner she felt like vomiting. Both of the boys were lying on the ground. Anakin was missing arm in fact. Master Yoda stood in the middle of the room looking solemn. He gazed into her eyes as she arrived and she gave him a brief nod. She didn't want to move. She couldn't move. Her friends couldn't be dead?!

Finally, she saw movement. Anakin opened his eyes, looking down at his severed arm. Obi-Wan pushed himself off the floor, he had two very deep wounds on his arm and his leg. They were hurt but they were alive.

As Padme entered the room, the two girls looked at each other before running to the two wounded Jedi.

Padme and Anakin embraced each other. Melanie thought she saw them kiss but that was a dangerous move in front of Yoda so she thought nothing of it. She didn't hug Obiwan, but put his arm around her shoulder and helped him towards the gunship waiting. The two didn't say a thing until they made it out of the Geonosian Atmosphere. 

"How are you feeling," Melanie whispered Obiwan. Due to the fact that she was still supporting him, their faces were close. They looked directly into each other's eyes.

He wanted to say something cliche like "perfect because you're in my arms" but he held back. Instead, he said "better than I would've felt if I died in that arena back there."

She laughed and looked away. When the shuttle entered the transport ship, she followed the troopers looking after Anakin as they took him to the infirmary. He was sweating and very pale as they laid him on a bed.

"Is Anakin going to be okay?" Melanie looked apprehensively at the young man as she helped Obiwan sit down on his own bed.

"He will be fine... He's just in shock at the moment."

A nurse came over and started tending to Obiwans wounds so Melanie took her to leave. She wandered aimlessly down the hallways, not too sure on where to go. Her body ached and she wanted to lie down. In the end, she found a quiet corridor and leaned against the wall, falling asleep in seconds.

Padme found her a few hours later and woke her to tell her they'd made it to Coruscant.

"How's Anakin?" Melanie asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"He's fine. They have attached his new arm and he woke up about an hour ago. It'll take a bit of getting used to but I'm sure he'll manage."

"So I take it..." Melanie began wiggling her eyebrows at her friend. Padme blushes and shoved her fried gently.

"Maybe..." the girl said shyly.

"Tell me everything!" And with that Padme told Melanie how she had confessed her love to Anakin and what they were planning to do once they return to Naboo. Melanie felt so happy for her friend but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. The two women exited the big cruiser and walked towards a shuttle that would take them back to the apartment.

"What about Obiwan?" Padme asked out of the blue.

"What about him?" Melanie knew what she was talking about but she decided to play dumb.

"Come on! I saw you two on the gunship. He caught you before you fell out, and you looked pretty pleased to be like that. Not to mention you didn't let anyone else help when he was injured." Padme winked.

"It's um..." Melanie drifted off as she saw the man they were talking about across the dock. He was laughing and patting Anakin on the shoulder. Melanie sighed and Padme followed her gaze. "It wouldn't work. Anakin and you are a special case. Obi-Wan would never leave the Order for me, he loves his work. And I wouldn't leave the senate either."

Padme linked arms with her friend and lead her into the shuttle. Unbeknownst to them, Obi-wans gaze followed Melanie into the Shuttle.