𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 • 𝐎𝐛𝐢-𝐖𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐢

Complications

The elevator jerks to life and flies down.
"Whoa! R2!" Obi-Wan screams.
"Ah! That droid!" Azaylia yells as she tries to keep her balance but ends up falling on her back. She gets up quickly. The elevator is beeping rapidly.
"Stop. Stop R2. We need to be going up!" Obi-Wan exclaims. "R2 do you copy? R2 are you there? R2 we need to be going up not down." He emphasizes.
"Does R2 ever listen?" Azaylia asks with furrowed brows.
"To anyone except Anakin? Not likely." Obi-Wan jokes. The elevator suddenly stops sending Azaylia and Obi-Wan to the floor again. She groans.
"R2 why must you-" Azaylia doesn't  finish cause Obi-Wan has pulled her up onto her feet. He looks at her and gives a soft smile.

Since the Clones Wars has begun, Azaylia had spent less time with Obi-Wan. She would sometimes help him on his missions and other times she was without him. Azaylia did not ask for her own battalion but she still received one. She was the General of the 145th and was assigned the colour turquoise. She had become close friends with each of her Clones especially with her Clone Commander named Jagger.

On most nights Obi-Wan and Azaylia would sleep together. She would have to sneak out of his apartment extremely early and hope that no one spotted her. She missed him dearly on the nights he was on a mission and she was still at the Temple. She always worried he wouldn't come back. Azaylia ruffled his hair a little. It was shorter now but he still had his signature beard.

"I wish we had more time together." She whispered sadly.
"As do I..." Obi-Wan's frowns. "But sadly...we have a Chancellor to rescue and a war to fight." The elevator started to fly up.
"Now that's better." He says to R2.

Suddenly Anakin drops in the elevator. Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber but quickly deactivates it once he saw it was Anakin.
"Oh it's you." He states.
"What was that all about?" Anakin asks.
"Well R2 has been-" Obi-Wan is cut off.
"Hey hey. No loose wire jokes."
"Did I say anything?" Obi-Wan asks.
"He's trying." Anakin says.
"I didn't say anything!" Obi-Wan exclaims with a high pitched voice.
Azaylia snorts, "I told you Anakin was like a protective dad when it came to R2."

The elevator doors open to reveal a large room. The Jedi trio walk down the stairs and spot the Chancellor sitting in a chair with handcuffed wrists. They amble up to him.
"Chancellor." Obi-Wan bows.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asks worriedly. Azaylia didn't say anything to the Chancellor.

She never liked him since the day he believed she couldn't protect Senator Amidala. Azaylia knows that Jedi aren't supposed to hold grudges but...she just got a weird feeling every time he was near.
"Count Dooku." He stares. All three heads turn to see Count Dooku walking towards them.

"This time we will do it together." Obi-Wan says to Anakin.
"I was about to say that." He replies. Azaylia didn't have a clue about what they were talking about. Dooku flips off the balcony and grabs his lightsaber.
"Get help. You're no match for him. He's a Sith Lord." Chancellor Palpatine stars from behind us. Azaylia whips around, quite fed up.
"Chancellor Palpatine, Sith Lords are our specialty." She plasters a fake smile on her face. The three of them each shed their cloaks.
"Your swords please. We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor." Count Dooku says calmly.
"You won't get away this time Dooku." Obi-Wan glares. The three each turn on their lightsabers. Obi-Wan and Anakin shared the same blue while Azaylia still had my yellow one. It was the one she felt most comfortable with.

Count Dooku ignite his and they kick off the fight.
"I've been looking forward to this." Count Dooku a sick smile creeps onto his face making Azaylia won't you slap it off.
"My powers have doubled since the last time we met Count." Anakin states.
"Good, twice the pride, double the fall."

They fight some more. Azaylia's breath hitches when she sees Obi-Wan fall but is relieved when he gets back up again. Anakin and Azaylia attack the Sith in bursts, switching off when one of them felt tired. That all ended when Dooku kicked Anakin sending him into the wall. Obi-Wan was still fighting the battle droids that engaged him. Azaylia was alone. She channeled all her energy into the fight.
She blocked his lightsaber which was very close to her face. He was pressing down while she tried to fight the pressure. Azaylia grunted in effort as she felt the heat of the red lightsaber about to burn her face off.

"Master Barlette. I don't believe we've ever fought before. I must say...you are very good." Dooku taunts.
"People say I'm good with a lightsaber." The women jokes despite the situation.
"But I know you're one weakness..." he started.
"And what is that Count?" Azaylia presses.

That's when she senses Obi-Wan attempting to attack from behind. He quickly disengaged her and made her stumble backwards with the Force, almost making her fall over the balcony railing and grabs Obi-Wan in a Force choke at the same time. Azaylia's heart caught in her throat as the Sith threw Obi-Wan. He crashed into a railing and fell to the floor. Azaylia screamed his name when Obi-Wan didn't get back up. Dooku then broke the platform and made it fall on Obi-Wan. Azaylia used all her remaining energy to keep it off him and guide it somewhere safe. During that time, she was left vulnerable...but before Dooku could stab her in the back, Anakin started to fight him.
"Check on Obi-Wan! I'll take Dooku." He orders.
"You're not fighting Dooku alone Ani!" Azaylia exclaims.
"Zayli! Please!" Anakin screams. "I can't let him die!"

She finally does as Anakin says and rushes over to Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan?" Azaylia whispers and flips Obi-Wan on his back. His eyes are shut firmly closed.
"Wake up. Wake up please. Anakin needs you. I need you." She taps his cheek lightly. Azyalia feels like she could burst into tears. But she will not cry in front of Dooku or the Chancellor. Her mind was racing. What could she possibly do?! The Chancellors words snap the women out of her pessimistic thoughts.
"Good Anakin good...kill him...kill him now."Azaylia snaps her head up and quickly turns around. She tries to speak but no words come out. What was the Chancellor doing?!
"I shouldn't." Anakin shakes his head.
"Do it." The Chancellor demands. Azaylia's brain finally clicks and she can form words properly.
"ANI! ANAKIN NO! HE'S UNARMED! HE NEEDS TO STAND TRIAL! ANA-" her screams are cut off by the sound of lightsabers. Anakin did it. He killed Dooku. Azaylia stood there in shock with her mouth agape. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

"You did well Anakin..." The Chancellor smiled.
"Well?! Chancellor what are you thinking?! He needed to stand trial. We could've gotten information that would end the war!" Azaylia flew into a fit of rage.
"Master Barlette, before I was thinking exactly like you. But after I saw Count Dooku fight I realized it would be too risky and dangerous for him to be kept alive." Chancellor Palpatine calmly states. She shakes her head.
"It's not right." She whispers.
"He was an unarmed prisoner. I shouldn't have done that. It's not the Jedi way..." Anakin mumbles as he released Palpatine.
"It was only fair. He cut off your arm and you wanted revenge. It wasn't the first time Anakin. Remember what you told me about your mother and the sand people."

Azaylia shudders. Anakin had told the Chancellor, of all people, that?!

"Now let's get out before more security droids arrive." The Chancellor starts to walk towards the exit. Azaylia jumps back to Obi-Wan and Anakin soon joins her.
"Master Barlette, we have no time. We have to get off this ship before it's too late."
"He's alright Ani. He's still alive." She whispers to Anakin. He nods, swallowing his worries about Obi-Wan dying. For real. Azaylia looks up at him with pleading eyes. "Promise me you'll never do that again. Promise?" Anakin pauses as guilt washes over him. He shouldn't have killed Dooku but it was too late to go back and change things now.
"I promise Zayli." He says sincerely.
"Leave him or we'll never make it!" The Chancellor exclaims.
"I'm not leaving him and neither is Anakin." Azaylia states as calmly as she could. "I'll carry him." She picks Obi-Wan up and drapes him around my shoulders.
"Are you sure?" Anakin asks.
"I'm strong enough." Azaylia nods curtly. "He would do it for me in a heartbeat. I'll survive."

Azaylia would never leave without her Ben...