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"Senator, I am quite baffled how you manage to get yourself into these sort of situations so regularly," Obi-Wan complained.
Despite the situation they were in, Padme had the audacity to laugh. "Please Obi-Wan, you have known me since I was a thirteen year old Queen. You should know by now that these situations just follow me."
Obi-Wan scowled, "I think Senator, you invite the trouble far more than you like to admit."
"Oh come on Obi-Wan, you enjoy it. Your life would be far more boring without it."
"My life would be far easier if I wasn't repeatedly assigned as your protection detail when you decide you want to be used as a separatist bargaining chip. Again."
Padme waved him off. "Oh, hush. You can't lie to me Obi-Wan, you live for things like this."
The annoying thing for Obi-Wan was that she was actually right. As chaotic as his missions as her protection details often ended up being, they were an enjoyable respite from his duties as a general. These sorts of missions were the ones that made him hanker for the days before the War. They were the type of missions Jedi were meant for. They had never been trained to be soldiers.
But that did not mean he had to enjoy being stuck in a confederate spaceport, hiding from droid patrols with a Senator who, according to all of her schedules, was meant to be locked away in committee meetings in Coruscant for the rest of the cycle.
"So what is your plan Knight Kenobi?"
He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. "I'd have thought a Senator as intelligent as you would have had an exit plan before they decided to follow a known collaborator to unfriendly space."
Padme was looking still far too amused by the situation. "Of course I did. I was just checking before I defaulted to my plan."
She stood from behind the crates they had hidden behind and began making her way toward the parked ships. Obi-Wan grit his teeth to stop himself from cursing. He'd changed his mind. Give him a separatist army any day. At least his men didn't decide to wander off into enemy territory whenever they had a whim. He scrambled to his feet and made to follow her.
She was already halfway across the spaceport. Obi-Wan weaved through the crowd to try and catch up with her. As uncomfortable as it usually made him, he was relieved to be in civilian clothes. At least this made them less noticeable to the sentient citizens of the planet.
He caught up with her in the shadow of one of the ships.
"Padme, you can't just run off like that-"
He froze.
Hidden in the shadow of the ship was a man. A very familiar man.
Padme waved toward him. "This is our pilot for the way out. We have known each other for years. His name is -"
"Anakin?"
The Man turned, his face breaking into a grin as he saw him.
"Obi-Wan, I didn't expect to see you! I knew Padme had someone escorting her but you always seemed far too important for the protection duty roles."
Obi-Wan sighed. "You have always had a higher opinion of me than is deserved Anakin. This is exactly the job that I've been trained for."
Padme was looking between them, her eyes narrowed.
Obi-Wan gestured at them, "I did not know that you two knew each other, though?"
Anakin laughed. "Oh, we go way back. Nine year old me wooed her with my expert charm."
Padme rolled her eyes. "Yes, you showed me your protocol droid and talked about pod racing at me for three days straight. It was very romantic."
"You are forgetting the comparison with the Angles of Iago. I was very smooth Padme, you can't deny that."
"I think I can. But I do think you get a pass for being only nine. It was very cute."
Anakin pouted, but the effect was ruined when he threw an arm around her shoulder. "It was not cute. It was romantic."
"Whatever you say, Anakin", she laughed.
Obi-Wan was feeling particularly on edge by this turn of conversation, and he didn't know why. He scowled as Anakin pulled Padme into a proper hug.
"This doesn't explain how you two know each other though," Padme said as she extricated herself. "You stayed with Sabe the entire time we were on Tatooine Obi-Wan. You never met Anakin."
Before Obi-Wan could answer, a clanking sound began to echo through the hanger. He whirled around. Another droid patrol was making its way into the building from the far end. Anakin grabbed his arm.
"You two get inside, there's a smugglers hold beneath the gun seat. Hide in there, I'll come to get you when I've sorted this."
"Anakin, you don't-"
He fixed him with a glare. "Get In."
Obi-Wan's arguments died on his tongue. He let Padme pull him into the ship.
It was not an advanced craft.
It was dark, even darker than the spaceport had been, and it took Obi-Wan a moment for his eyes to adjust. Only about half of the cabins' lights were functioning, and several of those that worked were flickering. It gave the ship an eery sense, almost as if he was inside one of the caves on Ryloth rather than on a trading vessel.
The ship itself looked like it had been cobbled together from discarded scrap from other ships. It barely looked airworthy, never mind space worthy. If it had been anyone else ship, Obi-Wan wouldn't give it a chance of staying pressurised. Given it belonged to Anakin, though, he was sure he'd have managed to wrangle it into some sort of functionality.
Padme grabbed hold of his arm, dragging him to the side. The gun seat looked… unorthodox, to say the least. The seat, gun and cockpit all looked like they had come from separate ships. Obi-Wan couldn't work out quite how they worked together, but he didn't have a chance to examine it further.
Padme jerked the seat forward, revealing a hole underneath it. It was small, very small, small enough that he wasn't sure exactly how they would fit in it. She clearly had no such reservations. Padme sat on the edge and slipped forwards into the gap, turning to glare at Obi-Wan when he didn't immediately make to follow.
He heard clanking sounds coming from the ships boarding ramp, and he took a deep breath before following her into the hole. He reached up and dragged the seat back into its place, plunging them into darkness.
It was a tight fit. Obi-Wan couldn't see Padme, but he could feel her breath against his ear. He grimaced.
"So this was your plan, really senator?"
She huffed. "Like you have anything better."
Obi-Wan didn't suppress the roll of his eyes, thankful that she could not see him. "It was not my plan to come here, Padme."
"Well, aren't you trained to think on your feet."
Obi-Wan had just opened his mouth to argue when he heard the ceiling creak. They fell silent, listening intently to the room above. There was the clanking sound of several droids walking into the room.
"And as you can see," Anakin said, his tone sounding distinctly annoyed.
"There is clearly no stowaway Republic Senators in here either. Now can I please have my ship back? I do have a designated departure slot you know. If I miss it I won't be allowed to leave for days."
The sound of their breathing sounded like it was as loud as shouting in the confined space. Obi-Wan tried to breathe more shallowly. Any louder, and it felt like it would give them away. He closed his eyes, sinking into the Force. He was one with The Force. The Force was one with him. He could feel his breathing evening out, quietening. They would be ok. He only had to trust in the Force.
"The thing is, it was Skywalker, wasn't it? I don't believe you."
Obi-Wan's eyes flew open. He knew that voice. That voice had followed him around the galaxy for years now. None of the Jedi had been able to best her. And now, the only thing that stood between them and Asajj Ventress was an untrained force user that had apparently taken up the life of some kind of smuggler.
Not for the first time, Obi-Wan wished that he had not reported Anakin's existence to the council. If he had been allowed to train him, even a little, then maybe they'd have a chance.
But no. He hadn't offered him any kind of training, and they had gone their separate ways. And now they were stuck, and that training was the only thing that could have saved them. Obi-Wan shut his eyes. The Force worked in mysterious ways, but no one ever said she couldn't be cruel.
Obi-Wan could hear the exasperation in Anakin's voice when he replied.
"Then by all means have a look for yourself. I know you enjoy my company Asajj but the I have a feeling we would get on each other's nerves if we were stuck in the same place too long. I think we'd both prefer if we went our separate ways sooner."
If Obi-Wan had the space, he would have dropped his head into his hands in despair. He couldn't truly judge Anakin. After all, his own preferred method of combat included a disproportionate amount of verbal sparring in an attempt to goad them, but he was judging anyway. Now was not the time for provocation; they needed to get her out as quickly as possible.
She was so close now Obi-Wan could hear her growl under her breath at Anakin's comment. The floor above their heads creaked. They held their breath. Each second seemed to drag into hours. He could almost feel her looking at the seat, looking through the dura-steel at them. They were going to be caught.
And then the floor creaked again as she moved away.
"I still don't trust you Skywalker. You do far too much business in Republic Space to be around our ports as often as you are."
"Yeah well, you have to make credits where you can these days."
"Hmm, yes, you do, Skywalker. And I'm sure spying for the Republic would pay you very well…."
Obi-Wan's stomach clenched, but Anakin just scoffed. "Please, as if the Republic would employ someone with my heritage, I'd never be perceived as trustworthy."
"Ah Yes, I always do forget your history Skywalker, one does not look at you and immediately think pleasure slave," she paused. Obi-Wan could only imagine Anakin's reaction to that comment. "It is a shame we were not able to strike a deal with the Hutts, they would have been one way to get you out of my hair."
Anakin's tone hardened. "Yes, well if you are finally finished poking around my legal and fully registered goods which have already been checked by customs I would appreciate it if you would leave my ship, Ventress. We are already in my departure window."
"Until we meet again, Skywalker." The sounds of conversation faded, and they were left in silence.
Obi-Wan didn't dare breathe properly again until the roof of the compartment was wrenched open. Anakin looked tired, but he wore a grin on his face.
"One Separatist agent officially avoided. Now can all passengers please take their positions for take off? We are already running very late."
Padme scrambled up from behind him. "Thank You Anakin, that was brilliant."
He smirked, offering her a hand. "Well, my lady, that is because I am brilliant."
Obi-Wan felt his stomach clench as she laughed at him for reasons he did not want to contemplate. So he ignored the sensation, climbing up after them.
"That was reckless Anakin. What would you have done had she found us?"
Anakin's smug expression froze before contorting into a frown. "I'd have improvised." He crossed his arms. "And your welcome by the way, for me risking my livelihood hiding you from an army you are at war with when you are most certainly illegal in their territory."
Padme gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs. "Of course we're grateful Anakin," she said. "It's just Obi-Wan here is particularly risk-averse."
"He didn't used to be," Anakin grumbled before his eyes widened before he turned away.
Padme raised her eyebrows in interest. "Well, I suppose that is a lie. Master Kenobi is fine with taking outrageous risks, but he's the only one allowed to take them."
Anakin's shoulders twitched as if he had forced down a laugh. Obi-Wan felt distinctly like he was being ganged up on. "Well I am the one who has been trained to do it for my whole life," he grumbled.
Padme patted him on the shoulder. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Obi-Wan. Don't worry, I don't mind that you are a hypocrite." She walked forward into the ship's cockpit, and Anakin followed. Obi-Wan was left alone in the cargo bay, feeling distinctly off centre.
He didn't know why being around Anakin was always like this. The same thing had happened when he had first seen him in that market on Tatooine when they had met with the Twilek delegation on Ryloth. And he'd definitely been left off-kilter when they had finally gone their separate ways on Hosnian Prime. The council reprimands still ringing in his ears.
It was an interaction that Obi-Wan thought he would forever regret. Not that Anakin had seemed to bear him any ill will for the way things had gone down. Obi-Wan shook his head. It was not wise to swell on events in the past. He had to put it behind him. Anakin clearly already had.
He followed them into the cockpit.
Anakin was already sitting in the captain's seat, reaching up to run through the pre-launch checks. He nodded at Obi-Wan as he flicked one of the switches. The dashboard came to life before them, and the ship began vibrating. Padme had already claimed the navigator seat off to the side, so he dropped into the co-pilot's chair.
From this angle, the ship looked even more cobbled together. The dashboard, control wheel and seats all looked like they were from separate ships. The controls were in at least three different languages.
Obi-Wan didn't know whether to be horrified or impressed at the ingenuity that must have gone into putting the craft together.
"Has this thing even flown before?" Obi-Wan couldn't help himself. He had to ask.
Anakin shot him a dirty look before patting the dashboard. "Don't listen to him", he muttered, to the ship. Obi-Wan barely suppressed a groan; this was just getting better and better.
"Yes of course it has actually flown before. I've just made some choice upgrades over the years. She is more than space worthy, you can trust me on that. Well if you trust me at all."
Ah, so not so left in the past then.
"Of course I trust you Anakin. I have had more than enough experience to know your skills as an engineer. This is just very… extreme."
Padme shot him a significant look. He ignored it.
Anakin smirked. "I agree it is extreme. You'll see exactly why when it's in the air."
He pressed a final button, and the ship jerked forward silently before moving into the air. Anakin grabbed a comm kit and hooked it over his head, positioning the microphone against his mouth.
"This is Captain Skywalker of the Kryat Dragon, seeking to take off, clearance in slot 6598."
A burst of static through the speaker system before a gruff voice responded. "It's about time Kryat, you have only two minutes until your clearance expires. Get a move on your to the back of the queue."
Anakin grimaced. "Heard and understood Control."
He eased the control wheel forward, and the ship began to move, slow and juddering out of the hanger and into the spaceport proper. The sky was mercifully clear.
The speakers crackled back into life. "You are cleared for take-off Kryat Dragon."
"Thank Kriff for that", Anakin grumbled. And he jerked the control wheel up. The ship shot forward, the Force throwing Obi-Wan back into his seat.
The radio squawked. "Skywalker! Obey the Port Speed limits!"
Anakin just laughed and ignored them, swerving around an incoming ship as they quickly ascended through the atmosphere. Obi-Wan gripped onto the armrests of his chair as the ship speeded up even further.
"As I said, I've done some upgrades."
"So I can see Obi-Wan", grimaced, his stomach lurching at another tight turn. This was precisely why he didn't like flying.
Anakin glanced at him. "Can you begin programming the hyper-drive, the quicker we get out of this system, the better."
"Wait a moment," Padme said, looking at the nav screens. "It looks like we've picked up a tail."
Anakin flicked over the dashcam to the radar screen. There was a definite flash, a small craft following them out of the atmosphere.
Anakin sighed. "Well, there goes our hopes of a direct route. Hope everyone is ready for a detour around separatist space."
"Brilliant", Obi-Wan muttered, "I thought everything had been far too easy."
Anakin grinned at him. "I see your wit has still not deserted you Obi-Wan."
He rolled his eyes before focusing again on the ship. It was getting closer. He grimaced before reaching forward to grip his own control wheel.
"Well, It's time for you to prove your skills as a pilot Anakin. We need to lose whoever's in that ship."
Anakin's answering smile did not bode well.
Obi-Wans legs were wobbly when he finally released himself from the co-pilot's seat, the blue swirls of light speed bathing the cabin. He felt vaguely sick, but the buzz of success tamped it down. The relief that they were finally out of separatist space beat out all other emotions.
Anakin was practically vibrating with adrenalin in his seat. He had a massive grin on his face.
"I hope that flying isn't going to get you banned from using that spaceport going foreword Anakin."
He waved him off. "Oh I don't care about that, that's never been a profitable run anyway, the only reason I was there is because Padme sent me an emergency comm."
Obi-Wan frowned, leaning against the chair Padme had vacated. "How do you know her anyway? I can not imagine you move in the same circles very often."
Anakin laughed, "You are right there. I met her on Tatooine, with Qui-Gon. Of course I never knew she was the Queen then, I thought she was like me," he shrugged slightly, "there's not much difference between a servant and a slave to a nine-year old. I bought the Dragon with the Credits I had after Hosnian and headed for Naboo just to see if I could find her. I was shocked when I found out who she actually was when I got there."
Obi-Wan crossed his arms. "That I can imagine."
He gave a self-deprecating smile. "I obviously thought she wouldn't want anything to do with me, but her people commed her and she flew straight out," he shrugged "the rest is history I suppose. We comm a lot and whenever she wants someone to poke around I'm more than willing."
Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle. "So Ventress was actually right about you being a Republic spy."
"Not 'The Republic' just a specific person who happens to work for the Republic. I doubt any of the things I've found out have ever been of use to you."
Obi-Wan stood. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, any intelligence can prove useful and Senator Amidala has always been a fervent supporter of my order."
Anakin raised his eyebrows. "If you say so."
Obi-Wan didn't attempt to argue. "Do you want me to take over, get some rest?"
He shook his head. "I've had plenty of rest before we took off. You were running around as fugitives on world. You will need the sleep far more than me."
Anakin… probably had a point. He clasped him briefly on the shoulder, letting go when he felt his muscles tense. He had no business thinking about Anakin's muscles or feeling his muscles. He gave him a nod before leaving the cabin.
The ship was much quieter in hyperspace; all the rattling and clanking that the ship was making on the ground had given way to a much healthier sounding hum. He moved over towards the bunks, grimacing when he saw how primitive they were. He wasn't quite tired enough to subject himself to that yet.
He moved towards the galley. First Food, and then maybe he would feel the need to get some sleep.
Padme was there waiting for him.
She leaned against the counter, positioned so Obi-Wan could not get past. She raised her eyebrows at him.
"What?"
"You don't think you're getting away without some sort of explanation for that."
"For what?"
Padme crossed her arms. Obi-Wan was again struck with how intimidating she could be given her stature. She held herself with such self-assurance that it felt impossible to deny her what she wanted. It was how they were taught to present themselves during negotiations at the temple, yet she was a natural. It made sense how she was such a formidable politician.
And as much as he liked Padme, her determined expression now reminded him just why he didn't like them as a species.
"Master Kenobi," Obi-Wan reflexively winced at her use of the honorific. He was not going to escape this conversation without giving her answers. "I want to know the answer. How do you know Anakin? You were not with us when we first met him."
Obi-Wan sighed. "I crash-landed on Tatooine two cycles ago. I needed repairs."
Padme's eyes lit up. "That, makes everything make so much more sense."
He frowned. "Sorry?"
Padme stood up straight and began pacing up the galley. "I've had people on Tatooine for years. I sent them over as soon as I could spare them from the rebuilding efforts. We found Shimi straight away but Anakin was already with the Hutts by then. They're too powerful. We couldn't get him out."
She grimaced. "We kept up surveillance though, and when he was taken off for auction we had my people there to get him."
"You were going to buy him?" Obi-Wan interrupted.
She scowled. "I do not have the power to completely tear down the system Obi-Wan, I would have loved to get him out some other way but I have to work within the skills I have. He ended up with the Hutts because he helped me. I had to try and get him out whatever way I could."
He raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it Padme. I just was shocked you would have people there, of all places."
She deflated slightly. "I owed Anakin. I still owe him really, he gave up a massive part of his life so my planet could be free. It was the least I could do. Or try to do it anyway. He vanished before the auction."
Obi-Wan avoided eye contact. She smirked. "Which clearly had something to do with you."
"I didn't know anything about him," Obi-Wan admitted. "Qui-Gon didn't talk to me about him when we got back to the ship. I'd have gone back for him if I knew what he'd been promised. Once I'd learnt that I couldn't just leave him there."
"So you broke him out," Padme concluded.
"So I broke him out," Obi-Wan agreed. "Didn't he tell you this when he contacted you on Naboo?"
"He didn't seem to want to talk about it. He was already shocked enough about who I was. I didn't want to press him. It always felt like he was protecting someone." She fixed him with a significant look.
"I went against Jedi protocol to release him", he admitted, "I think Anakin thinks I'd get in more trouble if more people knew. The Jedi council didn't really care, but it caused issues when the Chancellor tried to court the Hutts at the start of the War."
Padme frowned as if a bad smell had just passed under her nose. Obi-Wan agreed with the sentiment. The Republics' attempts to create an alliance with the Criminal Empire were among the ugliest examples of Republic realpolitik in the War so far. It went against every value the body was meant to stand for.
"We also didn't part on the best of terms. I imagine he didn't want to talk about me because of that."
Padme scoffed. "I've seen Anakin interact with people he does not like. What I saw out there," she indicated toward the cockpit, "was definitely not that. I don't know what happened between you Obi-Wan but it is clear that Anakin isn't the one holding a grudge."
Obi-Wan swallowed, his mouth dry. It was true that it had been his own issues that had seen them part. He had never been able to get past the thought that Anakin had been indebted to him. But if Anakin still claimed not to think that, even after this time had passed… Then maybe things-
No. He couldn't drag Anakin any more into this War than he already was. He had clearly carved out a lucrative business here, something he would never have been able to achieve if he'd stayed with Obi-Wan. And he couldn't imagine someone with Anakin's spirit enjoying life in the GAR. He had lived all his life having to obey orders. He wasn't going to try and take away his freedom to travel the stars. He would be better off staying as far away from the War as possible. Which reminded him…
"Why have you been having him spy for you?"
Padme laughed, "now that is a gross exaggeration of what has been happening. It is not like I'm sending him undercover anywhere, Anakin has legitimate business everywhere he goes. He only tells me if he hears something interesting. I don't ask him to find anything."
"But isn't that reckless? What if something went wrong?"
She shook her head, lips still quirked in amusement. "Obi-Wan, if you think Anakin wouldn't be getting himself into worse trouble if you left him up to his own devices."
That Obi-Wan had to agree with. Padme sighed, pushing herself back to her feet. "It's been a long day Obi-Wan, you should get some rest. I'm sure as soon as we're back on Coruscant you will be redeployed again. I hope our trip wasn't the burden you like to imply it was."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Your company could never be a burden Senator."
She rolled her eyes. "Save your negotiation tactics for an actual negotiation Obi-Wan, and you should know by now that you cannot charm me to agree with you."
"No Senator," Obi-Wan agreed, "you are much too smart for that."
"Enough!" She hit him on the shoulder but laughed as she left the galley. Obi-Wan chalked that one as a win. He smiled before turning back to the cupboards, his smile dying when he saw they were all filled with ration bars. He sighed before grabbing a couple and following Padme towards the bunks.
He bit into one of the bars, grimacing at the sour taste, before dropping onto one of the beds. Padme was already asleep on the other side of the room. He lay back, staring up at the dirty metal that formed the bunk above him.
Padme had been right. As soon as they were back on Coruscant, he was sure to be redeployed to the front lines. This protection detail had only ever been a respite from his role in the War. It was a fun tangent into what he was originally trained for, a proper Jedi mission to show just how much he missed them. But it was always going to be short-lived.
He would be back to General Kenobi again as soon as they got back. Anakin did not deserve to get dragged into that sort of life. He would leave him to enjoy his freedom. It would be the best thing for him.