Chapter Text
Elda sat outside of the council room, waiting for the moment Obi-wan walked out of the doors. She knew she needed to do this. By hopefully changing the minds of the council she can prevent yet another reason for Anakin to hate the council, and by extension; Obi-Wan.
Hearing the doors slide open, Elda saw Obi-wan walk out, shoulders down, shields tight, not even giving Elda a glance. Steeling herself with a breath, Elda walked into the chamber, ready to explain the reasonings behind her thoughts.
“Knight Neycar, what a surprise” Master Windu said, a look of surprise on his face, as Elda stood in the middle of the remaining Masters.
“Masters” Elda said calmy, bowing, greeting the masters of the council. “I know what you intend for Master Kenobi to do” Elda began. “You have tasked him to fake his own death to then go undercover as Hardeen and stop the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine. I know that you are relying on Anakin’s reaction to ensure that the death is…believable” Elda began, looking at the faces surrounding her in shock.
“You believe that the death of a Jedi and a General will cause so much of a stir that not many will be looking at the council to begin to even suspect any involvement if one of their own is killed. I also know that this will be the start of the undoing of Anakin Skywalker. Master Windu, you intend for Master Kenobi to become Hardeen, go to prison, speak to Moralo Eval and uncover the plot against the Chancellor, correct?”
“Why yes Knight Neycar, that is the plan exactly. How do you know this?” Windu questioned, moving to sit on the end of his seat. “We have just discussed this very thing, a mere five minutes ago”.
“Now I cannot explain to the council why I know this, but I have come up with a solution” Elda sighed, knowing that by saying this the troll will know that something is amiss “If you will allow me, hire another bounty hunter who is on Moralo Evals radar, Kiera Swan. We are around the same stature, and I have every confidence in myself that I can get involved in Evals plot and stop the assassination of the Chancellor. We hire Swan instead of Hardeen to ‘assassinate’ me instead. Use the grief of Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker to sell the plot. Let me take the blame for when you finally reveal this deception”.
Elda explained this to the members of the council, some looking ready to disagree with her, so Elda felt the need to continue her point. “It would seem too easy for Master Kenobi to be caught out by a sniper. No one would believe that the great negotiator would die that easily, let his guard down that easy.” Elda finished looking Yoda straight in the face, hoping he would agree to this. “Furthermore, if you make Master Kenobi do this, Knight Skywalker will lose whatever little faith he has in not only the Council but the Order itself”.
This revelation caused the council to stare at Elda in shock or confusion. Mace Windu even looked speechless at the mention of Anakin’s faith in the council.
“Knight Neycar, while this plan sounds good, what do we do about Master Kenobi, we should tell him, surly”. Master Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.
“We do not tell him” Elda began, “allow Master Kenobi to believe that he is still the target, with the reaction from Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker” Elda swallowed, finally solidifying what she is about to do. “It will be more believable, while my reputation is not as largely known as compared to Master Kenobi’s, the assassination of a general in the GAR would still cause a large enough stir to put Swan on Evals radar” Elda finished.
There was a long pause amongst the council, many deliberating across the force. After five minutes, Windu stood up and approached Elda.
“Knight Neycar, the council has come to a decision, that due to the fallout, we accept your proposal to go undercover as Kiera swan and stop the assassination attempt of Chancellor Palpatine. Tomorrow you will be given a vital suppressor and a vest. Master Kenobi already knows the location, so follow him” Windu said calmy and lent in close to Elda “Be careful and may the force be with you” he said softly to Elda.
“Thank you, Masters” Elda said bowing “May the force be with you”.
And with that Elda left the council chambers heading towards her apartment, to prepare for the task she has been sent to do.
*
When Elda reached her apartment, she was met with the sight of Obi-wan making tea in the kitchenet. Smiling sadly, Elda knew what he was doing, she was going to do the same. It almost felt like a goodbye, a sorry for what’s to happen.
Turning around after hearing the door go, Obi-wan smiled at seeing Elda. “Hello darling, you’re just in time, the kettles’ just boiled”.
Sitting down at the small table in her living room, Elda sighed watching Obi-wan make her tea.
An earl grey with just a splash of milk.
Obi-wan came over to the table, sitting in the seat next to hers, placing her tea in front of her.
Reaching over to grab her hand, Obi-wan frowned, not being able to reach out to Elda in the force. “Darling are you alright?” Obi-wan questioned squeezing Elda’s hand.
“Yes, cyare I’m fine, perhaps we should rest, it’s late and you know that the kids will want to meet us tomorrow”, Elda suggested, knowing that Obi-wan would have done the same, as he still believes that he will ‘die’ tomorrow.
Nodding, Obi-wan continued to hold her hand while drinking his tea. The two finished their tea in silence, a tense feeling settling over the both of them. They fell into their normal routine when it came to bed, both going to the fresher, brushing their teeth and changing. They both settled into bed, Elda’s back to Obi-wan and his arm wrapped around her waist.
“Are you sure your alright darling?” Obi-wan mumbled into her neck, his hand stroking hers.
“Yes Obi-wan, just know that I love you, I-I just have a feeling I won’t get the chance soon” Elda said, half admitting the truth. She won’t get a time to say it to him.
“My love, where has this come from. I love you too, but this has come on suddenly” Obi-wan sat up higher to lean over to look at Elda’s face.
“Do you remember where we put the letters right?” Elda questioned, while twisting to place her hand on Obi-wans cheek, fingers smoothing over his beard.
“I do darling, but why are you bringing them up, we are not going into battle tomorrow.”
“I-I just wanted to make sure you knew.” Elda smiled kissing Obi-wan softly, before turning over.
She felt Obi-wan rest against the bed once again, his arm tightening across her. She wondered how long she will be apart from Obi-wan, and she worried about how this will affect him. Elda hoped that he will understand.
*
The disaster trio and Elda were walking back towards their ship after Obi-wans comm went off just after they finished eating.
“So what’s the big rush?” Anakin asked, looking at Obi-wan, who looked calm despite the fact that he was going to ‘die’ in a couple of moments.
“The Jedi council has called an emergency meeting” Obi-wan responded, smiling at his impatient former Padawan.
“Ah, I can see it now, another long boring debate” Anakin mused, looking at Ahsoka, smirking at his own joke.
“Would you rather they call you in to train younglings?” Ahsoka teased back, shoulder bumping her Master.
Elda was partially listening to the Jinn line, her senses heightened, she could feel someone watching them.
“Are you crazy, me teaching younglings I-”
Anakin was cut off as three bolts came in between the four, forcing them to split apart. Ahsoka with Anakin and Elda with Obi-wan, hiding behind some crates.
“Any idea where those shots came from?” Obi-wan asked, shielding his face as a bolt hit the edge of the crate they were hiding behind. With more following after the first hit.
“A sniper up there, on top of that building” Ahsoka pointed out.
“Okay, here’s the plan” Elda began, shielding her face as yet another bolt grazed the crate. “Anakin you flank them on the right with Obi-wan, Ahsoka you cover the lower levels. I’m going after them” Elda said, igniting her lightsabre and running off before Obi-wan could say anything.
Rushing towards the building, Elda scaled it using the force before she began running across the roof. Sensing that Obi-wan and Anakin was doing the same on the other side, she began pursuing the bounty hunter, dodging shots.
Elda stopped at the edge of the building as she lost sight of the shooter. So she hid herself behind a piece of the roof, readying herself.
She heard Anakin shout to her that she lost him and knew that this was the time to do it. Inhaling, Elda closed her eyes, and stepped out from her cover, walking into what she knew was the snipers line of sight.
Elda felt the blaster bolt hit her square in the chest making her shout out in agony, the force of the shot making her lose her balance. She felt the sensation of free falling before the back of her head hit something and she fell into the void that greeted her each time she died.
Elda was dead before her body rolled to a stop.
*
Obi-wan could sense that something was off with Elda, he felt it right until the shots began to be fired at them.
When Elda suggested that he should go with Anakin, he wanted to protest as it would ruin the plan that the council had. However before he could disagree, Elda was already scaling the building.
Stopping when Anakin said he lost the sniper, Obi-wan took in his surroundings and saw that Elda was hiding behind something solid. ‘Good’, he thought ‘she’s found some cover’.
Looking around, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw that Elda was stepping out from her cover. Before he could warn her, Elda was out in the open and seconds later a blaster bolt was going through the centre of her chest and Obi-wan heard her shout of agony, watching in horror as her body fell off the edge of the building.
“Elda!” Obi-wan yelled, rushing to the edge where he saw her body, face down on the ground.
“Anakin you go after them” Obi-wan shouted at his Padawan, desperation creeping to his voice. When he saw Anakin not moving, face slack with shock, desperately Obi-wan yelled again, “Anakin, move!”
Nodding, the young Knight raced after the retreating sniper. Obi-wan threw himself down the building, using the force to soften the landing. Obi-wan reached Elda before Ahsoka and turned her over.
What Obi-Wan saw will haunt him forever. First, he saw the gaping wound which took up the centre of Elda’s chest. The smell of charred flesh entered Obi-Wans nose and made him nauseous. The blaster bolt went clean through Elda’s chest and heart. The flesh around the hole was blackened and blistering, no blood trickling from the wound.
Obi-wans logical side of his brain and the battle hardened general knew that Elda was dead. But the desperate and grief-stricken husband still held on to the thought that his wife was still alive.
“Elda, Elda darling, can you hear me” he asked desperately, pulling her limp body up into his arms, he saw his wife’s beautiful face was overtaken by blood. Her forehead covered in cuts and abrasions. There was a steady trail of blood leaving her lips and nose, her green eyes were staring blankly at his face. Obi-wan placed his hand behind her head and felt it was sticky. Pulling his hand away he saw it covered in dark blood. Sobbing, Obi-wan tried to gather Elda up as much in his arms as he could, her limp arms falling to the ground, head flopping back against Obi-wans arm which rested against her neck.
“No, Elda, darling you can’t do this. Please, wake up” Obi-wan moaned, grief encompassing him. Slowly he began to rock, tears slipping out of his eyes; He reached out for their bond, and he felt their bond tattered. Sobbing, Obi-wan gently cradled the back of Elda’s head, pulling her into his neck, an action he would do when they were hugging. He rested his forehead against Elda crown, tears falling into her hair. He began to faintly mumble ‘it was supposed to be me’, repeatedly into the hair of his wife’s dead body.
Obi-wan felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Ahsoka, tears in her eyes as well. Who then knelt down and grabbed onto Elda’s limp hand.
“Master Kenobi, is, is she dead?” Ahsoka asked innocently, tears falling down her face.
Nodding Obi-wan buried his face into Elda’s hair, his sobs turning into screams of anguish. His wife is dead, and it was supposed to be him. He sensed Anakin kneel next to him and reluctantly pulled his face out of Elda’s hair.
“Master…Obi-wan” Anakin skidded to a stop falling onto his knees, choking on his words when he saw how Obi-wan was holding Elda “Elda will be okay right, she… she’s survived worse” Anakin trembled next to him unable to accept that his second mother is dead. Hells Anakin has seen this woman fight a squad of droids with shrapnel in her abdomen.
“Anakin, dear one, she’s, she’s” Obi-wan tried to respond but couldn’t get the words out, his voice being cut off by a new wave of sobs escaping him.
Anakin yelled out in anguish, screaming Elda’s name, the woman who he saw a as mother, dead in the arms of his father figure…Reduced to a corpse.