From the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

  After the long private talk Master Yoda invited me, I felt, relieved. I was still worried to the bone for Anakin and Ahsoka but talking about my doubts with the Grandmaster seemed to alleviate some of the weight. Sihe war on Zygerria began we haven't heard anything from them, but that doesn't mean that they were indeed lost. I am ashamed that my emotions got the better of me so easily... They have mao e back alive from simirly dire situations, this one will hopefully end in a simir way.

  I was lost in my thoughts while walking the corridors of the temple heading towards the general dire of my room. I o meditate over this, and the grandmaster advised me for a few days of rest and sileation to work over my emotions and doubts.

  It was the right thing to do.

  I reached the door of my room, ope with the right password aered. I pulled off the outer brown coat of my jedi robe and draped it over the backrest of the chair while the door closed behind me. I was about to sat down on the side of my bed and take off my boots when I heard the annoying sound of an ining holocall.

  They always find the worst possible moment to call me... I sighed... Remember, there is ion, there is only peace. I reminded myself feeling my mind calm a little in the wake of the mantra. I pulled back my half taken off boots and walked towards the chair where my outer robe was left with the holounicator pced i.

  After a few seds of struggling while I looked over almost every pocket in the damn coat, I finally mao find the cursed item.

  -There you are. I swear they are making these things smaller and smaller every year... If this trend goes any further, I might have to wear them around my ne a . Ah, good gracious, I already lost more than a few of these, it's an annoyao ask for a rept. Not even speaking of the awkwardness when I have to repeatedly ask for everyone's tact.

  The chirping of the device tinued beginning to make me even more frustrated. I decided that it was time to ahe call. When I pushed the right button, I was very surprised for the person that appeared in front of me in a miniature hologram.

  -Amida Senator?

  The words left my mouth with surprise, I don't know who I expected, but it definitely wasn't her. Even so I straightened my bad asked in a formal tone of voibsp;

  -What do I owe the pleasure Senator? I wasn't aware that I shared my personal holounicator tact with you, but it must have slipped my mind. No matter.

  I saw as she rolled her eyes with a spike of annoyance crossing her face. She was a good politi, but she still cked the experience of a veteraor. I khat a few years from now she would learn to pletely ignore such sarcastic remarks.

  She focused her attention bae and stated in an iionally dull voibsp;

  -Yes, well you might as well do that ime... I had to pull a series of strings to get your taformation.

  She seemed even more annoyed for a few seds, but she quickly masked it up. Now that I look at her more closely, I realize something. Her posture was tense, rigid even. There were carefully masked signs of stress and worry practically oozing from her body nguage. She was trying to hide them, but in front of the eyes of a jedi master, such attempts were not enough.

  Sensing the heavy atmosphere, I decided to ask.

  -Are you all right, senator?

  She looked to the side avoiding my eyes. Something was obviously w her, something serious.

  She strengthened her resolve and looked back at me, while saying.

  -I o talk with you Master...

  I was about to say to her that by all means go on, but as if she sensed my iion, she added quickly.

  -Personally, as soon as possible.

  That took me by surprise, it seemed that something serious had happened. I guess my meditation session will have to wait.

  -It is possible, I am currently on Corust and will be staying here for a few more days at least.

  -That is good then, I am also staying on the p, because of certaie matters, I will receive you in my apartment as a guest today afternoon. e as soon as you , but please try to be discrete.

  I blinked after hearing that st bit but nodded anyway.

  -I will be there in an hour.

  She seemed relieved hearing my ahen she added with a weak smile.

  -Thank you, Master Kenobi. I will be waiting for your arrival.

  The call had ended, and I was left in the empty room, with two raised brows and a plicated expression pstered to my fabsp;

  -That was weird. I hope she doesn't pn t me into some nasty game of hers... I have enough trouble without that at my hands currently. Oh, shoot... who am I try to delude...

  Time to go I guess, if I want to reach the p time. If I remember correctly her apartment was somewhere around there... or was it iher dire? I might have to check this on the holo. Navigating on Corust without aronic map is basically equivalent to torture. At least it trains your patieo new heights if nothing else.

  About an hour ter, in the apartment of Senator Amida.

  After my arrival I was guided inside by a steel pted protocol droid. I gave a quiod to the armed guards that always guarded the senators through diplomatic visits to Corust. Other ps usually had their own guards traio fulfill the same duty. We were in the middle of a gactic civil war, there were many who would wish harm upoors for many different reasons.

  The senatuards were chosen from normal citizens, who had gohrough rigorous military education and training. They were elite soldiers all with actual battle experie was a requirement to get into their ranks. All in all, their overall battle skills are rated even higher than the elite e troopers, or at least sidered to be on the same level.

  -Senator.

  I owards Amida, who in person seemed even more troubled. Even so she gave me a weling smile, it felt genuine.

  -Thank you for ing, Master Kenobi, and sorry for the bother, but I wished to ask you if there was any news of Anakin... and Ahsoka's wellbeing? If there are, would you please share them with me?

  Even I had a hard time hiding my surprise hearing those questions filled with worry.

  -Unfortunately, I 't say there is. Was this the cause of your worry, senator?

  For a moment, before she turo the side, I could swear that I saw a starting blush on her cheek. Was I imagining things? No... I don't think so...

  My eyes narrowed slightly as a troublesome thought came to my mind... I decided to ask a question.

  -Five me, if my question may seem intrusive, but I have to ask. Since when did you and Anakin, bee so close that he causes you such worry, madam?

  There was a slightly longer silence before the answer came than I would have liked to.

  -He is... a close friend, it is only natural to worry for him. You shouldn't fet, master, that I am not a jedi, therefore I am not traio suppress my emotions with such proficy as some of you do.

  I felt a spike of anger raise inside me, but I suppressed it quickly. Her tone and choice of words were definitely acg, did she bme me for... It's no surprise, I guess, not long ago I was also bming myself, but that was a mistake I had to put behind me. So, I answered in a simir fashion.

  -That is iing, I thought that being a quite popur politi and an ex-queen of Naboo has already taught you enough of suppressing such emotions, Senator Amida.

  She looked at me with a fme of anger burning in her eyes, that made me stop in my tracks. Now I could see the dark circles under her eyes, somewhat simir to mine, but probably much worse iy, as they were clearly covered under yers of makeup and still remained visible to the trained eyes.

  This was more than suspicious. I took a deep breath and asked her.

  -What is it that troubles you, senator. It is not that I dislike your pany per se, but for some reason I don't think you called me here tue over jedi philosophy and the differenotional discipliween politis and jedis.

  Sensing her anger slowly dissolving I added.

  -Although, without a doubt it is aing a topic as any. I could even teach you a simple teique to handle yer.

  She rolled her eyes once more and added while walking to a couch pced ay current position.

  -Don't ftter yourself, Obi'Wan. I wao speak with you, it is important... and I 't think of anyone else to turn to. It might also answer one of your earlier questions... now please pick a pce...

  I raised one of my eyebrows with fusion.

  -I would stand, if it is all right with you-...

  She picked up a gss of red wine already prepared oable and gulped it down without a sed thought. Then she looked at me with a tired gaze and poioward the coach opposite to her on my side of the table.

  -Sit before I ge my mind.

  My other eyebrow has naturally rose up and stopped o the other ohis situation was beyond ued, is she like drunk? Or what...

  -I... well, as you-...

  I began to accept her request, but my words were interrupted with a painful shout that was followed by a series of bster gun shots.

  We both froze looking at each other, with fusion, surprise and fear.

  I ran to the window and took a careful peek outside between the narros in the shutters already pulled over the windows. The windows were defended by energy shields so there was no risk of getting shot with a random ser beam. Luckily, I could see what was going on the nding-field. Two suspicious ships hovered in position while a bunch of head-hunters were jumping out of the ships exging intense fire with the guards.

  I felt Padmé arrive to the window she stopped o me while gawking at the unfolding situation with horror.

  -I don't think that they came for an autograph, what do you think?

  -Did you fall on your head?

  -After the st few weeks of my life, I think that it is a question worthy to revisit in a ter date.

  The firefight was beginning to crawl closer to our location, this surprised me, how could they break through so quickly... It's as if... an ominous thought appeared in my mind, I o go ahem out immediately.

  I began to run towards the door, while shouting back to the momentarily baffled senator.

  -Hide somewhere nearby. Reinfort should arrive soon; I will help the guards to hold them babsp;

  -Wait!?

  -Close the door behind me!

  I shouted once more and ran out, already igniting my lightsaber hearing the inteer fire oher end of the corridor.

  -Shoot, shoot! Shoot her down!

  -I 't! She blocks every shot... Ug aah!

  -FUCK! Throw the grehrow it already!

  -You 't! She will just throw it back to us! Didn't you see it earlier?

  -FUG HELL! Where is the reinfort, we are utack!

  -trate all your fire power at her! She 't block everything!

  -Yes, that righ-... ugh, wha.. I 't breathe...

  I finally reached the turn in the corridor, and saw a woman covered in bck cloths from head to toe, she was holding two red curved lightsabres', ohat I immediately reized. She was blog ser beams with one hand, while force choking one of the guards who was kneeling not far from me with the other.

  The corridor was covered with burn marks and dead bodies, both guards and assassins had died by the dozens in the short yet intensive skirmish. My eyes focused on the choking man and reached out with the force, pushing back the darkside energies and defending him from the malicious attabsp;

  I saw as the man could finally breathe again, his eyes found mine, he owards me with a relieved expression. He was fused, and didn't really seem to uand what just happened, but he probably realized that I was the reason he escaped an unfortunate end.

  The woman that I retty sure was Ventress seemed extremely angry seeing me here, and probably even more so, that I mao overpower her butchered attempt at force manipution.

  -I see, that your master still failed to beat some practical knowledge into that thick skull of yours Ventress.

  -Obi-Wan Kenobi... Of course, you had to put your o everything I do... Leave this pce, while you are able to, I don't have time to py with you today.

  -Oh, how unfortunate, did you turn to on burgry now, and I thought that the Sith 't sink any lower... I guess it must be stressful to pay the rent from your own pockets, seeing that all your hair has fallen out while so young...

  -... YOU!... That's it... I will put ao this ond for all... Kill all of them!

  With that the short break in the fight was over, and the battle tinued with even more fervor. I stood in front of the troopers, trying to deflect as much of the ining fire as possible. With me joining in, the fight quickly took a favorable turn, as the enraged Ventress wasly profit with defleg ser beams, while it was one of my particur talents.

  Of course, the Senate guards were much better in overall skill than this random group of assassins and desperate bounty hunters. Now that they were fighting on equal ground, with a force sensitive on both sides they could focus their skills much better, even if we didly defeat the intruders, we mao fight it to a standstill.

  Suddenly, the intruders, turail and began to retreat I was about to follow Ventress, but she of course had to py coy and send all the furniture in my way with a crude force push.

  -You will pay for this, Obi-Wan! You will pay with your blood!

  I focused my mind to carefully stop the flying furniture and put them ba the ground with a heavy sigh...

  -What did I even do this time, and why did they run away all of a sudden? Women are so fusing, sometimes I feel blessed to be a member of the order...

  -Master Jedi, I believe that they somehow listened into our frequency, they began to retreat at the same time, when we received the report that the reinfort would arrive in a few minutes.

  I turned around and looked at the man, that I saved a while ago.

  -I see, that seems more than likely soldier.

  -It's Peter, sir. And thank you for your timely rescue.

  My expression turned darker, as I o him, then looked around the corridor and the hall at the end of it, seeing the plete destru of the luxury mansion reserved for Senate members was quite a sight on its own. Not even speaking of the fact that it was riddled with corpses.

  This made my mood take a downward dive immediately. This situation was pletely uncalled for... An atempt of assasination on a senator's life, in its guarded home. Unbelievable.

  There was a feminine gasp appearing behind me, and I turned on my heels to see Amida stand at the end of the wide corridor leading to the main hall. Her face looked shocked and pale, while looking at the sight of utter destru.

  -What... so many dead! Oh my god!

  -I told you to stay in your room! It could be still dangerous here!

  -But who would do such a thing... and... why?

  -We will have to figure that out, and I think our versation will also have to wait a little more.

  I turned around hearing a series of heavy footsteps st into the mansion, a group of specially trained e ando marched into the pce while cheg over every nook and y for remaining intruders. They also began to check the bodies, calling medi case someone survived.

  At st, my tense posture rexed somewhat, seeing that the ando officially stated that the pce was cleared.

  What a hell of a day off... Was my st thought before I walked over and began my report to the iigators.