" - the south perimeter is clear and I have positioned troops around the building. If anyone is coming, we will see them before they can make the shot." Obi Wan continued his briefing, speaking into his commlink as he pushed the blinds aside, looking at the city through the window of my chambers. The warm light shone right into his eyes, lighting up his eyelashes and making his irises turn green as he gazed off.

I, myself, did the same, watching the city's lights colouring the night sky, trying not to get distracted by him. Arms crossed before my body that was now covered only by the dark tunic I wore underneath the armour, I waited for him to finish.

His presence was both soothing and infuriating, my gaze landing on him every so often as he paced through the room, keeping watch on every possible entry point like a hawk guarding a nest. His voice soothed me but at the same time I wanted it to disappear.

Our voyage from the wreckage had gone smoothly safe for the few police bots we encountered on the way. It had even been devoid of any arguments between us for he was too busy conversing with the jedi council about the events to acknowledge the obvious tension between us.

Letting out a deep breath, I tried to relax and let the events of the day dawn on me. The Chancellor wanted to seize goods from Valeria as reconciliation which would probably evoke a planet-wide civil war, the jedi were forcing me to stay to determine if I was a sith and there was a price on my head so high that even the most cunning bounty hunter would come after me. Not to forget, an attempt on my life had already been made.

What puzzled me even more was that the bounty hunter hadn't tried to kill me, but instead tried to kidnap me. That on itself was even more worrisome for it meant that someone was out there that needed something from me. He or she would probably go to extreme measures to get what they want, and I had no idea what it was they were after.

Safe to say, this day wasn't going well. I had hoped that I'd spend it with him, talking about everything that had happened to us on some rooftop in the middle of the city. I had even dreamt of it multiple times, imagined how I would wrap my arms around him and kiss him as if the galaxy depended on it. Alas, it was not what fate had in store for us.

"I'll watch over her for tonight." Obi Wan decided, making butterflies erupt in my stomach no matter how hard I tried to fight it. "We'll set up a schedule tomorrow morning. Thank you, masters." He concluded the briefing, shutting off his commlink after hearing the goodbyes from his colleagues.

His hand waved through his golden locks, ruffling the previous neatly styled hair and making my fingers itch with the urge to put it back in place. I could feel his gaze on my back as I stood, trying to find something to say.

"We've done a complete sweep of the surrounding buildings and I have troopers stationed outside." His footsteps drew near as he spoke hesitantly after a few minutes. Even from this distance I could smell him, the faint aromas of the forest, vanilla and mint. It clouded my senses like honey, luring me with sweetness but hiding the danger that surrounded it. "I'll be here for the night to make sure nothing happens. You'll be safe, your majesty."

"Safe?" I scoffed, watching the flow of traffic beneath. They had placed me in one of the tallest buildings of the district, overlooking the entire city for as far as the eyes could see. The jedi temple and Senate were in view, almost taunting me with their presence, reminding me of the events of the day. "That's not exactly the word I would use, master jedi."

That title. I rarely used it to address him, at least not while we were on Valeria. Seems the circumstances had changed and so did he, for he had transformed into a person I was afraid I no longer recognized. He had always been supportive back on Valeria, so sure that I was the best version of myself while here, he suspected me to be evil in some way.

Obi Wan remained silent as he folded his arms behind his back, watching me closely. I could see his reflection in the glass before me, see the wariness and suspicion that appeared on his face. He could probably sense the great amount of anger that flared within me, seeing right past the calm facade I'd put up.

"I won't let any harm come to you; I promise." That made me turn around to face him, narrowed eyes meeting his as he shifted his weight on his feet. He wasn't afraid or reluctant as any sane person would be, no, he seemed ready to face whatever I was going to throw at him. He was determined, stead-vast, compassionate even.

"You promise?" I lifted one eyebrow as I chuckled humorously, waving around with my hands and motioning towards everything around us. "Look around you, Kenobi. Don't you think the harm is already done?!" His brows drew together as he watched me, his hand rising to stroke his beard in thought. That reserved look, those calm motions, it only infuriated me further.

I wanted him to get angry. I wanted him to lash out at me, only so that I could have a reason to do the same. This battle seemed terribly one sided and I hated how it made me feel the villain while I was so sure I was in the right.

"This is all your fault." Hissing, I stepped forwards threatingly, narrowing my eyes to slits as they spewed fire. "If you hadn't told them everything, if you hadn't gone running your mouth to everyone on this godforsaken planet I wouldn't be in this situation right now!"

His shoulders tensed as my voice raised, his jaw clenching when our gazes locked. "That's not fair, Lyanna." Obi Wan spoke as he folded his arms before him defensively. Yet again, he didn't meet my anger with the same. He remained calm as ever as the soothing waves of a lake. "It is my duty as a jedi to give a full report on everything that happens during, -"

"A full report?!" My eyes flared as I interrupted him, making him take in a sharp breath to try and control himself. "What, did you tell them about us, too? Is that why they hate me, why they think me a sith?!"

"Lyanna, I need you to calm down, -"

"CALM DOWN?!" Something snapped within me. I could feel the anger taking over control, feel the darkness slip into my mind. That lingering presence made himself known, ghosting over every action that I took. "Do you have any idea what you have done? I've had a bloody target on my back the moment I stepped off that ship all because you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"

Obi Wan only sighed in response, remaining silent as he waited for me to calm. "You didn't even try to convince them I wasn't evil. You didn't even speak up for me to the council or defend me against Windu. You even placed the bloody chains around my hands yourself, treating me as a goddamn villain while I tried to, -."

"I was trying to protect you, -" He started to stand up for himself, frustration breaking through his iron facade.

"YOU BETRAYED ME!" I suddenly blurted out. With the force I screamed, it felt like I had torn my own heart into pieces, lying bared before him. Exposed, vulnerable, like a naked child. A hard sob wrecked through my body but I wouldn't let the sadness dampen the fury. Instead, it became overwhelmed by that same anger.

"I trusted you." My voice broke as I watched him, tears filling my eyes as I spoke slowly through gritted teeth. "I trusted you and when I needed you the most, you betrayed me."

"Princess... -" In a dash he had stepped towards me, placing both his hands on my cheeks, cupping my face in his palms as he drew me up to meet his eyes. I bit my lip to try and contain the tears as I glared up at him, watching the guilt wash over his face as he held me. "You can trust me. I was only doing what I thought was right, -"

"No, no." I mumbled, shaking my head and trying to free myself from his grip, wrapping my fingers around his wrists and trying to peel them off. There was something drawing me towards him, an urge to give in.

"You only have to listen to me." He calmly asked, reinforcing his grip to try and hold me in place. His voice was soft, soothing, not letting my infuriated state throw him off balance. "I'm trying to explain to you, -"

"No, I don't want to hear it." My voice seemed so little, so vulnerable as I spoke. I hated being that weak, hated being this hurt by someone I thought I trusted.

"I didn't mean for this to happen, all I tried was protect you, -"

"Let me go!" I started thrashing against him harder, pushing against his chest with all my might. His hands descended, grasping my shoulders in an iron grip when he felt me slipping from his grasp.

"from this darkness inside of you, it is growing and if we don't do something to stop it now it will, -"

It was as if he had awoken it himself. In some way it felt like he'd insulted a part of me, wanted me to change myself to fit his perfect description. It made my vision turn red, my mind filled with a rage so blinding.

"I said LET GO OF ME!" I pushed him away with an unnatural force that made even him stagger, his widened orbs meeting mine soon after. He watched with shock as my eyes narrowed even further, darkening as the force around me did the same. My chest rose as I took in a deep breath, stepping forwards swiftly when the anger took control.

Obi Wan quickly dodged to the side when I'd tried to hit him, grasping my wrist in his hand as it flew by. Our eyes met after, flaring orbs meeting the calm cerulean blue as they narrowed in concentration. Before I could land a blow with my other fist he grabbed it and pushed me back till my back collided with a wall, pinning my wrists together behind my back in one hand while his other held my jaw firmly.

"Look at me." He demanded; his grip firm yet gentle at the same time. I followed his command, meeting his pool of blue as I seethed. His thumb started to softly trace patterns on my cheek to calm me down while his eyes flickered between mine, breathing softly through his nose. "This is not you, Lyanna."

"Let me go, Kenobi." Growling lowly, I glared at him. I didn't try to free my hands for I knew it would be in vain. That position, that feeling of being trapped by him made my head foggy.

I wanted to hurt him, to kick and thrash against his hold while I also wanted to give in and let him soothe every piece of me. I knew it was foolish to repeat my mistake. Yet he, as he stood there before me, was the most alluring treasure I had ever come across. My breathing slowed as I watched, those familiar pools of water calming my senses. He will drown you. Suddenly those endless pools turned malicious, dark.

"Let me go!" The moment I noticed the anger diminishing was the moment I decided to fight against it. Giving up to him was something I couldn't do for I was afraid I would be betrayed once again and be drowned underneath those endless seas.

Yet there was no way to escape, no way to force myself out of that position by hurting him. His hold was iron clad, his eyes demanding as they pierced right through me and forced me to look back. There was an urge, something in the back of my head telling me to do it, but I fought against it with every muscle in my body until I could no longer muster up the strength.

"Lyanna, try to, -"

When all my efforts were in vain I did the last thing that came to mind. Instead of surrendering, I placed my lips firmly down on his to try and catch him off guard. Whilst it did exactly what I had intended; loosen his grip on my wrists, I got fooled by my own trick.

It was like I was thrown under deep, warm waters. He had taken a few moments to collect himself, to realise what was happening before he unfroze. The feeling of his lips enveloping mine with the same need, his hand waving through my hair almost delicately overwhelmed my senses till it was the only thing I could even think about.

Our lips moved in sync, my hands wandering over the planes of his chest as if nothing had ever happened. He felt so familiar, he felt like home. He pressed himself closer against me, pinning me against the wall and it was the safest that I'd felt in months.

Yet, there was something about the way he was kissing me. He was calm, returning gentle, slow kisses while I was full of passion and need. In a way, he was still trying to calm me, to diminish the fires he himself had evoked. Was this his way of tricking me? Was this kiss the same as it was for me in the beginning, a means to fool the other?

Suddenly, being trapped by him didn't feel as safe anymore. The only thing I did was fool myself. Placing both my hands firmly on his chest I pushed him away again, rushing past him and bumping our shoulders as I did my best not to meet his gaze after. Shame reddened my cheeks as my limbs trembled.

"Damnit!" I cursed, running my hands through my hair and pulling on the ends to try and get my thoughts straight. It seemed like I was losing every battle I came across. My heart was almost hammering out of my chest as I paced, feeling the helplessness within me grow.

"Lyanna, we can figure this out." Obi Wan spoke as if nothing had happened. "I need you to tell me what is going on."

While I paced everything came crashing down on me. It was like I had stepped out of the perfect hide-out, shielded from every vicious enemy around and was met with an army instantly. My gaze went back to his, trying to enter that same state of perfect obliviousness that I had just left behind. All I met was his worry, the concern that seeped through his eyes and the mess that was his hair now, his lips swollen.

"Talk to me." Obi pressed on, stepping closer when he noticed the slowing of my breathing. Gods, the way he handled himself drove me insane. It was intoxicating, letting me forget about everything else outside this room. I needed it to hide the pain inside of me too, so I fell back to old methods.

Jumping right on him, wrapping my legs around his waist I gave him little time to recollect his balance before I connected our lips again, letting myself dive down in his waters to soothe the aches. I didn't even care if I was fooling myself anymore, I only wanted him, I only wanted more of his toxic touches, of his lips.

Even through his state of complete shock, he managed to grasp my thighs tightly in his hands and steady us both before we could fall on the ground. Yet, he felt his own balance wavering, so he quickly took a few steps back till he could find support by something behind him. Little did he know that the bed was what was behind him.

"Lyanna, this is not going to help, -" He spoke worriedly when we broke apart to catch our breaths and felt my legs slipping from his grasp. I threw him back onto the mattress, interrupted his protest and climbed on top, straddling his waist as I kept my palm firmly on his chest.

"Please, shut up for once." My words were merely a breath as I dove down, cradling his face in my hand, letting my fingers run through the coarse hair of his beard and my lips envelope his in a heated kiss. He couldn't help but moan at the feeling, his hands rising off the mattress to grasp my hips as they grinded onto him. Everything felt so desperate, so heated and filled with this need that it became overwhelming but I couldn't stop.

My hand ventured underneath his tunic, fingers dragging over skin and nails raking over the muscles, pushing the cloth aside and feeling the thumping of his erratic heartbeat. The more I felt him, the more I needed. I was driven completely by lust but I couldn't even begin to fight it.

"Lyanna, -" After I'd sat up, hands grasping the hem of the tunic he tried to speak up again until his own breath caught in his throat when the piece of garment was removed from my chest. Obi Wan stammered and stuttered, eyes flying over my torso, fingers following the outlines of battle scars as he tried to get his thoughts back in order.

When he saw a scar unfamiliar to him, a deep, angry, flaming like scar that almost seem to glow with magic on the left side of my chest all previous doubts evaporated. Concern gave him new found determination to sit up and ignore my hands as they touched him, his own going up to cup my face once more to try and get our gazes to meet.

"Lyanna, stop it." Obi Wan demanded, eyebrows scrunching together as I protested, trying to connect our lips again in a passion-filled kiss. The more he evaded, the more desperate and hopeless I got, pleas falling from my lips. It almost felt like I was pleading for him to end my torment, while he was trying to do that exact thing, only by different means.

"My darling, please, listen to me." He said, making me stop my antics and look at him, finally. Darling. It was as if I heard it for the first time, the sweet way it rolled of his tongue, so delicate and compassionate, shaming even the most talented of skalds.

I felt myself encaptured by his gaze once more, hooked on his lips and waiting for the next words of magic to be spoken. Yet now, it was different than before. I didn't get lost in what felt like pools of water, I only saw him, his concern and his worry, his compassion as he held me tightly. It felt much safer than before, more familiar. I finally found the jedi I had come to know in Valeria.

"This is not going to help." Obi Wan explained, sighing deeply as his hand softly ran through my hair. He watched as I finally calmed down, my breathing slowing as I dropped my gaze, hands placed against his hard chest as I tried to collect myself and closed my eyes.

It wasn't going to help, he was right. I was only trying to escape my feelings by numbing them, by ignoring that what was right in front of me by distracting myself. I was only prolonging the inevitable. Gods, how I wished I could fight this hopeless feeling, how I wished I could kill that desperation by burning it. Sadly, that's not how the world worked.

I had to let myself feel it. I had to let those emotions in, I had to accept that what I was feeling was the truth and that I couldn't possibly escape from it. I had to acknowledge the anger for what it was: a way to hide the fear I was feeling, to try and hide the fact that I was terrified.

Obi Wan placed his thumb underneath my chin and lifted it gently, his eyes searching mine as they opened and met his look. He let out a sigh of relief when he found the anger vanished, those dark tendrils that had previously almost taken over the reins now gone from his senses. Yet, he felt the fear, the sadness that now reigned within me.

In a way he found that more heart-breaking. That burning anger was something he recognized as the corruption of the curse, yet this hopelessness was something he couldn't fight against. "Talk to me." He pleaded.

I searched his blue eyes, hoping to find something that might hold me back to follow his request. Something that confirmed my previous unearthed suspicions that he was indeed purposely betraying me, but found nothing but concern.

I wasn't ready. I hadn't even begun to sort this out on my own, to really understand what I was going through. I didn't want to lay out my heart before him, I didn't want to feel that vulnerable again before the man that had broken my heart mere hours ago. It was still too fresh, and my distrust still too great.

Quickly untangling myself from his grasp I crawled to the end of the bed, swinging my legs over the edge and letting my head rest on my hands. I had grasped the sheets and hugged it around my figure, trying to find the warmth he had provided earlier. Obi Wan followed after, moving closer to the edge and watching attentively as I gathered my thoughts, waiting for me to finally start to explain what was happening.

"You should check on your troopers, master jedi." My voice was ice cold as I spoke, eyes numb as they stared out.

Obi only sighed, nodding as he realized he wouldn't get far, not this night. He got out of the bed, rearranging his clothing and combing his hand through his hair to clean up the mess I had made of it. He'd started his path to the door, his mind running over everything that had happened while I watched his back.

He stopped right before the door, hand hovering above the handle before he turned around to meet my eyes again. "I am sorry, Lyanna." He spoke softly and watched as I bit my lip, redirecting my gaze from his and back to the floor. I heard the door open and right before it shut his voice again. "I truly am."

Don't forget to leave a vote and comment! I miss your excited blabber :( 

Dedicated to crumbs04 because I love you and I missed you and I'm so VERY glad you're back. Hope the second reading of the Valkyrie was as good as the first one :))