CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

Obi-Wan had met Elly outside her room a few hours later and Elly felt much calmer now. She had taken Obi-Wan's advice and taken a long, warm shower and then meditated after she packed up her bag. It helped. She felt so much better about the mission. What she was doing was what she was used to.

Going into hostile enemy territory and collecting data was what she had spent so many undercover missions doing. They had never been so immediately hostile but it was the same principle. She knew what she was doing and if Obi-Wan could make it out of all of these battles alive, she knew that she could as well. She was somewhat better than Obi-Wan.

The ship was giant as they stepped aboard. She had expected something bigger but this was on a scale she wasn't used to. It made her slightly anxious but once Obi-Wan had showed her around and given her a map on her datapad, all those worries flew away with the wind.

The clones in the battalion had yet to appear, Obi-Wan had brought Elly early to try and get her familiar with the area first. He knew that it was all new for her and she had a lot of new people to meet at once. So, getting her comfortable was Obi-Wan's first priority.

But when the Clones began to trickle into the ship, Elly was comfortable and she greeted all of them with a smile. Jegei was the first clone she ever met. He had a kind smile and dyed blue, buzzed hair. It was an unusual hair colour but he seemed kind enough. Then the clone medics began to board and Obi-Wan introduced her.

She knew - with her track record - that they would be giving her plenty of attention in her time with Obi-Wan's battalion. She always had a proclivity for trouble and injuries. Bruises, cuts, stab wounds, blaster wounds, the lot. She had never been all that cautious. It was one of the things that Obi-Wan adored about her.

She was also introduced to Commander Cody. Obi-Wan's second-in-Commander but he really did most of the battle planning. Not because Obi-Wan was incapable but because the clones were bred for and trained for warfare. It was what they did best and it was naive to ignore them (as Obi-Wan had said). He treated the clones with respect and always took their advice.

Eventually, the ship was full and they headed out of Coruscant's atmosphere. It was only when they were firmly in hyperspace that Obi-Wan called everyone together for a briefing. Elly stood beside him as he presented the mission to the clones.

They would make their way to Parton, locate the temple and stake it out for a day or so. Once they had the patterns for the shifts and understood how the base ran, they would make a plan of attack. Obi-Wan reminded them that they did not want a battle and that there would be droids but they had to go in quietly.

He showed them the holocron that they were attempting to retrieve and went through the information about where it was believed to be held. The separatist base on Parton was not sophisticated by any means so Obi-Wan knew that they would be able to get through it quickly.

A few days on mission and then they would be home. But the only reason they would be away for over a week was the travel time to Parton. It was between the Outer and Mid-Rim so it would take over a day to get there and another day to get back. The System was also split between Separatist and Republic territories so they had to be cautious with which route they took to the planet.

It was so much information and Elly was able to retain most of it but as she watched Obi-Wan talk and explain, she realised how attractive she found it. His voice dropped a few octaves and Elly found herself wanting to drop to her knees in front of him. But she tried her best to push those thoughts away. She tried her best to keep control of herself.

Once the briefing was over, she asked Obi-Wan if it was okay if she returned to her bunk. She was tired and wanted to meditate. He allowed her without question and she disappeared down the corridors, desperately needing to meditate those thoughts about Obi-Wan away.

They had never been so obvious and crippling. She felt tongue-tied in front of him and every part of her wanted to kiss him and never let go. It was concerning so when she was in the dark of her room, she dropped onto the bunk and let herself fall into a meditative state. Or at least tried to.

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Elly had managed to meditate for an hour or so but it did very little to help. All she could think about was Obi-Wan and while there would usually be a volatile reaction from the Force, there was nothing. It was almost encouraging her to pursue whatever feelings she had but she couldn't. She knew that she couldn't. Not like this.

So, now, she was lying awake in bed. Her eyes open and staring into the darkness as she tried desperately to fall asleep. But she couldn't. It felt impossible. Her mind too cluttered and she was playing Obi-Wan's voice over and over in her head. It was just a little different but it did something to her. It was ridiculous.

And then, as if the universe knew who she was thinking about, the bunk door opened and Obi-Wan strolled through. Elly sighed and leant over, switching the light on. It lit him up and he looked gorgeous even in the shitty fluorescent light of the bunk.

"Are you alright? You seemed nervous after the briefing," There was no cordial greeting but she didn't mind. She wanted to know why he was here but as soon as he explained it, she wished he had stayed far away. She couldn't admit why she was nervous or even why she couldn't sleep now. He was a firm believer in the no romantic relationships part of the Code and so, she had to push those feelings away.

"It was just a lot of information," Elly lied through her teeth and Obi-Wan nodded. He wasn't entirely convinced but he knew he wouldn't get a better answer.

"You'll soon get the hang of it," Obi-Wan responded. Elly hummed in response and pushed herself to sit up. She ran her fingers through her hair. It was getting in her face and she knew she'd have to tie it up at some point but she didn't have the energy for braids, "Did you manage to get any sleep?" He asked after a beat of silence.

"No. I meditated but it didn't help," Elly said as she rubbed her face with her hands. That was at least not a lie. The meditation just made her more confused.

"Would you like me to meditate with you?" Obi-Wan asked but he could see from the look on her face that was a mistake to ask. So, he quickly added, "Or we could train? Do you need to blow off some steam?" He was trying so hard to make sure she was comfortable and Elly would never be able to tell him how much she appreciated it. Though, she would be very comfortable right now if she could just kiss him.

"Training sounds good. I need to tire myself out," Elly responded. It was the next best option and she did need to blow off steam.

"It's best if you sleep as much as you can on the journey because when we drop to Parton's surface, there won't be much of an opportunity," He added as he offered his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her up from the bed. She was tired.

"Is it like this every time?" Elly crossed over to the sink as she spoke, looking in the mirror. Somehow she looked rough. Her eyes had bags under them and she looked a little paler. She felt a little groggy but otherwise, was fine.

"It depends on the mission and how hostile the territory is," He responded. Elly nodded and turned to face him, a small teasing smile on her face.

"I get grouchy when I don't sleep." It was a playful remark and it made Obi-Wan chuckle softly.

"I know," He said and Elly hummed playfully. She then turned to face the mirror. She had to tie her hair up but she really did not have the energy. "Are you coming?" He asked. Elly pulled the hair tie off her wrist.

"I need to tie my hair up," She mumbled but just the words felt exhausting. Obi-Wan chuckled softly and walked over. He reached out for the hair tie.

"Would you like me to braid it?" The question surprised Elly but she instantly nodded her head. That was exactly what she wanted, "You always hated braiding your hair." Elly rolled her eyes. It was true but he didn't have to say it like that. She dropped onto the floor in front of the bunk and Obi-Wan sat down behind her. He sat on his knees, using his fingers to part her hair properly.

"It's hard." Elly pouted and Obi-Wan smiled softly. He always found it amusing because he had never struggled with it. It was something that came naturally to him.

"I think you just liked it when I paid attention to you," He mumbled in response. Elly scoffed and went to move her head to look at him but Obi-Wan kept her head firmly forward. The gently push was enough to keep her in line.

"I always like when you pay attention to me," She admitted in response. Obi-Wan chuckled and began to braid her hair. He was quite quick with it and yet so precise. But it felt good. It felt like she was being taken care of.

"Why is that?" He asked curiously. There was no malice with his question. He just wanted to know and it made her feel a little vulnerable.

"Because you make me feel like I'm a person and not just another Jedi hero," Elly admitted softly. That wasn't why she liked his attention when they were younger. When they were younger, Obi-Wan treated her like an equal. He always helped her and after the death of her Master right at the end of the Padawan-hood, he was there for her unlike everyone else. He was kind to her when everyone else seemed to be jealous. And now, he was kind to her even when she was a complete emotional wreck. He helped her when he had no reason to her. It made her feel like a human again.

"What about Anakin and Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked after a moment. His fingers running through her hair to collect a new piece to add to the braid made her feel so relaxed. The feeling of his fingertips against her scalp made her want to fall asleep right into his arms but she couldn't.

"They both see me as heroes because of you," Elly mumbled and Obi-Wan frowned. He almost felt guilty for that. He dropped the first braid down against her back, having tied it with the hair tie. He then began to work on the second one as Elly continued, "I don't understand how you remember so many stories. I wasn't that interesting."

Obi-Wan scoffed, "Yes, you were."

There was no room for argument and yet Elly still tried, "I wasn't any better than any other Jedi in this Temple." Obi-Wan was baffled by her. He gently shook his head, his fingers running across her scalp to get another piece of hair.

"You are so much better than all of them. They don't think like you do," He said simply. Elly's eyes narrowed and she would have snapped her gaze to look at him if she was allowed to move her head. But she didn't want to ruin his perfect braids.

"I don't know whether to be offended by that," She mumbled. Obi-Wan chuckled and gently shook his head. His fringe falling in front of his eyes a little.

"Please don't be. It is the highest of compliment." Elly smiled sheepishly, turning her head down. He had never been so sweet to her. She hated it but loved it at the same time. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy. Butterflies erupted in her stomach but she knew she couldn't. When she was younger, it was fine but she couldn't still be like that.

"You do love to compliment me," She said, trying to distract herself from how it made her feel.

But it only seemed to make it worse when he said, "It's hard not to." Elly squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push down those warm feelings. She couldn't.

"Obi-Wan." Her tone was a warning. He frowned.

"What?" He asked. His voice was soft. As if he wasn't sure what he had done wrong. He hadn't really done anything, really. He was just being himself but she couldn't.

"You really need to stop doing that," She responded. Obi-Wan let her head tilt and she could see the look on his face. That adorable pout but also she could see something else in his eyes. Something that she didn't want to see.

"Doing what?" He asked. Elly turned her head away and he finished the last of the braid.

"Looking at me like that," She mumbled.

"I don't understand." Obi-Wan's eyebrows furrowed as he dropped the second braid to her back. They were both done, perfectly. She looked perfect and Obi-Wan couldn't help but adore her. His gaze flickering across every part of her face.

"I really care about you," Elly said softly. She turned to the side so that they could face each other. Their faces inches apart. "I always have." She added. Obi-Wan knew what this was. He completely understood and he knew it was wrong but he couldn't stop this conversation. He didn't want to.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked. Elly was so close to him. She could feel his breath on her lips. His gaze burning into her face. His warmth radiating off him. His hands hadn't moved. They were rested on her back but now they were awkwardly pressed against her side since she had moved around.

"I wish you weren't so stubborn," She mumbled softly. Obi-Wan hummed softly, averting his gaze. He knew where he wanted this to go but he knew it couldn't. He wanted to grab her face and kiss her but there was no way. He glanced at her lips for a split second but Elly noticed and she leant closer. Their lips nearly touching but then Elly's door was bashed on.

"General Kenobi," Cody's voice rung through and Elly shoved herself back. She got up and opened the door. Her face was flushed red, her cheeks pink and the anxious energy was clear in her eyes. Cody could see it but looked past to Obi-Wan instead, "General, the troops have some questions," Cody explained. Obi-Wan looked up and nodded. He climbed to his feet and he looked equally as flustered.

His cheeks were pink. His eyes couldn't stay in one place. He glanced from Elly to Cody and then to the wall before doing it all over again. He seemed almost fragile.

"We'll train in a bit?" Elly asked. Obi-Wan nodded and promptly left alongside the Commander. There was clearly some teasing but Elly couldn't hear the conversation, just the way that Cody was being scolded by the Jedi Master. Elly slammed the door shut and slid down the door, pushing her fingers through her hair. She felt so silly and guilty but Maker, she wanted to kiss him.

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