CHAPTER NINE.

Elly hadn't slept as easily that night. She wished she had but something had changed. The meditation she had completed with Obi-Wan had made her more anxious. The tight feeling in the pit of her stomach was there that she just couldn't seem to ignore, no matter how much she tried to.

So, as the sun broke the horizon, she went to the Meditation Gardens to start the tasks for the day. Some of the plants needed dead-heading as they came to the end of the life cycle. It would be a big job but Elly knew she had to do it at some point. She had already been putting it off but she couldn't. Not anymore.

As the sun continued to rise, she worked quietly. Her hands getting dirtier and dirtier as her shoes got covered in dirt. The bucket she was taking around with her filled higher and higher with dead flowers and by the time breakfast had hit, she had composted three buckets. But before she could get to the fourth, Ahsoka appeared.

"Why are you here so early?" Ahsoka asked as she leant against the bench beside Elly. The blonde glanced up, not surprised by the presence of the Togruta. At some point in the past week, her ability to sense people before they visually appeared had returned. It had been so easy for people to sneak up on her a week ago but now, she could feel who was walking in the corridor outside the Gardens and who was walking towards her. It was such a stark difference. She had forgotten how nice it was to have that awareness.

"Is something wrong, 'soka?" Elly asked as she knelt back on her heels. Ahsoka shrugged and glanced back at the door. Anakin had walked with her to the Gardens on his way to his mission brief but he was gone now. The Clone Wars called his name.

"Anakin is being sent on a mission," She responded. Elly let out a soft 'ah' and Ahsoka frowned, staring down at the floor. Elly picked up the bucket and placed it on the bench before she held her hand out for Ahsoka to take.

"I'll come to breakfast with you," Elly said. Ahsoka took her hand and the pair went to the Gardener's hut before they headed to the mess hall. They sat down across from each other and Ahsoka quickly began talking. She explained what she knew about Anakin's mission and that she needed someone to continue her training with but she wasn't sure who it would be yet. Ahsoka knew that Obi-Wan usually took over her training if Anakin had gone away but she wasn't so sure what would happen this time.

Elly nearly offered to train her but then she remembered her position. Ahsoka was not her Padawan and Anakin had to ask her. She could not merely offer so she kept her mouth shut, sympathising with Ahsoka as much as she could.

But before they could finish their conversation, Obi-Wan appeared. He had been in the mess hall for most of the time she had been but it took until then for him to join them.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he looked down at Elly. She nodded her head and smiled softly at Ahsoka. She reached out and gently squeezed the girl's hand before she stood up.

"I'm sure Anakin will talk to you after his brief. I'll be in the Gardens once my training is over, come and find me if you're unsure of anything," Elly said as she stood up. Ahsoka nodded and Elly left with Obi-Wan after a few more minutes. There was quiet between the two as they headed to the training rooms. That was typical and they both took it as their time to centre themselves before they began their routine.

It started with circuit and weight training as it always did. But something felt different as Obi-Wan pushed her harder than he had before. He moved closer to her than she was used to, supporting her but she tried to ignore it as she pushed through.

By the end, she was sweaty but felt better than she usually did. Adrenaline running through her system as Obi-Wan grabbed her cantina. He passed it to her and she gulped it down before he glanced at the training lightsabers.

"Have you changed your mind about duelling?" He asked and Elly looked up at him. She let her cantina hang by her side as she mentally debated it. She had duelled with Anakin and it had been perfectly fine. There was no reason that Obi-Wan would not make her feel the same. If anything, duelling made her feel better. It gave her a sense of control and calm.

"With or without the mats?" She asked. She had used them with Anakin out of convenience but she knew that the battle field would not be cushioned. She had to be prepared, a little more prepared than she was now.

"Without." Obi-Wan could sense her trail of thought so went along with it. He then walked over and grabbed two training lightsabers. He threw one in her direction and she caught it smoothly. She dropped her cantina on the bench and adjusted her ponytail before she moved into position. She wasn't sure what Obi-Wan would do so she took the defensive. It opened her up to more aggressive attacks but the droids would not be kind to her. It was all good practice

"Are you ready?" He asked. Elly nodded and he made the first move. His lightsaber clashed with hers. The familiar hum being replaced with clashes as they pushed back against each other. Elly's defensive stance quickly morphed to take the offensive and she pushed back against Obi-Wan. She had no clear game plan but that had always been her issue as a Padawan, she tried to predict movements. That would never work. She had to let the Force guide her.

But the Force had clearly not predicted the strike Obi-Wan made at her side because the lightsaber hit perfectly. Their lightsaber clashing too late but it gave Elly a new rush of adrenaline. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of her lightsaber and she pushed against his. The lightsaber flew from his grip, turning off as it clattered to the floor and Elly smirked.

She lifted the lightsaber up against his throat threatening, pride blooming in her chest. But then he threw a kick at her stomach. It winded her enough for him to grab a hold of her lightsaber hilt and twist. It clattered to the floor but rather than allow Obi-Wan to pick it up, she used the Force to flick it across the room.

"If you wanted us to get up close and personal, you could have said. We didn't have to use them at all," Obi-Wan almost, very nearly, almost flirted with her. She gave him a harsh look and he smirked but she threw a punch towards him. He ducked back and she glanced at where the training 'sabers were. She could - arguably - use the Force to bring one to her hand but fighting hand-to-hand with Obi-Wan had always been so much more fun.

So, instead, she stepped forward. Another punch thrown his way. He knocked that one out of the air, almost taunting her. She threw another but again, he knocked it away. But with each punch, they took a step back. One step closer to the wall and one step closer to trapping Obi-Wan.

Elly went for another punch but then he ducked under it, stepping behind her. His hand then connected with her shoulder and he shoved. The unexpected force sent her spinning and her back collided with the wall. She was trapped.

His body blocked any way out and the training lightsaber that he called to his hand was enough of a deterrent to stop her from trying anything stupid. The white glow lit up her face as she stared up at him. His eyes looked so blue in the harsh light of the lightsaber. His smile lines and freckles were so clear to her. He had grown somehow more handsome with age but she squashed that thought before anyone else could detect it. Their gazes burned into each other as she tried to work out how she could get out of this.

There was the obvious knee to the crotch but he'd predict that. She could also call the training lightsaber to her hand and swipe his stomach but she was too disorientated to locate it, let alone call it to her hand.

She could submit but that would make it too easy. So, she did the unexpected and grabbed his hips, pulling him against her. Their chests pressed together and the lightsaber a precarious inch away from the skin on her neck.

But his brief confusion at her action gave her the upper hand and she flipped them around. Now he was pressed against the wall but she retreated. Her hand called the lightsaber and she flicked it on, smirking.

"You really must try harder. You're a Master now. I can't still be beating you." It was only a little motivation, teasing. She was prepared for whatever would come of it and then he surged towards her. Their lightsabers clashed harshly, the force of it nearly sent one of them back into her face. But she managed to control it, pushing him off and taking a few steps back.

The clashing of lightsabers began again and they fought valiantly but Elly was able to knock Obi-Wan's lightsaber out of his hand and despite his want to win, he submitted. Elly smirked victoriously and powered down her lightsaber before she placed them both away.

She was panting as she moved to lie down on the floor. The dura-wood floor cooling her skin as Obi-Wan sat down cross-legged beside her. She let her eyes close, her chest rising and falling steadily. He watched her face, the perfection of it. He couldn't help but admire her. She had always been such a perfect fighter.

"I need to return to the Meditation Gardens. I need to finish with the plants," Elly mumbled as she pushed her hands against the floor. She sat up on her elbows but the exhaustion clawed its way back and she dropped back down again.

"Can the droids not finish the job?" He asked. Elly scoffed and Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow although she couldn't see it.

"Anakin and I had a disagreement. He is holding the software driver hostage until I agree to his terms," Elly explained, "which means no droids for the foreseeable future. Especially now that he is leaving for another mission." There was a defeated tone to her voice and Obi-Wan sighed. There was silence between them. It ebbed and flowed peacefully and Elly - for once - felt okay with it. Usually, she felt a need to fill the silence but she felt at peace.

All the worries and thoughts vanished as she stared at the ceiling. Obi-Wan's Force presence lingered at the edge of hers and her emotions felt so calm. It was odd after so much emotional volatility.

"We can find it tomorrow morning. Once he has left, we can search his room for the driver," Obi-Wan said. Elly opened her eyes and met Obi-Wan's gaze. Him, of all people, suggesting that they did that was beyond her. She opened her mouth to say something but paused, completely unsure, "It's not like he hasn't snuck into my room without my knowledge before." It was Obi-Wan's way of justifying it and it made her chuckle.

"I suppose we could try," She relented but secretly, she was glad to. She wanted to pay Anakin back for stealing it. She understood, partly, why he had but she needed it. Especially now, Obi-Wan's battalion would likely be called out to battle any time now that Elly was more prepared. She needed the driver.

"We will train as normal and then go," Obi-Wan said. Elly hummed in acknowledgement before she forced herself to sit up. Her head turned towards Obi-Wan and she admired his features for a moment. Her eyes memorising the half-smile on his lips and the sparkle in his eyes that she thought Darth Maul had killed years ago. Then her eyes fell to his lips and that familiar want clawed its way to the surface. She hadn't expected it to hit her so hard.

Her body urged her to surge forward and connect their lips but she didn't. She refused. She refused to ruin the friendship that they had built here. Her head turned away and she pushed her fingers through her hair. It had been so long since she'd had that urge. She thought she had pushed it away, removed it but it was still there. It lingered. Her feelings always lingered.

"Would you like help today?" He asked. Elly shook her head and forced herself to her feet. She stretched her arms above her head as she walked over to the bench. She finished the cantina of water before putting her cloak on.

"I'll survive." They were her last words before she left to return to the Gardens.

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