Chapter Thirty-Six
Anakin

"Well this is a fine mess you've gotten us into." Ashoka grunts out frustratedly.

I deflect another blast, glaring at her next to me. "How is this my fault?"

"I recall telling you that the factory runs underground, and I told you that the separatists might use the underground passages to ambush us. But you said 'don't worry, Snips, those passages were closed up years ago'!"

I duck down behind an empty crate, wiping the sweat from my forehead and shaking my head at my padawan as she kneels behind the same crate, Fallon doing the same.

"Now is not the time to say 'I told you so'."

"There is always time to say 'I told you so'."

Fallon rolls her eyes, quickly glancing up at the droids closing in on us. "Can we please focus! Your bickering is starting to really get on my nerves. We need to come up with a new plan."

I look around the factory, trying to find anything that could assist us now. The factory is a dome shaped building with spiral conveyor belts that are attached to the walls, curling down towards the ground where empty crates wait to be filled.

The main support for the dome roof is a long pillar, and it's this part of the factory that gets me thinking. I lean up and look over the crate we're leaning against, watching the droids grow closer and closer to this pillar.

I lean back down, looking between the two women. "I have a plan. When the droids get to the pillar, we knock it down, making the roof crumble down and crush them. That will take out a lot of the separatist forces and we'll have the upper hand."

"The droid commander is hiding somewhere in the factory, we need to destroy it," Fallon points out, reloading her gun. "You handle the pillar, I'll handle the commander along with Rex."

I nod to her. "Be careful."

She winks at me. "Always."

She, Rex, and a couple other clones start towards one of the doors of the factory, already being bombarded by droids from the moment they exit the main part of the factory.

I look over towards the trooper next to me, a clone named Fives, who looks all too eager to get out from behind these crates and attack these scrap piles.

"On my signal, shoot the pillar. If you have any explosives, use them too."

"On your word, General." Fives says.

I lean up and dodge a droid's blast, deflecting another that soon follows with my lightsaber. I wait impatiently as the droids press their attack, their painfully slow metal legs nearly at the center of the factory.

The moment the leading droids pass by the pillar, I shout for the clones to attack. They fire everything they've got at the pillar, with fives throwing charges with both hands. I duck as they explode, sending the entire roof cascading down to the ground, crushing the droids instantly.

Before the dust can even clear, Ashoka and I jump out from behind the crate, charging towards the remaining few droids, cutting through them like they are the practice targets I used as a padawan.

My own padawan seems to be enjoying herself, a smile forming on her face as she asks me; "What's hour count?"

"Fifty five. You?"

"Sixty. Looks like I won."

"Don't get too excited," Fallon says in our coms. "I just shot the droid commander, that has to count for at least twenty points and I was already at fifty eight."

Ashoka groans. "You're impossible."

I let out a laugh, stabbing my lightsaber through one of the last droids. "We still have the droid in the other parts of the factory. I just might catch up."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Ashoka says, rubbing towards the first door she sees. Without wasting another second, I make my way towards the entrance to the underground passages. I'll be damned if I'm going to let her beat my score.

-

Genevieve

It's very late when Padmé opens up her bedroom door and slips inside, a wide smile on her face. I have been sitting on top of her bed, reading a book to try and distract myself from the war. Anytime I let my mind wander, all I can think of is Taris, my people suffering and homes being destroyed as I sit here comfortably in this house on Naboo. My mind also wanders to Obi Wan, but I try not to think about him. My heart aches whenever the image of him crosses my mind, then all I can think of is the mortal danger he's in, if he's even still alive...

I put my book down and smile at Padmé, a sly smile that only a best friend is ever allowed to give. "You spent a long time at the library."

Padmé walks towards her closet, beginning to unbutton her dress and giving me an innocent look. "We were reading books on republic bills and how to speak before the senate."

"You talked about bills for ten hours?" I inquire, crossing my arms.

She narrows her eyes. "Yes, we did."

"Then why can't you wipe the smile off of your face?"

Padmé sighs, dropping her dress down to the floor and slipping into her nightgown. She then collapses sideways onto the bed, letting out a groan. I lay down next to her, waiting for her to talk.

"This is crazy. I hardly know him, we have just met in person in the last two weeks, and yet..." She whispers to me.

"And yet you can't stop thinking about him?"

Padmé nods. "He has such a large heart," She mumbles, her lips curving into a small smile. "He's so smart, selfless, charming...I really like him."

I link my fingers with hers, adjusting myself so I lean my head on her shoulder, feeling her head gently rest against mine. "I am positive Aiden feels the same way."

"You think so?"

"Well he would be crazy not to," I whisper to her, squeezing her hand gently. "I've seen the way he looks at you, the lingering stares he gives you. If you asked him out to dinner or drinks I guarantee you he would say yes."

"We're at war, Genevieve. This is hardly the time for romance."

"It may be the only time we have. Who knows what could happen tomorrow or the next day. We could all die any day now, especially in our positions. I think you should tell him how you feel."

Padmé pauses for a moment before asking quietly; "Are you going to tell Obi Wan how you feel?"

I feel my eyes widen, my body grow stiff like a board. I sit up on the bed, feeling my cheeks redden. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Padmé sits up as well, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arms gently. "Genevieve, it's me. You know you can talk to me."

I close my eyes, slowly nodding my head. "He swore an oath to the Jedi Order. The order forbids the Jedi from forming any attachments...it doesn't matter how I feel."

"Of course it matters. And I know it isn't just you, I know he has feelings for you, too. The way he acts around you...I've never seen Obi Wan like that before, and I've known him for years."

"The Jedi are taught not to feel their emotions because they believe it brings them closer to the dark side. They believe that you can't fulfill your duties as a Jedi if you form any kind of attachments."

"That's ridiculous. Feeling emotions doesn't make you corrupt, it doesn't mean you can't do the right thing. Look at you for example; you feel things on the deepest level possible, you love with your whole heart, you feel the pain and sorrow of others around you. But you never let your feelings keep you from doing your duties as queen. On Geonosis, you were prepared to let Aiden, Fallon, Anakin, and Obi Wan die in order to save your planet. If Obi Wan was in the same position, I know he would have made the same decision."

I turn my head to look at her fully, feeling like someone is clutching tightly onto my heart and is refusing to let go, like it might burst. "I don't think Obi Wan will see it like that, he's been trained his whole life to think this way."

"You both may have duties to the people of the galaxy, but you also have a duty to yourselves, to your hearts. Like you said, we are at war, anything could happen. I think we should both spend however much time we have left being happy."

I lean my head against hers, lightly shaking my head. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you."

Padmé pulls my in for a hug, laughing gently into my shoulder. "Anytime."