#even piell

  He groaned against her shoulder, lifting his head and capturing her lips in a deep, languid kiss. She melted further into the mattress, relishing in the feeling of his weight on top of her. 

  It was tragic when Obi-Wan’s alarm blared, interrupting the peaceful morning. The Jedi sighed against her skin, fingers tightening on her waist briefly, as though to savour the moment, before pulling away and rolling off of her. Y/n bit her lip, sitting up and running a hand through her tousled hair, gaze darting appreciatively over his form.

  “We have to be in the briefing room in thirty minutes,” Obi-Wan rasped, standing up and starting to get dressed. 

  She followed his lead, grabbing the bag of extra clothes she kept hidden in his quarters. She was just about to pull her undershirt on when a pair of strong arms pulled her back into a hard chest. Smiling, Y/n tilted her head to the side as Obi-Wan pressed a series of kisses to her shoulder. 

  “Obi,” she hummed, tone warning, “We’ll be late if you keep this up.” Even as she said it, her body ached to melt back into his embrace. Gritting her teeth, she turned in his arms, giving him a quick peck on the mouth before extracting herself. 

  He pouted playfully, a lock of hair falling across his forehead, “Alright. I’ll make you some caf.”

  She beamed, kissing his cheek, “Thank you.”

  Twenty-five minutes later, having cleaned up and downed their caf as quickly as possible, Y/n and Obi-Wan pulled their robes on, preparing to leave his quarters. Just as she was reaching for the door panel to slide it open, Obi-Wan stopped her with a hand on her arm. 

  She turned, colliding with his chest. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t- mmph!” He kissed her, pressing her up against the door. It only lasted a few seconds, but she knew she would be reliving it for days. 

  “I love you,” he said, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb.

  Y/n felt her face heat, lips pulling into a grin, “I love you too.”

  ______

  “As you are aware, the Citadel is their most isolated and impenetrable detention facility,” Master Plo started, addressing the clones and Jedi around the holo table. Y/n listened intently, arms crossed. Next to her, Obi-Wan and Anakin held similar expressions of concentration. “No one has ever escaped,” the Kel Dorean Jedi finished morosely. 

  “There’s a first time for everything,” Anakin pointed out, but his tone held none of his usual confidence. 

  “Indeed there is,” Obi-Wan agreed.

  “Their security has prevented our probes from obtaining recent reconnaissance, so we’ve been forced to construct a crude map based upon data from the archives,” Plo continued, pressing a button on the side of the holotable to show a 3D replication of the hallways and passages within the Citadel. 

  Y/n noted that it was very vague, with a lot less information than she would usually prefer on such a high-stakes mission. She had known about this assignment for days now, unlike the troops they were debriefing, but even the extra time to process and plan did nothing to ease her nerves. 

  Obi-Wan turned to the clone troopers present, “And since the data is extremely old, the map will be difficult to rely on.”

  “So we’re essentially going in blind,” Anakin added. 

  “Well, not entirely,” Y/n pointed out, “I’ve been assigned to this mission due to my Consular status. I will hopefully be able to gain a bit more information through the Force once we’re on-site.”

  “Master L/n is one of the strongest Jedi Consulars in the Order. We are in good hands,” Obi-Wan assured, smiling warmly at her.  

  “Beg your pardon, General,” Rex said, his hologram stepping forward to address Obi-Wan, “but how do we know Master Piell is still alive?”

  “The Separatists won’t dare kill Master Piell until they have what they need,” the Jedi said. 

  “He obtained the coordinates of a secret hyperspace lane known as the Nexus Route,” Master Plo added. “It travels into the heart of both the Republic and Separatist homeworlds.”

  Y/n stepped forward, “They could prove vital in maneuvering our forces deep into remote Separatist sectors.” 

  “Or the enemy could use them to slip through our defenses and attack Coruscant,” came Anakin’s addition.

  She sensed the weight of the information settling over the clones, satisfied when it only seemed to harden their resolve. 

  Master Plo continued in that same, accented, baritone, “These hyperspace lanes are of immense interest to both our sides and could tip the scale of the war to whomever is in possession of them.” He paused, turning his head to address the whole room, “That is all.”

  Slowly, the company filtered out of the room, dividing naturally into groups. Y/n found herself automatically drawn to Obi-Wan’s side, walking with him and the other two Jedi through the temple hallways, their intended destination: the hangar bay. 

  When they had moved out of earshot of the clones, Master Plo spoke. “Based on the archive schematics, we’ve narrowed it down to three possible locations they could be holding him at.”

  “My greatest concern is infiltrating their outer security,” Obi-Wan said, “The life-form scanners will not be easy to fool.” He lifted a hand to stroke his beard thoughtfully. 

  “I have been able to cloak one or two people from those scanners before, but never this many,” Y/n said.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got a thought about that,” Anakin assured, smirking. Y/n recognised the gleam in his eye with no small amount of apprehension. 

  Before she could ask him further questions, Ahsoka came running up from behind. “Master,” she greeted, a little out of breath, “I’m sorry I’m late. I just heard about the briefing. We’re going to rescue Master Piell, right?”

  The four Jedi Knights shared awkward looks - Ahsoka wasn’t assigned to this mission. Anakin stopped walking and crossed his arms with a sigh. Obi-Wan shot his former Padawan an amused smile.

  “You two have much to discuss,” Master Plo said gravely.

  Y/n smile apologetically at the young Togruta before turning and walking off with them. 

  ______

  The hangar bay was fairly quiet, having been sealed off from any personnel not part of the assignment in order to keep it confidential. Obi-Wan walked between the gunships with Anakin, observing the activity around him and pondering on what his former apprentice had meant when he said he had a ‘thought’ about hiding from the life-form scanners. As he was doing so, his eyes caught on a beautiful sight: Y/n was standing near one of the walls, chatting with Cody, Rex and the other clones.

  Maker, just the sight of her… He had hoped that after a few months together, his intense affection for her would wane a little, but it only grew stronger every day. His heart melted when she laughed at something Rex said, her smile brighter than the suns of Tatooine. 

  “R2,” Anakin said as the two men approached the group of blue-painted battle droids surrounding the small astromech, “Make sure they don’t stray from the flight plan.”

  The closest battle droid straightened up, saluting Anakin and replying in that synthetic voice, “It’s all under control, sir.”

  “I was talking to R2,” Anakin snapped, frowning frustratedly and moving past the group. 

  Obi-Wan couldn’t help but feel amused by this. He knew Anakin’s frustration stemmed from the conversation he’d had with Ahsoka, while barely two years ago, he would have been on the receiving end of such a conversation with Obi-Wan. It seemed the circle of life was rearing its head and the younger Jedi wasn’t happy about it. 

  Anakin trudged off to work on his ‘plan’, leaving Obi-Wan by himself. To his delight, it wasn’t ten seconds before Y/n appeared at his side, laughing softly at Anakin’s exit. 

  “You must be enjoying this,” she teased, nudging him with her elbow. 

  He grinned, “Oh, immensely. You don’t happen to know what this plan of his is, do you?”

  She shook her head, “If I did, I would have told you this morning.” Her voice was soft to keep others around them hearing her words. 

  Just then, Anakin called for everyone to join him at the edge of the hangar. Obi-Wan and Y/n obeyed, making their way over together, the clones not far behind. As they got closer, Obi-Wan recognised the large, glowing structure ahead of him, steam rolling out of deep vats that dipped into the floor. 

  “This is your idea?” he said dryly, “Carbon freezing?”

  Next to him, Y/n tensed, but Anakin just smirked. “Hey, you wanted to shield us from the life-form scanners.”

  They all took their places on the descending platforms, and Obi-Wan sent a pulse of comfort to soothe Y/n’s signature. She met his gaze, nodding slightly before squaring her shoulders and gritting her teeth. Obi-Wan smiled fondly. He knew she wasn’t a fan of tight spaces, but she was also possibly the most determined person he knew. 

  “Are we sure this thing is safe?” Fives asked nervously, “I don’t want to end up as a wall decoration.”

  “Try to relax, we’ll be unfrozen as soon as we arrive,” Obi-Wan assured.

   ______

  Air. Light. These were things Y/n had taken for granted all her life. But now, as she was released from the confines of a carbon block, her throat feeling like it was coated in years worth of dust and sediment, she vowed she would never take them for granted again.

  Groaning, the company collectively stretched and twisted their muscles as though waking up from a long slumber. Y/n caught sight of Obi-Wan next to her, pulling his arms across his chest. Anything she would have said to him was interrupted when Anakin groaned, “Hey Snips.”

  The three of them froze, turning to look at the young Padawan arching her back casually, “Hey Master.”

  “I must have carbon sickness, because I could swear that’s Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan said, voice hard with disapproval. 

  Oh Honey, Y/n mused to herself, sighing. It was just like Ahsoka to pull a stunt like this. She should have known.

  Anakin gritted his teeth, “Your eyes are fine. It’s Ahsoka’s hearing that needs help.”

  Ahsoka just frowned, “I received orders to join the team. I thought you knew?”

  “Orders? From who?” Anakin demanded, voice rising.

  “Here we go,” Y/n muttered quietly to Obi-Wan, making him laugh softly. 

  “I discussed it with Master Plo,” Ahsoka defended. 

  Y/n narrowed her eyes, analysing Ahsoka’s face and signature for any hint of deception. She couldn’t find anything definitive, but her suspicions didn’t recede. 

  “He didn’t tell me!”

  “You were already in carbonite.”

  “Well I gave you a specific order not to come!”

  “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, Master, it’s that following direct orders isn’t always the best way to solve a problem.”

  Y/n pressed her tongue to her cheek, biting back a laugh. Ahsoka had him there. 

  It seemed Obi-Wan was feeling less merciful towards his former Padwan. “I see Anakin’s new teaching method is ‘Do as I say, not as I do’,” he teased, turning to Ahsoka with a smile, “Welcome aboard.”

  Y/n shook her head fondly, turning to smile at the girl, “I’m just glad to have another woman on this mission.”

  The party took off, leaving the ship behind with R2 and his battle droids. They had landed themselves in some sort of cavern, with uneven platforms and surfaces jutting out over a bright yellow river of molten rock. Y/n found the sight almost as magnificent as it was terrifying, her feet and hands clammy with nerves. Anakin led the group, taking them out of the large chamber and down a pathway along the side of the rock face, nothing between them and the drop. 

  Eventually they rounded a corner to reveal a familiar tower built against the cliffs on the other side of a yellow lake. Steam curled through the air, the smell of sulphur stinging their noses. They followed Anakin up to the edge of the platform where he crouched down and took a pair of macrobinoculars from his utility belt. 

  “I see the entry point,” he said, peering through them. 

  Cody nodded, “You were right. The wind conditions are too strong for jet packs.”

  “Yes, we’ll have to do it the old fashioned way,” Obi-Wan said dryly, agreeing with his commander, “With ascension cables and a steel grip.”

  Y/n really didn’t like the sound of that, but she knew it was the only way. She would just have to keep a clear head and trust the Force to guide her. 

  But Anakin sighed, “I… don’t think so.” 

  He turned to Obi-Wan who frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”

  His next words sent a cold shiver down her spine, “Electromines. And there’s nowhere to put a grappling hook at that height. We hit one of those, the mission’s over.”

  “They’ll know we’re here,” Y/n said morosely, steeling herself for the ordeal ahead.

  Rex stepped forward, “I suppose that means we free-climb it.”

  ______

  As a youngling, Y/n had dreamed of her days as a knight, relishing in imagining the exciting things she would get to do and the places she would get to see. It had been the backbone of her motivation her whole life, silently pushing her through every test and trial sent her way. 

  But this particular trial might be the one to break that streak. 

  Wild, unpredictable wind. Electric sparks arching spontaneously here and there, the heat of the steam from the lava rising up her back. Within fifteen minutes of free-climbing the tower, her breath was shortening and her muscles began to ache. But she was already two thirds of the way up and refused to back down now. Above her, Obi-Wan grunted with each hoist, the knowledge that he was still going (albeit a struggle) kept her spirits up. Below, the clones followed, their heavier armour slowing them down.

  “The entry point is just a few more metres,” Obi-Wan said, pausing to look down at the other three Jedi. Y/n watched as he covered the last stretch with the agility of a jungle lothcat, jumping to reach the lip of the platform where they planned to break in.

  As quickly as he poked his head over the edge to observe the entrance, he was ducking back down again, dangling from one hand in order to hold the other to his lips in a silencing movement. 

  Instantly, the party froze, gripping tightly to the rock as they waited for the all-clear signal. Y/n’s heart rose to her throat as she made out the dark figure of a B2-series super battle droid looming over Obi-Wan. He was still hanging on with one hand, and she prayed that they lived long enough for him to complain about the muscle pain to her. 

  A few moments later, he pulled himself up again to watch the sentries retreat. “They locked the door,” he yelled down, his voice barely making it over the wind, “It’s ray shielded!”

  Kriff, Y/n cursed, we didn’t plan for that.

  As though he’d read her mind, Anakin exclaimed, “Ray shielded? That wasn’t part of the plan!”

  “Well it’s in the plan now,” Obi-Wan pointed out. 

  “There’s an opening up there,” Ahsoka called, having climbed further up the rock to observe the surrounding terrain. Y/n leaned back to see what she was looking at, and identified the small ventilation opening. 

  “We know. The ventilation ducts. But they’re far too small for us to gain access,” Anakin said. 

  Y/n smiled, “That was before we knew Ahsoka would be with us,” she said. “She’s smaller than I am.”

  “I think I can squeeze through,” the young padawan said, a determined look on her face.

  “Well,” Obi-Wan shrugged, still only holding on with one hand, “We hadn’t planned on Ahsoka being here. Perhaps Y/n’s right.”

  “Perhaps?” Y/n teased, giving him a pointed look that was met with a soft laugh.

  Anakin nodded at his Padawan, giving her the go-ahead to scamper up the rock face and wriggle into the duct. By the time Y/n and the clones were joining Obi-Wan and Anakin on the platform, Ahsoka had turned the ray shield off. 

  “See?,” she said smugly, grinning at Anakin. “I can handle myself.”

  He just rolled his eyes, moving past her into the building. 

  “I’m glad that part’s over,” Y/n murmured to Obi-Wan as they watched the rest of the clones make their way over the lip. 

  He brushed the back of his hand against hers subtly, “I’m only afraid that was the easy part.”

  Just as she was starting to relax, Rex let out a cry, followed by the sound of crunching rock. The Jedi spun around to watch the last clone, Charger, lose his footing and plunge backwards. Right into one of the electromines. His scream as he was fried echoed through Y/n’s head morbidly. 

  Behind them, an alarm started blaring. 

  Obi-Wan sighed, voice grave, “Well, they know we’re here now.”