Phoenix and Obi-Wan had been practically glued together all day. The pair moved between meetings with little conversation between. Mostly because Phoenix was too busy anxiously muttering speeches as a last reminder of what she needed to argue. He had been pretty quiet after their morning talk which Phoenix didn't like but also understood. She wanted to be able to talk to him more openly and freely but he was still a Jedi and he was going to continue to act like that for the rest of their time together.

     So, when she suggested going to the market at the end of the day, Obi-Wan clearly had his objections. He tried to argue that she wasn't safe and it would stupid of her to put herself out in public, at risk. She tried to argue that she would be safe with him by her side but he didn't seem happy. She knew the risk of crowds and going anywhere but she just wanted to feel normal and have some sort of freedom.

     Eventually, Phoenix got him to relent and he gave in. He said that they would only be there for half an hour at maximum. Obi-Wan had a job to do and he couldn't risk her even more by putting her in a public crowded market. Anything could happen and she was likely to be hurt in the process. Something he wanted to avoid for more reasons than she knew.

     But they didn't even get as far as a hover taxi. The pair exited the Senate building and Obi-Wan could feel something was wrong. He grabbed Phoenix's arm and told her to stop walking. She was confused, didn't want to listen to him and began to walk again. Then he realised, a faint beep and then BOOM!

     The ground exploded in a spray of dura-concrete and shrapnel, throwing Phoenix and Obi-Wan back. The blonde quickly tried to break her fall with her hands but only ended up hurting herself more. The blast sent her flying like she was a rag doll and she landed with a pained cry. Her hands were cut due to her attempts to break her fall. Her eyes were stinging with the smoke as she coughed and spluttered, pushing herself up. Her elbow hurt, she could feel the blood dripping down her forearm. Her jaw ached and something had torn her dress.

     What had happened? What was that? Her mind was dazed, lost, disorientated. She had no idea what was happening. Why was she bleeding? Was it Obi-Wan that had sent her flying back? Why did her eyes sting? She was crying. When? When did the crying start? Her head buried in her arms as she spluttered and tried to wipe the tears away but her hands were shaking. Her ears buzzing with the sound of the explosion still reverberating through her skull. She had been attacked. The Senate had been attacked and it was meant for her.

     "Phoenix, Phoenix," A voice interrupted her swirling thoughts. A soft groan escaping her lips as she tried to push herself up. Her knees hurt, her leg hurt. Everything ached. The voice felt faraway and it was like her head was underwater. Like someone was holding it there. It felt hard to breathe. It felt hard to think. It felt hard to do just about anything but she tried to push herself up again.

     Her gaze turned to the person who was speaking her name and she could barely see their face through the thick clouds of smoke. He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. A soft whimper of pain escaping Phoenix's lips and the man just shoved her forward, pushing her towards the door of the Senate building. His movement was so uncaring and it left her heart aching as she stood, dazed and her leg aching. Threatening to collapse under her weight.

     "What happened?" She asked though even her own voice felt far away. The buzzing in her ears seemed to just be getting louder. It was drowning out the cries, the screams, the hurried talking and wails. It was stopping her from feeling the pain of the people around her but she couldn't hear anything. Just her own thoughts, her own swirling confused thoughts.

     "Go to the med-bay," The voice said. It sounded frustrated, low and demanding. It was a voice that she didn't want to question so she didn't. Taking limped steps into the Senate, she looked around. The smoke was gone, she could see but the tears still fell. Her vision was still blurred by the water as she felt the blood dripping. The tears stung her cut-up cheeks and the blood dripped down her finger and onto the floor. A pool of blood being created as she looked around dazed and confused. Unsure where she was supposed to be going or even where she was. She wasn't even sure what had just happened.

     Then a familiar brunette appeared and a name rung through Phoenix's head. Padme Amidala. Senator Amidala. Padme took in her friend and a frightened look passed her face. That look quickly giving way to a frantic panic. Gripping onto Phoenix's uninjured arm, Padme quickly began to drag her down the corridors. Further into the clean Senate building. Phoenix left a trail of blood in her wake, the ash and dust irritating the cuts and leading to more leaking blood.

     Phoenix trailed soot behind her too. Her dress was covered in soot and ash and splatters of her blood and others. Her hair style had been ruined and her face was dripping blood, most of which was dried against her cheeks. Her leg was injured though she didn't notice as much now. The new surrounding confusing her and making her forget the pain completely. Her face was covered in tears and cuts. Padme gripping her arm tightly, the frown spread across her face and her eyes were glassy. She looked upset and Phoenix didn't know why.

     The woman seemed to be saying something, Padme seemed to be saying something but Phoenix couldn't hear. All she could hear was the buzzing in her head. The dull voice of people around her. She was unaware of everything and when the Doctors saw her, Phoenix was quick to be taken away. She didn't understand why but knew they would have good reason.

     She passed out not longer after they had taken her and sent Padme away. She was just gone out like a light switch. Alive but sleeping. Her body had had enough and she was gone. The Doctors were panicked at first but after she woke up again and muttered something about being tired, they allowed her to sleep as they healed up her wounds. It would be an easier process that way.

***

     Phoenix only got back to her room hours after the attack had occurred. The Doctors had put her on some medication to make her sleep, force her to. They knew that she wasn't sleeping well. The sleeping pattern that her datapad recorded was clear evidence of that so they allowed her to sleep. Let her sleep longer. It would do her body some good and allow her to heal quicker and with a lot less pain.

     So when she eventually came to, there was almost no evidence that any attack had occurred at all. She had been changed into a hospital gown when she had been lucid enough to be moved and agree to it. The bloody dress she had previously wearing was somewhere else. Phoenix didn't know where and she didn't ask even though she loved that dress more than she loved herself.

     It was for the best that she didn't see it and once she'd changed into some fresh clothes, brought to her by Padme, she went back to her room. The Doctors told her that she should return back to them if anything happened but Phoenix felt better, she felt lucid. She could understand what had happened now.

     Obi-Wan had been calling her, told her to get up and then left. Running to chase after whoever had been around. She didn't know who he'd been chasing but it was somebody and it just proved that she was still unsafe. She was in fact more unsafe. The assassins were getting bolder and Obi-Wan knew that he had to do something but he didn't think about that when he ran away. All he cared about was catching the assassin and keeping Phoenix safe. He didn't even take in her injured body fully, he knew it would only lead to him feeling guilty for leaving her behind.

     But Phoenix didn't know he hadn't looked. She didn't know that Obi-Wan had been concentrating on something else. Instead, she was left confused by his actions, even hours after it had happened. The last time he had a choice between the assassin and Phoenix, he had gone to her. Straight away. There had been some hesitation but not that much. But now, now he had run away. Ordered her to go inside and left her.

     Phoenix wasn't sure she'd even be alive right now if Padme hadn't found her in that moment. Dripping with blood and covered in smoke and soot. Tears streaming down he face. She might have faced a much worse blood loss if Padme hadn't dragged her to the med-bay.

     But Phoenix was trying not to think of the could have beens. Instead, she was just trying to work out where Obi-Wan had gone. Why he hadn't returned and when he was going to. She had spent at least the past hour of being in her room pacing up and down the room. Pacing the length, attempting to do something to pass the time but not being focused enough on it. Not even sketching could distract her so when she saw the door open and Obi-Wan walk in, the relief flooded her chest.

     "Thank God you're okay," He said as he looked at her up and down. She didn't look hurt in the slightest. Her hair was maybe a little ashy but she looked uninjured. He knew that the med-wing would care for her and he was glad the wounds had gone. He couldn't stand seeing her dripping with blood.

     Obi-Wan, didn't look nearly as well-off as Phoenix did. His robes were covered in soot and ash, splotches of blood. His hair was slightly messy but he'd attempted to tame it at some point. That much she could tell. He was wounded, she see them and it made her heart ache but she didn't allow herself to feel sorry for him. She wanted to know what had happened.

     "Where did you go?" Phoenix quickly fired back. Not allowing him to have any chance to talk for himself. She just wanted to know, right here, right now. Why had he vanished. She knew it was probably a little overbearing to do it so quickly but he was meant to be her protector. He was not protecting her by running off.

     "I chased after the person who set it off. I could see her across the square. She wasn't any more inconspicuous," Obi-Wan responded as he walked over to her. He wanted to get closer but Phoenix was less reluctant to have him be close so instead she slipped backwards. Moving away from him and just trying to act like this was fine. That she hadn't felt totally alone and unsafe without his presence. Also, the dirt, soot, ash and blood on his robes and skin made her reluctant to let him be close as well.

     "Did you get her?" Phoenix asked as she walked over to grab her sketchbook. She could at least calm down a little more now then. He was safe, they were both safe and alive and that was all that mattered at least. They were both alive. Even if he couldn't love her, she would still love and worry about him. She couldn't help herself, she just did.

     "No, she gave me the slip. I lost her down some twisting back alley. The security droids and police are looking for her too. She's not only your assassin but also a public enemy. She killed a lot more people than just who she intended to," Obi-Wan said as he pushed his fingers through his hair. He looked just as exhausted as Phoenix and she wondered if he'd been chasing her the whole time she'd been out.

     "I nearly died of blood loss," She muttered as she turned away from him. Obi-Wan frowned as he looked at her, watching as she moved to sit down, "I was so confused. I know that you were trying to find her but I didn't even know what was happening. It was only because Padme saw me that I was even able to get to the med-bay," Phoenix continued as she opened her sketchbook. The mix of emotions was rising in her chest and she was trying to work out whether she wanted to be angry or she was just venting at him since she nearly died.

     "And I wanted to come in with you but I had to catch her. I had a chance," Obi-Wan responded and Phoenix gave him a look. Her frown was evident and her eyebrows furrowed, her jaw tensed as she stared at him. Then she realised how cruel she was being so looked down at the sketchbook and she quickly tried to wipe the expression away. It was not his fault that he was trying to save her from an assassin. It was not his fault.

     "You didn't hesitate this time. You abandoned me," She muttered, shaking her head. Trying to snap herself out of this. She couldn't blame Obi-Wan for what had happened because it wasn't his fault and acting like it was was ridiculous. He hadn't exploded the bomb. It wasn't his fault that she had nearly died. The confusion was her own fault, hitting her head and her exhaustion combined gave her slow reactions. All of this was her fault.

     "I can't hesitate when it's between life and death, Senator Vanda," He responded and Phoenix shook her head. She stood up. She wanted to go to bed. She needed to sleep and get herself out of this bad mood. Nearly dying for the third time was doing nothing for her mental health. She felt like she was getting worse and it was true.

     Obi-Wan knew this but he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure what to do so he decided to just let her go to bed. He could talk to her about this in the morning. She would have a clearer head then, he hoped. But he did doubt that she would sleep at all. She'd been having trouble as it was and now this would just make it worse.

     Phoenix stood on the other side of the door. Her head in her hands as she listened to him. He told her that he was going to get his wounds treated and return for the night. She wanted to open the door and kissed him but she didn't. She listened and then heard him leave and once he had, she changed into her pyjamas. Taking her sketchbook, she decided to just sit and draw. That's what felt like the best idea at the time. She just needed something to calm her down and little did she know that she'd sketch the night away.

     When Phoenix got up and went to her small kitchenette the next morning, the sun was climbing the skies and she checked her datapad. It was the first time she'd checked it since just before the attack. She didn't think there'd be anything but she found a flood of messages. Worries from Padme and then some rescheduling of the last few meetings she had to handle in person. They had been rescheduled to take place in a few days time. Clearly the attack had made them want to change the meetings.

     That was good at least. Phoenix didn't have to go out of her room. She didn't have any meetings. She could just hide out in her room for the day which sounded like the dream if she was going to be completely honest. A relaxing day was what she needed so that's exactly what it was going to be.

     After getting a caf and making some rations, she retreated back into her room. Her sketchbook on her lap and the pencils in her hand. As she put her head down and began to sketch, she got herself completely sucked into her work. There was nothing that broke her concentration, not even her grumbling stomach as the hours and hours passed.

     It was like she was in a trance and when she looked up properly for the first time, she was incredibly surprised to find that it was dark outside. At first she thought that she was seeing things before when she checked her datapad for the time. There it was. The day had already passed and she'd done far too many drawings for a day. She smiled softly at herself before realising that she was starving.

     She felt a little nauseous from it and her head was spinning as she stared at her drawings. Food and water was what she needed or she was sure that she'd pass out. Her body was already deprived enough. She didn't know how she'd left herself get so carried away. She pushed herself off her bed and headed towards the living space.

     Throwing her sketchbook down, she went to the kitchenette. She guzzled down some water as her rations heated up in the nanowave. She didn't want to cook any proper food so just made them. It was easier. Once it was ready, she picked it up and sat at the table. Going through her datapad to check on any news as she hummed to herself, flicking through the articles.

     Once she was finished with her food, she left the plate and grabbed a fresh glass of water to use for her paints. Finishing off the painting seemed like the best idea and maybe starting a new one. She wasn't sure how creative she was feeling but she wanted to try and do something. If she couldn't sleep she would at least paint.

    She hummed as she walked to the study. Pushing the door open, she let her hips sway in time with the song she was humming. Placing the water down, she grabbed the paint brushes from the side. Then she went on to set up everything else. The canvas was still in the easel from the previous session and it looked good. There were some details still missing and she knew what she needed to add now.

     Picking up the paintbrush, she began to dip it into the white paint. Small details were where she was going to start and then she could go back to the wider picture. Fix some discoloured patches in the sky and blend the paints together a little more. She continued to hum to herself as she got close and personal to the canvas, adding the details. Her mind began to wonder as she chewed on her bottom lip.

     It couldn't have been more than ten minutes before she stepped back to check on her progress. It was not as much as she hoped and she placed the detailing brush into the glass of water. Shaking her head at herself. She needed some music or a trashy show to get herself back into the mood.

     But before she could even reach for her datapad, an arm wrapped around her throat. Her feet were kicked out from underneath her and she was slowly being dragged. A strangled cry left Phoenix's lips as the arm pushed against her windpipe, crushing it as they pulled her closer.

     Her breath was becoming uneven and she was clawing at the arm in an attempt to get it away. To get the air back into her lungs. Her nails dug into the leather of the assassin's arm but she couldn't do anything. There was nothing. She was stuck, she tried to cry out but the assassin just pressed tighter.

     Her body was being dragged across the floor too fast for her to even attempt to get back to her feet. Her legs attempting to gain some ground but there was no hope. Every time they just fell short and the person pulled harder. The heels of her feet was getting carpet burn as she squirmed and tried to move but still she was stuck. They got to the window and Phoenix could see a speeder outside. There was someone in it. They looked male and she could vaguely see a figure but she had no idea who they were. Whatever was going to happen she knew she was going to die.

     The assassin seemed to loosen their hold on her neck for a moment and Phoenix screamed out Obi-Wan's name at the top of her lungs. Voice and air be damned. She wouldn't live past this moment if he didn't come in. Her legs kicked out and she managed to get back to her feet despite the assassin's attempts to knock her back down and crush her windpipe.

     "You're gonna regret that, whore," The woman whispered in her ear. The words were harsh and stung Phoenix more than she ever expected them to. She didn't know why they did. She hadn't done anything to warrant that kind of reaction. She had simply existed.

     "Phoenix," The voice of Obi-Wan came as he opened the door. He was trying to act calm to lull the assassin into a false sense of confidence. He then walked in, his lightsaber in his hand and ignited. A smirk appeared on his face and the assassin's face fell. Her platinum hair falling into her face a little which she pushed back in a rushed way.

     "You're not going to save her this time, Jedi," The assassin responded as she brought out a knife from her pocket. Obi-Wan glared and walked closer, the assassin quickly putting the knife against Phoenix's throat that was exposed just above the assassin's arm, "One more step," She taunted. Phoenix was beginning to lose consciousness. The blackness surrounded her vision as she looked at Obi-Wan. The light in her eyes was close to blinking out. Her lungs were still desperately clawing for oxygen but Phoenix knew that she was going to die.

     There were words spoken and the knife seemed to disappear from against her throat. Then the arm but Phoenix was thrown across the room. Her head collided with the edge of the desk and her body fell limp against the floor. Her head was bleeding as her arms fell in front of her, knocked out cold.

     The Senator only came to half an hour later. Obi-Wan held her as he nursed the bleeding cut on the side of her head. He had checked and it wasn't anything major. Just a cut. It would be fine. He had managed to clean up the blood from her hair and temple and the relief that passed over him when she awoke was immense.

     "What happened?" Phoenix muttered as she attempted to turn over but was stopped by his arm. He kept her lying down on his lap and stroked her hair softy. She couldn't help but lean into his touch. Her eyes fell closed again as the relaxing feeling took over. The content and happiness dulling the throbbing in her temple and the confusion.

     "There was another attempt. I managed to get you back but you were knocked out in the process. The assassins got away but there were two of them this time," He said as he gently pushed some of her hair out of her face. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she let her head fall back again. Her head resting on his thighs as she closed her eyes. The exasperated look even evident as she tried to relax.

     "Oh," She muttered and the silence began to grow between them. Phoenix didn't want to say anything else. She just wanted to stay like this and sat with him. Her head resting on his lap as he just took care of her. She wished it could always be like this but of course it wouldn't. He was a Jedi and she was a Senator. A senator who was constantly under attack.

     Her life had become a mess in so little time and she hated it.

***

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ! and the assassin's are getting bold, twice in a matter of days, it's ramping up a lot more now and obi-wan and phoenix are going through some changes and trying to just work stuff out between them. it's not a long road to the end now! only around 9 chapters but i hope you enjoyed <3