01 | AOTC

PANDORA BARLOWE HAD always been a Jedi, she never knew anything else. The code was something that would pass through her mind when she was alone at the end of the night, wondering what life would be like with a little love, attachment. She was meditating at the temple, looking out onto the city before her, centering her mind, her dark robes flowing with the breeze. Pandora knew nothing but solitude and a clear mind at this moment, presenting herself in a way to change the pace from the wonders of what if in her mind. She knew she had only moments left before being having to make her way to the senators suite, having been assigned a protection detail.

A deep exhale left her body as she stood up, tapping both of her lightsabers that were located on each of her hips, pushing forth with courage into this new challenge. Master Windu had been her Master, creating her from a mold, the perfect Jedi, the one who thought with her head and not her heart ( although her heart did win in certain situations ). Pandora had found herself taking deep breaths as the elevator doors opened, allowing her to take her first steps into the senators suite. "Oh, hello," Padmé said, a smile toying on her lips as she stared at the girl.

"Hi, I'm Pandora," she said, glancing across the room, her eyes glittering as she took in every piece of furniture, every sparkling item, wondering what it would be like to own something as valuable as what was here. "What's gotten you into a situation where a Jedi is needed to keep tabs on you. Not that I mind hanging out with another girl, force knows it has been far too long since I had a female interaction that didn't involve aggressive negotiations."

Padmé let out a small chuckle, appreciating the girls humor, thankfully someone was able to ease the tension that wanted to swallow her whole. "An attempt on my life was what caused this. Though, I see no reason for there to be two Jedi's taking care of me. Artoo and my guards are completely capable, along with myself of course."

Pandora let out a breath at that, letting the silence hang between them for a moment. "Two Jedi?" she questioned, but it was answered in a short moment, when not only one Jedi stepped out, but he brought that damn Padawan with him. "Oh you have to be kidding me. Not him. Obi-Wan, put him back."

Obi-Wan sighed, bowing before Padmé, "It's a great pleasure to see you again, milady." He turned toward Pandora, "Pandora as much as I would love a stress free day, sadly he is attached me, so try not to kill him would you. I'd hate to have to deal with the outcome of that."

"It has been far too long, Master Kenobi," Padmé said, shaking his hand, turning her attention to the boy behind him. "Ani? My goodness, you've grown," she stated, a small reminiscent smile gracing her features as she remembers the nine year-old they had found so many years ago.

Anakin turned shy, breaking his stare that he had on Pandora, forcing his gaze to look at Padmé, "So have you. Been a long time, Padmé." Pandora rolled her eyes at the boy, wondering where the ego had suddenly gone, curled up in a ball.

Obi-Wan was the one who broke the silence, already knowing that Pandora and Anakin would eventually be going at each other's throat. "Our presence here will be invisible, milady, I can assure you."

"Mine won't be," Pandora stated, her back leaned up against the couch, feet crossed underneath her. She had learned early on if her body was relaxed, so too was her mind. "I for one will be enjoying this little girl fest while I can, and far from the spawn that is attached to you, Obi."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at her, wondering who he pissed off that put him in this position, caught between fire and gasoline. "I'm Captain Typho of Her Majesty's security service. Queen Jamilia has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you are here, Master Kenobi, Master Barlowe. The situation is more dangerous than the senator will admit."

Padmé tried her hardest not to roll her eyes at the man, knowing he was only looking out for her. "I don't need more security. I need answers. I want to know who's trying to kill me."

"We are here to protect you, senator, not to start an investigation."
"We will find out who's trying to kill you, Padmé. I promise you."
"We will not exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner."
"I meant it in the interest of protecting her, Master."

"We will not go through this exercise again, Anakin, and you will pay attention to my lead," Obi-Wan said, his patience growing with each statement the young boy made. He was surprised Anakin hadn't already killed him, due to the amount of stress he had been under, he aged years in his mind.

"Why?" Anakin asked, his mouth moving faster than his brain, clearly, as he back talked his Master. Pandora's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, snapping her head towards the boy, trying to convey that this was not the smartest road to go down.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked, his mind trying to figure out why Anakin always had to talk back and always try and do something his way. The boy would be the death of him.

"Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer? Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It's overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our mandate."

"We will do exactly as the council has instructed," Obi-Wan said, and Pandora had to applaud the man for not killing his Padawan (she certainly felt the need to kill Anakin every now and then ). "And you will learn your place, young one."

( ...☄️... )

PADMÉ HAD GONE to retire, leaving Pandora alone with the worst possible person, Anakin. He sent her a quick wink from where he stood with Obi-Wan, a silent promise to annoy her momentarily. Once he was done with Obi-Wan's task, he wandered over to her, sitting down on the couch across from Pandora, legs sprawled out on the coffee table. "Where are your manners? Did you leave them along with your respect back on Tatooine?"

"No, I just simply don't enjoy having to follow such strict ideologies. I do however enjoy watching you get annoyed with the little things I tend to do," Anakin said, fiddling around with his lightsaber, enjoying the way it felt in his hand. The cool metal against the heat of his palm, tying him to the fact he could not allow her to notice what he was truly trying to do, besides getting her worked up.

Pandora didn't even bother giving the boy a response, simply clearing her mind, praying she could listen to Obi-Wan and not kill the boy. It's not like she hated him exactly, but there was a sense of annoyance when it came to him. How easy Anakin made being a Jedi look, how everyone thought of him being the Chosen One, which only gave him more of an ego in her mind. She genuinely didn't mind the boy, but there were certain things he did that she couldn't help but let her annoyance out, simply choosing to use her words instead of the sabers at her side. "Being a little nicer to Obi-Wan wouldn't kill you. The man has practically aged forty years with you being around, he has gray hairs already!"

Anakin let out a laugh, knowing that Obi-Wan did indeed have gray hairs, no doubt that he was the cause. He was about to ask her why she always felt the need to lash out at him, why the spark in her eyes seemed brighter when she was in his presence, why she made him feel all nervous, when Padmé walked in. Pandora noted that she walked like a woman with a plan, a plan that would surely make Pandora want to kill her. Through the force she could sense that she was nervous, but adamant about what she had come up with, clasping her hands as she awaited for the senator to speak. "I have a plan. Artoo is programmed for intruders, which will alert me if there is someone who is trying to kill me."

Pandora let out a gobsmacked laugh at her plan, knowing that this could only be something ends horribly, or with her following after Obi-Wan and Anakin. "You want to be bait? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical. Did you hit your head before you came up with this idea?"

Padmé let out a scoff, looking between the girl and Anakin, trying to find someone who was willing to take her side. "You guys can't convince me otherwise. So this is happening, and I am going to retire," she said, walking away from the two Jedis, who looked at each other with a confused expression.

"I don't like this, you look like you don't like this, Obi isn't going to like this," Pandora said, standing from her seat on the couch and pacing around the room.

Anakin started to twitch watching Pandora walk around, her nervous energy seeping into his soul, cornering him. He walked over to her, his hands finding their way onto his shoulder, stopping her from moving. "Pandora, everything is going to be okay. We will be able to tell the second anything is going to happen. We have this. Artoo is smart, I've seen it myself, Padmé will be perfectly fine."

Pandora lifted her eyes to stare into his, instantly consoled by the way his blue eyes seemed to dance in the moonlight. The way the stars and city lights cut across his face, making him seem iridescent, something that belonged up in the sky, with the rest of the gods that came before them. "Okay," she breathed out, unable to do anything but agree with him. "I believe you."

Obi-Wan chose this moment to walk back into the room, his eyebrow flitting up at the sight of them. The two people in the world he could count on to be at each other's throats with either their lightsabers or their words, were standing there, peacefully. He chose to ignore the way they were seemingly captivated with each other, unable to tear their eyes away from one another. With a slight roll of his eyes, he broke the silence, "Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs. No assassin would try that way. Any activity up here?"

"Quiet as a tomb," Anakin said, his nerves still running from the energy that was seeping from Pandora, despite his reassurance, she was still nervous about the whole situation. He hated that he was affected by the way her nerves were on edge, hated that he was affected by her. "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen." He needed to move, the waves of unease rolling onto his soul wasn't calming, his inability to sit and wait was crushing him, and his one true breath of air was unable to be touched, pacing around the room.

"What's going on?"
"Padmé, the brilliant woman she is, covered the cameras."
"What was she thinking."
"She programmed R2 to warn us if there is an intruder."
"There are many ways to kill a senator."
"I know, but Obi-Wan, we also want to catch the assassin."
"You're using her as bait?"

Pandora was instantly across the room, putting herself in front of Anakin, her arms flailing as she told Obi-Wan, "Technically, Padmé marched in here, told us Artoo is going to be alerting us if someone is intruding, said goodnight and marched off to bed. Excuse us for not exactly having the ability to do anything but sit there mouths wide open. If she dies, I'm resuscitating her, then killing her again."

Anakin had placed his hand on her shoulder again, trying to ground her, ignoring the look his Master was giving him. He knew that she needed something to bring her back to a balance, and as he was the only one around that was willing to do it, concentrating to ease his own mind, forcing her to feed into the energy that was flowing from his body. "Master, we can sense everything going on in that room. No harm will come to her. Trust us."

"It's too risky," Obi-Wan said, as he looked in the direction of Padmé's room, hoping that the two standing in front of him were correct. "Besides, your senses aren't that attuned, my young apprentice, Pandora."

"And yours are?"
"Okay, oh wise one."

"Possibly." Pandora rolled her eyes at the Jedi master, now completely understanding where Anakin managed to pick up his humor. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the sassiest man alive.

well my babies are adorable. it's all fun and games till pandora falls for this man. we stan sassy kenobi here