The characters are not mine but belong to George Lucas. I am just using them to quite the stories running rampant through my brain.

I'm using Challenges I found on Live Journal and applying them to the Sabé/ObiWan relationship. Most of these are just snippets that aren't connected, but if they do connect, I'll let you know in a note before. Challenges are stated as the chapter title and also before the title of the response. Thanks a million!

Challenge: #23 Duty

Timeline: During Ep. II right before Padmé falls out of the transport in the desert on the way to Dukku.

Title: No Matter the Cost

Her eyes find themselves drawn to the tall column. As her wrists are chained above her head, she still feels the imprint of his lips against hers. She wanted to survive this. She needed to survive this. Just so she could have that hope that one day…

Quickly winding the bandage around a soldier's bicep, Sabé glances up and catches Obi-Wan's eyes. His ever-swirling irises held a contemplative blue which reminded her of the lakes on Naboo and caused a feeling of longing and remorse to settle in her heart, not to mention a tingle on her chapped lips.

Turning back to her impromptu patient, she finishes wrapping his wound and secures the knot. While she could never rival Rabé's healing skills, she did rank as second healer when she was serving as former Queen Amidala's chief handmaiden and knew how to treat simple field wounds with efficiency.

"Be sure to see a healer when this is over soldier. You'll need stitches and a bacta pad for sure." Sighing at her crude work, she once again turns to Obi-Wan. Oh, how things have gone from bad to worse, to even worse, then back to bad again. If only Padmé would have stayed safe on Naboo with Skywalker, none of this would have happened. She was sure Obi-Wan and her could have freed themselves from the arena unscathed, especially now that she knew reinforcements were surrounding them while their sentence was being read. And not just any reinforcements; Jedi and Clone troopers alike were quiet formidable with the force and sheer numbers respectively.

She cannot discern anything from the quiet gaze he gives her and her thoughts just make matters worse. When will we stop dancing around each other and confront this growing predicament? We both know nothing can come of what we feel, even if it is undeclared.

That single word alone opened a swarm of emotions within her. Thinking back to just hours before when they were being carted out to their execution posts, Sabé was pulled into her memories.

"You know, this isn't exactly how I thought I would die," She said exasperatedly. She always knew she would not die peacefully in her old age, but being executed never even crossed her mind. Both their hands were securely bond to the chariot and her shoulder just barley brushed his cloak. She turned to look at him in the midday light seeping through the opening to the arena.

"I don't believe I pictured it this way either, My Lady." He smoothly replied with only a hint of the strain she knew he felt. Interrogation was never easy on a man's body. "I was quite taken with the idea that I would go down fighting with my saber, not chained and weaponless."

The twinkle in his eyes relaxed her anxious muscles. If she was going to die today, she would not want it to be with anyone but him. She was honored. After all their years of friendship, and all the things shared, there was not another she would rather stand by. She loved him. Even if it defied the very essence of the universe, she still did. And she knew he felt something too, even if it was deep admiration and not the love she felt.

"How many times must I tell you to call me Sabé!" she jested. "I've known you for over ten years yet you still persist in this silly 'lady' business. We are facing our fates and you still persist!" She sent a small smile in his direction. It may be trivial, but she wished one of the last things she would hear would be his voice rolling the syllables of her name in his accent.

"My apologies, My Lady," he smirked as he leaned closer to her upturned face. "I will try to break my habit on the 'morrow."

Captivated by the swirling blue and green of his irises, she strained further from her restraints to lean closer to his familiar presence. The spell was broken, however, with the harsh clicking and humming of the Geonosians.

All calm was shattered when the creatures began to prepare their chariot to move out into the arena. She quietly took a deep breath and re-centered herself. She was no silly fool; she was seasoned fighter. She had faced death many a times and she was not going to let these creatures get the best of her. Glancing back up to Obi-Wan, she noticed a steely look has entered his eyes and his Jedi mask was securely in place. Letting just a little bit of her apprehension go, she leaned over once again.

"Obi-Wan…" she swallowed. "I-…" And here she stopped. No. She would not trouble him with her feelings. He needed his entire focus to be with the force if there was any chance of surviving this. Not only that but she had a duty first and foremost to Padmé; to the Republic. Just as he had to the Order and the force.

At her sudden outburst, he peered down at her again. His eyes sought hers, and just for a moment- his mask slipped.

"I know," was all he said. With that, the steely look left his eyes and something stirred in them that she had never seen before. The affect was lost on her however, because in that moment he closed the distance between them and kissed her as the cart jerked into motion. It was desperate, just as their situation was, and a passion they had never felt before seared through them. As the sun hit their faces, they broke apart.

With chest heaving, she sought his eyes once again. They were quickly darkening, but before they returned to their steely battle-ready color, he smirked.

"Sabé." The smirk vanished, and they both turned to greet the fate that awaited them. Yes, she thought, I definitely need to survive this.

Sighing again and bringing herself back to the present, Sabé straightens up and grabs hold of the support beam just in time as the ship violently tips. Thrown completely off guard, She tumbles headlong into Obi-Wan. Clutching blindly at his cloak to keep from flying out of the transport, she feels his arm loop around her to keep her steady. Feeling her cheeks burn, she sorely wished that this was under different circumstances..

"Sorry," Sabé mutters as the transport careens again and she has to fist the cloak to keep from flying in a different direction.

"Padmé!"

Hearing Anakin's cry, Sabé quickly rights herself out of Obi-Wan's arms and stumbles over to Anankin, Obi-Wan on her heels. Following Anakin's gaze, she sees Padmé lying still in the desert sand. As Anakin barks orders to turn the transport around, Sabé quickly looks to Obi-Wan. She does not need to hear what he will say to Anakin, she already knows. They must catch Dooku. The Republic rests on it. Everything rests on it.

Without a second thought she follows her duty and leaves her heart behind as she gracefully jumps out of the transport. She lands on the hot sands and rushes over a few dunes to her fallen friend. She does not need to look behind her to know that the ship will continue on its set course. She does not need the force to know that Obi-Wan now wishes more than anything to let Anakin's demands to turn around be followed. But both he and she are the same person. They have the same heart. And they will both do their duties first as loyal servants to a greater cause no matter the cost.

Ok- I'd love a Review, even if it's a flame! I can handle it! I'm new to the SW universe, so I know I'll get some things wrong! I know Sabewan is dying out there, so I figured I'd rekindle those romantic stirrings in your heart and get the ship back to prominence!

Thanks!

Grace