[Just a bit of an "in medias res" oneshot, starting in the middle of all the action, just how we all like it... Ja'inche Korut is a former apprentice of the late Qui-Gon Jinn who left the Jedi Order as a padawan after coming into conflict with the Jedi teachings. Over a number of years, she taught herself how to handle the Force, and mastered exceptional abilities, her power eventually attracting the attention of a certain young Sith Lord: Darth Maul. Her relations with him, despite their brevity and trivial nature, seem to be enough to condemn her before the panel of Jedi Council members, especially in the eyes of a certain Jedi knight.]
Mace Windu gave thought. "And your purpose would have been disclosed prior to admission into the embassy," continued the voice of a council member, dealing with diplomatic ties. Windu's thoughts were present and elsewhere. Obi-Wan's anger toward the former Jedi padawan Ja'inche Korut had been wavering for some time now. There was a sense of prospective peace in the Force now. The air was cooling. Mace sighed in silent relief.
Seated against the wall in the vast room meant for training, Obi-Wan Kenobi had found himself face to face with Ja'inche Korut, fellow former apprentice to his late master. Kenobi was a knight now. He'd cut his braid, and he'd grown substantially. But he'd only grown a bit in comparison to his current leap in status.
Of course he had held Korut in low regard. She'd fornicated with the very Sith who killed his master. It had been months upon months since the incident. Kenobi had had the chance to make amends to her, but every time he bothered to speak to her, they broke out into verbal fights, and he couldn't help but feel awful for it, for it always resulted in Korut's loss of composure. He never meant to force her to tears. But somehow, he did it every time, and Mace Windu had been quick to warn him each time, in a hushed, aside manner, that he should be careful how he speaks to her. She was a strong woman, capable of mastering parts of the Force that were dangerous for most Jedi. She was inherently talented, gifted from birth.
But she was also a lady, and although Kenobi certainly had learned to be patient and polite over the years, he'd never quite learned how to deal with Ja'inche Korut. She was always different in his mind. She was at fault. She was the cause of his pain and suffering. She was the reason that Qui-Gon had been killed. To hell with what excuses she made; whether or not she'd intended to make it with the Sith Lord was not a scapegoat. And so he made sure she knew it.
And yet, when he did, he regretted it. He felt quite awful about it the moment he said a thing to her that was intended to be venomous. And of course she became defensive, and of course she eventually broke down, for he couldn't quite stop himself in time. He couldn't control himself. Mace would caution him again, and then again. Kenobi couldn't understand why the rogue Jedi even had to be around. If she wasn't a Jedi, then why was she here to begin with?
But he had to force himself to be more polite to her, although he truly did feel angry toward her. He'd met her in the sparring room, heading there to train himself with a droid, and she had been there first. He was disgusted with the sight of her. But he was a grown man, and it was silly to be disgusted at the sight of a grown woman. He still was though. He bore resentment for her. And instead of sparring with a droid, he sparred with her.
She was rather good. She had an odd technique, a mix of typical Jedi strokes and patterns and that of her own development. She soaked it all in like a sponge. And when he realized that, he realized why the things he'd said truly did hurt her, and that she really hadn't known the Sith's intentions. And he stopped sparring.
And over the next few days, he was conflicted, but certain. He'd tried to be polite to her, as much as he could. He didn't know why, but he certainly didn't want to hurt her feelings about their prior master anymore. It was a wound that didn't need to be opened. And when he did by accident make her cry, he comforted her straight away and apologized sincerely, all for the first time in that sparring room. And she accepted his apology. It made his heart nearly soar inside, although he didn't know why.
She was a strong woman indeed. The Council had been right about her abilities. He sparred with her every other day or so for a time, just to get used to a new type of fighting style. She gladly sparred him, and much to his amazement, he realized just how colorful she was. And then, he finally realized he was smitten.
Then, he couldn't hold it in himself. He couldn't bear to lie to her and pretend he didn't have feelings toward her. But he was gripped by a rigorous code, and he knew his love could never be. But that did not stop him from spending exorbitant amounts of time with her, as much as he could. She wasn't so aware at first, and he did seem as though he was merely being friendly in conversation, but it soon became obvious, and rather quickly he found himself sneaking to their sparring room, not to spar, but to kiss her in the cloak of the shadows, the stars shining through the window, and the lights of Corsucant to her back and his face, as she sat upon his lap and kissed him so lovingly, and he kissed her.
He found that often, he'd just dream of kissing her for eternity. He'd wish that he could be near her and hear her voice, feel her presence, and her touch, smooth against the roughness of his newly bearded face. Her kisses were genuine and sweet, and from all his harbored bitterness sprang a protection from all the disdain from the Jedi around her, and she felt safe in his arms, able to freely give herself to him; and her kisses, oh, the wonderful fruit of his existence, her supple lips which allowed him so much more freedom than he even asked for in the first moment they kissed, and he pined for her nearly every moment he was away from her. He'd never felt so heavily for a woman in his life, the way he collapsed into his seat as she perched in his lap, sharing her tongue with him, and he gladly accepted with his own; oh, sweet love it was, the kind that made him burn, something he'd never quite felt, and every moment her lips brushed his, it was a moment filled with caresses far beyond a wanton nature, but still seeming as such at first glance, for they'd happened upon these feelings so suddenly. And her hands would travel down his robed chest, and he'd groan softly into her lips, and they'd reach down further, where he enjoyed the feeling but dared not wander into such territory as a Jedi, and he'd part from her, panting, whispering that he could not pursue such deep affections, and she, so naturally, would coo his name, and he'd nearly melt from the heat.
Much to his surprise, and slight embarrassment, his secret affections were not all so secret to a certain member of the Jedi Council. Mace Windu was not overly pleased with Kenobi's actions, but he supposed in the back of his mind that he couldn't be too quick to condemn the Jedi knight. Kenobi's bitterness toward the rogue had threatened to scar Jedi relations with her, but now, she had ties: legitimate ones. Furthermore, Ja'inche had an iron will, nearly infallible by the likes of emotions such as love. Whatever she'd felt in her interactions with the prior Sith Lord, Darth Maul, she'd managed to keep control of her abilities and not fall to the dark side, and for that, Windu had no choice but to duly commend her. She had learned to master the Force to her own limits and capabilities, and had expanded her horizons far beyond what she would have learned under the Jedi, all while maintaining a steady gray status, and although her self-taught methods hadn't earned her much high regard between the lines of the Jedi Code, she had earned a certain token of respect from the Council. Such skill could be readily observed, and the original hope of the Council was to bring her back to the Order. Kenobi had secured that goal for them with this romance of theirs, despite the inherent flaw of the tactic used. Besides, Windu figured that Kenobi could benefit from having his horizons widened. Ja'inche was certainly a sight for sore eyes to someone who'd seen enough hard times in their life. Kenobi's eyes were indeed tired, and Windu saw no real threat to the Jedi Order so long as Kenobi kept it in his pants. Mace figured it went without need of mentioning though; Kenobi could take care of himself in that regard without direction. All he needed to do was keep in mind his position.
However, this was all easier theorized than actually played out for both Windu and Kenobi. At first, it was a difficult subject to approach, and as Windu would have expected, Kenobi was naturally embarrassed beyond belief that somebody was aware that he made out with the former rogue on a rather regular schedule.
"You must keep one thing in mind," Windu said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The Code must be abided by."
"Understood," Kenobi choked out, red as a beet. The poor bloke. Being caught in a secret fling wasn't exactly heartwarming.
"Her will is strong," Mace continued. "Stronger than many on the Council, simply due to the nature of her abilities regarding the Force. Your nature differs from hers. She can tread in deeper waters than you can as of now."
"Yes, sir." The poor man was waiting to be denied chance to see her again as a lover. He really thought he was going to be disciplined. Rightfully so.
Mace sighed at him, shaking his head. He felt lenient. "Just be careful."
Kenobi met eyes with him in a bit of shock, but Windu had already nodded and left, headed down the hallway in another direction. He felt himself smile on the inside. Whatever that Ja'inche Korut did, she did it well. And thanks to that, she felt safe enough to remain with the Jedi, despite her previous association with the Sith. A relationship mended, and a relationship created. Things were beginning to return to normal again.