Thanks so much to all who reviewed and encouraged me to write this! It took me a little while, but here at last we have the third chapter :)

Thanks especially to xExiledJedix for being my beta for this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars the Clone Wars, or its characters. If I did, it's probably obvious that Satine wouldn't have died.

Hope you enjoy! Please review!


Chapter 3

The sun had long since set on the horizon, and darkness hid most of the damage done to the throne room. The only light came from the brilliant blue of the lightning crackling around the robed figure's hands. The only sound came from the man writhing in pain on the dust coated floor. His screams should not have echoed as much as they did, for there was very little of the walls left. But the pained sounds rebounded off the fallen masonry and into the night air. The stars did not seem to shine as brightly as usual, almost as if the darkness of the robed figure blocked them out.

The white-blue light illuminated a gleeful smile, the only thing visible under the baggy hood. The man closed his hands and the lightning winked out of existence before the robed figure stepped over the twitching Zabrak ascending the scarred steps to the throne. He sat and folded his hands gracefully in his lap, gazing down at Maul from the throne of a fallen Duchess.

"Now, my former apprentice, explain."

Maul pushed himself up onto his knees, breathing heavily through his nose. In his madness, he had forgotten his master's methods of teaching, though he had not forgotten the pain. Now, that primal instinct to avoid pain rose inside him, and he bowed his head. His eyes remained stubbornly fixed to a shard of rubble at his feet, subconsciously refusing to look any further to the left, where he knew the body of his brother was lying.

The Sith did not feel love. He had not loved his brother. But he had felt… Well, the pain was preventing him from remembering what he had felt for the dead Zabrak, but he had felt something.

"Master… I am not sure… Explain what?" He cringed as he felt the man's emotions flare. Sidious was the only man, the only thing, he had ever been afraid of.

With a calm that belied his wanning patience, Sidious replied, "What caused your rage? What caused… This destruction?"

He made a wide sweeping gesture around the ruined throne room.

Maul's rage flared as he thought of his enemy's escape. He had been close, so close to making Kenobi feel the same pain that he had, so close to fulfilling his revenge! He still didn't understand how the man had managed to destroy the room and save the Duchess.

"Kenobi," he spat. "He escaped. He did this. He took my revenge from me!"

Beneath the hood, wrinkled eyes narrowed. "And you let him?"

Maul's head snapped up, and his gaze was pleading. "Master… I could not have known that he would…" The man cringed as he saw blue sparks jump in the robed figure's hands. He hastily backtracked. "I mean… All this… This bid for power, this quest to destroy Kenobi… All of it was for you! I knew that I needed to prove myself to you."

Sidious raised his hand, watching impassively as Maul writhed on the floor again, blue lightning wrapped around his body like a cocoon. "Perhaps," he murmured under his breath, the words lost among his former apprentice's screams. "But there is no need to use the past tense yet. You still have yet to prove yourself worthy. And the road to prevailing begins with fulfilling the quest that for some unknown reason is taking you so long to complete. The Negotiator's time is coming to an end. You will begin with reminding him why the Dark Side is so much more preferable for those that have no wish to relinquish their attachments."

Far above them, the stars seemed to cringe. A thick bank of clouds stretched overhead, obscuring the inky blue night. There was no moon. The darkness seemed to foretell the days to come.


Obi-Wan squinted against the sudden brightness as the ramp lowered slowly. He released Satine's hand and raised it to shield his eyes slightly. Satine took a slight step away from him, putting an acceptable distance between their bodies. The separation was almost painful that Obi-Wan was beginning to wonder how on earth he had coped before.

Anakin was waiting for them when the ramp finished lowering. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he was rolling slowly back and forth on the balls of his feet. On seeing his former master, the man's expression flooded with relief and he hurried forwards.

"Obi-Wan!"

Frowning, the Jedi Master descended the ramp, his hand resting between Satine's shoulder blades as if to help support her. He knew that they both looked awful, especially in the bright sun. "Anakin?"

To his great surprise, when Anakin reached him, the younger man clasped his shoulder, relief and something like joy shinning in his bright blue eyes. He frowned, recognizing some of the anxiousness and concern on Anakin's face. "Why look so surprised? I told you that we were coming."

Obi-Wan's frown deepened as he remembered how anxious his former apprentice had sounded during transmission. He'd just been too tired to notice.

Anakin shifted awkwardly, his head bowed slightly. He had not meant to let his emotions get the better of him. Now was not the time to tell Obi-Wan about his dream, not now while the older man was exhausted and while he had no control of his emotions. Not while they were not alone.

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head forcefully. "I'll tell you about it later."

Anakin turned his attention to the woman standing quietly beside the Jedi. As was custom, he took the hand she extended to him and brushed his lips lightly across her knuckles.

"Duchess. It's good to see you again."

A slight frown formed between his eyes as Anakin took in her exhausted and disheveled appearance. The movement had been almost robotic.

Satine arched an elegant eyebrow. "Likewise General Skywalker. Though I do not believe that the term 'Duchess' applies to me any longer."

Anakin's frown deepened as he looked between the man and the woman. He'd been so relieved to see that Obi-Wan was alive that he'd missed several other things. Not only did both look like they'd gone through hell and back, but Obi-Wan was wearing what looked like a modified version of Mandalorian armour. He had not missed the fact that Obi-Wan had yet to take his hand from Satine's back. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan's expression tightened. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, and he was about to reply when Anakin's com-link beeped. Anakin shot it an irritated glance. "I got your message. Obviously, I had to inform the Council. They want to see you both right away in the Chancellor's office."

Obi-Wan frowned. Not long after his proposal to Satine, he had sent Anakin a message, telling him about what had happened. It had been Obi-Wan who had asked Anakin to inform the Council, but he was a little surprised at their choice of venue. "Why the Force do they want to hold it there?"

Anakin's expression mirrored Obi-Wan's. It was clear that he was just at a loss to the Council's decision. "They said something about it being a very sensitive matter. It's not just the concern of the Jedi anymore, but it's also very political, as Mandalore has been taken over by a rouge movement that now has confirmation of working with the Separatists."

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair, his expression conveying a great exhaustion. "You say they want to see us right away?"

Anakin's expression was grim. "Yes. They want you to debrief before you forget any 'little' details. At least, they were quoting Palapatine's words."

Anakin could not understand why the Chancellor had asked to see them now, before they had a time to recover and gather their strength. He could feel Satine's exhaustion and sadness radiating through the Force, and the more he listened to it, the more he began to think that she had suffered terribly while in captivity. At the back of his mind, Anakin could feel an answer growing. Perhaps the Chancellor wanted to use their exhaustion against them.

Obi-Wan's eyes darkened, his jaw tightening in anger. He opened his mouth to speak, but Satine raised her hand and placed it on his arm, restraining him. "I trust that there is some sort of transport ready?"

Anakin nodded, impressed with her resolve and calm, and Satine sighed. "Well, then lead the way Master Skywalker."

Anakin bowed his head, raised his eyebrows at Obi-Wan, and then turned and led the way towards another hanger. Obi-Wan called after him. "That reminds me Anakin. That is the last time I ever borrow your ship."


Satine kept her head held high and her back straight as she walked through the halls of the Senate building, refusing to let the stares of passing people deter her in the slightest. It didn't particularly matter what they thought. She knew that she looked awful, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Not only did she have Obi-Wan's declaration of love and his proposal to keep her strong, but she knew that her appearance would help her case.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but admire her focus as he walked beside her. She was such a strong woman, though he knew how vulnerable she was too. Which was why he had not taken his hand off the hilt of his lightsabre since entering the building. He doubted that any assassins would get through, but he was not going to take any risks.

Anakin walked behind them, watching their body language with a slight frown. He was far more in tune with his former Master's emotions than anyone else, and he could feel how focused Obi-Wan was on the former Duchess. Something had changed between them on the journey, and he was going to do his best to find out.

"Satine!"

Satine halted her fast pace and turned. Her face lit up as she saw Padme crossing the hall towards her. On reaching her, the younger woman embraced the woman briefly, and Satine could feel the relief rolling off her in waves as she returned the embrace. Padme pulled away, smiling up at the taller woman as she placed a respectable distance between them. "I'm so glad that you're alright! When we heard what had happened on Mandalore I couldn't help but fear the worse!"

Satine's lips quirked. "You know me Padme; it takes a lot to keep me down."

There was no mistaking the thanks in the blonde's eyes, however light her tone was.

Padme felt a great sadness settle on her shoulders as she stared into the woman's blue eyes. The fire that she was so used to seeing was gone, and exhaustion hung about the woman like a heavy coat. There was an age to her eyes now, making her look far older than she actually was. If truth be told, the two women were quite close in age, but it would be hard to believe that now, no matter how young the Duchess still looked. Those eyes looked like they'd seen far more than they should have. Swallowing past a sudden lump in her throat, Padme turned to the two men standing beside the former Duchess. "General Skywalker, General Kenobi, how nice to see you again."

Anakin had to quell that familiar rush of affection and longing at seeing his wife. Instead of embracing her like he desperately wished to, he bowed his head respectfully. "Senator, you look well."

Obi-Wan mimicked Anakin's movement. An idea sprang up in his mind. "Senator Amidala, would you mind accompanying us? We have been summoned to a meeting concerning the recent… Upheaval on Mandalore, and it would be prudent to have another Senator present in case of… Complications."

Padme shot a glance at Satine, as if seeking the woman's permission. Satine inclined her head very slightly, and Padme smiled at Obi-Wan. "I would be happy to."


Satine hadn't quite been prepared for the number of people gathered in the room. The members of the Jedi Council stood in various places around the room. Many of them had their eyes closed, and she was struck by a feeling of security and serenity. It was hard to feel any sort of fear in the presence of so many Jedi.

The Chancellor was not present in the room, and Satine suspected that they were not the only ones the Council had been waiting for.

Yoda was standing near the windows overlooking Coruscant, his back turned to the door as he leaned on his crooked walking stick. Mace Windu stood beside him, and they were talking too quietly for her to hear what they were saying. As they entered, Yoda turned from the sight, his bright eyes settling on the group. His strangely knowing eyes regarded Satine critically, and she felt herself grow a little uncomfortable under the gaze of the old and wise master. "Good to see you alive, it is, Duchess. A great ordeal you have been through, we have heard."

And quite suddenly, Satine felt something like fear stir in her stomach. She had no idea where it had come from, and she had no idea why she felt like turning and fleeing from the room. A voice cut through the haze. "Ah, Duchess. I hope you are sufficiently recovered?"

Her hands were trembling, and she knew that the Jedi Masters could see it. She turned around as the Chancellor entered the room, smiling kindly at her. She blinked rapidly as she bowed her head slightly, trying to quell the continuous flow of fear and unease that was turning his smile into a sinister smirk. "Chancellor. I wouldn't say that, no. I'm afraid that there was very little opportunity for me to recover on the journey here." Her voice was surprisingly steady. She clasped her hands in front of her in an effort to stop them shaking as the Chancellor sat behind his desk.

Mas Amedda shadowed Palapatine, standing behind the Chancellor's chair. She felt the familiar hostility she always received from the man as he stared at her, and she shifted her gaze pointedly to man sitting in the chair. Only to wish that she hadn't. For some reason, every instinct she had was screaming at her to get out of this man's presence. She took several deep calming breaths, attempting to ignore the feel of Obi-Wan's eyes boring into her back.

Palapatine folded his hands on the desk. "Well that is unfortunate my dear, but this should not take too long." He looked towards the Jedi Council, who had now gathered on one side of his desk, before nodding once. "Now, I believe we should begin."

Mace was the first to speak, his critical eyes resting on Obi-Wan. "Despite your rash and unapproved departure yesterday, some good did come from your visit to Mandalore. Aside from saving the Duchess's life, we now know that Darth Maul and Savage Oppress were in liege with the Separatists."

Obi-Wan nodded, deciding that Mace was not actually asking him a question.

Mace frowned, clearly having expected Obi-Wan to contribute. He continued, his tone a tad less patient than it had been previously. "Could you give us a full account of what happened, starting with your arrival? Then, if you will Duchess, we would appreciate it if you could tell us what happened on your side of the story."

Satine's face whitened noticeably, but she nodded stiffly. Obi-Wan stepped up beside her, and though he didn't look at her she felt his presence calm her. Her heart was still racing, and with every twitch of Palapatine's fingers she flinched. As Obi-Wan began his story, she attempted to gather her thoughts, to rebuild that wall around her mind brick by brick. She knew that the Jedi could feel her emotions simply by the way they kept glancing at her. In her peripheral vision, she could see Anakin frowning, his eyes darting between her and the Chancellor, clearly trying to understand why he was unsettling her so. She wouldn't have been able to answer had he asked. She had no idea. She tuned out of the conversation, so that she couldn't hear what Obi-Wan was saying, but she could hear his voice. She allowed that to calm her.

She tilted her head slightly, glancing at Padme. The Senator was standing a little behind her, between her and Anakin. Padme's hands were folded in front of her, and she was chewing anxiously on her bottom lip, apparently in response to Obi-Wan's story. She caught Satine's eye and offered her a slight, reassuring smile. Strangely, it was the smile that finally stalled her fear. Taking a deep breath, Satine turned back to the Council, feeling a strange sense of calm flow through her. She was surrounded by some of the most skilled and wisest Jedi Masters. Even if her odd reaction to Palpatine's presence was warranted, there wasn't much he could do here.

Halfway through his story, Obi-Wan paused. He had just reached the part in the throne room, moments before his desperation had saved Satine. He was unsure how to continue. He knew that one mention of the power he had unleashed would make them believe that he had given in to his anger. Yoda raised his head from its bowed, thoughtful position, fixing Obi-Wan with bright eyes. "The story not yet finished. Continue, you must!"

Obi-Wan breathed out sharply. "I allowed Maul to believe that he had defeated me, and then I used the Force to knock the Darksaber out of his hand and push him across the room. Satine and I managed to use to ensuing confusion to flee, and we ran into the Death Watch resistance on the way. They led us to a ship, and their leader, Bo-Katan, told me to tell you what was happening there. She wants the Republic's help."

Palapatine leaned forwards, missing the way Satine shuffled back a little. "You mean that they would approve a Republic take over? Would you, Duchess?"

Satine licked her lips. She and Obi-Wan had discussed this on the flight over. While she had been adverse to it at first, she recognized that her people needed protection. The last thing she wanted was for the Separatists to take her beloved city. "It is not really my decision to make, Chancellor, as I am no longer their Duchess. However, someone will use this opportunity to take over Mandalore, and especially as their current leader is allied with the Separatists I would approve of it, yes."

Mace nodded thoughtfully. "This is not just political anymore. The Jedi must intervene to take care of Maul and Savage."

Satine bowed her head. "Whatever course of action you think is best, Master Windu."

If she had had more strength, if she hadn't been exhausted, she would have fought harder. But her recent ordeal was still very fresh in her mind, and she did not have the energy to debate. Instead, she settled for saying, "perhaps we could negotiate terms for the Mandalorian people another time?"

The Jedi nodded, while Palpatine said.

"Of course my dear, negotiations are essential to ensuring that the Republic achieves its aims." He sat up a little straight. "Now perhaps you could tell us exactly what happened to you."

Satine shrugged her shoulders, a small graceful movement that served to hide how uncomfortable she felt even thinking about what had happened. "There is not much to tell, I am afraid. I was imprisoned. At one point, my… nephew managed to spring me from my prison and I used to opportunity to send a message to General Kenobi. However, I was recaptured. I spent the remainder of my days in that cell until General Kenobi answered my pleas for help. The rest you know."

"I'm afraid that if we are to have some idea of how serious the situation is, you will have to elaborate my dear."

Palpatine's voice was patient, but there was underlying curiosity as to why she was not explaining in detail.

Satine stiffened noticeably, her knuckles whitening as she gripped her fingers. "I…" she cleared her throat. She hadn't been ready to talk about what happened with the man she loved, never mind the Jedi Council and the Chancellor.

Yoda chose that moment to speak. "Agitation and reluctance I sense in you, Duchess. A great ordeal you have clearly been through. Exhausted you are. Get this over with, it may be best."

She understood what he meant. She would have to talk about this at some point. She didn't necessarily have to go into graphic detail. "I… My captors, as you have probably guessed, had a twisted sense of…" she paused, searching for the right word. "Victory. They may have taken my throne from me, but the mere thought that I had managed to keep it for that long was something that they were having trouble coming to terms with. Vizsla took his frustration out on me. I am certain that Maul is in fact mad, and he had some… Suggestions, regarding how best to punish me. To put it plainly, I had no idea what was happening in my city, as I spent the majority of my time being tortured."

Her voice had turned cold and emotionless, her eyes unfocused and blank, her face smooth and inexpressive. It was like she was attempting to tell the story without having to actually think about the words.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, his hands clenching behind his back as he attempted to keep a lid on his growing anger and despair. He struggled desperately against the impulse to step forwards and embrace Satine, to pull her close and comfort her, to never let her go. He fought silently to keep himself from berating the Council for asking to talk about all this, when she was clearly not at peace with what had happened. He could do nothing more than stare at her, just as everyone in the room was, and hope that she would see the compassion in his eyes.

Padme had no such restrictions. Though they were not alone, though it was not exactly proper in the eyes of many, she stepped forwards and placed a comforting hand on Satine's shoulder. Her other hand came out and grasped her friend's now limp fingers. That was truly all the situation would allow currently, but it was enough for now. Satine's fingers curled around hers lightly, and she seemed to come back from wherever she had removed herself to. Satine's eyes refocused on the Jedi Council.

"You are dealing with an insane man and his devoted, probably bordering on mad, brother. Reasoning with them, appealing to their better nature, will not help you. I never thought I'd say this, but your best chance of 'taking care of them' is to end their lives."

The last sentence seemed to stick in her throat, and she swallowed heavily, trying to ignore the way the words seemed to descend on her heart, crushing it. She had never condoned violence. But, strangely enough, she could see things from the Jedi's point of view now. She wondered how they coped, attempting to keep the peace, yet often having to resort to violence to do so. This was a cruel world.

The Jedi Council seemed to be discussing her words, their voices lowered into murmurs, avoiding looking at her. Only Yoda stared back at her with a calm, unwavering expression. Of all the Jedi, it was he that she was most concerned about discovering the exact details of what happened while she had been captured. It was he that was most likely to discover exactly what had happened on the ship.

Finally, the Council seemed to come to a decision. Mace turned his grave, apprising eyes on Obi-Wan, though he spoke to Satine. 'Master Obi-Wan will continue to protect you, Duchess, until the threat of Maul and Savage has been dealt with, and until the numerous attempted on your life cease'.

Satine felt relief flood her body, but she hoped that the sudden rush of emotion could simply be put down to her own safety. "Thank you, Master Jedi."

Palpatine stood, the understanding smile back in place. "Duchess, as your home has now been taken from you, it stands to reason that you will be looking for a place to stay. I can offer you the use of a safe house, where you can stay while General Kenobi watches over you, with the added protection of several appointed guards."

Again, that thrill of apprehension and fear gripped her heart painfully. She swallowed past the hard lump in her throat, and shook her head slowly, her messy blonde locks bouncing at the movement. "With all due respect, Chancellor, after the many betrayals I have suffered from those I have believed I could trust, I would much rather stay with someone that I know would never betray me. Even the most skilled guards can be bribed."

An unidentifiable emotion flashed in the Chancellor's eyes, one that left Anakin with an impression of disappointment and anger. He was a little surprised that the Duchess was turning down the man's offer, but he understood it in a way. His level of admiration for her was growing.

There was a slightly awkward silence, broken by Padme's intervention. "Your honour, perhaps Satine should stay with me. I have plenty of room, and it's not too far from the Senate building to be of an inconvenience. It may surprise any possible assassins, as it is so close."

She glanced at Satine, insecurity flaring in her eyes as she suddenly realised that she may be speaking against her friend's wishes. "Of course, if you'd rather stay with someone else…"

Satine smiled, and for the first time since entering the building, a spark of life flashed in her eyes. It was so animated compared with what they had seen that it threw several of the Council members off balance. Satine squeezed the fingers still wrapped around her hand. "I would be very grateful Padme. Thank you."

Padme nodded, pleased, before turning back to the gathered assembly. She could sense that her friend was nearing the edge of her endurance. "Perhaps this meeting could be adjourned for now?"

There was a murmur of ascent. As Obi-Wan turned to follow the two women out of the room, he heard Yoda call after him. "A word if you will, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan halted in his tracks, unwilling to leave Satine exposed. Anakin caught up to his former master and said in a low voice.

"I'll look out for them. I'll take them back to Padme – Senator Amidala's - apartment and I'll watch over them until you can take my place. Be on your guard, this might catch you off."

Without waiting for an answer, Anakin followed the two women out of the room. Obi-Wan watched him go with a little alarm. What could have Anakin meant by 'be on your guard'?

As he turned to face the Council once more, Obi-Wan felt something nagging at the back of his mind. It was something he had noticed before about Anakin's use of Padme's name. It was almost as if he had to force himself to not use her given name. Shaking his head and filling the information away for later, Obi-Wan turned his attention to the Council, only to realise that Yoda was walking towards him, beckoning him to follow. Blinking in surprise, Obi-Wan followed the wise Master out of the room and into the nearly deserted corridor. He caught a flash of blue, purple and brown as Satine, Padme and Anakin rounded the corner and left his sight. Sighing, he followed Yoda a little way down the corridor, out of hearing of anyone who may wish to eavesdrop. Then the old master turned to face him. His expression was grave, yet gentle, as if he understood that Obi-Wan desperately needed sleep. "Conflicted, you are. Strong are your emotions for the Duchess."

Obi-Wan swallowed heavily. This was what he had been afraid of. At least Yoda was speaking with him privately, rather in the company of someone like Mace Windu, who would simply not understand. "She is a great friend, Master Yoda."

The small Jedi shook his head. "At peace with your emotions, you must become." Obi-Wan opened his mouth as if to speak, but Yoda held up a clawed hand. "A great power from Mandalore, I sensed. From you, it came. A result of your feelings for the Duchess, it was."

Obi-Wan shook his head vehemently. He needed Yoda to understand that it had not been anger. "It was not anger. No matter what it may have felt like, I know my emotions well enough to recognise that it was not anger! It was… Desperation."

Yoda tilted his head, regarding Obi-Wan with his wise eyes. He could sense the truth in Obi-Wan's words, and he could sense the confusion that the Jedi Master felt over the matter. Obi-Wan had clearly expected it to be anger, but it had not. After a long moment, Yoda spoke, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. "Truth, you do speak. An ancient force I felt, good intentions, it did have." His eyes twinkled. "A path different path we all must choose to avoid the Dark Side. Become at peace with yourself you must." He reached up and pointed at Obi-Wan's heart. "Find harmony with the Force you will."

And with that, the old Jedi Master turned and walked away, his gnarled walking stick tapping loudly on the floor. Obi-Wan stared after him. If possible, he felt even more confused than he had moment before. What on earth did Yoda mean, 'a different path we all must choose'? He had not told Obi-Wan to push aside his feelings. He had not reminded him of the Jedi Code. Instead, he had simply said that the power that had rushed through him had been… Good, and that he had to make peace with his emotions. How, he had not explained.

There was no way that Yoda could be even hinting that he listen to his feelings, no way that he was saying that he pursue them. Obi-Wan's frown deepened as the old Master's amused chuckle echoed back to him through the spacious corridor. There couldn't… Could there?


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