Trigger Warning: loss of child/miscarriage
I.
The transmission comes while they were in hyperspace, hurtling towards Florrum. He does not answer the first tone, smiling sheepishly when Mace Windu - via holo - frowns at him.
When the second tone comes roughly ten minutes later, he realizes it's an emergency. Despite the looks, he steps out of the conference chamber and takes the transmission, worrying Korkie is ill and discovering it's much worse.
Quinlan finds him outside the conference chamber, pale and holding the wall for support.
Obi-Wan doesn't give an explanation to his sudden desire to leave the mission, and nobody - not even his young, nearly 12 year old padawan - asks for one.
He feels clammy and ill when he submits a removal from the mission (he's never done such a thing) and takes the available shuttle to Sundari, Kalelava. (He does switch the tracking beacon off too - another thing he has never done).
His little son is ecstatic to see him, bouncing around and grinning from ear to ear. Obi-Wan keeps him entertained for a while, waiting until bedtime to slip out and head to the hospital.
The nurses (sentient, thank the Force) are kind enough, if a leery that a Jedi Knight is asking for the Duchess of Mandalore. But they have good bedside manner (and instructions by the Duchess herself) and lead him to the desired room.
The room smells of antiseptic and death. (Bant always says that smell is of routine and healing - he always says she's making stuff up.) The hospital bed is in the middle of the room, monitors beside it, and Satine lying in the middle the mess. There are cords and wires connected to various parts of her body, snaking out ominously from underneath the standard white blankets.
Obi-Wan kneels by the bedside, smiling gently while she cracks her eyes open. He can feel warmth coming from the heating-cloth wrapped around her middle.
"Hi."
He takes the clammy hand that is closest to him, lacing their fingers together and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Hey."
Satine sighs, squeezing his fingers gently. "You didn't need to pull out of that mission. You didn't have to. I understand you have-"
"Satine. I can have a life outside of the Order - they understand we may have different responsibilities. Besides," he reaches out with his opposite hand, smoothing hair away from her warm brow. "I'm needed here."
Satine doesn't comment about the Order - or why he is even here. She doesn't even remember asking for him - well, maybe she did. The past couple two days are a blur of pain and questions and tears. He is here now, looking as exhausted as she feels, trying to keep the pretense that this isn't hurting either of them. "Did you stop by the palace?"
"Korkie's fine - a bit confused, but fine. He wants to visit you."
"Oh," she glances away, biting her lip. "Tomorrow maybe? I…okay. Tomorrow's fine."
"How are you feeling?"
"Can I be honest?" Satine blinks tears out of her eyes, her voice a whimper. "I have no idea."
"The transmission was a bit of a shock, my dear."
"I wanted to tell you, Obi. I just...I didn't know how and then…" She gestures wordlessly to her stomach and sighs. "I was planning on telling you."
"I believe you." Obi-Wan leans over, pressing a kiss to her temple, not bothering to hide the crack in his voice. "I believe you."
"It...would have been nice to give Korkie a sibling."
II.
Anakin can't say he likes working in the creche. Maybe...tolerates is the better word? He will put on a smile while he is there, then complain to Master Kenobi at dinner.
He can't say he likes his current predicament either - negotiating with a small Togruta girl to take a nap.
"I'm not tired," she mutters grouchily.
"Uh huh - I highly doubt that."
She - Allie? Alyse? Annah? - folds her arms, giving him an indignant look. "I'm not."
Somewhere behind him, the leader of the Clawmouse Clan smothers a snort.
He runs a hand through his short hair and sighs, opting to sit more comfortably on the mat. This is gonna take awhile - at least I'm getting out of meditation with Obi-Wan. "Why aren't you tired?"
The Togruta toddler cocks her head at the question, like she's never been asked such a thing before. "Why?"
"Yeah, why?" Anakin gives a small shrug. "You know you'll be tired later - why are you fighting a nap now?"
"Because there's so much to do!"
Anakin has to admit the kid has a point. But still, he knows that most of the younglings are asleep, and he has to help Master Yoda test the training sabers. "But it'll be there when you wake up."
"You sure?" She asks suspiciously, rubbing at her eyes when the Clan Leader leaves for a moment and dims the lights.
"Isn't it always there?"
"I guess…"
He refrains from rolling his eyes, watching the Togruta girl lean back on her mat and wrap the blanket around her body. Force, I hope I don't get her as a padawan.
The Force - green, short, and holding a grimeo cane - laughs in his face.
III.
Kenobes: Can you pick me up from the Senate?
Anakin: cant you get a taxi? or take a shuttlebus?
Anakin: ask your girlfriend ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
Kenobes: For the last time, Anakin - Duchess Kryze is not my girlfriend. Can you or Ahsoka pick me up from the Senate?
Anakin: Fine fine - yeah, I can pick you up at the hangar. I'm here anyway
Kenobes: ...what?
Anakin: look up - I'm waving
Anakin: not your girlfriend huh? Why are you in the Mandalorian Senate pod?
Kenobes: Why are you in the Nubian pod?
-Skywalker has left the conversation
IV.
"You will give me gray hair before I'm forty," Obi-Wan says by way of greeting. The Senate hangar is rather empty right now - few Senators take their personal speeders to meetings.
Anakin grins, pushing off of the shuttle and grinning. "Prince Kryze - nice to see you again."
Korkie inclines his head, a faint smile on his lips. "Likewise, General Skywalker. How's Ahsoka?"
"Ill, at the moment - a stomach flu is cycling through the Temple. I'll give her your best?"
"That would be wonderful, thank you."
"You're on Coruscant alone?" Anakin asks, scanning the space behind them for the Duchess. "Aren't you a little young to be traveling alone?"
"Aren't you a little young to be a Jedi knight?"
Anakin blinks, unsure how to react.
Obi-Wan turns his head away and pressing lips together to refrain from laughing. Fortunately for him, his comlink dings right then, and he excuses himself...leaving his son and his padawan to talk to each other.
Korkie does his best not to grimace at the prospect of being alone with Anakin Skywalker. He turns his head to the ship, recognizing the thing from the Holonet. "That's a modified Cloakshape Starfighter right? Built for the Judicial Forces of the Galactic Republic?"
"Whitecloak fighter, actually - you like flying?" Anakin asks, a bit surprised and excited that the Prince of Mandalore is interested. Maybe the kid is actually normal after all.
Prince Kryze gives a small shrug, scratching at his chin. "Like and appreciate are two separate things, General Skywalker. I am a decent pilot but... flying's for droids."
Anakin raises an eyebrow, glancing back at his master, who's still talking on his comlink...to Cody maybe? It's hard to tell. "Where did you hear that phrase, Your Highness?"
"Couldn't remember...why?"
It unnerves Anakin, the way the prince is smirking and looking at him. Like someone has told a joke and he missed the punchline. Rubbing at his neck, his mutters, "General Kenobi is fond of that phrase."
"Is he? Interesting. Guess we have more in common than I thought."
"More?" Anakin asks before he can stop himself. How long has Obi-Wan known this kid? What isn't he telling me?
No...Korkie can't be…
He shakes his head at the ridiculous thought, and smiles at the Prince. "Do you happen to like opera?"
V.
It's late on Yavin IV, even by Bail Organa's standards. He walks through the base towards his quarters, rubbing at the crink in his neck and reading a datapad. The fight against the Empire...well, it wasn't going well, but it wasn't too bad either.
The Empire is growing in strength, losing it's mask that it had kept for the past decade.
The mask that everyone had been fooled by.
The one he had worked beside, who destroyed the Jedi and his greatest Senate allies.
He shakes his head to clear the thoughts, and glances up.
A young man in Mandalorian armor is leaning opposite of the chambers, reading a paper novel. He glances up at the footsteps, familiar blue eyes twinkling and a grin peeking out from beneath his neat ginger beard.
"Viceroy Organa."
"Prince Kenobi."
Bail stands there, in the middle of the kriffing hallway, staring at youth he now knew was his friends son.
Goddesses, if I find out Yoda has a daughter I'm going into exile on Hoth.
He hits the save button on his datapad, and while clicking it off says, "How did you come across a paper novel?"
"I was raised to have fine tastes."
"Evidently."
Prince Klaudius - Korkie? Prince Kryze? Clan leader Kryze? Obnoxious, Force Sensitive, headache inducing, flirting, pain-in-the-Rebellion's-ass - smirks while he tucks the paperback somewhere beneath the vicinity of his large Jedi robe. "My parents were rather interesting."
"That's certainly one word for it. What would your father say? Civilized?"
"Would?" The Mandalorian prince asks, his eyebrows ticking up. "Interesting connotation for someone who's alive and well."
Bail sighs, because he should have known this would happen. "Care to continue this conversation in my chambers, Your Highness?"
"That would probably be wise, Viceroy."
Bail can't help but smile while he palms the door open. "I believe formalities the need for formalities between us...no longer exists?"
"Perhaps. But old habits are hard to break."
It's not often Bail feels self-conscious, but he does while stepping into the small chambers. It's not much to look at - a standard issue bed, a sterile white desk and chair, a minuscule closet for belongings, and if one is lucky, a sani and sink. The only personalization is a Alderaanian tapestry hung above the desk, and a holo of Leia on one of the ledge.
"Prime chambers," Korkie remarks while he glances around.
He sets the datapad on the desk. "You have your father's wit - you can sit anywhere."
"His flair for dramatics too, my mother always said." Korkie sits on the bed.
"Happen to share his fondness for drink too?" Bail asks, striding to the closet and pulling out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses.
Korkie gives a hard snort, watching the bourbon splash into the glass. "My parents were alcoholics - of course I'd love a drink."
"Your...Duchess Kryze too?" That sort of surprises him. Mandalorians were not known to be strong drinkers, neither were they known to have children out of wedlock. Satine, evidently, had not cared much for either of those stereotypes.
"The only time she was sober was when she was pregnant," Korkie murmurs, taking the glass and sniffing it.
Bail sits at the desk chair, gripping the glass and knowing he's heading into catious territory. It brings some bad memories, but he pushes them aside for the questions that have been burning in his mind ever since Korkie revealed his parentage. "I have to ask, Your Highness."
"No, you cannot have my lightsaber."
Bail took a sip of the liquid courage. "You are your parents child - but that was not my question."
"Oh?"
"Do you have any siblings we should know about? People that need protection from the Empire?"
The prince gives a small, sad laugh, leaning his elbows against his knees and holding the glass loosely. "Well...not exactly."
Bail recognizes that look - he had seen it to many times on himself. Himself and Breha. "Oh...forgive me, Korkie, I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay, Bail...it's okay." Korkie shrugs, staring at the floor for a moment. "My parents...my mother did have a second child...she lost it...I never did know if it was my dad's or not. It probably was."
"How old were you?" Bail asks softly, wondering if he's the first person to ever hear of this story. Probably. His friends were remarkable private people. Obviously.
"Three, four? I remember being excited my father was on Sundari without warning...I didn't know about my sibling until I was much older - 14 or 15." Korkie shook his head. "Turns out Dad flew in mid-mission to watch me and be with my mother. It nearly cost him his seat on the Council."
Bail shakes his head, taking a drink slowly. The things Obi-Wan got up too...it is amazing people thought the Jedi - keyword thought - were stoic entities free of any sin. Obi-Wan...risking his beloved Council seat to into Sundari…it simply showed how much the Jedi were hypocrites, preaching about the dangers of attachment while committing a deed that put their loved ones above the Code.
Or...trying to put the Code above their loved ones.
"I think it was Dad's…" Korkie whispers. "It kind of tore them apart until Mom was accused of siding with the Separatists during the war."
"I remember. I don't think anyone really realized how bad the war has gotten until Mandalore was dragged in."
Korkie smirks faintly and drains the glass. "I still saw Dad...just him and Mom...never have quite known if they were ever together - physically, I mean - during that decade. Never wanted to ask, and now..." He gives a small shake of his head. "Look at me - I apologise, Bail, I forgot-"
Bail forces a small smile. "No need to apologise, Korkie. It's...hard listening, yes...but knowing my friend's son is loved makes his absence-"
Korkie gave a hard snort. "Really Bail?"
"How did you find out?"
Korkie waves the question away. "Oh yeah - I know. My father's is the most dramatic person in existence - and it seems he rubbed off on you."
"I hope you're not angry at us."
"Angry? Maybe a bit upset but...my father always had his secrets. It's hard to imagine Obi-Wan Kenobi without one."
Author note: And here's a chapter I like to call "Torture the Cinnamon Rolls" or "Here's a Platter of Feels! You're welcome!"
The last scene plays with the canon fact that Bail and Breha Organa couldn't have children
But anyways...my first piece of fanfiction written while I'm in my sophomore year of college. Can you believe it? I can't. I've come along way.
Well - enjoy? - this chapter, and let me know of any scenes/ideas you want in the reviews/PMs. I'd love to hear them!
Mwah!
ii Digestive Reader ii
