A/N: So the war begins for our two lovely Naboo ladies. How will they cope with the impending absence of their husbands?

Chapter Thirty-Five – Love and Separation.

The morning following the wedding, Obi-Wan reported the full findings of his investigation to the Jedi Council and was quickly assigned a new task; a notion carried by Yoda.

He returned to Sabé, who in the meantime had dressed in one of her formal gowns, to explain what had happened. "The Council has given me a new assignment," he said, joining her for a late breakfast.

"What is it?"

He smiled. "To protect and eventually escort home Representative Naberrie."

Sabé's face broke out in a grin. "Really?"

"Really. Yoda's doing," he explained, feeling grateful to the wise Jedi Master.

"Although technically I'm Representative Kenobi."

"Yes, but we can't go around saying that, can we?"

"One day, perhaps, my love," Sabé said wistfully, touching his cheek.

After they had finished their meal the two made their way to the Senate building for a conference with Jar Jar Binks. Sabé fidgeted the whole of the air taxi journey, claiming that her purple shimmersilk robes were uncomfortable. Obi-Wan just laughed softly. "That's what you get for being a politician."

"I'm not, I'm a Representative." In his ear she added, "If you dislike politicians so much you shouldn't have married one!"

"My mistake," he said with a wink.

Sabé's business persona took over once they reached the Senate, and she and Jar Jar swapped reports. She was horrified to learn that it had been Jar Jar's, and by association, Padmé's suggestion to grant Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers to create an Army of the Republic. It went against everything the Senator had been working towards. But ironically if it had not been for the clones the two Nabooian women and all the Jedi that had come to rescue them would be dead, Obi-Wan and Anakin included.

Later, Representatives Naberrie and Binks addressed the Senate, where Sabé made it clear that Padmé's opinions on the Republic Army had not changed. Obi-Wan stood watching from an alcove, not wishing to appear to be taking sides. It was bad form for a Jedi. He sighed, watching his new wife speak for her cousin, for her planet. The Sabé he had first grown to love, all those years ago, would never have had the nerve to speak before the Senate. She had come a long way since then, battling some of her timidity without losing her quiet ways. He suddenly felt very proud of her, and a smile appeared on his lips.

When all her Senatorial duties were finally complete, Sabé woke up on the morning of the third day feeling relieved that today she wouldn't have to garb herself in formal dress or put any complicated twists in her hair. Today she was Sabé Kenobi returning home, leaving Representative Naberrie firmly locked in the wardrobe with the formal gowns. 'Only I must still take the name Naberrie,' she thought with disappointment. She slipped into a simple sleeveless dress and began to pack everything else.

Presently a tired voice from the bed proclaimed, "That suitcase is on my foot."

Sabé looked up. "Sorry, Obi-Wan," she said with a snigger, moving the offending item away. "I had no idea that Jedi were so grumpy in the mornings."

"They're not."

"Well this one certainly is."

Obi-Wan managed a smile and sat up. "Aren't you going to be cold in that?"

Sabé shook her head. "I have my handmaiden's cloak to go with it."

"Our transport is scheduled to pick us up in about an hour, will you be ready?"

"You're forgetting which one of us is already up and dressed."

He lay back down against the pillow and clasped his hands behind his head. "Is that a hint?"

Sabé paused in her packing. "Possibly."

An hour later saw Master Kenobi and Representative Naberrie boarding their transport on the same landing platform that had seen the arrival of Padmé several days before. All evidence of the explosion had been scrubbed away, but in her mind's eye Sabé could still see the places where Cordé, Versé and the others had lost their lives. The transport was another sleek Nubian ship, much smaller than the one they had used to escape in ten years ago, but almost identical in style.

When they reached Theed it was only a short walk to the apartment that Sabé shared with Saché. Obi-Wan took pleasure in seeing the beautiful city fully back to its splendour. It had, of course, been so for many years, but the Jedi Knight hadn't set foot on Naboo since the Trade Federation blockade.

"If Saché's at home," Sabé began, looking for her card key, "there won't be any peace."

Obi-Wan smiled, and Sabé unlocked the door.

"Sabé! You're back!" Saché yelled, bounding across the room with her usual relentless energy. "You'll never guess what, Mother's made a full recovery! Oh, and Eirtaé's pregnant, and-"

"Saché!"

"Yes?"

"Slow down! Please. It's been a hectic few days." Sabé smiled at her friend.

Saché paused and studied her. "You're different," she stated.

Sabé looked at her innocently. "Am I?"

"Yes. Somehow. Not sure what it is yet, but I'll get it eventually."

"No doubt of it. Can we come in properly now?"

Saché moved back to allow the two more room to manoeuvre. "Hello, Master Kenobi. You have a beard! How are you?"

"Yes I do have a beard," Obi-Wan replied, smiling. "I'm very well, thank you, Saché. And you?"

"Hungry," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. "I could eat half a chou-shou."

"You can eat later," Sabé said, dumping her luggage and pulling her out of the front door. "Lets go for a walk."

"A walk? What for?"

"Because Obi-Wan's never seen Theed properly and you could do with the exercise."

The three strolled leisurely around the city's deserted streets. It was too early in the morning for most of the citizens of Theed to be up. Saché was a natural early riser, and Sabé and Obi-Wan had awoken on Coruscant time.

Sabé led them to a quiet plaza near the outskirts of the city, and turned to Saché. "There's something I have to do. It's something you need to know while you can shriek without anyone hearing you, because if you wait to work it out on your own you might shriek within full sight of everyone."

"What?" the younger woman asked in confusion.

Obi-Wan watched in amusement as Sabé dropped her cloak on the floor, kicked off her shoes and ran lightly to the fountain in the centre of the plaza, leaping in with a small splash. Saché, following Sabé's predictions, gave a shriek and ran to join her, jumping up and down in the cool water. Obi-Wan laughed.

"I knew it! I knew it! What did I tell you? Oh, does the Senator know?"

"No, and she can't or I'll be dismissed and Obi-Wan will be expelled from the Jedi Order."

Saché nodded in a moment of seriousness. "I understand. Why did you tell me then?"

"Because I knew you would work it out by yourself if I didn't."

The smile returned to Saché's face and she hugged her friend. "Well, congratulations."

"Thank you. Now lets get out of this fountain. My feet are freezing, and you've probably just ruined a perfectly good pair of shoes."

Saché waved off the comment and waded to the side. "Nothing a bit of cleaning won't fix."

Sabé followed, shaking her head with a smile. The three of them walked back to the apartment where Obi-Wan contacted Anakin, and Saché changed her shoes.

The Senator and her protector arrived back in Theed about an hour later. Padmé and Sabé talked politics for a short while before Saché cut in and frankly told them both to shut up. They took it good-naturedly and switched the topic to something much more trivial.

That night the two Jedi slept peacefully at the houses of the women they were protecting before meeting up to return to Coruscant the next day. This was not done without private goodbyes. They knew the Jedi were returning to war, and perhaps serious danger, and the situation had sobered them all, even Saché.

Sabé clung to her husband, tears stinging her eyes. She was too stubborn to allow them to fall, not wishing to bring extra grief to their parting, but she could do nothing to stop them welling up every time she reminded herself just why she was holding Obi-Wan so close to her. "I love you," she whispered, "so much."

"I know. I love you too."

"I don't know when I'll see you again. When Padmé next needs to go to Coruscant I suppose."

Obi-Wan held her away so that he could see her face. "We'll find a way. I promise."

"I believe you. Aanor ishiia zals."

"What does that mean?"

"It's an old Corellian phrase," Sabé told him. "I believe it translates as 'love conquers all'."

"That's a hopeful sentiment."

"Lets hope it's a true one. You'll be careful won't you?"

He smiled sadly. "I'll try."

There was just time for another embrace, and a kiss that seemed cruelly short, before Saché knocked on the door to inform them that Anakin and Senator Amidala had arrived. Sabé blinked back any tears and sniffed once or twice before declaring herself ready to go outside. Obi-Wan nodded, and the two went to greet Padmé and Anakin. The moment Sabé saw her cousin's slightly red-rimmed eyes she realised that there might be more going on between her and the Jedi Padawan than she and Obi-Wan had first thought.

Saché politely stated that she wouldn't be coming to see the Jedi off, and said her goodbyes before disappearing back into the apartment. The remaining four walked slowly to the hanger where the Jedi's ship awaited them.

Obi-Wan bowed. "Goodbye, Senator Amidala, goodbye Sabé. I hope it will not be too long before we meet again."

"Certainly not another ten years, Master Kenobi," Padmé said, smiling carefully.

"No. Now that we have all been reunited again I don't think we could go so long without seeing two of our greatest friends."

Anakin nodded his agreement, and Obi-Wan turned to him. "Come, Padawan. Time is short."

"I know, Master. Goodbye Senator, bye Sabé."

The two Nabooian women said goodbye, and watched the Jedi walk up the ramp. Both paused in the hatch briefly to send fond looks back to their loves, then disappeared from sight. Padmé reached for Sabé's arm and hooked it in hers. Together they stood to watch the ship take off and become steadily smaller in the azure sky, just as they had ten years ago. Then turned to each other, recognising identical tearful expressions on the other's face. "You're in love," Sabé stated with surprise.

"So are you," Padmé said defensively.

"Yes, but you knew that before."

Padmé shrugged as they walked back the way they had come. "Well, we're both in the same boat now. At least we can comfort each other."

"True. It's going to be difficult staying here while they're out there fighting the war. How long do you think you can last without seeing Anakin?"

"Not as long as you lasted without seeing Obi-Wan."

As it was, Padmé lasted three months, wandering around Theed in a dreamlike state, completing her Senatorial duties with a half-heartedness that was very unlike her. Sabé had just about grown used to it, remembering how strange how own behaviour had become following Obi-Wan's departure after the Trade Federation affair.

It had occurred to her that neither she nor Padmé had enquired as to whether their love was returned or not. Padmé had assumed that Sabé's feelings for Obi-Wan remained unrequited, and Sabé admitted to herself that she had assumed the same thing about Anakin. But if Obi-Wan, ever-the-whole-hearted-Jedi-Obi-Wan, had broken the rules, then what of Anakin, whose behaviour was undoubtedly more reckless and disregarding of rules than that of his Master? The thoughts made her head spin, and she had kept herself awake all night on one occasion, trying to piece together possibilities. She had eventually given up, and decided to observe the next time Padmé and Anakin were together.

She didn't have to wait long. Two months and three weeks after Obi-Wan and Anakin had left, Sabé was enjoying a moment of peace and quiet while going through some figures in her office, when Padmé burst loudly through the door saying, "Right, that's it, I've had enough."

Sabé raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I've had enough of this idle waiting-around-doing-nothing routine. I'm going back to Coruscant. I don't care if it's unsafe, I've got things to do. How does Queen Jamillia expect me to do adequate work as Senator when I'm stuck behind a Sithing desk? I should be out in the Senate helping Jar Jar, and you should be there helping me. Pack your things, we're going to Coruscant."

Sabé leaned back in her chair and folded her hands across her green velvet-swathed stomach. "And this decision is everything to do with politics and nothing to do with the odd chance of seeing a certain Jedi?"

"Yes, as will be your decision to come with me."

Sabé smiled. "Why would I not? I always come along on your business trips."

"This is different, Sabé. I'm proposing that we make Coruscant our home and Naboo our place to visit."

Sabé's jaw dropped. "Leave Naboo?"

"Not forever," Padmé said, sitting on the edge of the desk. "But it would be convenient in so many ways, not just for 'Jedi-spotting', as Saché calls it, but for my duties."

Sabé chewed her lower lip in thought. "And mine too, no doubt." She let out a sigh and smiled at her friend. "Alright, you've persuaded me."

Padmé's face broke out in a grin. "Good. Saché's already agreed, but Dormé wants to stay here. She's made a switch with one of Queen Jamillia's handmaidens."

"So you have a new handmaiden?"

"Yes, her name is Moteé."

"And when do you want to leave?"

"Does tomorrow suit you?"

She smiled. "I'll go and pack."

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A/N: No time for reviewer comments today I'm afraid. I'm supposed to be reading Frankenstein!