Chapter Thirty-Six: Enough of this War

Precedes "Umbarra" arc

Trigger Warning: This chapter does have a mild sex scene

"Small crowd," Anakin muttered, letting out a harsh breath while they walked down the ramp.

Obi-Wan glanced at him, then scanned the approaching entourage. He could pick out Bail Organa, and Satine, standing between Alderaan security. Shaking his head, he gave Anakin a nudge. "Do lighten up - we're here for a wedding, not a mercy mission."

"Mmm - yeah. Sure."

"Master Jedi." Bail spread his hands and smiled warmly when they were in hearing range. "It's an honor to welcome you too Alderaan."

"The honor is ours, Viceroy," Anakin answered smoothly.

Obi-Wan bowed low. "Your Majesty - I do hope this wedding is, ah, calmer than the last one I attended on Alderaan."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi - always a charmer."

"Well I have to stay in everyone's good graces somehow." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ahsoka roll her eyes dramatically and mutter something, causing Satine press her lips together to refrain from laughing. He gave what he hoped was an easy smile. "I mean no offense."

"Naturally." Bail gestured for the party to turn around, back to the palace. "We have an evening spread being eaten as we speak - but perhaps you wish be shown to your rooms and be settled?"

"A meal would be lovely - rations do get quite boring after awhile" He glanced over, giving a small smile when Satine stepped beside him.

Anakin had dropped back to talk to Ahsoka, judging by the muffle snicker he heard behind him.

Bail glanced over at him while they walked into the palace, his smile faltering ever so slightly and his voice low. "Thank you for coming, Obi-Wan. I would prefer Jedi protection even for a wedding that is not mine."

"I do hope I can enjoy the wedding instead of fighting would-be assassins or political extremists."

"It's Master Kenobi, Bail." Satine tossed her head, eyes glittering when he caught her gaze. "He finds trouble everywhere."

Obi-Wan smirked, knowing the party of people were beginning to eavesdrop on the conversation. "Perhaps - but one can argue that the grand Duchess Kryze does the same."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"No? What about all those salacious scandals I read about in the Holomagazines?"

Satine raised her eyebrows, looking amused. "I was not aware that a Jedi as yourself read such high-brow literature that discusses how a woman chooses to share her bed."

Bail let out a small sigh, looking a little uncomfortable while they wound through the halls, passing statues and hanging plants and paintings of long-dead monarchs.

"A Jedi, my lady, must keep up with what the populace are saying. Helps us stay connected."

"Is that so?"

"Mmm yes - quite fascinating, some of the outlandish -"

"Banquet hall, straight ahead," Bail cut in, pulling his shoulders back while he strode forward. He gestured to the guard to open the doors, walking through them and into the loud chatter of several dozen people dining.

Obi-Wan shook his head, following the Viceroy, well aware of how quiet everyone had become in the banquet hall, all eyes turned on them from the tables. He glanced at Anakin, who gave a smirk.

"Always one for subtly, Master Kenobi," Satine murmured, glancing at him while she stood beside them, hands folded behind her.

Queen Breha had waded through the crowd, her pink dress flowing behind her while she walked. Her husband bowed over her hand, and then gestured to the Jedi. She nodded, scrutinizing them for a moment, eyes unbelievably sad before she smiling a bit. "Master Jedi - welcome to Alderaan."

"Queen Organa - you look as beautiful as always," Obi-Wan bowed, feeling the eyes of the court on him. "It's a pleasure to be of service."

She made a motion to the court behind her, indicating that everyone should continue eating. While they walked to the royal table she continued to speak, lacing her fingers with her husband. "A wedding must be a nice change from all your heroics."

"Most definitely - though the last few weeks have been relatively quiet. Everyone's sick of fighting, should I be perfectly honest." Obi-Wan nodded his thanks to the servant who pulled out a chair for him, smiling to Padmé while he sat. He gave a sidelong glance to Satine when she sat behind him and touch her toe to his ankle. The meaning was clear - no politics tonight. "But I am no politician, ma'am - and quite frankly, I imagine even you are tired hearing of battle."

"It cannot be fun, always fighting among sentients who were bred to -"

Obi-Wan glared at the mousy looking man down the table who had spoken, his hands falling from the wine glass he had been about to pick up. "Our men may have been bred, but they have emotion and reason, just like you and me."

"Well of course a Jedi feels who sleeps with a pacifist believes that even a clone has value."

Beside him, Satine stiffened, though she did not say anything. The table was quiet, a stark contrast to the chatter around them. Even Anakin or Ahsoka - seated on opposite sides of Padmé - didn't rise to defend the clones. He raised his eyebrows, realizing that no one was speaking - like they were afraid of -

Ah. Okay. He knew who this was now.

"Orson Krennic - shall we leave politics aside tonight? I hardly doubt you wish for your sister's wedding to be shadowed by squabbles about ethics and the war."

"How can it be not, when we have not one but two Jedi generals in our midst?"

"Easy," Satine murmured when the appetizers were being placed on the table. "You shut up."

"Pacifist has a backbone - interesting."

"Pacifist has connections and can -"

"Enough of this," Queen Breha snapped, glancing between them, fork loosely grasped in her hand. "No more of politics - I do not wish for my meal to be ruined."

Obi-Wan heard the door whoosh open while he was showering. He frowned, thinking for a moment it was Anakin or Ahsoka - or even an intruder.

"Di'kut," he muttered upon feeling a familiar presence slam into his conscious - and the steady clack of heels on the surface.

He felt like a fumbling padawan, trying to get the soap out of his hair and stumble out of the shower within seconds.

Without completely drying off, he stepped - hopped really - into lounge pants, foregoing the usual black compression shirt he wore to bed.

Tossing the towel in the hamper, he realized he sorely needed a shave - but that could wait until he teased the Duchess about it.

Satine was standing on the balcony when he walked into the bedchamber, leaning against the banister and watching the mountains. Wind stirred her velvet dress, and caused the stray hairs from her braid to escape. She had a small smile on her face, one that so rarely appeared nowadays.

He leaned against the wall of the balcony, eyes flitting between the mountains and her. They had not gotten the chance to be together the previous night - the feast had ended late a night, and people kept finding excuses to talk to 'the Dynamic Duo' as Padmé had told them they were now called by the populace. Ahsoka had interrogated both him and Anakin when the guests had drifted away, asking for updates on the past few weeks and complaining how boring it had been at the Temple. It had been nearly morning by the time he had made it to his chambers, and had only managed a few hours of sleep before deciding to shower.

"Enjoying the view, Master Kenobi?" She murmured eventually, eyebrows ticked up in amusement.

"Yes, well - mountains are quite lovely this time of year. I almost forgot the beauty of them."

"Oh really? They can't be that extraordinary." Satine strode to him, draping her arms about his shoulders. He kissed the inside of her wrist.

"They fail to see their beauty - they're to caught up making sure we still have time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life."

"It's the bane of my existence, my dear."

"Mmm. Do you have no room in your existence for -"

She swallowed his words with a kiss, smirking into it. It was some time before they parted - but only just, their breath mingling and brows touching.

"What are you doing here anyways? Not that I'm not glad to see you but -"

Satine shrugged. "High society tends to have small circles - it would be a terrible slight for me to be invited and not appear. Besides," she gave a gusty sigh and a roll of her eyes. "These days I need all the allies I can get."

"Ah - well, at least this obligation had its perks. That Krennic guy is certainly something."

"Mmm - what are you doing here? I knew Anakin knows the Krennic's but -"

"Master Ti and Gallia got sick, and we were near the parsec - and no, I do not believe they are faking to get out of attending a wedding."

"Because it's a horrible thing to admit people have attachments," Satine murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth, giving a soft exhale when he turned his head and deepened the kiss. She hummed, stepping closer until there was hardly a space between them.

"You're not wasting time," he mumbled eventually, running his hands down her sides.

She poked a finger into his chest. "I have not seen you for weeks...my apologies for being more than a tad worried for your well-being."

"I am alive, am I not? There is no reason to worry now, my dear."

Satine did not respond, using a thumb to trace the new scar on his neck, frowning while she ran her hands down his bare chest and arms. Her frown deepened while she traced her fingers over the patchwork of scars and burns. Despite all the times they had been together, this task of checking for new injuries seemed so much more...intimate.

"This war," Satine hissed, dragging a nail over a new lightsaber burn. "When will this damn war end?"

He brought her hand to his lips. "Can there be peace between us, my dear? Just for tonight?"

"Peace? Between us?" Satine raised her eyebrows at him, her smile bemused. "My dear, how can that ever be?"

"Well - I can think of a few ways," he murmured with a wink.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi." She bit her lip, leaning forward and putting her lips to his pulse, once again feeling her way down his chest. "Always thinking with your head."

Obi-Wan stared levelly at her, well aware she felt his pulse jump and heard his breath hitched while she grasped him. "Well thanks to my head the Republic is in Mandalore's good graces."

Satine snorted, leaning her head into his shoulder. "You have a horrible sense of humor."

"Mmm." He kissed her temple, eyes closed for a moment, leaning into the molding. The morning sounds of Alderaan swept over them, a strange difference from the usual hustle and bustle he was used to. Turning his head, he studied the sunrise, amazed at all the colors he could see.

Satine sighed, putting most of her weight into his frame. "Ben?"

"Hmm?"

She peered at him, her face impassive. "Do you want to put those good graces to use?"

Obi-Wan stared at her, uncomprehending for a moment until she giggled and tugged him into the bedchamber.

He couldn't think quite clearly. It was a relief to focus on the woman he loved, to pleasure her instead of pouring over battle plans or getting shot at, feeling her nails drag down his back every time he moved.

"Sometimes I forget how good you are at this," Satine murmured while he shifted his hips and made her groan.

He chuckled, pressing his lips to the side of her mouth. "I have five nights to remind -"

On the nightstand, his comlink began to play the first few notes of 'Glory of the Empire' began to play.

He groaned, trying to ignore it and pulling Satine a bit closer.

Satine tilted her head back when he kept moving, gasping out, "Is that Anakin's new tone?"

"You can't ignore it very easily," Obi-Wan huffed, using the Force to answer - and forgetting that the projection capabilities were turned on.

"Hey Master the Council - holy Force, my eyes!"

Obi-Wan stilled, horrified - and maybe a little amused - of what was happening. He sighed, burying his head to her shoulder and muttering, "One day, Anakin, I swear…"

Satine ran a hand through his hair to calm him. "What does the Council need, Anakin?"

"Some - something about Cad Bane Master. You better come here - but I can tell them to give you a min -"

"Yes, please do." Obi-Wan finally glanced to the Holo, where Anakin was looking at the ceiling and grimacing. He bit down a moan while Satine - out of view of the holo - traced the skin around his member. "Thank you, Anakin."

"Don't rush, Master!"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan snapped while the transmission cut. He sighed and glanced at Satine. "He will be the death of me one day."

"Did he truly anticipate that we were sleeping?" Satine murmured. "We haven't seen each other in awhile."

"I shouldn't have answered."

"You really shouldn't have."

"The nails," he mumbled, not moving from their position quite yet. "Was that really -"

"Necessary?" Satine gave a wicked grin. "Yes. Yes it was."

Anakin wouldn't look at him when he wandered into the command center.

Cody - present via holo - was cackling gleefully at the sight of him. "Did we interrupt something, General?"

"Anything of importance, Obi-Wan?" The holo of Mace Windu asked curiously, glancing at the giggling clone commander and the grimacing knight. He held up a hand when they began to speak. "Nevermind - I don't want to know."

"What's happened?" Obi-Wan asked, folding his arms over his chest and now only realizing he was wearing a black compression shirt and no tunic.

"We want you two to be on high alert - we've gotten reports that Cad Bane and his team was hired to bomb a function in the near future."

Obi-Wan scratched at his beard. "Mace...those are all the details you have?"

"There are whispers that they want to bomb something that the Chancellor will attend - the problem is that we do not know what function that will be."

"But the Chancellor isn't here," Anakin pointed out. "Should we still be worried?"

"It's Cad Bane, Skywalker - yes, we should all be worried. We all know he tends to spread rumors about missions far in advance in hopes of confusing those who wish for protection. Who knows if the Chancellor is even the target."

"Indeed...I would request clone protection, but I hardly doubt the visiting society here on Alderaan will be very accepting of that - no offense, Cody."

"You get used to it," Cody answered dryly, giving a small shrug. He was wearing his grays, which suggested he had probably had a meeting with someone in High Jedi Command or been present at a political function.

"Hmm...whose been doing the investigating…" Obi-Wan pulled a small smile at the master's scowl. "Quinlan, huh?"

"Mmm - and I thought Anakin's reports were bad enough."

"I'm right here Mace."

"Oh I know." Mace gave a long, drawn out sigh. "Just be careful, and be on high-alert. We don't need yet another incident on Alderaan."

"Copy that - oh, and Skywalker. Your men were rerouted to Umbarra. Looks like you will be heading there once the wedding is over."

"Umbarra?" Anakin screwed his eyebrows together in confusion. "I wasn't aware the fighting there had gotten that bad."

"Well...we are at war."

The room was silent, save for the hum of projector. Distantly, they could hear the palace waking, servants roaming the halls and guests filtering through. Mace eventually gave a shrug, disengaging his projection.

"Fun night, General Kenobi?" Cody eventually asked, looking far too smug for his own good.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, well aware of Anakin grimacing. "Try to keep an eye on the Umbarra situation if you can Cody - and keep Anakin and I updated."

"Will do, sir - enjoy your reprieve."

"Cody."

Cody smirked, shutting his projection off. The fans whirred slowly to a stop. In their little closet of a command room it was nearly believable that there was no war raging across the galaxy.

Anakin shook his head, leaning against the projection table. "Umbarra...nasty planet."

"Well, hopefully it's more of a skirmish than a battle."

"Yeah...yeah."

Obi-Wan reach over and squeezed his shoulder. "Our men know their duty, Anakin...now we have to do ours."

Anakin glanced at him, his face unreadable for a moment before he wrinkled his nose. "You scarred me for life."

"Your fault for trying to contact me via projector capabilities."

Author's Note: The Imperial March is known in-universe as "Glory of the Empire." However - it's not associated with evil and tyranny until the Empire adopts it. Obi-Wan would completely use something like that for Anakin's comlink tone - and Anakin would completely interrupt them doing the dirty and be scarred for life.

And ah, the Umbara arc. I may be posting a one-shot or two-shot dealing with it because I love the arc quite a bit.

ii Digestive Reader ii