Author's Note: This may or may not seem slightly AU-ish depending upon your personal point of view as to whether or not you believe Obi-Wan would yield to the joys of the flesh. Beyond that, I can tell you that Kenobi's current mission is for him and some handpicked members of his 212th division to see the Duchess of Mandalore safely through a Neutral System that borders a Separatist System. This does not take place during the same events as Voyage of Temptation, meaning Anakin and members of the 501st are not aboard. The setting is the Coronet simply because I loved the architecture of that vessel. For my purposes, the ship has been repaired from the earlier droid incursion that it suffered on the trip to Coruscant.


No Regrets

The Coronet is silent due to the late hour. Most have retired for the evening, and Obi-Wan is confident that nothing will get past Cody, who stands on watch outside Satine's quarters. This presents him with an opportunity to get some rest himself. The opulence of the New Mandalorian liner means that his room is not only large but equipped with a private refresher and a valet droid. Obi-Wan sends the droid off into the main compartment as he prepares to take a long, hot shower.

Thankfully, no emergencies arise and all is quiet as the steaming spray relaxes his muscles and helps clear his mind. When Obi-Wan eventually steps from the steamy cubicle, he finds the attending droid has taken his clothing and replaced it with a robe. He dries himself and dons the Mandalorian blue raiment, pulling it closed with the accompanying cloth belt. The valet likely took his things to have them cleaned, and Obi-Wan is honest enough to admit they needed it. He can meditate until the droid returns.

At least, that is his plan. Only, upon exiting the refresher, he realizes there is no hope of meditation. The luxurious room is dark except for a bit of recessed lighting, but the gentle glow clearly reveals he is not alone. Satine is waiting for him. He momentarily wonders how she slipped past her clone guard, but the quandary is quickly dismissed as he realizes that she is also wearing a robe and nothing more. He can tell due to the gauziness of her wrapper which is thin enough to show him the outline of her skin unhampered by any other material yet just opaque enough to deny him a detailed view of her body. He stands with his arms crossed as he studies the Duchess. So, the pacifist has come to do battle - His gaze sweeps from her loose hair down to her bare toes. - and she clearly seeks nothing short of his full surrender.

Tension hangs in the air as they watch one another, waiting for the other to respond. It is Satine who moves first, coming toward him with the same regal grace she employs at court. Only, in her current state of dress, he is given a clear view of her long legs as the fabric of her robe parts with each step she takes. Satine stops before him, her gaze locked with his, as her fingers find the belt at his waist, and she deftly unties the knot. Obi-Wan catches her by the arms, uncertain if he means to hold her at bay or pull her closer. He speaks the first words that penetrate the current disorder of his mind. "I thought even extremists could be reasoned with."

Satine smiles at her own argument being used against her, then aptly rises to the challenge. "I've been informed that there are times when the strongest defense is a swift and decisive offense." She slips from his hold long enough to undo the tie of her own robe, letting the thin material part to reveal just enough skin to shortcircuit Obi-Wan's senses. Then she stands and waits. The message is clear. He must make the choice to yield. A heartbeat passes as they stare into one another's eyes, then two heartbeats. By the Force! With the third beat of his heart, he feels his resolve crumbling about his feet and reaches for her. He pulls Satine in and claims her lips with his own. The ardent kiss is followed by a second and a third and then far too many to count. Both robes slide to the ground as they tumble onto the bed with only the night air and the hum of the Force between them. Later, Obi-Wan will find it ironic that he never fully understood the Jedi Code until the moment he forsakes it, succumbing to temptation and pulling Satine into his arms.

There is no emotion, there is peace. His body molds to hers and Obi-Wan is flooded with a cacophony of sensations that roll over him in waves so overpowering that he becomes one with the tide. Hope and despair, gain and loss, light and darkness, ecstasy and agony...all exist yet do not exist within him simultaneously - a storm of emotion - until there is nothing but Satine. She brings peace to his violent tempest, prompting him to draw her closer.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Just moments before he had been confident in his understanding of the universe but, as Satine melts into him, Obi-Wan realizes just how uninformed he actually had been. She is softer than silk to his calloused hands, her body arching to his touch as he dares explore her curves and valleys in ways he never has before. He tastes her skin and finds she quenches his thirst, for Satine is an oasis to the desert of his soul. She fills a void he did not even realize he possessed and awakens a hunger that has lain dormant so long he is almost burned by its searing need.

There is no passion, there is serenity. Passion, desire, attachment, lust, ardor, zeal...they become only meaningless words that pale to the reality of Obi-Wan and Satine merging as one. In the midst of their twined dance, he finds serenity. Joining to her completes him, healing the hollowness he has so long harbored and flooding him with a tranquility purer than any he has ever achieved in meditation.

There is no chaos, there is harmony. He expects the push and pull, grasp and release, resistance and surrender of their heated bodies to be chaotic abandon. He does not anticipate the euphonious harmony flooding each movement, the perfection with which they fit together, and the melody of his name ringing from her lips. Here, chaos does not exist. There is only the balance that comes from the joining of their souls.

There is no death, there is the Force. Everything builds until they reach the summit and topple over the zenith together and, for the briefest moment, Obi-Wan feels as if he has completely left this plane of existence. Then, suddenly, there is the Force crashing upon him with wave after wave of euphoric song that dances and resonates about them as they collapse in a tangle of limbs, gasping for breath in the aftermath of their apogee.

Never has Obi-Wan felt so utterly spent and yet, somehow, unequivocally invigorated. He rolls to his back, bringing Satine to drape partially over his chest and down along his side. His Jedi training tells him he has gone far past the sin of attachment, but searching his feelings illuminates another truth. He has never felt so in tune with the Force as he does now with his Duchess in his arms. Obi-Wan tightens his hold, dips his head to brush his lips tenderly against Satine's temple, and allows himself to admit he has no regrets.


Endnote: I changed the rating on this story just to be safe given the more adult subject matter of this chapter. Thanks for reading and, as always, reviews are welcome.