Chapter 32

Obi-Wan quite agreed with that statement. He didn't have time to comment however, as the Temple seemed to be collapsing around them. He helped Cody to his feet and they ran towards the exit. They made it out in time and turned to see the resulting dust cloud, blocking the ruins from view.

"I wish we could have gotten one of those worms." Obi-Wan sighed. He had been through twice now and still not managed to get one. To his astonishment, Anakin pulled out a jar that contained a writhing, green worm.

"Here." He said, thrusting it towards him. "Please take it. I don't want the creepy thing any longer thank you."

"That's fantastic. How did you..? Never mind." He cut himself off. "Thank you."

"We should get back to the ships." Luminara said, giving them both an odd look. Anakin gave her a look and a shrug that quite clearly said 'he's mad but what can you do?' Obi-Wan glared at him and received a smirk in return when Luminara turned away. They made their way back to the gunships and then onto the main camp. Geonosis was theirs again.

While this news was wonderful, there was still the problem of one of the Clones possibly being infected. He knew it was Scythe who had been infected previously and he had not been with them in the Temple so he had to have been infected in the camp. Once Luminara was distracted with the Padawans that had rejoined them, Obi-Wan turned to Anakin.

"From what I can guess, Scythe was infected by one of the worms while at camp. We need to find him and do a sweep for anything suspicious." He said. Anakin nodded and headed off in one direction. Obi-Wan went to find Cody. He asked him if he knew where Trap's company were and was pointed in a direction out beyond the main camp. He found the group of Clones, asleep in some shade offered by nearby rocks. Deciding not to wake them quite yet, he scanned the area. Spotting nothing, he moved in a large circle. About halfway around, he detected a faint cracking noise. Glancing towards the sound, he saw a worm sliding towards Scythe.

"Scythe! Wake up." He called loudly. The Clones all immediately jumped up, grabbing their weapons.

"Wuzzgoinon?" Ox asked blearily. Obi-Wan didn't answer, jumping forwards to kill the worm that was now climbing up Scythe's leg. However he couldn't kill it without possibly hitting Scythe who was jumping up and down trying to swat it off. Instead it slithered into his hand and up his arm.

"Hold still!" Obi-Wan told him.

"Easy for you to say." Scythe said through gritted teeth but he did make an effort to be still. The worm climbed quicker now but Obi-Wan sliced it before it could reach his ear.

"Close call." Havoc muttered as the rest of the company gathered around to stare at the dead worm. Obi-Wan moved over to where he had first heard a sound and saw a broken egg lying in the sand.

"There could be more about. No more sleeping in the sand. We need to warn the rest of the camp and do a sweep for any more eggs." He instructed.

"Yes, Sir." Trap said. "Come on men." The Clones made their way to warn the rest of the camp. Obi-Wan scanned through the Force but there were far too many lifeforms around for him to pinpoint something as small as the worms. He met up with Luminara, the Padawans and Anakin just as Ki-Adi Mundi landed.

"I'm afraid we have a complication." Ki-Adi announced.

"Don't we always." Anakin muttered dryly.

"I have received a distress signal from Dantooine. Master Windu's forces held but it cost them dearly. They need medical supplies immediately." He informed them. "The supplies can be obtained from the medical station near Ord Cestus."

"The Republic must begin debriefing Poggle as soon as possible. We cannot afford a delay." Luminara stated.

"Ord Cestus isn't even on the way to Coruscant." Anakin pointed out. "However, I don't think it takes four Jedi and two Padawans to escort Poggle. I suggest the Padawans make the trip to get the supplies. We drop Poggle off on Coruscant and rendezvous with them before heading to Dantooine."

"I agree." Ki-Adi said.

"Happy to help, Master." Ahsoka said cheerfully.

"As am I." Barriss said quietly.

"Very well. Take a medical frigate to pick up the supplies. We will meet you as soon as possible for the voyage to Dantooine." Obi-Wan told them. Both Padawans nodded. "A further problem. I discovered a worm trying to take control of Scythe. It seems there are eggs about that could hatch at any time."

"Wonderful." Anakin groaned.

"Worms? Eggs?" Ahsoka asked, looking confused.

"You really don't wanna know, Snips." Anakin told her. "I'll grab Rex and do a scan of the area."

"Trap and his men have already alerted Cody as well." Obi-Wan told him. Anakin nodded and departed. The Padawans moved off to gather troops for their trip and the three remaining Jedi watched as Poggle was loaded onto one of the gunships. Once on board, Obi-Wan went to ready the troops. Cody was still scanning the area so Gregor was organising the loading of equipment onto the ships. He decided to do a double check of all the crates to make sure eggs hadn't somehow gotten mixed up with the stuff. Thankfully he found none.

When Anakin came back he reported that they had found several dozen eggs scattered around the camp and all of them had been destroyed. That was a relief. One less thing to worry about anyway.

They watched as the medical frigate took off and then turned their attention back to their own ship. Poggle would be put on the Resolute and all the Jedi would travel on the same ship back to Coruscant. Before they left, Obi-Wan made sure to inform all the Clones staying on Geonosis about the worms. They promised to be on their guard and destroy any eggs that were found. Then he got himself on board and went to the bridge. Luminara was the only one already there and she was speaking with Yoda and the Chancellor. Obi-Wan decided to wait until the conversation was over before joining her. He would rather not have informed Palpatine they had caught Poggle and give him time to send a rescue of some sort. Just because there had been no trouble last time, did not mean things hadn't changed. Having lost Grievous and Maul, Palpatine was running out of powerful allies. Poggle may not have been a fighter but he was still in a key role in the Separatist army.

"Why are you skulking back here?" Anakin asked, coming up behind him. Obi-Wan gestured for him to be quiet and pointed to the holo image of Palpatine. Anakin pulled a disgusted face and stayed beside him, watching what was going on. Once the transmission finally ended, they both headed towards Luminara.

"You just missed Master Yoda." She informed them.

"What did he say?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He was pleased we managed to find Poggle. As was the Chancellor. We have been instructed to bring him directly to the Senate holding cells." She said. Oh wonderful, he thought. That meant the Chancellor would be waiting for them when they arrived on Coruscant. He could only hope Anakin kept his cool. And that he could keep his cool.

"Right." Obi-Wan nodded. "Do they want us to begin interrogating him on the way?"

"Yes. I shall go now." Luminara said. Then she departed.

"Right. I need a change of clothes and some food." Anakin declared. Obi-Wan nodded his head in agreement. "I also want a shower but it can wait until we get to Coruscant. The fresher on here is way too small." He added. Not quite knowing how to respond to that, Obi-Wan ignored him and left the bridge. They headed down to the sleeping quarters. Anakin decided that Obi-Wan could cook for a change while he got himself changed. Obi-Wan agreed to this easily. He wasn't quite as good as Anakin was these days but he could get by in the kitchen. Obi-Wan did have to admit to himself that he had become spoiled by Anakin's superior cooking abilities this time around. Still, he knew how to make bantha burgers and fries. Anakin emerged as the burgers were cooking and wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan's waist.

"That's quite a good way to get burnt food." Obi-Wan told him, trying to sound stern and failing rather dismally.

"Worth it." Anakin said, hugging him tighter. Well, he couldn't argue with that. He did manage not to burn the burgers but it was a close run thing when Anakin had moved fingers under Obi-Wan's tunic and rested them on his stomach. He didn't even have to do anything further, just his touch was enough to make his concentration waver. It didn't help that he could practically feel the smugness radiating off of Anakin. Eventually the food was ready and Anakin removed himself from Obi-Wan so they could eat. Obi-Wan almost found he would rather skip the food but his stomach disagreed with that idea. Instead they contented themselves by holding hands through dinner and cuddling on the bunk afterwards.

"I can't wait until we get to do this for as long as we like without knowing we will be interrupted for a mission." Anakin sighed.

"Me either." Obi-Wan confessed. They stayed on the bunk for a while before Obi-Wan's communicator beeped. Luminara stated that she had gotten nothing out of Poggle and wanted Obi-Wan to take over. Reluctantly he agreed. It took him a few moments to summon the willpower to drag himself out of bed. Once he was up, Anakin jumped up himself saying that there was no point lounging in bed if Obi-Wan wasn't there to share it with him.

"I'll check in with Rex. The Padawans are due to check in soon."

"Very well. I don't expect to get anything out of Poggle but it's worth a try." Obi-Wan sighed. With a final hug, they were their separate ways. He met Luminara but Poggle's holding cell.

"Mind tricks don't work on him and he insists that he will never talk." She sighed in frustration.

"I expected as much." Obi-Wan told her. "Get some rest. I'll take it from here." She nodded and left. As he expected, Poggle refused to talk and wouldn't even consider any form of negotiation. Well once they reached Coruscant he was the Senate's problem. Which meant it was Palpatine's problem and so Poggle would probably be free long before he gave away any information. Thankfully, his own foreknowledge gave them something of an advantage to make up for his predictable escape. Obi-Wan planned to make sure Poggle was properly guarded at all times but being the Supreme Chancellor meant that Palpatine had far more ability to manipulate Senate guards than he did.

After a few hours of fruitless talks, Obi-Wan gave up and called in Ki-Adi Mundi to take a turn. He didn't bother asking Anakin. He might have matured incredibly but he didn't think that he was quite ready for sole interrogation quite yet. Obi-Wan made his way to the bridge and found Anakin with Rex and Cody.

"Any news?"

"Ahsoka checked in an hour ago. Everything is fine and they are not far from the medical station. They will make it far before us." Anakin reported.

"Well, they aren't dropping a prisoner off, halfway across the galaxy." Obi-Wan reminded him.

"Well, I bet if you were with them, they would still manage to be late." Anakin smirked.

"I believe it was you who was late to the landing point on Geonosis." Obi-Wan pointed out.

"That was one time. You're late basically every other time." Anakin countered with a grin.

"Gentlemen?" Rex broke in with a knowing grin. "We are approaching Coruscant."

"Thank you, Rex." Obi-Wan said. "Anakin, please let Master Mundi know we shall be arriving soon."

"Sure thing." Anakin agreed. Then he left the bridge. Obi-Wan saw Rex still looking at him in amusement and he fixed his gaze firmly on the window in front of him. Soon enough he heard the telltale sound of people entering the bridge. Anakin, Ki-Adi and Luminara joined him just as they came out of hyperspace. They took gunships down to the planet as they would have to rejoin the fleet quite soon. As expected Palpatine was waiting for them with Yoda. Obi-Wan clamped down on his shields and concentration on releasing his emotions to the Force. It would not do for him to bite the Chancellor's head off just for opening his mouth.

"Anakin!" Palpatine greeted warmly. "Master Kenobi, Master Unduli, Master Mundi, I am pleased to see your mission was a success." Palpatine said. Obi-Wan noted that he used everyone's title except Anakin. He also caught the ever so slight emphasis on the word 'Master' as if to subtly indicate to Anakin that he was not a Jedi Master himself. He felt a muscle twitch in his jaw from clenching it so tightly. The emphasis was so slight that Obi-Wan wondered if Anakin had caught it and he found himself wondering how many times it had happened before, in both timelines, that he simply hadn't noticed.

"Chancellor." Luminara said. "We are very pleased to be able to bring Poggle to justice."

"If you would please follow me." Palpatine told them. Ki-Adi had control of Poggle and they set off after the Chancellor. He led them to the holding cells and they deposited Poggle. "Anakin, might I have a word?" He asked as they all made to make their way back to the Temple.

"My apologies, Chancellor. I am due back at the fleet. We have to respond to a distress call from Master Windu." Anakin said, giving a passable imitation of an apologetic expression. Obi-Wan was quite impressed.

"That's quite alright. It can wait." Palpatine smiled. "Well, don't let me keep you." Anakin and Obi-Wan left quickly. They headed back to the Temple to get themselves changed and sorted before going straight on to Dantooine. Once they were safely back in their apartments Obi-Wan let out a sigh of frustration and Anakin sank limply onto the couch. It wasn't a good sign that one encounter with Palpatine had them this on edge. They would give themselves away soon enough if they kept this up and yet he had no idea how to act otherwise. Finally Anakin got himself up and went off to get a proper shower while he could. Obi-Wan made a pot of tea. A minute later, Anakin stuck his head around the fresher door.

"You know, in the interests of saving time, you're quite welcome to join me." Obi-Wan spat out the mouthful of tea he had just taken. Anakin chuckled but it sounded a little off. Turning around he saw that the younger man actually looked quite nervous like he couldn't believe he had actually said that. Obi-Wan considered briefly.

"Oh alright then." He said, deciding not to make a big deal out of it. Anakin looked surprised but recovered quickly and grinned. By the time Obi-Wan had summoned up the courage to head into the room, Anakin was already in the shower. His clothes were in a surprisingly neat pile on the floor. Seeing the clothes made him gulp a little nervously. Taking a deep breath, he disrobed and opened the sliding door, quickly stepping inside. A slight gasp made him look around and he saw Anakin staring at him. The intensity of it made him feel slightly warm. He averted his gaze from the slightly awed expression on Anakin's face and admired him in return. Having slept shirtless together a few times, the muscular, wiry frame was not new to him but it was still wonderful to admire. Especially with the way droplets of water snaked their way down his torso.

Just for something to do, he stepped forwards and pulled Anakin into a searing kiss. Anakin returned it immediately. Taking a small step back for breath Obi-Wan couldn't help a slightly hysterical laugh bubbling up inside him. He was naked, sharing a shower with Anakin Skywalker. This was certainly not something he had ever envisioned happening. He felt the touch of a cloth on his chest and finally noticed that Anakin was washing him. Anakin eyed him nervously.

"This ok?" He asked.

"It's wonderful." Obi-Wan told him, smiling slightly. Anakin relaxed and continued. When he had finished, Obi-Wan took great delight in returning the favour. They kept getting distracted, frequently stopping for kisses or light touches of exploration.

Needless to say that by the time they finally emerged and had gotten themselves dressed, they had not saved any time at all. In fact it had probably taken twice as long as it would have for them to shower separately but Obi-Wan was certainly not complaining. Sadly this did mean they now had to hurry to get back to the fleet in time. They stopped for a final hug before leaving their apartment.

When they finally made it back to the gunship, the Clones were all waiting for them. Thankfully Luminara and Ki-Adi were staying on Coruscant so there were no other Jedi to inquire about why they were running late. It didn't take them long to arrive back on the Resolute. Rex told them that Ahsoka had made contact, informing them they had made it to the medical facility.

They set off for the rendezvous point. When they arrived the medical frigate was waiting for them. Then they all set course for Dantooine. Thankfully the Republic fleet had managed to maintain control of the airspace so they could get through easily enough. Medical supplies were sent down on gunships with some fresh troops. In exchange the ships came back with injured troops that needed to be taken back to the medical facility. On their way back to the medical facility, Obi-Wan was called to attend a Council meeting. It was his first time attending via transmission and it was slightly strange.

"The Senate has received intelligence that Duchess Satine of Mandalore is building an army to aid the Separatist." Shaak Ti informed the Council.

"That's ridiculous." Obi-Wan stated. "Duchess Satine believes very strongly in pacifism. She has hated any violence since the uprising. Satine would never build an army let alone aid the Separatists."

"Well someone wearing Mandalorian armour attacked one of our cruisers." Kit Fisto stated. Then he played the footage. Obi-Wan sighed. The Death Watch would have to be dealt with. At least Maul was dead this time.

"Master Kenobi, find out the truth, you must." Yoda instructed.

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan nodded. They discussed a few other matters before the meeting ended. Anakin would be remaining to fortify the blockade around Dantooine while he went to Mandalore. He went to break the news. Anakin was disappointed by the news. Obi-Wan reminded him he was likely to be called in to help once he had found out the problem. They said their goodbyes and then Obi-Wan returned to the Negotiator. Cody was waiting for him and they set off for Mandalore.

Upon his arrival, a guard took him to the throne room where he was met by the Prime Minister. They exchanged greetings and then Almec tried to reiterate that Mandalore would never turn against the Republic.

"Duchess Satine values peace over her own life." Almec stated.

"Oh, I'm aware of the Duchess' views." Obi-Wan assured him.

"Master Kenobi, Mandalore's violent history is behind us. Our warriors were all exiled to our moon Concordia and they died out years ago."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Obi-Wan told him. "How can you be certain they are dead?"

"They would have had no means to survive out there."

"So you sent them to die in a way that meant there was no blood on your hands." Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. His respect for the Mandalorians decreased, even though he was aware that Death Watch were very much alive. "Regardless, I recently encountered a man in Mandalorian armour. Jango Fett."

"Jango Fett is a common bounty hunter. How he acquired Mandalorian armour is beyond me." Almec stated firmly.

"Well, Master Kenobi. My shining Jedi Knight, to the rescue once again." Satine had entered the room and her tone was rather mocking.

"Duchess, it is good to see you again." Obi-Wan said.

"Indeed, yet you are here to accuse me of treachery." She replied haughtily.

"I'm not here to accuse you of anything Duchess. However a saboteur attacked one of our Republic cruisers. A Mandalorian saboteur." Obi-Wan showed her the footage.

"You must be mistaken." Almec insisted. Obi-Wan tried not to roll his eyes. The image clearly showed someone wearing Mandalorian armour. "No Mandalorian would engage in such violence. Where is this prisoner?"

"He took his own life rather than submit to questioning." Obi-wan admitted.

"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am." Satine stated firmly. If only that were true, Obi-Wan thought. "Clearly your investigation was ordered because the Senate is eager to intervene in our affairs." Satine accused.

"My investigation was ordered by the Jedi Council." Obi-Wan replied coolly. With that her whole demeanour changed. She sat back and her expression softened.

"I stand corrected. General Kenobi, perhaps you would like to accompany me on a walk around the city." Her gaze told him it wasn't a request. She held out a hand which he moved forwards to take. It was a little strange, having become used to Anakin's rough, calloused hand in his, feeling the smooth, delicate skin. He helped her up and then offered his elbow instead. They made their way out and into the main city. He couldn't help admiring the place. Mandalore was quite lovely.

"It is so good to see you again, Obi-Wan. Despite the circumstances." She said once they were outside. Two guards walked a short distance behind them.

"It would seem Mandalore has prospered since I was last here." He commented, still looking around.

"Not everyone on Mandalore believes our commitment to peace is a sign of progress." She admitted. Then she went on to tell him about the Death Watch. He very much wanted to scoff when she denied it was a 'movement'. Death Watch was a lot more dangerous than a random group of hooligans.

"The Prime Minister told me the warriors on Concordia died out years ago."

"So we believed." She sighed.

"If it is indeed, those who were exiled, do you not think they may be more dangerous than you believe?" He asked.

"What would you have me do? Fight them? Kill them?" Satine asked. To that, he had no answer. Not that she would like, anyway. In reality, Death Watch could not be negotiated with. While he prided himself on negotiations rather than fighting, even he knew that not every conflict could be resolved with words. He admired Satine's strength in her beliefs but he could not help but think she was being incredibly naive. Given the circumstances in which they had met previously, he could understand her distaste for violence and it had clearly worked for her so far. Yet it would not continue to do so.

He knew the aim was to get the Republic to put peace keeping troops on Mandalore which would upset all of the peaceful Mandalorians including Satine. He tried to reason with her but she would not be swayed, as he knew she would. Then the explosion occured. Obi-Wan managed to react in time to put himself in front of Satine. They ran forwards to examine the damage.

"Hooligans couldn't have pulled off an attack of this scale." He pointed out.

"Then it must have been the work of an off worlder." She replied sharply. Obi-Wan wanted to shake the denial out of her.

"Like from Concordia?" He asked pointedly. She gave him a look that told him not to discuss that here and reluctantly he agreed. It would not do to spread more panic than necessary. "Are you sure about that?" He added, noticing the image of the Death Watch just behind Satine. "This is a political statement against your government and against you. You are not safe here." He told her firmly. He told the guards that he wanted to interview everyone there. As expected, one man broke free of the crowd. Obi-Wan gave chase.

Thankfully he knew the route that would be taken. They arrived at the same balcony area as before. Using the Force, he summoned the man's blaster before he could even pull the trigger. The man dived at him and he pushed him away with ease. Satine arrived and he warned her to stay back. Then the man jumped up on the edge crying out.

"Calhava bru'chun dralshye'ran!" As he was about to fall, Obi-Wan used the Force once more to catch the man and hold him in the air. Calmly, he walked over and put the man in cuffs. Mandalorian guards arrived to take him into custody.

"What was he saying?" Obi-Wan asked Satine once the man was gone.

"He was speaking the language they use on Concordia." Obi-Wan considered. He would rather avoid being captured and very nearly killed but he needed to expose Vizsla as the leader of Death Watch. He would also quite like to recover the darksaber that he had.

"I will need to visit Concordia." He said.

"I will go with you."

"There is no need." Obi-Wan assured her. He wouldn't be getting himself caught this time.

"I assure you there is." Satine replied. "Concordia is its own province with its own governor. You will require me to accompany you."

"Very well." He allowed. It would be good to have some backup in case he ran into unexpected trouble. They immediately boarded a ship and made their way to the moon. Vizsla was waiting for them and Obi-Wan did not appreciate his smooth greetings nor the way he pretended to be helping look for Death Watch. It reminded him too much of Palpatine. When Vizsla took his leave to attend to some duties before dinner, Obi-Wan told Satine to cover for him.

"Why would I need to do that?"

"I want to visit one of the mines."

"You are hoping to prove they are still in use." She accused, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm hoping to prove they aren't still in use." Obi-Wan corrected. He walked over to one of the speeders.

"I hope you know I disapprove." She told him but there was an edge to her voice that was almost fond.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." He retorted before taking off. He took the same route as before but considered his options. Vizsla would likely keep his Death Watch gear somewhere at the facility given that it would be possibly discovered in the main government building. His best option was to find it and hope to provoke Vizsla into admitting it was his. This would expose him to Satine. Still, he knew she would refuse to see the bigger picture and admit the Separatists were aiding Death Watch.

Instead of using the entrance he did before, Obi-Wan made his way around to where he knew the barracks to be. He also knew they would be crawling with Death Watch people but it was where Vizsla's things were likely to be. Quickly, he tried to recall which building Vizsla had come out of for their confrontation last time and ducked behind the rocks to work his way around. Using the Force to scan for lifeforms he guessed that the building he wanted was empty but he wouldn't put it past Vizsla to have the place alarmed. Obi-Wan crept forward slowly and spied an alarm system just by the door. He wished Anakin were with him.

He kept his ears open as he crept to the alarm and attempted to turn it off. It took longer than he would have liked but eventually he managed to turn it off, hoping it wouldn't alert Vizsla or he was about to have some company. Once inside, he shut the door again and looked around. It was a fairly simple building. The Death Watch insignia plastered the walls. A bookshelf stood against one wall, covered in books about the history of Mandalore, particularly their wars with the Jedi. He kept looking and soon found the armour hanging on the bedroom wall with the darksaber on a plaque above it. Just as he was getting it all down, he heard the sound of boots outside and cursed. There weren't many places to hide so he did the first thing that sprang to mind and dived under the bed. It was only another few seconds before the door opened and some people came in.

"The boss said the alarm had been turned off. Someone is here." One said.

"How is that possible? We would have seen them. The alarm probably tripped or something." a second said dismissively.

"Still, we need to check, or do you want to report to the boss that you couldn't be bothered." The first person said scathingly.

"Fine." The sound of feet drew closer until he could see a pair of boots standing right next to the bed. Obi-Wan held his breath and prayed to the Force they wouldn't find him. It was many heartstopping seconds later that the feet finally moved away. Another few minutes passed before they decided the alarm must have been faulty. Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief and was about to roll out from under the bed when he realised he had never heard them leave. They were trying to trick him into coming out. Desperately, he pulled his arm back that he had flung out as he began to roll, hoping they hadn't seen it. By some miracle, a few moments later there was the unmistakable sound of the doors opening and shutting. This time he used the Force to scan for lifeforms before finally coming out from under the bed. That had been too close. He grabbed the darksaber and put it in his robes before grabbing the armour. He also took a robe to wrap the armour in so it didn't make as much sound as he carried it. If he were discovered, it would take him that much longer to respond while carrying such a load. Those seconds could cost his life.

Then Obi-Wan realised the alarm had probably been reset and would probably go off when he left. He would have to be quick. Taking a deep breath, he used the Force to open the door, stepped out and closed it again. A loud alarm began ringing out and he hurried away towards the nearby cover of the ring of rocks. Just as he threw himself out of view, a group of five Death Watch members came into sight and went to the building he had just left. They all had guns out. Obi-Wan decided not to stay and watch, he needed to get back. He made it back to the speeder and drove as fast as possible to the government building. Once he had arrived, he quickly made his way to the dining hall. Satine and Vizsla were waiting.

"Ah, just in time. What have you got there?" Vizsla asked, spotting the wrapped up armour.

"I took a trip to see the old mines. Turns out the Death Watch are using it as a base. I found this." Obi-Wan unwrapped the armour. An expression of rage crossed Vizsla's face as Satine gasped. "Given the size of the base, I would say it is a large movement, not just a bunch of hooligans." He said pointedly to Satine.

"Was there anything else with the armour?" Vizsla asked.

"Should there have been?" Obi-Wan asked innocently. Vizsla glared at him. "Obviously there were several other suits of armour but none had this cape so I assume this likely belongs to someone high up."

"Indeed." Anger now coloured his tone thought Satine seemed not to notice. Obi-Wan could see he just needed a little push. He pulled out the darksaber. "I did find this though."

"That is mine!" Vizsla cried out in rage. "Where did you find that?"

"Yours?" Satine looked at him in horror.

"With the armour." Obi-Wan told him. "I rather suspect you are the leader of Death Watch."

"What if I am? My ancestors fought proudly against the Jedi for generations. That woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian." He sent a disgusted sneer at Satine who covered her mouth in horror. Then he lunged towards Obi-Wan who danced out of his way.

"You claim to be proud of your heritage of fighting Jedi, yet you work with a fallen one." Obi-Wan called out, dodging yet another attempt to grab the darksaber.

"I don't know what you mean." Vizsla growled.

"You must know Count Dooku. I believe he promised to help you overthrow Duchess Satine." The statement was enough to stun Vizsla enough that his next lunge was sloppy. Obi-Wan kicked him away, into the wall. Immediately he leapt after him and placed him in binders. Then he punched him in the face and knocked him out.

"For a man sworn to peace, you take an unseemly pleasure in the injuries of others." Satine frowned.

"Next time I'll let you talk to him while he kills you." Obi-Wan said. "He said himself he believes you to be a disgrace to the name Mandalore. Vizsla would have killed you, not sat down for a chat."

"He might have been more reasonable had you not flaunted his weapon in front of him."

"Oh, so you'd rather I'd given it to him and let him run you through?" Obi-Wan snapped. Satine glared but didn't respond. He sighed, the anger draining out of him. "Satine, I understand why you want peace but there are people in the galaxy who cannot be negotiated with. People who want you dead. The Separatists are likely helping Death Watch."

"I don't believe it." Satine stated.

"You're the one who said the attack must have been done by an off worlder. That would be the Separatists."

"I told you before, I wish to stay out of this war."

"That isn't possible anymore!"

"I thought you of all people would understand." She glared even more.

"I do understand. But just because you want no part in this war does not mean the war won't come to you anyway! That is not how life works, it is not how war works. Do you think many of the planets actually want war, that they want their people to die? No. They fight to protect their people. The Separatists know you won't fight. They believe you are weak and an easy target. The Separatists want Mandalore on their side and if they have to kill you to do it then so be. Unless you agree to join them they will continue trying to kill you!" He desperately tried to make her understand that willing this to go away would do nothing to change the outcome.

Satine gave no response but looked unmoved. Obi-Wan sighed and then suggested the head back to Mandalore. They would need to take Vizsla to the Senate. Thankfully it meant he could now contact Anakin to help him escort Satine and Vizsla to Coruscant.