Disclaimer: I quote Padme from a deleted scene in Attack of the Clones with some minor alterations. I really like her ensemble in that scene.

Chapter 3 - No More Second Chances

The Battle of Jabiin, the first crisis of what was going to be a Galactic Civil War.

Obi-Wan is horrified by the details. He wasn't sure that he would have seen it had not known what the war was for.

Breaking the Republic and having the Jedi die in the process.

Padme was seething beside him, aside from expression being set in a hard mask, she showed no other outward sign of her… rage.

Obi-Wan was impressed by her self control. He had a temper but he never let it build, but if he was expressing the depth of anger she felt in this moment, he wouldn't be half so calm.

Padme had spent an hour in conference that had only one door that he and his new Padawan, he had been oblivious to the politics, bubbling with joy with him.

He hadn't talked much with her then, telling her that she should use this time to reflect on what type of Jedi she wanted to be and responsibilities expected of Padawans versus Initiates.

Obi-Wan would have liked to get to know her better in that time, but he wasn't certain he could have kept his rising concern at bay.

Padme had contacted the Queen on the subject of leaving the Republic.

But now, as Obi-Wan watched the members of the Senate showing no signs of repulsion to the notion of civil war, he was losing faith.

"What's happening?" Ahsoka whispered, "Isn't this just a single planetary dispute?"

Obi-Wan looked at her, her curiosity encouraging, "The Republic has been suspending aid to Jabiin for some time, and paying less and less for their ore exports. They joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems recently and received higher bids on the ore. So when the latest Republic retrievement fraters arrived, demanding the ore for the Republic, the people of Jabiin refused. It came to violence."

Ahsoka frowned, "If the Republic isn't helping them and they are able to get a better price elsewhere, why couldn't they refuse to sell to the Republic? Especially for a single shipment."

Obi-Wan allowed a small smile to shine through on his face. Obi-Wan had to take Anakin by the ear to get him to think that through, "Well reasoned. But to answer your question, yes and no. The planet is within its rights to sell extra ore to whomever they like, but they are contracted with the Core worlds for a certain number of shipments for a set price."

"Which isn't a fair one," Padme added.

"And they are surprised they want to leave the Republic?" Ahsoka asked, "Does it matter who drew the first weapon."

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said, "but it is my experience that the truth of such a thing becomes immaterial. Both sides will claim that they were the ones attacked."

Ahsoka frowned, "Is something bad going to happen to Jabiin now?"

Padme hit a request to address the Senate feature on their floating dais, "To the galaxy, Padawan."

Obi-Wan felt Ahsoka's spike of fear, and Obi-Wan put a hand on her shoulder.

He couldn't offer her any words of comfort however as the Chancellor acknowledged Padme's request and the three of them were brought to float before the entirety of the Senate.

Ahsoka's eyes were very large as he pulled his hands back into his sleeves, folding them in front of himself. Ahsoka folded her hands behind herself, taking on a cocky demeanor.

Obi-Wan felt a surge of fondness for this new apprentice of his, though he would never tell Anakin, he admired Anakin for his ability to outwardly shrug off all his fears at such an early age.

It had taken a long time before Obi-Wan had learned to master his fear in a way that inspired confidence from onlookers.

Ahsoka, it seemed, had a similar tendency.

He just hoped her teenage 'phases' weren't as enduring as Anakin's had been.

"Peace is our objective here," the Chancellor said even as they approached, "not war."

Obi-Wan fought not to roll his eyes, politicians.

Oh, he had no doubt that Chancellor Palpatine meant what he said, he was a fair man, well tempered, and hardly ever rash.

But Obi-Wan was wary of him, more so because of his close friendship with Anakin.

Palpatine was a politician to the core, always playing an angle or advantage.

When Obi-Wan had warned Anakin of this, Anakin had shot back with 'Isn't the Order using me? Qui-Gon only wanted me to become a Jedi because I was the Chosen One.'

Obi-Wan hadn't known what to say to that, figuring out Qui-Gon's motives was as nubilous an endeavour as accurately perceiving the future.

"My noble colleagues," Padme addressed the Senate, "The escalation of violence on Jabiin was brought about by this security measure. I have led the opposition to the building of this army or others like it, and someone will stop at nothing to assure its passage. Wake up, Senators! You must wake up! If you offer the Separatists violence, they can only show violence in return. Many will lose their lives, all will lose their freedom.

"I pray you do not let fear push you into disaster. Vote down the security measure, which is nothing less than a declaration of war.

"Does anyone here want that? I cannot believe that they do."

Obi-Wan had to fight to keep his expression smooth.

Padme Nabarrie Amidala.

She had been impressive as a fourteen year old queen. Brave, cunning, and with such a heart that entire nations would follow her.

But what surprised Obi-Wan more was that she had kept her beliefs, held fast, and fought for them despite years of working within the Senate. Where others were poisoned by power, she used hers to be a voice for people who had no platform.

She was nothing less than remarkable.

Yet, her efforts were not enough, because as their dais returned to its slot, others spoke, and Padme's words of wisdom and strength were lost in the cacophony of falsely made allegations and inflated fears.

There was no representative from Jabiin, a mining planet of a small enough population that a Jabiin Senator seat had sat empty for a decade.

Because what was the point of speaking if no one heard you anyway?

When the vote was called, the clone army Obi-Wan and Padme had arrived with had been bought and sold.

A declaration of war thinly veiled under the nomination of 'security measure'.

Obi-Wan caught sight of Mace and Yoda in an upper balcony and despair swept him.

The Jedi Order had to stop this, it was the whole reason they existed to begin with. Peace and justice.

This motion was neither.

"Master Kenobi," Ahsoka began, "What's going to happen now? They never said what the security measure was, not really."

Not directly, she meant.

"To fund an army," Padme said, her gaze intent on the speaking Senators.

"Where are they getting the army from?" Ahsoka asked.

Obi-Wan looked down at her and didn't want to put this atrocity into words, but he had to, and as a Jedi Padawan, she had a right to know. "An army of clones, men grown and trained for warfare. The men who were with us today for your trial were clones from that army."

Ahsoka frowned and then her eyes widened in horror, "Did- did the Senate just buy them?"

Padme hit the emergency request to speak, and Obi-Wan turned his attention fully to his charge, foreboding filling him as the same expression that had crossed her face when she told Qui-Gon they were returning to Naboo crossed her face.

The room quieted as their platform again drifted toward the centre of the dome.

Senator Padme Amidala pulled no punches, "Naboo does not condone this decision, as such, the System of Naboo allies itself with the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

A roar went up around the Senate building, and the look on Chancellor Palpatine's face at this statement was an expression Obi-Wan would selfishly treasure for the rest of his life.

However, he didn't take time to enjoy that moment as he leant forward and hit the retract switch on the console.

"Senator, I admire you greatly, but you continue to make my job in protecting you extremely difficult."

"I am no longer a member of the Republic, you need not protect me, Obi-Wan," she told him, chin raised.

He didn't dignify such a comment with a response as he commed Commander Cody. He wasn't a member of the 501st who Dooku told him were the best men for adapting on the fly.

But Obi-Wan trusted Cody a bit more, kindred spirits and all that.

-Commander Cody, he answered.

"I need a long distant small transport shuttle," Obi-Wan said without preamble as the platform clicked into place and Obi-Wan instructed away from the com, "To the docks, Ahsoka," before continuing with Cody, "I need you and/or your other available men to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo."

-Yes, Sir.

"Thank you, Commander," he said before clicking off the com and herding Padme ahead of him.

"I am not going to be arrested," Padme told him.

"We are not going to test that theory," he said, "All your other protection is absent. You must leave for Naboo."

"But-"

"The Separatist movement is different from joining its committee, you are a traitor to the Republic now, Amidala. You cannot stay and I cannot stand for you to be hurt."

She glanced at him, "You must convince the Jedi Council to side against this war."

"That," he said, "is likely already the case, the trick is getting them to side against the Senate. I am not sure that they will."

"You must," she insisted.

"I will plead our case," he said, "let's hope my words have more impact than yours this day."

She stiffened, "Was that an insult?"

"Merely An observation," he said, "Now move."

Both Ahsoka and Padme were short enough that Obi-Wan could see over their heads. With Ahsoka in lead, he was able to keep an eye on them both and cover them from behind.

Honestly, things were supposed to calm down for him after Anakin graduated.

His luck was a cosmic joke.

They didn't run into trouble, but he wasn't unaware of the Senate guards radio chatter through their coms lighting up.

Cody was waiting for them at the Jedi Temple docks by a two-person craft that was not Jedi built. But Obi-Wan trusted that it would hold up, even as he approached he was pretty sure the metal wasn't only strong enough to withstand lightspeed but blaster fire as well.

"I will arrange for your things to be shipped to you," Obi-Wan said as he took her hand to lower herself into the cockpit with her multi-layered skirts tangling beneath her. Cody slipped into the pilot's chair easily and began firing up the engine.

"Obi-Wan, this isn't necessary," she protested.

He crouched so they were closer as he spoke, "Padme, please, trust me. The Chancellor is Nubian, he might try something to threaten you i-"

"Palpatine would never-"

"Padme," he chided, "return to your people. You just put them in the way of much harm. They need you. Palpatine is not likely to attack Naboo, but he might try something if convincing you or removing you from office would more quickly retain Naboo's support."

She let out a sharp breath, "Talk to your people, Obi-Wan. What Count Dooku said… only disaster will come from this war."

"I know," he said. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you," she said.

He looked up to meet Cody's gaze, "I'm trusting you, Commander, with her life."

"I will not disappoint you, Sir."

Obi-Wan smiled at him slightly, "I know. May the Force be with you, brother."

Obi-Wan didn't quite know why he said it like that, or even why he trusted Cody so deeply.

But Cody's expression assured him that he was on the right course, "And with you, Sir."

Obi-Wan stepped back and he and Ahsoka watched them until they were nothing but a flicker in the sky.

"Wasn't that sort of breaking the rules?" Ahsoka asked, not sounding at all displeased, just curious.

"Hmm… a slight bending of them perhaps. I was assigned to keep the Senator of Naboo safe. If I perhaps didn't think of all the possible implications of her 'political jargon' then, ah well, I wasn't trained to be a politician.

Ahsoka grinned.

"Come," Obi-Wan said, "I believe you have a creche to say goodbye to and some time to settle into our apartment while I report to the Council. It isn't much, but you'll find quite a few of my Master's old plants, if one meets your fancy you're welcome to bring it into your space."

A space that last time Plo and Sifo-Dyas visited him they had insisted he clean and put all of Anakin's leftover things in a box.

Obi-Wan had thought at the time they were gently chiding and attempting to help him from his transition of his Padawan graduating.

Now he was pretty sure they had been counting on him picking Ahsoka as his next Padawan for some time.

Ahsoka smiled, "Yes, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan smiled in turn.

Today had taken many extremely horrid turns, but Padawan Ahsoka Tano was a blazing light in the darkness.

To think if he had been one day later on his return, they would never have met.

Perhaps his luck wasn't all bad.

"Why," Mace began slowly after Obi-Wan had finished his report, "did you not come to us immediately with this?"

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth and gestured to Sifo-Dyas who smiled at him smugly, "Master Sifo-Dyas said he told you all this already."

Sifo-Dyas's smile brightened.

Mace, and many of the others, let out a long sigh.

Plo shook his head, "He also told us that Dooku wasn't a Sith and was planning on rejoining to the Order."

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose, "Of course."

Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Sifo-Dyas's sanity was on a sliding scale, especially lately. He seemed normal, well, normal for him, but he wasn't complete.

"Regardless," Ki-Adi Mundi said, "this changes nothing. The Senate has already voted and after the attack on Jabiin-"

"They were defending themselves," Obi-Wan cut in, "the Republic was overstepping-"

"It has been decided," Eeth Koth spoke over him, "We cannot trust Dooku."

"But this war is a trap!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"Calm," Yoda conselled, "Let you go, Dooku did, feed doubts to the Order. Use you he has."

Obi-Wan took a breath, and said in a more reserved tone, "But Master, what if there is a Sith in the Senate, what if-"

"One dark lord can be found, and one Sith cannot possibly cause as much trouble as the self proclaimed Sith Lord with a droid army-" Ki-Adi Mundi tried to say but Obi-Wan wasn't having it.

"But the Senate has ten thousand Jedi Knights and a clone army. How can we justify using them? It is slavery, they were bred to die for a manufactured war."

"And Dooku wouldn't use them? If the Order does not participate in this war the violence will escalate, the soldiers will be treated as nothing but cannon fader, and war…" Mace sighed, "Obi-Wan, I admire you greatly, but during most wars not led by the Jedi a nations' own army can be as dangerous to the civilians as the enemy. If the Jedi do not step in, this war will become the thing of greater nightmares, of vengeance and negligence. The clones would be better off with us than the Coursanti military."

"But we have a choice," Obi-Wan pleaded, "Dooku-"

"Dooku is a master manipulator," Mace said, "We cannot afford to trust him."

"Afford?" Obi-Wan asked, "Mace this is a plot against the Order itself. Nothing good can come of a civil war. Nothing." Flashes of Melinda/Daan seeped into Obi-Wan's mind but he shoved it aside, if he was going to convince the Council to pull back from the Senate, he would need his full wits about him. "Have you even considered the Separatist cause? They are leaving because they have limited resources and no security from the growing crime empires in the Outer Rim."

"And you think that justifies a war on the inner rims?" Mace asked.

That ticked Obi-Wan off, "It was the Republic that pushed for war, the Separatists, rightly so it would seem, were just prepared for it."

Yoda spoke, "Unclear, the future is. War, we want not. But trust in the Republic we must."

"But the Senate is compromised by the Sith," Obi-Wan said slowly.

"And Dooku is a Sith," Mace countered.

"The mandate of the Jedi is to protect the peace, prosperity, and justice of the galaxy. The Republic is a construct, it is not the Force," Obi-Wan replied, using everything he had to sway them, even if only a little bit, "Killing to keep the Republic together is a doomed cause. I cannot believe it is the wish of the Force for us to condone this, much less participate."

Mace shut his eyes for a breath, and for a moment he had hope that he had reached them.

That hope was short lived.

"I am sorry, Obi-Wan, but this war has been brewing for quite some time, it is too late to stop it. To go against the Senate now would not only be treasonous, but disastrous for the galaxy," Mace said.

Obi-Wan stiffened, "You are not a General, Mace. None of us are. Understanding war in history, in a classroom, is far-"

"Presume not what we know or are capable of, Master Kenobi," Yoda chided.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Please Masters, there must be another way."

"For now, there is not. Patience we must have," Yoda said, "investigation into the Senate we will, but time this will take."

"The time to act is now, before the galactic civil war begins," he pleaded.

But deep down, Obi-Wan's heart was breaking, Dooku had been right.

Dooku was right.

"No," Mace said with finality, "Now, if you have nothing more to add to your report, Master Kenobi, you are dismissed."

Obi-Wan stood frozen.

He hadn't yet told the Council that Dooku made him High General of the entire clone army.

It was a large thing to leave out of his report.

But maybe he knew it would come to this. Maybe he had known from the beginning from when Dooku first told him how the Republic and Order would fail.

Or maybe it had been Padme declaring treason at the very heart of the Republic.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, feeling strangely distant, even as he heard the blood pounding in his ears, "I have something to add."

There would be no coming back from this.

No more second chances.

"I am leaving the Jedi Order."

Mace's expression of a surprise then blankness cut him deep.

Their friendship had been born after Qui-Gon's death, Obi-Wan could not count the times he had gone to Mace for council about, well not just about Anakin, but had a Padawan at all. About what it meant to be a Jedi Knight.

A tension that Qui-Gon had meant to be present for.

"Obi-Wan," Mace said with surprising softness, "you do not need to do this. You're leaving will not stop the war."

But it would.

And if Obi-Wan knew for certain that the Council would change its mind if he said he had complete control over the clone army, above even the Senate or Chancellor.

But Dooku was right.

The Order had grown complacent and arrogant, and… blind.

Obi-Wan remembered one of the last conversations he had with Qui-Gon when he protested his Master going against the Council so often.

He hadn't understood then.

But he understood now.

"I cannot stay," Obi-Wan said, the secret he kept the breaking point between him and his people.

His home.

They would never welcome him back after this.

He took off his lightsabre, but Mace held up his palm, gesturing him to stop, "No, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"A Master you are," Yoda said, "A Master you will always be. You need not that weapon to be formidable yet rightly earned have you."

Obi-Wan couldn't help himself, "So if I left two weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to keep it?"

Yoda nodded, "Leave you may, my child, but join the Dark Side you must not. Fail Dooku I did, fail you I have, but trust him you must not do."

"I will never turn on my teachings," Obi-Wan said, "but I cannot condone a civil war that we have the ability to stop."

Mace spoke, "There is no easy way to stop it, Obi-Wan, it will happen with or without us."

It won't happen if I take away your slave army, Obi-Wan thought.

For a brief moment, he considered showing them his hand, that it was they, not the Senate, not Dooku who held the cards.

But he let the moment pass.

Because what could the Council do, dismantle the army and let Dooku have an army against none? Join Dooku completely, putting them all at risk? Or become a third faction with a handful of Jedi territories or Jedi sympathizes like Ilum and Jedha?

That could all end badly.

They could take the army into themselves and try assassinating Dooku.

But such a scenario was all too likely to start the very thing they were trying to stop.

No, Obi-Wan saw only one path forward, and it would the sole most arrogant thing he had ever done.

Fulfil his title as High General of the Kamino Army, of the Separatist army, and hope that he could hold the reigns of the Outer Rim systems.

He was a fool.

He was probably going to fail and this was going to blow up in spectacular magnitude in his face.

But he thought of clones, their faces so alike, their Force signatures so individual.

They didn't deserve to be pawns for the Senate, a Senate that was as corrupted or more so than Count Dooku himself.

Obi-Wan bowed his head, "I cannot stay."

He regretted once disobeying Qui-Gon to stay on Melinda/Daan and help stop a civil. But as he grew older…

He had done the right thing then, the thing he could live with.

This was the same.

He could not face himself again if he did not do all that he could to save lives.

Even if he didn't know how this would play out.

Plo spoke then, "If you believe you are doing the right thing, Obi-Wan, then do not allow your self doubt to be the destruction of others."

Obi-Wan gazed at the Kel Dor, not understanding what he meant truly.

Sifo-Dyas seemed to be of the same mind as Plo because he said, "If you, then it will be worse than what Qui-Gon has ever done to you."

Obi-Wan was confused, deeply confused, but neither Plo nor Sifo-Dyas had expressions that welcomed conversation.

So he bowed deeply to the Council, his hands held before him, "I thank you, Masters, for your teachings, for the family and home you granted me."

"You will always be one of us, Master Obi-Wan," Mace said sadly.

"Lost you are to us," Yoda said, "but return yet you may."

Obi-Wan bowed deeper, and meant his words when he said, "Thank you, Master Yoda."

"May the Force be with you," Plo said.

"And with you," Obi-Wan said as he straightened.

He took his leave feeling the weight of the galaxy settle on his shoulders.

He commed Rex, "Prepare the ships, we are leaving."

-Yes, Sir.

It wasn't until Obi-Wan was halfway back to his apartment did Plo's and Sifo-Dyas's words sink in.

If he was doing the right thing, then he was doing the right thing and not stop others from following him.

I.E. if he left his Padawan of less than six hours behind because he thought it was unsafe to bring a fourteen year old to work with a Sith in the far Outer Rim, than that would be worse than Qui-Gon not wanting him the beginning, worse than Qui-Gon abandoning him before the Council to take on another Padawan.

Obi-Wan was going to be the monster who crushed all of Padawan Ahsoka Tano's dreams into stardust.

He was going to be ill.

Opening the door to his own apartment suddenly took more courage than leaving the Order.

"Master!" Ahsoka greeted him the moment he stepped over the threshold, "You're back!"

He winced.

Force help.

Her smile instantly fell as she saw his face, "Master? What's wrong? What happened?"

He swallowed hard. "Ahsoka," he began, then paused before going on, "why don't you take a seat?"

She didn't move, her eyes going wide with horror and fear and understanding.

She was really too sharp for her own good.

"The Council said no to you taking me on as a Padawan, didn't they?" she asked, her voice hollow.

Force, he remembered this, remembered that fear, of never being good enough, about worrying when good things did happen that it would all be a dream, an illusion.

"No," he said gently, unwilling to leave her in suspense even as he wished he could have lied to her, "it's not about you, Ahsoka. You've done nothing wrong."

Her expression darkened.

"Ahsoka," he said, "I am leaving the Order."

She blinked at him, "What?"

"I'm leaving the Order, and I don't want to put you in the situation where you have to choose between me and the Order."

"I choose you," she said immediately.

"Ahsoka," he breathed, "We've only known each other for a few hours. Where I'm goin-"

"I'm going to," she said with more finality than anyone her age ought to have.

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

He did, as best he could, even knowing that the longer he waited to leave the more likely it was that his plans would be somehow uncovered.

When he was done, she said nothing just went back into Anakin's old room and came out with her bag, "I am coming with you, Master Kenobi."

Plo's words came back to him then, either Obi-Wan believed he was doing the right thing, or he didn't.

He did believe.

Taking in a deep breath, "Alright, Padawan Tano, give me a minute and we will be on our way."

He went to his own room and it took no time at all to pack up his own belongings.

When he came back out Ahsoka was holding her bag over her shoulder and a pot in her arms that was home to a plant which had several buds but no flowers.

"What's that?" he asked, knowing perfectly well what it was but not why she was bringing it with them. It was Qui-Gon's favourite flower as it happened.

"You said I could pick a plant."

Obi-Wan felt like laughing, and just the thought of it brought him back to himself.

He went to the kitchen and grabbed the small plant whose delicate and ever moulting leaves proved as a great addition to almost any tea.

This plant being his favourite.

With pots in hand Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order, taking the entirety of what would have been the Grand Army of the Republic with them.

AN: Feedback, reviews, orcas, or thoughts? Pretty please?