In Love and War - Part Fourteen

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Onara stared over at Obi-Wan's profile. The two of them were sitting in the moonlit glade where, nearly five years ago, they had watched the katarra, large, butterfly-like insects indigenous to Ahjane, perform their mating dance.

At that time, the war between Onara's province and Edress Lenor's province had only recently ended, and the devastation from the conflict had nearly wiped out the katarra, so only a small number had showed up the night of the blessing ceremony when Obi-Wan and Onara had snuck away from the bridal chamber to see them.

The katarra had returned to their normal population over the years, and Onara and Obi-Wan were expecting a wondrous show. But, now she wondered if he would even enjoy it, because what she had just told him regarding her plan to avoid a war with the Lenors was, she saw, weighing heavily on his mind.

"A challenge," he finally said, looking over at her, his blue-gray eyes luminous in the moon-frosted light.

Onara nodded. "It is my right, although it's an ancient custom. But the Assembly will have to recognize my prerogative to bring it."

Obi-Wan sighed. It was a warm night now that it was near mid-summer. Onara wore only a thin violet gown, a fringed purple and ebony shawl that she had brought with her, which was lying on the grass, and soft white slippers on her feet, her long, dark hair about her shoulders.

Obi-Wan was dressed in a sleeveless beige tunic and pants. As Onara leaned against his arm, the warm smoothness of his bare skin pressed against hers. She looked down to where her left hand was clasped in his. The moonlight blazed within the star diamond in the ring he had given her.

She had learned from Simtro, though Obi-Wan wasn't aware of it, that it was Auna who had purchased the ring for him. She told Simtro to give Auna her money back. Then, when Obi-Wan paid her back, which Onara knew he would find a way to do, she told Auna to keep that money too.

Auna had protested, not wanting to be paid double, but Onara told her she was so grateful for what she'd done, helping Obi-Wan like that, she just wanted to show her gratitude in whatever way she could. Auna had finally agreed. But she then told Onara that when Obi-Wan did pay her back for the ring, she was going to donate the money to charity.

Onara squeezed Obi-Wan's hand as he continued to mull over what she had told him. She knew Auna was in love with Obi-Wan, having known it from the first time the two had talked together, for she had seen in Auna's eyes whenever she talked about Obi-Wan what Onara felt in her heart when she thought of the Jedi.

For Auna to have done what she did in purchasing the ring for Obi-Wan showed Onara a purity of unselfish love that made her weep. Therefore, it had become her secret goal to find someone for Auna so the Codru-Ji woman could someday be as happy as Onara was.

"So, let me understand this," Obi-Wan said carefully, interrupting her thoughts. "You will accept Gend Lenor's offer of marriage?"

"Yes."

"But, having also accepted mine, you will then call for a challenge."

Onara nodded. "You and Gend will have to fight for the right to marry me."

"To the death?"

Onara glanced away from him, knowing this was the thorny part of the plan for him. "In ancient times, yes, it was to the death."

"But these are not ancient times."

"No, they're not." Onara glanced down, then looked back at Obi-Wan. "But, the custom has not changed. It must be to the death."

"And if I kill..." Obi-Wan stopped. He firmed his lips and looked into her eyes. "If I kill Gend, then the Lenors---"

"Will have no choice but to accept the outcome," Onara said. "There will be no war and you and I will be free to marry."

"And if he kills me?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I will be his. But, he won't kill you, he mustn't," Onara cried, clinging to his arm. "You're a Jedi Knight."

"Onara, it would not be appropriate for me to use my Jedi powers against him."

"I know that. That's not what I meant. I meant there's no way he can defeat you. Is there?" she asked in a small voice.

She waited for his answer, her heart pounding. This, for her, was the thorny part of the plan. The challenge would have to be to the death; therefore, she was risking Obi-Wan's life by suggesting it. But she couldn't imagine anyone defeating him in combat. Even if he didn't use his Jedi powers.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I don't know anything about him. Except, according to Auna, he's a pig. But that's just Auna talking, and it certainly tells me nothing about what kind of a fighter he is."

"I don't know much about him either," Onara admitted. "Dalan only mentioned him in passing. He didn't care for his father's two brothers or their families. Well, only Diomis is married. He's Gend's father. And then there's Faren. That's Dalan's other uncle. He isn't married and has no children."

Obi-Wan reached up and rubbed his chin with his hand, his other hand still clasped firmly about hers. Onara knew she was asking a lot of him. Though he was no longer a member of the Jedi Order, he was still very much a Jedi in his heart. The idea of fighting to the death was, she knew, barbaric to him, and, under other circumstances, it would be as archaic and barbaric to her as the blessing ceremony had been. But it was the only thing she and Simtro had been able to come up with that could, hopefully, prevent the war with the Lenors and allow her and Obi-Wan to marry.

"What if Gend does not accept the challenge?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"If he does not accept, then he has no claim to me or to anything else. The offer of marriage must be withdrawn, and the Lenors will have no basis upon which to go to war."

Obi-Wan looked up at the sky above them. Onara followed his gaze. Hundreds upon hundreds of stars blazed above them, studding the velvet darkness like diamonds. Then, with a jagged twinge in her heart, she wondered if Obi-Wan was wishing he was back among those stars, still a Jedi Knight, traveling about the myriad worlds of the galaxy with Anakin at his side, fulfilling the duty he had once sworn his life to. She drew in a sharp, pained breath. She couldn't blame him if he did wish it.

"Don't worry, Onara. I'm happy here with you, and there's no place I'd rather be."

Onara jumped and looked over at him. He was now looking at her, his beautiful eyes gazing deeply into hers. She had wondered once before if the Jedi were telepathic, or, if perhaps, the Force gave them insights into sentient behavior which made it seem as if they could read minds. Whichever it was, it was still unnerving. Obi-Wan smiled, lifted her hand where he held it and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of it, sending a thrill down Onara's spine.

"If Gend Lenor accepts the challenge, then I will face him," he said. "And I will do what I must to make you my wife and keep your province and your people safe. But, I hope he will not accept the challenge. I have no wish to kill anyone."

Tears brimmed in Onara's eyes. This was not what she wanted. Not at all. She didn't want Obi-Wan risking his life, having to kill, or, most terrible of all, being killed. She was tempted to tell him to take back his proposal of marriage, to leave Ahjane, go back to the Jedi Order and recant his false confession regarding Lursan's murder. To become a Jedi again and forget all about her.

Onara shook her head. No, she didn't want that. Gods forgive her, she didn't want that at all. She wanted him with her, needed him with her.

Crying, she threw her arms around him. "Oh, Obi-Wan, my darling, forgive me. Please forgive me. I couldn't think of anything else to do. It was the only plan Simtro and I could come up with. But if it should go horribly wrong, if you should be killed, then I won't want to live. I will follow you, and I will die too because I will not, I can not live without you."

"Don't worry, love," Obi-Wan said softly as he stroked her hair. "I won't die. And neither will you. We will live, you and I, for a very long time, and we will grow old together. I promise you."

Onara pulled away and looked up at him. "And children?"

Obi-Wan gave her a wide smile. "Oh, yes. Most definitely. As many as you want."

Onara smiled impishly through her tears. "Then I want a dozen."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "A dozen? Onara, it is true the Force is with me, but a dozen children?"

Onara laughed, knowing he was teasing her as she was teasing him. They kissed then, for a long time, caressing each other in the soft, warm darkness of the glade, but stopping short, as always, of consummating their love for they were saving that for their wedding night.

Then, breathless, their hearts pounding with desire, they finally pulled away and watched as the katarra, the green males and the golden females, entered the glade. There were hundreds of them and they flitted about the air, filling it with the flickering of their luminescent jade and golden wings as they flew and fluttered and glided about each other.

Soon the males and females had paired up and then, startling both Obi-Wan and Onara, the bonded katarra spiraled around them before going off to start their all night mating and begin a new cycle of life. Once the last pair had left the glade, Onara noting with gladness there were no solitaires and all the katarra had succeeded in finding a mate, she felt Obi-Wan staring at her. She looked over at him.

"Have they ever done that before?" he asked.

Onara shook her head. When she was a little girl her father used to bring her to watch the katarra dance, but they had never paid them the slightest attention. Obi-Wan nodded, then stood, helping Onara to her feet.

"Perhaps it was a blessing," he said, smiling down at her.

Onara didn't know, but she prayed it was. She and Obi-Wan were going to need every blessing they could get if they hoped to achieve their goal of preventing a war. She therefore hoped, along with Obi-Wan, that Gend did not accept the challenge and would leave the two of them in peace to marry.

Reaching down and picking her shawl off the grass, Obi-Wan put it around her shoulders, softly kissing her on the neck as he did so. Then, his arm about her, he and Onara left the glade and returned to the manor.

To be continued....