A few days after his confrontation with Garen, Obi-Wan was walking toward his quarters after teaching his 'Advanced Meditation Technique' class when he hear Mace Windu call for him.

"Obi-Wan? Can I have a moment?"

The use of his first name indicated that the reason behind the request was not connected to the Council, but Obi-Wan hoped all the same it was not some kind of problem. The last few days had been hard enough.

"Yes, of course," he answered, as he stopped to allow the other master to catch up with him. "What can I do for you, Mace?"

"Yoda wishes to see you. In private."

"Now?"

"If you could…"

"Yes, this was my last class today."

Mace Windu nodded, pleased. "Follow me, I will take you to him."

Curious about the reason of the summon, but knowing better than to inquire as they walked, Obi-Wan let the other man lead him to one of the small mediation chambers Yoda used to receive the knights asking for his counsel.

Master Windu opened the door, motioned Obi-Wan inside and followed him in, indicating the meeting would involve him too.

Suddenly Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about the whole matter.

"Master Yoda," he greeted, bowing in greeting.

"Master Kenobi. A seat, you take. Important matter to discuss we must."

Obi-Wan lowered himself onto a round cushioned chair, as Windu did the same at his side.

"What important matter?"

"Concern you, it does."

"Me?"

Yoda and Mace exchanged a glance, then the korum master began, "It has recently been brought to our attention that there are certain rumours about you circulating in the Temple."

"Rumours?" Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. "What kind of rumours?"

"They say you and Officer Skywalker are more than simple friends."

Garen, Obi-Wan thought bitterly, before nodding, finding it useless to deny the truth. "They are correct."

"So admit it you do?" Yoda grunted pointing at him with his gimer stick.

Obi-Wan frowned, not understanding where the conversation was leading. "Of course I admit it. Anakin and I love each other, and I will soon present a petition to the Council asking to recognize our joining. We also intend to live together in the Temple, now that the Code has been changed. It's very simple, and I see no reason to deny it."

Mace Windu joined his hands in front of his face. "Unfortunately, Obi-Wan, it isn't that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because we haven't removed the no-attachment rule to allow same-sex couples to be together. We have removed it to encourage the formation of heterosexual pairing and the conception of Force-sensitive children. I thought you were aware of it."

"You make it sounds very cynical. There is much more than the need or the desire to reproduce to tie two people together," Obi-Wan commented.

"Aware of it we are; important it is not," Yoda tapped the floor with his stick to emphasize the point.

"Forgive me, Master Yoda, but it's very important indeed. Or do you expect the Jedi to emotionlessly mate in order to produce children for the Crèche?" Obi-Wan stared at the old master, engaging with him a silent battle of will.

"Yoda expressed himself too strongly, Obi-Wan. Of course, the feelings between a couple are important, but we need to make sure the Jedi know it's now part of their duty to have children to perpetuate the Order," Mace Windu intervened to smooth the situation.

"So what do you want from me? That I do my duty to the Order too?" Obi-Wan schooled his voice carefully, lest he let some sarcasm colour his tone.

"Yes, that we want. Very powerful Jedi you are, strong progeny you will have."

"Fine, I will do it. I will donate some sperm and-"

"That's impossible, Obi-Wan. It doesn't work like that," Mace interrupted him.

"No?"

"No. The Healers have discovered the midi-chlorians in the sperm are extremely fragile. They don't survive the processes involved in an artificial fecundation or insemination. Only a natural mating would do."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "I wasn't aware of it. Well, this settles things then. The Jedi Order will have to do without my children, for I refuse to leave Anakin or to betray our bond by having relations with a woman I don't care for in order make her pregnant." He concluded, his voice showing his determination.

"Then I am afraid we will have to ask you to resign from the Council and your teaching positions," Mace Windu said, softly but with a hint of steel in his voice.

"What?" Obi-Wan could almost not believe to what he had heard.

"Obi-Wan, you must be aware of the great role model you are for the younger generations-- initiates, padawans and young knights. They all look at you like a hero, someone they want to imitate. We cannot risk your rebellious attitude influencing them. We cannot encourage same-sex pairing among the Jedi."

"What do you plan to do with those Jedi who are born homosexual? Brainwash them?"

"Of course not. However, you are not homosexual, we have seen it in your medical files, and your refusal to obey the Council's orders cannot be left unpunished."

"You call it an order? Obliging me to betray the man I love to be like a stallion mounting a mare in heat so that his owner can cash a stud fee?" Obi-Wan was getting angry, and he had to release his emotions into the Force.

"Yes, disobeying you are. Putting your attachment before your duty, you are. Unbefitting a master, it is," Yoda looked at him with accusing eyes, his ears flattened against his skull.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard, and when he spoke, the consonants in his voice were more clipped than ever. "I would have never imagined hearing these words, Master Yoda. Especially not from you. You know perfectly well that in a life or death situation I would put my duty before everything. I think I demonstrated it during the battle against the Sith. Do you remember how Darth Maul used Qui-Gon as a hostage, to oblige me to let go of Palpatine? Do you remember how I refused to obey and watched him kill my master in front of my eyes as I had just done with his? A part of me died that day, but I did what I had to do—and I would do it again, even knowing in advance the cost of it, because it was the will of the Force. But this isn't a life and death situation and I refuse to break my faithfulness to Anakin, no matter what you will do to me. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go."

Thus speaking, Obi-Wan stood up and walked away, without waiting for a formal dismissal.