Matters of Diplomacy

The chamber was silent, filled only by the sound of the Holorecording. Nobody was talking or even looking at each other, too stunned at what was playing.

Troopers in the garden.

Political prisoners.

Guns cocking.

"Duchess?" Commander Cody asked quietly, his voice echoing strangely over the recording.

"This is live?" Ki-Adi-Mundi murmured, steepling his fingers together.

"Unfortunately." Chancellor Palpatine tucked his hands under his chin, eyes narrowing upon looking at the bodies of Maul and Vizsla just barely visible. "Unfortunately."

"Let this be a warning, Kyr'tsad." Duchess Satine glanced at the cameras for a moment, like she was staring right at her audience watching on Coruscant. "I will not be so lenient next time someone challenges my rule."

They watched the terrorists stand shakily - those who realized they needed to surrender or face execution - and salute the Duchess.

Obi-Wan spoke for the first time - was he really wearing Mandalorian armor? - his voice low and firm. "Escort any who deny my wife's reign to the prison."

"For trial?" Commander Cody asked.

Bo-Katan raised her eyebrows. "Sure. We'll go with that." She glanced at the Holocams. "Cut the feed."

Mace Windu sighed while the image stilled and the lights came back on, folding his arms over his chest and leaning into the stiff sofa. "Guess we know where Obi-Wan's loyalties lie."

"Are we really surprised, Master Windu?" Chancellor Palpatine whispered. "Master Kenobi has always thought with his heart."

Yoda shook his head. "Much like his master, Obi-Wan is."

Anakin - sitting a bit a part from the Jedi - glanced at his wife beside him. Something told him that in a different universe, life would be much different. Probably crumpling to pieces without a chance of recovering.

"Anakin, my boy."

Everyone was looking at him - everyone but Padmé, who clenched her teeth. Anakin glanced at the Chancellor, raising his eyebrows a bit. "Your Excellency?"

"You've been remarkably quiet about all of this - what are your opinions? Obi-Wan is your best friend."

Clearing his throat, Anakin gave a small shrug. Chancellor is here, Padmé is there...the people that care about my opinion.

Obi-Wan, where are you when I need you?

But he did know - he knew exactly where Obi-Wan was. They all did.

"He probably thought his wife was in mortal danger - his wife who is the Duchess of Mandalore and leader of the Neutral Systems. Losing her to Maul - assuming that figure was Maul - and Death Watch...well, wouldn't that mean we would lose valuable trading partners? A few thousand of trading partners, probably, as most of the Neutral Systems are aligned with Separatist planets more than the Republic."

Padmé glanced at him when he finished, a little impressed that he remembered all that. It shouldn't have been a surprise, really. He was bound to absorb stuff, given that they were married.

The Jedi - aside from Anakin, okay, maybe excluding Ki-Adi as well - glanced at each other.

Mace leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You are not at all concerned that Obi-Wan took members of the GAR to aid him? Men who have sworn fealty to -"

"Plo Koon would say that these men are their own individuals who make their own decisions." Ki-Adi gave a small smile when Mace glared at him. "I suspect they went with Obi-Wan willingly - the bond between Obi-Wan and his commander is strong. Everyone under their command trust them unconditionally."

"But they defected from the military, Master Mundi." Chancellor Palpatine leaned back in his chair. "Isn't that a war crime punishable by -"

Padmé spoke for the first time, her quiet voice filling the chamber. "Has anyone checked to see if Obi-Wan is even a citizen of the Republic, given that his wife is a Kalevala Mandalorian citizen?"

"Beg pardon?" Mace asked, looking a bit confused.

"Isn't harder to prosecute those who aren't citizens of the Republic? Because you have to get both governments to agree that a crime was committed. Furthermore," Padmé could feel her shoulders start to tense. "We are at war. I agree with Anakin - we shouldn't be worrying that Satine survived because of the efforts of Obi-Wan and his men."

Author's note: Is Padmé a bit ooc in this chapter? Yes, yes she is. Do I care? No, no I do not. Bite me.

But really - she was the character I wanted for this chapter.

Like it or don't

(As usual, I'll edit this at a different date)

ii Digestive Reader ii