Like Master, Like Apprentice

The sun had just begun to peak over the skyscrapers of Coruscant when Tahira awoke. She was lying next to him, her head nuzzled into his chest and his arms wrapped around her. She tried to sit up, but his arms would not budge.
"Where do you think you're going?" he whispered sleepily.
"I didn't know you were still awake."
"I was up about ten minutes ago, just waiting for you to get up."
He relaxed his hold on her and leaned down to kiss her. As his lips met hers, she felt the tears leak from the corners of her eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asked, wiping her tears away.

What was wrong? Technically, there was a lot wrong with this situation. Jordana and Anakin were Force knows where on Corellia, possibly fighting for their very lives, and she was cuddling next to Obi-Wan. Her friends had been sentenced to death because they had fallen in love, and now here they were, lying next to each other in a way that clearly proved their relationship had moved beyond platonic.
"Don't you find it ironic that we're doing exactly what Anakin and Jordana were put on trial for?"
Obi-Wan sensed her guilt, "I know how you feel. All of this would seem wrong, especially since I was the one who...agreed to the execution." He choked. "But one of the things I've learned from Anakin in all of this is to trust your instincts and your heart. I realize now that life is too precious and too short to not tell those we love how we feel. I love you Tahira, and I should have told you this a long time ago. I only wish Anakin and Jordana didn't have to die for me to realize this."

He embraced her, and she cried a muffled 'I love you too, Obi-Wan' into his shoulder. Guilt was tearing at her heart. She wanted to badly to tell him that their former apprentices were still alive. But at the moment, she had to put Anakin and Jordana's safety above all else, including her grieving lover's heart. It wasn't that she feared Obi-Wan turning them in, it was if the Council were to ever find out. But she wasn't going to deny her love for Obi-Wan either. Liked Jordana, she too had dreamed that the object of her heart's desire would return feel the same way. Even she would understand the situation she was in. Just then, she figured out how she could keep her promise to Jordana, and have her and Obi-Wan still be together.
"If you truly want to be with me, when I leave the Order, leave with me."

He gazed into her deep, cobalt eyes with a look of worry and confusion.
"Leave the Order? Tahira, you never mentioned this before."
"Because until now, I didn't know what I wanted to do. But I can't stand being here, knowing that they died trying to escape here. But I also can't leave you, not now, not knowing that-"
His lips brushing gently against her own silenced her. "You were the one who told me to wait and heal. And we will do just that."
"Alright." she whispered.
Jordana, please wait for us. she prayed.
Just then, Obi-Wan received a message from the Council. They were about to hold a meeting and requested his presence.
"I have to go. The Council's having a meeting. Wait here for me."

Obi-Wan sat in his usual seat among the Council members. They were, very casually, discussing yesterday's events. He couldn't understand how they all could just sit there and talk about death, the death of two people he cared about, so easily.
The topic soon turned to whom the news of their deaths should be made privy to. Obviously, the Chancellor would be, but there was a heated debate about whether the public and Senate should know.
"Master Kenobi, what do you think?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.
What he wanted to say was 'Since my opinion doesn't seem to matter to you, make your own damn ruling', but he held his tongue. His anger was a product of depression, and it wouldn't be fair to take it out on the other Council members.
He chose his next words carefully, "I will do whatever the Council agrees is best."
But Yoda was not satisfied with this answer, "Works best the Council will, if a unanimous decision is reached."
"Master Yoda, do you want me to be honest with the Council?"
"Honesty, the best policy always is."
"With all due respect my friend, I couldn't give less of a damn whether or not we inform the public or not."
Dear god, I sound like Anakin. he mused.
Yoda just smiled and nodded, understanding where his friend's emotions were coming from.
"Master Kenobi, while we understand you're grieving, it is imperative that we come to a conclusion." Master Windu stated.
"The war is not over yet. Informing the public that two of our best died could severely weaken moral and make us appear weaker."
"But the war is over." Obi-Wan protested, "The Separatist leadership and General Grievous have either been destroyed or captured."
"But as long as Count Dooku is alive, the war will never be over." Windu replied.
"He is one man, and without his followers, he'll never be able to attack anything."
Obi-Wan knew this war would increase the time before him and Tahira could even think about leaving the Order. The rest of the Council continued to argue and squabble like politicians until it was decided that the public would not be informed of their deaths.

Obi-Wan rushed back to Tahira's room, where he immediately scooped her up and laid her down on the bed.
"Obi-Wan, what's going on? What did the Council want?"
He told her everything, including that the war was technically not over.
"So this means means we won't be leaving the Order for a while." he concluded.
"We? What happened to 'we'll wait and heal first'?
"I've made up my mind, I want to be with you. And if that means leaving the Order when the war is over, then that means leaving the Order when the war is over."
There I go again...sounding like Anakin.
Tahira gasped as he kissed her passionately. While locked in each other's passionate embrace, she knew that sooner or later, she was going to have to tell him the truth and that it was going to be the hardest thing to do. But she pushed all of that out of her mind for the time being, and focused on the deep and firey kiss she was sharing with Obi-Wan Kenobi.