Chapter 8 – Resurface

A/N: Hi, thank you all for your continued favorites, follows, and reviews! This is my attempt at writing a romantic chapter. I'm not used to it; let me know how I did!

"Wake up!" called a female voice. To Obi-Wan, it sounded faint as a whisper. The tones drifted through his head like soft music. He was lying on his back but could not open his eyes. He didn't know if he was dreaming, awake, or neither.

Soon, the voice became louder and less muffled. "Obi-Wan!" It repeated his name multiple times. He continued to ignore it. Not by choice – his body was too weak and tired to move. Just then, he heard the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber activating. This made him open his eyes ever so slightly. A violet lightsaber was pointed directly at him, about two centimeters from his nose. Its owner's blue eyes were giving him a death stare. He jerked back, now fully awake and aware of his surroundings.

"Finally! I was beginning to think I would have to leave without you!" Siri Tachi rolled her eyes impatiently, smirking at the sight of a disheveled Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan shimmied away from the glowing blade, up against the back of his sleepcouch. "Siri! What in the galaxy are you doing? Put that thing away!"

"No, Master Kenobi, the question is, what are you doing? I've been trying to contact you all morning." She deactivated her lightsaber and tucked it back into her hilt.

"I…I'm sorry. I guess I…overslept?" Obi-Wan was feeling very disoriented. The last thing he remembered was talking to Anakin on the comlink. Then, he had blacked out.

"I didn't think that word was in your vocabulary, Master Jedi." She took a seat at the end of his sleepcouch. Underneath her playful tone, Siri could tell something was wrong. She had known Obi-Wan for over thirty years, since they were younglings. He never overslept.

"Oh yes, it definitely is. I just never had reason to use it." Obi-Wan looked into Siri's eyes. They gleamed with life and vigor. He looked away while he still could, before he was completely mesmerized. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh! Anakin had recovered the data pad. He has sent me the files." He walked over to his desk fumbled around, looking for his own data pad.

"I know. Good thing he sent them to me, too. I've been scouring them all morning."

Obi-Wan turned and grinned sheepishly. This was supposed to be a joint mission and it seemed Siri was doing all the work. "Thank you, Siri. What did you find out?"

"We must go to Separatist headquarters to end this war once and for all. Master Yoda has already chartered a ship for us. It's on the landing platform now. I'll tell you more on the way, but you are not going to like where we are headed."

Obi-Wan gazed at her curiously, raising an eyebrow as he walked to his closet.

"Mustafar," she replied. "I'll wait for you in the ship."

Mustafar was an Outer Rim planet, quite far away from Coruscant. It was going to take a while for the Jedi team to get there, even with a jump to hyperspace. Obi-Wan considered the lava-covered planet to be quite dreadful. But he would go anywhere to end the Clone War. As they departed, he contacted Anakin and told him to stand by on Naboo.

For the first hour, he and Siri strategized. They did not want to take any lives, but they also did not know how many leaders there would be. Palpatine had been cleverly vague in his data pad files; he had given no specific names or numbers. Arresting everyone might prove difficult. One main priority was to get information. What did Palpatine plan on doing by conspiring with the Separatists? If they complied with the Jedi's questions, perhaps they could form a peaceful alliance. They also wanted to shut down all of the battle droids deployed throughout the galaxy. Obi-Wan and Siri could only hope for a peaceful exchange.

With plans made, Siri put the ship on autopilot. She turned to Obi-Wan.

"What happened last night?" Her even tone masked a great deal of concern.

"What?" Obi-Wan was snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh. Anakin had a run-in with Maul on Naboo. He killed him."

Siri gasped. She didn't know what to say. She knew this was a very sensitive topic with Obi-Wan. So she called upon the Force for patience, knowing he would continue.

"I've been hearing from Qui-Gon lately. He speaks through my dreams, but I am certain it is really him."

"You mean he is able to use the Force to contact you?"

"Yes. And these are not just visions. I know he is alive."

"Perhaps when this is all over you will have more time to meditate and respond to him."

"I don't know. Look what happened when I was given a few days to think." Obi-Wan was referring to oversleeping.

"I said meditate, not think. What else is troubling you?" Siri saw that Obi-Wan's eyes were still glazed with sadness. If he weren't a model Jedi, she would say she sensed fear in him.

"Do you think Anakin will be expelled from the Jedi Order?" He blurted out, getting straight to the point. He had already told Siri about the secret marriage, and she had seen the pregnancy for herself.

She didn't hesitate. "No. I believe you will find a way out of this."

"Me? But why would the Council listen to me?"

Siri moved closer to Obi-Wan and reassuringly placed her hands on either side of his arms. "Obi-Wan, you are Anakin's best friend. You love him. You will do all you can to help him."

Obi-Wan marveled at Siri's ability to switch between mature and sarcastic responses. The Clone Wars had changed his longtime friend and, if he dare say it, more than friend.

"In order to argue something, I must believe it." He paused. Her open glance and comforting touch propelled him to keep talking. "What about you, Siri? Do you believe the Jedi should marry and have families?"

It seemed that he was referring to Anakin and Padmé, but really he was digging up he and Siri's past. They had admitted to loving each other as teenagers, only to have Yoda and Qui-Gon find out. They agreed to never speak of their feelings again. Through the years, they had stayed friends, and finally admitted their love for each other again two years ago, when Siri had almost died in a crash. Obi-Wan could never bring himself to talk about these moments. The what-ifs were too painful. But his recent dream had stirred up past memories and desires.

Siri knew what he was insinuating. The life suddenly faded from her deep blue eyes. "To be honest, I never thought about it. I assumed things would never change, and it was either you or the Jedi. But I also never thought that the Jedi would become warriors. Things have changed for the Order, Obi-Wan."

"You're right, Siri. The Order is not as strong as it once was. Perhaps it needs a change." He brushed her cheek with his thumb. "Your wisdom never ceases to amaze me. It seems you grow wiser as I become more confused. What happened to that headstrong Padawan I once knew?"

"She's still there, hardened by war." She whispered close to his face. "And she only learns from the best." She opened her mouth slightly and brushed his lips with hers. He leaned into the kiss. He hadn't kissed her for years, but his mouth remembered the taste.

Before long, Mustafar was within view. The fiery red color was reflected in Obi-Wan's eyes. It mirrored the fire burning within: not anger, but passion, in the purest sense. A passion for peace, a renewed Republic, and the idea of change.