Chapter Seventeen: Common Ground

Later, Obi-Wan would examine the moment in his head again and again as he tried to make sense of it, but at the time all he could do was look up in shock when the doors to the palace burst open and Kalinda strode into the room. Sita – with whom he had been in deep discussion – stopped speaking mid-sentence as Kali approached her fellow Jedi, heedless of the queen's new guards who rushed forward, though the regent raised her hand and ordered them to be still.

Obi-Wan met her at the center of the room. "Where is he?" Her voice was breathless and she was clothed in a simple Arunai dress that he did not recognize; her eyes held a touch of wildness.

"You...you're..." Words failed him. Her presence was still masked and he wondered if his brain was playing tricks on him. "Kali?"

Only when she rolled her eyes in exasperation did he realize that she was no hallucination. "Where is Stonewall?" she asked, the words deliberate, though at his look of frustration she took a deep breath. "Obi-Wan, I promise to explain everything to you but first I have to find him. Please." Her gaze met his and he was struck by something there that he had never seen before.

"He is in the garden, I believe." Sita's voice rang out from behind the Jedi. She, too, was looking at Kali with incredulity, though Obi-Wan detected a note of satisfaction from her as well.

Kalinda nodded and thanked them; as she turned to leave, Obi-Wan caught her wrist. "Are you...?"

"No," she replied. "But I will be." With that she slipped out of his grasp and hurried out of the throne room towards the gardens, leaving Obi-Wan in a peculiar state of shock, elation and utter bewilderment.

Someone had lit the torches in the garden, which was how Stonewall knew that night was starting to fall, though he was unsure exactly how long he'd been seated in this place. The flames bathed him in their glow; for a while he studied the reflection of the fire in the rippling water of the pond. The air was filled with the scent of growing things, faint flower and loamy dirt smells that would have been pleasant in another circumstance. In the distance he could hear the sounds of early celebrations in the city and his mind turned to his brothers. I hope they're enjoying themselves.

When he heard his own name being spoken from some place behind him, he thought that he had fallen asleep at the bench and was dreaming, so he refused to turn and acknowledge the illusion. It would make sense, I suppose, for my mind to keep playing tricks on me.

"Stone."

It was her voice.

Impossible. I'm dreaming. Or going mad. He frowned and rubbed at his eyes as Kali's image appeared in the reflection on the pond, her face illumined by the firelight and obscured by the rippling water.

And then she was before him, kneeling at his feet and looking up at his face while she laid her hands on his knee, his arm, his cheek. She said his name again and again. Her touch was warm and solid, but it was the gentle kiss against his mouth that made him realize the truth of the moment, of the impossibility. Perhaps he said her name or he might have only thought it...later he couldn't recall anything but the feel of her skin beneath his and the sound of her voice ringing in his ears as she spoke.

"I love you."

The words hung in the air for a moment before she continued on, breathless as speech tumbled from her like an avalanche. "Stonewall, I love you. I'm sorry I ever made you doubt it. I was afraid of letting myself love because I've never had it work...but I know now that I don't want to hold back any longer. Love and the Force...they're one and the same for me, somehow – I don't really understand it, not like I thought I did – and when I was too frightened to love you, I closed myself off from the Force."

Here she paused and took a breath before she leaned closer to him, both of her hands now on his cheeks; he noticed that her face was streaked with wet. "But I realize all of that now, Stone and I'm not afraid any more. I love you, Stonewall...CC-3077. I love you and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Even what he could make sense of was a lot to take in; the rest he decided he would try to understand later as there was one thing that he pulled from the rush of words that stuck with him, something that kept him silent for several moments while he absorbed it.

"Stone...?" Her voice was tentative.

He met her dark eyes, noting how the firelight reflected in their depths. "That's a hell of a long way to go to say 'I love you.'"

Even as he said the words he laughed; she did as well before he slid off the bench and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could. "I love you, Kali. I think I have from the first moment we met."

"I'm sorry," she whispered to his shoulder. "Stone...I'm so sorry about what I put you through."

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said, stroking her wet cheeks with his thumbs. "All things considered, I'd rather be by your side than anywhere else." Leaning forward, he kissed her and was struck by the resulting sensation; a wild thrumming in his veins, as if his blood was turning to starlight. They parted and he gaped at her. "What is that?"

"What is what?"

"It feels like my blood is on fire...but in a good way." He frowned with the inefficacy of words until he felt the querying brush of Kali's mind against his; the feeling intensified. "Yes," he said with a nod. "That's it. What is it?"

She was smiling at him, though her head was shaking in wonder. "It's the Force," she said in a soft voice. "I feel like I can't keep it in any longer...I told you: for me they're one and the same. Now it's strong, stronger than it ever was before."

Stonewall shook his head; though the sensation was distracting it was not unpleasant. It's definitely going to take some getting used to. "And it's rubbed off on me? I didn't know it worked that way."

"Another complication, I guess." She raised a brow at him. "Think you can handle it?"

He pulled her closer. "Bring it on."

They remained seated on the ground of the garden for some time before she began to stand, tugging at his hand as she did so. "Come on," she said as he rose to follow her out of the garden.

"Where...?"

"I need to show you," she replied as they made their way towards the palace steps. "Just how much."

"You were born to be together, and together you shall be forevermore."

The priest raised his hands to the flame that sat before the altar and lifted them, as if tracing the lines of the fire to the sky. Kalinda knelt before him, her right hand gripped in Stonewall's left. "You shall be together even when the wings of death scatter your days. You shall be together even in your silent memory."

At the words Stone cast her an incredulous look and she again heard his voice in her thoughts as if he had spoken them in her ear. Is this...are we getting married? The thought held no other emotion besides happiness, the strength of it making her laugh out loud. The priest didn't seem to take offense.

It's not a marriage, Stone. It's an affirmation. I needed to show you how much I love you. The Force was still a wild thing beating through the cage of her body as if it couldn't stand to be contained. It's not against any code to love another, you know.

I didn't say I minded. He was grinning.

The red-robed priest's voice was lifted on the ripple of heat from the flame above their heads to the open sky. "Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone, though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping, for only the end of life can contain them." At the words, their eyes closed again.

Stone's hand tightened around hers and she felt the current of energy pulsing between them. I can still feel it. That's the Force? His thoughts were tinted with astonishment.

Yes, it is. A long inhale brought her a measure of calm, though her heart was still racing. She exhaled and released more of the energy to Stone, who shifted in his place. Is it too much? I can't tell anymore. She felt as if she was made of pure light, as though any moment she would dissipate into the air.

But the gentle pressure of his hand kept her tethered to the moment even as she heard him give a quiet chuckle. It's better than I ever imagined and more than I ever hoped it could be.

Heedless of the silent conversation taking place before him, or perhaps simply used to the fervent behavior of the countless lovers who had knelt at his feet, the priest continued speaking. "Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself, to wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks to another day of loving." The words took on a sonorous tone, reverberating in the space between them.

Stonewall, I want you to know that if you're a fish, then I'll learn to swim. Kalinda peeked at him through her lids. If I'm a bird, then I'll teach you how to fly. But whatever will happen, we'll experience it together. Beneath her skin she felt the warm, calloused press of his hand shift when he nodded.

The energy hummed between them as the priest continued to speak. "Love one another, but make not a bondage of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls."

We found a way, then?

She knew that they were both grinning now. We did.

Suddenly the priest cleared his throat, causing Kalinda and Stonewall to open their eyes. He looked down at the unlikely pair and smiled as he gestured that they should rise. As they stood he handed them each a selection of powdered incense which they threw on the fire, the heady scent filling the air as the smoke made its way to the sky. I think I understand now, she thought as she watched it rise. Love gives us strength. Love binds us, but we do not have to be bound by it. And it has the potential to change everything.

The Force sang in her veins.

For several moments Kali and Stone simply looked at one another, dazed and smiling, until the priest chuckled. "Well...what are you waiting for?"

Stonewall had only been intoxicated a few times in his life. The first time was when he was back on Kamino: Drake – one of his brothers – had somehow managed to come across a bottle of Corellian brandy. As he recalled, it had resulted in little more than an intense headache and a lot of time hunched in the 'fresher. The second time was after the Battle of Teyr; again, the others had gotten a hold of some kind of spirits and he'd decided to give the whole experience another go. He'd regretted it. Since then, he'd learned to moderate his alcohol intake to a point where he could imbibe without expelling everything he'd eaten that day, though overall he had little inclination to ever drink again.

But those experiences paled in comparison to the potent mixture of ardor and elation that flooded him even as he felt his blood brimming with the Force. Part of his brain realized that he and Kali were still inside one of the Arunai temples, certainly not the place where he would have preferred to engage in the private act that they were on their way to conducting. However, the bulk of his attention was consumed with Kali; his senses swam in her skin as they leaned against one of the alcoves in the temple.

The logical part of his mind urged him to stop and find somewhere else where they could continue, but the rest of him was not listening as he pulled her as close as he could, wishing for a moment that they could be fused together; echoing his thoughts, she moved her fingers beneath the simple Arunai tunic that he wore as if she was about to strip it off of him. They were lost in each other and he was overwhelmed with desire and love.

Love. The word was never real before Kalinda swept into my life. Beneath her hands his skin was burning.

Suddenly, a throat cleared.

They paused in their affections and turned to face the priest who had performed the affirmation rite only minutes ago. He gave a disarming smile that made Stonewall's face flame. "Please do not doubt that I am exceedingly happy for you both," he said in the lilting accent of the Arunai. "But I must ask that you continue this-" his hand waved to indicate their embrace. "-somewhere else."

Kalinda's cheeks flushed as she and Stone exchanged glances before he moved away from her. She gave a slight bow to the priest. "Forgive us," she said, after a moment. "We got a little carried away." Stonewall was able to murmur some appropriate apology as well before they hurried out of the temple and into the crowded street. When they were outside again, Kali broke into a chuckle. "That was enough embarrassment to last me a few weeks."

"I know what you mean." Despite their very public surroundings he reached for her again, though the press of people did not give way and the pair caught a few bemused looks from locals and tourists alike as they embraced. When they parted, Stonewall took a deep breath, as much to try and clear his head as to collect his thoughts. "What happens now?" He could still feel the energy spiraling between them and it was an effort to keep his voice calm when his heart was still racing. Kali arched her brow and he grinned. "Ah. Then I guess we should head for the palace?"

Surprisingly, she shook her head, though her gaze on him was at once wry and tender. "The palace is far away and filled with people who will want to ask me all kinds of questions, when what I really want to do is focus my energy on you. But I feel like celebrating anyway. Any ideas?"

A quick glance around the area told him what he needed to know. "Actually, I know just the place." He took her hand and lead her through the streets, though it was difficult to make their way through the crowd that seemed to grow thicker with each passing moment. Was it only days ago that I could walk through the city without any trouble? As they went he explained what had happened with the untouchables and their passage through the city streets to rescue the queen. "You'd think that we would stand out more; we're not exactly locals."

She gestured to their Arunai clothing. "We don't exactly look like ourselves. Besides, I've seen a few off-worlders in this crowd. It's not that uncommon right now."

After several more minutes he sighed and glanced down at her, sensing that his own impatience was mirrored in the dark-haired woman, though she met his gaze with a smile. "It's taking longer than I hoped," he said.

"I think I can fix that." Her hand gripped his and he felt the flow of Force energy once more; it seemed this time as though she was able to direct it to the people who milled before them. Gradually they began to step aside, though none of them seemed to realize that she was influencing their movements. He cast her an inquiring look and she smiled again. "Think you can help me?"

Stone could still feel the energy racing through his veins but had no clue what to do with it. As he expressed this to her, she shook her head. "Concentrate, Stonewall. Just brush them aside – gently. It's okay, they won't notice." Another chuckle escaped her. "It's something that the Jedi do upon occasion, though it's considered a little gauche."

He concentrated. It was harder than he expected and he wondered if that was due to the fact that he was still fairly drunk with desire. But he could feel the Force in his veins and for a moment he was able to see through the haze in his mind and touch the very essence of the energy; it was like dipping his hand into a vast, clear lake whose bottom stretched infinitely below his reach. He made a noise of wonder and felt Kali start to urge him along.

"Stonewall...you did it."

When he opened his eyes again they were slipping through the crowd with all the ease of a fish through the water, and the Arunai seemed to step aside of their own accord despite the fact that he could feel the Force at work. The effort had the added effect of clearing his head a bit, so he took the lead as they made their way towards the marketplace. They walked for a while longer before she asked him where they were going. It was Stonewall's turn to grin at her. "I happen to know where there's a party going on."

It was not where she had expected the evening would end, but Kali found that she was too elated to care about much beyond the warm press of Stone's hand against the small of her back as he guided her through the decrepit temple's halls, following the sounds of laughter that were emanating from the center of the building. Extending her awareness brought her attention to his brothers as well as several dozen or so Arunai – none of whom she recognized – and when Stone entered the atrium shouts of surprise and welcome rang out from the gathered partygoers. There were four in particular that stood out and she grinned at the members of Shadow Squad, who looked completely flummoxed as they stared up at the Jedi and the clone captain.

Crest recovered first and gave a shout in Mando'a that she couldn't translate as he rose from his place beside the bonfire and bounded towards them. His embrace was enthusiastic enough to lift her feet off the ground before he set her back down, grinning at her and Stone. Milo and Weave seemed unsure as to the proper greeting until she gave a theatrical sigh and hugged them one by one.

"I'm glad you're okay, General Halcyon," Milo said as his hands patted her back with an awkwardness that made her smile. "We were worried."

She nodded. "I know, Milo. And thank you."

Weave was stiff when she embraced him, but he relaxed after a moment. "Thanks for everything, Weave." When she pulled back she nodded at Stone, who was accepting a drink from the bald clone and speaking with several of the Arunai. Weave made no reply, though his eyes lifted to hers and he smiled.

After they parted she began searching for the final member of the squad; a moment later Kalinda met his gaze. Traxis was leaning against a column near the fire, somehow alone despite the fact that he was surrounded by others. His shoulders were tight as he looked from her to Stonewall. Upon seeing his brother's mood his posture relaxed and he lifted his own cup to her, nodding once.

Kali made her way across the room to the scarred clone, who tracked her movements with his eyes. "You're not getting off that easy, Trax." Before he could respond she embraced him, smiling as his entire body tensed. "Thank you for taking care of him," she said in his ear. "Stone's lucky to have a brother like you looking out for his back."

"How did you...?" He gaped at her as she pulled back, though comprehension dawned on his face after a moment and she felt a flare of guilt from him. "He told you."

Kali shook her head. "He didn't need to tell me anything, Trax. I know that you were all there for him when I wasn't and I just wanted to thank you." She gave him one last smile before turning back to find Stone.

He had taken a seat by the fire with a mug in his hand, though he set it down at her approach. She slid beside him and they sat together for a few minutes in comfortable silence. The bonfire cast dancing embers towards the sky and bathed their bodies in a lambent glow. In the background, someone began to play music and Kali found her attention sliding to the sound even as she was attuned to Stonewall's warmth beside her, as well as his presence in the Force. Soon she closed her eyes and she reached through the currents of energy that were still eddying between them.

Did I tell you how sorry I am for what I put you through? Speaking with his brothers reminded her of the stricken expression on his face that last day in the garden and the memory filled her with remorse.

Stone's arm wrapped around her shoulders as he pressed her to his side. You lost the Force, Kali. You were confused and scared; I understand why you acted as you did. Besides, my life is too short to hold a grudge. When he finally spoke his voice was quiet. "We got here. That's all that matters to me."

It was almost too much. Kalinda rested her head against his shoulder while all around them were the sounds of celebration: music and raucous laughter that blended with shouts, jeers and the clinking of mugs. I love you. She leaned up and met his eyes again, feeling a thrill pass through her at their color, at their warmth. "Stonewall, I love you."

A gentle kiss against her forehead. "I know."

I've been waiting to share this chapter for so long...I think it's my favorite one out of the entire story. Yes, there are still unanswered questions, but the story isn't quite over, though we are very close.

Yes, Stone's last line is reminiscent of Han's line in Empire. [swoon]