Own Star Wars I do not.

Connecting

She watched him. He watched her. He could feel the light in her growing and healing her from the darkness she had been in before.

"My lady?"

Obi-Wan recognized the man as the one who had tried to prevent Obi-Wan and Alpha from leaving. Asajj realized the man was asking if action should be taken against Obi-Wan and that seemed to shock her from the impasse she was in. Not that Obi-Wan could blame her. He was not sure quite what to do either.

"No! He is…welcome here. He is no enemy."

Obi-Wan took a step towards her and dared to hold out a hand. Asajj hesitated no longer and bridged the remaining distance to place a hand in his. The man didn't need to the force to see his presence wasn't required and left them. Obi-Wan barely saw him leave. His attention was focused on Asajj. He held her hand lightly in his. He dared not even to squeeze gently lest she decide to run off.

She scowled at him and tugged her hand away.

"I am not a coward. Letting you leave without making my presence known would have been wrong."

"I am glad you made that decision."

I thought I felt you die. You went into a trance instead. Force, I cried over you. This is more than moderately embarrassing.

"Why did you come here? I was no Jedi, and Master Narec was not orthodox."

"I came because it was right. The force told me to. What happened at Boz Pity was wrong."

"Nothing I did before then was anything less wrong."

"What happened to you was still a tragedy."

"Still trying to save the universe through that stubbornness of yours?"

"It gives me something to do."

"You came. You said what you wished to say. Now what will you do?"

For myself and about you? I would learn more of you. I don't have to arrest you: one of the provisions of the treaty was that everyone but Sidious was forgiven if they were repentant. I can feel the aftereffects of regret in you and how you reach to the light.

"The treaty says your life is your own. I would enjoy learning more of you but that is your choice."

Now it was her turn to study him. She sighed.

"As if you would say less than the truth. You can do as you wish."

She slowly turned back to her home. Obi-Wan slipped into step with her. People looked at them and Asajj glowered. She gestured towards the man Obi-Wan had seen earlier.

"Argus, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a friend. Whatever he wants give it to him. In the meantime," he felt it when she decided to throw the past to the past and let the present flow. She gave him a look that held the slightest twitch of a smile.

"I will show you what I am doing and you may learn more of me Kenobi."

He bowed to her.

"I look forward to it," he said lightly. He meant it. He could tell she knew because she let one of her hands rest on his arm like a queen accepting an escort.

"I'm sure you do. Though the Jedi must be boring for you to be here."

They walked to her quarters in silence. They sat on a table close to a window and looked outside for a moment.

"Palpatine, did you hear who he was?"

"Even here that news traveled."

They both remembered her warning to watch Coruscant and what it had ultimately referred to: kidnapping a Chancellor who was not worth rescuing.

"I didn't know."

"I know you didn't."

She had never been a Sith. Merely a pawn so she wouldn't know.

"He wanted Skywalker didn't he? I was told to kill him, but you know with Sith that is a test. How did Skywalker resist?"

"The light called to him and he chose to listen."

"He would have been as stupid as I was to do otherwise."

"That's in the past."

She turned from him in agitation. She had to be remembering what she had done to him. She was trying to hide it but he could feel an almost palpable regret. Expressing emotions besides hatred couldn't be easy for her- she had felt the lighter emotions for Master Narec and lost him. Despite that she chose to do the right thing: to allow for healing from the past.

"I hurt you Kenobi. I am sorry."

"Obi-Wan."

"I have not earned the right."

"I give it."

"You would give anything wouldn't you, you light side..."

"Careful, you're on the light side now too."

"Something which you are drawing considerable satisfaction from."

"Is it wrong to be happy to see someone you thought the darkness had taken away not only in the light, but alive and working for it as well? It is you who is responsible for the light I feel cautiously taking root here."

Not taking the chance to clasp her hand felt wrong. She paused and then squeezed back. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. The sun started to set and she frowned.

"What are you going to do?"

"Are you chasing me off?"

"You would trust my hospitality?"

"I know it will be different this time."

She slipped her hand from his and he followed her up the hallway. She looked into a room and nodded with satisfaction.

"Argus is efficient. Come to me whenever you wake whether it is dawn, or later if you wish to be a lazy Jedi."

"Is that a challenge?"

It was so easy to banter with her. He had to be careful to keep the nicknames out of it. Some passerby might hear 'my dear', 'my darling' or 'my sweet' and get the wrong idea. She smiled at him. It was an inviting smile instead of a dangerous one- no it was still dangerous but not in a life risking way. Asajj Ventress in the light was no weakling. She still had her wit and maybe even her ability to fight. Which reminds me…

"I have something you should have."

He held out the lightsaber. Her eyes widened and then narrowed.

"I have done nothing to earn it."

"It was always yours. You just needed to remember why."

She took it from him. She lit the blade and stared at it for a moment. It hummed in the silent room and she looked at him almost, no definitely, daringly.

"Has being away from me blunted your skill Obi-Wan?"

"Do you want to know," he asked softly in challenge back. Something charged in the air between them. They had challenged each other before, but this was different. There was no danger, no death. Only desire to test one's skill against a worthy opponent.

"If you have the energy."

"I'm all yours Asajj."

He hadn't felt this energized in a long time. If it wasn't getting dark outside he'd offer to spar with her now.

"Tomorrow morning. Don't keep me waiting."

"I would never do that."

His vacation had just gotten interesting.

He met her at her room for a quick breakfast. There were few words because both of them were looking forward to sparring. She led him to a training area and smirked.

"Are you sure just having Grievous was enough to keep you in shape?"

"I guess we will know soon won't we?"

It took a moment for them to adjust to the new balance between them: no trying to harm just fighting for the sake of a test. Then they were off the force flowing around them like an elegant dance. He leapt up a pillar just to frustrate her and she gave chase. She tried to knock his feet from under him while balancing on a wall just to see him have to get balance back while holding her off. Time seemed to have no meaning and, force, it was one of the best ways to start a day Obi-Wan had ever experienced. It also helped he could feel the match was healing her somehow: using her master's saber instead of a Sith blade and knowing Obi-Wan trusted her reasons for fighting. Her skills were exemplary, but Obi-Wan had the edge. He cornered her and gave her an inquiring look. She nodded and he shut off his blade.

It was then they became aware of shock filling the air around him. Evidently their match had gone on for a long time. The sun was significantly higher in the sky and there had been enough time for them to attract a lot of spectators. Obi-Wan felt alarm. Would his defeating her harm her standing?

"He is the greatest warrior I have ever fought and I am one of the greatest he has fought. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

He should have known she would not allow any threat to her position. She had wit or their interactions would not have had such sparks.

"Now what," she asked him.

"I need more food and a shower."

She waved him off and he went to get both. Later he tracked her force presence to a room with a large desk and a comm station. She was frustrated.

"This feels even more impossible than a duel with you!"

"What could possibly earn that distinction? I feel somewhat jealous."

There was no hesitation to trust him. She simply threw a padd to him and he looked it over.

"Ah, the wonderful world of negotiations. My forte. Would you mind some advice?"

Rattatak lacked a strong infrastructure for getting its minerals off planet, so buyers wanted to use that fact against Asajj in negotiations. Obi-Wan sat down and they spoke over that, and other such things, until the sun was midway in the sky judging from the shadows on the floor.

"You never did tell me how it was you came to be here."

Obi-Wan blinked. Given the work they had just been doing he knew he was going to get a caustic response.

"I'm on vacation."

"You call this vacation? If the Republic didn't have so many fools you could have won the war alone by sheer willpower."

"Even the bravest warrior, or diplomat, needs help sometimes."

Argus brought lunch and some more work. Obi-Wan could feel Asajj beginning to get frustrated and gently took a padd from her.

"What else is there to do here besides sparring and paperwork?"

"You are on vacation."

"Show me."

"I take you out there and you will stop and try to help everyone."

"A walk sounds very good."

They tackled more work and dinner before the day ended. She looked at him before he said goodnight.

"Tomorrow, paperwork then sparring. I want to deal with fools and their demands first and then have fun with lightsabers."

"I have no objection to that."

"I knew you wouldn't," she said with a smile.

You are learning to know me well, he thought with satisfaction and looked forward to what tomorrow would bring.