Don't own Star Wars, just recharging the creative part of my brain.
A bet
He went into meditation as soon as he got back to his room. Time to deal with whatever is going on. I haven't felt this off balance around a woman since Siri.
That was the answer. I'm in love with her. Force help me, I said I would never let this happen again. Yes, the Code has been changed but I don't like being off balance any more than Asajj does. How does she view me? If I'm unsettled by such a feeling she must have been deeply annoyed and probably banished it by now. If she even felt that way for me in the first place.
I've been here too long. I should go back to Coruscant. I don't want to destroy the deep bond we've formed by becoming a lovestruck idiot.
Thus resolved, he fell asleep.
He told her about his plans as they tackled what seemed to be the last of the paperwork to do for now. Without this to distract us, my loss of control would start to become obvious if I were to stay here much longer.
"I can't avoid my duties forever. Coruscant beckons. I'll spend one last day here and then I should go."
Her eyes flashed with something too quickly for him to identify it. Unsettling feelings like he had? I doubt it. She looked away. He sensed wistfulness. Something about it called him to speak before he could edit the words.
"I'll miss you too my darling."
She looked at him again. The emotions swirling in her eyes called to him. I think my thoughts on my feelings not being mutual may have been in error. Still, the advisability of it! I am on the Council. I have duties I can't just recklessly throw them to the wind! She has duties as well!
Obi-Wan threw out the first idea he had in an attempt to lessen whatever it was that was going on.
"I have time for one last match."
The emotions in her eyes changed to a thoughtful glance. Then she smiled. Obi-Wan did not know how, but he felt that somehow he had made a mistake.
"Yes, one last match. How about we add some stakes?"
"Stakes?"
That smile held a plan behind it. When Asajj Ventress planned one got very careful.
"Nothing against Jedi morality or your personal code. Since I'm fond of you I'll even change what I decide if it bothers you too much."
It sounded harmless enough but no one who knew Master Yoda could let that be a criteria. Still, what she could make him do within the code which would be harmful? Plus they were close so she wouldn't ask anything too embarrassing of him. She was even letting him have the choice of vetoing whatever she decided. Regardless, something is up. Oddly, I don't care. If word gets out that I accepted a dare Anakin will never let me hear the end of it. After all the lectures I gave him as a padawan about being cautious. Still, I haven't been able to do anything since I was a padawan myself so just once I'm going to be risky.
"I accept."
"Good."
That smile told him there was something he had to have missed. I'll just have to make sure I don't lose then won't I? They went to the sparring area. As usual there was a massive crowd.
"We had best make this good since it will be the last time."
"I agree."
The match had a different rhythm he noticed. Asajj is serious about this bet whatever it is! It looks like I might find out what I missed the hard way! The match was the longest yet with both of them pushing past every limit. It was Obi-Wan who lost. She deactivated her lightsaber and looked at him in triumph.
"Well? What is it," he asked impatiently. He didn't know what she was thinking and he both anticipated and dreaded finding out what he had missed. He was shocked to find, though, that triumph had been melted a bit by- was that uncertainty in her force signature?
"We'll talk," she said brusquely and led him back into the citadel. Obi-Wan's right eyebrow lifted. Whatever it was, she was losing her nerve. They went to her office and she turned an intense look at him.
"Have you heard of a planet called Dathomir?"
He blinked at the seemingly random question.
"I've heard it is matriarchal and home to some dangerous force sensitives."
"They have a custom as part of that matriarchy. If a woman defeats a man in battle they wed."
With the ban on attachment lifted marriage is not forbidden. Getting married is a very moral activity so it wouldn't violate my morals. The proviso that I could refuse if I wished. Very clever.
She frowned. Obi-Wan felt something in him melt. She was able to defeat me because she loves me and doesn't want us to be less than what we could. If she is being so brave, and yet reckless too, to dare such a thing how can I refuse? I would have run, which would have been cowardly, and Jedi are not supposed to do that.
He felt unworthy at that last thought and felt he had to be honest.
"Asajj, I was going to-"
"You're still conditioned to those old nonsense rules. Show me the truth of the new ones and then I'll consider becoming a Jedi someday."
There is the uncertainty. She's only going to trap me if I'm willing. Very polite. I want to, but duty…. Anakin is doing both. Why can't I?
He looked to the force, though, because he had to. He loved Asajj and he wanted to be with her but he had to be a Jedi first. He reached for the force.
He held her hands. They stood in front of Qui-Gon and his master turned to the crowd.
"This is the will of the force. Let none stand against it."
"Well?"
Her heart was filled with a slowly developing pain. She was battling fear he would say no and anger that he would.
"This is a rather unorthodox way to do this darling. We aren't on Dathomir."
She picked up on the verbal cue.
"I'm not letting that stop me. The custom makes a lot of sense to me."
He took her hands in his. He looked at her with tears in his eyes. This time they weren't painful ones.
"I agree; therefore," he managed to say through the emotions swamping him, "yes."
Whatever would have happened next was interrupted by Argus knocking on the door.
"My lady there is a ship which has come out of hyperspace. Its pilot identifies as Anakin Skywalker and he refuses to wait for permission to land!"
Anakin found out where I was going and doesn't understand why. This could get…unpleasant to put it lightly.
"He's a Jedi Master now and on the Council," Asajj asked Obi-Wan evenly.
"Yes."
"Let him land wherever he wishes. Don't bother telling him anything else because I don't think he'll listen. He feels…focused. He senses me and isn't happy. As for his rank, I don't know if I should say it shows there is hope for the order or if there is none."
"Perhaps," Obi-Wan gave her hand a kiss, "You should let me handle this."
"Amaze me my dear Obi-Wan."
He smiled.
"To anything less would be unworthy of you my darling."
Argus was staring at them but Obi-Wan didn't care. He was going to marry Asajj. Soon. Would it raise questions? Maybe. Would people, especially a certain still reckless ex-padawan, think he had lost his mind? Possibly. He didn't care.
He and Asajj made it to landing area just as a small ship landed. Anakin came bounding down the ramp.
"Ventress! If you've-"
"No need for that. You can see I'm fine," Obi-Wan soothed Anakin.
"Actually you feel a little strange. What-"
Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin and then clasped one of Asajj's hands. Anakin's face took on an expression which, if his emotions hadn't been filled with such concern for Obi-Wan, was almost comical. Still, Obi-Wan knew exactly what he was going to say.
"It has been said that a padawan teaches the master as much as the master teaches the padawan. You taught me something I haven't learned until now."
Anakin blinked. He was clearly trying to decipher just what was going on.
"That would be?"
"How to just do things sometimes. You heard Asajj say, "I'm all yours" during that one fight. Evidently she decided to make the offer official."
"You're mine too. Don't forget that," she reminded him.
"Of course my sweet."
Anakin looked between the two of them. His face said he was catching up on things.
"You came here, for whatever reason, and found she wasn't dead like we thought?"
"Yes."
"Then you stayed because you felt like it and fell in love with her?"
"Yes."
"Then she proposed to you and you accepted?"
"Yes."
"You aren't aware of the fact he said so because I dared him on an unconditional bet and he lost to me."
Anakin looked lost again. Then he looked at Obi-Wan. His eyes turned to Asajj and Obi-Wan sensed a very intense focus. Obi-Wan opened his mouth, but Asajj put a hand on his lips without looking away from Anakin. Obi-Wan started to feel a little nervous. If Anakin wasn't going to accept this it would make something joyful less so…
Anakin laughed. Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to look confused.
"You got him to accept an unconditional dare."
Obi-Wan huffed.
"I want to point out there were conditions: not violating the Jedi Code or my personal code with the option of veto."
"Still. Wow, Obi-Wan."
He gave Asajj a less intense look. Then he held out a hand.
"Welcome to the family. Anyhow, now that is settled I can call off the battle group."
Obi-Wan groaned and put his head in his hands.
"You brought a battle group?"