Hello, everyone. Here's yet another awesome chapter that I hope you'll enjoy. Now, remember when I said that I'm probably going to use over forty episodes from the clone wars? Well, I am thinking about shortening the list. Mostly because I want to get past this saga in Nairbix's life and get back to writing more of my original chapters. Not to mention seeing as I have things going on in the afternoons after school for a couple more months, my writing time is going to be limited especially on account of the ever wonderful thing known as homework. That and I have another story in progress that is doing a hell of a lot more better than this one feedback wise.
And once fall starts up, college will wipe out my chances of writing to the point of my rare instances of free time and holiday breaks. So I'd like to get through this story before that happens and it should be that way once I get out of this series. Speaking of which, since Agent Carter season 2 started, an idea popped into my head. How would you guys think about me using season one and possibly this current one for later on in the story? I'm only thinking about that because it would be ironic that Nairbix would befriend love interest of the jerk who deemed his wife "his" a while after he gets frozen. Just a thought, but it sounds pretty good in my head right now.
So any who, Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, anything owned by Disney, Marvel or Lucasfilms just Nairbix and the plot of this story (not including the plots used from the episodes and movies I've used). Oh, and there will be another A.N. at the end.
Sometime after the invasion of Geonosis, word reached the Republic Senate's ear regarding news of The Council of Neutral systems which spoke on behalf of over 1,500 worlds who wished to stay out of the war. Rumors indicated that the council's new leader, Duchess Satine of Mandalore, is secretly building her own army to fight for the Separatist cause.
Now Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and True Keyblade Master Nairbix VanSull have been sent to Mandalore to discover to discover the truth behind these claims. As their ship landed on the docking bay, they were greeted by a royal guard to escort them to the Duchess.
"The Duchess awaits you, Generals."
"Far be it from us to keep the Duchess waiting." Obi-Wan replied as the boarded the transport into the inner city. Once they entered the palace, the duo was greeted by the Prime Minister of Mandalore.
"General Kenobi and General VanSull." he greeted.
"Thank you for meeting with us, Prime Minister Almec." Nairbix thanked.
"I welcome the two of you as a servant of the people, but I am troubled by the false rumors that brought you here. Mandalore would never turn against the Republic." Almec defended, "The Duchess Satine values peace more than her own life."
"Oh, I'm aware of the Duchess' views." Obi-Wan replied before being cut off.
"Master Kenobi, Mandalore's violent past is behind us. All of our warriors were exiled to our moon, Concordia. They died out years ago." Almec informed.
"Hmm, are you certain?" Nairbix asked, "Because we had a recent run in with someone who wore Mandalorian armor, Jango Fett."
"Jango Fett was a common bounty hunter." Almec snapped, "How he acquired that armor is beyond me." Just then, the beautiful Duchess Satine walked into the throne room to join them.
"Well, Master Kenobi, my shinning Jedi Knight to the rescue once again." she greeted as she took her seat.
"After all these years, you're even more beautiful than ever." Obi-Wan smoothly replied. Hearing this, Nairbix's eyes widened at the sight of his friends obvious flirting.
"Kind words from a man who accuses me of treachery." Satine retorted hotly.
"We would never accuse you of personal wrongdoing, Duchess." Nairbix reassured, "However, a Separatist saboteur attacked one of our Republic cruisers, a Mandalorian saboteur." he informed as Obi-Wan replayed the holo-footage.
"You must be mistaken." Almec argued, "No Mandalorian would engage in such violence. Not anymore. Where is this prisoner now?"
"He took his own life rather than submit to questioning." Obi-Wan replied, "I know these commandos fought in many wars, often against the Jedi."
"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am." Satine defended.
"The ideals of one person cannot vouch for the ideals of many, Duchess." Nairbix retorted, "Not everyone is capable of agreeing to what someone says, no matter how high their position is or how respected they are."
"And strong words of accusation are as potent as a common easily treated sickness." Satine snapped back, "I am not so unwise as to so quickly lose and argument to a Jedi."
"Pardon me, Duchess," Obi-Wan interjected, "But Nairbix is not a Jedi. And I agree on his point that you cannot simply vouch for your people by saying that they all share the same ideals as you do. We are simply here to investigate whether or not Mandalore has at the very least something to hide."
"Clearly your investigation was ordered because the Senate is eager to intervene in our affairs." Satine sneered.
"Our investigation was ordered by the Jedi Council." Obi-Wan replied gently.
"I stand corrected." She admitted more level headed, "General Kenobi, perhaps you and your friend would like to join me on a walk through the city?"
As the trio enjoyed their walk, Satine began to express her gladness at the sight of her old friend. "It's so good to see you again, Obi-Wan, despite the circumstances."
"Your peaceful ways have paid off." he complimented, "Mandalore has prospered since the last time I was here."
"Not everyone on Mandalore believes that our commitment to peace is a sign of progress." Satine admitted, "There is a group that calls itself Death Watch. I imagine these are the renegades you're looking for."
"Death Watch, how cleverly named. I take it they're a real friendly bunch." Nairbix said sarcastically.
"Far from it. They're a group of hooligans that idolize violence and the warrior ways of the past. As far as we know, they are normally on our moon, Concordia." Satine replied grimly.
"A true warrior seeks to end wars, not cause them." Nairbix replied wisely.
"That sounds an awful lot like a quote. Who said it?" Satine asked.
"My master told me that when I was a boy. I had asked him if we were considered warriors or peacekeepers. He said that to me and added, 'Nairbix, we are at often times seen as both. But our true duty is that of ensuring that one day there will come a time when we are no longer needed and the worlds shall be at peace.'"
"Your master sounds like a wise teacher, Nairbix." Obi-Wan complimented.
"He's the most respected and admired wielder of the Keyblade to have ever lived." Nairbix clarified, "One way or another, he's managed to help all the wielders he's met since he took the rank. Funny thing is, he keeps insisting that I see myself as his equal."
"Why couldn't Anakin have been more like you?" Obi-Wan mumbled just before an explosion occurred. With quick thinking and reflexes, Nairbix was able to create a barrier wall to protect most of the citizens.
"Hooligans couldn't have arranged an attack of this scale." Obi-Wan stated bitterly.
"Then this must be the work of on off-worlder." Satine denied.
"Are you sure of that?" Nairbix asked as he pointed at the floating hologram symbol.
"The sign of the Death Watch." Satine whispered in fear.
"This goes far beyond vandalism. This is a political statement against your government and against you." Obi-Wan warned.
"She isn't safe here, we need to get her back to the palace." Nairbix advised before speaking to the police, "I want to interview everyone here. Nobody leaves this scene." As he said this, a single Mandalorian sprinted away from the crowd in order to escape. Seeing this, Nairbix ran after him and cornered him to a balcony on the lower level.
"I only want to talk with you." Nairbix eased, but the Mandalorian pulled out his blaster and began to fire at Nairbix who easily deflected them with a barrier without as much as a twitch. He then caused the barrier to burst and knock the blaster away, seeing no other alternative, the Mandalorian attempted to tackle him but was easily tossed aside.
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you refuse to comply." he warned as Obi-Wan and Satine joined him. Stealing the chance, the Mandalorian darted to the ledge and stood on the railing. He then recited something in another language and made his peace before jumping off and committing suicide.
"Dammit." Nairbix cursed, "What was it that he said?" he asked Satine.
"He was speaking in the dialect they use on Concordia, our moon." she replied sadly over the loss of life.
"I think we ought to pay a visit to this moon of yours." Obi-Wan informed.
"The Concordian moon is a province with its own governor. You'll need me to escort the two of you."
"That won't be necessary." Obi-Wan denied.
"Actually, it will be. You won't make much progress there without me, especially since you've just been involved with the death of a Concordian." Satine argued.
"I didn't kill him." Nairbix defended.
"I know. That's why I'm still talking to you." she replied before walking off. Later on, the three of them accompanied the body back to Concordia and met with the moon's governor.
"Duchess Satine, you're most welcome."
"Thank you, Governor Vizsla." she greeted, "May I present Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and True Keyblade Master Nairbix VanSull, representing the Jedi Council. Governor Vizsla is one of the officials I spoke of. He has been working to find members of the Death Watch."
"I take it you heard the rumors about Satine, about how she's supposedly leading Mandalore into an alliance with the Separatists." Vizsla mused.
"Our only instructions are to seek the truth." Nairbix replied as the coffin was carried behind them.
"This was the man who bombed the memorial shrine?" Vizsla asked.
"Yes." replied Obi-Wan, "He was apparently part of Death Watch."
"A worrisome prospect." Vizsla nodded, "If you'll pardon me, Generals, we must attend to the body." He said as they walked away; as they did with Satine joining them, Obi-Wan pulled her aside.
"I need a favor from you." he informed, "Please keep Governor Vizsla occupied at dinner."
"Where are you going?" Satine asked.
"Just for a look around." Nairbix replied, "I think we'd both like to see one of these mining facilities for ourselves."
"You mean you want to determine if they're still operational."
"We hope to determine they're not." Obi-Wan corrected as he handed her an earpiece. "I want you to wear this so that we can stay in contact, in case you run into trouble while we're gone." he said as they jogged over to some nearby speeders.
"Remember that the two of you are here under my protection. Please try not to cause problems where none yet exist." Satine pleaded.
"Think of us as searching for solutions." Nairbix said playfully.
"I have to tell you that I'm opposed to all of this."
"I'd be disappointed if you weren't." Obi-Wan teased as they took off. Not much later, the two friends arrived at the nearest mining facility and went inside. "Doesn't look abandoned to me." Obi-Wan stated at the sight of working hardware.
"Or used for mining either." Nairbix added as he caught sight of helmets and weaponized jet packs similar to what Jango Fett used. Suddenly, a member of Death Watch charged at them guns-a-blazing; he quickly tackled them and returned to the shadows for his next attack.
With their weapons readied, the duo calmly explained why they were there. "We are on a diplomatic mission under the protection of Duchess Satine." Obi-Wan called out.
"We do not recognize her rule." the grunt snarled as he fired at them. He was able to quickly disarm Obi-Wan but struggled to take out Nairbix who dismissed his Keyblade and fought hand to hand. As another member of Death Watch appeared, he rushed over and knocked out Obi-Wan just before grabbing his lightsaber and holding it against his neck.
"Either you come quietly or your Jedi friend dies by his own weapon." the grunt warned. Seeing no other option, Nairbix raised his hands in surrender. Ironically, Obi-Wan regained consciousness after he and Nairbix were trapped upside-down in suspension fields by the grunts.
"Excellent timing, Obi-Wan." Nairbix deadpanned.
"Commander wants us to sweep the area and check for any other Jedi until he arrives." one of them informed.
"This one's harmless enough without his lightsaber." the other added while fiddling with it, "The boss will love this." he said as they walked off. Once they were gone, Obi-Wan activated his comlink and spoke to Satine.
"Duchess, do you read me?" he asked, "Nairbix and I are in a little bit of a tight spot. We're being held by the Death Watch."
"Sorry to hear that." Satine replied but from the tone of her voice, she was attempting to reply while speaking to someone else; most likely the governor.
"There's a tracking function on your comlink. Follow it due east to our location."
"I don't know if I can do that at the moment." she replied.
"It's extremely urgent. Take a speeder. It's rough terrain." Nairbix advised just before the two grunts came back to do them in. Their method was using the machine they were hooked up to to crush them.
"Oh, bugger." Nairbix cursed.
"This does not look good." Obi-Wan pointed out just before Satine contacted him.
"Where exactly are you?" she asked.
"Listen for the loud metallic clanging sound. That would be the machine about to smash us into bits." Obi-Wan replied bluntly as they started to move, as this happened an alarm went off and caused the grunts to inspect it.
"Nairbix, is there by any chance something in your seemingly endless bag of tricks that might get us out of this mess?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, but I was hoping to avoid it on account of how disgusting it is." Nairbix responded nonchalantly.
"I think that now is not the time to be concerned with that." Obi-Wan exclaimed.
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." After the warning, Nairbix began to gag and attempt to regurgitate as they grew closer to their deaths. With one loud gag, Nairbix widened his mouth and allowed a pair of hands to make the opening bigger. Once it was large enough, Nairbix let loose himself covered in saliva as he collapsed onto the floor.
"Now I'm really glad I skipped out on the dinner." Obi-Wan groaned in disgust as Nairbix turned the machine off and absorbed his previous body into darkness.
"Believe me, being covered from head to toe in my own saliva is no picnic for me either." Nairbix retorted as he shook off the bodily fluid while Satine and the two grunts joined them.
Before anyone could react, Nairbix and Obi-Wan quickly took care of their captors and made their way to the nearest elevator. "Took you long enough." Obi-Wan mocked.
"For a man sworn to peace, you take an unseemly pleasure in the injuries of others." Satine shot back.
"And for a woman sworn to nonviolence, you don't seem troubled that we could have been killed back there." Obi-Wan retorted.
"But you weren't." Satine fired as she got up in his face.
"Well, you certainly haven't changed much." Obi-Wan sighed. As the door slid open, they came to see another member of Death Watch who was quickly taken out by Nairbix.
"This isn't the way we came in." he pointed out as more members noticed and fired at them.
"We'll have to stand and fight." Obi-Wan declared before glancing at Satine, "Or in your case, just stand."
"Speak for yourself, old friend." Nairbix corrected once Obi-Wan realized he had no weapon. He then quickly took care of the incoming Death Watch grunts and left only one alive. Just then, the apparent leader of the Death Watch walked over to them with more of his goons.
At the sight of his single underling, he uttered one word before ending his life, "Failure."
At his waist, Obi-Wan's lightsaber was in clear view. He then took off his helmet and revealed his face, Governor Vizsla. "Saw that coming." Nairbix said bluntly as Obi-Wan joined him.
"For generations, my ancestors fought proudly as warriors against the Jedi. Now that woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian." Vizsla snarled as he tossed Obi-Wan his lightsaber before pulling out one of his own.
Its blade resembled the starry black night sky and screeched as it passed through the air unlike the usual hum of modern lightsabers.
"Now that's my kind of lightsaber." Nairbix whistled with an impressed nod.
"This lightsaber was stolen from your Jedi temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic. Since then, many Jedi have died upon its blade. Prepare yourselves to join them." Vizsla declared.
"This guy has serious issues." Nairbix muttered bluntly as Vizsla charged at Obi-Wan. While his skills with a blade were pitiful, Vizsla's hand to hand combat skills were a bit impressive. But when push came to shove and Obi-Wan gained the upper hand, Vizsla acted like the coward he was.
"Warriors, finish them." he commanded his lackeys who fired their missiles at them. Apparently, they were tracking missiles given that when they missed they turned back around. With his ever quick reflexes and thinking, Nairbix opened up a corridor and transported the three of them safely back to Mandalore.
The next day, Obi-Wan and Nairbix escorted Satine and her advisors to her ship which would take them to Coruscant. "It's obvious the Separatists are supporting the Death Watch." Obi-Wan deduced.
"I disagree." Satine said sharply, "I told you I wanted to stay out of this conflict."
"Given the current situation, I'm afraid that may no longer be possible, Duchess." Nairbix warned.
"I will never be a part of this war." Satine growled in anger and frustration as she stormed off. Off to the side, Anakin, Artoo, Rex, Spades, Cody, and a group approached the duo.
"Reporting for escort duty, Generals." Anakin greeted promptly.
"Oh, Anakin. Are we glad to see you." Obi-Wan said honestly.
"You sound tired." he teased.
"The peaceful ways of the locals wore us out a bit." Nairbix joked as they all boarded the ship. Once the ship took off and entered space, the three generals called together the squad for a debriefing. "Alright, you all know your marching orders. The safety of The Duchess Satine is of the utmost importance. The Death Watch will stop at nothing to assassinate her before she pleads her case to the Senate." Nairbix informed.
"The Death Watch may be backed up by the Separatists, so stay sharp." Anakin added, "Artoo, use your scanners to probe for any suspicious droid activity." Artoo acknowledged with a series of his usual beeps.
"Anything else, sirs?" Rex asked.
"No, that will be all." Obi-Wan replied. As the clones dispersed, Obi-Wan's comlink began to beep. "Yes?"
"The duchess and her retinue requests your presence."
"Very well." With their orders given, the three generals and their clone commanders entered the elevator to meet with Satine.
"I sense some anxiety from you about the duchess. She couldn't be in safer hands." Anakin pointed out to his old mentor.
"Yes, I know."
"Then why…"
"Never mind. It's all in the past." Obi-Wan waved off.
"Oh, so you're close to her?" Anakin asked with intrigue.
"I knew her. A long time ago." Obi-Wan glared.
"Hmm, touchy." Nairbix mumbled as the door opened only to hear Satine rant her claims against the war.
"War is intolerable! We have been deceived into thinking that we must be a part of it. I say the moment we committed to fighting, we already lost." preached Satine before her guests.
"Oh, joy. We get to hear the pacifistic preaching of the duchess once more." Nairbix groaned sarcastically under his breath as they left their clones behind.
"Excuse me, Your Grace," Satine's fellow Mandalorian said, "Are you suggesting we oppose the war on humanitarian grounds?"
"I'm going to oppose it as an affront to life itself." she declared, "As the designated regent of 1,500 systems, I speak for thousands of worlds that have urged me to allow them to stay neutral in this war."
"And yet some might argue that the strongest defense is a swift and decisive offense." Obi-Wan argued as they entered the room with a respectful nod.
"You are quite the general now, aren't you, Master Kenobi?" Satine asked.
"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Highness. I meant no disrespect."
"Really? Senators, I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Satine asked teasing her old friend.
"Your Highness is too kind." Obi-Wan replied.
"That sounded more like an insult to me." Nairbix whispered to Anakin.
"You're right. I am." Satine retorted.
"Allow me to introduce my fellow Jedi, Anakin Skywalker." Obi-Wan introduced.
"Your servant, My Lady." Anakin bowed.
"And you're familiar with our friend here." Obi-Wan inclined to Nairbix.
"True Keyblade Master and the living manifestation and embodiment of Narnia's firstborn darkness, Nairbix VanSull at your service, Duchess." Nairbix properly introduced.
"Forgive me, Master VanSull, but I can't help but notice you did not bow to Her Grace." one of the Senators pointed out.
"With all due respect, Senator, and to you as well, Duchess, there are few people that I bow to; and she is not one of them." Nairbix replied curtly, "I'm more of a guard dog than a loyal mutt like the Jedi."
"Hey." Anakin warned while Obi-Wan glared at him.
"I remember a time when Jedi were not generals or mutts but peacekeepers."
"We are protectors, Highness." Anakin corrected, "Yours at the moment. We fight for peace."
"What an amusing contradiction." chuckled Satine.
"What Master Skywalker means is that we are acting at the behest of Your Highness to protect you from the Death Watch and the Separatists who don't share your neutral point of view." Obi-Wan quickly corrected.
"I asked for no such thing." snapped Satine.
"That may be so, but a majority of your court did." Nairbix reminded.
"I do not remember you as one to hide behind excuses." Satine said gritting her teeth and glaring at Obi-Wan.
"I do not remember you as one to shrink from responsibilities." he retorted matching her glare, "A Republic military presence is the only sure defense against the Separatists."
"Even extremists can be reasoned with." Satine shot back as she literally stood her ground.
"Perhaps, if one can be heard over the clanking of their battle droids." Obi-Wan snarled while raising his voice only to hear the Duchess scoff.
"The sarcasm of a soldier." she said.
"The delusion of a dreamer." Obi-Wan sneered.
"This is getting good." whispered an excited Nairbix.
"Duchess, Master Jedi, it's been a long trip." the Mandalorian eased, "Perhaps we should get some rest and refreshments."
"Hear, hear." said a fat alien Senator, "Let us settle this dispute over dinner."
"Fine!" they both said hotly. As the trio walked down the hallway, Anakin pressed for more juicy information about his mentor's past.
"You and Satine have a history." he started off.
"An extended mission when I was younger. Master Qui-Gon and I spent a year on Mandalore protecting the duchess from insurgents who had threatened her world." Obi-Wan explained as they entered an elevator. "They sent bounty hunters after us. We were always on the run, living hand-to-mouth, never sure what the next day would bring."
"Sounds romantic." Anakin teased as they got out.
"A civil war killed most of Satine's people, hence her aversion to violence. When she returned, she took on the difficult task of rebuilding her world alone." Obi-Wan said solemnly.
"You didn't stay to help her?" Nairbix asked.
"That would have been problematic. My duty as a Jedi demanded I be elsewhere." He said sadly as they returned to their room.
"Demanded?" Anakin asked, "But it's obvious you had feelings for her. Surely that would affect your decision."
"Oh, it did." Obi-Wan admitted, "I live by The Jedi Code."
"Of course. As Master Yoda says, 'a Jedi must not form attachments.'" Anakin quoted.
"Yes. But he usually leaves out the undercurrent of remorse."
"You know, that's what I don't get about you Jedi." Nairbix said somewhat harshly earning confused looks from his friends. "The whole lot of you, I don't get. 'A Jedi must not form attachments?' That is the biggest load of bull I have ever heard!" he shouted, "How could you possibly be protectors if you force yourselves not feel anything? The desire to protect someone or something comes from the emotions you have towards them no matter what kind."
Obi-Wan then spoke up, "We cast off our emotions to make sure-"
"What? To make sure you stay better than everyone else?" Nairbix asked hotly, "And another thing, there is not a single Jedi out there anywhere in this galaxy that abides by that, Obi-Wan. From the moment I met you and Qui-Gon and heard that cockamamie code of yours, I have seen nothing but hypocrisy!
"All of the Jedi are holding a grudge against Dooku for betraying your order, turning to the Dark Side, and starting this war. Also, you take pride in all of your victories against the Separatists and pretty much spit on their names every time you talk about them." Nairbix ranted.
"That's not true!" Anakin snarled.
"No? Think back to the history of your order. There has not been one single change to it since the fall of the Old Republic and Sith Empire. The lot of you think that diving deeper into the Force to advance yourselves is a step closer to turning to the Dark Side along with embracing emotions and doing anything that goes against the rules. The Jedi always have and always will hate the Sith, that's so obvious even an ignorant child could see it." Nairbix retorted causing the Jedi to grow silent.
"That code of yours is based off of nothing but paranoia and fear and self-deception. If anyone were to go against it, they would be spat on and frowned upon by those who blindly follow it. The ones who came up with that crap had no self-confidence and no self-control over themselves so they decided that to prevent anyone from becoming what they feared, no one in the order should feel anything because apparently every emotion leads to the Dark Side."
"The code protects those who are lost and are able to find their way in the Force." Anakin argued.
"What way?!" Nairbix shouted not believing his ears, "You guys use the Force for a handful of bloody reasons! You have not advanced in the slightest in over a thousand generations. And you deny yourselves all the positive emotions you would feel if you didn't pretend to abandon your emotions and simply bottle them up."
"We're not like your order, Nairbix. We have our own ways and cannot blindly let our emotions control us." Obi-Wan shot back.
"I'm not talking about my order! That being said, do you honestly think that just because we allow ourselves to embrace our emotions, we act blindly?! I embrace my emotions every day, have I ever acted blindly or put any of us in danger because of it?!"
"Well, no but-"
"No! And that's because I have self-control which was taught to me by my master who learned from his master and so forth. There is a difference between controlling emotions and bottling them up because a bottle can only contain so much before it bursts. My emotions are what give me strength and helps me protect the ones I care about."
"Well, let me ask you this, Nairbix." Anakin interjected, "If you were taught from the age of a young child to let go of your emotions and personal attachments by your master and order, would you?" After hearing this, Nairbix became deathly quiet.
"…If I were to have ever abided by that, then I would've forsaken the countless bonds I've made with all the friends I've made and abandoned the love I have for my home, my mother, my master, my teacher, my brothers, Natasha, my friends, and even the friendships I have forged with the two of you and the bonds I have made with Spades and the rest of my troopers.
"If I ever was taught that, I would have acted and thought on my own behalf and chose not to abandon my heart just so I could please my peers. I wouldn't be truly living if I acted like that because the whole point of living is to make bonds and cherish the ones you hold dear. Not sever them the moment you fear that you are going against the rules you blindly follow. And if you truly believe in the ones you love, they will always, no matter what, be there to bring you back."
"If we were to allow ourselves to act like the evil we fight against, then we are no better than our enemies, Nairbix. And we can't always rely on others."
"Oh, come off it, Obi-Wan!" Nairbix groaned, "You don't believe a single word of that. You're just defending the ones who drilled that into your skull because you don't want to admit that it makes no sense just yet. And another thing, there is absolutely no such thing as good or evil. Those are just labels plastered onto something based on the perspective of someone."
"If you knew what the Sith have done in the past-" Anakin started before Nairbix cut him off again.
"What like create an empire consisting of nothing but those who follow the ideals of its ruler? News flash, that's every fricking body of government and organization in existence, Anakin! Or that they discovered secrets of the Force that frightened the Jedi of old to the point where the mere thought of using any of them was automatically blasphemous? Or even narrowing their numbers down to just two in their order so when the time has come for the student to become the master they must kill them to further understand what it means to understand the ways of the Force? Anakin, neither I nor Natasha have seen the Sith as evil." Nairbix admitted.
"Shrewd, yes. Eccentric, yes. But evil, no. We have found the Jedi to be arrogant and narrow-minded, however."
"But Natasha's a Jedi too!" Anakin argued.
"True, but she was and still is a Princess of Heart above all else and their powers come from their positive emotions completely. Besides, she and I have been laughing at The Jedi Code for years. Even with the grief she's been getting because she hasn't been completely following it."
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked in concern.
"What? You haven't noticed all the dirty looks, side glances and glares we've been getting since we arrived? Nearly every Jedi has been alienating us because we don't follow the same guidelines and rules they do. The only ones in the entire order that haven't acted so cold to us are you two, Ahsoka and Master Yoda. Why else do you think the only times we go on missions with Jedi it's only when one of you or the both of you are there?"
Truth be told, they had never thought of that, but it did explain a lot. The two of them and Ahsoka really were the only friends that they had out of everyone in the order. "I never noticed." Obi-Wan admitted shamefully, "Nairbix, I'm sorry that's the case for the two of you."
"Ah, don't worry about it. We don't mind." Nairbix waved off before Obi-Wan's comlink beeped.
"Yes, Captain?" he asked.
"General, something's wrong with Skywalker's astromech." Rex informed, "Scared him real good, sir. I've also lost contact with two of my men."
"I'm on my way down to assist you." Obi-Wan replied only to be stopped by Anakin.
"I'll go, Master. If there's something dangerous down there, the clones and I can handle it." he reassured heading down below while the remaining duo headed to the senators' dinner.
"We beg your pardon, Senators." Obi-Wan politely interrupted, "Our men are investigating a situation below decks. We respectfully ask you to wait here until it is settled."
As he said this, Nairbix's comlink beeped an incoming message from Anakin, "Anakin, what have you found?"
"There's a large open container, and the contents are missing. And I still have two men that're missing."
"That's not good." Nairbix replied stating the obvious, "Keep things quiet. Obi-Wan and I will stay here with the senators."
"Got it." A few minutes later, Anakin contacted Nairbix again but with a more urgent message. "Nairbix, there are assassin probes down here. One of them went up the lift. I'll try to hold the others here."
"Quickly, secure the lifts!" Nairbix barked at the guards just as the killer droid barged its way in. As it crawled over the table to its targets, Obi-Wan leaped over and sliced its legs before puncturing its eye and terminating it.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. From the multiple holes in its head, dozens of smaller assassin probes popped out and headed to the senators. As they took for cover, Satine pulled out a droid deactivator and fired it at the tiny killers.
"Do you always carry a deactivator?" Obi-Wan asked as he and Satine were back to back and fending off the droids.
"Just because I'm a pacifist doesn't mean I won't defend myself." Satine replied.
"Now you sound like a Jedi." joked Obi-Wan as Nairbix crushed the last one with his foot. "Just like that swarm of venom-mites on Draboon, remember?" he asked Satine.
"How could I forget? I still have the scar." she coolly teased/reminded.
"Begging your pardon, Duchess. I distinctly remember carrying you to safety." Obi-Wan gently argued.
"I mean the scar I got after you fell and dropped me."
"Oh. Yes." Obi-Wan recalled bashfully.
"They're just like me and Natasha." Nairbix chuckled in his mind while smirking at his friend. Sometime later, Anakin and Artoo arrived to explain what they discovered in the cargo hold.
"One of our four distinguished senators appears to be a traitor." Anakin informed.
"I sense it too." Obi-Wan agreed as Nairbix spotted a remaining assassin droid.
"It looks like one of our little visitors is still alive. I have an idea how to expose the turncoat." he informed, "Anakin, return to the hull of the ship. Destroy the last assassin droids. We'll find out which of the senators is the traitor."
Once the dinner table was properly reset and the senators were enjoying their meal, Nairbix and Obi-Wan arrived with the surviving assassin droid in a container. "Sorry to disappoint you with the lack of desert, Senators. But I believe that our little friend here will attack the duchess and anyone who defends her. Anyone, that is, except the traitor who programed the blasted thing in the first place."
"Ah! Take it away! Please!" the fat alien senator cried.
"Master VanSull, this line of questioning borders torture!" Satine exclaimed.
"Oh, I assure our ever pacifist duchess that everything is under control." Nairbix replied calmly as he walked around the senators to test his theory, "I'm trying to expose a bigger threat. Oh, that's interesting," Nairbix mussed, "The droid seems to show unusual hostility to the honorable Kin Robb. But it seems to like you, Senator Merrik." Nairbix pointed out to the Mandalorian.
"Really, General VanSull, you're quite clever." Merrik admitted as he smacked the droid away freeing it in the process. While the duo attempted to take care of it, Merrik managed to grab hold of Satine and take her away.
"You're coming with me." he said with a blaster at her throat as he escaped. As they ran through the halls, Obi-Wan spotted Anakin up ahead and explained the situation.
"Anakin, Tal Merrik is the traitor, and he's taken Satine hostage."
"Any idea where they are?" he asked, "I've stationed troopers at every escape pod."
"Merrik will try to contact his allies for help. We have to find him." Obi-Wan stressed as they ran to the nearest elevator.
"This may not be the best time to ask, but were you and Satine ever…" Anakin carried off.
"I don't see how that has any bearing on the situation at hand!" Obi-Wan shouted. As they exited the elevator, the entire ship shook as the sirens went off.
"Oh, joy, just what we need right now. Company." Nairbix said sarcastically.
"I'll handle this, Obi-Wan. You go find your girlfriend." Anakin suggested as he ran off with the clones.
"Right." Obi-Wan agreed just before he realized what was said, "Uh, no, Anakin, she's not my…" But he just cringed and went with Nairbix the other way in search of his obvious old flame.
As they ran into the control room, the duo found who they were looking for. "Ah, Kenobi and VanSull, come in. We've been expecting you." Merrik mocked.
"Tal Merrik, you are under arrest. Release the duchess." Obi-Wan demanded.
"I took the precaution of wiring the ship's engine to explode. I press this remote, and we all die."
"That's a precaution?" Nairbix asked bluntly, "Sounds more like a kamikaze tactic."
"Obi, if you have any respect for me, you will not take such risks with so many people's lives at stake." Satine pleaded as they all slowly walked through the halls to one of the ships literally pierced through the walls.
"Say farewell, Duchess." Merrik said menacingly.
"Obi-Wan, it looks like I may never see you again. I don't know quite how to say this, but I've loved you from the moment you came to my aid all those years ago." Satine confessed.
"I don't believe this." Merrik said in disgust.
"Okay, a bit farther ahead than me and Natasha after all." Nairbix thought bluntly in surprise.
"Satine, this is hardly the time or place for-" Obi-Wan began only to be stopped by the look in Satine's eyes and the quick and rather hard slap to the head from Nairbix. "Alright. Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi order for you." he confessed with love and regret clear as day in his voice.
"That is touching." Merrik mocked, "Truly, it is. But its making me sick, and we really must be going."
"You have the romantic soul of a slug, Merrik." Satine growled as she crushed his foot and swiped his blaster. "And slugs are so often trod upon." she growled.
"Interesting turnabout." Merrik mused, "But even if I do not deliver the duchess alive to the Separatists, I still win. The second I'm away, I'll hit the remote and blow the ship to bits."
"I will not allow that." Satine refused.
"What will you do? If you shoot me, you'll prove yourself a hypocrite to every pacifist ideal you hold dear." Merrik snidely reminded, "And you, Kenobi. You are no stranger to violence. You'd be hailed as a hero by everyone on this ship…almost everyone." he said glancing at Satine.
"Come on then, who will strike first and brand themselves a cold-blooded killer?" Merrik asked only to have his throat suddenly spew blood and drop to the floor.
"Arrogant human scum." Nairbix growled as his eyes blazed in hatred and the end of his Keyblade was coated in blood. Thankfully, Anakin was right behind him and caught the remote as it fell to the floor.
"Nairbix." Obi-Wan said shaking his head.
"What? He was going to blow up the ship."
"Obi-Wan, I…" Satine said nervously as she approached the Jedi. Finally seeing the chance, Nairbix discreetly waved his hand and caused Satine to trip into Obi-Wan's embrace.
"Well, I was going for them to kiss, but a loving hug will have to do." Nairbix sighed in his mind. Once they reached Coruscant, the trio of friends met up with Palpatine at the docking platform.
"A job well done, Master Jedi. And to you as well, Master VanSull." Palpatine greeted.
"Nice save, you old coot." Nairbix mumbled as he and the other senators left leaving only Satine and the trio.
"How ironic to meet again, only to find we're on opposing sides." Satine said sadly to Obi-Wan.
"The needs of your people are all that matter. They couldn't be in better hands with you to guide their future." Obi-Wan replied.
"Kind words indeed from a mindful and committed Jedi." Satine nodded kindly, "And yet…"
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm still not sure about the beard." she said stroking it with care.
"Why, what's wrong with it?"
"It hides too much of your handsome face." Satine said as she and her guards joined the others.
"What was all that about?" Anakin asked through his chuckles.
"A very remarkable woman." Nairbix stated patting his friend's shoulder.
"She is indeed." Obi-Wan agreed before turning to Nairbix with an accusing look. "Were you trying to get the two of us to kiss back on the ship?"
"…Obi-Wan, I cannot tell a lie…but I can withhold the truth by not saying anything at all." Nairbix replied as he speed walked away.
"You were, weren't you?!" Obi-Wan cried.
I was tempted to have them kiss, but then I changed my mind. And that whole lecture about the Sith and Jedi, well that's pretty much the way I see things in this franchise. And before anyone brings up the new movie, I'm just going to say that Kylo Ren was an emo who had daddy and mommy issues and was only capable of throwing tantrums with success.