After an early start to the day in the lab, the Archive's fresh air presented a welcome reprieve. She flicked through news reports and Senate briefings as she followed her nose to the refectory. Adrina endeavored to never let an opportunity to enjoy the Temple food pass while she was on Coruscant; too soon she would be away again, left to whatever rations they were afforded. Yet even the sometimes meager rations surpassed the meals she'd been afforded on Tatooine - and those she lacked.

Temple life spoiled her. She led a blessed life.

A smile rose on a wave of excitement; a familiar presence approached. Adrina waved her data pad at Obi-Wan. "Results are back on the worm. Master Stehl is conducting further studies, but here's our preliminary analysis." She wrinkled her nose. "They reek, by the way. I'll need to stick my nose in some flowers for a while after those dissections."

"I daresay you've earned a blueblossom or two after all that work. Care to join me for lunch?"

Her eyes sparkled as she held up her hand. "Only if we can talk about worm guts and other inappropriate mealtime subjects."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I shall endeavor to be a suitably unsuitable lunch companion."

Adrina grinned. "Excellent. In that case, I would be delighted to join you."

This was her favorite side of Obi-Wan, a side too often hidden away as of late. His easy smile tugged on her heart and she knew she would do a great many things to ensure it never vanished. His hand brushed hers as they passed Master Treel, leaving her skin inexplicably tingling and breath confoundingly short. Adrina tried not to dwell on the thrill his touch elicited.

Conversation about busy nothings flowed easily between them. Each traded quip, each easy comment carried a little bit of their burdens away, chasing the darkness of the waging war from their minds. For a few precious moments, they were simply Obi-Wan and Adrina - dear friends.

"The oddest thing," Obi-Wan commented as they sat down with their food. "I went to Chancellor Palpatine on behalf of the Council to request a commission for Anakin."

Adrina nodded, tearing off a chunk of bread to dip in the rich soup. There truly was nothing like a good hunk of bread to soothe an unsettled mind.

"He didn't want to grant it."

Adrina frowned. "That's odd. Why?"

"He was rather dodgy," Obi-Wan said. He ignored Adrina's answering snort. "But from what I could gather, he was afraid it might rub salt in a wound and that he had done his duty and deserved an easy retirement."

"Did you tell him Anakin requested this?"

"I did."

Adrina sighed and shook her head. She laid her bread aside. "Surely the Chancellor knows that whether he gets a commission or not, Anakin will be at the front lines with his men." What was the Chancellor playing at? What did he have to gain by keeping Anakin behind? It was true, public opinion of the war and even the Jedi continued to spiral downward, but Anakin remaining on the front surely would be better received in opinion polls than the devastating losses that could follow his absence?

"Oh, believe me. I told the Chancellor exactly that," he said. "The Chancellor granted it then, although he did not seem particularly enthusiastic."

Adrina considered the news for a moment before shaking her head again and going for another bite of bread. "You know my feelings regarding the Chancellor," she murmured. The loathsome power-hungry toad could go rot on a log. On the darker days, her descriptors became more unsavory.

"And the more the war drags on, the more…." Obi-Wan cut himself off, all too aware of how close their conversation veered towards sedition.

Their eyes locked. Adrina cleared her throat and moved to her second-favorite dessert. "I hear you have a padawan again."

"Between the two of them, I will no doubt be wizened before my time," Obi-Wan remarked dryly.

"I thought I spotted a gray hair in that mane of yours," Adrina teased. Gray there may have been, but he bore it unconscionably well. "Here, try this dessert. It's delicious. You'll love it." Adrina spooned a portion onto his plate. Obi-Wan eyed the lime green goo dubiously, but he tentatively nibbled a bite. His eyes lit up and devoured the rest. Adrina flashed him a smug smile. "They are remarkably alike, Anakin and Ahsoka."

"And here you are, about to leave Maelle to deal with the 501st alone," Obi-Wan chided her with a grin. "You're positively cruel."

"Only for a few days while I step in for Healer Yril on Chaasch until he recovers. Maelle will be fine. She doesn't need me hovering. Besides, next week it's my turn to accompany Master Windu and the Clone Youth Brigade."

"Ah, yes. I forgot we expanded that rotation to include the Medical Corps."

"A sensible decision, if the point is to ensure extensive training. Anakin is itching for a turn, as well, you know."

"Oh, I'm aware," Obi-Wan remarked dryly.

Adrina grinned. Deflating slightly, she hesitated.

"Still no information regarding Boba Fett," Obi-Wan said, sensing the turn of her thoughts. He gently touched her hand and locked eyes with her, sending the oddest sensations through her body. Adrina bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to identify the emotions sweeping through her.

Obi-Wan's communicator beeped. He answered it with a sigh, withdrawing his hand.

Adrina shook her head and took another bite of dessert.

Mace Windu's voice sounded, "You're needed in High Command immediately."

"Understood." Obi-Wan gathered his plate with an apologetic smile. "We'll have to get into those worm guts later, I'm afraid."

Adrina waved his apology away. "Go save the Republic. We have plenty of time."

Adrina ripped off a chunk of bread with a sigh, slumping. Oh, but she did miss him when he was gone - a fault to which she desperately needed to apply herself.

0

The familiar jostle of the transport touching down in the hangar bay drew a relieved sigh from Rex. He could use a sonic shower and a few hours of peaceful sleep. Some pain killers would not go awry, either, but all of that would have to wait until he completed his duties. No Seppie scratch would keep him down.

That General Grievous sure was a tough one. Rex supposed he'd hardly be much of a general if he was easy to capture, but Grievous always seemed to be one step ahead and with more luck than any one person had any right to possess. It was infuriating, to put it mildly.

With any luck, they could extract intel from the droid they'd captured on Saleucami.

The ramp descended, flooding the transport with the familiar sounds of the bustling hangar bay. Rex pushed to his feet and staggered towards his post. General Kenobi blocked his path with folded arms and raised eyebrows.

Rex had never had a father, but sometimes, in the wee hours of the dark night, he suspected a father might bear a look similar to the one General Kenobi too frequently sported.

"Don't worry about me, General," Rex grunted. "I'll survive."

"Of that I have no doubt," Kenobi said cheerfully. "I am fully convinced that you are just too stubborn to die."

Rex rolled his eyes. "The same could be said about you, you know."

Light footfalls drew General Kenobi's attention. "Ah, Assistant Amon! Good. We were just on our way to you."

Rex looked up to see the Jedi jogging towards him, blonde curls bouncing around her ears. "I thought I would meet you halfway," Assistant Amon said. She stopped squarely in front of Rex, eyes already scanning his body. "What happened?"

"A commando droid got the better of him, I'm afraid."

Assistant Amon tipped her head back to look at him directly. Inexplicably, Rex found himself transfixed by luminous green eyes. He squirmed as his thoughts scattered like dust in the wind. "Let's get you to MedBay and we'll get you properly sorted out."

"I'm fine." Rex cursed his gruff tone. He tried to soften it and said, "I mean…. It's been looked after."

General Kenobi quietly made his exit. Assistant Amon glanced at the wrappings. "It is a good field dressing," she agreed, "Exceptional even, I'd say. Jesse's work? His technique is vastly improving. Good."

He avoided the question with a shrug. After everything, Cut and his family deserved whatever protection Rex could give them. Cut may have deserted, but he was an honorable man.

"And rules are rules. Besides, if Healer Adrina catches wind that you refused help… well…. we don't want that now, do we?"

"No, we-" Rex stumbled over his feet, too transfixed in her cajoling smile to keep his footing in his weakened state. Assistant Amon's arms wrapped securely around him. He felt her own lithe body buckle under his weight, but she kept them both upright until he could steady himself. Underneath the admittedly pungent stench of sterilizer, a tangy floral scent tickled his senses. A myriad of sensations flooded his body. Rex cleared his throat and awkwardly shifted out of Assistant Amon's arms.

Assistant Amon's hands lingered on his arms until she was confident he wouldn't keel over. A small voice whispered in his ear, wondering what it would be like if her touch was born out of desire for him, not merely concern for his health.

No. Rex quickly stamped down that highly inappropriate line of thought.

Pink tinged Assistant Amon's cheeks. He cursed his hasty retreat from her arms. He'd gone and made her embarrassed. She clasped her hands behind her back. "I'll call a meddroid to come help you walk to MedBay, unless you'd prefer a stretcher."

He'd pass out before he suffered the indignity of a stretcher. "I can walk just fine on my own."

"Captain Rex." The chiding, gentle and almost sweet, burrowed under Rex's skin and melted his resolve.

"Fine," he sighed. He'd never be able to argue with her. He understood now how this slip of a woman, this embodiment of sunshine, was able to convince even his surliest of troopers to submit to medical attention.

The meddroid arrived and placed its cold, metal arm around Rex - a far cry from the warmth and comfort of Assistant Amon's support. Sucking up his pride, Rex accepted the assistance as they ambled to MedBay.

"So stubborn, the lot of you," Assistant Amon muttered under her breath. "It's bad for your health."

Rex had to smile. "Yes, sir, we are."

"I suppose it's a good thing on the whole." She sighed. "Although you all make for terrible patients. Absolutely dreadful."

"It's just how we're created, sir."

Maelle rolled her eyes. "It's just Maelle, but I appreciate your respect."

Rex cleared his throat. "Yes, sir."

The strong odor of sterilizer assaulted his senses. Maelle led him to an empty bed. The bed hummed as Maelle lowered it. Rex broke away eagerly from the meddroid, all too happy to be independent once more.

"Now," Maelle murmured after taking a moment to clean her hands. "Let's take a look." Cool, gentle fingers peeled the field dressing away and inspected the wound. Rex grimaced. "The nerve damage is not irreversible and you are alive. Good news indeed."

Nothing he didn't know. "What's the bad news?"

"For once, Captain, there is no bad news. I'll be right back with your bacta patches." She reappeared moments later with the two all too familiar blue patches. "One goes on your chest, the other on your back, if you will allow me."

Rex grunted.

"This will take but a moment, Captain Rex." Maelle turned and began recleaning her hands in the sink.

Unbidden, his dinnertime conversation with Cut resurfaced. Cut's tale of desertion haunted him. Rex participated in brutal, bloody battles in his short life and he witnessed the atrocities the Separatists committed on the battlefield. Rex knew the cold whisper of looming death, the chill like nothing else in the galaxy. He knew hopelessness, the fear. And he knew the manic thrill of evading death's clutches one more time.

"Were you on Geonosis?" The question slipped from Rex's lips.

Maelle froze. Her chuckle rang hollow. "Allow me to check for a concussion once I place these patches. You know I was. We found the parasite in Scythe, remember?"

"The first invasion, I meant." Why could his mouth not stay shut?

"Why do you ask, Captain?"

Rex scrambled for an excuse. He scratched the back of his head. "Some of the men were swapping stories. I wasn't there, you see."

Maelle reached for the bacta patches. The patch crinkled and the sticky sweet aroma of bacta wafted towards him. Her pale green uniform whispered as she turned with downcast eyes. "I was there." The faint wobble in her voice and rigid posture betrayed her impassive expression. Rex grimaced. "I'll start with your back." The warm bacta brought instant relief to his wound. "The bacta will repair the nerve damage." She peeled the backing off the second patch. Her shoulders had eased by the time she stood in front of him.

"I'm sorry." An involuntary groan slipped past his lips. Her cool fingers rested against his skin as she positioned the patch.

Maelle's eyes flicked to him. The bacta seeped into his skin. "It's alright." She pressed the patch onto his wound, a pleasant gentle pressure. "I'm afraid I don't have any exciting story to contribute. I was only retrieving men from the field and my transport was shot down after just a few trips. No wild stories of daring do from me."

Lines appeared between Rex's eyebrows. The memory of Maelle, white as a ghost, staring up at the transport in the hangar bay, floated before his eyes. There had been a haunted look about her, and he suspected he now knew why.

"I'm…sorry."

Maelle offered a faint smile and shrugged. "I recovered nicely, all things considered. I was the fortunate one that day." She pressed her lips together and turned to collect fresh bandages. "I'll wrap this for now to help protect the bacta patches. Come back tomorrow - no later than three days from now - for reevaluation." Her eyes pierced him. "I will hunt you down if you don't present yourself, so don't think about getting out of it."

Rex nearly grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Something about her closeness, the warm pressure on his chest as she bound his wounds, the brush of her robe against his leg - something about it all intoxicated him. Assistant Amon leaned forward to wrap over and under his arm, exposing the back of her neck. Beneath the collar of her robe, faintly puckered pink skin peeked out. He blinked. With the prevalence of bacta, burn scars were all but nonexistent in the Republic. She must have been badly wounded indeed and gone far too long without medical care.

"Almost done," Assistant Amon murmured.

Rex tried to ignore the petite woman wrapping his shoulder. He didn't know what to think of her. Assistant Amon had always warranted respect, being a Jedi, but their first encounter hadn't left him with an overly favorable impression - even if he could view the encounter in a new light after Maelle's revelation. At the time, he had failed to see the strength and wisdom he associated with the Jedi. His men, however, always returned from MedBay singing the praises of a slip of a girl who gave them small smiles and listened with such care. She made them feel ten meters tall and each one special and seen. Yet, outside of MedBay, she was aloof and reserved.

Then came Dorin. The fire burning in her eyes, the deadly calm in her whisper - every spine in the room had straightened and every knee trembled. The sight was….magnificent.

On Geonosis, he glimpsed the woman his men told him tales of: a tiny angel who bestowed soft smiles and a listening ear. She sought out Scythe, who wasn't even attached to their unit, because she suspected he was injured. She demonstrated compassion and, Rex had to admit, strength. Her strength wasn't obvious, like General Skywalker or even Healer Adrina, but now that he had witnessed it, he could not deny it. It was quiet and gentle, but soul deep and steady.

Assistant Amon - Maelle - intrigued him.

He needed to put such thoughts out of his head. She was a Jedi and he was but a simple soldier. They each had vows and duties. It would be inappropriate to dwell on Assistant Amon any further.

He would just have to purge her from his thoughts.

He would always be just a humble soldier, nothing more.

0

Almost.

He'd almost captured General Grievous. Once again, the enemy escaped by a hair's breadth and they were right back where they started. How many more good men would lose their lives because of his failure on Saleucami? He shuddered to think.

The end of the war had nearly been in their grasp and he failed.

"You'll get him, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan lifted his head. "Oh, Anakin. It's you." He rubbed his eyes. Each day the weight on his shoulders grew just a little bit heavier. The day was coming, Obi-Wan was afraid, that the weight would prove too heavy and he would rise no more.

Anakin joined him by the start chart. "You'll get Grievous. It's just a matter of time. His luck will run out. Besides, I'm here now."

"There's no such thing as luck."

Anakin rolled his eyes.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I appreciate your vote of confidence."

Anakin clapped Obi-Wan on the back with a lopsided grin. "Anytime, old man."

"General Skywalker, General Kenobi," Rex saluted as he entered the command room.

"Whatdya have for us, Rex?" Anakin beckoned him over to the star chart.

"We analyzed the droid. Bad news."

"Is there any other kind right now?" Obi-Wan muttered. He rubbed his face and prepared for the worst.

"Not particularly," Rex agreed amicably. "We were right, General Skywalker. The Seppies were intentionally targeting the RMSU - standing orders since Dorrin. The order was buried, but it's there, clear as day."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "Dark days indeed if they're targeting the wounded."

Rex hesitated. "Not all of them. Just ours." That captured the attention of every ear in the room.

Obi-Wan dropped his arms, eyebrows raised.

"They're targeting our RMSU in particular?" Anakin reiterated.

Rex nodded. Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance. Rex vocalized what they were thinking: "Taking out Healer Skywalker would deal you a significant blow, General Skywalker."

And me, Obi-Wan admitted to himself. He shook the thought from his head.

Every muscle in Anakin's body coiled. Obi-Wan held up a hand to his friend. "Best to not jump to conclusions," Obi-Wan said. "There is no reason to assume Adrina is the particular target." Still, a tiny beast inside of him roared, ready to take on the entire Separatist army if it meant keeping Adrina safe.

Anakin's grin held a feral edge. "Oh, I'm jumping. I've jumped." Naturally. Except, this time, Obi-Wan nearly jumped with Anakin. Only the remaining shreds of his good sense prevented his free fall. "I've jumped far. Adrina is the only reason they would target our RMSU above all others."

"We'll take extra precautions," Obi-Wan said. "I'll inform the rest of the Council. It's a bold move, even for the Separatists."

"Agreed," Anakin said. "Where is she now?"

"She is on Chaasch at the moment," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard. "She should rendezvous with us in a day or two." And that was a day or two too long. She was never leaving his side again. Obi-Wan grimaced at the almost possessive direction his thoughts turned. Perhaps Adrina was right - maybe he needed more rest. He ignored the flicker of confusion in Anakin's eyes.

"Good. We need to find out what cruiser she'll be on and give them a heads up. If Adrina is the target, they will be too."

"I'll tighten security here, too," Rex said. His lips pursed in a grim line. "Seppies have no shot."

0

Blaster fire jolted Adrina from sleep.

The bright numbers of the chronometer blurred. Adrina swore under her breath. After the grueling week she'd had on Chaasch, she had welcomed the cold, lumpy mattress and flat pillow for the brief reprieve it would offer on the hyperspace jump back to Obi-Wan, Maelle, and her men at Saleucami. She was not expected for another two days, but Healer Yril's speedy recovery rendered her presence superfluous.

Teal light illuminated the room when she ignited her lightsaber. Expanding her senses, Adrina dashed down the hallway towards the sound of blaster fire. Rounding a corner, a man in Mandalorian armor bobbed, ducked, and rolled to avoid blaster fire.

"Stand down!" Adrina commanded the invader. "You cannot win this." He raised his blaster. Adrina deflected the bolts with ease, sidestepping the burst of flame that shot from his bracers. She sensed his determination and….disgust?

"Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur!" Today is a good day for someone else to die.

Adrina twirled her lightsaber once. "Ne shab'rud'ni," she warned him. Don't mess with me. "You cannot win." Extending her arm, the Force slammed into the man's chest, flinging him backwards and pinning him to the wall. The troopers wasted no time in rushing him, securing the thrashing man's wrists in binders. Adrina deactivated her lightsaber and slipped it back into its holster.

Around her, prone troopers groaned and struggled to rise. "Bring the wounded to the MedBay," she ordered the captain beside her. "Oh, and Captain? I'd like to speak to the prisoner."

"Yes, sir." Captain Blues snapped a salute and barked orders.

Two troopers hauled the prisoner to his feet.

"Traitor!" The barb glanced off its target, stinging but not wounding. "You deserve to have your limbs ripped from your body and your head paraded through the streets for all to spit on as a warning to those who would turn their back on the people."

Adrina turned to look over her shoulder. He was not the first, nor would he be the last, to hurl such words. But it was not the threats that troubled her; he should not know who she was, yet he spoke with familiarity. Something within him shifted. His determination, his resolve… Adrina lunged forward. "No!"

But the man convulsed. The troopers let him fall to the ground, but Adrina shoved them aside. The man's helmet clanked to the floor as she began resuscitation efforts.

They were too late, though, the poison too efficient.

"Dead," Adrina growled. The coward. She pushed to her feet. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, willing herself to calm. "I must contact the Jedi Council." Captain Blues hollered orders to his troopers.

Adrina's thoughts churned with each laden step towards the bridge. Mandalore proudly remained neutral in the war; the Council of Neutral Systems recently elected Duchess Satine to lead their assembly. Adrina had listened to her acceptance speech; she had read Duchess Satine's numerous proclamations. Whoever ordered the attack on the cruiser, Adrina could only speculate, but it was not Duchess Satine.

But what would cause a Mandalorian to attack a Jedi cruiser? Surely there were easier marks, marks less well defended and closer to Mandalore. Certainly there were more significant targets. Unless, of course, the attacker wasn't Mandalorian, but had managed to acquire the armor, although that would be an almost more difficult task than attacking a cruiser.

Why a Mandalorian?

Why this cruiser?

How did he know her heritage?

Who stood to gain by implicating Mandalore? Surely not the Separatists. This attack would only invite Republic scrutiny and jeopardize Mandalore's ability to remain neutral. Unless by jeopardizing the Council of Neutral Systems, the Separatists hoped to force the member systems to choose a side - their own. The systems would surely protest the intervention the Senate would undoubtedly order, neatly pointing them to the waiting arms of the Separatists. Stomach lurching, reality forced Adrina to admit someone in the Republic could have engineered the attack for the same reason.

"Ah, Adrina!" Master Plo Koon's hologram materialized before her. "What an unexpected surprise."

"We have a situation." Adrina stepped to the side to allow Captain Blue to appear before Master Plo.

"What kind of situation?"

"We have a dead prisoner."

Master Koon folded his arms. "I was unaware you had a prisoner."

Adrina clenched the folds of her skirts. "There was a change of plans."

"I can explain," Captain Blues stepped forward. "A man wearing Mandalorian armor smuggled himself aboard the cruiser. He was blasting his way through when Healer Adrina detained him."

"He took his own life rather than submit to questioning," Adrina said. "Poison, likely in a false tooth. I've seen it before."

"What seemed to be his objective?" Plo Koon asked.

Adrina deferred to the captain.

"We aren't sure, General," he said. "We've already forwarded all surveillance from the time we left Coruscant. He was headed towards crew quarters, but I suspect he was turned around. There's no priority target there."

"There's no target here at all," Adrina said. "He would have been well informed. I find it unlikely he lost his bearings. Are we certain he was alone? Perhaps he was searching for his partner."

"The sweep is ongoing, but so far no other infiltrators have been located."

"Perhaps his mission was simply to cripple the cruiser," Koon suggested. "We have no other ships in the immediate area. You would have been an easy target for ambush."

"Maybe," the captain said. "But he passed the engine room up. And he didn't touch the rest of the cargo. Sabotaging either would have been easier than whatever his goal was."

"Whatever his goal was, it died with him," Adrina muttered sourly.

General Koon stroked his chin. "We will analyze the security footage and see what we may glean. In the meantime, continue the sweep and alert me of any developments."

Adrina bowed. "Of course, Master Koon." Adrina and Captain Blues exchanged a glance as the hologram disappeared. She spread her arms. "Well, Captain, I am at your disposal."

0

Obi-Wan rubbed the last vestige of sleep from the corner of his eye as he activated the holoprojector. Back on Coruscant, the early morning sun would just be beginning to peak over the horizon, streaming through the high arching windows of the Council Chamber and reflecting off the freshly polished floors with unabashed cheer. But Master Plo's call for an urgent meeting did not bode for a cheerful start to the day.

One by one, the Council members materialized in his dark quarters.

"The Serenity has been attacked," Master Plo's low voice rippled across the hologram.

Obi-Wan's heart lurched to a halt. Master Plo's words echoed in his ears. "Is Healer Skywalker…" Obi-Wan cleared his throat. He felt the wary and curious eyes of his fellow Council members turn to him. He shifted in his seat. "What are the casualties?"

"Minimal." Master Plo pressed a button on his data pad, forwarding Captain Blues' report to the Council. "Healer Adrina halted the intruder. A thorough sweep revealed that he was alone and committed no sabotage." The security footage from the attack looped in the center of the chamber as the Council studied the report.

A muscle worked in Obi-Wan's cheek. He scrubbed his face with his hand, leaning heavily back in his seat. Adrina was alright. Adrina was unharmed. Obi-Wan took deep breaths, calming his hammering heart. Perhaps his absence from Coruscant was fortuitous; the Council need not sense his unseemly distress.

He admired the efficiency with which Adrina halted the action, but nothing about it set right with him. Obi-Wan did not believe in coincidences. The saboteur ignored the engine rooms and bridge, heading instead to crew quarters. Undoubtedly Adrina was the intended target.

But, if Adrina was the intended target, the saboteur implicated Mandalore in a potential Separatist plot. The old Mandalorian warriors harbored no love of the Jedi and while they would surely clamor for Adrina's death, attacking the Serenity for petty revenge alone stretched the imagination. Obi-Wan scrubbed his face. Unless, however, the Separatists were involved. The lure of Adrina's death and toppling Duchess Satine would be practically irresistible.

Obi-Wan suspected a foul plot afoot on Mandalore.

"We recovered a droid from Saleucami and discovered that the Separatists have been intentionally targeting my RMSU in particular. It is logical to assume Healer Skywalker is the true target, otherwise why specify the RMSU?"

Master Windu leaned forward with steepled fingers. "You believe the attack on the cruiser is evidence that Duchess Satine is in league with the Separatists?"

"Duchess Satine would never condone an act of violence." Obi-Wan shook his head. "She is a pacifist to her core."

"Agree, I do," Yoda said. "But unaware of a plot she may be." Obi-Wan inclined his head.

The Duchess Satine of Obi-Wan's memory was an idealist - and idealists too often were blind to the nefarious schemes that surrounded them. Obi-Wan would stake his life that Satine had no hand in the attack on the cruiser, but that certainly did not mean someone in her circle was not actively undermining her diplomatic efforts at neutrality, or that Satine herself was not the true target of the plot. Republic occupation of Mandalore could seriously destabilize her government and undermine the entire Council of Neutral Systems.

"Rumors have reached us, as well, that Mandalore is building an army," Windu said.
"Rumors I had disregarded until today. Something is stirring on Mandalore. We must investigate. Quickly. Some in the Senate are already taking notice and when news of this reaches them, our hands may be tied."

Obi-Wan loathed the political considerations that seemed to more and more take precedence.

"Obi-Wan should go to Mandalore," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said. Other Council members murmured their agreement. "Let us resolve this matter before the Senate must be involved."

If the matter came before the Senate, Obi-Wan harbored no doubt that Mandalore would be dragged - kicking and screaming - into the war, even if the Separatists were not meddling.

"As you wish."