Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowed as he glared at his former apprentice. Anakin Skywalker had contacted him via holo-phone, claiming that something of incredible importance was occurring on Mandalore and he needed to come immediately. Obi-Wan had reacted exactly how Anakin thought he would, making his way to the peaceful planet and arriving the very next day, only to find Anakin standing on the landing platform with a large grin.

Anakin had accompanied Senator Padmé Amidala to Mandalore on a pleasure visit, against Obi-Wan's better judgement. He wasn't completely sure what it was, but there was something between Anakin and Padmé that even the Force wouldn't reveal to him. There was a wall there, presumably put up by Anakin himself. Obi-Wan had spoken with his apprentice several times about the importance of avoiding attachment as a Jedi, but apparently his words went in one ear and out the other with the headstrong Skywalker.

As he disembarked from the ship he'd borrowed, Obi-Wan remembered why he had been hesitant to make the trip in the first place. He hadn't seen Mandalore since Darth Maul had been chased into hiding by a combination of the Death Watch and the Jedi, and he wasn't sure how well he would be received. It was his fault that the Sith brothers had targeted the neutral system in the first place, and he would have understood if the entire planet was upset with him for it. But when he wasn't met by armed guards and a mob of angry Mandalorians, Obi-Wan realized that perhaps he had been worried for nothing.

"Don't look at me like that, Obi-Wan." Anakin's voice broke the silence as they walked towards the palace.

"You told me this was an urgent matter."

"It is." Anakin chuckled as he shrugged. "Your presence was requested."

After he'd gotten Obi-Wan to explain his connection to the Duchess Satine Kryze aboard the Coronet nearly a year ago, he and Padmé had been trying to figure out how to get them to spend time together. He knew it was against the Jedi Code, but his master deserved to experience at least a little happiness in the aftermath of all that had happened. Anakin would never understand how Obi-Wan could nearly lose someone so close to him the way he had, and not spend every second at her side. If Padmé had had such a close brush with death, Anakin would have spent at least a month on Naboo, regardless of what the Jedi Council said.

Especially with Darth Maul and Savage Opress out there, beaten and bruised after losing their battle on Mandalore. The two monsters who had ravaged Mandalore alongside the crime lords of the underworld were still alive, as far as they knew. Any man with feelings as strong as he knew Obi-Wan's were would drop the Order and protect the woman he loved.

But Obi-Wan was not just any man… unfortunately.

His obligations and loyalty to the Republic and the Jedi Order took precedence over his loyalty to his heart. Anakin never understood how he could turn his back on love, maybe because he never had. He continued to pursue his relationship with Padmé, keeping it a secret from everyone they knew.

He wondered how the Duchess felt about everything. She had almost died at the hands of the Sith, and then the one man who had been her savior and protector was gone merely a week after the threat had been chased off.

She'd had to leave Mandalore and go into hiding for a while after Maul's failed assassination attempt just to be safe, and Obi-Wan had stayed with her for a few days. He was quickly called away when the Jedi Council demanded him to explain why he had rebelled against them in the first place

Obi-Wan had kept his explanation succinct, providing nothing more than the bare minimum of details and a sincere apology. But those more in touch with the Force, like Master Yoda, could sense a deeper meaning behind Obi-Wan's rather foolhardy actions and chose not to mention it.

Obi-Wan had tried to keep in contact with her as best he could while she was in hiding, but with the Jedi Council breathing down his neck about the whole Mandalore situation, their holo-phone conversations had quickly become nonexistent after a few weeks. The conversations they did manage to have were always stunted and professional, since Obi-Wan knew he was to be monitored for a time. They both knew he wasn't supposed to go to her aid the way he had, but he knew he couldn't just stand aside and hope Maul wouldn't harm her or her people. It was one of the few blatant acts of rebellion towards the Council he had ever committed. But he had felt it necessary, and was ready to face the consequences, such as having his every move analyzed until further notice.

After a long six months, Satine was allowed to return to Mandalore. She had been welcomed home by all of her people, in a large parade through the center of the capital city, Sundari. Anakin had been instructed to oversee the ceremony, and he could see the disappointment hidden in her eyes when she was told that Obi-Wan would not be in attendance.

"He was… called to another Council meeting. He sends his apologies."

As they rode the transport to the palace, Obi-Wan noticed how things had finally calmed down on Mandalore. The capital city was thriving again, with repairs looking close to finishing within the next year or so.

The Clone Wars had calmed as well, but that only served to put everyone on edge. The Council worried that the Separatists and the Sith brothers were plotting against the Republic together, and eventually were forced to give Obi-Wan the freedom to visit Mandalore when he deemed it necessary. Not that he had much time to do so with how busy he had been tracking down Maul and Savage.

"Even so. Next time, just tell me what's going on." Obi-Wan sighed, resting his hand on the base of the transport window.

Anakin had called him so suddenly that Obi-Wan hadn't even thought to contact Satine, something he did in the very few times he was to visit Mandalore. When he'd answered the holo-phone the day before, his first thought was that Maul had returned and Satine was in danger. The last thing he had wanted to do right then was call her and ask about it. He just wanted to get there and make sure she was alright.

They reached the palace steps and walked inside, following a long corridor that led straight to the throne room. As they reached the doors, Obi-Wan took a deep breath, and Anakin let out a chuckle at his former master's apparent apprehension.

"I didn't know if you would come if I had simply told you that she wanted to see you." Anakin shrugged, running a hand through his hair and smirking at his master's unimpressed eyebrow raise. "I'll see you later, Obi-Wan."

"And just where are you going?"

"Senator Amidala requested my assistance upon my return from the landing platform." he smiled. "Have fun."

"...Right." Obi-Wan sighed as he watched Anakin wander off down a corridor to his right.

Obi-Wan entered the throne room rather hesitantly, and was more than pleased to see Satine standing in the center of the room, her back to him as she instructed a few jetpack-clad Death Watch members on how to hang decorative flags.

"Shift the left side up just a bit higher… there you go, that's perfect."

She was dressed in her casual clothing, what he had come to think of as her "Rose Outfit". He loved everything she wore, but he particularly enjoyed seeing her so at ease and in her element. Her hands moved with a fluidity that only she possessed, and he was reminded again of how naturally graceful she was.

"I see you and the Death Watch have reached an agreement, Duchess." He said to announce his arrival.

Satine spun around at the sound of his voice echoing through the large room, a stream of sunlight from the windows around them catching the gleam in her eyes just right. She handed the ball of twine in her hand to the Death Watch member who came and stood beside her, smiling at Obi-Wan far more tenderly than he had ever seen her do in a public setting.

"Indeed we have, Master Jedi." She replied, gesturing towards the Death Watch member beside her who removed their helmet. "I'm sure you're already acquainted with my sister."

Bo-Katan smiled, nodding once at Kenobi and shaking his hand when he walked over to them.

"It's good to see you, Master Kenobi. Glad to see you're still alive after so long."

"It is good to see you as well, Bo-Katan. Yes, it takes more than a few Council hearings to keep me down." he chuckled, then turned to Satine who had turned her attention to the sunlight spilling through the stained-glass windows to the left of them. "Mandalore is recovering well."

"Yes, with the help of Bo and the Death Watch, Mandalore is very close to returning to its former glory after the trauma it experienced." Satine nodded, her attention back on him.

"After I saw what Maul tried to do to Satine and our home," Bo-Katan said suddenly. "Death Watch and I decided that perhaps our violent past was not the best way forward. We realized that perhaps my sister has a point. Perhaps peace can be achieved... through nonviolence."

"If only the rest of the galaxy shared your ideals, then maybe the Clone Wars would have ended long ago." He agreed.

Satine watched the exchange, trying to calm her rapidly increasing heart rate. Seeing Obi-Wan walk through the door had sent a torrent of emotions running through her, which she surprisingly welcomed. She had casually mentioned him at dinner with Padmé and Anakin the night before, not expecting the man in question to show up the next day. But she was not complaining. He seemed to be more and more handsome every single time she saw him, and she thoroughly enjoyed having him here... especially after weeks of sporadic holo-phone conversations… before he stopped calling altogether. But that was what she got for fancying one of the best Jedi knights in the Order. He was always busy, as was she.

"Bo, there is some business I must attend to in the lower levels." She turned her attention back to Obi-Wan. "Care to join me, Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan could hear the suggestion behind her words, and didn't hesitate to hold out his arm for her to take hold of, smiling at the thought of finally getting a moment alone with her.

"Of course, Duchess."

XXXXXX

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you, Obi-Wan."

Satine had yet to release him, her arm carefully looped through the crook of his elbow. Her free hand rested on his wrist, casually toying with the grooves of his Jedi armor. She almost wished he hadn't worn it, her fingertips longing to feel the definition of his muscles through his tunic, the way she had during their few nights of tension several years ago.

Some time before Maul returned, The Jedi Council had asked Obi-Wan to keep an eye on Mandalore and its Duchess. There had been a strange shift in the Force that was upsetting Master Yoda. He feared for the Duchess' life, and knew that the only one who could effectively protect her was Obi-Wan Kenobi. The threat had been eradicated early on in his mission, an unorganized group of off-worlders with a bone to pick, but he had decided not to inform the Council of his success. Master Yoda had sensed that the threat had gone, but trusted in Obi-Wan's judgement, so he did not inquire as to why he had yet to return to Coruscant. In actuality, Obi-Wan had elected to spend the last of his time on Mandalore in the company of who he had silently come to claim as his Duchess, keeping a very watchful and close eye on her near her quarters every other night. Back then, her nightmares had been the biggest threat. She would wake in the middle of the night, panicked and trembling. She would see a horned man, skin as red as blood, holding what seemed to be her life in his hands. Obi-Wan would hear the soft cries she let out as she shot up in bed, and would hurry to her side to comfort her until she dropped off again. His departure from Mandalore had been a difficult one after that seeing as they had grown even closer during that time, and the pang in his heart hadn't lessened for weeks after his return to Coruscant. Even Anakin noticed the change in his demeanor, alerting Obi-Wan to how obvious and open he was being with the battle he was fighting in his heart. Satine had noticed as well, her soul aching in a similar fashion that she knew only she and her shining Jedi knight would understand, through the connection they had made between their hearts.

Her cheeks burned at the thought of those evenings spent in his arms, and she forced herself to move her train of thought to the moment they were currently in.

She had led him down into the prison cells that she had once been held captive in by Darth Maul, as it was the one place she knew no one was patrolling. She had sent the guards away, since there were no more prisoners on Mandalore as part of her peace-centric initiative. The area was soon to be converted into a meeting hall, where both citizens and dignitaries alike could come and converse in a calm environment. But for now, it was the perfectly private place for her to catch up with him with its single entrance and exit. They would know if anyone were to join them unexpectedly. They walked about the levels, the gentle clicks of her heels acting as a reminder that they were physically together, not conversing over a holo-phone.

"Yes, I wasn't expecting to come either… But I must admit I am not complaining." he swallowed thickly, a tender smile on his lips as he lowered his voice despite the fact that no one was around. "I... wanted to see you, in person."

"I'm glad to hear I was being missed." She smiled, taking note of the warmth she felt radiating from him.

While they had not seen each other for some time, the connection they felt was still there, just as familiar and comforting as ever. She evoked a sense of ease within him that he felt with no one else, and if one were to see how he behaved around her, they might not even recognize that it was the great Obi-Wan Kenobi. With Satine, he was simply Obi, a man who had longed to see the woman he cared very deeply for.

"Yes… trying to track down Maul and Savage has not been easy to do without thinking of you." he said with a smile and a slight cough, trying to stop feeling like a ten year old boy on a first date with his crush.

"You are still tracking them down?" her voice had gained a frustrated edge to it, a slight huff ending her question as she slowed their walk. "Why do you still so willingly invite conflict?"

"It's not so much inviting conflict that appeals to me." he sighed, a sudden defiance in his tone as he stared straight ahead. "I simply want to ensure the safety of both you and your people. I cannot achieve that if those monsters are still out there plotting your demise."

One thing that had never changed between them, regardless of how much time they spent apart, was how easy it was to argue. Obi-Wan wasn't sure if that would ever change considering the fact that he was still a soldier and she was still a pacifist.

"Must it always be you that confronts Maul?"

"He will never leave Mandalore, you, or the Order alone if it is not I he faces Satine. Men like Darth Maul do not give up easily. He came back from the dead with the intention of seeing me suffer, he won't change his mind simply because I refuse to face him."

Satine wanted to be upset with him. She wanted to tell him to leave the situation alone, but knew he couldn't. His heart was too big, his attachment to her too strong. It was completely against the Code, against everything he had been taught as a Jedi knight, and yet he was using it to protect her and everyone else he cared for. Surely the Jedi Council would reconsider their policy on attachments if they saw Kenobi now, giving space for his emotions in order to serve the common good.

"I… appreciate your concern, Obi, I do. I just… I fear for your safety." She sighed, tightening her grip on his arm as they walked down to the lower level of the facility. "If Maul is so intent on killing you, I worry that the reason you haven't found him is because he's biding his time."

"You worry that Maul is toying with me." He sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "Satine, I'm not-"

"I worry that you're playing right into his plans, unknowingly." She interrupted, guiding him into one of the empty cells and gently pushing him down to sit in front of her, a pleading in her eyes. "You don't have to track him down, Obi-Wan. Let the Jedi Council take care of it. You know of my aversion to violence, but if there is to be any, I would prefer it not have anything to do with you."

"I am a Jedi, Satine. I am also a general, whether we like it or not. "

"You don't have to be."

The single sentence sent a wave of sadness through him, the tenderness in her voice tearing at his heart. He knew what she was referring to, and was startled to realize how much he agreed with her. He did not have to be a Jedi, he could leave the Order and turn his back on that life, the way he had been prepared to do all those years ago.

"Satine" he took her hand in his, sighing softly. "… No one, Jedi or otherwise, has the same level of understanding the situation that I have. No one else... has you to protect. That, in and of itself, is enough reason for me to find and stop him."

Her features softened at that, her lips flickering upward into a smile for a brief moment before they faded back into a concerned frown as she backed away and pulled her hand from his grasp.

"You must try to understand my position, Obi-Wan. I… I do not want to lose you again, not permanently."

Obi-Wan let out a weak sigh, running a hand through his hair as he unwillingly remembered the many times they had faced separation. Whether it was at the Council's request, or because his mission had been completed, they had been pulled apart by their social and political obligations… regardless of their shared emotional one. It had been slowly driving him mad, but those separations had always been temporary.

Satine always knew that someday, they would see each other again, even if it were years later. But this was different. If Obi-Wan were to confront Maul and misjudge his power… their separation would be permanent.

"I… I understand your apprehension, Satine. But… you know better than anyone how dangerous Maul is. If a Jedi without the determination to stop his reign of terror were to confront him… they would die. I cannot stand aside and let that happen. Every Jedi in the Order would perish by his hand until he reached me."

"Why must it always be you…?" her voice was soft, her back to him as she wrapped her arms around herself. He could hear the different emotions she was feeling in her voice, and it awakened a part of his being that had been suppressed for many years now.

Looking at her now, her back to him, her shoulders slumped as she tried to comfort herself… he felt a familiar yet protective warmth spreading throughout his chest. He was her protector, her 'knight in shining armor'. He never wanted to be the cause of her distress… but he supposed that was an unfortunate impossibility considering his profession.

Before he could consider it further, he was on his feet again, his arms around her torso as he held her from behind. He expected her to tense or even push him away, but she did neither. She simply let out a shaky sigh, leaning into his embrace and covering his hands with her own. He supposed she felt the same way he did about their situation, in the sense that they had gone through too much together to continue beating around the bush about their feelings.

"Satine… Maul would attempt to destroy everything… and everyone… I care about." he swallowed thickly as he hurried past the memory, tightening his hold on her. "When he tried to kill you… just to break me... I tell myself often that I would have still been able to defeat him had he succeeded, but I know…"

Satine turned in his arms and saw the pain written all over his face, his gaze dropping to the floor. She, too, had thought of what might have happened had Maul succeeded in taking her life as painful as it was to think about. She wondered what would have happened to her home, to her people… to her Obi-Wan. Would he have remained a Jedi? Could he continue on without her? Would the Council find out about their relationship? ...Would Maul and Savage be able to use the weakness caused by her death to end Obi-Wan's life as well…?

Allowing herself to act on the swirl of emotion she felt in the pit of her stomach, she placed a hand on the side of her saddened Jedi knight's face, a gentle smile on her lips. His gaze met her own, tears pooling in his brilliant blue eyes.

Obi-Wan didn't cry often. The last time she had seen him cry was when Qui-Gon Jinn had perished. He had contacted her via holo-phone that night, and all she could do at the moment was watch him fall apart in front of her and long to hold him in her arms. She ran her fingers through his hair, fully appreciating the fact that she could physically comfort him this time.

"I could have lost you, Satine." He whispered through a shuddering sigh as she wiped away the tears before they could break free. "They would have finally broken me."

"You didn't lose me, Obi. I am still with you." she said softly. "That has to count for something…"

"But for how long? How long do we have until Maul returns? He knows of my feelings for you. You are more of a target now than ever." His eyes had gone cold, his form tensing at the very thought of anything happening to her.

Satine didn't have an answer for his question, but no one truly did. There was no telling how much longer they had together. There was no telling how long Maul would wait. It could be years, months, or even days. He could resurface tomorrow, and they would be completely unprepared.

They were silent for a while, neither of them sure what to say to the other that would soothe the cracks they felt in their hearts.

"I've thought of leaving the Order." His voice was tight, and she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "I've given up so much for the Jedi. I've fought for so long… not only in the Clone Wars but in my heart. I fought against my feelings for you…"

"Obi-Wan…"

"I am a Jedi. I fight to save lives, protect the innocent. But... anything that tells me that I'm not allowed to love you can't be as good a cause as it's made out to be."

"Oh, Obi…" She sighed sadly, allowing his arms to wrap around her fully in the loving embrace they both had been craving. Her head was resting against his shoulder, ignoring the hard hollow surface of his armor to listen to the thumping in his chest.

"I do not want to fight against my heart anymore. You saw what I was capable of when I broke free to save you. Had I not cared for you the way I do… it would not have been possible." He let out a shaky sigh. "If the Jedi Council frowns upon loving you, Satine, I no longer want to be a part of it."

She clung to him, tears threatening to stream down her face. She knew what he wanted her to say… but she didn't know if she could do it. She didn't know if she could ask that of him. Could she really live with herself knowing she was the one he left the Order for? He was one of the galaxy's greatest protectors, a general in the Republic army. Could she truly be the one to pull him away from that?

"I can't ask that of you… you know I can't."

"Then don't ask." He said, his hand coming up to lovingly stroke the back of her head. "But I refuse to deny the fact that I have feelings for you, Satine, because I do."

It was something she had wanted to hear for the last several years, and yet now that he had finally admitted it, all she wanted to do was cry. He had officially broken the Code. He was admitting his attachment. He had spoken it into the universe.

He hadn't left the Order yet, but was asking her to give him an out, a route that led to comfort… even if it only lasted for a short time. She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his, both of their faces flushed.

"I have feelings for you as well, Obi, you know that. But…what about-"

"I am not going to leave the Order before I deal with Maul." He said softly, his eyes conveying everything he couldn't say with words. "If I am to take him out, I will need the support of the Jedi. But as soon as he has been taken care of and is no longer a threat… I will come back to you, and I will never leave again."

He was so tired, so tired of running from a threat he couldn't see. So tired of holding in his feelings. So tired of fighting a war he didn't truly believe in. He wanted to be with her, that was the bottom line. There was nothing else to it. He had spent his entire life learning how to be a 'peacekeeper', all while feeling nothing even close to peace within himself. He wanted, no needed, this. And Satine realized that she was honored to be the one to give it to him, even if they couldn't truly be together at that moment.

"And… Anakin?"

"...I'm sure he will understand."

His features softened, a small smile making itself visible. She could practically hear the thumping of his heart, could feel the way his arms tensed around her as he felt their bond strengthen. She smiled as well, her own heart swelling with the knowledge that she had been harboring feelings for him all this time for a reason.

"I love you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi knight."

That statement meant more to him in its entirety than one would think it did. She hadn't simply told him she loved "Obi-Wan Kenobi", but that she loved Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi knight. The very condition that was keeping them apart, the fact that he was a Jedi, was part of who he was, and so she loved that as well. It was like a cool breeze washing over his flushed skin, like the sun coming up over the horizon on a barren arctic planet. It was warm and wonderful, blossoming from the depths of his heart and spreading throughout his being.

"And I love you, Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore."

All those years of back and forth, questioning whether or not this was right, trying to choose between love and duty… it had all led up to this moment. All he had to do was embrace it, and he did it willingly, without any second thoughts. Before he could give it another thought, he'd pulled her tightly against him into the passionate kiss they'd been dreaming of. The bond between him and his Duchess was cemented, and Obi-Wan knew that nothing in the galaxy could sever it now.

Satine felt it as well, the invisible link between their souls strengthened by the pure perfection they had found in each other. She may not have been as Force-sensitive as he was, but it didn't take a Jedi to sense the harmony and peace that resided in the loving arms of her Obi-Wan.

For a moment, there was no Jedi Order. There were no Clone Wars, or Sith brothers. There was no Code or policy keeping them apart. There was only love. Love between two souls that had been pining for each other for far longer than they should have. She smiled against his lips, his beard tickling her face exactly the way she had imagined it would.

She was told that love never does make sense, and that was more true now than it had ever been. A Jedi knight, taught from the beginning to avoid attachments in order to serve the common good in the form of fighting a war… and the Duchess of a neutral system with a severe aversion to violence. A strict pacifist, falling in love with a peacekeeping general.

They eventually parted when their lungs longed for air, both of them sporting flushed faces. He gingerly tucked a lock of her blond tresses behind her ear, his eyes never leaving her face.

"I may not leave the Order today, tomorrow, or the day after that..." He smiled, a soft chuckle in his voice as relieved tears pooled in his eyes. "But I will leave the Order. Because I love you, Satine. I will always love you, and no one, not even the Jedi Council, can change that."

Satine smiled, tangling her fingers in his hair as their foreheads touched. The relief she felt coursing through her was addictive. Finally, finally she knew how he felt.

"And I will continue to love you until we can truly be together, my dear Obi-Wan."

They closed their eyes, Obi-Wan using his connection to the Force to convey to her exactly how he was feeling, and all she could do was smile as a few happy tears rolled down her cheeks.

"If only Qui-Gon could see us now…"

"Oh, I'm sure he's looking." He chuckled, pulling away slightly to place a tender kiss on her forehead. "And I'm sure he's proud."

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of my first attempt at some Obitine! I've been a huge Obitine shipper for a while, but wasn't sure if I could do a fanfic about them justice. With season 7 of the Clone Wars coming out, I figured I would try my hand at it! Let me know what you think!