We are at the end of the road folks. Glad you enjoyed it. There are three vignettes that I wrote after the initial story involving our bonded couple. But in the meantime, enjoy this last chapter.

Chapter 32

"I can't believe all this was done because she wanted Padmé to have her marriage to my son annulled," Shmi said softly.

"And she wanted to send me a message," Dallen added wryly. "Guess she got the wrong idea 'bout me and Olana."

"I'm almost flattered that she'd think Dal would fall for me," Olana quipped. "Almost, but not quite."

"You're saying you two aren't…?" Siri's voice faded off.

"Master Tachi, I don't have to be Force sensitive to know rebound relationships hardly ever work out." Olana shrugged and turned to Dallen apologetically. "No offense, Dallen."

He grinned. "None taken. So what about our two soulmates who are sleeping in the other room? What's going to happen to them?"

Ventress sighed. "Count Dooku wants to take them back to Coruscant with us. They're going to have to undergo more training for their bond. Kenobi was practically incapacitated when Rhiannon was kidnapped and drugged with that serum. The healers are going to want them trained to feel each other's Force presence even at the smallest ebb." She shook her head. "I don't think we want them to go through this again."

"Did Master Dooku say when he and the happy couple would be back here?" Siri asked. "I hate to put a damper on things, but while you were gone, Ventress, I got a transmission from Master Glaive. Apparently, the Separatists are regrouping on Muunilist. I guess the Council wants every available Jedi back on Coruscant as soon as possible." Siri kept quiet about what Glaive thought about sending Ventress on this particular rescue mission, especially when it involved Kenobi's bondmate.

Unfortunately, Bant, Ventress, and Olana picked up on her thoughts. "He's as insensitive as he is stupid," Bant muttered. "How would he like it if his Falleen Padawan had been captured, drugged, and nearly raped?"

"I don't think they would've gotten very far with Zule Xiss," Rhiannon said as she came into the room. She was dressed in her Jedi attire with her damp hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and her Padawan braid hanging down over her shoulder. "I've sparred with her and I can assure you guys Glaive has taught her well. Those ruffians would've been defeated long before they could have an opportunity to drug her." She sat down with them.

Siri looked at her with concern as she and Olana moved closer to her. "What are you doing up?" she asked. "I thought you and Kenobi would sleep through the rest of the day."

"He's still sleeping, but the effects of the serum finally wore off and I didn't want to wake him," Rhiannon told her. "So, what's this about the Separatists regrouping? I thought we took care of that particular war when Anakin killed Xanatos."

"Don't worry," Ventress assured her. "You weren't the only ones to think that. As soon as Master Dooku gets back here, we're all going to have to return to Coruscant to take command of the Clone army we seem to have acquired. It seems that the Separatists are regrouping on Muunilist, at least according to Master Glaive."

"I know of another person who's not going to be terribly happy about this," Rhiannon mused. "And he's just had a wedding band put on his finger two nights ago."

Siri nodded. "I'm not looking forward to telling Anakin about this new development. But until he gets back here, I'm going to concentrate on a certain Jedi Knight who left here when he was in no condition whatsoever to do so."

Ventress laughed. She had a feeling Siri wasn't going to let her childhood friend live this down for a long time to come.

"Well, you can't because he's still sleeping, so why don't we just let him sleep," Bant suggested.

While the women were bickering and bantering, none of them noticed when Olana slipped outside to the balcony.

As she looked out over the sun setting on the lake, her mind wandered. She didn't like wars; didn't like what could possibly happen as a result of this one. The Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy; they weren't soldiers.

"Hey," Dallen said, startling her out of her thoughts. "Credit for your thoughts?"

She sighed. "I don't like wars, Dallen," she stated simply. "For one thing, they have uncertain outcomes. For another, fighting wars is not what the Jedi Order is all about. We're keepers of the peace; not soldiers."

"I get that, but I have a feeling it's a lot more than that," Dallen countered.

Olana shook her head. "Are you sure you're not a Force sensitive?" she teased. She then turned serious. "My home planet of Kegan is close to Muunilist. I fear for my family. In the years since attachments were allowed, I was encouraged to start having contact with them. There are my parents, and an older boy they'd adopted when I was brought to Coruscant to be trained as a Jedi. Our relationship is good, and I know they'd fight to the death to protect themselves, but…"

He nodded. "I know; I got it. If war does erupt, have you thought about talking them into coming to Coruscant to live or even here to Naboo?"

"It's a thought," she conceded. "My adopted brother, Davi, has made trips to various planets in the Republic, even here to Naboo, to help set up animal shelters." She giggled. "He turned his attachment to his pets into a career, I dare say."

She found herself leaning against him, grateful for his friendship and his ability to listen. He was a one-of-kind. Any woman will be lucky to have his love, she thought.

Rhiannon made her way back to the guest room she was sharing with Obi-Wan. He had woken up and was sitting up in bed.

"We'll keep this between us," she teased as she undressed down to her under tunic and crawled back into bed. "Knight Tachi is just dying to let you have it for sneaking off to accompany Knight Ventress to rescue us."

He chuckled. "I don't doubt it," he said as he cuddled her close. His brow furrowed when he saw the frown of concern on her lovely face. "What is it, love?"

"While you and Ventress were off rescuing Shmi and me, Siri got a transmission from Master Glaive," she replied, snuggling closer. "Turns out the Separatists are regrouping on the planet Muunilist."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "I thought we took care of them on Geonosis when Anakin killed Xanatos," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so did we, but I sense this is bigger than Xanatos Omega." She sighed heavily as she cuddled closer. "We're heading into war no matter what we do." A lone tear broke free and rolled down her cheek.

Obi-Wan gently reach over and wiped the tear away. "No matter what happens in this war," he vowed, "we'll face it together. I promise."

She smiled and leaned into his touch. He lowered his lips to hers and the kiss they shared was filled with tender passion and love. She let him gently ease her down on the mattress, but he pulled away. Sitting up, she regarded him with concern.

"Are you sure?" he whispered. "You've been through a lot today. I don't want to hurt you."

She blinked back tears, touched by his concern. "I'll be fine, my love. I need you." She reached up and touched her lips to his.

He groaned and kissed her hungrily, pulling back long enough to pull her under tunic up over her head. Gently laying her back down on the mattress, he began to explore her body with his hands, lips, and tongue, not wanting to cause her pain and only wanting to bring her pleasure. He trailed kisses down to her breasts and began teasing one nipple with his lips and tongue while his hand gave similar treatment to its mate.

Rhiannon cried out at the sensations he was stirring within her. She loved him so much and she wanted to be with him again after being parted from him for a day and a half.

Whatever that ruffian in the secret room had tried to do to her had not worked in her opinion; instead, she was feeling a more powerful love for her bondmate than before. She knew by the caresses and kisses he was spreading freely as he removed the remainder of her clothes that this wasn't the ruffian seeking to rough her up, but it was Obi-Wan, her bondmate, friend, and lover, and that nothing would change that. She was his and he was hers, forever.

When he entered her, she cried out softly in pleasure, enjoying the feeling of him joining with her for the first time since her kidnapping. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as they began to move together.

His eyes locked with hers as their lovemaking intensified and they never took their eyes off one another. He felt her hands gently caress his back and then her nails raked across the skin softly, making her alternate between teasing him with her hands and her nails. It merely caused him to move faster within her.

She smiled as she felt herself begin to climax, her inner walls beginning to crush him inside her. /Come with me, Obi,/ she whispered through their bond, sending hot tantalizing images to him of the night when they first consummated their bond.

It was more than enough and their shared climax slammed into the both of them, his seed flooding her womb.

They both went limp on the bed as they recovered from their lovemaking, but after a moment, Obi-Wan gently withdrew from her, rolling onto his side to cuddle her close.

"We may not get moments like this very often now," she said softly. "But I will carry this memory with me into the battlefield."

"As I will also," he promised, kissing her one last time as they drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

Later that night, they were all on the Jedi star cruiser, heading back to Coruscant. Count Dooku had sent a transmission, requesting that everyone still at the lake house in Varykino return to Theed and they'd head back to Coruscant. This edict meant not only were Obi-Wan, Rhiannon, Bant, Siri, Olana, and Ventress were to return with him, but also Shmi, Dallen, Dewey, and Cami were to come as well.

They were met by Dooku, Anakin, Padmé, and a shackled and enraged Sharée Naberrie. She would be coming back with them to answer charges from the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Council for her actions.

The trip started out tense, but once Sharée was put into a secure room on the cruiser which was away from the rest of the passengers, things eased up a bit. Dallen relaxed when he realized his mother couldn't hurt his friends and other loved ones anymore. Anakin was relieved that her plots had been foiled and that his mother and best friend were both okay, and Padmé was just plain weary.

As it was, the two ruffians who'd snatched her mother-in-law were currently being held in the Theed prison, and it was hopeful they'd turn on Sharée and give her up as the mastermind as this plot. Not only that, Ian Lago and his father were also being charged as accessories since they had gone along with her plot to force Padmé to marry Ian by kidnapping Shmi.

She finally shook her head to clear it. Sharée would finally face justice for everything she'd done, and Padmé didn't have to worry about her friends and loved ones anymore. She leaned against Anakin as the cruiser went into hyperspace.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Rhiannon slipped away to one of the bedchambers on the ship for some much needed rest before landing on Coruscant and facing the new reality of war.

/No matter what happens,/ he vowed through their bond, /we'll get through this together./

"I believe you," she whispered. "I suppose we should take advantage of this time we have together." She began to lead him to the bed.

"Wanton scamp!" he said with a chuckle as he lifted her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the bed and she looked up at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

"That's beloved wanton scamp to you," she teased back as they shared another hungry kiss.

The remainder of the time in hyperspace was filled with their lovemaking and it only reinforced their determination to see this war through together. No matter what.

THE END