Okay, so we got some activity after the last chapter! I like it. It's a shame Obi-Wan/Satine doesn't have much of a fan base anymore, but that's life. Oh and The Clone Wars is no more, which is depressing... I need more Star Wars.

The moment she went back to her bed, she fell asleep. She had not slept well the night before, mostly because she was busy thinking about Obi-Wan and trying to understand him, but also partly because she had a hard time sleeping these days. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten more than four hours of sleep per day. She slept now. Obi-Wan weaved in and out of her dreams. In the dreams, he was always frustratingly unreadable, much like he really was. He just looked at her - not with indifference, but not with affection either. He looked like he was trying to make up his mind about something, but could not. She slept in and out until one o'clock in the morning. It was amazing how long she had slept now that she did not want to think anymore.

Her comlink was buzzing. Annoyed, she got up and grabbed it. "What?" she snapped.

"Satine," Obi-Wan voice said, "I -"

"Didn't I tell you not to bother me for the rest of the day?"

"Well, technically," he said dryly, "it's already tomorrow. It's one o'clock in the morning. How long were you asleep?"

She cursed and tried to wrap her head around the fact she had slept for over twelve hours. "Fine then, why are you bothering me at one o'clock in the morning?"

"Casimir. He has some... news."

"All right, I'll be right there."

When she entered the room, she got the immediate feeling that something major had happened while she was unconscious and having dreams she did not want to have. Casimir was there in person. He smiled at her and bowed. Everyone was staring at either she or Casimir. Every single person that worked on the ship was there.

"Duchess," Casimir said, "I do admit that I lied to you earlier today... er, yesterday." She had never seen him in such high spirits. "Sundari, our capital... is ours."

She blinked. "What?"

"It's ours! Roughly ten hours ago, we fought for it, and we won it. Death Watch no longer controls it. We do. It's ours."

She did not know quite what to say. Everyone around her was all smiles, some were even crying, but she knew something was very off here. She shook her head. "Where are they then? The prisoners the peacekeepers caught?"

His smile faded. "Well, we caught a fair dozen, but -"

"A fair dozen," she repeated. Her voice had that tone that told everyone in the room that trouble was coming as she watched him closely. "You're telling me New Mandalorians have control of the whole city and you only caught a fair dozen Death Watch members? There had to be hundreds, thousands of their warriors there. Where are they?"

Casimir's positively radiant mood had disappeared.

"All right," Qui-Gon said suddenly. "Everyone out. Not you," he snapped at Obi-Wan, who had begun to move. "Everyone else. Unless your name is Satine, Casimir, Qui-Gon, or Obi-Wan, you need to be out."

Everyone just stared at each other.

"Out," Qui-Gon repeated.

The guards, peacekeepers, and staff gradually shuffled out in shock while Satine glared at Casimir as if she had never seen him before.

"You killed them all," she said flatly in a quaking voice once the four of them were alone.

Obi-Wan held his breath.

"You did!" she exclaimed. "You gave the peacekeepers lethal weapons and you killed them all!"

Casimir raised a hand and said, "Listen -"

"You either used lethal weapons or you didn't," she said with the most rage she could muster. "Now which is it?"

"Satine, we had no choice -"

"No, you had an order, you had my trust -"

"It was unrealistic!" Casimir shouted. "How can you win a war if all you do is stun and capture everyone?"

"You're done," she said. "You're done. Either you get out from my ship now or I will put on trial for your crimes. I trusted you and you've betrayed it. You are no longer a New Mandalorian. You are - you had best get off this planet - get away from the whole Mandalorian Sector - before I ever see you again. You are no better than the Death Watch and I am pretty sure if I was half the animal you are, I would have Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan execute you right here and now."

Casimir opened his mouth again.

"Out!" she shouted.

"You think things are bad now," Casimir said viciously, "you have no idea how bad things will be when I'm not here anymore. You think you and the Jedi can take on the bounty hunters on your own? They're coming from you, you haven't seen anything yet, and they will murder you within a day without my continued -"

"Get out or I will throw you from this ship," Obi-Wan said very quietly.

Casimir glared at him. Then he stormed away into the night.

Satine was shaking with rage.

"We aren't really executioners, though," Obi-Wan said to break the silence.

She turned to him. He had never seen her so angry. "You think I'm in the mood for jokes?"

"No," he began, "I'm just -"

She turned and walked away.

"Obi-Wan, do not go after -" Qui-Gon was saying, but Obi-Wan swept after her.

"Satine, you can't just walk away from this," he said behind her as she continued to storm away. "You have to -"

She turned quickly back around. "I have to what, exactly?" she spat.

"You have to be a leader and make the best out of what happened beyond your knowledge. I know it isn't what you wanted to happen, but everything happens for a reason."

"Right," she said. "So it was the will of the Force that thousands of people were killed under my watch?"

"I know it isn't want you wanted, but Casimir did what he thought was best."

"You're defending that animal now? You just threatened to throw him off the ship!"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Only because he was threatening you."

"So you agree with what he did?"

"It isn't nice, but Satine, I'm sure he felt like he had no choice! In the two months we've been here, there have been no -"

"You're absolutely disgusting!" she shouted. "I will never, ever condone violence and he went behind my back and lied to me. It takes two sides to make a war and -"

"Satine, open your lovely blue eyes and look the kriff around!" he said angrily. "The Death Watch is determined to kill every last man, woman, and child who calls themselves a New Mandalorian whether you fight them back with lethal force or not! It may take two sides to make a war, but it takes only one side to make a genocide! Can you not see that?"

She swallowed and looked at the ground, hating him because she knew he was right.

"But it doesn't even matter right now," he said. "We have more pressing things to do than debate right versus wrong and tear each other up because that's just what we enjoy doing. If you want the lethal weapons gone, you have to make that order. If you want your peacekeepers to have a leader, then you have to devise a way to appoint a new one. You have to be a leader, not go running away from an unfavorable circumstance."

She sighed and met his eyes again. "You're right."

"Then come back with me and we'll figure it out. Between us three, we an come up with something."

Obi-Wan found himself alone with Satine again that night. He did not run into her on purpose. He walked down into the dining hall because he was hungry and he couldn't sleep. And there she was, sitting at the head of the table by herself, reading a holobook.

She looked up at him. "What are you still doing awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I can't sleep."

"Me neither."

There was an awkward pause.

"You can sit down, you know," she said. "Talk to me."

"About what?" he said cautiously.

She sighed. "Do you really think Casimir was helping protect me from bounty hunters? Do you think he's right that we won't be able to stop them?"

He hesitated. Then he walked over to the table and sat down at the closest seat to her. "He might have been. But Qui-Gon and I can handle bounty hunters. Nobody is ever going to hurt you while I'm here. I promise."

She did not seem convinced.

"What are you reading?" he asked.

She looked embarrassed. "Nothing."

"Come on, Satine, what are you reading?"

She swallowed and then pushed the holobook toward him.

"'The Beliefs of the Jedi Order?' Why?"

"So I can better understand why you're so... unhinged. The Jedi Order has some pretty mad ideas."

"Like what?"

She rolled her eyes and then said, "You're allowed to have sex with whomever you want so long as you don't become attached to that person. So you could call up a prostitute and have all the sex you want, but if you love someone and have sex with them? You just can't do immoral things like that."

Obi-Wan turned red and she enjoyed watching him squirm. "Well, I mean, sex isn't encouraged or anything."

"You do know it's the opposite in the world outside the Jedi Order, right? You're only supposed to do that with someone you love."

He was quiet. "Is it?"

She cursed. "I really don't know what to do with you. The Jedi Order has made you positively mental."

"Right," he mumbled. He was burning with a desire he wish he could just turn off. He didn't want to want her, but he spoke before he could control himself. "So... why're we talking about sex?"

She shrugged, looking a bit flushed. "I was just giving you an example. Why are you fascinated by the topic of sex right now?"

"Can we talk about something else please."

"You're the one who asked me what I was reading. So what planet are you originally from?"

The lights abruptly went out so that they were in pure darkness. He only just see her from the reflection of the holobook.

"It's to save energy. I forgot," she said. "All the automatic lights go out at 1:30 sharp."

"Are you sure?" he said warily. "What if someone's attacking -?"

"I think you'd know if there was an insane bounty hunter cutting the wires, right?"

He sighed. "I'm from Stewjon."

"Do you remember your parents at all?"

"No. But I think I had an older brother."

"What made you Force-sensitive and everyone else in your family not? Is it genetic at all or is it just random?"

"It's... genetic to a certain degree, but Force-sensitives can pop up from seemingly no where. Most do actually, since Jedi aren't allowed to have children. But if a Force-sensitive has one, that child will almost certainly have a high Midi-chlorian count."

"Isn't that kind of stupid? I mean, if the Jedi were allowed to reproduce, you'd have an Order three times as large as it is now."

He hesitated. "Qui-Gon thinks along those same lines... He think we should be able to."

This surprised her. "Really?"

"Really."

"So... does Qui-Gon agree with the sex only with someone you don't care about rule or -"

"How did we get back on this topic?"

"I don't know if the Jedi Order ever told you this, but even Force-sensitive babies are a product of that, so the two topics are closely related. Why are you so uncomfortable about it?"

He sighed again, knowing that she was having a grand time tormenting him. He guessed sexual harassment was a thing they would do to each other at times, just like they often fought over nothing. Then he said, "Don't ever do what you did earlier today. I don't ever want to see that again."

She was quiet for a moment and Obi-Wan could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain as she tried to recall what he could be talking about. "What -?"

"You walked away," he said. "You're allowed to get angry. You're allowed to yell and you're even allowed to cry hysterically. But you're not allowed to walk away and quit. So I don't ever want to see you do that again."

Whatever humor that had lingered in the air moments ago was gone. She took in a sharp breath and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Anyway, I guess I should just go back to bed."

"Or you could stay and talk to me," she said against her better judgment.

"About what?"

The lights turned back on and both Satine and Obi-Wan froze.

Qui-Gon sighed from the doorway and put a hand over his face. "Can I ask why you are both sitting in the dark at nearly 02:00?"

"The lights went off automatically after I sat down," Obi-Wan launched. "I just couldn't sleep and I came in here and Satine was reading -"

"And you could have just gotten up and flipped the light switch."

Satine repressed a laugh.

"I didn't know that there - so why're you up?" Obi-Wan asked defensively. "Master?" he added more respectfully.

Qui-Gon walked to the table and sat down across from Satine and Obi-Wan. "There's been a disturbance in the Force. Couldn't you feel it?"

"Well... maybe that is why I couldn't go to sleep tonight. Taking the war - struggle, I mean," he revised because he knew Satine did not like to call it a war, "into space is probably going to completely change the game."

"Maybe Casimir's joined the Death Watch," Satine said dismissively. "Or maybe somebody dropped a glass jar in a kitchen on the other side of the galaxy."

Obi-Wan laughed, but Qui-Gon did not and gave his apprentice a look.

"Strike told you that there was a traitor amongst your inner circle, Duchess," Qui-Gon said. "What if our new appointment of the peacekeeper leader has put the traitor into a more powerful position?"

"Every one of my officers are as trustworthy as I am," she said coolly. "Even Casimir's betrayal was still on our side's best interest."

Obi-Wan looked back at her. "Really? They're all as trustworthy as you?"

Qui-Gon looked up at the ceiling and Obi-Wan could tell he was thinking not again.

"Did I stutter? Yes, they are all as trustworthy as I am."

"So have you like interviewed them all, or -?"

"You think I don't know the people who are battling for our side to win?"

"Well, I'm just saying, for you to thoroughly know them all so well, it's quite impressive and rather unbelievable."

"You know what else is unbelievable -"

"- Is both of your behaviors," Qui-Gon butted in. "Can we not do this? Strike had concerns and it would be foolish to not even consider them, no matter how much kin you feel for your peacekeepers, Duchess."

She scratched her right ear, grimacing. "Well, I don't know. You two are the experts. I will leave you to decide who or what is coming for us."

"Do we get to go to Sundari now and end the camping trip?" Obi-Wan asked after a moment.

"Don't be ridiculous, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "Sundari is far too dangerous for us to settle down in any time soon. We might as well send the Death Watch Satine's exact coordinates if we take her there."

Obi-Wan scowled. "Fine. Great. I'm going to bed." He stood up and expected Qui-Gon to do the same. When he did not, Obi-Wan walked away awkwardly without another word.

Satine swallowed and looked down at her holobook. She was hardly ever alone with Qui-Gon - it was always Obi-Wan who stayed around her all the time.

"Satine," Qui-Gon said gently, "is Obi-Wan being at all inappropriate around you?"

She blinked, not sure what to say. "No, I mean, he's a prat, but he does not... Actually, I have a lot of fun fighting with him, and sometimes I want to smack him, but I usually enjoy his company. He is actually rather smart, but don't tell him I ever said that."

Qui-Gon studied his interlocked fingers and looked like he wanted to say more. Finally he settled for, "Jedi are supposed to like solitude."

She almost wanted to search the holobook she was holding so she could decipher this bizarre statement. "You mean like not form attachments?"

He looked at her. "How much as he told you about the beliefs of the Jedi Order?"

"He doesn't exactly come out and tell me things. I pry it from him because I find him rather unreadable."

"Well... you are right. Jedi must not form attachments. Being a Jedi is not easy. It is a hard life to walk, but each Jedi is supposed to walk it alone. The Jedi Order has rules that should not be broken because Force-sensitives are different and it doesn't even matter whether or not I or any other Jedi agree with them. Obedience is a must if you are going to stay in the Order."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I'll tell him that the next time he shows any emotion whatsoever, shall I?"

"I am not saying I agree with everything that -"

She stood. "No, it's all right. I get it. The Jedi Order is not lenient and you live, breathe, eat, and sleep the Jedi Code."

"I don't think you are understanding where I am coming from."

"Fortunately, I do understand where you are coming from. I understand more than possibly even you do, Qui-Gon, and I appreciate that the Jedi Order has reached out to help me. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to try to get some sleep." And she swept from the room without any hesitation.

She wanted to track Obi-Wan down, push him up against the wall and yell at him that the Jedi Order was wrong, but she didn't. Instead, she returned to her bed and sat up reading about the Jedi Order's philosophy for another whole hour before her head drooped and she fell asleep with the holobook on her chest.

So I don't know when I will update again. Right now I have two jobs and college to juggle with. I wrote all this stuff before my new job began and now I'm running out of the material I wrote so far in advance. But anyway, it might be a while, but I definitely want to finish this. I just don't know how to finish it. There are two ideas in my head but I think one is too fangirlishly, so I'm not sure if that's the ending I want to take.

Thanks for reading, everyone.