O. Kenobi | A Moment of Peace

Part Two

You have never been to Sundari before.

In fact, you have never been to Mandalore before. Obi-Wan, however, is extremely familiar with Mandalore. When you were both just teenagers, Obi-Wan was sent on a mission to protect Satine Kryze from insurgents with his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn. They had hoped that the mission would be done within a few months, however, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were in Mandalore for a year. Obi-Wan relayed a few stories from his time on Mandalore with you over the years, but it remained a subject that he rarely brought up. Anakin often tries to pry stories from that year long mission out of him. When he inevitably does, you can see Obi-Wan's entire body immediately stiffen. From the little information that he has told you, you know his time on Mandalore was traumatic and still haunts him to this day, but you don't know to what extent.

After landing on Mandalore, the four of you are escorted through the Sundari Royal Palace to meet with the Duchess. Anakin and Ahsoka walk side-by-side in front of you. Ahsoka is conversing excitedly with Anakin about the mission and Mandalore. While the pair before you seem light hearted and comfortable, Obi-Wan seems to be anything but. The man is radiating waves of tension and anxiety off of him from beside you. You glance quickly at the man, noticing his furrowed brow and tense shoulders immediately. Obi-Wan has always been extremely prepared for whatever a mission had in store. You have admired his focus and drive since the two of you were children. However, you know him well enough to tell that this isn't normal. He is a careful and cautious man, not an anxious one. Obi-Wan is walking rather close beside you, allowing you to brush your shoulder against his arm discreetly – the action is enough to draw his attention to you. His eyes meet yours and you raise your eyebrows curiously, silently asking him if anything is wrong. He quickly shakes his head and rolls his shoulders back, attempting to loosen up, but there is still a rigidness in his posture that he can't shake. Before you can question him further, the four of you are ushered into an open door.

"Ahsoka, Anakin. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Both Ahsoka and Anakin bow their heads in response to the Duchess' greeting.

"The pleasure is all ours Duchess. We just wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

A small smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you listen to Anakin converse with the Duchess. The first time you'd met Anakin, he was just a child and had so much to learn. You remember standing beside Obi-Wan holding back chuckles as you both listened to him attempt to make conversation with Padme. He luckily had Obi-Wan, who was always quick on his feet and ratherly charismatic when he wanted to be, to learn from. Anakin had grown into a man during your time together and you can't help the proud smile tugging at your lips at the thought. He was Obi-Wan's padawan, but there was a part of you that always thought he was a little bit yours as well. Through the many years spent with Anakin and Obi-Wan, the three of you have become a team. The three of you have become family.

You are pulled from your thoughts as Anakin and Ahsoka step aside. Obi-Wan steps forward first and you copy his actions. Satine's eyes settle on Obi-Wan first and she seems to physically relax as she maintains eye contact with the Jedi. You know the feeling well. There's something about that man's stormy blue eyes that seem to settle your mind down constantly. It may be due to the fact that you can determine exactly how he's feeling by the look in his eyes. He may be able to maintain his calm, cool, and collected demeanor through his facial expressions and actions, but Obi-Wan's tell has always been his eyes. There is something comforting about that. Or it may be due to the familiarity in his gaze. When he looks at you, you know that you're seen and known. Or it could just be the fact that they're the eyes you've been looking back at for over thirty years now.

"Obi-Wan, thank you for coming. I was afraid you'd be unable to convince the Council."

"You know me Duchess, always the charmer."