The Duchess and The Jedi.

Chapter 7

Obi-Wan sat alone outside Hondo's hut, he needed time to think, and to try to understand what Anakin was going through. Sometimes it was like talking to a stranger, but other times it was like talking to his old friend again. There was a moment in Obi-Wan's life where he didn't know who he was, but now having living with Satine stuff started to seem easier to see who he really was. Obi-Wan could see clearly who he was now, he was a respected Prime Minister, a well known General in the Grand Army of the Republic, a renowned Jedi Master, and a negotiator without peer. But inside sometimes Obi-Wan felt like a Jedi Padawan, sometimes Obi-Wan did not feel worthy of the status Master. Obi-Wan pulled Qui-Gon's old lightsaber out from under his robes, What am I doing master? He asked Am I doing the right thing? Or am I totally messing screwing everything up? Blast! Qui-Gon, I have no blasted idea what I am doing. It was times like this when Obi-Wan missed his former master the most. Obi-Wan lifted Qui-Gon's lightsaber to look down it's hilt, it was then when he saw something on the side of the lightsaber, something that should not be on a lightsaber, a lump, almost like a capsil. Obi-Wan pressed on the bump to see if it went inside, but the bump seemed to move out, and a small compartment popped out of the lightsaber. A Holo crystal! A crystal that contained information and could be plugged into a holoprojector or a data pad. Obi-Wan reached into his utility belt and pulled out his data pad. What did master Qui-Gon want to hide? Qui-Gon had very few things to hide in all my years of knowing him. Perhaps it was something to do with the mission on Mandalore. Obi-Wan accessed the file that popped up with that data crystal. Concordia? What's this all about? What did master Qui-Gon know about Concordia that Satine and I don't know. Was it something to do with Death Watch? Was this something that was happening when Qui-Gon was on Mandalore with us? The History of Concordia the words came across the screen as Obi-Wan swiped left and more words came on in Concordian. Blast! Where is Staine when I really need her.
"Obi-Wan, there you are." Satine walked up behind him and placed a hand on his arm. "Is everything alright? You seemed troubled."
"Satine, what is the history of Concordia?" Obi-Wan asked, there was no point in hiding anything from his wife, it was very clear that she was going to know about what he had found even if he didn't want her to. "I found a data crystal in Qui-Gon's old lightsaber and it has a lot of information on the history of Concordia, but it is all in the native language." Satine took the datapad from Obi-Wan and begun reading. A good 15 to 20 minutes passed and she finally looked up.
"Mandalore used to trade with Stewjon, but we stopped when they begun their civil war." Satine said, "But on this file, it says that Concordia continued to make the Beskar Iron and continued to sell it to the people of Stewjon. That would explain how the weapons from Stewjon are so strong." Satine looked troubled, but she was happy to now the truth about what had been happening to her moons.
"That would explain why the moon seem to not be recovering very fast, the miners want it to looks like the mining has stopped but they can't afford to stop all mining until they find another source of the Beskar iron." Obi-Wan said tugging on his beard. "This explains so much. Also would explain why the locals on Concordia didn't take it so well when I was elected as Governor. Maybe they were not sure if I would investigate the mining. Is there anything else on the data crystal?"
Satine looked at the data pad and continued reading. "It looks like there is something about the Jedi Order, but I can't read it, it's not in a dialect that I know, it looks like something that you might be able to read." Satine said passing the data pad back to Obi-Wan.
"This is something I have not seen in a long time." Obi-Wan said tugging at his beard, "I see this dialect in the Jedi temple, but I never learned how to read this. One moment let me contact Dexter. He might know." Obi-Wan reached for his com and typed in some numbers and finally hit send. "Dex, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Do you copy?"
Dexter Jettster voice came through the com loudly and "Obi-Wan Kenobi? I thought you had died on that goddamn rock."
Obi-Wan laughed, "No Dex, I just got married, nothing major." Obi-Wan tried to make things quick, but when it came to Dexter, things were never quick. "Dex, I really need your help, I have a data crystal, and there is some writing that I can't read, maybe you can." Obi-Wan sat back on the crate and leaned on Satine braising himself for the thousands of questions he knew were coming from Dexter.
"Obi-Wan, you got married and you want me to run a translator? Have you gone mad?" Dexter yelled into the com, "When did you tie the knot? What's she like? What colour hair? Eyes? Skin? Is she human? Obi-Wan I have so many questions. After all you didn't invite me to the wedding or com me to tell me what had happened to you."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes then forced a smile on his face. "Well Dex, you see, I married a duchess, you remember the one I brought to the cafe all those years ago? Satine?" Obi-Wan said remembering the time Satine had come to the temple, and he was able to take her to all "the cool" places. "Yeah, I married her, so I suppose you already know her, because you have a great memory." Obi-Wan chuckled, he knew the Besalisk had a memory like no one else, He could remember something Obi-Wan had told him when he was just a boy. Obi-Wan had known Dexter sense he was 14, Dexter had been a friend to Qui-Gon and master Yoda, along with many other Jedi in the temple. Some Jedi went to him for answers, so Dexter was used to doing favors for the Jedi, after all they protected him in exchange for his information.
"Yes I remember that lovely young woman," Dexter's voice broke into Obi-Wan thoughts, "How did you ever get her to marry you? I mean you're you, and she is like..... Well a duchess."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and he knew Dexter knew just what he was doing, "Dex, can you just run a translator on the document I am sending you? I am sending you more than one, so it might be a lot of content."
Dexter laughed hard at Obi-Wan, he loved the kid, after all Obi-Wan had saved his life more than a few times and he owed the kid for a lot. "Alright Obi-Wan, send it over and I'll send it back to you as soon as it finishes translating." Dexter said, his smile in his words. "Hey Kenobi, take good care of that girl, she is one in a million. Trust me, I have only met one person who had a heart like that girl."
"I know Dex, she really is something special." He answered looking up at his wife. "She is everything to me."
"So do ya'll have any little Kenobi's running around yet?" Dex asked,
"Well, we just have one. Malakai, he will come to the jedi temple next year. When he is old enough to make the choice of becoming a Jedi. he is only two, so I was him to be able to choose his path, I know he will choose what he believes is right." Obi-Wan had faith in his young son, there was no doubt there, but not many other Jedi thought his choice to allow Malakai to remember his family, they were not so sure that was going to be the best idea. After all attachment is forbidden for a Jedi Knight, so if Malakai chose to become like his father, he would be allowed to know his family, but if he chose the path of a knight, he would have to never see them but know who they are for the rest of his life. Many thought he would be tempted by the dark side of the force, but Obi-Wan had said if he is a son of mine, he will know right from wrong. "Well thanks for the help Dex, just get that data to me ASAP, because I think it has something to do with Mandalore, but I'm not sure yet. I'll get back to you on that after I read the file." Obi-Wan was about to cut the communication when he heard dexter cuss and drop his communicator.
"Obi-Wan, you have a really big problem." Dexter said, "A really big problem, like level 12 problem, code red or whatever you want to call it." Dexter sounded worried like he had seen something very wrong.
"Dex what's wrong? What is it?" Obi-Wan asked as he started to worry about this new problem.
"Well, your data? It is coming from the senate. Someone in the senate was trying to hide whatever is on this date crystal." Dexter answered, "There is a crest, I'll send it to you so you can see it maybe you know who it is. Because I have no clue who this is."
Obi-Wan looked at his data pad as Dexter sent him the file, when it delivered Obi-Wan opened it. There in front of his was the crest of the Jedi representative, his crest. "Dexter, this is my crest! But I never sealed these files." Satine looked at her husband puzzled, why would someone in the Jedi Order what to hide files on Mandalore? What was so important about that system, and why did Qui-Gon have this data crystal in his lightsaber, a lightsaber he never used. Does Obi-Wan know? Is he playing dumb? Whats going on, what is Mandalore involved in? Is there still conflict between Mandalore and the Jedi Order? So many questions went though the duchess' head, so many questions that she knew she would have to wait for the answers.
"Obi-Wan, is there any chance that Qui-Gon locked them after you were elected?" Satine asked placing a hand on his arm, "I know it's hard for you to think that Qui-Gon could be behind this, but he was the one who had the file." Satine was very close to master Jinn as well, she could not imagine why Qui-Gon would hide something like this, but there was a chance that Qui-Gon knew something and didn't share it with everyone.
"I am not sure, all I did was tell the republic that the Jedi Order would always serve them, then the need for me was kinda chucked out the window." Obi-Wan said looking down, "I know that makes my rule sound really lame, but it is the truth."
"Who is in power now?" Dexter asked, his voice sounding grave.
"Well the rule, as you called it, is a lifetime rule, so that would still be me." Obi-Wan answered. "You don't think someone did this under my name do you? Maybe this all happened before I came into rule at the temple." I Hope that's the case, because if it is not, then I am going to have to find out who the hell did this while I was in charge.
"Yes maybe this file was something that Qui-Gon was given. Remember what you told me about the missing planet during the beginning of the war?" Satine asked, "Maybe this is just like that, it was sealed by someone who was in power before you. Who was elected before you were?" Maybe we can clear this up before people start asking questions about how this could have happened. Satine was hopeful that Obi-Wan would know right away, but she was prepared for him to look up the answer on his data pad as she handed it back to him.
"Master Ama Gun Dai was the last representative, he died in the clone wars, he stepped down as the ruler when he saw that it was too much for him, then I was elected. I was only 20, so I am not quite sure how they thought I could lead them better than a Jedi master." Obi-Wan said smiling faintly. "Somehow they thought someone of younger years would be able to help the Jedi order better than someone who had been on the council for so long, it also looked bias because the council members are the ones who vote for the representative. Maybe they wanted to make it look more like the people had a big say in how things went."
"How exactly do you vote for the ruler of the Jedi?" Satine asked.
"Yes good question," Dexter asked, "Now this, I really want to hear about, this is major internal Jedi stuff, so this is all new to me."
"Well it being internal stuff, I don't have to tell you. But because I am your friend and I trust both of you not to go around selling this information I'm going to tell you." Obi-Wan said smiling, "So a Jedi representative is someone who represents the Jedi Order in the galactic senate. They are the "face" of the Jedi order, commonly the smartest, or most skilled, for me it was my negotiative leadership, apparently I was able to talk close to anyone into a nonviolent path to getting what they want. Anyways that was something the council wanted in the leader. So when a new representative is going to be elected, all Jedi who are interested in becoming the new one, they all sign up, and the council chooses those who are not younglings or someone who is known for their lust for power, like Dooku. They weed out the people who don't fit in the little box they are wanting to fill then ask all the others to make a speech in front of all the Jedi in the 5 pillars and the rest of the Jedi knights, they cast their votes and out of the top 3 the high council chooses but one person." Obi-Wan concluded his lesson and smiled. "Boy this feels like I am teaching a room full of younglings." he said laughing aloud.
"Well I for one did not know that's how all that worked." Anakin said, he had been standing behind Satine for some time now, and thought it would be a good idea to say something, now that the lesson was over. "I had no idea anyone would vote for you master Obi-Wan, but then again, you always stick to the code." he said smiling and crossing his arms.
"I have not always stuck to the code Anakin!" Obi-Wan said getting up from his seat. "After all I did marry Satine, last I check that was against the rules." he said moving into Anakin's personal space.
"Yeah, for a Jedi Knight, not a Jedi sentry or Representative." Anakin stabbed back at him walking away. "Besides, you never were a Jedi knight, so I don't understand why they left you leave the temple or better yet take on a Padawan!" Anakin said turning angrily back towards Obi-Wan. "Why did they allow you to be my master and not Qui-Gon? In my opinion he was more qualified." Oh no, I should not have just said that..... I need to take that back, I really messed up this time. "I'm sorry master it's just...... well..... I don't know how to say this, but when Master Qui-Gon said I was going to be a Jedi, I wanted him to be the one who trained me, but when I met you, and found out you were his student, I didn't like you at all, and when Qui-Gon died.... I wished it would have been you. But I don't-"
"Anakin, it's fine. Some people never learn to respect their teachers." Obi-Wan said walking away from his former Padawan.
"You know what Obi-Wan," Anakin said walking towards him, "You have never once seen what I can do, you were always too focused on how you could correct me, that you never saw what I was doing that was right. You're nothing like master Qui-Gon was! And you will never will be! I wish you had been the one who died on Naboo!" Anakin yelled then walked away.
"Anakin-" Obi-Wan started but then looked back at Satine, "I wish he would listen sometimes." Obi-Wan took his seat again and put his head in his hands. Anakin had really hurt him, Obi-Wan missed his old master too, but not like Anakin did. Anakin had formed an attachment to the Jedi, Obi-Wan had formed a lifelong friendship with the Jedi Master, a father son bond something nothing in the galaxy could break. He was angry at Anakin, but having lived most of his life as a Jedi Master and Knight of the republic, Obi-Wan had learned to let go of anger and allow peace to take its place.
"Obi-Wan, I know you tried your best with that boy, but he was a tough one, and let's face it, you never did like that kid." Dexter said his loud laughing came through the com. Dexter had a way of making anyone smile in their time of being down, but he doubted that anything would pick up his Jedi friend. "Look Obi-Wan, it's not your fault, there is nothing you can do if a child wants to be a snob."
"Dexter is right Obi-Wan, don't take this personally, Anakin is just lashing out because that's what he does." Satine said wrapping her arms around him, "You know he didn't mean half the stuff he said." I hope, because if he did, I'll personally take care of him. She knew that this was all she could do for him was be here for him in his time of need.
"Hey buddy, maybe some reading would help you not think about this, the file finished translating, I'm sending it now." Dexter said sending the file to Obi-Wan. "Hey look, I gotta get back to the dinner, com me if you need anything. You too Satine, if he does something stupid, make sure I am the first to know." then the com made a buzzing noise, Dexter had ended the communication, leaving Obi-Wan and Satine alone to talk.
"My dear, I know his words hurt you, but you just have to know that he didn't mean them." she said to him kissing his cheek.
"I know, but sometimes when he says things like that, they feel like he means them and it hurts." Obi-Wan said looking down, "I know I am not Qui-Gon. I can only dream to become a Jedi master like him, he was one of a kind. And sometimes I wish I was the one who had died on Naboo, because maybe Anakin would be happier and maybe he would hate me less." Obi-Wan had been thinking about what things would look like if he had indeed been the one who had died that day, what would things look like? Would Anakin be the person he was today? Would Ahsoka be a jedi Padawan? Or would she still be a youngling? He thought to himself.
"Obi-Wan, you can't mean that?" Satine said shocked that he would ever suggest something along those lines. "Obi-Wan, that's crazy talk, you can't go back and change the past is it how it is and that's how it will remain for the rest of our lives. Do you hear me?" She wanted to make sure he was hearing her and he was not just letting things go in one ear and out the other.
"Yeah I hear you Satine." He answered, "But don't you ever wonder if you had died in the place of another, what life would be like for the people around you?" Obi-Wan was looking down a dark path by looking at what could have been, he knew it and so did Satine.
"Obi-Wan, this is crazy talk, and I will hear no more of it." she said standing beside him, "Now if you are still the man I married, you will come with me to the ship for some rest. We have a long day tomorrow tracking who ever tried to kill us and took your Holocron." Satine started to walk but realized that Obi-Wan was not following her.
"I am a very different person that the man you married my dear, I have changed over the time, but that does not mean I love you any less" Obi-Wan said standing and moving closer to her. "I will always love you no matter who I become or who we become together." Obi-Wan put his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. "After all you are my best friend. And I love you so so much."
"I Know." Satine said looking up into his icy blue eyes. "I love you, and always will."