━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

      "MAYBE this will be more to your liking," Obi-wan had told Araminta when he had picked her up earlier that day, interrupting her training at the Temple and bringing her an electronic debrief. She had looked at him quizzically, scrolling through the brief she had not been invited to, golden eyes narrowed.

She understood what he meant. After the battle of Saleucami and the rescue of Koth, Araminta and her mission had landed on the planet in a desperate effort to hunt down Grievous, which had failed. Obi-wan had taken the loss with ease, but Araminta had gotten the feeling he was more disappointed than he let on. She'd had to go to the infirmary after that ground assault, and had cursed to Anakin that she was not built to be a soldier.

The brief in her hand was, thankfully, a break.

"Let's go, then," she sighed, leaving behind the weapons she had been training with to retreat to her room.

"Meet me in the hangar. We're only taking a speeder," Obi-wan told her as they moved into the high corridors of the Temple. She furrowed her brows at him.

"Only?" the assassin asked in confusion.

"We have to be a peaceful presence," Obi-wan said, firmly. "It will just be us investigating the rumours."

Araminta only nodded at the instruction, and waited until he had walked off to leave as well. She had heard many things about Mandalore over the years, and it had been a planet Octavian would not touch. That alone made her weary of going there so unarmed, but she supposed she was lucky at all to be included.

In the grand scheme of war, there existed a Council of Neutral Systems, many planets and peoples who wanted to stay out of the conflict. Araminta shouldn't have been surprised, after all, she sat in the neutrality zone for the Jedi and the Sith– but the new leader of such a Council was a Duchess from Mandalore, and rumours had reached the Republic that her intentions were not as pure as she said.

Araminta could practically hear Anakin saying "politicians are good liars" in her head as she pulled on a clean uniform and pinned her hair out of her face. She supposed if Obi-wan and her were going to peacefully investigate the rumours that the Duchess was in line with the Separatists, she couldn't look too intimidating. She briefly recalled her mission on Cato Neimoidia with Padme.

As she left the room, Araminta moved the flower vase to the right, knowing if Anakin came looking for her as they had organised, he would know she had been called to action last minute. She frowned at the gesture the war forced her to do, and left her room behind, making the journey down to the hangar on her own.

Obi-wan stood out amongst the massive ships with just a small speeder, and he perked up as she arrived. If Araminta knew him better, she may have thought he looked a mix of excited and apprehensive, as they jumped to hyperspace above Coruscant's surface, and he was characteristically quiet.

Outside of a fond look, he had never reprimanded her for not jumping down into the docking tube after him. Araminta couldn't decipher what that meant, but if she was not in trouble, she tried not to let it worry her.

The surface of Mandalore was barren as they jumped out of hyperspace, Araminta watching as they headed for the Capital city's landing point, the assassin cautious at Obi-wan's lack of directions from the ship.

"Remember, we're not here to start a fight," Obi-wan told her as they disembarked outside the Capital, trading ships and guards all around them.

Araminta only nodded.

"The Duchess awaits you, General Kenobi," a guard greeted them, his face indistinguishable through his mask. Araminta said nothing, following in Obi-wan's blindspot as they boarded an escort ship.

"Far be it from me to keep the Duchess waiting," Obi-wan mused. Araminta narrowed her eyes slightly at the odd remark, as they soared away from the landing zone and into the domed Capital.

If the assassin thought she hated Coruscant, it was nothing compared to the cities of Mandalore, blocky buildings with weak light filtering in, ships buzzing around. Araminta attentively took in as much as she could, but it was hard when everything looked the same, as they came to a stop outside an entrance with ornate, stained-glass doors.

The spot of colour was welcome to the assassin as they disembarked, Obi-wan confidently leading her, as if he knew where he was going. The room they entered was made almost entirely of windows, offering a view of the city outside, with a throne of some sort at the back, and a stained-glass portrait of a woman Araminta could only assume was the Duchess.

There were guards at the entrance, and from the other side of the room, a man dressed in white entered from a glass hallway. "General Kenobi," he greeted warmly.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Prime Minister Almec," Obi-wan replied, moving to meet the man in the middle, the pair shaking hands. "This is my bodyguard, Araminta Solarii," Obi-wan added, gesturing to the girl beside him. She dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement.

Almec only nodded at her. "I welcome you both as a servant of the people, but I am troubled by the false rumours that brought you here," he sighed, leading them off. "Mandalore would never turn against the Republic. The Duchess Satine values peace more than her own life."

"Oh, I'm aware of the Duchess' views," Obi-wan replied.

"Master Kenobi," Almec said shortly. "Mandalore's violent past is behind us. All of our warriors were exiled to our moon, Concordia. They died out years ago."

"That seems extreme," Araminta remarked.

"What my companion means is," Obi-wan interjected, "it seems uncertain. In the last two years, we encountered a man who wore Mandalorian armour." Araminta ignored the way Almec glanced at her, ears twitching as she heard people approaching.

"Jango Fett was a common bounty hunter," Almec said firmly. "How he acquired that armour is beyond me."

"Well, Master Kenobi," came a soft voice. Araminta glanced up to see the woman from the stained glass standing there, surrounded by more guards and followed by a man Araminta knew to be the Senator of a neighbouring planet in the Mandalore system, who appeared small beside her. "My shining Jedi Knight to the rescue once again," she mused.

In person, she was even more beautiful, almost floating across the shining floor to take her place on the throne. Araminta watched the side of Obi-wan's head to see if he bowed, but he seemed equally taken by the Duchess.

"After all these years, you're even more beautiful than ever," he said suddenly. Araminta's face slackened slightly, tail going still between her legs at the uncharacteristic remark.

"Kind words from a man who accuses me of treachery," Satine responded calmly.

"I would never accuse you of personal wrongdoing, Duchess," Obi-wan assured, taking a step forward. "However a Separatist saboteur attacked one of our Republic cruisers– a Mandalorian saboteur." He pulled out a disk, a hologram appearing from it showing someone in Mandalorian armour running and shooting.

The look on Satine's face showed Araminta it was new information, but the man beside them was quick to dismiss it. "You must be mistaken," Almec told them. "No Mandalorian would engage in such violence. Not anymore." His eyes hardened. "Where is this prisoner now?"

"He took his own life rather than submit to questioning," Obi-wan said solemnly. Araminta's eyes lowered at the familiar fate. "I know these commandos fought in many wars, often against the Jedi."

"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am," Satine said sharply.

"You can't guarantee that," Araminta interjected, only because she felt Obi-wan was being uncharacteristically passive. He held out an arm to her, but Satine had already turned an icy look to the Adanei girl.

Sensing the tensions, the Senator beside the Duchess tried to chime in. "I know we sound defensive, but–"

"You have yet to introduce me to your friend," Satine said, coldly, gesturing to Araminta. Obi-wan lowered his arm, and the assassin felt very small at being reprimanded publicly.

"This is Araminta Solarii– my bodyguard, of sorts," he introduced. Araminta watched the gears turn in Satine's head, and she was not oblivious to her eyes focusing on the weapons the assassin's small body was laden with.

"You feel as if you need to bring a bodyguard?" Satine spoke up. "Clearly, your investigation was ordered because the Senate is eager to intervene in our affairs."

"Our investigation was ordered by the Jedi Council," Obi-wan said softly.

Araminta watched the exchange wearily, knowing there was something she was missing here– some sort of history. Satine's face had softened, almost to relief.

"I stand corrected," she responded quietly. "General Kenobi, perhaps you'd like to join me on a walk through the city." She held out a hand, giving the Jedi a pointed look as he stepped forward.

Araminta stayed where she was, watching as her charge escorted the Duchess from the throne, hooking her arm around his as they headed outside of the chamber. The two guards that had entered followed them in sync, while the assassin reeled from not being given an order. Her ears flicked back expressively as she stalked after the pair, hanging back with the other two guards as they headed back outside to the city.

It was nice to see that Mandalore had at least attempted to bring the place to life, as Satine showed them to a garden, the floor a mixture of stone and frosted glass, trees around them cut in cubic shapes. It still felt unnatural, and set Araminta's teeth on edge as she trailed the pair, closer than the two Mandalorian guards– close enough she could overhear the pair if she focused.

"It is good to see you again, Obi-wan, despite the circumstances," Satine told him warmly.

"Your peaceful ways have paid off," Obi-wan replied. "Mandalore has prospered since the last time I was here."

"Not everyone on Mandalore believes that our commitment to peace is a sign of progress," Satine sighed. "There is a group that calls itself Death Watch. I imagine these are the renegades you're looking for." Araminta perked up.

"They idolise violence and the warrior ways of the past," Satine continued. "There are those among us, certain officials, who are working to root out these criminals. It has been an ongoing investigation."

"How widespread is this Death Watch movement?" Obi-wan asked thoughtfully.

"It's hardly a movement. It's a small group of hooligans who choose to vandalise public places, nothing more," Satine dismissed. "We shall soon have them in custody. We have tracked them down to our moon, Concordia."

"I hope you're right, Duchess," Obi-wan said quietly. He glanced over his shoulder, and with the slightest tap of his finger against his leg, the assassin sped up and fell into step with the pair. "Listening?" he asked.

"Every word," Araminta said dryly. Satine looked surprised by the interaction, glancing between the pair as if trying to figure something out. They had stopped walking now, Mandalorian citizens moving around them respectfully.

"Adanei have excellent hearing," Obi-wan explained simply. Satine only blinked at him. "What do you make of this Death Watch?" he asked his bodyguard, who squared her shoulders a bit more.

"I don't think it's a time to dismiss criminals," Araminta told him honestly. "Things like this happen because they are allowed to."

"Are you implying Mandalore isn't doing enough?" Satine asked, narrowing her eyes.

"No," Araminta said firmly. "Just implying that treating this as politics rather than an act of violence gives them an opening."

"In other words– we should be violent back?" Satine challenged. Araminta bristled, being reminded of the early days of her time spent with Anakin, heads clashing. But she bit her tongue, instead waiting for Obi-wan to jump in.

"Araminta is not a Jedi," he said. "She doesn't follow the same code that we do, but I value her point of view."

"I see," Satine said passively. "Even as a Jedi, you seem to have strayed far from peace."

Araminta had not seen anyone other than herself turn on the Jedi before, and despite the Duchess having snapped at her, found her lip turning up. Obi-wan, too, looked caught off guard by the remark, as Satine moved off again, and the pair followed her.

"A peacekeeper belongs on the front lines of conflict," Obi-wan justified. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to do his job."

"The work of a peacekeeper is to make sure that conflict does not arise," Satine pointed out.

Obi-wan sighed. "Yes, a noble description, but not a realistic one."

"Is reality what makes a Jedi abandon his ideals? Or is it simply a response to political convenience?" Satine asked.

Obi-wan never had a chance to respond, as the memorial shrine in the centre of the gardens suddenly exploded. Araminta darted forward, but Obi-wan was unharmed from the distance they were at.

"Are you alright?" he asked the Duchess, who he had shielded from the blast.

"I'm fine," Satine insisted, looking stricken at the debris in front of them. The dust was settling now, and Araminta's sensitive ears were overwhelmed by sounds of agony and distress.

Satine ran headfirst into the chaos, Araminta and Obi-wan following. Shattered stone littered the ground, along with bodies of citizens who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those closest to the blast were beyond saving, even as Satine knelt before one of them, moving his head into her lap.

"Hooligans couldn't have arranged an attack of this scale," Obi-wan said, urgently.

"Then this must be the work of an off-worlder," Satine insisted, looking strained as the man beneath her couldn't move, face twisting in pain.

"Are you sure of that?" Obi-wan asked, narrowing his eyes at the disk in the centre, which was projecting an orange, six-pronged symbol.

"The sign of the Death Watch," Satine breathed in disbelief.

Obi-wan exchanged a look with his bodyguard as their mission grew more dire by the second. "This goes far beyond vandalism," Obi-wan told Satine calmly, kneeling beside her. Araminta stayed standing, scanning the destruction and the crowd gathering around them now. "This is a political statement against your government. And against you."

"I know that tone," Satine murmured.

"You're not safe here. I'm taking you back to the palace," Obi-wan said in a tone that left no room for argument. He helped her to her feet, leaving behind the man they all knew to be dead. Araminta followed in her usual spot attentively, as they passed the guards keeping citizens back from the scene.

"I want to interview everyone here," Obi-wan told them. "Nobody leaves this scene." At the words, someone broke from the crowd. "Araminta!" Obi-wan shouted, hand still on Satine's arm.

She gave chase, following the man dressed the same as any normal citizen around the side of the destroyed building. She drew a small throwing knife, holding it by her side as she sprinted through the garden. Another set of footsteps told her that Obi-wan had joined her, as the man disappeared down the steps of the garden and onto the second level.

Araminta didn't follow, instead going around the side of the garden's edge, jumping over the fences put in place to keep citizens away from danger. Obi-wan continued below ground, and Araminta reached a point where she could see the balcony of the second level below her. It wasn't a steep drop, and she waited for a moment before she saw the shadow peeking out from the edge.

She jumped, landing on the shoulders of the man as he ran out onto the balcony, forcing them both onto the hard ground. Obi-wan was seconds behind him, as the man lashed out, using his nails to try and get away.

Araminta let out a hiss, fighting against his knee to move the small throwing knife to press against his throat– in a non-lethal way, of course. Simply to get him to stop fighting back. Araminta saw stars as his fist made contact with her jaw, and she darted back as he drew a blaster, ducking to the side as he began to fire.

"I only want to talk!" Obi-wan yelled out as he deflected the shots with his lightsaber.

Araminta took the opening while he was distracted by Obi-wan, small knife soaring through the air before slicing at his hand. The man shouted, blood spitting onto the floor along with his blaster, just as Obi-wan slammed into him, sending him stumbling.

"I don't want to hurt you," Obi-wan insisted, holding out a hand to Araminta, who glanced to the side as she saw Satine arrive, robes fisted as she ran. "Stay back!" Obi-wan cried, directing his attention to her.

In the second the Jedi turned away, the man scrambled to his feet and made a dash. Araminta's eyes widened as she realised his aim. The man jumped onto the railing, balancing precariously, forcing Araminta to skid to a halt. He turned to them, holding out his arms.

Araminta watched in terrible fascination as he announced something in an unfamiliar language, before dropping backwards, eyes falling closed. Her ears twitched at the sound of impact, which was followed by screams of horror from below.

Satine and Obi-wan ran to the edge to see, but Araminta stayed where she was. She had seen enough death in her time.

"He's still alive," Satine said in horror. She pulled away from the railing, flying past Araminta as she made for the stairs.

Obi-wan exchanged a look with Araminta, one of two people used to violence knowing nothing could end well from such a scene.

Satine was only a few steps ahead of them as they traversed the stairs to the base of the building the gardens and shrine were built upon. People had gathered around the body now, the stone beneath him stained with blood from his head. He had a hand raised to the sky, and as Araminta got closer, she could hear that unfamiliar language loosely leaving his lips.

"What's he saying?" Obi-wan asked Satine, who was crouched beside the man, holding his hand mercifully.

She didn't respond, instead leaning closer. They exchanged hushed words, before the grip on Satine's hand went limp. She slowly got to her feet, turning to Obi-wan with a frown. "He was speaking in the dialect they use on Concordia, our moon," she explained quietly.

"I shall like to visit this moon of yours," Obi-wan told her. "Perhaps we could accompany the body."

"The Concordian moon is a province with its own governor," Satine retorted. "You'll need me to escort you."

"That won't be necessary," Obi-wan rejected.

"Actually, it will," Satine said firmly. "You won't make much progress without me there, especially since you've just been involved with the death of a Concordian."

Obi-wan looked almost offended. "We didn't kill him."

"I know," Satine snipped. "That's why I'm still talking to you."

She turned on her heel, robes swishing with her, leaving Obi-wan with an unusually annoyed look on his face that Araminta often only saw when Anakin was at his worst. The scene around them had started to disperse, Mandolorian authorities arriving to help clear out the area and move the body.

The Duchess was stopped by one of the guards, but from where they were standing, Araminta couldn't hear them. But it wasn't hard to decipher the nature of their conversation as Satine glanced over her shoulder at the intervening pair.

"I guess we won't be friends," Araminta mused. Obi-wan didn't seem to find the remark funny.

━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

      "I SHOULD like your bodyguard to remove some of her weapons," Satine said curtly when they arrived on the outskirts of the city. Behind her was a shuttle, on a higher level than any of the other ships in the landing zone, shouldered by two Mandalorian guards as per usual.

Araminta narrowed her eyes at the request. Beside her, Obi-wan looked reluctant. "Araminta is required to–"

"This is an outreach mission," Satine cut in. She had changed out of her robes now, dressed in a blouse and shirt. With pieces of hair framing her face, she looked years younger, the sharpness of her features almost softened.

Obi-wan sighed, giving his bodyguard a pointed look. "Fine," she relented.

Araminta discarded her blaster into a metal crate, and then her batons, and then parts of her utility belt. Satine lifted her chin, but Araminta refused to disarm herself anymore. "What about the knife?" the Duchess asked.

"It's my favourite knife," Araminta said simply. She felt it best not to mention she had many others hidden on her body.

Satine scoffed, as if the very idea offended her. "Very well."

"Please try to stay civil," Obi-wan sighed, sounding tired, not annoyed.

Araminta gave him a look as Satine disappeared into the shuttle with the pilot. "Your pacifist girlfriend is picking all the fights," she said snidely.

"She's not– the Duchess and I– there is nothing," Obi-wan said very quickly.

Araminta only raised her eyebrows at him, not at all convinced as they boarded the shuttle as well. Obi-wan still seemed flustered, which only confirmed her suspicions there was some form of history between the two. It was an interesting thought– someone she had only ever seen as an authority figure in the heat of battle, having an illegal connection with someone in the same way Anakin had with her.

It was hard to imagine a younger Obi-wan, let alone a version of him that slighted the Jedi Order.

The trip to the moon was short, and the surface was visible even as they left Mandalore's atmosphere. The planet ahead of them was just as barren as the one they had left, and Araminta's shoulders slumped slightly. But beside her, Obi-wan looked confused.

"I thought Concordia was an agricultural settlement," he told Satine.

"Before the end of our wars, they turned it into a mining base," she responded. "The sheer number of mining facilities here nearly destroyed our forests. They're finally growing back."

Araminta looked disgruntled, but kept her mouth shut as they entered the atmosphere, speeding above a wasteland, dotted with small patches of grey-green vegetation. The shuttle pulled into a hangar filled with people moving around, dressed in armour Araminta could see hints of Mandalorian in.

"Remember, I do the talking," Satine said firmly as they disembarked from the shuttle. Araminta suppressed an eyeroll, but kept quiet as they were met by a man shouldered by two of the armoured guards.

"Duchess Satine," the blonde man greeted. "You are most welcome."

"Thank you, Governor Vizsla," Satine greeted warmly. She held out a hand to Obi-wan. "May I present Master Obi-wan Kenobi and Araminta Solarii, representing the Jedi Council." Vizsla looked at them briefly. "Governor Vizsla is one of the officials I spoke of. He has been working to find the members of the Death Watch," Satine continued.

"I take it you've heard the rumours about Satine– about how she's supposedly leading Mandalore into an alliance with the Separatists," Vizsla said, sounding almost amused at the idea.

"Our only instructions are to seek the truth," Obi-wan said passively. Vizsla only nodded, eyes drifting somewhere beyond them as the body of the Concordian was rolled out of the shuttle on a table, draped in white cloth to conceal him.

"This was the man who bombed the memorial shrine?" Vizsla asked.

"Yes. He was apparently part of Death Watch," Obi-wan responded.

"A worrisome prospect," Vizsla sighed. "If you'll pardon me General, we must attend to the body." Obi-wan nodded respectfully, as the Governor and the two guards he was with departed, Aaminta watching them go wearily.

"The hall is this way," Satine began, taking a step away from the pair as the hangar began to clear out after their arrival. Obi-wan stopped her, arm loosely around her bicep. The Duchess furrowed her brows at the Jedi as he moved to stand in front of her, looking serious.

"I need a favour from you," Obi-wan told her. "Please keep Governor Vizsla occupied at dinner."

"Where are you going?" Satine asked critically

"Nowhere good," Araminta spoke up.

Obi-wan shot her an annoyed look, pulling away from Satine. "Just for a look around," he assured them both, looking between them. "I'd like to see one of these mining facilities for myself."

"You mean you want to determine if they're still operational," Satine hissed.

"I hope to determine they're not," Obi-wan replied simply, reaching in his pocket. "I want you to wear this earpiece so we can stay in contact," he told the Duchess, handing over the small device. Satine looked at it with a frown, but had yet to object.

Obi-wan looked back to Araminta, giving her a pointed look as they moved off to the edge of the hangar where speeders were lined up. The Jedi clambered on first, followed by Araminta, who had to lean to the side to see past Obi-wan. Outside, the light was starting to fade, shadowing them in orange light.

Satine was only looking at them like a disapproving parent. "Remember, you're here under my protection. Please try not to cause problems where none yet exist."

"Think of it as searching for solutions," Obi-wan said lightly, as the speeder engine came to life.

"I have to tell you, I'm opposed to all of this," Satine said over the noise.

Obi-wan grinned as he pulled out, Araminta bracing against the vehicle. "I'd be disappointed if you weren't," he called over his shoulder.

Araminta pressed her ears against her head as the wind rushed past them, watching the navigation panel on the speeder's dashboard light up as they moved. A small warning appeared on it– that area may be unstable from disuse. Obi-wan ignored it and charged on.

Once they were past the radius of the base, which was beginning to light up as night closed in, the trees began to show up along a rough path. It didn't look as unused as the speeder's warning made it out to be, but at least life had started to grow back around it.

"Can't believe this used to be a forested planet," Araminta hissed in disdain.

"Adanei are close to nature, are they not?" Obi-wan shouted over the wind.

"Yes, they are," she responded. "But I hate metal and stone. It's all we ever saw in Octavian's facilities growing up."

"The trees will grow back," Obi-wan reassured her.

"What about the flowers?" Araminta asked.

She wasn't sure if he hadn't heard or couldn't find a response, but the rest of the short trip was spent in silence.

The mine up ahead was like a scar on the planet, large spikes of rock forming around a series of craters in the earth. Obi-wan brought the speeder to a halt outside a small electronic door in the side of the rocky surface, the sky still stained orange above them, dusk approaching.

The door opened at their arrival, and Araminta looked down at the button she had tapped. Obi-wan exchanged a glance with her, as they stepped inside. The tunnel they were met with was not as dark as expected, small lines running along the ceiling illuminating the way. Araminta looked up cautiously, as she followed Obi-wan along one of the trails.

A room up ahead was bathed in yellow light, the pair moving quietly as they got closer. "Doesn't look abandoned to me," Obi-wan murmured as they entered.

Araminta tended to agree, the surfaces before them clean and polished, room lined with ammunition and some weapons. She watched carefully as Obi-wan approached a stand lined with helmets, holding one up to reveal the unmistakable shape of Mandalorian armour.

The main lights up ahead suddenly switched off, and Araminta was on Obi-wan's flank before he could even look her way. Someone charged at them from the dark, blaster raised and firing, Araminta's bracers catching the brunt of it before Obi-wan drew his lightsaber. Araminta skidded back as Obi-wan led, but the armoured soldier had darted past them and disappeared back into the shadows.

"Can you hear anything?" Obi-wan asked, as the pair pressed against each other's backs. Araminta had drawn a small knife from where she had it stored in her boot, one of the few weapons she still had.

Araminta strained her ears for sounds in the relatively silent room, tail twitching around her feet. "There's two," she informed him.

He nodded. "We are here on a diplomatic mission under the protection of Duchess Satine," he announced to the quiet room. Araminta narrowed her eyes, as if she would be able to see through the dim lighting and shadows stretching across the floor.

"We do not recognise her rule," someone sneered.

Araminta wheeled around, knife spinning end over end, the blade scraping at the Mandalorian armour as he ran at them. Araminta got there first, striking at the hand holding the blaster, a harmless shot going into the ground. Araminta sent her armoured shin into the soldier's stomach, shoving him to the side before he came back swinging.

She darted back, playing her defence, just as blaster shots rang out from above. The second soldier had made himself known from atop the second floor, firing down on them. Araminta made sure to keep close to the one she was fighting to avoid friendly fire, as Obi-wan deflected the shots with his lightsaber.

Araminta let out a wheeze as she was grappled and slammed to the ground on her back, managing to roll over before the soldier could kick her head in. She lunged back in, blocking two punches before spinning and kicking him in the chest, sending him stumbling back. In the small break, she glanced over to Obi-wan, only to see the Mandalorian's aim rang true, and he had shot the lightsaber from Obi-wan's hand, leaving him open as they brawled hand-to-hand.

The assassin faltered as a heel struck her jaw, and she went sprawling, before the second soldier joined in against Obi-wan. The assassin spat blood onto the floor, as she was considered down for the count from one kick. She drew her favourite knife, and charged in, sinking it between the cracks of armour and into a shoulder.

The Mandalorian let out a yell, but before he could strike back she had removed the bloodstained blade and twisted to the side, coming for the other one, driving her shoulder into his side, sending him sprawling from the force.

"Look out!" Obi-wan cried, and Araminta jumped to the side as blaster fire trailed her footsteps.

With Araminta now further away, the two soldiers had the chance to double up on Obi-wan, restraining him as the second hit him in the face, sending him sprawling. Araminta's favourite knife spun through the air, catching one soldier and forcing him to his knees from the impact. But even as she ran in, Obi-wan went limp, the first Mandalorian kicking him in the temple.

Araminta let out a yell as she jumped on his back, spinning and forcing them to the ground. She jumped from him and towards Obi-wan's unconscious body, retrieving her favourite knife from the ground as she went, standing over him with her blade drawn, chest heaving as her golden eyes flicked between the two opponents.

"Surrender now!" one of the soldiers sneered, raising his blaster to her. To her right, the one she had thrown to the ground had gotten to his feet, hand going for his own blaster.

Araminta grit her teeth– she had no blaster, not even her stash of throwing knives, and her utility belt was cut in half from the weapons she had surrendered for Satine's sake. Her favourite knife was her most reliable, but in a second, she would have two blasters pointed at her.

She lowered the blade slightly, the soldier assuming her intention to surrender, before throwing it, forcing him to duck. A blaster shot brushed past her head as she crouched down, rolling along the ground to where Obi-wan had been disarmed, hand closing around the hilt of the lightsaber.

"Oh shit," one of the soldiers said, as she got back to her feet, blue beam spinning as she blocked the blaster shots.

She had adopted the same technique for using her baton and polearm for the lightsaber, which was so far working in her favour, as she pushed her way forward and back to standing above Obi-wan. Even with two shooters bearing down on her, the range of the lightsaber compared to her small frame kept them at bay.

A door on the other side of the room began to move upwards, and Araminta knew she couldn't hold them off forever. The Adanei girl narrowed her eyes, using the Force to throw one soldier into the other, before crouching beside Obi-wan's heavy, unconscious body. She reached into the small pocket on his wrist, removing the communicator, before flipping over him and making a run for it.

"Stop her!" one of the soldiers cried.

The door had opened now, and she could hear reinforcements piling in just as she disappeared into the next room, lightsaber slashing at the console to stop it from opening behind her. She could hear many people on the other side as she moved off, feet light, before she pressed through another door and back into the mining tunnels.

She kept her breathing shallow and steady, until she came to what she was looking for. She holstered the lightsaber hilt, instead unsheathing her smallest knife from her left boot, pressing the tip into the screws of the vent. She could hear muffled sets of footsteps, and as she unscrewed the second screw, vent almost off its hinges, an alarm began to blare.

Araminta flinched at the noise, but continued until she could properly unscrew the vent, holding it behind her as she clambered inside with ease, pulling the cover back over. Using the lightsaber, she gently melted the edges back, and in good time, as she heard a patrol run through the tunnel she had just been standing in.

"She's still here," one of them said as the assassin slowly pushed back deeper into the vent, lightsaber deactivated. "Find her!"

Araminta clenched her jaw, moving quickly and quietly until she felt she was safe enough to pause, pulling out the communicator she had taken off of Obi-wan. "Satine," Araminta whispered into the comm link. No response.

"If you can hear me, Kenobi has been captured by the Death Watch," she explained as briefly as she dared. "I'm turning on the tracker for the communicator– I don't care what you do, but I'm overrun here and I don't know how much longer they'll keep Kenobi alive." She paused, hearing the faintest groan of metal.

She had three knives left– and would never admit how sore she was that her favourite knife had been left behind in the first room. The alarm didn't reach her as harshly in the vents, as she continued through them, making mental notes of the turns she took. She was small enough to continue forward on her feet, knees up to her chest, ears constantly swivelling in case someone realised where she was.

"Commander wants us to tell him of anymore Jedi," she heard faint voices below her. She pressed closer against the walls, as if they'd be able to see her through the tiny grate beneath her.

Cautiously, she looked down, seeing at least five heavily armed Mandalorian guards, not unlike the one in the holographic footage Obi-wan had shown Satine. She hated to think about how extensive this Death Watch really was– growing right underneath Mandalore's nose on their abandoned moon.

"It's not like he could do anything," one of the guards scoffed in response. "Without his lightsaber."

"The girl's still here," someone else said sharply. "She could call for help and we don't need that mess."

"We have guards at every entrance and the Jedi's room," the first replied. "She's not getting away."

Araminta narrowed her eyes at the confirmation Obi-wan was still alive and just being held hostage. She had to find him.

She braced, one foot against the side of the vent, another held above the grate. She had to make it quick– make blowing her cover worth it. The assassin had no way of knowing if Satine was on her way or not, for all she knew, they could have blocked communications the second she had escaped into the vents.

The grate clattered to the ground as Araminta kicked it in, the five-soldier patrol whipping around at the noise. She dropped down in a second, one of two smoke bombs she still had rolling along the ground before erupting into chaos.

She leapt in, small knife finding its mark between the cracks of throat and helmet. She removed it with a flurry of blood and ducked below a blaster, surging back up and stabbing between the cracks of the wrist armour. The second soldier let out a yell and dropped the blaster, which fell into Araminta's hand instead.

"Heat vision! Heat vision!" someone was yelling.

Araminta exhaled sharply, shooting the soldier she had stolen the blaster from in the chest, before wheeling around and firing three times consecutively in the direction of the voice, which went quiet. Someone grabbed her from behind, arms around her neck in a chokehold, but she went for the hilt at her hip, holding it backwards as she activated it.

The fourth soldier holding her went limp, and slid off her. The blue light from the lightsaber cut through any of the remaining smoke as she advanced on the fifth and final soldier, who was trying to shoot at her to no avail. He threw his blaster to the side and went to meet her in the middle, Araminta blocking him with one hand before kicking his knee in.

The deactivated hilt of the lightsaber went to his upper chest, and he went still.

"You know what this is," Araminta hissed. The soldier nodded. "Where is the Jedi?"

No response. Araminta gave him a moment to reconsider his refusal, before pulling away. In a second she had cut down with the blue beam of light, cleaving the man's forearm from his body. He let out a yell, which Araminta stifled by hitting him in the jaw, sending him to the ground, writing in pain.

Araminta placed her foot against the amputated limb, her other to the side of the soldier as she stood over him, tip of the lightsaber at his throat. She didn't need to say anything, only looking down at him as the blue energy illuminated her face.

"Th–third sector," the soldier let out between heavy breathing. "If you hurry, you might get there in time to see it." Araminta narrowed her eyes before she heard the hum of machinery, metallic clanging beating in her eardrums from somewhere in the facility.

The lightsaber impaled itself on the soldier, and she pulled away, stepping over the five bodies she had left in her wake.

"Araminta–" suddenly came a murky voice from the communicator Araminta had taken. "I'm here. Where exactly are you?"

"The clanging," Araminta responded to Satine, already on the move herself. "Third sector. Kenobi–"

"I know where," Satine replied. "But it's too heavily guarded."

"Leave it to me," Araminta sighed as she reentered the facility from the tunnels. She was not seen immediately by the guards patrolling the door, before she drew the lightsaber, and the attention went to her.

Dragging out a fight to bring as much attention to her as possible was not Araminta's usual style, as she brawled with the three guards, trying not to be as quick as she would like to be. Although armed with a plasma blade capable of cleaving them in two, Araminta was forced to only use it as a shield against their blasters, all while engaging with her fists the rest of the time.

At least she was good at keeping people on their toes, as the alarm began to ring out again.

"We need reinforcements!" one of the soldiers cried.

"Satine," Araminta said urgently, not wanting to deal with reinforcements, not really.

There was no response, and Araminta holstered the lightsaber as she collided with a soldier, knee to his chin. She used his unconscious body as a shield against the blaster shots as another ran at her, discarding it at the end as she jumped and spun on the shoulders of another. As they hit the ground, she raised her stolen blaster and fired at the third. Beneath her, the second went still as she cracked his neck.

Araminta hit the red button on the side of the room, the alarm ceasing, the pressure on her senses easing. Still, she knew reinforcements could arrive at any moment as she pushed further into the third sector, trying to contact Satine again.

"Fuck it," Araminta hissed as she entered the third sector, hitting the button to open the door with her fist. She raised the lightsaber as they slid open, eyes widening as she was met by Obi-wan and Satine. "Thank gods," she breathed, lowering the weapon, which Obi-wan looked at curiously.

"You took my lightsaber?" Obi-wan asked.

"Well, I had very few weapons after the Duchess made me surrender them," Araminta said simply, handing it back over. She shot Satine an unappreciative look.

"And the communicator?" Obi-wan continued.

"Well, I was very outnumbered and you're a bit too heavy for me to carry around as dead weight," Araminta told him snidely. "Had to call for help somehow."

"Appreciated," Obi-wan acknowledged.

"Someone's coming," Araminta hissed, backing into the room. She noticed the machinery used to crush and melt minerals, and the two unconscious soldiers against the wall. "Well, you've been busy," Araminta mused as Obi-wan slashed at the door lock, closing them in and blocking off the reinforcements.

"Well, for a man sworn to peace you take an unseemly pleasure in the injuries of others," Satine snipped at Obi-wan as they headed for the turbolift at the back of the room.

Araminta glanced between the pair warily, as Satine fixed the front pieces of her hair. The assassin felt it best not to mention the men she had fallen during her movements in the facility.

"For a woman sworn to non-violence, you don't seem troubled that I could have been killed back there," Obi-wan pointed out as they began to move upwards.

"But you weren't," Satine retorted, lifting her chin. "And yet I still haven't heard any thanks."

"Well, you certainly haven't changed much," Obi-wan sighed.

Araminta raised her eyebrows slightly at the pair as the elevator came to a stop, doors sliding open to reveal a guard standing to the side. Obi-wan struck him twice into unconsciousness before he could even react.

"This is not the way we came in," Obi-wan said.

"No shit," Araminta breathed.

They were above the surface now, in the middle of one of the craters looking down on a massive gathering of Mandalorian soldiers. Obi-wan hurried to close the elevator doors again, but they had already been seen and the doors did not cooperate in time.

Araminta exchanged an urgent glance with Obi-wan, as he pulled Satine from the lift by the hand, moving the group of three behind a rock as they were shot at. "We'll have to stand and fight," Obi-wan declared, as the lift they had taken up collapsed from being shot at. The Jedi glanced at Satine. "Or in your case just stand."

Satine sent him an annoyed look as Obi-wan broke cover, drawing his lightsaber. Araminta moved to follow him, as three soldiers used their jetpacks to fly in closer. She shot out one of the jetpacks, sending them flying as she adopted her usual position at Obi-wan's flank.

"Take care of them," Obi-wan instructed.

Araminta didn't respond, grabbing a jetpack from the fallen guard and throwing it in the air, shooting it before the two could fly any closer. It exploded, forcing them back, and Araminta's lip twitched at the success of the shot– Somskay could be proud.

"They're evacuating!" Araminta reported as she moved back to Obi-wan's side, stolen blaster raised as she scanned the mine below them. Obi-wan narrowed his eyes when he saw she was right, shuttles rising into the skies and the shooting stopping.

"Get to Satine," Obi-wan told her. "I'll deal with this."

Araminta frowned at the four approaching soldiers– the one leading the charge had a cloak lazily strung on one shoulder and golden endowments on his helmet. He held up a hand as he neared, the other three holding back as he approached.

The last thing Araminta felt she should do was back away and let Obi-wan handle it, but his orders rang in her head, and she moved back behind the cover of the rocks with Satine, who was watching the scene with wide eyes. Araminta gripped the blaster at her side for when she would have to intervene.

The leading soldier, seemingly unfazed by Obi-wan's raised lightsaber, removed his helmet. "Governor?" Satine said in horror, as Araminta looked into the eyes of the man that had greeted them to the moon.

"For generations, my ancestors fought proudly as warriors against the Jedi," Vizsla said to Obi-wan. "Now, that woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian." Vizsla scoffed, looking between Obi-wan and the Duchess. "Defend her– if you will." He threw the cloak to the side, Araminta seeing the Death Watch symbol as it folded in the wind. Vizsla removed a thin hilt from his belt, holding it up.

"This lightsaber was stolen from your Jedi Temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic," Vizsla said, brandishing a black version of the Jedi's sacred weapon. "Since then, many Jedi have died upon its blade." He held it out threateningly. "Prepare yourself to join them."

Araminta urgently looked to Obi-wan for an order, and as he met Vizsla in the middle, she caught the briefest raise of two fingers. Stay. The assassin swallowed back her apprehension as the pair duelled, Satine watching on in stunned fascination. Maybe at a later date Araminta would say 'I told you so', but in the moment she was far too enthralled in Obi-wan beating the Governor.

Even Vizsla's guards held back, watching as he was knocked back, landed a hit on Obi-wan, and then disarmed and knocked back again. As Vizsla briefly got the upper hand, Araminta fired off three shots to keep him back as Obi-wan got to his feet, and Vizsla's gaze fixed on her.

"You," he said, "are no Jedi."

Araminta only narrowed her eyes at him, bloodstained fingers steady on the blaster's trigger. "No, but I'm a great distraction," she mused, as Obi-wan barrelled into the side of Vizsla, sending him sprawling.

Vizsla got to his feet, shaking off the help offered from the three soldiers behind him. He glared daggers at Obi-wan, jabbing a finger towards the Jedi. "Warriors, finish him!" he commanded.

Obi-wan braced himself as the three soldiers stepped forward, bending their knees as if to shoot forward with their jetpacks. Instead, a missile flew from each, Obi-wan dodging them as they arced behind him and circled back around.

Araminta shoved Satine. "Move," she hissed, breaking cover from the rocks as the three balls of fire began to head straight for them.

Obi-wan met them in the middle, reaching for Satine as they plunged down the elevator shaft they had come up minutes prior. Araminta rolled forward as hot debris fell around them, Obi-wan shifting his weight so he landed on Satine to shield her. Through the smoke, Araminta let out a cough, scrambling over to the pair.

"We have to keep moving," she murmured, urging Obi-wan to his feet.

He nodded, wincing as he held his ribs from the impact. "Agreed."

"Solarii," Satine interjected, as they started to hurry out of the evacuated facility. Araminta paused, giving her an odd look. "I found this," Satine told her, holding out the familiar blade. Araminta accepted and sheathed it in silence, fingers running over the carvings on it.

She managed a nod in acknowledgment to the Duchess, even as they fled from the facility, even as they passed the chaos Araminta had left in her wake. Satine's eyes widened at the bodies, and Araminta knew her eyes had gone to the blood on her sleeves.

Araminta may have been the neutrality between the Jedi and Sith, but she would never be the type of neutral to hold back a knife.

━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

      CONCORDIA was once again abandoned, as the bruised group of three headed back to the capital, Sundari, Obi-wan making a desperate call to the Jedi Council along the way while Satine watched Araminta with an unmistakable look of distrust. Once they landed, the assassin reunited with her weapons as if she had been missing a limb, and Satine had disappeared to her quarters with an entourage of guards in tow.

When she reappeared, the landing zone of Sundari had become a place of hushed rumours and departures. It was morning now, and Satine was back in her presentation clothes, looking every bit as dazzling as the stained glass portraits of her back in the palace. She was accompanied by Prime Minister Almec, and the Senator, his head ducked slightly.

As Obi-wan greeted her dutifully, Araminta was not unaware of the way Satine looked at her.

"But if Pre Vizsla fled we have no way of learning how widespread Death Watch really is," the Senator said as they headed for the starship to escort the Duchess safely to the Senate, where she would plead her part in the war after the newest developments.

What had started as an investigation of rumours had turned into something that ran far deeper– and Obi-wan seemed to have a personal stake in the Duchess being at risk.

"It's obvious the Separatists are supporting the Death Watch," Obi-wan spoke up.

"I disagree," Satine retorted, turning to him just before the onramp. Obi-wan looked caught off guard by her denial, and Araminta took a great interest in the concrete. "I told you I wanted to stay out of this conflict."

"Given the current situation I'm afraid that may no longer be possible," Obi-wan told her calmly.

"I thought you of all people would understand my position on this matter," Satine said sharply. "I will never be a part of this war."

She turned on her heel, the Senator falling into step with her as they boarded the starship. Almec only gave Obi-wan a knowing look as he, too, departed, leaving the Jedi and his assassin bodyguard standing alone.

"She's in denial," Araminta said abruptly.

"She just doesn't want her hand to be forced," Obi-wan sighed. "I do understand it. But I also understand it can't be helped right now." Araminta only hummed in response, and the Jedi looked at her softly. "Thank you," he told her.

Araminta furrowed her brows at the unexpected words, ones she hated hearing at the best of times. "What?"

"For doing what needed to be done," he elaborated.

"Just doing my job, Kenobi," Araminta said simply.

But Obi-wan only shook his head. "If you truly prioritised your own survival, you would've taken my comm link and left me for dead, unarmed." Araminta swallowed thickly at the idea. "You didn't have to come back– you never really do. In the grand scheme of war, you'd slip under the radar."

"How do you know I didn't think about it?" Araminta snipped back.

Obi-wan looked unfazed by her bite. "This isn't the first time you have gone above and beyond your guardsman duties. Just want to appreciate it." He placed a hand on her shoulder, Araminta looking down at the contact with pursed lips. "Who knows, maybe one day you'll admit you care about more than just your own survival," Obi-wan added.

Araminta shrugged his hand off. "That'll be the day," she jeered.

Obi-wan looked at her, almost in amusement, before focusing on something behind her. Araminta turned to see Anakin approaching, accompanied by Rex, Cody and a few clones. She couldn't help the way her face softened at seeing him.

"Reporting for escort duty, General," Anakin greeted Obi-wan. He glanced down at Araminta. "Solarii," he acknowledged. She dipped her head in response.

"Oh, Anakin," Obi-wan sighed. "I'm glad to see you."

"You sound tired," Anakin scoffed

"The peaceful ways of the locals wore me down a bit," Obi-wan admitted.

Anakin exchanged a glance with Araminta as the older Jedi walked off with Cody and Rex towards the starship. "Gods, you missed a lot," she scoffed, standing as close to him as she dared.

"Catch me up?" Anakin asked brightly.

"No shit," she mused, as the pair headed for their next assignment.

━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

thank you thank you for everyone's patience with this book!! i had a rocky start to this semester but things are more under control now and i consider this book my priority :)

this is a chapter i consider to be key to araminta's character, and that dialogue between her and obi-wan has been written out for ages and i finally got to put it into a chapter. it's also quite long, at almost 9k, and so is the next one

more soon! and anakinta next time! i hope everyone knows the more validation i get the more excited i am to write the next chapter