(A few days earlier...)

Anakin carved a path through the cruiser from the bridge to the medbay, leaving a plethora of confused troopers in his wake. The fact that they had lost Grievous again caused anger to simmer under the surface, but he didn't care at the moment. He was now free to leave the bridge since the battle was over, and he'd received one of his almost constant updates on Zelina's progress—at his request—that had sent him flying to the other side of the ship at this very moment.

Zelina was regaining consciousness.

Anakin slid around the corner into the medbay, entering the room with a small huff before he rushed to the bed he knew Zelina was stationed.

The medical droid was waiting expectantly for him, datapad in hand that had Zelina's current status in his hands as he hovered by her bedside. Anakin, however, had his gaze fixed firmly on his friend lying motionless on the bed, a bandage that had been freshly changed to replace the blood soaked one from where Grievous had stabbed at her abdomen was fixed around her midsection. For once, the young woman did not look peaceful in her sleep, but rather restless, as if she was suffering from nightmares.

"Is she going to be all right?" Anakin asked immediately, one hand resting on the bed beside her arm.

The med droid turned its head to Anakin. "Yes General, but only after some much needed rest."

"When will she wake up?" he asked almost as soon as the droid's first sentence was out of its mouth.

"Any moment now; she has grown increasingly restless. I suspect she is having flashbacks," the droid said in its monotone voice. Anakin's frown grew, his eyes wandering to the stand beside her.

He was startled to see two lightsabers lying there instead of one. One of them was obviously her own, but the other seemed familiar, but he hadn't seen it in a long time...

A moan came from Zelina, drawing Anakin's immediate attention. His eyes studied her face sharply, both hands now braced against her bed as she shifted restlessly in her bed, face scrunched up in pain and distress. "Zee?"

Her eyelids squeezed shut even tighter and she shrunk away for a moment before suddenly her eyes were wide open and she bolted upright in bed with a loud cry of, "No!"

That cry was quickly followed by a gasp of pain as her arm flew to cover her injured abdomen and she curled up. Anakin put his hands on her shoulders, doing his best to gently push her back to a laying down position on the bed. "Zee, you're safe, you're all right, lie down before you hurt yourself," he said soothingly but sternly. "It's all right, nothing's going to hurt you, you're safe."

Zelina gasped in pain and Anakin's brow furrowed in worry as he helped her slowly and painfully lie back down. Her fingers clutched at his organic arm, fingers biting into his skin; he was proud of himself for not wincing at the pain it caused him.

Finally she was on her back again, panting lightly, face twisted in agony. Anakin slid his hand into hers, watching her closely with an expression of pure concern. "Deep breaths, all right? You're going to be all right..."

In an attempt to reassure her, he sent a comforting wave towards her through the Force, an action she latched onto immediately to sooth herself. It took a few moments for her to recover fully, but when she had she only had one word for him.

"Grievous?" she asked, her voice raspy.

The anger that had been simmering under the surface finally showed itself in his eyes and expression as he scowled. "He got away."

Zelina looked away, a look of contempt flashing across her face as she sat for a few moments in silence. Anakin was the one to break the silence, but his words weren't soft.

"What were you thinking, taking him on alone?" Anakin asked her in a furious whisper. Zelina's head whipped around to fix him with a fiery look.

"I couldn't let him get away, not again," she said fiercely. Anakin didn't back down.

"And what if you had died to? Would it have been worth it?" He asked sharply.

"Yes—"

"No," he said firmly, his eyes snapping as he grasped her arm. "No Zelina, it wouldn't have been worth it if you had died. Did you even think about what that would do to us? To Padme, to Obi-Wan, to me?"

Her eyes flashed and her jaw tightened, but the pained edge to her expression was now clearly emotional and riddled with guilt. "No...no I wasn't thinking about that."

"You should have," Anakin added angrily, turning away from her with his arms folded over his chest, visibly ticked off. The fact that she would so readily throw her life away ruffled him in a way few people could.

"Ani..." she said quietly behind him. He ignored her, still furious.

"Anakin..." she said, her voice even lower and strangled by some raw emotion. Anakin hesitated but turned whenever he heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber being activated.

Zelina was holding the other lightsaber reverently in her hands, tears streaming out of her eyes as her eyes repeatedly grazed the length of the emerald blade. He eyed her wearily, slowly coming to her side. She spoke before he could inquire what was wrong.

"I got it back from him," she said shakily, deactivating the blade and offering the hilt to him. She wiped the tears from her eyes as he took the lightsaber hilt from her with equal reverence. He finally realized who's lightsaber it was.

Ur-Sema Du's lightsaber.

He ripped his gaze from the lightsaber to stare at Zelina. "How...?"

"Grievous knocked Obi-Wan unconscious for a few moments; it was just him and me and he kept taunting me. I managed to cut off his arm; the one that was holding her lightsaber..." she turned her gaze back to him, tears in her eyes once again. "I couldn't let him harm any more people with her lightsaber; no more..." she said, her voice shaking with the pain of grief Anakin recognized too well.

Anakin set the lightsaber beside hers on the table before he reached over and put his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. He let her bury her face into his shoulder, taking care not to disrupt her injuries. He let Zelina cry into his shoulder, shielding her as best as he could from the world all around.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be..." he barely heard her whisper back. "You're one of the few things gone right in my life."

**************************************

(Present)

"So run this past me one more time; who are we going to see?" Zelina asked Obi-Wan, tweaking the angle of her violet painted starfighter to a more desirable route.

"Satine Kryze, Duchess of Mandalore and leader of the Council of Neutral Systems," Obi-Wan responded automatically.

"And we're investigating this claim that she's building her own army to support the Separatists?" Zelina asked in confirmation.

"Yes, though I find them to be ridiculous claims; Satine is a pacifist, and a stubborn one at that," Obi-Wan said. "She would be the last person to create an army to enter this war, and on the side of the Separatists? It's a load of—"

"Bantha poodoo?" Zelina asked with a grin. "My, my, Obi-Wan, don't you feel strongly about this?"

She heard Obi-Wan sigh. "It's complicated."

"I'm sure it is," Zelina said with a smirk as they entered the atmosphere of Mandalore. For a few moments, all she saw was clouds. Then, suddenly, they broke away to reveal what looked like an oddly shaped box with many deformities floating in the sky. While it looked strange, it also looked...elegant.

With an ease she was sure had rubbed off on her from Anakin, she glided the starfighter to a stop beside Obi-Wan's starfighter. She powered down her starfighter, her eyes scanning the guards that dotted the landing platform around them while her cockpit opened up to let her out. She sighed, standing up and jumping confidently down from the ship. A slight ache echoed over her abdomen, but she ignored it. She was well enough to go out into the field on missions; it was just a slight ache and nothing more. It would fade in time.

Zelina strode to Obi-Wan's side, turning her attention to the guard that was waiting to take them to the palace.

"The duchess awaits you, Generals," the guard said, inclining his head towards Obi-Wan.

"Far be it from me to keep the Duchess waiting," Obi-Wan said as he climbed onto the transport, Zelina right behind him. It had been made quite clear to her that Obi-Wan was taking the reign on this mission, not only from the Council but from Obi-Wan himself as well.

The transport launched forward and Zelina looked around in wonder at the block-like structures all around her made of transparent materials in elegant patterns. She was surprised at how fast the transport moved, and the entrance to the palace was approaching swiftly, hard to miss with how grand it was built with curving arches.

Instinctively, she let her hands drop to the two weapons at her side as she admired the city around her. She thumbed the two lightsaber hilts; one her own violet lightsaber hilt, the other the hilt of Ur-Sema's former lightsaber, modified to fit her needs. She had modified the hilt so that it fit her hand better. Also, she had adjusted the blade, making it a shoto blade at a comfortable length that wasn't too short for her liking, longer than the usual shoto blade but still shorter than her lightsaber blade. The color remained green in honor of her late master, and the hilt retained most of its original appearance for the same reason.

Obi-Wan continued to hold the lead, being the first one to step off of the transport and the first one to enter the large palace. The view took her breath away; the sight of the light filtering through the elegantly designed windows was a sight that took her breath away, and she couldn't stop gazing around at the sight of the Mandalorian Palace.

"Generals Kenobi and Du'ahn," Zelina suddenly heard a man say. She tore her attention from the glass panel chandelier to focus on the white haired man in white and gold clothes that was currently approaching them.

"Thank you for meeting with us Prime Minister Almec," Obi-Wan said diplomatically as the man shook hands with both Obi-Wan and Zelina.

"I welcome you as a servant of the people, but I am troubled by the false rumors that have brought you here," Almec said. "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 started to say, but Almec cut him off before he could get much farther. Zelina decided, from that small act, that she didn't really like the Prime Minister that much.

Hopefully this Duchess would be much better.

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

"Mhm...are you certain?" Obi-Wan asked, his hand stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I recently encountered a man wearing Mandalorian armor; Jango Fett."

Zelina cocked an eyebrow. Now why was he bringing up Fett? And hadn't he just said he didn't believe the claims that were circulating about the Duchess?

Prime Minister Almec's reply was sharp. "Jango Fett was a common bounty hunter. How he acquired that armor is beyond me."

A commanding female voice suddenly rang clearly across the room, drawing Zelina's immediate attention. "Well, Master Kenobi; my shining Jedi Knight, to the rescue once again."

Zelina's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her eyes riveting to Obi-Wan almost instantly before they shot to the woman that had just entered the room.

Her golden hair was done up in an extravagant royal headdress. She was garbed in ceremonial robes in hues of deep blue, teal, sky blue, and royal purple. Her eyes were a startling crystalline blue, determined and compassionate. She walked with a refined elegance and had a commanding air about her, yet exuded peace and reassurance at the same time.

Zelina and Obi-Wan both approached the throne Duchess Kryze had just taken a seat on, the chair's back lighting up to shine a beautiful orange and yellow.

"After all these years, you're even more beautiful than ever," Obi-Wan said graciously and sincerely. Zelina's eyebrows were rising further and further in surprise as this conversation developed. Was she truly witnessing this, standing forgotten behind Obi-Wan?

"Kind words from a man that accuses me of treachery," the Duchess said, a sharp tone creeping into her voice.

There's the tension that usually exists in these missions with Obi-Wan, Zelina thought to herself.

"I would never accuse you of personal wrongdoing Duchess," Obi-Wan said sincerely. He started to walk forward, and Zelina followed right behind him. "However a Separatist saboteur attacked one of our Republic Cruisers. A Mandalorian saboteur."

The last three words were her signal, and she pulled out a small holodisplay, promptly coming even with Obi-Wan as she activated the picture for the Duchess to see. A small blue image of a man dressed in full Mandalorian armor appeared, firing on the crew of a Republic ship. Zelina paused the image so that the man could be seen in full clarity, fully aware of the anger that was starting to boil inside of the Duchess and the Prime Minister as she finally shut the image off.

Where the anger was aimed, Zelina did not know. At least not in the case of the Duchess; the Prime Minister was much easier to read, especially with the words that followed.

"You must be mistaken! No Mandalorian would engage in such violence; not anymore!" the Prime Minister said firmly. Obi-Wan looked at him appraisingly, the very definition of calm and collected. "Where is this prisoner now?"

"He took his own life rather than answer any of our questions," Zelina told the Prime Minister calmly.

"I know these commandoes fought in many wars," Obi-Wan added. "Often against the Jedi."

"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am," the Duchess said firmly, leaning forward in her chair. The man beside her spoke up.

"And I know we sound defensive, but—"

The Duchess cut the man off, anger rising in her expression. Somehow she still managed to remain elegant even when those eyes gained a dangerous edge.

"Clearly, you investigation was ordered because the Senate is eager to intervene in our affairs!" the Duchess snapped.

"Our investigation was ordered by the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan said gently, meeting the Duchess' calm gaze evenly.

The Duchess was quickly pacified, sitting back and speaking in a soft tone. "I stand corrected...General Kenobi; perhaps you and your companion would like to join me on a walk through the city?" she asked, proffering a hand.

Obi-Wan seemed taken aback for a moment, but when the Duchess raised an eyebrow and lifted her hand higher expectantly, he confidently stepped forward and gingerly took her hand in his own. He silently led her off of the throne, offering his arm which she wordlessly accepted. Zelina, still trying to figure out what was going on that she was missing, fell into step behind the two, eyes darting between the Duchess and Obi-Wan in close observation.

******************************************

"It's...so good...to see you again, Obi-Wan...despite the circumstances," the Duchess said hesitantly. Zelina stayed a few paces behind the two, admiring the view around her as they talked and paying close attention to the conversation. She felt a little guilty for eavesdropping, but she had to know what big secret she was left in the dark about.

"Your peaceful ways have paid off," Obi-Wan complimented. "Mandalore has prospered since the last time I was here," he said, glancing back at Zelina with a look that told her he knew she was eavesdropping. She smiled sheepishly at him, but he simply shook his head and turned his attention back to the Duchess, choosing to let it slide.

"Not everyone on Mandalore believes that our commitment to peace is a sign of progress," the Duchess said sadly. "There is a group that calls itself Deathwatch; I imagine these are the renegades you and your companion are looking for. They idolize violence and the warrior ways of the past. There are those among us, certain officials who are working to root out these criminals. It has been an ongoing investigation."

Obi-Wan and the Duchess had come to a stop, and considering the direction the conversation had taken, Zelina came to stand beside Obi-Wan, who was once more thoughtfully stroking his beard. "How widespread is the Deathwatch movement?" Zelina asked her. The Duchess raised an inquiring eyebrow and Obi-Wan gestured to Zelina with a slight wave of his hand.

"Satine, this is Zelina Du'ahn, Jedi Knight and a good friend of mine," Obi-Wan said casually, nodding slightly to Zelina.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Duchess," Zelina said with a slight inclination of her head in a show of respect. The Duchess smiled at her.

"Any friend of Obi-Wan's is a friend of mine; call me Satine," the Duchess said warmly. Instantly, her demeanor returned to its serious, business-like manner. "To answer your question, it's hardly a movement; it's a small group of hooligans who choose to vandalize public places, nothing more. 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.

Zelina frowned, mulling over Satine's words. Concordia was the planet that the warriors had been isolated to; perhaps they had not died out as was originally believed.

She would have to bring that point up with Obi-Wan later, if he had not already thought of it himself by now.

"A peacekeeper belongs on the front lines of conflict; otherwise he wouldn't be able to do his job," Obi-Wan was saying to Satine. The walk had continued throughout the gardens, the conversation shifting, predictably, to the philosophies of the war. Zelina had left them too it, finding that listening to their conversation was benefiting her more than participating possibly could.

"The work of a peacekeeper is to make sure that conflict does not arise," Satine said with a small smile.

"Yes, a noble description," Obi-Wan responded with a smile. "Not a realistic one."

"Is reality what makes a Jedi abandon his ideals?" Satine asked in a sly, challenging tone, still smiling.

Zelina's step faltered. Something was wrong...

"Or is it simply a response to political convenience?" Satine continued.

"Get down!" Zelina suddenly said firmly.

Before either the Duchess or Obi-Wan could so much as glance her way, an explosion suddenly erupted right in front of them. Zelina, having been ready for it, instinctively slid into a defensive position in front of the Duchess as debris and screams suddenly filled the air.

Obi-Wan's eyes were fixated on Satine as thick black smoke filled the area all around them. "Are you all right?" he asked her gently.

"I'm fine," Satine assured him, already rising to move into action. Zelina and Satine moved simultaneously towards the site of the explosion, kneeling besides two different civilians that had been unfortunate to be too close to the explosion. Zelina kneeled by a child who was hardly moving, making soothing noises and resting her hand on the little boy's head in reassurance.

"Stay still, you're going to be all right," she whispered to the child, sending a wave of reassurance to the boy through the Force.

"Hooligans couldn't have arranged an attack of this scale," Obi-Wan said firmly, his quick eye examining the scene around him.

"Then this must be the work of an off-worlder," Satine said as she helped a man sit up. Zelina backed away from the child when his mother approached, returning to Satine's side to help the man up as well.

"Are you sure of that?" Obi-Wan suddenly asked sharply. Zelina turned to see what had captured his rapt attention, taking in the orange image that had appeared at the center of the disaster.

"The sign of the Deathwatch," Satine whispered, transfixed for a few moments.

"This goes far beyond vandalism," Obi-Wan said as he kneeled in front of the man who seemed to not be willing to stand up yet. "This is a political statement against your government."

Satine and Zelina both lifted the injured man to his feet, passing him off to a nearby civilian who offered to take his care out of the two women's hands. Obi-Wan fixed Satine with a pointed look. "And against you," he added softly. "You're not safe here; we're taking you back to the palace."

Obi-Wan took Satine's hand, pulling her to his side in an attempt to keep her as safe as possible. Zelina flanked the Duchess' other side, though she gave Satine a little more personal space whereas Obi-Wan had her pressed protectively to his side.

"I want to interview everyone here," Obi-Wan said out loud for all to hear. "Nobody leaves this scene."

Zelina caught movement out of the corner of her eyes. "Obi-Wan!"

He turned towards the source of the disturbance, noticing the same man Zelina had that was currently trying to make a run for it.

"You there!" Obi-Wan demanded, jumping right into the chase.

"Never a dull moment with him, especially if Anakin or myself is around." Zelina muttered. She shook her head and turned her attention right back to the Duchess. "I should get you back to the palace."

"We must follow him," Satine said firmly. The woman seemed surprised when Zelina smiled at her.

"You're just like someone else I know. Come on," Zelina said, starting to follow the path that she had seen Obi-Wan take. Satine was right beside her the entire way.

"I'm glad we agree Knight Du'ahn," Satine said with a smile.

"Call me Zelina," she responded easily.

The two rounded the corner down a rather dark hallway, skidding to a halt in the entrance when they noticed Obi-Wan and the man on the balcony in front of them.

"I don't want to hurt you," Obi-Wan was saying to the man. He caught sight of Satine and raised his hand in warning. "Stay back!" he warned her.

Zelina crept forward cautiously, taking in the man's movements. His eyes were wide, his breathing labored, and he seemed liable to do anything. In fact, he took Obi-Wan's momentary distraction to bolt off to the side, standing tall on the railing of the balcony and speaking in some language that Zelina did not understand.

She did, however, understand what a man about to commit suicide looked like. She'd had plenty of dreams about her father before he died to be familiar with what such a man looked like.

"Wait, no, don't!" Zelina cried, stretching out a hand as if to stop him. It didn't do anything though; the man still turned and jumped off the side of the railing to the ground below.

There was a sickening crunch below as all three rushed to the railing, peering over the edge to see the man lying in a cracked space of the glass walkway below. Satine covered her mouth with her hand, tearing her gaze away from the sight and squeezing her eyes shut. Silently, they all turned from the scene and swiftly made their way down below to the man, who Zelina was surprised to see was still alive, speaking in soft, raspy tones as Satine approached, dropping to a kneeling position beside him.

Obi-Wan and Zelina stood awkwardly off to the side, though Obi-Wan's curiosity seemed to be strong enough to prompt him to speak.

"What is he saying?" Obi-Wan asked.

Satine held up a hand to silence him as the man spoke once again. The man repeated his words, and realization dawned on Satine's face. She spoke in the same strange language, bowing her head in respect. A small smile graced the man's face before his head fell back and he died.

Satine was silent for a moment before she responded to Obi-Wan's inquiry. "He was speaking in the dialect they use on Concordia, our moon," she said quietly.

"I shall like to visit this moon of yours," Obi-Wan said seriously, fixing her with his intense stare. "Perhaps I could accompany the body."

"The Concordian moon is a province with its own governor, you'll need me to escort you," Satine responded immediately, standing up and propping an elbow up on the arm she had crossed over her chest, mirroring Obi-Wan's stance subconsciously. The sight was rather amusing for Zelina to see.

"That won't be necessary," Obi-Wan said with a slight wave of the hand.

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

"I didn't kill him," Obi-Wan said quietly, drawing back in defense.

"I know; that's why I'm still talking to you," Satine said evenly.

Obi-Wan looked like he was going to say something, but Satine turned away from him before he could. Zelina shook her head.

It was like watching a different version of Anakin and Padme.

*****************************************

Obi-Wan and Zelina both peered curiously out the viewport of the ship they were taking to Concordia, watching as the planet came closer.

"I thought Concordia was an agricultural settlement?" Obi-Wan suddenly said, breaking the silence and turning to Satine. The woman had changed before leaving and now wore an outfit of pale to vivid pinks and pale yellows that allowed for easy maneuverability, brown boots of Jedi quality included.

"Before the end of our wars, they turned it into a mining base," Satine informed him, gesturing to the planet in front of them. "The sheer number of mining facilities here nearly destroyed our forests; they're finally growing back."

Zelina raised an eyebrow, trying to imagine the rich history of Mandalore and Concordia from what she had already heard. She was starting to become genuinely interested in Satine's people.

Now wasn't the time to think about it though; she was on a mission, and they had a conspiracy to unravel.

Zelina turned her full attention to the viewport in front of her, watching as a rough edged structure appeared in front of them, set into the side of a range of jagged, slanted mountains. Their transport moved swiftly to the hanger bay, and Zelina started to move back towards the ramp. She was rather impatient to start snooping around to figure out what was really going on; she already had several theories she was continuously tweaking.

Obi-Wan and Satine took up the front while Zelina, once more, found herself shadowing them from behind. The ramp lowered straight down underneath them like a lift, much different from the standard ramp that Zelina was used to. She was happy to step off of the strange ramp and return to solid ground, falling into step immediately right behind the other two.

Zelina's eyes fell on the man that stood off to the side, shadowed in darkness and flanked by two guards. She could tell he was garbed in blue and had blonde hair, but that was all she could tell from the distance they currently were from their host. At least Zelina assumed the man was their host.

"Duchess Satine; you are most welcome," the man said as the three drew closer.

"Thank you Governor Vizsla; may I present Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Zelina Du'ahn representing the Jedi Council." Satine said, nodding towards each of them as she spoke. Zelina made sure that she stood straight and dignified as she was introduced, hoping to make a good impression. "Governor Vizsla is one of the officials I spoke of; he has been working to find the members of the Deathwatch," Satine explained to them.

"I take it you've heard the rumors about Satine; about how she's supposedly leading Mandalore into an alliance with the Separatists," Governor Vizsla said, his voice scoffing at the rumor that had brought the two Jedi there.

"Our only instructions are to seek the truth," Obi-Wan said sincerely. Behind them, the coffin of the man from earlier was being whisked away and drew Vizsla's attention.

"This was the man who bombed the memorial shrine?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow in question.

"Yes; he was apparently a part of Deathwatch," Obi-Wan said grimly.

"A worrisome prospect," Vizsla said with a small nod. "If you'll pardon me Generals; we must attend to the body."

Satine moved to follow Vizsla, but Obi-Wan stopped her, piquing Zelina's curiosity.

"I need a favor from you; please keep Governor Vizsla occupied at dinner," Obi-Wan said quietly, glancing between the two women.

"Where are you going?" Satine asked with a small shake of her head, cocking an eyebrow.

"Just for a look around," Obi-Wan said, glancing from side to side as if to make sure no one was listening. "I'd like to see one of these mining facilities for myself."

"You mean you want to determine if they're still...operational?" Satine asked.

"I hope to determine they're not," Obi-Wan said with a small smile.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Zelina asked him sincerely.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, you stay here and help Satine distract the Governor."

Satine frowned. "Are you sure you don't want her to come with you?"

Obi-Wan smiled at her. "Zelina and I are perfectly capable of working separately," Obi-Wan said, meeting Zelina's gaze pointedly. She got the point, and didn't move to protest. Obi-Wan pulled out some small devices out of one of his utility belt pouches. "I want you two to wear these earpieces so we can stay in contact in case either of you run into trouble while I'm gone."

Satine and Zelina both took an earpiece, situated the devices into place. Obi-Wan turned and scurried over to an assembly of speeder bikes alone one side of the wall as Satine spoke up.

"Remember that you are here under my protection; please try not to cause problems where none yet exist," Satine told Obi-Wan pointedly as he swung onto a nearby speeder bike.

"Think of me as...searching for solutions," Obi-Wan offered with a small smile.

"I have to tell you I'm opposed to all of this!" Satine called over the growing hum of the speeder bike coming to life.

"I'd be disappointed if you weren't," Obi-Wan responded easily before he finally coasted out of the hanger, disappearing from sight. Zelina shook her head.

"That man is in a category all his own," she said with a small smile. Satine turned back to the doors that would lead them to the dining room, a faint smile on the Duchess' face.

"That he is," Satine agreed quietly. After a few moments of walking, she spoke up. "So Zelina; why don't you tell me about yourself? How did you become a Jedi?"

"Well..." Zelina started, trying to think about how she wanted to go about her explanation. "My friend Anakin Skywalker and I were found on Tatooine by Obi-Wan's former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He freed us both from slavery and brought us to the Jedi Order to be trained as Jedi after finding out we were both strong with the Force."

Satine nodded. "I knew Qui-Gon Jinn; he was a good man. Do you ever miss home?"

Zelina shook her head. "Not anymore; there's nothing there for Anakin or me anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Satine said quietly. She appraised Zelina closely for a few moments. "So why did you become a Jedi?"

Zelina chewed on the inside of her cheek. "When I was younger I was asked the same question by Obi-Wan. I remember I told him that I wanted to help people, and that I knew that was what I was supposed to do; become a Jedi and help people. I also knew that Anakin was supposed to do the same thing, and when the Council rejected training Anakin, I refused to be trained. They changed their minds later, since Qui-Gon's last request was for Obi-Wan to train Anakin."

"You sound rather close to this Anakin," Satine noted. "Skywalker...I believe I've heard that name before..."

"I am...he's a very dear friend," Zelina said softly in a way that made Satine's eyebrows raise just slightly, a knowing glint coming into the woman's eyes. Zelina shook herself and gave the Duchess a small smile. "I wouldn't be surprised if you've heard of him though; I believe he's more commonly known as The Hero with No Fear these days...or is it The Warrior of the Infinite? I don't know; we try not to dwell on how much attention the public is giving us. I know Anakin doesn't like the titles some days..."

Satine smiled slightly. "So what's your opinion of this war?"

Zelina sighed. "I agree with my Senator friend Padme Amidala; this war represents a failure to listen. The Senate is corrupt, of that I have no doubt. And I have never liked the Chancellor from the moment I saw him when I was six years old, if that says anything. However, the Separatist leaders like Dooku and Grievous," Zelina said, her tone borderline acidic as she said their names, "are determined for this war to go on. So long as they're in the picture, I have the feeling that there will continue to be fighting."

Satine eyed her closely for a moment. "I take it you have personal experience with Count Dooku and General Grievous."

"Unfortunately," Zelina said, her hand tightening over Ur-Sema's lightsaber at her side. Satine didn't miss the motion.

"If it's not too private, do you mind if I ask what happened?" Satine said carefully. Zelina sighed once more.

"At the battle of Geonosis, Dooku almost killed me while I was protecting Obi-Wan. Anakin saved my life, though Dooku took Anakin's arm in the process. I've had several other unpleasant run ins with him since then," she said tiredly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Satine said sincerely. "And General Grievous?"

"He murdered my Master in cold blood and left her under the catacombs in the Battle of Geonosis after stealing her lightsaber from her corpse," Zelina said flatly.

Satine said nothing for a few moments. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"As am I," Zelina muttered. "I've tried to capture the Good General to bring him to justice several times, but he keeps slipping away..."

"You must have patience; good things come to those who wait," Satine said gently.

"I know," Zelina said with a sigh. "Anyway, enough about me; we don't need any more of this depressing talk."

Satine smiled faintly. "I agree; especially right before dinner. How long do you think Obi-Wan will be gone?"

Zelina frowned, thinking for a moment. "Well, if nothing goes wrong, we shouldn't have to do more than the initial excuse. If something does go wrong—which I am ready for considering our track record—I would say we'll have to make up several more excuses and possibly have to excuse ourselves to help him out of some tight spot."

Satine sighed. "I do hope it doesn't come to that," Satine said with a frown. Zelina smiled at the Duchess.

"I do too, but I'm still going to be prepared for it just in case."

Satine smiled. "A wise practice. I may be a pacifist, but I am fully prepared to defend myself if needs be."

Zelina nodded. "A smart choice," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. She definitely liked Satine Kryze; she could enjoy being friends with such a woman.

Satine came to a halt outside a door. "Here we are; we will be dining in here."

"Time to act innocent; got it," Zelina said with a faint smile.

Satine chuckled. "Just follow my lead."

"Will do Milady," Zelina sad with an inclination of her head before she arranged her expression into her best diplomatic mask, flanking Satine's right.

Satine smiled faintly before her expression returned to a calm, diplomatic mask and she opened the door, gliding elegantly inside. Zelina did her best to enter just as elegantly, though she had the feeling she still had that military Jedi feel to her walk.

"Forgive me Duchess, General; I'm writing a condolence letter to the dead man's family," Governor Vizsla said as they entered the dining hall. "And making arrangements for them to retrieve his body."

"Of course Governor, very proper," Satine said professionally, standing a little straighter with her hands placed behind her back. "General Kenobi will join us shortly; he said he needed to...meditate," Satine said with a vague wave of her head. Zelina gave a slight nod to show she approved of the excuse; she could make that one last for quite a while if she had to.

Vizsla spared Zelina a glance. "If it's not too impolite of me to ask, why aren't you meditating as well General?"

"General Kenobi said he had a few things he needed to think about and suggested that I go ahead of him and join you for dinner," Zelina said easily with a small smile.

"Well, I'm glad you could join us, and I hope General Kenobi will not be too long with his meditations."

"I hope so too Governor," Zelina said politely.

Zelina and Satine took a seat at the table with Satine heading the table while Zelina sat on her left. Zelina was already preparing herself for the long, grueling, political talk ahead of them.

She never had been one for politics.

***************************************

"Someone is feeding misinformation directly to the Republic Senate, saying that the Deathwatch is taking over Mandalore!" Satine said in worry as Vizsla poured her a drink, hunched over the table with her brow furrowed in worry. It hadn't taken long for the Duchess to get right to the heart of her concerns with the Governor. "Who stands to gain from these lies?"

"Deathwatch, of course," Vizsla said easily, leaning over to pour the alcoholic beverage into a glass for Zelina as well. She raised a hand to politely decline, to which he shrugged and poured his own glass.

After Florrum, she was absolutely sure she would never drink; not even a sip. She had been firmly set before then in her choice of not drinking, though now drinking was not even an option to her. She would never allow herself even one shot after that entire fiasco with Hondo Ohnaka and his men.

"They could not engineer all of this, the problem has clearly grown much larger than we thought!" Satine exclaimed, resting her forehead in her hand as she thought. "And I suspect some external force helped it along..."

"Hard to believe; it would have to be someone at the highest level of influence among the Separatists," Vizsla said skeptically.

Zelina frowned, staring at her empty glass intently. "I wouldn't be surprised if Dooku himself was involved; he has a knack for stirring up trouble in unexpected places with surprising outcomes."

"But why target me?" Satine asked, her voice strained.

"You lead the Council of Neutral Systems; thus you threaten the Separatist goals," Vizsla replied easily, raising a glass to Satine in a slight show of respect. "Take it as a compliment; someone very powerful is working towards your downfall."

"Yes...cheery," Zelina said with a bittersweet smile that matched Satine's. Zelina stood, drawing some clean water to fill her glass from the bar instead of alcohol of any sort. She took a deep drink of the clear liquid, wondering to herself when the last time she had drank water was. She needed to do better about staying hydrated. Being from Tatooine, one would think she would be better about staying hydrated.

***********************************************

Time passed agonizingly slow, and Zelina even dared to say that perhaps nearly an hour had passed since they had come to dinner, possibly more. She hadn't bothered to pay attention to the time.

"General Kenobi's meditation is taking a rather long time," Vizsla said, a slight tone of tartness in his voice as he lightly twirled his drink in his glass.

"You know the Jedi, they never do anything by halves," Satine said, playing with her glass a little nervously and offering a small smile.

"Especially General Kenobi; meditations can take a while if we're onto something or determined to figure out our problem. I know I tend to lose track of time; what feels like a few minutes tends to turn out to be a few hours," Zelina added just to put some credibility to Satine's claim.

"Duchess, Zelina, one of you; please acknowledge," came Obi-Wan's sudden voice in Zelina's ear.

"May I offer you another drink?" Vizsla asked Satine, raising his own glass.

"Yes...certainly," Satine said, disguising the action of adjusting her earpiece to hear better as a simple action of tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Zelina sat idly with the best bored air she could manage, listening intently to Obi-Wan's voice in her ear.

"I'm in a bit of an awkward spot; I'm being held by the Deathwatch," Obi-Wan said, causing Zelina to tense up.

"Sorry Duchess; we're out of ice," Vizsla said apologetically.

"Sorry to hear that," Satine said with a smile. Zelina could pick out the light of worry in Satine's eyes even as her own mind raced to figure out how to slip away to go and help Obi-Wan out of his 'spot.' Vizsla set the once more full glass down in front of Satine as he spoke.

"Perhaps we should begin dinner without General Kenobi," he offered, glancing between the two women.

At that moment, Obi-Wan's voice returned to Zelina's ear. "There's a tracking function on your com links, follow it due east to my location," he ordered them.

"I don't know if I can do that at the moment," Satine said with a small smile, hiding the action of touching the earpiece by making it look like she was nervously rubbing her neck.

"It's extremely urgent!" Obi-Wan said, a note of stress in his voice.

Vizsla looked confused by the Duchess' answer, leaning forward. "Are you not feeling well Duchess?" he asked.

Satine looked up at the Governor, a little startled. "Perhaps some fresh air would do me good," Satine said, brushing some hair out of her face as she touched the earpiece again. Zelina scratched her ear, discreetly touching the earpiece to add her own opinion to the secret conversation.

"Shall I escort you Duchess?" Vizsla offered. Zelina stood up as well.

"I'll go with her Governor," Zelina said politely. "I think I could use some fresh air as well."

She could practically hear Obi-Wan roll his eyes. "Take a speeder, it's rough terrain," Obi-Wan warned them.

"Are you sure you know the way around?" Vizsla asked doubtfully.

"Oh, we'll find our way," Zelina assured both the governor and Obi-Wan, following Satine out into the hall. Once they were a safe distance away from the dining room, the two women broke into a run, hurrying to the hanger without a word and activating their tracking functions. They both hopped onto separate speeders, still not speaking as they hurried to get to where Obi-Wan was. Zelina tried to ignore all of the thoughts that were rushing through her head, trying to imagine what kind of mess Obi-Wan had found himself in now.

*****************************************

When they finally arrived it was dark, and Zelina couldn't help but notice the lone speeder that was in front of them when they powered down their speeders, swinging off of the bikes. Zelina glanced around the deserted area around them, her eyes narrowing at the door to the mine off to their left.

"I wonder what he's got himself into this time," Zelina muttered. Satine smiled faintly at her comment, reaching over to contact Obi-Wan as she approached the mine.

"Where exactly are you?" Satine asked quietly, crouching as she carefully made her way into the entrance of the mine. Zelina stayed right behind her, hand on her lightsabers just in case they were ambushed.

"Listen for the loud metallic clanging sound," Obi-Wan responded sarcastically. "That would be the machine about to smash me into bits!"

"What did you do Obi-Wan, annoy someone with your manners?" Zelina shot back just as sarcastically, jumping onto the channel through her own earpiece.

"I can't help it if no one appreciates someone with polite wit these days," Obi-Wan responded sourly. Zelina chuckled, standing aside while Satine messed with the alarms nearby the entry way. With a few easy clicks, she tripped the alarm, glancing around before she gestured for Zelina to follow, rushing forward and down the hall on their right.

Just as Obi-Wan had said, they could hear loud clangs coming down the hall, and the sound was growing the closer they came. Satine suddenly dropped back into a crouch, hovering in the shadows of the room. Zelina heard a man's voice drift towards them.

"There's some kind of disturbance at the entrance; let's check it out."

Crouched in the shadows behind a ramp, Zelina and Satine waited until the sound of running footsteps was relatively far away to get up and enter the room.

The first thing Zelina noticed was the fact that Obi-Wan was held upside down in some sort of orange containment field, making slow progress down an assembly line that was meant to crush rocks of some rather hard minerals.

It seemed their clock was the time it took for Obi-Wan to get where he was now to the first machine. After that, Zelina could hear more noise in the form of rocks getting ground into near fine powder.

"Well it certainly took you long enough!" Obi-Wan barked as the two sprinted past him towards the controls.

Satine turned her head with a scowl in his direction. "You know, I haven't saved you yet," she warned. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

"Yes, no need to remind me of that!" he shot back.

"Be patient," Satine snapped at him as she climbed the ladder towards the controls.

"I happen to be running a bit short on patience right now!" Obi-Wan said, his voice rising sharply very close to a shout.

Zelina watched in amusement and worry, standing tense guard in case the Deathwatch men returned. Nervously she cast her eyes towards Obi-Wan, who was growing increasingly closer to the machine that would make him a lot thinner.

"Satine!" Obi-Wan called, struggling in his bonds. "Turn the machine off!"

"I'm trying," she snapped loudly, somehow managing to sound calm and annoyed at the same time.

"Satine!" Obi-Wan bellowed, his voice cracking as he came within crushing distance, the two heavy metal walls rushing from both sides of him to crush him into oblivion. Zelina tensed, mouth halfway open to call out his name.

"There!" Satine suddenly called, and Zelina sagged visibly in relief. Obi-Wan instinctively recoiled when he saw the thick metal plates rushing to squish him into a grease smear, wilting in relief whenever they came to a sudden halt.

Satine rushed down from her place by the controls, though Zelina tensed, seeing the two figures rapidly coming her way.

"We've got company!" Zelina warned them both, pulling out both lightsabers and standing tense at the ready for the oncoming conflict. One of the Deathwatch soldiers—complete with Mandalorian armor—activated a jet pack and barreled right into her, knocking the breath out of her. The other buzzed right past her towards Satine. Growling, Zelina disengaged herself from the first soldier, throwing the man off of her and activating her lightsabers. A vivid purple blade suddenly bathed her section of the room in its rich purple glow, and the green blade of her Master's lightsaber also sprung to life, shorter than the purple blade but still a threat.

Plus, she'd been working on her dual bladed swordsmanship as well as her single bladed swordsmanship. So she wasn't going to be a pushover.

Believing to have bought herself a moment, Zelina risked a glance over her shoulder to see how Satine and Obi-Wan were doing. Obi-Wan, it seemed, was still in his containment field as Satine was struggling to throw the second soldier off of her.

Suddenly, Satine kicked a barrel into the grinding machine, stopping its progress just long enough for Obi-Wan to be released from his containment field. He dropped, landing on the barrel upside down, and used his momentum to push himself off of the barrel with his hands. He did a slight flip in midair, landing neatly on the safety of the ground just beside the grinding machine.

Good, Zelina thought. Now this fight will go a bit smoother.

The Deathwatch soldier she was fighting suddenly charged her again, and Zelina forced the man to change course, swinging nearby his head with her violet blade. The man had to duck and roll to avoid the swing, and as a follow up Zelina cut downwards with her shoto, forcing the man to roll off to the side away from her. Behind her, Zelina heard a crash as Satine threw her opponent against the wall. She didn't look to see what happened after that, since her opponent was currently charging her again. Before she could do anything, a white and cream colored blur streaked past her, catching the man around the middle and throwing him to the floor. That same blur launched to his feet, swinging the man hard into the wall where he crumpled beside his downed co-conspirator.

Satine, brushing herself off, made her way towards the door. "For a man sworn to peace, you take an unseemly pleasure in the injuries of others," she said with a scowl, folding her arms over her chest as the doors slid shut in front of the three. A rumble shook the lift as they started their gradual ascent.

Obi-Wan was quick to reply.

"For a woman sworn to non-violence, you don't seem troubled that I could have been killed back there," Obi-Wan responded firmly.

Satine turned on him, eyes flashing. "But you weren't," she stated in a warning tone.

Awkward...awkward, awkward, awkward, Zelina thought over and over. She felt like she was caught in the middle of one of Padme and Anakin's arguments right now, the innocent, unfortunate bystander.

Satine turned away from Obi-Wan. "And yet I still haven't heard any thanks," she said breezily, her chin tilted up in a look of defiance. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Well, you certainly haven't changed much," he grumbled, standing right in front of the door.

The door slid open and they all froze when they saw a Deathwatch member standing right in front of them. Obi-Wan was quick to react, taking the man down with two well placed, quick punches. He glanced around.

"This is not the way we came in!" he stated with worry, tense and ready for any other possible opponents.

Zelina, however, had already spotted them. "Obi-Wan; down there, on the ridge!" she warned, pointing in the direction of the three Deathwatch soldiers she saw on a ridge across the chasm in front of them, just slightly below them but with a perfect angle to shoot them even in the lift. Obi-Wan tensed, waving the two girls back into the lift as he rapidly pressed the button beside them that would let them go down the elevator.

She was just now realizing that Obi-Wan was not armed with his lightsaber.

Unfortunate.

Obi-Wan suddenly reached over and grabbed Satine's hand. "Move," he commanded them both, pulling Satine to safety behind a nearby bolder. Zelina did as she was asked, moving out of the elevator, though there wasn't enough room for her behind the bolder as well, so she stood her ground and activated her lightsabers, focusing intently on deflecting the blaster shots that were flying their way.

"We'll have to stand and fight," Obi-Wan said firmly. His next words were directed at Satine. "Or in your case, just stand."

Zelina smirked and had to make a great effort not to snort at the comment, almost paying dearly for her distraction as a blaster bolt grazed her shoulder.

So much for 'light activity, doctor's orders.'

Not that she'd ever intended to follow said doctor's orders.

He stood, reaching for his lightsaber as he came even with Zelina, just to remember that he didn't have his lightsaber.

So, instead of charging in with a lightsaber, Obi-Wan called the weapon of the Deathwatch soldier he had knocked out not too long ago to his side, taking aim at three Deathwatch men that were making rapid progress towards the three. Zelina continued to deflect the shots from below, doing her best to down a few of the shooters as she did so. She did notice she had at least downed three of them...

A sudden explosion off to her side made Zelina jump, and she looked to see Obi-Wan had just blown up a jetpack in midair, successfully taking out the Deathwatch trio that he had been so focused on. He stood straight with a satisfied smirk, blaster firmly in hand. She didn't get to dwell on the thought for long though, as in her distraction a blaster bolt got through her defenses and she felt her shoulder suddenly light up in pain, eliciting a cry from her.

Obi-Wan probably would have reacted if a Deathwatch member hadn't jumped out at him from the smoke, tackling the elder Jedi to the ground. Zelina hunkered down, gripping her shoulder and looking to see that luckily it wasn't anything life-threatening, and certainly nothing she couldn't continue to fight with. She'd fought tusken raiders with a bullet in her shoulder, certainly she could fight some Deathwatch members with a blaster wound near the edge of her shoulder?

Vaguely, Zelina noted that the blaster fire from below had mysteriously stopped, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Something was about to happen.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was flat on his back thanks to the Deathwatch member who had managed to surprise him. The man took aim, ready to deliver a killing shot, but there was a sudden sharp voice that rent the air.

"You there!" came Satine's voice, which was followed by a pebble hitting the man's helmet. The man turned his attention on Satine, opening fire on the Duchess. In the Deathwatch soldier's distraction, Obi-Wan was able to swipe the man's feet out from under him, kicking the man firmly in the face before he launched to his feet, rushing over to the bolder Satine had been taking cover behind. Zelina hurried over with him.

"Satine!" Obi-Wan shouted, his voice thick with worry. Zelina let out a relieved breath when she saw that the woman was unharmed, hiding safely in the shadow of the boulder.

"I'm all right," Satine assured him softly. Obi-Wan and Zelina both looked up at the sound of ships taking flight, and Obi-Wan pulled Zelina behind the bolder with him and Satine. Now their hiding spot was especially cramped. She hissed when Obi-Wan pulled at her injured arm, shooting him a glare.

"Let me see," Obi-Wan offered.

"I'll live," she mumbled back. Obi-Wan peeked his head around the corner, his eyes narrowing.

"What's going on?" Zelina asked him.

"I think the leader of the Deathwatch is gifting us with his presence," Obi-Wan murmured. She heard the sound of a blaster go off once and saw a familiar look on Obi-Wan's face.

"What just happened?" she whispered.

"He shot one of his own men," Obi-Wan muttered back. "Wait here," he added, standing up from their hiding spot. Zelina unclipped her violet blade, ready to toss it to Obi-Wan if he needed it as she watched him walk out to stand in the middle of the cliff edge they were situated out. Zelina and Satine both poked their head over the edges of the rock, Zelina staying close to Satine in a silent show of protection.

In her mind, her mandate had changed from 'investigate these claims' to 'protect this Duchess' who Zelina wasn't afraid to guess Obi-Wan had some strong feelings for.

Zelina's entire train of thought crashed and burned whenever the leader of the Deathwatch lifted off his helmet to reveal Governor Pre Vizsla underneath.

"Governor!" Satine gasped in shock, standing straight up from her position behind the rocks. Zelina stayed close to Satine's side, lightsaber in hand, ready for an attack she felt was now imminent.

"For generations my ancestors fought proudly as warriors against the Jedi," Vizsla said firmly, her voice echoing around the cavern around them. "Now, that woman tarnishes the very name Mandalorian."

There was a moment of silence, the wind blowing the Governor's light blue cape behind him.

"Defend her if you will!" Vizsla suddenly barked, tossing Obi-Wan his lightsaber. Obi-Wan caught it easily without even looking at the weapon, his gaze fixed steadily on the blonde man in front of him as Vizsla tossed his cape aside.

There was the tell-tale snap-hiss sound of Obi-Wan's lightsaber activating, the blue blade springing to glorious life in the dark cavern. Vizsla reached back and grabbed a lightsaber hilt of his own, and a warped lightsaber ignition sound pierced the cavern as the man activated a jet black lightsaber with spider webs of white light going down its blade that had a faint glow of white around the edge.

"This lightsaber was stolen from your Jedi Temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic," Vizsla said spitefully. "Since then many Jedi have died upon its blade...prepare yourself to join them!" Vizsla barked, pointing the strange lightsaber at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan simply narrowed his eyes, ready for the fight. Zelina stayed where she was behind the boulder. She could tell by the was Obi-Wan was acting at the moment, by the unusually hard glint in the man's eyes, that this was Obi-Wan's fight, and Obi-Wan's fight alone.

Vizsla suddenly leapt forward with a battle cry, bringing his lightsaber down on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan grit his teeth, blocking the strange blade with his own normal blue blade before Vizsla continued his assult.

The sword made a sharp sound of a jet when he swung, and a strange suction sound when he withdrew. Instead of a gentle hum, this lightsaber gave sharp, piercing sounds. Zelina couldn't help but feel entranced by it as she watched the fight, tense with worry over Obi-Wan yet mesmerized by the appearance of this strange lightsaber.

Zelina smirked when Obi-Wan sent Vizsla flying with a Force Push; Vizsla might have been obviously skilled with a lightsaber from what Zelina had already seen from this fight, but Obi-Wan had the Force on his side. Vizsla growled, shaking off the men that tried to help him off the ground before he stood on his own, glaring shotos at Obi-Wan before he charged again. However, Vizsla was unbalanced, and Obi-Wan was bound and determined, deeply immersed in the Force. When Vizsla came close enough, Obi-Wan kneed him in the face, kicked him in the chest, and kicked the lightsaber out of his hand in three sharp, fluid movements. Vizsla came back easily, launching at an upwards angle to kick Obi-Wan in the gut, give him a hook to the face, and then sent him flying backwards with another strong blow. Obi-Wan skidded to a stop several meters away, his lightsaber deactivating while Vizsla ran back to his fallen weapon.

Zelina's eyes were riveted to Obi-Wan. "Please get up, please get up, please get up," she whispered to herself. Satine had placed her hand firmly on Zelina's shoulder, and currently had a death grip on it. Zelina was rather grateful that it wasn't her injured shoulder she had a hold on.

Vizsla suddenly activated his jet pack while Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet, his eyes narrowed on Vizsla in determination. As Vizsla readied his black lightsaber for a dramatic downward strike, Obi-Wan launched himself into the air, ducking under the swing Vizsla tried to deliver and landed three firm punches on the man's face before he suddenly kicked Vizsla back down to the ground, landing gracefully a few paces away.

Vizsla pushed himself up, glaring hatefully at Obi-Wan as he stood. "Warriors, finish him!" he called.

"That's my cue," Zelina muttered, stepping out from behind the boulder with both lightsabers in hand as a warning, standing firmly behind Obi-Wan.

The three Mandalorians that had flanked Vizsla stepped forward in a straight line, bending over to release...

Missiles.

Perhaps she should have stayed behind the boulder.

Zelina and Obi-Wan both moved to avoid the three missiles, narrowly avoiding getting hit. It wasn't the end of it though, as the missiles came fight back around for them. Zelina cursed in her mind. Of course they would follow them.

"Obi-Wan..." Zelina said slowly, tracking the missiles progress with her eyes.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, backing away with Zelina back towards the broken lift. "Satine...!" he called, his voice reaching an urgent level as they both turned to run towards the lift, Obi-Wan's hand held out for Satine to take. She wasted no time in running out of her hiding spot behind the boulder and practically leaped into Obi-Wan's arms before the three jumped down the lift shaft. The missiles exploded above them not too long after they jumped down the shaft, falling in a sprawl on the floor below. Obi-Wan launched himself a little farther, shielding Satine from any falling debris and fire with his own body while Zelina landed a few paces off to their left on her bad shoulder. She grit her teeth but did not cry out, rolling on her back to look up at the smoldering debris from the explosion.

"Come on...we need to get out of here," Zelina muttered, pushing herself up from her spot on the ground and up to her feet.

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said tiredly. Zelina held out a hand, helping the man to his feet with a small smile.

"Another close one for the books," she chuckled.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan noted with a small smile. He turned his gaze back to Satine almost immediately, helping the woman up tenderly. Zelina smiled as she watched the scene.

I have got to tell Anakin, she mused. Obi-Wan doesn't understand my rear end!

**********************************************

"I suppose we're even now," Satine said gently once they reached the spot they had entered the mine at, making their way slowly to the speeders. Obi-Wan was a little banged up from his fight, but he would be all right. Zelina would need her shoulder looked at as well but, like Obi-Wan, she would be fine.

Obi-Wan raised an inquiring eyebrow at Satine. "Oh, how so?"

"I saved your life, you saved mine," Satine said flippantly, smiling secretly to herself as she approached her speeder graciously. Obi-Wan leaned against his speeder, propping himself up with his good arm as he watched her.

"Yes, well, mine was the more daring of the two rescues," Obi-Wan said with a small smile.

Satine tsked, smiling slightly before she shook her head and got back on her speeder.

Zelina leaned over to Obi-Wan, speaking in a soft voice so only he could hear. "Shall I start keeping score with you and Satine like I do with Anakin and Padme? Because If I had to I would say that the score would be..."

She trailed off and grinned at the look Obi-Wan gave her, shrugging and going to her speeder. Obi-Wan eyed her injured shoulder. "Are you well enough to drive?" he asked her sincerely.

Zelina gave him a smile that had a bittersweet edge to it. "I can drive with an injured shoulder Obi-Wan; I know from experience."

*************************************

Later, after both Obi-Wan and Zelina were patched up, they prepared to leave the planet. Satine and several other delegates were going to be leaving on the same ship, and Anakin was here to lend additional protection for the Duchess.

It was going to be one interesting trip, that was for sure.

Obi-Wan and Zelina flanked Satine, Zelina's shoulder had a visible patch on her shoulder from where she had been shot, though it was quickly healing. She'd actually be able to take the patch off pretty soon. Satine was once more decked out in her blue, green, and purple Duchess outfit, and looked as if nothing had happened.

"Well if Pre Vizsla fled, we have no way of knowing how widespread the Deathwatch really is," Satine's lurking advisor was saying. Zelina didn't really like him; he creeped her out. Not in a Palpatine way, he was just...strange...

"It's obvious the Separatists are supporting the Deathwatch," Obi-Wan commented from Satine's right. Satine stiffened, turning on Obi-Wan almost immediately.

"I disagree!" she said loudly. "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 said softly.

"I thought you of all people would understand my position on this matter!" Satine said, sounding a little heartbroken near the end even though she'd started out strong. "I will never be a part of this war!" she stated strongly.

With that, Satine turned and made her way angrily to the ramp of the large ship they were going to be taking to Coruscant. Obi-Wan's shoulder's sagged slightly, and Zelina put a comforting hand on the man's shoulder.

"Give her time to simmer, and tread lightly," she suggested. Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I thought you would be the one to tease, not the one to give advice," he stated. Zelina smiled at him.

"I think Anakin thought the same thing," she said with a sly smile, straightening and turning her attention to the small party that was making its way towards her. Anakin was at the front, and it seemed the first thing he noticed was the bandage on her arms. His eyes narrowed.

"And what would that be?" he asked, meeting her gaze intensely. Zelina shrugged.

"A stray blaster bolt, nothing much," she said with a small smile. Anakin gained a weary edge to his gaze.

"I thought you were supposed to take it easy for a while. And wasn't this supposed to be more of a diplomatic mission?"

Zelina chuckled. "You know our luck. It kind of left the specification of a diplomatic mission on the first day."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Well, I expect you to rest on this part at least."

Zelina shook her head. "Ani, it's nothing, really! I'm taking if off later today!"

"I'll be the judge of that," Anakin said with a raised eyebrow before he turned his attention to Obi-Wan. "Anyway, down to business; reporting for escort duty General," he told Obi-Wan, standing straight and tall. Rex flanked Anakin's right, and Zelina noticed Cruiser was on his left. She smiled at her favorite captain, giving him a small nod.

"Anakin; am I glad to see you," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

"What, am I not good enough company for you?" Zelina asked with a mock wounded look. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

Anakin stifled a snicker, appraising Obi-Wan for a moment. "You sound tired."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "The peaceful ways of the locals...wore me out."

Anakin smiled slightly and the three Jedi lined up, making their way over to the ramp of the ship. Zelina moved from beside Obi-Wan to stand next to Anakin. She tapped him on the shoulder and he instinctively fell a few steps behind Obi-Wan to give their conversation privacy.

"Boy, do I have some things to tell you Skyguy..."

"Seriously Zee?" Anakin asked, raising an eyebrow. Zelina grinned evilly.

"What, I like it!"

"How about you just stick to your nickname and leave Ahsoka's to Ahsoka?"

Zelina shrugged. "Suit yourself. Anyway..."