Oriel Dune | Obi-Wan Kenobi

Chapter Thirty Three

"We must get going now, I've already contacted the Council and they wish to speak with you immediately." Anakin announced coming down the ramp with Satine in pursuit.

"I must get going too then." Obi-Wan said as he was on the council. "Anakin, escort Satine to the Chancellor's office so she can fill the Senate in on what corruption is going on in Mandalore and tell them to take immediate action to put an end to Death Watch." Obi-Wan ordered his old padawan.

"Take Boba with you. Protect the Duchess if anything goes wrong, she's a dear friend of mine." Oriel instructed her padawan and sent a smile in Satine's way who smiled just as warmly back hearing Oriel call her a 'dear friend'.

The five spilt up and Oriel and Obi-Wan found themselves in the Jedi Council room with Oriel standing in the centre. She felt out of place as she was still in her batted up armour.

"Welcome back young Dune." Mater Yoda greeted as his eyes visibly widened at the sight of his old padawan.

"Masters, before we begin I would like to say something." Oriel said as she looked into the eyes of each of her Masters, masking the nerves that were spiking in her veins. They each nodded indicating for her to continue.

"I take full responsibility of my actions and before you expel me I would like to resign so you know the depths that I would go to heal the wounds I have created." Oriel said swiftly as she swallowed the lump in her throat that was forcing tears into her eyes.

They're gonna expel me sooner or later so I might as well do the honourable thing and pay for what I have done.

"Oriel no! Listen we can-" Obi-Wan blurted out as he lent forward in his chair, not knowing where this mad idea had come from.

"No Obi-Wan you listen." Oriel snapped back at him. "I have dragged the Jedi name through the mud. I have hurt those of which I care about and for goodness sake I was going to kill you. I would have killed you!" She said as she looked in the eyes of her husband.

Oriel took a deep breath before she went on more calmly. "I deserve more than to just be expelled, I deserve to feel all the pain of which I caused during my actions that I willingly made." Even though she had calmed her voice, her body still trembled.

Oriel noticed the Jedi Masters all exchanging glances and she didn't know whether or not they were communicating through the force, but they all shared a look of agreement.

Oriel fell to her knees and tears streamed down her face as she held back her sobs, she didn't care if she was embarrassing herself in front of all the Council, in front of Obi-Wan. She felt that she deserved to be humiliated as she couldn't live with the guilt knowing she had gotten away with what she had done.

"I beg you to give me some sort of punishment, something so I can live with myself long enough to make amends." Oriel almost whispered as she looked at her open palms that were rested on her knees.

"Oriel." She heard Obi-Wan whisper but his voice was drowned out by that of Master Windu's.

"General Dune, the council has already made it's decision." He said and Oriel held her breath as she awaited her life to be stripped away from her. Everything she had lived and worked for would be thrown away at this point.

"You are no longer a Jedi Knight."

Even though she was expecting it, she didn't know what it would actually feel like. It all felt like a dream, her entire life was in the past now just at a man saying a few words. But she looked up when she heard Master Windu's voice continue.

"You are a Jedi Master."

Oriel didn't know what to do. What to say. How to react. How to think.

Is this just a cruel joke? She thought as she looked around at all of her Master's faces and a hint of a smile played on each and every one of theirs, except for Obi-Wan who shared the same shocked and confused look as Oriel.