"You are on this council but we do not grant you the rank of Master."
- Master Windu
❆ ❆ ❆
Oriel woke up slowly to someone caressing her forehead gently. She opened her eyes and was met with the warmly familiar sight of the Jedi Temple.
I never thought I'd miss this place so much. Oriel thought to herself as she watched Anakin land the ship.
"It seems you miss this place more than you miss me." Obi-Wan's voice vibrated on Oriel's back as she was slouched in his lap.
"Nonsense." She said and tilted her head back so she could see Obi-Wan's face who took the opportunity to dive down and giver a long overdue kiss.
Oriel kissed him just as tenderly back and reached her hands above her head to cup his face.
"Get a room you two." Anakin's voice interrupted. They reluctantly parted and Oriel locked eyes with Satine who was watching them and she took a guilty gulp.
Although Obi-Wan's feelings had dwindled for the Duchess, her feelings were evidently still there for Obi-Wan and Oriel had to respect that. She knew what it was like to love someone and not be able to have them.
"Sorry." She whispered and stood up from Obi-Wan's lap and then headed for the ramp. When she reached the top of the ramp, she hesitated.
Oriel looked down at herself, still wearing the Mandalorian armour and still dirty with the darkside lingering on her. She even still carried a blaster which Jedi do not do.
So uncivilised. Oriel thought.
She had wandered so far from being a Jedi and yet here she was, back again, about to walk into her old life and pretend none of it ever happened.
"Everything is going to work out just fine." Obi-Wan reassured walking up behind Oriel and he took her gloved hand in his.
"Together." He whispered and she nodded in approval before they headed off the ramp.
The hangar seemed so normal. Clones bustling about, ships constantly landing and leaving while orange spark flew around from people fixing their damaged ships.
"Master." A familiar voice whispered in disbelief. Oriel looked ahead of her and saw Boba standing in his navy blue robes with his padawan braid hanging from his shoulder length hair.
As Oriel looked at her padawan, she noticed a flicker of fear spark in his eye. Fear from her.
"Boba I -" She started but she really didn't know what to say. There were no excuses for her actions no matter how much Vizsla had manipulated her.
"This is all my fault." Oriel said disappointedly in herself but it was all Boba needed to trust his Master agin. His mother.
He ran up to her without a second thought and hugged her tightly. It shocked Oriel but after she realised what was going on, she dropped Obi-Wan's hand and hugged him back just as tightly, if not tighter.
"That's what my father used to wear." Boba observed as he finally let go of Oriel.
"I know. I joined the group your father was apart of, and I regret it deeply." She said crouching down to his level, although he was growing much taller now as he was now fourteen years old.
"You know I never wanted to hurt you Boba. But my hatred grew from, not only one person, but everyone and everything around me." Oriel explained.
"And I will never let it consume me again. I promise that I will protect you from here on and I will never hurt you again." She promised sternly, grasping Boba's shoulders as he nodded, trying to sympathise with his master.
"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.
"A joke, this is not. Proven yourself worthy you have." Master Yoda said as he looked proudly at the girl on her knees.
"What?" Was all she could get out of her mouth.
"No one has ever even looked at the dark side with out being lost forever and here you sit before us, having been in control from the darkside, and yet you beg us punish you for crimes you committed against your will." Master Luminara said as she almost looked in awe at the woman.
"If that doesn't sound like a Jedi Master to you than I don't think any of us should be seated here today." Master Plo-Koon said.
"But Masters I-" Oriel tried but she got cut off.
"If what our trusted Jedi have reported back is true, then you did not act willingly in inflicting pain on others. Might you've wanted to harm Master Kenobi, yes. That is why you will have to do two month's community service here on Coruscant and you will need to do counselling led by Master Yoda. Other than that, you are free to live your life, Master Dune." Master Windu said before he stood up and bowed to Oriel before walking out of the room, all the other Masters doing the same except for Obi-Wan who slowly made his way to Oriel who was still kneeling on the floor.
He got down to her level and placed a hand on her armoured shoulder.
"You deserve this Oriel. This whole matter is more my fault than yours my love." Obi-Wan whispered before leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
"Come on, let's get you looking like a Jedi Master." He said as he stood up and reached under her arms to pull her to her feet.
❆ ❆ ❆
Once again, Oriel found herself lying in a hot bath while Obi-Wan massaged shampoo into her red hair avoiding her precious white beads. It was exactly like the time Obi-Wan had proposed to her yet it felt so much different.
"I don't deserve this." Oriel whispered as she looked at the bubbles that sat above the water.
"Don't say that. Please, don't say that." Obi-Wan pleaded as he hated hearing Oriel degrade herself.
"It's true though. I turn to the dark side and tried to kill you yet this is what happens? I get rewarded?" Oriel scoffed at the ridiculousness of the situation.
"No, that's not what you're getting rewarded for. You're getting rewarded for saying no, for knowing who you are and not wanting the power that dark side holds." Obi-Wan said as he rinsed the shampoo from her hair gently.
"Maybe. That doesn't mean I didn't want to hurt you." Oriel said and she looked away from the floating bubbles to Obi-Wan's glassy blue eyes.
"I wanted to hurt you Obi-Wan. I really did. I don't know what came over me." She said as her breath quickened and her eyes stung with tears again.
"I don't want to hurt you though, I never would. But I did." Oriel said as her voice cracked, looking down at Obi-Wan's bandaged thigh.
"And I forgive you my love." Obi-Wan said as he cupped Oriel's cheeks and made her look at him so he could show her how much he really doesn't blame her for what she done.
"Am I going crazy?" Oriel whispered as she gave up holding in her tears and let them stream down her face.
"Why in the galaxy would you say that darling?" Obi-Wan asked as he looked into his wife's eyes that he missed so very much.
"I've been having this horrid dreams or visions or whatever you want to call them, I hurt everyone around me that I love and I don't even know who to trust anymore, not even myself." Oriel cried as she lifted her skinny arms from above the water and wiped her tears even though she just made her face even more wet.
"Oh Oriel." Obi-Wan said sadly as he tried to stay happy for Oriel even though it crushed his heart to see the love of his life so broken and lost.
"Dreams pass in time, and we all make mistakes. It's part of being human." He sighed and moved his hand gently from the side of her face down to her shoulder.
"And if there's one person you can trust in the whole wide galaxy, it's me. And Anakin. And Boba. And Master Yoda. And JC." Obi-Wan laughed at the end even though it was true.
"And everyone else who loves you." He finished and Oriel's eyes changed to a look of realisation.
"Love." She whispered.
"This. All of this, is because of love." Oriel thought aloud but the look of confusion on Obi-Wan's face made her explain further.
"I fell to the dark side for love." She said softly not breaking eye contact with Obi-Wan. "Yet love is what pulled me from the dark side."
"Love gave me you, Boba and Anakin. Yet love made me hurt every single one of you." Oriel said calmly as she spoke truthfully.
"Love is cruel yet beautiful. It's the perfect balance between dark and light." Then her face softened in even more realisation.
"Love is the only thing that can stop Anakin." She concluded but it only made Obi-Wan even more confused.
"Stop Anakin? What are you going on about love? Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the med bay?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I made a promise to Master Yoda to not tell anyone, but everything will make sense soon Obi-Wan and everything will work out just fine. I promise." Oriel said before she lent up and kissed Obi-Wan to silence him.
This time he made sure to have his hands firmly on the side of the tub so she couldn't pull him in the tub like the last time, although he wouldn't be complaining too much.
Once Oriel's fingertips had gone wrinkly from being underwater for too long, Obi-Wan made her get out and helped her get dressing into her Jedi robes that she missed the feel of so much.
Oriel had been given back her families rose gold hilt of her lightsaber and twirled it in her fingers to get the feel of it back before placing on her grey belt.
When she slipped her grey cloak over the top of her white robes, Obi-Wan's hand softly grasped her left hand and his finger slid over the bare skin of her fourth finger.
"Your ring." He stated disappointingly already knowing what happened to it.
"I'm so sorry Obi-Wan, I-" Oriel tried to apologise but Obi-Wan's finger over her lips silenced her.
"I understand. I'll get you a better one this time, and a matching one for me too." Obi-Wan said understandingly. If she hated him that much she would most defiantly have not kept the ring.
"Let's go before Anakin thinks we're doing something else in here." Oriel chuckled after a moment and didn't let go of Obi-Wan's hand as she led him out of her dorm.
They hopped on a transport ship together and they made their way to the Senate building where Satine was currently making her speech on what Death Watch had done and trying to persuade the Senate to leave Mandalore out of her own democracy.
The two Jedi raced the hall to where their allocated seats were and they could hear applauds erupting from inside.
"We're late." Obi-Wan stated as they approached their section and when they entered Padme, Anakin and Boba were all standing on the edge of where the bay used to be but was now hovering around the Chancellor with Satine on it making her speech.
"You're late." Padme scolded as she took political manners very seriously.
"Leave them alone, it's been a while since they last- Ow!" Anakin said but was cut off from his own whine as Obi-Wan stepped on his foot to shut him up.
"Hey!" Boba exclaimed as he started laughing so Oriel flicked his ear which was a way Oriel knew would shut him up.
"Oh all four of you stop it, you're missing the closing statement." Padme scolded once more before turning back and resting her elbow on the ledge and her chin on her fist.
"As clear evidence has proven, Mandalore has remained the peaceful planet it has always been, and the Death Watch are not only vial and corrupt but are being influenced by the Seperatists and need to be put to an end. They ripped my friends apart from the inside and I think it's only fair to inflict the pain they have caused on themselves." The Duchess finished and seconds later the entire room filled with applauses and cheers of approval while Satine stood proudly.
"It is only fair that I leave Mandalore to it's own democratic matters and I will send a military squad out to the moon of Carlac immediately." The Chancellor's voice boomed throughout the room and the cheers only got even louder.
"Thankyou Satine. For everything." Oriel said to the blonde woman as she hugged her once she was back to the platform.
"No, thankyou for showing and inspiring me to move on and do my job the right way." Satine thanked the Jedi.
The three Jedi, the Senator and the Duchess all made their way down the halls of the Senate building towards where a ship would be waiting to escort Satine back to Mandalore.
"Master Dune, a word?" Padme asked her friend when they reached the exit of the massive building. Oriel nodded and Padme led her behind one of the large pillars that lined the entrance hall.
"Congratulations on becoming a Jedi Master." Padme congratulated and she took both of Oriel's hands in hers.
"Look, I take it you know by now that Anakin told me about you and Obi-Wan?" Padme begun and it slightly made Oriel nervous as the tone in her voice wasn't exactly cheerful but guilty but she still nodded her head.
"Well, Ani and I had a talk and I think that it's only right if I get something off my chest that I've been wanting to tell you for a while. However you have to promise me that you won't tell another soul?" She asked sternly and now she was really making Oriel nervous.
"Padme Amidala you're scaring me, what's going on?" Oriel nervously chuckled.
"That's just the thing, it's not Padme Amidala. It's actually Padme Skywalker." Padme said as she looked into Oriel's eyes to look for a reaction.
Well, she got a very good one.
"I knew it!" Squealed Oriel as she grasped Padme's hands even tighter. "You two were destined to be together from when I saw him hand you that lovely necklace you still wear when we first picked him up." She said excitedly literally jumping for joy.
"Quiet down Oriel someone will hear." Padme laughed at the girls excitement.
"Now Anakin said he'll break the news to Obi-Wan but other than that, that's it. Not even Boba okay?" Padme asked turning serious.
"Oh I'm much to frightened to disobey a Senator, you can trust me." Oriel said as she couldn't stop smiling.
"Come on, I bet you Obi-Wan's missing you already Mrs Kenobi." Padme said as she started dragging Oriel from behind the pillar.
"Alright, alright, Mrs Skywalker." Oriel laughed.
(Authors Notes)
So I have no idea when I'll finish the Clone Wars part and quite frankly I don't want to finish it so this book may go on for a lot of chapters but PLEASE let me know if it's dragging on to much!!
**WARNING CLONE WARS SPOLIER**
I just finished watching Season 5 of Clone Wars and I like cried for an hour, my heart rate was spiking from Satine dying life WTF and Ahsoka on trial for murder and then leaving the Jedi Order like come on my heart can only take so much!! Honestly I don't blame her tho.