Chapter 21

Reunited

We Pretend It's Alright

We Pretend It's Alright

"Luke, come on buddy." Anakin coaxed, holding up the bottle to Luke's small mouth for the fourth time. They were sitting in the backyard on a blanket, Leia just inside napping.

"Naa." Luke scrunched his face up, refusing the bottle.

Anakin sighed, setting the bottle down and looking down at the baby sitting in his lap. Luke was still gurgling, waving his tiny hands around as he tried to look up at Anakin. His little blonde head was so small, and Anakin couldn't help but remember how scared he had been to hold Luke and Leia when they were first born. The first week he had been terrified he was going to drop them or that something bad was going to happen. Padme has found it quite amusing, finally leaving Anakin alone for a few hours with the twins while she went to the store with her mother. It was just what he had needed to know he could take care of them.

Now, he was on day one of being alone with Luke and Leia and he wasn't feeling as confident. Padme has left for Coruscant late last night and the twins had not been happy in the morning when she was not there. Leia had cried for a few hours that morning as Anakin had tried to comfort her in vain and now Luke was refusing his bottle.

This was not going as well as Anakin had hoped.

"Hey there." Anakin said, smiling as Luke reached up, trying to grab Anakin's shoulder-length curls. Anakin pulled Luke up into a standing position, grinning as the baby babbled in his hands. "Why don't you eat for Daddy, huh? Can you do that little man?"

Luke crinkled his nose which Anakin decided to take as a yes.

"Are we gonna eat? Yes we are." Anakin said cheerily, bouncing Luke up and down to the excitement of the baby. This seemed to have done the trick as Anakin successfully got Luke to take the bottle.

"Another battle won by General Skywalker."

Anakin looked up to see Padme's sister Sola standing by the doorway, a smile on her soft face.

"Taking a thousand droids might be easier than getting Luke to take his bottle." Anakin joked, rubbing Luke's back as he ate. "Thank you for coming to check in on us. I know Padme felt a lot better knowing I would have some help."

"Of course, couldn't miss a chance to see my niece and nephew. Plus everyone needs a little help with a baby, especially when you have two." Sola smiled, brushing her long dark hair out of her face as she looked out at the lake in the distance. "Really is quite a view you have here, Padme always loved the Lake country."

"It's nice, peaceful." Anakin agreed, looking into the distance as well as Luke finished his bottle. "Reminds me of when we were younger, when everything was simpler."

"You mean when you were a Jedi sworn off relationships and she was a Senator?" Sola teased with a laugh.

"Alright, well, maybe not simpler, but there was something about being here, just her and I. No war, no politics, just us together." Anakin admitted, picking Luke up into his arms and standing up, bouncing the baby as he walked back towards the house. "And we got married here, guess that counts for something too."

"Thanks again for the invite." Sola joked, following Anakin back inside the house.

Sola warmed up a bottle for Leia while Anakin dealt with the situation in Luke's diaper. Soon, with a little help, Luke and Leia were once again feed, clean, and in need of some entertaining.

"How about a walk?" Sola suggested as Leia once again started to get fussy. "I remember when Ryoo was a baby, sometimes the only thing that would calm her on fussy days was a nice walk."

"I'll try anything." Anakin agreed.

A few minutes later they set off, Anakin walking beside as Sola pushed the pram with Luke and Leia nestled inside, each wearing a little sun hat Padme's mother has made for them. They walked in silence for a while down the little walkways carved along the lakeside, occasionally passing another family or couple.

"How are you adjusting to life on Naboo?" Sola asked as they walked.

"It's better than I could have imagined." Anakin admitted, smiling down at Luke and Leia as they started to doze off. "I never knew life could be so peaceful. I mean, these two can be a hand full and it's not like Padme hasn't had some stress with the new Republic constitution and Clone rehabilitation bill, but still."

"It certainly isn't like being constantly in danger, I imagine." Sola added. "I mean, that must have been your life for so long, as a Jedi and with the war."

"Yes, it's certainly a change of pace." Anakin agreed, adjusting the diaper bag draped over his shoulder. "It's nice to have somewhere to call home too."

"I can imagine." They fell into silence for a minute again as Sola gathered the nerve to say what she wanted to say. "Anakin?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say, well, I watched your trial and… I can't imagine how difficult your childhood must have been."

Anakin didn't say anything but nodded.

"I guess I just wanted to say that I am glad you are here now, a part of our family. I know I may not have been the most welcoming initially, but I'm really happy for you and Padme and your family. You all deserve a nice house by the lake." Sola finished, hoping her words came off well.

"Thank you, Sola." Anakin said, turning his head to look at her. "I am grateful for that your family has accepted me."

"We are you family now too, Anakin." Sola smiled. "No matter what, you, Luke, and Leia will always be part of the Naberrie clan."

We Pretend It's Alright

Obi Wan Kenobi was not sure of much these days. In a few short months, his entire world had changed. After years of conflict, the war was over. The organization he had spent his whole dedicated to had lost its way, now being discussed by the council. The Jedi Order was lost, almost as lost as Obi Wan felt. The enemies he had chased for so long, Dooku, Grievous, the elusive Lord Sidious even, were all defeated, killed by his hand or at the hand of his former apprentice.

Anakin.

He his relationship was Anakin was now complicated. He knew Anakin was no longer mad at him for helping in his arrest, something his way grateful for every day. But still, with everything that had happened between Anakin and the Jedi, there was so much hurt, so much breach of trust. Obi Wan knew he also was part of that, especially when he had allowed himself to be convinced by the council that not letting Anakin in on the plan for Obi Wan to fake his death to go undercover. Though they had never talked about it, he knew how much that had hurt Anakin. The list of betrayals had grown too large and what their relationship now lacked was the trust there had once been. Obi Wan had to admit he had also been shaken by Anakin's near turn to the dark side, but after many months to reflect on it, he couldn't help but see how the Jedi and himself had driven Anakin there.

Anakin and he still talked once a week, but Obi Wan could feel the guarded nature of Anakin in these calls. With rebuilding the Republic and the inner conflict of the jedi Order, he hadn't yet had a chance to visit Anakin and Padme, but he needed to. He needed to discuss of that he had reflected on for the last few months, to apologize. He needed his brother back, fully.

Thinking of all this, Obi Wan closed his eyes in the meditation gardens of the Jedi Temple, taking a deep breath. In a few short hours he would be escorting Padme to the Senate for her speech ahead of tomorrow's vote on the new constitution. He needed to regain his focus. He was excited to see her, it had been so long, but he was aware of the danger in her arrival and he needed his senses finely attuned today.

oOo

(Second day of Padme's trip, day of the vote)

"Most impressive." Obi Wan said with respect after Padme emerged from Naboo's Senate platform, a triumphant smile on her face. "I'm sure your speech yesterday will long be remembered as the reason the constitution passed today."

"Thank you, Obi Wan." Padme beamed, giving him a short embracement in her excitement. The Senate had just passed the new Republic Constitution by an overwhelming majority, with only a handful of planets dissenting. This was better than she had ever hoped for. "I am just grateful to have the war behind us and to be moving forward united."

"Of course." Obi Wan agreed as they began to walk down the hall.

"Thank you again for agreeing to act as my protection for these three days." Padme said as they moved through the building, heading towards the room Padme knew Bail and Mon Mothma were throwing a celebration in. "I think it lessened Anakin's nerves about this all a bit."

"I take it he wasn't too keen for you to leave?" Obi Wan asked, knowing his old padawan a little too well.

"That may be the understatement of the year." She smiled. "But he came around. He knows it's important. It's just hard for him to know I am going somewhere he cannot follow. You how protective he can be.

"Oh yes, I remember how he could get with Ahsoka sometimes." Obi Wan agreed.

"He's trying though, I know he is." Padme admitted. "It's like he is always just waiting for the other shoe to drop, always ready for something to go wrong. He tries not to let me see it, but I do."

"Anakin has experienced much loss in his life for someone so young. He takes too much responsibility for all of it." Obi Wan said as they rounded another corner. "I can only hope he learns to let go."

"Me too." Padme agreed sadly, thinking of how Anakin blamed himself for every major tragedy in his life. "You know, Obi Wan, I think it would be good for him to talk to someone about it all. I think it would be good for him to talk with you."

"Perhaps." Obi Wan said thoughtfully, stroking his bread as they continued to walk, thinking about all he wanted to say to Anakin. "Perhaps I shall try to speak with him when I return from Mandalore."

"Mandalore?" Padme asked, stopping in her tracks and turning to face Obi Wan. "You are going to Mandalore?"

"Yes, I leave tomorrow." Obi Wan confirmed. "We received intel this morning from Bo Katan that Maul and the Death Watch are holed up in the Capital, holding the city hostage. I will be leading a team of Clones into the capital to capture Maul and Gar Saxon and retake the planet. Hopefully this will be my last trip to Mandalore."

Padme nodded, frowning as she thought of Duchess Satine. It had been a bit over a year now since Satine's death and she knew, though he would never admit it to her, that it still hurt Obi Wan to speak of her. Anakin has told her about Obi Wan and Satine, and she couldn't help but notice the comparison to her own relationship. She only wished their story had had a happier ending.

"I hope you finish this once and for all, for Mandalore and for Satine." Padme said softly, resting her hand on Obi Wan's shoulder briefly. He looked up at her and nodded, trying to once again push away the pain that echoed in his heart as he heard her name.

oOo

(The next day, en route to Mandalore)

Obi Wan shook his head of his ruminations, looking up as Hunter, the leader of the elite 99, or the Bad Batch as they called themselves, entered his room on the ship.

"General Kenobi, we are about to enter the atmosphere." Hunter informed him. "The Bad Batch is ready."

"Thank you, Hunter. I will be joining you shortly." Obi Wan nodded as the Clone left. He was working with the Bad Batch to discretely enter the Capital and find Maul while Cody lead the 212th along with Aayla Secura and the 327th. He had told Padme yesterday he hoped this was the last time he would be on Mandalore, and he has meant every word of it. This planet was too haunted with memories for him.

We Pretend It's Alright

Anakin was awoken for the fourth time that night to Leia's crying. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to ease the frustration bubbling inside him as he slowly sat up, rolling his shoulders back in a stretch as he got out of the bed he missed sharing. It was still dark out as he walked down the hall into the nursery, the sun not yet even started to rise. Padme had been left three nights ago and was finally set to return home this evening, her cruiser set to leave after her last meeting this morning on Coruscant.

Anakin entered the room and walked over to Leia's crib, carefully lifting his whimpering daughter out of her crib and resting her against his chest. Luckily, after a quick look, he saw Luke had not yet been awaken by the crying. Not wanting to deal with two crying babies for a fourth time that night, Anakin returned to his and Padme's room, bouncing Leia softly as he paced around the room.

"Come on Leia, baby. Please stop crying." He murmured as the five month old continued to cry. "What's wrong, princess?" Anakin asked, holding Leia out in front of him. "Do you miss mommy?"

Leia's cries stopped as she looked at him. "Mmm." She said, still frowning.

"I know, Ley. Daddy misses Mommy too." Anakin said, smiling sadly at Leia as she started to reach for his hair, which now fell just below his shoulders. "No no, no pulling Daddy's hair." He chuckled, sitting down on the bed with Leia and resting her against his chest. Instead he offered her his hand to grab, which she did happily. Her hands were still so tiny, and Anakin couldn't help but smile as her tiny fingers wrapped around his metal thumb. Leia turned her head to look as him, smiling now as she babbled. "Ba baa" She said happily.

"Oh yes, of course, that is a very good point, Leia." Anakin replied, nodding his head at his daughter. "And how did you think of that brilliant idea?"

"Mwah." Leia offered, trying to lift Anakin's silver hand.

"Why yes, that is my hand." Anakin confirmed as Leia proceeded to try to put it in her mouth. "Daddy was silly and lost his other one."

"Wah wah." Leia said, her little brown eyes wide as she looked up at Anakin again.

"Yep, that's right. A mean man took Daddy's hand." Anakin agreed with a sad smile as Leia turned back to investigating his hand. Count Dooku was not someone Anakin wished to think about. After learning of Palpatine's true identity and his intentions towards Anakin, Dooku's death was a complicated point for him. It was clear now Palpatine was trying to achieve by having Anakin kill him, and he regretted that he has fallen for the manipulation. On the other hand, Count Dooku was responsible for the death and imprisonment of many worlds of people, and he deserved to be executed for his crimes. Anakin didn't quite know what to think. There were many things he had done in the Clone Wars that had seemed right at the time. Or, at least Anakin had convinced himself they were right. It was war, he had told himself, casualties had to happen. The Separatists were the enemy.

Still, some of his actions left him feeling a bit haunted now.

"How about we try to go back to sleep, huh? How does that sound?" Anakin yawned, seeing the sleepiness in his eyes reflected in Leia's. He picked his daughter back up and quietly reentered the nursery. He checked on Luke, who was still sleeping. "At least someone can sleep." Anakin murmured, brushing Luke's blond hair back lovingly before he turned to put Leia back in her crib. However, as soon as he set her down and turned to walk away, a whimper came from her crib.

Sighing, Anakin turned back to the crib to she Leia's bottom lip quivering and her arms outstretched towards him. "You want Daddy, huh?" Anakin whispered resignedly, once again picking up the baby. Leia quieted as soon as he picked her up. He returned to his bed with Leia clutched to his chest. "I guess you can sleep with me." He said, climbing into the bed and laying Leia in the bed next to him. Within minutes, she was back asleep, still holding onto his mechanical hand.

We Pretend It's Alright

"I cannot wait to see his face." Padme said, laughing as she pictured Anakin's shocked face. "Anakin has never had the best poker face."

"And yet he thinks he is good at keeping secrets." Ahsoka scoffed, a flutter of nervousness in her chest. She and Padme had just landed on Naboo and were on a speeder back to the Skywalker house. She hadn't seen Anakin in person since the twins' birth and even though they talked daily, there was still something inside her that felt scared. As much as she knew she was a part of their family (they'd only told her a million times) she couldn't help but feel it would be different being with Anakin now. She used to spend every hour of every day with Anakin, traveling around the Galaxy fighting the Clone Wars. Now he was a dad ,and she was a messed up ex-pirate recovering from a near fatal injury. Still, she was excited to see him.

"Oo, here it is." Padme said happily, excitement burning inside her as the house came into view. Until now, she hadn't been away from her children for more than an evening, let alone three days. Even Anakin, who she had been used to not seeing for long periods of time, she was eager to see. She had gotten used to their little life here, spending every minute of every day together with Luke and Leia, holo chatting with Ahsoka and entertaining visits from Padme's family. This past few days on Coruscant had been such a change of pace and as much as she loved the Senate, she was ready for some quiet time with her family.

We Pretend It's Alright

Anakin was in the backyard with the twins when he sensed the speeder. He had been sitting on a blanket with the twins, levitating sticks for their amusement. It really was cute how excited they got when he used the Force.

"Come on, guys, Mommy is home." Anakin said, excitement in his voice as he scooped the twins up and started to walk around to the front of the house. As he moved, he sensed Padme's presence, like a warmth returning to his body as his pace quickened and his excitement grew. These three days had felt like a life-time, and he was so glad she was home. As he walked, he started to sense another presence, one he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Rounding the side of the house, Anakin saw the speeder parked outside and watched Padme exit the vehicle, a smile on her face as she ran towards them.

"I missed you so much." She exclaimed, kissing Anakin deeply and accepting the babies from him. "Yes, Mommy missed you so much." She cooed, kissing her children on the head as they babbled happily, clearly glad their Mommy was home.

"She's in there still, isn't she?" Anakin asked, a sly look on his face as Padme smiled.

"How did you know?" She called after him as he started towards the speeder.

"They don't call me the Chosen One for nothing, Padme." Anakin smirked, turning back to the speeder as Ahsoka slowly got out, still sensitive to quick movement. "Snips!" Anakin yelled, racing towards his former padawan and embracing her tightly.

"Hey Skyguy." Ahsoka laughed, hugging him back. "Guess we couldn't pull one over on the all-powerful General?"

"Not a chance." Anakin laughed, pulling back and putting arm around her shoulder to help her regain her balance. "But I still cannot believe you are here. How long are you staying for? Better be a while."

"Just a few weeks while Riyo is on Pantora." Ahsoka smiled "Plenty of time for you to get sick of me."

"Unlikely, Snips. The entirety of the Clone Wars wasn't enough for me to get sick of you." Anakin replied, grinning.

"Hmm, I seem to remember quite a few times you tried to pawn me off to Obi Wan or Plo Kloon.." Ahsoka offered up.

"Well, no one is perfect." Anakin shrugged with a grin, leading her over to Padme and the twins. "Now, I think it is time the twins met their Aunt Ahsoka."

Ahsoka looked in awe at the little babies in Padme's arms. Leia was so small, with a little swoop of brown hair on her head. Luke stared at her with interest, his little blond head bobbing up and down. He reached out to her, much to everyone's surprise.

"Do you want to hold him?" Padme asked gently, looking at Ahsoka. "I think he wants his Aunt Ahsoka."

"I- umm, yeah." Ahsoka stumbled, not sure what to do. She had barley spent anytime with babies before, unless you counted the time she had rescued the baby Hutt.

"Ani, can you take Leia?" Padme asked. "Then I can help Ahsoka hold Luke."

Anakin took Leia back, gently tossing her in the arm and catching her much to her excitement. Padme carefully helped Ahsoka hold Luke, who was very interested in her lekku. Ahsoka felt a rush of warmth as Luke was placed in her arms, excitedly trying to grab onto her lekku.

"Gentle, Luke." Padme cooed, smiling as Ahsoka watched him with adoration.

"He's a little person." Ahsoka said in amazement. "He looks just like you Padme, except for the hair."

"And Leia takes more after Anakin, except the hair too." Padme laughed, smiling at her daughter as Anakin wrapped an arm around her, holding Leia with his other. "It's crazy how much they have grown in just a few months."

"Wanna go inside? I made lunch." Anakin said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Ahsoka and Padme shared a look, both knowing how rough Anakin's cooking could be.

"Oh come on. Sola showed me a new recipe while you were gone, and she may have taught me a few tricks too, like how to season food and not burn it." Anakin added.

"I'm sure it will be great, sweetie." Padme smiled, kissing him on the cheek before throwing Ahsoka a mock grimace as they followed Anakin and Leia inside, Luke still happily in Ahsoka's arms.

oOo

(On Mandalore)

"You ready, General?" Hunter asked as the shuttles descended through the atmosphere of Mandalore, almost a hundred platoons ready to retake the city with Bo Katan and her collective of Mandalorians.

"Oh yes, I'm quite ready to get this finished with." Obi Wan said tiredly, looking up at the Bad Batch.

"Not a fan of Maul, are you?" Crosshair grinned, earning laugh from Wrecker.

"You think cutting a man in half would end your problem, but I warm you, it just makes him a source of irritation for years." Obi Wan said sardonically, earning another laugh from wrecker and a smile from the rest. "No again, no not underestimate Maul. He will flee at first chance and he is very powerful."

"We'll have it covered, General." Hunter assured him. "Echo's knowledge of the Capital's tunnels will keep us one step ahead of him."

"I'd like to see him avoid my shot." Crosshair added with a smirk.

"I'll rip him in half this time." Wrecker said excitedly, a glint in his eye that almost made Obi Wan nervous.

"Might work better ." Hunter grinned.

"We'll get him, General." Echo affirmed, with a nod to the General who had served beside General Skywalker for so long. Echo was curious about General Skywalker, but he didn't bring it up. Not here, not now. There was too much at stake with this mission. But the Bad Batch would succeed.

"On my mark." Obi Wan said as the shuttle doors opened and the rush of the wind whipped though the ship as the Capital came into view below them, the fight already began by Bo Katan. Obi Wan nodded and they all jumped, wrecking yelling in fright and adrenaline as they descended to the center of the city, fire fight below them. They descended quickly with their jetpacks, Obi Wan jumping free falling and using the Force as he pushed off building down, using the cover of the buildings and the fight to mask their descent. Soon they were down in the thick of the fighting, but they wouldn't be for long. Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Obi Wan covered Echo and Tech as they overrode the main access port to the tunnels below the city, setting them on a path to the Capital from below. No one would see them coming with the storm of fighting above them.

Aayla Secura had landed with the 212th and the 327th and had joined the Mandalorians. Their forces would soon overwhelm Saxon and the Death Watch. But Obi Wan would leave that to Aayla and Bo Katan. He had one job today, and that job was to end Maul once and for all. Bo Katan's info placed him in the Capital building, leading his forces from a far.

"We're in, move out." Tech announced after a minute of hacking into the hatch controls. The Bad Batch and Obi Wan slipped into the tunnels swiftly, beginning the sprint through the maze of tunnels Echo had mapped. Obi Wan knew they were racing against time. He figured Maul would abandon the Capital the minute he knew he'd lost. But still, Obi Wan knew that Maul was no fool and had not allowed his position to be discovered without purpose. Knowing he was walking into a trip, the Obi Wan continued to move quickly, ready to spring it.

Ten minutes later, they had reached the hidden access hatch that provided access to the room off the Capital Building's main hall. The only way to access it from the outside was to have someone inside the building allow access. Bo Katan has told them that she had inside who could get them access but hadn't said more. She had given them an ancient looking comm and told them switch it to a frequency Obi Wan had never heard of before, and that the hatch would be opened for them.

"Now, Tech." Obi Wan said breathlessly, feeling the Force gather around him as cleared his mind, trying to zero in on Maul, who he knew was close.

Tech began fiddling with the comm, and a few seconds later they heard a click and saw the hatch open. Behind it stood a boy- no, a man- that Obi Wan hadn't met many times, but whose eyes pierced his soul. Korkie Kryze, Satine's nephew, stood behind the door, his face gaunt and nervous as the Bad Batch moved forward.

"Master Kenobi." Korkie said hoarsely, staring at Obi Wan with something the Jedi couldn't quite read.

"Korkie, thank you." Obi Wan said, climbing up onto the small, dark hall with the rest of the squad.

"He is in the main hall, waiting." Korkie whispered, again looking at Obi Wan with as if he had never truly seen the man before.

"Are you alright, Korkie?" Obi Wan asked as the Bad Batch slipped away on Hunter's mark, moving through different doors, Echo staying behind to protect Korkie and maintain his position by the hatch. They had a plan to follow.

"I will be." The young man said, still staring at Obi Wan with Satine's eyes. "Please find me later. I have something to tell you."

"I will. Now I must go. Echo will keep you safe till Maul is captured." Obi Wan promised, ignoring the bubble of curiosity welling inside him.

Korkie nodded and slipped down into the tunnel where he would be safe.

"Good luck, General." Echo said, nodding to Obi Wan as the man moved towards the door to the main hall, where he knew Maul was expecting him.

Obi Wan opened the door and stepped through, turning to his left to see Maul lounging in the throne chair Satine has once sat in.

A smile slide over Maul's face as he saw the main he had sought out for so many long years.

"Kenobi, just who I was hoping for." He said in his slippery voice, his eyes narrowing as Kenobi moved forward. "I remember the last time we met in this room, do you?"

Obi Wan said nothing as he moved towards Maul, refusing to let Maul use Satine against him again.

"If I recall, your dear friend Satine was killed… by me." Maul smiled, not moving from his position as Obi Wan continued to draw closer. "What a terrible tragedy, wasn't it? To lose someone you love."

"You have escaped for the last time, Maul." Obi Wan said calmly, zeroing in on Maul as the Force gathered around him. "I will bring you to justice and Mandalore will be returned to its rightful rulers."

"Take the planet for all I care." Maul said lazily, waving his hand to empathize his disinterest. "There is only one thing I want, and it is mere feet away from me."

"You will not escape again." Obi Wan promised, stopping before the throne and drawing his blade.

"Hmm, perhaps." Maul mused. "How is your apprentice? It seems Lord Sidious was foolish in his choice of apprentice."

"Seems he failed twice." Obi Wan replied coolly, once again letting the remark wash off him. He would not allow Maul to get in his head.

"As will you." Maul sneered, his hand moving towards the hilt of his saber.

The Dathomirian leapt into action, igniting his double sided blade as Obi Wan's blade met his. The vast windows of the hall showed the battle outside as a second battle within began. With a sudden blast, the glass blew out of the windows, not phasing the duelist inside the room. Every strike of Maul's was met by Obi Wan's saber and before long, it was clear that despite the anger fueling Maul's fight, Obi Wan's calm was winning the battle. He had not allowed himself to lose focus with Maul's taunts about Satine and now he was the levelheaded one, not Maul, who was growing angrier as he failed to finish Kenobi.

"Surrender and I will spare you." Obi Wan yelled as they continued to battle.

"You will DIE!" Maul shrieked, charging forward again in the beginning of a move that Obi Wan would never forget.

Just like that, it was over. The move that had taken Qui Gon had now taken Maul as well. Obi wan watched as Maul fell to the ground in shock, the two halves of his broken saber pushed away by Obi Wan. Obi Wan knelt next to the man who had hated him for so long, who had taken so much from him. He looked sadly at Maul, who clutched his chest as he spluttered, the life fading from him.

"No…" Maul rasped as Obi Wan put a hand on his shoulder, watching the fear in Maul's eyes as he looked up at Obi Wan for the last time. His eyes grew glassy and with a thud his arms fell to his sides.

"Rest well." Obi Wan murmured, almost surprised at the way he felt watching Maul die. He almost felt sorry for the man. A life driven by revenge was no life.

"Maul is dead." Obi Wan said softly into his comm after a minute, standing up and turning away from the man he never had to look at again.

"Copy that General, we have secured the Capital." Hunter replied over the comm. While Obi Wan had been battling Maul, the Bad batch had moved through the Capital building, taking out the last of the Death Watch who were holding the Capital.

Obi Wan walked towards the shattered windows, looking down on the main platform before the building where the fight had been centered. The fight looked to be mostly finished. The Republic forces had overwhelmed Saxon and his fighters. Obi Wan could see Bo Katan standing with her blasters pointed at a kneeling Saxon, clearly having subdued him. He saw Aayla with Cody and Wolf, regrouping the squadrons as Death Watch was being carted away. After so long coming, the battle had ended so suddenly. Hopefully, for the last time.

"General."

Echo's voice snapped Obi Wan out of his reflections and he turned to see the rest of the Echo standing with Korkie.

"General, the Bad Batch will continue holding the Capital as the Mandalorians come in to retake it. Bo Katan sends her thanks and gratitude to the Republic, but respectfully asked that we move out as soon as our troops can be moved." Echo relayed the message, standing at attention.

"Of course." Obi Wan sighed, rubbing his tired eyes as smiled at Bo Katan's eagerness for the Republic to leave Mandalore. HE didn't blame her, Mandalore was once a neutral system and would like to return to that. The Republic staying to help rebuild was definitely not in that plan.

"General, Tech needs my help with a set of codes on the second level. Are you alright to escort Kryze back to his people?"

"Yes, of course, go." Obi Wan agreed, nodding to Echo as he left the room, leaving him alone with the boy whose eyes he struggled to meet. Korkie was looking down at Maul's body.

"He killed her, didn't he?" Korkie asked, still looking at Maul.

"Yes, he did. He killed her because of me." Obi Wan said, walking to stand next to Korkie but finding he didn't want to look at Maul any longer.

"I know." Korkie said, moving his gaze away from Maul to look at Obi Wan.

Obi Wan narrowed his eyes as he returned the look. "You said before that you had something to tell me, Korkie."

Korkie looked down at his feet for a minute, gathering his courage.

"After Satine died, I found her diary." Korkie started, looking back at the older man who was about the same height as himself. "She wrote about a lot of things I never knew about, things I don't think anyone ever knew about."

Obi Wan wasn't sure what to say as he listened to Korkie. Where was he going with this?

"See wrote about you, about when you were younger. When you were here as her protector." Korkie continued, the nerves clear in his voice now as he struggled to look at Obi Wan. "She wrote that you were in love, but that you had to leave."

Obi Wan didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure why Korkie was bringing this up now, after so long.

"I never met my mother, or I thought I hadn't." Korkie stuttered, looking down again. "She died when I was a baby after contracting a deadly disease. Satine didn't talk about her much. They were close and I think she was too hurt by the loss."

Obi Wan nodded, remembering how close Satine has been to her older sister, Adalina, especially as she and Bo Katan grew apart. He still didn't know why Korkie was telling him all this, this was from so long ago. Maybe he just wanted to talk with someone who knew all these people he hadn't gotten as much time with?

"Satine wrote about a secret, something she never told anyone but Adalina." Korkie looked back up at Obi Wan, determination in his voice. "Adalina wasn't my mother, Satine was."

"What?" Obi Wan said in disbelief. How could this be true? Satine had never had a long-term partner back then, why could…

"And you are my father." Korkie breathed, looking at Obi Wan with his heart on his sleeve. "She never told you because she didn't you to have to choose between her and the Jedi. Adalina pretended I was hers rather than let Satine deal with the political fallout. I think raising me would have reminded her too much of you."

Obi Wan felt like he has been hit by a cruiser. Korkie was speaking but he felt like he could no longer hear. This couldn't be true. Satine couldn't have lied to him, to keep something this big from him. He staggered backward, turning away as tried to process the words he had just been told.

"Please say something." Korkie said softly after a minute.

His voice almost seemed to snap Obi Wan out of his daze. He turned, looking at Korkie like he'd never seen him before.

"I am so sorry." Obi Wan said, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "I never knew.""

"I don't blame you." Korkie said, feeling tears prick his eyes as well. "I don't blame her either."

"I wish she had told me. You can't believe how much I wish she'd told me." Obi Wan said, emotion dripped from his voice as he took a step closer to the vulnerable young man before him. "I would have stayed if she had asked ne to, believe me I would of."

Korkie nodded, tears now running down his checks. Before either knew it, they embraced, Obi Wan holding Korkie in his arms as the both cried. They cried for the Satine, for each other, for the life that could have been.

After what felt like ages, they drew apart and stood somewhat awkwardly together, neither sure what to do next. Obi Wan still couldn't quite believe what Korkie had told him, though he knew if he'd read it in Satine's diary, it must be true. And, well, they didn't exactly not sleep with each other…

"When did you find out?" Obi Wan asked, breaking the silence.

"A few months ago, after the Clone Wars ended." Korkie explained. "I found the collection of Satine's belongings that had stashed away after her death and her diary was there, sealed by an old Kryze lock that I had access to. I've wanted to contact you, but I didn't know how or what you would you say." Korkie said, staring to feel insecure again as he rambled. "And then when I saw you today, I knew I had to tell you.

"Thank you for telling me, Korkie." Obi Wan said, looking at his… son. "I wish Satine had told me before. You must understand this is quite a shock."

"I do, of course. And I don't expect anything of you. You didn't ask for this." Korkie shrugged, looking down as he tried to steel himself for rejection. After so much loss recently, he didn't know if he could take anymore. He hadn't been sure about telling Obi Wan, but after listening to him speak at Skywalker's trial and hearing the affection in his voice when he talked about his former apprentice, Korkie hoped Obi Wan would maybe not hate him as he'd initially feared.

"Korkie, I do not take this lightly, I want you to know that." Obi Wan said firmly, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. "As much as I never expected to have a son, especially a sixteen year old son I never knew about, I am glad you here."

"I'm glad you are here too." Korkie said, looking back at Ob I Wan with a small smile. "Even though Satine raised me mostly, I never knew her as my mother and I never had a father. Since she died, I've been alone."

"Well, not anymore." Obi Wan replied, hugging his son once more. "I promise you will never be alone again."

AN:

Hi! Sorry it's been a minute! for the past 4 months I have been editing and rewriting parts of this story while I posted it to AO3. As of now, I have updated this story on here to reflect those changes. Nothing major, but I added a few more scenes and I personally like the story a lot more with these changes. I hope you like the new chapter! I wanted to bring in something for Obi Wan and I love the Korkie Kenobi headcannon, so I couldn't not do it ;) Also, couldn't leave Mandalore hanging!

Please leave me a review and let me know what you want to see in the rest of this story! I am trying to decide where I want to go with it and would love to hear your thoughts :)

Till the next chapter,

Diamondgirl3 ;)