The Child

Chapter 16

Coruscant was close now, thankfully, and the Jedi Master already contacted the hospital for Satine. Throughout the journey he stayed by Satine's side along with Bella, occasionally checking the radars and timer until Coruscant was in reaching reaching distance.

Bella was clearly drained, she hasn't slept the whole journey, let alone moved an inch from where she sat by her mother's bed. Obi-wan gathered the messages he received from them took a few weeks to transmit because Mandalore was in complete ruins and his family were both exhausted and hungry.

"Bella," he began getting her attention, "get changed and get some sleep, you look exhausted." She shook her head, he sensed her guilt but he had no idea why she felt guilty. She just stared at her sleeping mother, helplessly.

He sat next to her, hands on his lap looking at her. "Alright, what's wrong?" He asked softly, he knew she wasn't a child and he didn't have to treat her like one but she was his daughter so there was no helping for him feeling he has to protect her now because he couldn't earlier in her life. "I could've saved everyone earlier but I just hid. I could've killed those bastards as soon as they arrived on Mandalore! But I just hid like a coward!" She spoke with regret that she could've prevented this but she was scared, and understandably so.

He hugged her, she didn't have to feel this way, it wasn't her fault things turned out like this, if anything it was his. Maul was after him, not them. "It's not your fault, none of this is. Don't blame yourself for it. I wasn't too much older than you when I fought my first Sith. In the end you accomplished something I couldn't because you ended his tyranny, be proud of it!" He reassured her, she nodded taking it in before yawning, defeated by lack of sleep. "Get some sleep, you've more than earned it," he smiled at her as she was already dozing off. She finally gave in and went to sleep on the bed on the other side of the room.

After another few hours they landed on Coruscant. The Jedi woke up his daughter before picking up the Duchess, bridal style, to the hospital. Just as they were about to leave the doctor insisted Bella stayed for a check up but she refused, much to her father's worry, as she wanted to tend to them herself.

She was already planning on how they'll reclaim Mandalore from the crimson traitors that followed the, now dead, Sith.

~~~Time skip to a few months because I don't want this chapter to be short~~~

Over the past few months Satine got plenty of visits ranging from Obi-wan and Bella, as usual, to Padmé, Anakin and Ahsoka or occasionally, Master Yoda and Windu who questioned her about the Sith takeover.

She was recovering well but at a very slow pace, when she arrived she was severely wounded, starved and dehydrated from her capture. But she survived and she was grateful.

Bella arrived as usual and sat down by her mother's bed. She came everyday for at least a few hours. Satine was grateful that Padmé allowed Bella to stay at her's while she herself was in hospital. The only thing that actually worried Satine was the decently sized cut on her daughter's right cheek, that looked like it might become a nasty scar.

"Hello buir," she said smiling, seeing that her mother was awake made her happy. "Hello my dear, how have you been?" She asked smiling back. "Training with Ahsoka, I'm going to help reclaim Mandalore. From what auntie said the final offense is close," she announced to her mother with a reassuring smile. She sighed, she was a pacifist and didn't agree with violence and it's that vision of a violent-free Mandalore caused her daughter and Obi-wan and her people including her sister to risk their lives in another civil war. She never wanted this.

"I'm sorry Bella, about everything. About not telling you everything sooner and putting you in danger," Satine whispered almost sobbing but staying strong and composed, not wanting Bella to feel quilt for thinking she made her feel like this. Bella frowned, of course she wished she knew everything sooner, she always missed out on having a father in her early life. Yet she never hated her mother for this, in fact she understood and for the danger part, it was her choice to fight, her choice to defy everything her parents taught her, her choice to kill the Sith brothers. "Don't be sorry, it was my choice. If anything I understand why you didn't tell me sooner. It's in the past buir, focus on getting better so we can have a better future," Bella said, comforting her mother actually before hugging her to get her point across.

Satine smiled brightly at her daughter, proud of how she had grown into such a strong woman, no longer the little girl she held in her arms when she was a baby. "My how you've matured," she announced, "training with Obi did you some good." They both laughed, it was true, it did her some good.

"Someone say my name?" They both turned to see the Jedi Master they've just mentioned with a bouquet of white lilies in his arms. "Eves-dropping is rude buir," Bella chuckled.
"Talking about someone behind their back is rude my dear," he replied with a smirk.
"It was all good things though, and thank you for the lilies," she thanked admiring the beautiful flowers the Jedi held. "I hope they're still your favourite," He said putting the flowers in a vase. "They are, you remembered?" She asked as if in disbelief, earning a nod from the Jedi. "I could never forget," he replied.

Satine's face turned serious, "Bella said the final offensive is coming up on Mandalore. Is this true?" The Jedi's eyes widened a little, he didn't expect this to come up. "Yes, it's very close. Since the Sith were involved and, the council isn't sure if they still are, the Jedi Council is providing backup. I guess as a reward for Bella for killing the Sith," he replied. Satine took a long blink but then nodded, understanding it was necessary in order to reclaim Mandalore.

The Jedi sat down next to his family taking the subject off their minds with a couple jokes and his usual mixture of sarcasm and sass whenever a memory of him not being perfect was mentioned. Satine seemed to become more accepting of Bella's lightsabers whenever ass-kicking came on as a subject, she even started laughing when she found out Bella bested her father in serious lightsaber combat.

After a few minutes Bella excused herself saying Padmé and Ahsoka asked her to join them for tea. Her parents were alright with it, given the stress they knew she's experiencing, they thought it might do her some good.

The two were left alone in a comfortable silence that they were used to after such a long friendship. "I never got to thank you Obi, for saving me," she admitted ending the silence. "Don't thank me Tinie, thank our daughter, it's all thanks to her," he replied smiling.

Satine gave him a nostalgic smile. He hasn't called her Tinie since the mission when he was protecting her. They gathered nicknames were ideal but since Obi was too obvious to Obi-wan, she called him Ben while he called her Tinie.

"She matured so much, thanks to you, you know," she said, not really as a question but more matter-of-factly. He nodded as a reply before taking her hand making her eyes meet his as he suddenly grew nervous. This took the Duchess by surprise.

"Duchess Satine Kryze, I have something to ask you..." he began.

A/N: so 3 chapters in 1 weekend, idk how that happened but I ain't complaining XD anyway what do you think he wants to ask? Maybe you can guess ^^ also it makes me so sad yet so proud that this fanfic is nearly done. Thanks to everyone for the kind comments, suggestions and overall support you guys gave me. It gave me the inspiration and willingness to write again. You guys are amazing ^^