Based on a wonderful fanart by TiffanyEtch-A-Sketch, in turn inspired by Skyfall. Message me for the link if you'd like to see it :)

When he'd first come to Corellia, he couldn't imagine how anyone could tell the difference between each building. The flashing and rotating lights advertising food, gambling, and all manner of vices and pleasures bled together into a single pulsing strobe. After a few visits, however, he was able to go exactly where he needed without losing his way.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped through the sound-proofed doors of The Garden with an air of rightful belonging that wasn't entirely faked. His undercover missions were usually tinged with the anxiousness of slipping up, of the person or persons he coerced information out of discovering his identity. But not here. Although he never partook of the offered fare, he felt quite at ease within its secure and lavishly decorated walls.

He waved off the Twi'lek hostess when she approached. "I've been here several times," he said gently at the look of disappointment on her face. Just as the last word left his mouth he spotted his intended quarry. "I know exactly what I want."

Atop one of the three sets of curving stairs and flanked by two hulking Gamoreans, Asajj Ventress leaned against the railing as she talked quietly with a human client. Obi-Wan always recognized the tattoos on her smooth head and the elegant, dangerous curve of her body as she adopted a posture of relaxed control. He ignored the servers who offered him drinks as well as the Zeltrons and Nautolans who offered him more physical indulgences. His focus rested entirely on the woman who turned just as he took the final step to the upper level.

"Ben Kenobi," she drawled with a smirk, using his little-known nickname instead of his given one for the sake of maintaining both their covers; both were surprisingly common names in this part of the galaxy, after all. "After all these months you decide to grace me with your presence. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."

He brushed past her bodyguards without a second thought. "How could I ever forget such ravishing beauty paled only by such a profound mind, my sweet?"

Her throaty chuckle sent a tingle down the back of his neck. "I see you haven't lost your talent for flattery, Kenobi, even if it is wasted on me." She pushed away from the railing and stood at her full height. His gaze drifted over her with no shortage of appreciation. Her black dress covered her from shoulder to ankle…save for the sheer fabric over her back and down her sides. The effect was most stimulating. Coupled with her sudden closeness and the immaculately manicured finger she traced over his bearded jaw, Obi-Wan had to quickly recite the mantra of the Jedi Code in his head to maintain his composure; she would never let him hear the end of it if he broke first. "But I know you're not here to try your hand at seducing me where countless others have failed."

His hand on her hip kept her from moving away, his fingers surreptitiously caressing the scar hidden beneath the soft fabric, the scar he had put there a lifetime ago. She tensed when his lips brushed against her ear. "A man is not allowed to have more than one goal?"

"I might believe that if you weren't such a noble Jedi, my dear," she whispered against the side of his face.

"I have my moments of weakness," he responded in equally quiet tones. "Coincidentally, most of them seem to center on you."

"Perhaps you would like to show me this weakness of yours. Or do you not trust me enough yet?"

Oh, you are good, darling, he thought. "While I would gladly place myself in your capable hands any other time, I am here on business."

"Such a pity," she lamented theatrically when she turned to dismiss her guards. "I would be gentle with you, darling."

Obi-Wan regarded her for a moment as she started towards her office door. "I might believe that if you weren't you. Besides," he added just loud enough for her ears only, "where would be the fun in that?"

Once inside, Asajj sealed the door and absently looked down at the bordello floor through the expansive one-way window. Ever the professional, she made sure everyone was behaving; no clients getting too rough, no employees mistreating their customers. "So, what can I do to help the great Obi-Wan Kenobi in his quest to bring peace to the galaxy?" She saw his reflection gesture around the room, mild alarm on his face. "Don't worry. No one's listening. Every time that door opens I sweep for spy droids. We can speak freely in here."

"Tarap Oine," he said after a beat. "I know he's a frequent client here. Word is he's been doing some dealing with the Separatists. Long-range blasters, high-density vibroblades, explosives…"

"A man after my own heart."

"…and his own versions of lightsabers." All playfulness evaporated from her in an instant. "Poor imitations if you ask me, but still deadly. And civilians can't tell the difference between one wielded by a trained Jedi and a copy in the hands of an amateur. We're already losing favor with the people thanks to Dooku's propaganda. Oine is only making it worse."

"I couldn't care less about the Jedi's reputation," Asajj hissed abruptly. "Constructing false lightsabers is nothing short of blasphemy!"

"Which is why I came to you, Asajj." He stepped closer to her and and ran a gentle hand down her arm. "I knew if anyone wanted to see Oine face justice, you would. I would consider it an enormous favor if you would-"

"Show him why a real lightsaber will always be better to whatever inferior creations he pawns off?"

"I like your enthusiasm, my dear," he said against her neck, noting the slight shiver of her pale flesh. He would lying if he said a small part of him wasn't incredibly aroused by her temper. "I was hoping for a bit more subtlety, however."

She huffed. "Always such a killjoy," she murmured. A deep breath, a slow exhale, and she was calm again. She turned and leaned against the window as her arms loosely wrapped around his shoulders. "But I'm adaptable. How can I be of service?"

"My intel says he's on his way here tonight before meeting with a potential buyer. With your permission, I'd like to remain here and apprehend him before that meeting can take place."

Confusion etched its way into her silver eyes. "People usually wait until they actually get paid before spending the credits. Why would he come here first if there's a profit waiting elsewhere?"

Obi-Wan gave her a half-smirk. "I think he's become rather fond of one of your…employees. Taliya, I think is her name."

She smiled. "Ah. Taliya is very good at knowing how to keep clients coming back for more." Her thumb brushed over his lower lip. "Rumor is that once you've tasted the lips of someone of The Garden, you become addicted. 'Better than any Hutt spice', so the say."

He played along. "Is that more than just theory, my sweet?"

He didn't move when she leaned in closer, her eyes fixed on his mouth. "Would you like to find out?"

His hand on her cheek stopped her just before her lips made contact with his. An almost inaudible sound of disappointment escaped her. Obi-Wan empathized; to be so close yet so far… "Perhaps when I'm not on the Council's credit." It took a good amount of willpower to step back when he wanted so badly to see if those rumors had any truth to them. But that was the point of this game of theirs: to see who would give in first and who would remain strong in the face of temptation.

He glanced out the window to the dancing couples below. "Will you do me the honor of a dance, my dear?"

Asajj shifted purposefully and eyed him up and down. "I assure you the pleasure would be all mine, Obi-Wan." His skin tingled at the way she said his name.

He led her down the stairs, her hand in the crook of his arm, and covertly watched the way her body moved beneath her tantalizing gown. "Hoping for something to slip, my darling?"

A blush tried to rise to his face, but he forced it down. He put his head close to hers as he twirled her into his arms once they reached the dance floor. "Just curious as to how you manage to keep two lightsabers strapped to your thighs and still move so gracefully."

She grinned. "Practice."

The music, slow and gentle, swirled around the dancers like an invisible partner. Disguised Jedi and former assassin moved together seamlessly. Both recalled the memory of their first meeting, how that first time they crossed swords so viciously was so far removed from the harmony with which they moved now. The contrast was almost poetic.

"I've always wondered, my dear," Obi-Wan whispered suddenly. "Why does your establishment have such a prominent dance floor?" The entire lower level was nothing but polished hardwood. Only the areas beneath the overhangs and balconies of the second level were carpeted, some of them occupied by tables and chairs with doorways leading to bedrooms behind them. "Surely there's no need to masquerade your business as something other than what it really is. Your work isn't exactly illegal."

"You mean prostitution." She laughed at his reaction. "You can say the word, 'Ben'. Or is it some kind of Jedi curse word?"

"I-I don't-"

"Don't fluster yourself, Kenobi." She took a moment to quiet her laughter before looking him squarely in the eye. "We ask all our clients to dance first. It adds a touch of class and sophistication to the place and keeps out the unsavory rabble just wanting to get off with no concern for the pleasure of seduction." Obi-Wan grew increasingly uncomfortable. She noticed. "It's also a useful tool for my boys and girls. If one does not disappoint on the dance floor, one will not disappoint in the bedroom." She whispered her next words, sultry and full of promise, directly into his ear. "You're a superb dancer, by the way."

A short growl escaped his lips before he could stop it. "Good to know, darling." The comfortable pace of the music soon quickened. Some couples left for alcoved rooms; others stayed or joined in for more energetic steps. "Shall we pick up the pace a bit?"

A familiar light sparked in her eyes and made his breath catch. "Be gentle with me."

"In your case, I can make no promises." His left hand pressed against the dip of her lower back until her body was flush with his. He kept her there, his willing prisoner, as he led her in fast, sweeping steps across the floor. Neither noticed how they gained an audience at the edges of the room.

She spun out, then into his chest and arched her back. His hand traveled down her side to her thigh while his mouth hovered over her neck. Reaching the crescendo of the song, she twirled around and grasped his head in both hands. Her lips were only centimeters from his. Their breath washed over each other's faces, heedless of the air of anticipation that had spread over the entire room as the onlookers waited to see if the ever-present tension between them would finally break.

The last notes drifting sensually around them, he slowly bent her back over his arm, her head falling back, eyes closing, and one knee rising to his hip. He only pulled her back up when the music came to an end. They stared at each other with strained breath that had little to do with exertion and everything to do with the primal attraction that constantly pushed and pulled them to and away from each other. Obi-Wan was only millimeters from meeting her lips when the applause from their observers broke through their magnetism. A singular voice cut through even that with a high-pitched whine.

"Magnificent, my dear Sevrina. Simply magnificent! It's been far too long since I last had the pleasure of seeing you dance." Tarap Oine. The Weequay muscled his way between them only to ignore Obi-Wan entirely. All of his focus was centered on 'Sevrina'. He raised her hand for a kiss. Obi-Wan saw the disgust twitching one side of her dark mouth up, but her flawless professionalism kept her distaste from showing beyond that. "I hope one day I may have the honor of a private performance."

'Sevrina' laughed, her professional laugh that Obi-Wan hated. Her true laugh, throaty, sultry, and blazing with passion was far better. "Then I hope you've been saving your credits, Tarap. You know my fee is unmatched."

"As you keep reminding me, my beauty." Oine turned to Obi-Wan as if just noticing him for the first time. His ridged face adopted a look of arrogant annoyance. "Do you mind, my friend?"

Asajj shot him a pointed look. It clearly said to stay out of the conversation or else face the wrath of a businesswoman. "Not at all. I was just leaving." He retreated to the shadows of the lower level, but kept both Asajj and Oine in his sights.

"Perhaps you've come to visit Taliya, Tarap? She has been missing you terribly these past weeks."

If a Weequay could blush, Oine would have. His expression turned almost shy at the mention of Taliya. Almost. "Ah, I am fond of the Twi'lek…"

"Say no more," she laughed lightly. "I'll see if she's ready for you.

Obi-Wan watched from his peripheral as Asajj sauntered towards him. She looked past him as if not seeing him at all. "Ten minutes and he's yours," she whispered quickly as she passed him. He smiled.

Asajj knocked twice on a circular door painted with gold swirls and bronzium accents. She spoke softly to the blue-skinned Twi'lek that answered, only her head visible through the round opening in the center of the whorl. Obi-Wan couldn't hear every word, but he made out the gist of the one-sided conversation: Taliya was to make a scene large enough to warrant her employer's intervention once Oine was secured in the room. "I'll handle the rest," he heard Asajj say as a lull in the chatter and laughter around him formed. An absent thought of how nice it was to work with the former assassin instead of against her crossed his mind.

She returned to Oine and gestured him to Taliya's door with a subtle smile. The arms dealer straightened his coat collar before knocking on the door. Taliya answered with a bright smile. "I've missed you so much!" She sounded almost genuine. But Obi-Wan knew the truth: this was her act. She played the lovesick prostitute with an innocent soul with every client. They fell for it every time. It was what kept them coming back and spending more and more credits with each visit. Her loyalty belonged solely to Asajj, who had saved her from a Zygerian slave owner many years earlier. Taliya had made the choice to become a lover-for-hire when Asajj took over the operation of the bordello after leaving Count Dooku's service. In exchange for saving her life and keeping her safe, Taliya supplied Asajj with every bit of information she could coax out of her clients, much of which had been used to shut down a number of criminal organizations on Corellia and Coruscant alike, along with foiling Separatist plots across the galaxy. All anonymously, of course. It wouldn't be good for business if word got out that The Garden was where the majority of security and information leaks originated.

Asajj stepped near Obi-Wan again, this time taking a flute of crystalline wine from a nearby server. "Give her a few minutes, then watch me work, darling."

"I always do."

Asajj slipped away and into her 'Sevrina' persona as she milled about the room. Obi-Wan lingered in the corner, keeping an eye on everyone just in case someone took too much interest in him since he wasn't exactly eager about sampling the proferred flesh-fare. He couldn't help but notice how differently people acted when confronted with the prospect of sex, especially with such beautiful participants. Some became more confident, others became as shy as younglings. Some did the pursuing while others more enjoyed being pursued. A handful were more dispassionate, simply discussing the transaction of services and funds as if bartering for droid parts.

And then there was Asajj, the master of it all. Even now everything seemed centered on her. She made the rounds of the room, making friendly conversation with clients, making sure her workers looked their best and presented themselves as befitting her establishment. Watching her now it was almost like looking at a completely different person from the one he'd known before.

When they'd first met, she had been filled with nothing but hate and deep-rooted grief stemming from the loss of her first Master. Dooku had later ordered her to kill Obi-Wan, an order that had been met with failure every time. Apparently something he had said or done during their frequent battles had sparked something within her. She had begun to question her orders, had begun to approach their fights with something akin to glee. Not at the prospect of killing the Jedi, but something else he had refused to identify…until recently. When she had finally had enough, Dooku had ordered her to be killed. Thankfully, the other assassin had missed his mark but reported a success back to Dooku nonetheless.

Obi-Wan had been the one to find her. He'd taken her to the clinic of a friend who recognized no allegiance to either the Republic or the Separatists. He'd left her there in a bacta tank, never expecting to see her again; he'd doubted she would have been happy to see him anyway. But fate and circumstance (or perhaps the Force itself) had led them to each other once again well over a year later. They now enjoyed a much less adversarial relationship, but no less fraught with tension of a different kind.

An ear-splitting scream sliced through his thoughts and brought the gentle murmur of the room to dead silence. A streak of blue flashed by Obi-Wan and collapsed into Asajj's arms. Taliya was nearly incomprehensible through her sobs, switching mindlessly between Basic and Twi'lek. Asajj forcibly took the girl's hand from where it clutched her neck. It came back stained with red.

The change in the Dathomirian was instantaneous. Gone was the pleasant albeit aloof hostess. In her place stood cold ferocity hidden beneath a thin veneer of calm. Taliya's babbling stopped when another voice cut through the air. "Taliya, what in space was that about?"

"Is this true, Tarap?" Asajj asked flatly. "Did you attack Taliya without provocation?"

Oine looked shocked. "Of course not! What kind of man would I be to do something like that?"

"Then how do you explain the cut on her throat that came from that knife in your hand?" She gestured at the weapon, which Oine only just now seemed to realize he held.

He quickly dropped it. "She told me that's what she wanted! Said she wanted to 'try something new'. Then she screamed when I did what she asked. I'm just as surprised as you are!"

Asajj gently passed Taliya off to a Zeltron male, the Twi'lek's closest friend, before stalking towards Oine. "And you expect me to believe that? Why in space would Taliya, who is nothing but sweetness and kindness incarnate, ever even think of performing bloodplay?." Obi-Wan found himself entranced by the performance. Asajj had moved beyond appalled employer into the role of the alpha female protecting her family. Oine had yet to form actual words through his sputtering. "I have been nothing but accomodating to you, Oine, and this is how you repay my hospitality? Taliya's affection for you? If you wanted more exciting fare, there are plenty of others who would gladly have been of service. You have betrayed not only Taliya's trust, but mine as well." The next words she spoke seemed to fill every corner and crevice of the building. Obi-Wan almost shivered at their power. "Tarap Oine, you are no longer welcome in my home. If you ever approach Taliya again, I will deal with you myself. And I'll see to it that every pleasure house from here to Tatooine knows what kind of man you truly are. No amount of credits will be enough to buy yourself a companion." She took a final step so that she towered over the Weequay with a glare that could freeze a sun. Her Gamorean bodyguards, absent up until now, roughly took him by the arms and lifted him several inches off the floor. "Now get out of my house."

Still trying to assure her of his innocence, Oine was dragged out the back until his shouts were quieted by the closing of the door. With the show over, everyone else went back to business as usual. Obi-Wan met Asajj's eyes as she turned towards Taliya, now being comforted and cleaned up by the Zeltron, and sent her a gentle, thankful smile. She returned it.

Obi-Wan followed the guards out the door to find Oine on his knees before them trying to regain his breath. "I'll take care of him from here, my friends," he said cheerfully. The Gamoreans complied instantly without even a grunt. Perhaps Asajj had told them of the impromptu plan and ordered them to back off when Obi-Wan made his appearance. "Friendly fellows, aren't they. No, Oine, you and I have business to attend to."

"What in blazes are you talking about?" Oine coughed.

Obi-Wan wrenched the Weequay's arms behind his back when he stood on shaky legs. "I'm taking you into custody, of course. For illicit arms dealing and other various crimes against the Republic. And for making a mockery of the Jedi Order, but that's more of a personal matter." He clapped a pair of binders on his prisoner's wrists before he could try to pull away.

Comprehension fell over Oine's face. "You're a Jedi! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Oh? Would you rather I left you in the hands of 'Sevrina' and her loyal muscle?" Oine went still. "I didn't think so." Obi-Wan led him around the corner where he had landed his speeder; Asajj always left a spot open for him just in case he decided to stop by. No sooner had he silently thanked her for the handy courtesy than she appeared in the alleyway. She had always possessed an air of class and elegance, but out here in the gaudy lights of Corellia she seemed out of place. She belonged on a throne or in a temple, not on a vice-filled pleasure planet. "Wonderful performance, my dear," Obi-Wan called to her as he closed the canopy of his speeder on Oine. "I do hope I haven't caused you too much trouble."

"Darling, trouble follows you like a shadow. Do you see me complaining?" Her arms crossed over her abdomen as she looked the speeder over, sending Oine a brief look of contempt before focusing again on Obi-Wan. "So, you're just going to take what you want and leave, my dear? How typically male."

He approached her slowly, hands clasped behind his back. "I do apologize for that, but time is of the essence."

Asajj pursed her lips. One hand lifted to lightly run slender fingers down the lapel of his jacket. "You always tease me by saying you'll come visit me more when your Jedi duties lighten up. Answer me seriously: do you ever intend on keeping your word to me?"

Obi-Wan blinked. He was surprised by the sudden gravity of her voice. "Oh, darling." He took her hand and gently toyed with her long fingers. He suddenly wondered what it would be like to have them on his bare skin. "You know I've never lied to you-"

"Except when we first met and you tried to hide the fact that you were a Jedi."

They shared a smile at the memory; he had been undercover then as well. Only when he'd stopped her from landing a killing blow on her target, a Rodian scientist, with his lightsaber did the truth come out. "Fair enough," he said. He breathed deeply and let it out slowly. "I know I shouldn't, that it goes against my training and every oath I've taken…I've become very fond of you, Asajj." He met her eyes, willing her to understand how complicated everything was between them for him. "Once we win this war, I'll stop by more often. On my own time, not the Jedi's."

"And how long will that be?"

Something close to desperation coated her voice. It stunned him. He brushed his knuckles up the side of her face in an attempt to chase that sound away. "No one can say. It could be days, or years. But if it makes you feel better-" he leaned in close and lightened his voice when her gaze turned down to the permacrete ground at their feet "-if it does take that long, then won't our reunion be even more spectacular?"

A delicious shiver racked her body. "Moreso for you than me, my dear."

"Mmm, I've no doubt about that, my sweet."

"Then I look forward to it all the more." They observed each for a moment, both blissfully unconcerned with their surroundings; they'd only ever been so distracted when in each other's presence. No other could draw their focus so intently.

Asajj moved without warning. Her hands cupped the back of his head and drew him down into a kiss that threatened to sear the flesh from his bones. Not that he minded in the slightest. His hands went around her waist and pulled her closer until every inch of her body was pressed firmly against his. Her lips tugged at his with an urgency that bordered on mindlessness. It felt to Obi-Wan as if she were trying to devour him. Again, not that he minded at all. In fact, he wholeheartedly returned the favor.

He tilted his head to the right and darted the tip of his tongue between her lips. She gasped and shivered. The smile that formed on his face at her reaction quickly disappeared when she launched an even more vicious assault. One shapely leg wrapped around his to draw him closer. Her fingers pulled at his hair just enough to cause a twinge of wonderful pain. Her teeth sank into his bottom lip.

At that moment, Obi-Wan wanted nothing more than to forget about Oine, the return trip to Coruscant, and everything else that didn't involve this woman's sinful lips and burning body pressed against his. But the need for oxygen forced them to separate and brought reality crashing back down on him.

She spoke first, her voice a husky whisper against his mouth. "Consider your debt paid, Kenobi."

He laughed softly. "Are you sure that's all it takes to repay my debt? After all, you did just aid in the apprehension of a dangerous arms dealer and enemy of the Republic."

She blinked in legitimate surprise. "My dear, are you offering more?"

"Maybe." His fingers stroked her cheek once more. "Now I get to see if there's any truth to those rumors about the addictiveness of a kiss from a flower of The Garden."

Her thumb again traced over his lips, her pale eyes following the movement. "Do let me know your verdict."

"You'll be the first to know, my darling." Once disentangled from her, he raised one of her hands to kiss her knuckles. His mouth lingered a few moments too long to be completely chaste.

Asajj called out to him as he climbed into the speeder, both ignoring Oine trying to wrap his head around what he just saw. "Don't keep me waiting too long, Kenobi. I just might get bored with you."

He smirked at her, a spark still alight in his bright blue eyes. "My sweet, I wouldn't dare dream of it."

Asajj watched until the speeder disappeared from view into the night sky. She turned back to The Garden, but not before touching her smiling lips as if to hold the memory of that kiss just a bit longer. Someday, she promised herself. Someday…