Obi-Wan followed his master Qui-Gon Jinn through the labyrinth of streets.
On all sides sat dome-roofed buildings, the same color as the sandy avenue.
A fierce sun beat at their backs with its intense heat. They had come to
this planet in the Middle Rim to ease tensions between the planet's leaders
and the Senate. He tried to keep his focus on the back of Qui-Gon but found
the sights and sounds of the planet extremely distracting.
Species of all kinds could be seen and heard as they bargained in the shops and tents that lined the busy street. Obi-Wan narrowly scooted out of the way of a green humanoid creature pulling a cart full of an exotic fruit.
Qui-Gon felt his apprentice's presence fade so he turned round to check.
"Obi-Wan, we can not afford to waste time. We have an urgent message to deliver."
Obi-Wan was just about to say some sharp comment in return; he had had a long day. However, he bit back his tongue and responded as a good padawan should:
"Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan a skeptical look, he could sense his apprentice's impatience. Sighing, he turned around and resumed their route.
* * *
Their trek continued for some time. Obi-Wan felt his feet start to drag. He tried his best to keep his eyes on his Master, but as he tired, his focus was depleted. He felt his master's mind was occupied with the pressing political matters at hand so he decided not to speak to him. His awareness of the desert city around him grew. The young man looked to each side, at the peddlers and shop owners trying to sell their products. A masked beast called people to his cart, where he was selling used blasters. Another shopkeeper, with scaly skin and floppy ears beckoned shoppers into his store, the windows of which showed off a very interesting assortment of crystals. A few young, with yellow painted faces, chased after one another and ran across Obi-Wan's path.
When Obi-Wan looked up, he had a smile on his face, having finally allowed himself to enjoy the sights of the city. Now his smile faded. His mentor was nowhere to be seen. Obi-Wan tried to make his way through the jostling crowd.
"Qui-Gon! Master!" he tried to shout above the banter.
Standing on his tip-toes, he saw that up ahead, there was a fork, where the street split in two. He made his way towards it, trying his best not to plough over a few small and wrinkled aliens. Once there, he stood on a few pieces of rock place at the start of the fork. He looked down each of the crowded alleys. He saw lots of heads, green, blue, gray, black. Every kind except Qui-Gon's. He though of his comlink but remembered it had broken just earlier that day.
At first, he panicked and ran down each street calling out for his master, looking furiously around him. The inhabitants of the desert planet didn't even look up. Obi-Wan calmed himself down and tried to use the Force to get a sense of where Qui-Gon might be. He looked inside of himself and called upon the great power that inhabited all things. He filled his thoughts with Qui-Gon and reached out, searching for even the faintest feeling that resembled his master. Obi-Wan felt a menacing Nikto and a hurried Sullustan. He tried again and again but there were too many beings in the area. After a few final attempts at using his eyes to search for his lost companion, the young man admitted defeat and slowly made his way to a restaurant just down the crowded street. Perhaps he could find someone there who could give him directions to the embassy, where would hopefully be able to be reunited with his master.
* * *
Inside the restaurant, it was cool and shady. He ordered a drink and tried to inquire to the bartender about directions to the embassy. The bartender stayed silent, hurriedly fixing the beverage and then rushing off into the back room. Obi-Wan sipped slowly and gazed around the place, trying to find a friendly face then, he noticed the human girl who sat next to him. She looked to be about seventeen, three years younger than himself. She had light brown hair and amazing blue eyes.
"Um, excuse me," he said to her "could you give me directions to the Senate embassy?"
The girl stared at him and walked away.
"Thanks anyway…" he muttered.
Just then, Obi-Wan saw the bartender talking to what looked like law- enforcement and pointing casually to him. He smiled, thinking that he would soon be escorted to the embassy and be back at his master's side. Making his way around the bar, he began to approach them but was surprised when a bolt went flying by him to hit a nearby wall. All the creatures in the restaurant screamed or whistled or made some loud noise. They dove under tables or tried to escape. Obi-Wan ducked into the back room. He was sure that the men would come after him and that they meant business. He found his way into a back alley. Taking out his lightsaber, he got ready to turn it on at a moment's notice. Again, he called upon the Force to help him, but this time to sense attacks.
Law-enforcement came out of the back of the bar after him. They fired at his receding back. Obi Wan turned around just in time to use his lightsaber to reflect the bolts at the guards and then took off again. As soon as he could, he turned into the busy streets and into the first shop he saw. Inside, a humanoid lizard argued with a girl who he recognized as the one who had sat next to him in the restaurant.
"I need it," she said.
The creature, who was obviously the shop owner, spoke back to her. "No you cheated me once. I won't let you do it again."
"I'll pay you. I promise."
"No credit. Not from you."
The girl had obviously heard enough. She turned on her heel and was about to stalk out when she saw Obi-Wan. He immediately pretended like he was looking at the spare ship parts in the shop. The shop owner went into the back room and she walked up to him.
"You again? Listen, if you're following me--"
"It's not like that!" said Obi-Wan, defensively.
"Really. Then what is it like? Pretty unusual to see someone twice in the same day in a city this big."
Obi-Wan was about to snap back when he noticed some guards coming towards the shop. He quickly ducked. The girl, as if on cue, stood in front of him and pretended she was shopping for parts. One guard came inside.
"Have you seen a young male human with a light-sword?" he asked.
The girl pretended to be surprised at the guard's appearance. "No. Can't say that I have."
"Thank you."
The guard left. Obi-Wan cautiously looked over the tables piled with scrap to check that he was gone. The girl turned back to him.
"In trouble?"
"You might say that."
She snorted.
"Listen, can you help me get out of here?"
"If I could, why would I want to?"
"I'll pay you or, my master will a least, once you get me to him. Then, you could get whatever it is you need from here."
"How much?"
"Say-- two hundred."
"Three hundred and we have a deal."
Obi-Wan looked at her. He felt that she wasn't going to bargain. "All right. Just get me out of here."
The girl smirked. "Follow me."
* * * * * * * * *
A/N: For those of you who have read this story before, you might notice a difference. I decided, thanks to a review (see, I really do follow suggestions) to embellish the story a bit more. Don't be surprised if you see even more changes in the future. Please R/R so I can make this story even better!!
Species of all kinds could be seen and heard as they bargained in the shops and tents that lined the busy street. Obi-Wan narrowly scooted out of the way of a green humanoid creature pulling a cart full of an exotic fruit.
Qui-Gon felt his apprentice's presence fade so he turned round to check.
"Obi-Wan, we can not afford to waste time. We have an urgent message to deliver."
Obi-Wan was just about to say some sharp comment in return; he had had a long day. However, he bit back his tongue and responded as a good padawan should:
"Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan a skeptical look, he could sense his apprentice's impatience. Sighing, he turned around and resumed their route.
* * *
Their trek continued for some time. Obi-Wan felt his feet start to drag. He tried his best to keep his eyes on his Master, but as he tired, his focus was depleted. He felt his master's mind was occupied with the pressing political matters at hand so he decided not to speak to him. His awareness of the desert city around him grew. The young man looked to each side, at the peddlers and shop owners trying to sell their products. A masked beast called people to his cart, where he was selling used blasters. Another shopkeeper, with scaly skin and floppy ears beckoned shoppers into his store, the windows of which showed off a very interesting assortment of crystals. A few young, with yellow painted faces, chased after one another and ran across Obi-Wan's path.
When Obi-Wan looked up, he had a smile on his face, having finally allowed himself to enjoy the sights of the city. Now his smile faded. His mentor was nowhere to be seen. Obi-Wan tried to make his way through the jostling crowd.
"Qui-Gon! Master!" he tried to shout above the banter.
Standing on his tip-toes, he saw that up ahead, there was a fork, where the street split in two. He made his way towards it, trying his best not to plough over a few small and wrinkled aliens. Once there, he stood on a few pieces of rock place at the start of the fork. He looked down each of the crowded alleys. He saw lots of heads, green, blue, gray, black. Every kind except Qui-Gon's. He though of his comlink but remembered it had broken just earlier that day.
At first, he panicked and ran down each street calling out for his master, looking furiously around him. The inhabitants of the desert planet didn't even look up. Obi-Wan calmed himself down and tried to use the Force to get a sense of where Qui-Gon might be. He looked inside of himself and called upon the great power that inhabited all things. He filled his thoughts with Qui-Gon and reached out, searching for even the faintest feeling that resembled his master. Obi-Wan felt a menacing Nikto and a hurried Sullustan. He tried again and again but there were too many beings in the area. After a few final attempts at using his eyes to search for his lost companion, the young man admitted defeat and slowly made his way to a restaurant just down the crowded street. Perhaps he could find someone there who could give him directions to the embassy, where would hopefully be able to be reunited with his master.
* * *
Inside the restaurant, it was cool and shady. He ordered a drink and tried to inquire to the bartender about directions to the embassy. The bartender stayed silent, hurriedly fixing the beverage and then rushing off into the back room. Obi-Wan sipped slowly and gazed around the place, trying to find a friendly face then, he noticed the human girl who sat next to him. She looked to be about seventeen, three years younger than himself. She had light brown hair and amazing blue eyes.
"Um, excuse me," he said to her "could you give me directions to the Senate embassy?"
The girl stared at him and walked away.
"Thanks anyway…" he muttered.
Just then, Obi-Wan saw the bartender talking to what looked like law- enforcement and pointing casually to him. He smiled, thinking that he would soon be escorted to the embassy and be back at his master's side. Making his way around the bar, he began to approach them but was surprised when a bolt went flying by him to hit a nearby wall. All the creatures in the restaurant screamed or whistled or made some loud noise. They dove under tables or tried to escape. Obi-Wan ducked into the back room. He was sure that the men would come after him and that they meant business. He found his way into a back alley. Taking out his lightsaber, he got ready to turn it on at a moment's notice. Again, he called upon the Force to help him, but this time to sense attacks.
Law-enforcement came out of the back of the bar after him. They fired at his receding back. Obi Wan turned around just in time to use his lightsaber to reflect the bolts at the guards and then took off again. As soon as he could, he turned into the busy streets and into the first shop he saw. Inside, a humanoid lizard argued with a girl who he recognized as the one who had sat next to him in the restaurant.
"I need it," she said.
The creature, who was obviously the shop owner, spoke back to her. "No you cheated me once. I won't let you do it again."
"I'll pay you. I promise."
"No credit. Not from you."
The girl had obviously heard enough. She turned on her heel and was about to stalk out when she saw Obi-Wan. He immediately pretended like he was looking at the spare ship parts in the shop. The shop owner went into the back room and she walked up to him.
"You again? Listen, if you're following me--"
"It's not like that!" said Obi-Wan, defensively.
"Really. Then what is it like? Pretty unusual to see someone twice in the same day in a city this big."
Obi-Wan was about to snap back when he noticed some guards coming towards the shop. He quickly ducked. The girl, as if on cue, stood in front of him and pretended she was shopping for parts. One guard came inside.
"Have you seen a young male human with a light-sword?" he asked.
The girl pretended to be surprised at the guard's appearance. "No. Can't say that I have."
"Thank you."
The guard left. Obi-Wan cautiously looked over the tables piled with scrap to check that he was gone. The girl turned back to him.
"In trouble?"
"You might say that."
She snorted.
"Listen, can you help me get out of here?"
"If I could, why would I want to?"
"I'll pay you or, my master will a least, once you get me to him. Then, you could get whatever it is you need from here."
"How much?"
"Say-- two hundred."
"Three hundred and we have a deal."
Obi-Wan looked at her. He felt that she wasn't going to bargain. "All right. Just get me out of here."
The girl smirked. "Follow me."
* * * * * * * * *
A/N: For those of you who have read this story before, you might notice a difference. I decided, thanks to a review (see, I really do follow suggestions) to embellish the story a bit more. Don't be surprised if you see even more changes in the future. Please R/R so I can make this story even better!!