Title: Call Of The Siren
Author: Obimom
Timeframe: post TPM
Characters: Obi-Wan, Siri T, teenagers Anakin and Ferus Olin, OC
Genre: Humor with some Drama and suspense...so a "Comedy/Drama" I guess
The OC in my story is a Sirenian female, taken from Homer's the Odyssey...the Sirens.
This story was inspired by an episode of Firefly, which we really enjoy and wish it hadn't been cut short long before it's time. Anyone who has seen Firefly may recognize the episode that inspired this story. If so, please don't give it away...okay? Thanks!
This story is also written in response to the humor quote challenge. The quote is used in the story (later) and will be revealed at the end of the story.
And thank you, Valairy Scot, for the beta!
Call Of The Siren
Chapter 1: An Unwelcome Passenger
Siri was annoyed.
The girl Anakin brought onto their ship asking for transport to Coruscant just rubbed her the wrong way. What had he been thinking? Well, he wasn't, Siri fumed, not with his brain anyway.
And then for Obi-Wan to agree! Siri had looked at him as if he had gone out of his mind. She told him so later. He had merely patted her shoulder and said,
"It will be fine. It's only for a couple of days. Besides, Anakin promised."
"Have you spoken to him about not making promises without talking to his Master first?"
"Yes, Siri, I was quite annoyed at first, but she seems nice enough."
"Do you know what her home planet is?" Siri had asked pointedly, betting he didn't.
"No, I didn't ask her."
"Well, I did. Do you know where she is from? Sirenia."
Obi-Wan had gulped. "Oh."
"Hm..and you think it will be fine." Siri coudln't hide her annoyance at him.
"Well, if we warn the boys and keep our guard up..."
"If YOU keep your guard up. I don't have to worry about mine. " she had retorted.
That had been yesterday, just before they lifted off for home from their mission on Alta 7. Her fist slammed the wall as she continued down the transport corridor toward the med bay, remembering that aggravating conversation she had had with Obi-Wan.
"Just because we were given a larger than usual transport to accommodate a Healer and a med bay for this mission doesn't mean we can take passengers," she groused to herself. But it was too late now. They were well on their way to Coruscant with this beautiful young Sirenian woman aboard.
All she could do was try to keep her head while everyone else might be losing theirs.
The boys were enamored by her. Siri was hard put to keep her usually obedient and stoic padawan, Ferus Olin, from making moon eyes everytime she walked into the room. He and Anakin would jostle and push each other and almost get into a fight trying to be the first at her side. Siri found her padawan a few times just staring at her, lost in Vyxn's aura. Siri's command through their bond of "Focus, Padawan" was met with him blinking his eyes as if just awakening, and glancing apologetically at his master. Anakin was no better, even worse. He jumped at everything she asked for. Obi-Wan tolerated it for a short while until Anakin jumped to remove her shoes because she complained of hurting feet. Obi-Wan then pulled him aside and spoke to him privately. Siri wished she could have heard what he told him.
But what annoyed Siri the most was the way this young upstart seemed to target Obi-Wan. Everytime he walked into a room, she would practically fall all over herself to get close to him.
He seemed to be mostly resistant to her charms, which was hard even for male Jedi.
Sirenians females were nearly irresistible to males. They could use their eyes, their bodies and certain intoxicating scents to lure and intice males to them. It was understood that all females have this ability to a degree, but Sirenian females could take this ability to another level. Normal males didn't stand a chance, but even a male Jedi could find himself lost in a Sirenian female's seductive aura as she lured him to her. Sirenian females could somehow get past a male Jedi's defenses, and although the Jedi could eventually fight their way out of the situation, it was often a very taxing mental battle and some Jedi were either not able or chose not to resist. It was a mystery why Sirenian females could affect even usually stalwart Jedi this way, but this was the reason the Council no longer sent male Jedi to Sirenia, choosing instead to send only female Jedi when they were called upon. They were immune, although at times the Sirenian could cause a female to become flustered and a little confused. Male sirenians had no such ability, but was at the mercy of the females.
Obi-Wan stubbornly refused to be captived by her gaze and attentions, for which Siri was grateful, but even he at times was caught in her gaze for a moment. He would than blink rapidly, and back away.
Siri bristled at how bold this young Sirenian girl was.
She had about dropped the datapad she had been holding when Vyxn sidled up to Obi-Wan just a little while ago, batted her long dark eyelashes over her large green eyes and cooed,
"Master Kenobi, I would LOVE to see your lightsaber in action."
Siri had been steamed. "I'll bet you would, you..."
She had stopped her thought to watch Obi-Wan's reaction.
He glanced at Vyxn with one eyebrow raised, then looked back down at his datapad and responded calmly, "Well, perhaps later Anakin and I can spar together, then you can see how we use our lightsabers."
Siri loved him for that. The girl looked confused for a moment, then said, "Oh...all right." She quickly recovered and changed her tactic. She looked up at him and cooed, "Oh, you have suce lovely eyes, Master Kenobi, and such long eyelashes."
"You leave his lovely eyes alone!" Siri had fumed to herself.
Obi-Wan had just glanced again at Vyxn, his look one of barely held patience. He backed away from her and said, "Excuse me, Vyxn, I do have work to do. Perhaps Master Tachi can escort you to your quarters."
Siri had grinned, gritting her teeth as she spoke. "I would love to," she said icily. Obi-Wan's amused glance at her only served to steam her more. Vyxn glared at Siri, then smiled sweetly at Obi-Wan.
"Anything you say, Master Kenobi. Maybe later then." She had gazed at him longingly with her large green eyes, attempting to make him focus on her. Siri impatiently grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
"Come along, Vyxn. I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable in your quarters while we work," she growled through clenched teeth.
Vyxn had allowed herself to be pulled away, looking regretfully back at Obi-Wan as she went. Obi-Wan had just rolled his eyes and gone back to his datapad.
After Siri had deposited Vyxn into her quarters, she had turned and headed for the small on board med bay where Jedi Master Dunn was working. Obi-Wan would come along in a few minutes, she knew.
The five Jedi were returning from the mission to Alta 7, a small world in the mid rim. Jedi Master Dunn, who was just a little older than Obi-Wan, was tall and slender with a high forehead and long sleek nose. His hair was short and dark and his eyes dark and kind. He was a healer who also excelled in researching, diagnosing and finding antedotes for various forms of viruses in the galaxy. He had accompanied the four Jedi to help with a mysterious outbreak of a virus that was devastating one of the planets main villages. The Jedi team had worked tirelessly to help the ailing people and as Healer Dunn worked day and night to identify and find a cure, the others helped the village healers tend to the patients and bury the dead. A week after they had arrived, Healer Dunn had identified and isolated the offending virus and within a few more days had an antedote. The people began recovering and soon the village had been restored.
Now the three Jedi Masters were meeting to discuss Healer Dunn's discoveries about the mysterious virus that had affected the people.
Siri arrived at the med bay, her irritation having been spent on pounding the walls and grumbling along the way. She was calm now. While they waited for Obi-Wan to arrived, she idly wandered over to the large basket sitting on the side table and picked up one of the fruits given as a thank you gift to the Jedi upon their departure.
She looked at the shiny red surface warily, then making a decision, took a bite. Her eyes widened as she chewed the soft juicy fruit.
"Mmmm..this is good. What do they call these again?" she asked.
"Apples," Healer Dunn replied with a smile. Obi-Wan entered as he continued.
"The village chieftain told me they grow in abundance on their planet and are used for many different kinds of dishes. They even have quaint sayings about the apples," and he quoted a famous one to Obi-Wan and Siri, who smiled.
"He also said we can take the seeds out of the center and plant them in our gardens and in a few years we will have our own apple trees."
"Yum!" Siri said with relish. "These could replace Muja fruits as my favorite fruit."
"Oh, they're good all right, but I don't think they can replace Muja fruit," Obi-Wan said. Siri just smirked at him.
Healer Dunn smiled at them, then grew more serious as he said, "I've made a disturbing discovery about the virus that affected the village on Alta 7."
Immediately at attention, Obi-Wan and Siri listened to what Healer Dunn was saying.
"What made this outbreak so unusual is that this virus is not found on water based worlds like Alta 7. It is native to dry planets like Tatooine. The healers on Alta 7 could have identified and made a remedy for any natural virus on their planet; they have many times. But when none of their usual remedies worked, they called us in. This was a feral virus."
"Wait," Obi-Wan said, "are you saying this virus was brought to them by someone outside their world?"
"Well, yes. Whether by accident or deliberately I do not know, but I've recorded my findings on this datapad and will present it to the council for review. I'm sure they'll contact the senate who will send investigators to Alta 7."
Obi-Wan and Siri nodded. "Thats about all we can do, I guess," he said.
Siri asked, "I wonder if this has anything to do with what the Chieftain's daughter told me, that the corporation that runs the main business on the planet had interest in the land their village sits on. It's lush and green and would be perfect for the spas and resorts they want to build. The daughter told me her father had refused to sell, as this land has been their tribal heritage for thousands of years. She told me there were hints that an off world marketer may be working with the corporation."
"Very possible," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "We need to inform the Council about this."
"Yes, but if they don't ask for our help on this matter, there's little we will be able to do." Master Dunn said. "We were only there to help them with the plague caused by this virus."
"Yes, but when they learn that someone may have deliberately exposed them to this virus, they may ask for Republic help. "
"They might, yes," Master Dunn said. "Well, this datapad is staying with me till I put it in the hands of the Council." He slipped it into the inner pocket of his robe.
They chatted for a while longer before retiring to the galley for evening meal.
As they left the room, a young Sirenian woman hiding in the airvent that led to the med bay smiled to herself. She had learned at an early age to shield herself from prying senses, including Jedi, so they had been unaware of her eavesdropping.
TBC
