OPTIONS
by ardavenport
- - - Part 1
Mayb Oeschus Arimba took her seat at the table. She looked carefully at this new suitor who sat across from her in the plain, white interview room. She lazily leaned forward over the table between them. He did not react. She sat back, all business again.
"So, you wish to purchase on option on a marriage contract?"
"Yes," he answered. He had a pleasant voice and a mild expression. He was also a bit older than Mayb would have preferred, but not completely out of her range.
"And. . . .you're a Jedi Knight?"
"Yes. A Jedi Master actually."
Mayb blinked. "Is that better than a Jedi Knight?"
"Not precisely better. But in terms of experience and rank, I suppose you could say that."
Mayb wondered what experience had anything to do with being better. From the looks of this suitor, 'experience' only meant 'older'. She openly looked him over. Annoyingly, he did not seem to mind. Mayb expected people to be a little nervous when she eyed at them critically.
He had pale, tan skin and long brown hair, fading in places. He had facial hair, on his chin and under his nose, that looked scratchy. Obviously, he just let it grow there on its own with no modifications. He was incredibly plainly dressed. Tall, dark brown work boots, worn brown pants, dusty-white shirt and long scarves over his shoulders and tied around his waist. The belt and pouches over that did not match his boots. On top of all that was a coarse brown, hooded robe that now hung off the back of the chair he sat in.
She supposed this his clothes were 'comfortable', but fashion had nothing to do with that outfit. Nor was the way his hair was tied back in a simple tail on the back of his head. Sadly, one reason why people sought marriage contracts was because they were incapable of attracting a suitable partner on their own. He had the look of a socially inept scholar, but Mayb did not allow any trace of disdain to show.
He was older, much older than she was; late middle years for a Human. At least he looked Human like she was. Mayb glanced down at the application summary on the little screen of the data link before her.
Name: Qui-Gon Jinn
Species: Human
Profession: Jedi. . . .
While there was the usual descriptive information along with a general declaration of good health, there were quite of lot of things missing. Most notably, 'none' was listed for property owned and there was no income listed other than a 'fixed stipend', whatever that meant.
How can this man afford a wife?
At the bottom of the application was a cleared and approved credit deposit, in full, for the option to negotiate a marriage contract with her. An addendum included the proposed marriage contract itself, should she accept. She looked back up at him, and his simple and extremely plain clothes. Though he was bearded, with long, un-styled hair, it was at least tidy. She would have ended the interview immediately if he had unkempt hair.
He has to get his money from somewhere. And Jedi are supposed to be honest, so it can't be anything too shady.
She absolutely discounted the idea that he owned no property at all. It was simply impossible for anyone to own nothing unless they were some kind of drooling fanatic, and Qui-Gon Jinn was obviously not that. He must have misunderstood the question, probably thinking it only referred to a certain type of property like planetary land or a business. But this implied that whatever holdings he had were poorly managed if he had trouble listing them on a simple application. Mayb supposed that she would take over those duties in a marriage. That was common, for one partner to fill in the deficiencies of the other, and this man appeared to have plenty of those.
Mayb knew very little about Jedi. They showed up on the holo-news sometimes and they were a footnote in a Republic civics class that she had taken years ago. They were trained as fighters, or negotiators, or peacekeepers, or other things that Senates and politicians liked.
They obviously had no training in fashion or real diplomacy, judging from the coarse clothes that hung off of Qui-Gon Jinn's broad shoulders. While he appeared to be neat and properly washed, his clothes were clearly what he wore every day. He had obviously done nothing at all to make himself more attractive for her. He had a pretty poor presentation for someone shopping for a marriage.
She sighed and began, starting with the simplest question that might discourage him.
"I have to be blunt about this at the beginning, but aren't all Jedi eunuchs?"
His eyes widened. It was so easy to catch men by surprise by questioning their manhood, she thought. This man was apparently just as insecure about his manliness as the next one. Mayb was mostly sure that this particular rumor about Jedi was not true, but it had been handy for getting the upper hand with him.
"No. They are not. I assure you, I am quite intact," he stated. He did not look too upset, she noted, but his response was emphatic. She could demand his medical records later, anyway.
"I see. Well, then, I know this is going to sound like an extremely trivial question, but it really is very important. Really. Why do you want a wife?" she asked, looking directly at his face. It was a challenge. She had no intention of sharing a marriage with anyone who did not know exactly what they wanted.
"I have seen your profile, and I wished to make inquiries about your status. For example, your position at this school."
Frowning, Mayb drew back.
"There is nothing wrong whatsoever with my position at this school -"
"I did not mean to imply -" he interrupted, gaining more of her displeasure by doing so.
"I certainly think not." She cut him off, putting him in his place again. "Dean Hawxol himself has sees how valuable this option for a potential contract is. I am not some desperate case who cannot find a position for herself and has to have a open marriage hoping some somebody will save her from failure. I have had offers. But I admit, none that I found suitable. So far."
"That is unfortunate," he said. "Perhaps Dean Hawxol has not adequately represented your interests."
Mayb scowled, wondering what he had against her mentor. "Dean Hawxol has represented me to the best of his considerable abilities. You only have to look at how well he represents himself to know that." Again she eyed him, but he was too dim to notice the implied insult. Well, she thought, she had not really expected this to work out anyway. "But we've gotten off topic. Why do you want a wife?"
"Ah," he nodded to himself. "After looking at your profile, I felt that we had much in common." He lifted his hand. "And that we should explore the option for your contract. Regardless of the outcome, you will find this beneficial."
She stared back at him. He had wonderful eyes. They were a deep, dark blue. Very beautiful. Like his voice. Deep and resonant and clearly educated. And he had come to her, in person, to present himself. Even this inept presentation was better than an impersonal inquiry sent through a lawyer, as if her contract could be simply bought off planet like a luxury droid.
Mayb caught herself staring and lowered her eyes, determined not to give him the advantage of knowing that she. . . . might want him. She sat back. He was big and broad in the chest, and she liked that. Keeping her features neutral, she thought about curling up in his lap.
I must try this.
She looked directly at him.
"I accept, Qui-Gon Jinn." She extended her hand to him over the table between them. He accepted it and her much smaller hand all but disappeared between his large, strong ones. She looked into his eyes again and completely forgot to mind her expression.
=== oO%*%Oo ==%%%== oO%*%Oo ===
Obi-Wan Kenobi leapt to his feet as soon the door to the interview chamber opened. He felt positive horror when he saw the besotted look on the poor girl's face. She was clinging to his Master's arm as she gazed up at him. Even more horrifying was Qui-Gon's apparent benign amusement.
Dean Hawxol hastily stood as well. He came from around his polished desk.
"Mayb Oeschus, my dear, you have. . . .made a decision?" His voice quavered, clearly not wanting to hear what was obvious.
"Oh, yes," Mayb breathed, settling herself more comfortably on Qui-Gon's arm, her golden curls cascading down on Qui-Gon's robe. Disheartened, Obi-Wan remained silent.
"I believe we have an agreement," the Jedi Master announced. "After Mayb signs the contract, we shall be on our way."
"After I got my things," the young woman finished. Obi-Wan noticed the brief look of surprise on Qui-Gon's face as his new fiancé slipped off of his arm. She smoothly floated to the Dean's desk and with a flourish tapped in a personal code and leaned over for the ID scan for the embedded reader on the desk.
Not one golden curl on her head was out of place. She was about Obi-Wan's age, early twenties, with long, thick golden hair and darker, flawless golden skin. Her sleeveless teal tunic flowed down over her curvy body while her white pants clung tightly over her long legs. The gold jewelry decorating her neck, wrists and waist matched her hair which she tossed back as she posed and bestowed a stunning smile to Qui-Gon. Her blue-green eyes looked a little dilated. Her teeth were bright white even squares, perfect for a Humanoid. She changed to a new pose, leaning against the desk and adjusting the drape of her tunic over her shapely bust. Obi-Wan's heart cringed, torn between pure embarrassment and outrage over what his Master was doing.
"Perhaps you should get your things now," Qui-Gon prompted. She started and then agreed, hurrying past them to the outer office. As she brushed past Qui-Gon, she suddenly grabbed him.
"Qui-Gon Jinn," she said as she reached up and pulled his head down to kiss him.
Obi-Wan now sensed his Master's surprise through the Force. He allowed it, but he did not return her kiss. She did not seem to notice as she released him, whirled about and was gone.
Qui-Gon did not meet Obi-wan's intense glare as he finally turned back to the schoolmaster. Dean Hawxol looked unwell. He was as smartly dressed as Mayb, with styled lacquered hair and a dark, dusty orange tailored suit with a fine trim of tiny, glittering beads. But his rich brown complexion had visibly paled. Obi-Wan sensed real fear in him, and this momentarily distracted him from his Master's apparent temporary insanity. Hawxol was not afraid of Qui-Gon, but he feared for his life. He desperately wanted to stop Qui-Gon from taking Mayb Oeschus Arimba with him, but he was too intimidated to do anything about it.
Obi-Wan curiously looked toward Qui-Gon, who clearly sensed Hawxol's fear as well. The older Jedi calmly stared down the school master as he announced that they would wait outside in the garden until Mayb was ready to leave.
Obi-Wan did not speak until they were well away from the building, amidst the flowering, sculpted bushes of the academy grounds.
"Qui-Gon -" Obi-Wan began. Qui-Gon held up a restraining hand and his apprentice fell silent.
"I realize that my actions were irregular -"
"Irregular?!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "You optioned for a marriage contract with her! Legally, she's your fiancé for the next twenty-four days!" He stepped forward, blocking Qui-Gon's way. They stood alone together between tall, well-tended hedges. Qui-Gon frowned down at him.
"I understand your concern -"
"It's not concern. This is completely unorthodox, aside from violating the Code, you influenced her into doing this. Did you think I couldn't sense it?"
Qui-Gon glared down at him, his dark blue eyes had gone cold. Obi-Wan fell silent, but he did not back down.
"I am not attempting to conceal anything from you, Padawan." His tone conveyed his displeasure. "If you will pause long enough in this display of yours to listen, I will be happy to explain my actions to you."
This time Obi-Wan did lower his eyes. He knew he had made a terrible accusation that was not true. Qui-Gon had concealed nothing.
"When we found Yinis and Binokas' records on Ipasso Station they contained the profiles of several of this Academy's students, Including Mayb Oeshus Arimba. Her name, however, was the only one that was flagged with another name." Obi-Wan nodded. It had been 'Edoma', and they had only presumed that it was a name. It could have just as easily been a place, a moon, or even a song or flavor. "When we inquired about their students here, Dean Hawxol specifically mentioned that Mayb had failed all her trial apprenticeships. He was quite disparaging of her intelligence."
Obi-Wan well remembered that moment, for immediately after that was when Qui-Gon had suggested purchasing the available option on the girl's marriage contract himself, one future career still available to her through the Academy.
"Hawxol's assessment did not match Yinis and Binoka's records, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan frowned. When they had found the records of the two slain slave liberators, PohPoh Yinis and Al Binoka, there had been so much material that they had split it up between them. Obi-Wan had concentrated on the places where Yinis and Binoka had been; Qui-Gon had focused on the places where they thought they were going to. When they had compared notes, the trail and their intuition had led them to make inquiries at the Academy. Three people who had been trained there had later been freed by the two dead crusaders.
"What could that mean?" Obi-Wan asked, frowning.
"I believe that Mayb was in imminent danger of being sold into slavery, most likely through a falsified option, or the marriage contract itself, to the buyer. And that Dean Hawxol is involved."
"But if she is in danger, we should contact the authorities, have her put in protective custody," Obi-Wan told him.
"Hawxol could easily have had her removed, long before we could return with the authorities. He was quite uneasy when we expressed any interest in the girl. And she expressed total trust in him during our interview; she would not have accepted that he would deceive her."
Obi-Wan had to admit that this was true. Hawxol's near terror at the prospect of them taking Mayb away with them certainly hinted at something. But he could have simply been alarmed and repulsed at seeing a Jedi speculating for a marriage.
"I agree, Master, that Hawxol's behavior was suspicious, but that and a few inaccuracies in the girl's records is hardly proof."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "According to Yinis and Binoka, five of Mayb's potential employers inquired after her and were told that she had accepted another position. That cannot be explained as a simple error in record-keeping. It was done deliberately, to keep her heard so that she would be available for the contract."
Reluctantly, Obi-Wan had to agree. This felt right and matched Hawxol's behavior. But Qui-Gon's actions still did not match their situation.
"Master should you be countering Hawxol's deception with your own? The girl thinks you want to marry her."
Qui-Gon's dark blue eyes coolly stared down at him.
"It was a necessary deception. It was the fastest and surest means of separating her from Hawxol and imminent danger." Obi-Wan detected no sympathy in his Master's explanation. "And we will continue with it until her safety is assured."
"It can't be necessary to manipulate her this way," Obi-Wan insisted.
"I would hardly call it manipulation."
"She's in love with you!"
Qui-Gon looked a little surprised by this. "I am strong in the Force, Obi-Wan, but I assure you, I am not that strong. It is merely an infatuation."
"Whatever you call it, you over did it."
"I merely suggested to her that she might find this excursion beneficial. The infatuation was entirely her own idea, I assure you."
"You can't let it continue, Qui-Gon! We at least have to tell her that she might be in danger!"
Qui-Gon's patience seemed to run out all at once, his expression turning severe. Obi-Wan instantly regretted raising his voice.
"We will continue with this as long as necessary, Padawan. Furthermore, you will not say anything about this or our mission to Mayb unless I am present. Is that clear?"
Obi-Wan glared back for only a moment before lowering his eyes and looking to the side.
"Yes, Master," he acknowledged quietly.
Qui-Gon remained standing over him before finally speaking. "Very well. We shall return to the main office and we will be taking Mayb with us." Qui-Gon's shadow left him and the edge of his robe brushed past Obi-Wan's legs as he left. Obi-Wan turned and looked after his Master, charging back between the hedges toward the school buildings. Then he followed Qui-Gon.
- - - End Part 1