Ziptango--Yep, she's his cousin. I figured he had enough siblings and unknown children to last him quite a few lifetimes. ^_~
Cerasi5--Thanks! Yeah, you've really gotta wonder: where did I get the character Marie Kenobi from? :-p This is my only self-insert though, so I should feel pretty proud of myself. And don't worry, she doesn't hog all of the attention. Qui, Obi, and Garen will continue to be the main focus.
ChocoCid--Thank you....I think....^_^ Glad to see you seem to be enjoying it fairly well so far.
This chapter's a little bit of a set-up, but it's action packed from here on out. Hope you enjoy, and please remember to review! ^_^
--Marie K.
See Chapter One for disclaimer
___________________________________________________________
Chapter 12
"Hello again Garen, Marie…Padawan."
Obi-Wan felt dizzy with relief at the sight of his master healthy, happy, and looking very Jedi-like again. Not to mention, for the first time in over five, long months, he could feel Qui-Gon's presence. It was like a breath of crisp, fresh air that filled his very soul. Qui-Gon gathered the Force around him and sent it to his Padawan in a cresting wave. It was filled with loyalty, affection, and happiness. Obi-Wan sent it back ten-fold as he took his rightful place beside his master, deciding to save any more intimate reactions for later when they had a chance to talk alone.
Marie sighed happily and leaned against Garen's shoulder. "Aww, look, it's a Kadok moment! Where's my camera when I need it?"
Qui-Gon gave the young woman one of his rare smiles, a twinkle lighting his eyes, and asked, "What's your plan?"
Pushing off Garen, Marie replaced her traditional Jedi cloak with a nondescript gray cape from her bag. Pulling on two gloves, she shrugged easily. "I made friends one day with the son of a politician who seems to be backing Antiyo. If I can get onto the property, I think I can locate his quarters and ask for help off planet."
"You *think*?" Obi-Wan asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yeah…"
"We're doomed," Garen muttered, none too quietly.
Marie's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, really? Well if that's the way you feel about it, you can stay here and I'll go by myself."
"Well, if you weren't so sure of yourself-" Obi-Wan began, but Qui-Gon cut him off.
"Enough you two. We should at least give her plan a try."
Obi-Wan contemplated responding with Master Yoda's infamous mantra of "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." But Qui-Gon raised one eyebrow at Garen and him, daring them to object. Obi-Wan clamped his mouth shut.
The Jedi Master directed his attention back to Marie and asked slowly, "Are you sure you can do this?"
"Sure!" she responded quickly.
Too quickly, Qui-Gon thought.
Marie nodded and grinned enthusiastically. "Easy as plucking the hair off a Wookie. Now come on, we can get to the drainage grate near his house by going this way."
Garen and Obi-Wan exchanged a quick glance. Obi-Wan mouthed something quietly. *"Easy as plucking the hair off a Wookie, eh? We'll see."*
Garen laughed.
[|||||||||||||o]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obi-Wan cast a dubious look around the tunnel at the slime-slicked walls and murky brown water. He'd finally lost any remaining sense of direction that he had been able to keep since coming down here about three forks and two turns ago. "Hey Marie," he said, running towards her at the front of the group, "how do you know your way around the sewers so well? Did you study the maps and come down here in your spare time or something?"
Garen coughed to hide his laugh at the assuming way Obi-Wan had said it. Who else would spend their free time in the sewers except Marie Kenobi?
Qui-Gon turned to hide his grin.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I did come down here during my spare time. Because you see, Obi-Wan, a Jedi must know not only how to enter undetected, but also how to move or escape undetected."
Amazed at how much his cousin had matured during the long duration she had been here, Obi-Wan kept his mouth shut until they came to a stop under a sewer cap. Marie pulled a liquid cable launcher from one of her pouches and waited as it firmly attached itself to the tunnel ceiling near the sewer cap. She tugged on it forcefully with both hands to test its stability and began to climb. Halfway to the top, she stopped and looked down at the group below with a look on her face that suggested she had just thought of something.
"Master Jinn?"
"Yes, Little One?"
"I apologize for my earlier deceit, but it was imperative that no one know my real identity."
"Of course."
A sly grin formed on the young Jedi's face. "You managed to see through my entire act, though. I should know by now that I can't get anything past you. And you, Garen, came very close as well. I'll have to be more careful next time."
With that said, Marie climbed the rest of the way up and by wrapping her legs securely around the rope, she was able to free her hands and push the cap aside. As she latched onto the side of the gap with her hands and swung her legs up and out, Obi-Wan felt a brief pang in his chest. Cerasi had done similar acrobatics to get out of the sewers undetected on Melida/Daan. While she had been alive that was.
Marie's straight, brown hair plummeted around her face as she looked back into the tunnel and flashed a grin. "Be back in just a second boys," she crooned, then pulled her hood up and disappeared from sight again.
Obi-Wan traded a glance with Garen and raised his eyebrows. He'd be a Hutt's uncle if his cousin's plan worked.
[|||||||||||||o]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
On the surface, Marie crept silently to a window on the side of the large house her 'friend' resided in. A well-aimed pebble thrown at the thick glass drew an immediate response.
"Who's there?" a boy of 18 years demanded, poking his head out.
"Psst! Down here, Xephelon!"
Xephelon Terrant squinted his eyes. Suddenly, they widened. "Ceal! What in all of Choet are you doing here, creeping around like that? And why are you wearing those god-awful civilian clothes?"
Marie looked down at her earth-colored tunic and pants; black, knee-high boots; utility belt; gray cape; and black gloves. Her suspicions had been confirmed. She was now firmly certain that Xephelon was a very stuck-up, rich brat.
"Uh, nothing, Xephelon. I was just strolling past and thought I'd pay a visit."
"Really?" he asked. "Why don't you come in for a while. Father wanted to speak with you."
"I really don't have time…"
Marie began to back away from the window, pulling her hood down lower as she did so. Something didn't feel right here; something seemed very wrong. Xephelon always spoke to her with the title Miss.Verune.
Xephelon held up a finger. "Well then, wait a moment. There's something I want to give you even if you won't come in." He disappeared into the shelter of his dark room for a moment.
*Oh yes, something was definitely very wrong here.*
When the young man emerged again, he held a blaster in his hands. "Ceal, wait! Come look at this!"
"Sorry, Xeph! No time!" Marie shouted over her shoulder. She may be young and still fairly inexperienced, but she wasn't stupid. By the time he emerged from his room, Marie was already half way back to the sewer cap and still retreating quickly in the direction she had come from. Only meters away from what was her safe haven, Xephelon's blaster and dozens of others operated by hidden guards opened fire. Diving blindly through the hole from which she'd emerged, Marie was caught by the strong, waiting arms of Qui-Gon Jinn and gently set back on her feet. White faced and panting for breath, she leaned against the sewer wall and glared at the venerable Jedi Master whom smiled innocently back at her.
"You knew this would happen, didn't you!" she exclaimed.
Qui-Gon arched one eyebrow, ignoring her lack of respect for the moment. "On the contrary," he replied, "I merely had a hunch something along these lines might happen and thought it best to let you have the learning experience."
Marie huffed and inspected the rough gray cape that embraced her shoulders. Three holes the size of a womprat's eye dotted the edge and hem.
Obi-Wan retrieved her liquid cable launcher and pulled the sewer cap back into place, then turned to stare at his cousin. Slowly, no matter how hard he tried, he could not keep the grin from forming on his face. A mischievous glint lit up those blue-green eyes. "Easy as plucking the hair-"
"Oh, shut up!"
Garen and Obi-Wan traded deeply amused looks, trying to cover up their laughter with their hands. When the quartet started to travel through the tunnels again, Obi-Wan sobered and unconsciously moved closer to his cousin, unable to forget that she was just as capable as taking care of herself as he was.
[|||||||||||||o]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Later that day, huddled in a group to fight off the chill of night that lingered in the sewers, Marie looked up from where she'd been polishing her weapon and fixed Qui-Gon with an intense glare. "I could try again-"
The Jedi Master nearly choked on the granola bar he was busily chewing on and forcefully shook his head. "Your dedication is admirable, but a solution will present itself, I'm sure. I hope…"
Marie shot Obi-Wan a look that could kill as she sensed his dry sense of humor bubbling in his chest. "Don't say a word."
He flashed her that irresistible grin of his. *{Do I really have to?}*
Growling menacingly, Marie detached herself from the group. Hurrying to a corner of the petite room they shared, she looked up to the ceiling. A large crack in the roof allowed a tiny ray of moonlight to drift lazily down into the chamber. She crossed her arms defiantly and refused to make eye contact as Obi-Wan sauntered over and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. Finally, he noticed the unmistakable gleam in her eyes. The wheels in her head were spinning rapidly as another plan formed, no doubt. Suddenly she shook herself and looked up at him.
"Did you know," she began, fondly tracing the prominent line of his chin, "that Yuko is Force-sensitive? Very, in fact."
Obi-Wan didn't bother to hide his surprise with the one that shared his blood and name.
"Is that why-"
"It is. I knew I couldn't buy only Mr.Mutun and leave Yuko when there might be something I could do for him."
"Yuko's too old, though, Marie. You know that-and not only is he a citizen of Choet, which, may I so strongly remind you is *not* a member of the Republic, but freeing slaves is also not part of our mission."
"So it's *'our'* mission now, huh?"
He smiled, but sobered when she turned distractedly back to the split in the ceiling.
"I just have this awful feeling that if I don't help them, something terrible will happen."
Blue-green eyes, almost identical to his own, stared back at Obi-Wan. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Marie was gifted with understanding both the Living and Unifying Force, and although her ability to control either wasn't very strong, she, like her cousin, was better able to read from the Unifying Force.
Marie unexpectedly titled her head to the side and looked at Obi-Wan through the corner of her eye. The tiniest hint of a smug grin formed on her lips. "I have an idea," she murmured, barely able to conceal her excitement.
Obi-Wan somehow resisted the urge to violently bang his head against a wall.
Cerasi5--Thanks! Yeah, you've really gotta wonder: where did I get the character Marie Kenobi from? :-p This is my only self-insert though, so I should feel pretty proud of myself. And don't worry, she doesn't hog all of the attention. Qui, Obi, and Garen will continue to be the main focus.
ChocoCid--Thank you....I think....^_^ Glad to see you seem to be enjoying it fairly well so far.
This chapter's a little bit of a set-up, but it's action packed from here on out. Hope you enjoy, and please remember to review! ^_^
--Marie K.
See Chapter One for disclaimer
___________________________________________________________
Chapter 12
"Hello again Garen, Marie…Padawan."
Obi-Wan felt dizzy with relief at the sight of his master healthy, happy, and looking very Jedi-like again. Not to mention, for the first time in over five, long months, he could feel Qui-Gon's presence. It was like a breath of crisp, fresh air that filled his very soul. Qui-Gon gathered the Force around him and sent it to his Padawan in a cresting wave. It was filled with loyalty, affection, and happiness. Obi-Wan sent it back ten-fold as he took his rightful place beside his master, deciding to save any more intimate reactions for later when they had a chance to talk alone.
Marie sighed happily and leaned against Garen's shoulder. "Aww, look, it's a Kadok moment! Where's my camera when I need it?"
Qui-Gon gave the young woman one of his rare smiles, a twinkle lighting his eyes, and asked, "What's your plan?"
Pushing off Garen, Marie replaced her traditional Jedi cloak with a nondescript gray cape from her bag. Pulling on two gloves, she shrugged easily. "I made friends one day with the son of a politician who seems to be backing Antiyo. If I can get onto the property, I think I can locate his quarters and ask for help off planet."
"You *think*?" Obi-Wan asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yeah…"
"We're doomed," Garen muttered, none too quietly.
Marie's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, really? Well if that's the way you feel about it, you can stay here and I'll go by myself."
"Well, if you weren't so sure of yourself-" Obi-Wan began, but Qui-Gon cut him off.
"Enough you two. We should at least give her plan a try."
Obi-Wan contemplated responding with Master Yoda's infamous mantra of "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." But Qui-Gon raised one eyebrow at Garen and him, daring them to object. Obi-Wan clamped his mouth shut.
The Jedi Master directed his attention back to Marie and asked slowly, "Are you sure you can do this?"
"Sure!" she responded quickly.
Too quickly, Qui-Gon thought.
Marie nodded and grinned enthusiastically. "Easy as plucking the hair off a Wookie. Now come on, we can get to the drainage grate near his house by going this way."
Garen and Obi-Wan exchanged a quick glance. Obi-Wan mouthed something quietly. *"Easy as plucking the hair off a Wookie, eh? We'll see."*
Garen laughed.
[|||||||||||||o]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obi-Wan cast a dubious look around the tunnel at the slime-slicked walls and murky brown water. He'd finally lost any remaining sense of direction that he had been able to keep since coming down here about three forks and two turns ago. "Hey Marie," he said, running towards her at the front of the group, "how do you know your way around the sewers so well? Did you study the maps and come down here in your spare time or something?"
Garen coughed to hide his laugh at the assuming way Obi-Wan had said it. Who else would spend their free time in the sewers except Marie Kenobi?
Qui-Gon turned to hide his grin.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I did come down here during my spare time. Because you see, Obi-Wan, a Jedi must know not only how to enter undetected, but also how to move or escape undetected."
Amazed at how much his cousin had matured during the long duration she had been here, Obi-Wan kept his mouth shut until they came to a stop under a sewer cap. Marie pulled a liquid cable launcher from one of her pouches and waited as it firmly attached itself to the tunnel ceiling near the sewer cap. She tugged on it forcefully with both hands to test its stability and began to climb. Halfway to the top, she stopped and looked down at the group below with a look on her face that suggested she had just thought of something.
"Master Jinn?"
"Yes, Little One?"
"I apologize for my earlier deceit, but it was imperative that no one know my real identity."
"Of course."
A sly grin formed on the young Jedi's face. "You managed to see through my entire act, though. I should know by now that I can't get anything past you. And you, Garen, came very close as well. I'll have to be more careful next time."
With that said, Marie climbed the rest of the way up and by wrapping her legs securely around the rope, she was able to free her hands and push the cap aside. As she latched onto the side of the gap with her hands and swung her legs up and out, Obi-Wan felt a brief pang in his chest. Cerasi had done similar acrobatics to get out of the sewers undetected on Melida/Daan. While she had been alive that was.
Marie's straight, brown hair plummeted around her face as she looked back into the tunnel and flashed a grin. "Be back in just a second boys," she crooned, then pulled her hood up and disappeared from sight again.
Obi-Wan traded a glance with Garen and raised his eyebrows. He'd be a Hutt's uncle if his cousin's plan worked.
[|||||||||||||o]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
On the surface, Marie crept silently to a window on the side of the large house her 'friend' resided in. A well-aimed pebble thrown at the thick glass drew an immediate response.
"Who's there?" a boy of 18 years demanded, poking his head out.
"Psst! Down here, Xephelon!"
Xephelon Terrant squinted his eyes. Suddenly, they widened. "Ceal! What in all of Choet are you doing here, creeping around like that? And why are you wearing those god-awful civilian clothes?"
Marie looked down at her earth-colored tunic and pants; black, knee-high boots; utility belt; gray cape; and black gloves. Her suspicions had been confirmed. She was now firmly certain that Xephelon was a very stuck-up, rich brat.
"Uh, nothing, Xephelon. I was just strolling past and thought I'd pay a visit."
"Really?" he asked. "Why don't you come in for a while. Father wanted to speak with you."
"I really don't have time…"
Marie began to back away from the window, pulling her hood down lower as she did so. Something didn't feel right here; something seemed very wrong. Xephelon always spoke to her with the title Miss.Verune.
Xephelon held up a finger. "Well then, wait a moment. There's something I want to give you even if you won't come in." He disappeared into the shelter of his dark room for a moment.
*Oh yes, something was definitely very wrong here.*
When the young man emerged again, he held a blaster in his hands. "Ceal, wait! Come look at this!"
"Sorry, Xeph! No time!" Marie shouted over her shoulder. She may be young and still fairly inexperienced, but she wasn't stupid. By the time he emerged from his room, Marie was already half way back to the sewer cap and still retreating quickly in the direction she had come from. Only meters away from what was her safe haven, Xephelon's blaster and dozens of others operated by hidden guards opened fire. Diving blindly through the hole from which she'd emerged, Marie was caught by the strong, waiting arms of Qui-Gon Jinn and gently set back on her feet. White faced and panting for breath, she leaned against the sewer wall and glared at the venerable Jedi Master whom smiled innocently back at her.
"You knew this would happen, didn't you!" she exclaimed.
Qui-Gon arched one eyebrow, ignoring her lack of respect for the moment. "On the contrary," he replied, "I merely had a hunch something along these lines might happen and thought it best to let you have the learning experience."
Marie huffed and inspected the rough gray cape that embraced her shoulders. Three holes the size of a womprat's eye dotted the edge and hem.
Obi-Wan retrieved her liquid cable launcher and pulled the sewer cap back into place, then turned to stare at his cousin. Slowly, no matter how hard he tried, he could not keep the grin from forming on his face. A mischievous glint lit up those blue-green eyes. "Easy as plucking the hair-"
"Oh, shut up!"
Garen and Obi-Wan traded deeply amused looks, trying to cover up their laughter with their hands. When the quartet started to travel through the tunnels again, Obi-Wan sobered and unconsciously moved closer to his cousin, unable to forget that she was just as capable as taking care of herself as he was.
[|||||||||||||o]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Later that day, huddled in a group to fight off the chill of night that lingered in the sewers, Marie looked up from where she'd been polishing her weapon and fixed Qui-Gon with an intense glare. "I could try again-"
The Jedi Master nearly choked on the granola bar he was busily chewing on and forcefully shook his head. "Your dedication is admirable, but a solution will present itself, I'm sure. I hope…"
Marie shot Obi-Wan a look that could kill as she sensed his dry sense of humor bubbling in his chest. "Don't say a word."
He flashed her that irresistible grin of his. *{Do I really have to?}*
Growling menacingly, Marie detached herself from the group. Hurrying to a corner of the petite room they shared, she looked up to the ceiling. A large crack in the roof allowed a tiny ray of moonlight to drift lazily down into the chamber. She crossed her arms defiantly and refused to make eye contact as Obi-Wan sauntered over and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. Finally, he noticed the unmistakable gleam in her eyes. The wheels in her head were spinning rapidly as another plan formed, no doubt. Suddenly she shook herself and looked up at him.
"Did you know," she began, fondly tracing the prominent line of his chin, "that Yuko is Force-sensitive? Very, in fact."
Obi-Wan didn't bother to hide his surprise with the one that shared his blood and name.
"Is that why-"
"It is. I knew I couldn't buy only Mr.Mutun and leave Yuko when there might be something I could do for him."
"Yuko's too old, though, Marie. You know that-and not only is he a citizen of Choet, which, may I so strongly remind you is *not* a member of the Republic, but freeing slaves is also not part of our mission."
"So it's *'our'* mission now, huh?"
He smiled, but sobered when she turned distractedly back to the split in the ceiling.
"I just have this awful feeling that if I don't help them, something terrible will happen."
Blue-green eyes, almost identical to his own, stared back at Obi-Wan. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Marie was gifted with understanding both the Living and Unifying Force, and although her ability to control either wasn't very strong, she, like her cousin, was better able to read from the Unifying Force.
Marie unexpectedly titled her head to the side and looked at Obi-Wan through the corner of her eye. The tiniest hint of a smug grin formed on her lips. "I have an idea," she murmured, barely able to conceal her excitement.
Obi-Wan somehow resisted the urge to violently bang his head against a wall.
