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Obi-Wan focused on calm as the ship plummeted through hyperspace towards Coruscant. He had to. The minute he let his focus go, his feelings started exploding. They were flying straight into the heart of the Empire's grip. Yoda had been contacted by someone in the Capital who was harbouring what was probably the last little group of Jedi younglings who hadn't been at the Temple the day Anakin visited to purge it. Obi-Wan hadn't allowed himself to think of the younglings at all since that day, especially not the ones he had known and taught on occasion. Thinking about that would probably destroy him. But now, hearing that there were five children, of varying ages, who had been on an excursion on the other side of the planet that day - it made his heart cry out. He needed to get there now. Yoda had said that in the confusion following the end of the Republic, the small group had escaped notice, and been fortunate enough to meet people who would help them. But every day they remained on that planet they were at risk of being discovered. That was why Yoda had assigned him and Cal to rescue them… His thoughts turned to Cal again and he focused on calm intensely.
What had happened last night? He couldn't figure out his feelings at all. He didn't know why she had kissed him – what interest would she have in a washed-up old man like him? He had been coming to the conclusion that she had merely done it to win their argument, and that it meant nothing more, when they had been waiting to board the ship and he saw her when she didn't know he was watching. She had been slumped on the steps outside the dock, her head in her hands, her expression as distraught as he was feeling. It hadn't meant nothing to her.
He knew they ought to talk it over, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't even know where to start. She had made it clear she wasn't willing to discuss anything, because the minute they entered hyperspace she had retired to the crew quarters and hadn't emerged since.
He watched the ETA countdown diligently. Two hours to go.
ooOO00I00OOoo
Cal emerged from the quarters just in time for their landing, and with few words exchanged, she and Obi-Wan struck out across Coruscant. The IDs supplied to them by the Kavarans had been top-notch, and though they left the immigration centre quickly, Cal was concerned at the amount of security they would have to pass back through in order to leave. She followed behind Obi-Wan until they reached the district they'd been directed to by Yoda's contact.
Obi-Wan slowed as they reached the corner of a busy shopping plaza, and no one paid them any attention as they turned to each other and pretended to be very engaged in conversation while they waited for a signal.
"We're early," Obi-Wan said. "They might not have arrived yet."
Cal still struggled to meet his eye. "Should we go somewhere else until it's time?"
"Let's wait here for a minute and see if anything-"
He was cut off as a short man clapped him on the shoulder, grinning broadly. "My friend! I didn't expect to see you here!"
Obi-Wan quickly altered his expression. "Hello, there! We just arrived."
"You must be starving – come to my place, we can have lunch."
Cal followed the two men through a maze of alleys and plazas. They crossed their own paths again at least twice, but eventually the man was obviously satisfied they'd diverted any potential followers, and led them into a building.
Once the door closed behind them, the man turned back to them. He had a friendly face, but he looked weary. "Thankyou for coming – my name is Yate. I won't ask yours - I understand the risk you've taken."
"You're welcome," Obi-Wan nodded.
"This way." Yate led them up a stairway for several levels to an apartment where they met his wife, a slight, pale woman called Rikata. They made polite introductions, her face grave the whole time.
"This is very risky. More squadrons arrived today."
Yate nodded. "Yes, but more risky would be letting them remain on the planet."
Obi-Wan smiled. "I appreciate the risk you've taken to help us. Would it be possible to meet the children now…?
Rikata's face finally broke into a small smile. "Yes, of course, you must be anxious to see them." She turned to call across the apartment, "Children? Could you come in here please?"
The door opened from the next room and five heads of varying heights filed in, and Cal smiled to see them, but was distracted when she glanced at Obi-Wan. She'd never seen that expression on his face before. The smallest child, a human boy, and the youngest of the group, looked over at the visitors, and his expression vivified. "Obi-Wan!" he exclaimed, and charged across the room on his little legs. Her Master sunk to his knees to meet the boy, and then all Cal could see of him was his messy brown hair sticking out of Obi-Wan's embrace.
The other children came over more warily. The oldest was a Togruta boy, perhaps nine years old, and he spoke to Calraen hesitantly. "Are – are you Jedi?"
"Yes," Cal smiled. "My name is Calraen and this is my Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. We've been sent by Master Yoda. He told us to bring you to the new Jedi Temple, where you'll be safe."
Another, a female Devaronian, looked up at her with wide eyes. "Will there be even more Jedi there?"
Cal's smile faded. "There are a few others, but not many."
Their hosts stepped in to introduce the children properly. Bola, the Togruta, was the oldest, and a dark-skinned human girl named Ishani was slightly younger than him. Lanora was the Devaronian, and a shy blue-skinned Nautolan girl called Jeth hid behind her. The youngest was the human boy, Tenndrin. Cal looked back to Obi-Wan, who was only just getting to his feet, quickly wiping his face on his sleeve. She saw this and took over the talking.
"We need to get them onto the ship," she said to their hosts. "Do you have any idea how to do it?"
"Yes, actually. Since you're both human, our plan should work perfectly." Yate passed her a holopad with a propaganda flyer displayed on it. "I don't know if you've heard of the Empire's movement – they don't take a kind view to non-human refugees on the planet. If we can disguise Ishani and Tenn, the customs officials won't ask any questions about two humans escorting refugee non-human children off-planet. The Empire has been contracting the job out a lot recently."
Cal nodded. "That sounds good. Is there any reason to delay? I think the sooner we leave, the better."
"I agree," he nodded. His wife turned to a cupboard to pull out some makeup and paint.
"Ishani, Tenn – let's make you into Kiffar."
All five children were distracted with the business of painting yellow lines onto the human's faces. Cal spoke to Obi-Wan in a low voice after he'd had a few minutes to compose himself.
"Do you think the plan will work?"
He nodded. "It sounds well-thought-out. If anything goes wrong, we will just have to improvise."
She hesitated, then asked, "Are you okay?"
He glanced at her, smiling reassuringly. "Yes. Tenn was…" he lowered his voice even further, "He was my favourite. I suppose I shouldn't have had a favourite."
Cal rolled her eyes. " I think it's probably acceptable," she teased lightly.
"I can't believe he survived. So many of them didn't, but just by chance he…" Obi-Wan had to pause to compose himself again, and Cal put a hand on his arm discreetly.
"Come on, Kenobi," she grinned lopsidedly. "Don't go to pieces just yet. We've got a mission to finish."
Less than an hour later, the children were saying a tearful goodbye to the couple who had looked after them for two months, and then Obi-Wan led the small group the rest of the way back to the spaceport. As they neared the big building, Jeth slipped her hand into Cal's. She squeezed it tightly.
Inside, they approached the first gate, and Cal let Obi-Wan do the talking. They were waved through quickly to the security check, and it was only here that she started to feel nervous.
"Obi-Wan," she said in a low voice as they walked. "There are more troopers here than when we arrived."
"I know."
They lined up at the scanner and Obi-Wan grabbed Bola's collar and roughly pushed him through first. The children's acting was flawless; they'd clearly learned a lot in the past few months. Lanora even broke out into convincing sobs, covering her face to disguise dry eyes. Everyone scanned through fine, but as Cal was swiping her I.D. card at the machine, she saw two troopers looking closely at Tenn's face, which was slightly damp with real tears; at six years old, he was the youngest there. As she looked over, one of them lifted a thumb to the boy's face. Cal turned to Obi-Wan, but he was already moving.
"Hey – this one's marking are fake." The guard was holding up his thumb where he'd wiped a yellow streak from Tenn's face. Obi-Wan grabbed Tenndrin away and made for the final gate out to the landing platforms, but the alarm had been sounded, and the small group drew to a halt and troopers streamed in from outside. Troopers with red and black armour, and a stylised number 66 on their shoulders.
"Obi-Wan, they're Jedi killers. This squad was on Nar Shaddaa – they're trained to kill Jedi."
Her Master put the boy down and drew his lightsaber. Cal stood on the other side of the group of children, but knew it would be impossible to defend them all, as the troopers quickly surrounded them, raising their rifles.
"Take aim!" the squadron leader shouted, and Jeth gasped and turned to the oldest of the group. "Bola!" she gasped, inexplicably, as Obi-Wan and Cal's lightsabers struck to life.
"Open fire!"