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Morning brought a refreshed outlook to Obi-Wan. He had finally gotten to sleep and rose before sunrise, as usual, to meditate. During this much more focused session, an idea dawned on the Jedi that would hopefully solve the mystery of the missing children. He couldn't wait to share it with Sari even though he was unsure of how she would react.
Sari's alarm went off and jolted her out of a sound slumber. She sleepily sat up trying to remember what she had been dreaming because she knew for sure that she had dreamed all night long. As was her habit, she stumbled to her closet to find something to wear to school and quickly got dressed. Then she shuffled to the refresher to finish getting ready. The memory of the night before had not yet emerged until she suddenly heard someone moving around in her kitchen. She froze in place and her heart dropped. She had forgotten Obi-Wan was still there.
"Oh, no," she groaned before opening the door. With great trepidation she made her way to the front of the apartment. The smell of breakfast cooking perked her senses as did the sight of a wide awake, smiling Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Good morning!" he announced with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I was beginning to wonder about you. I hope you don't mind, but I've made breakfast. It's not very often that I get to have real fresh food."
With a bewildered look on her face, Sari entered the kitchen and had a seat at the table. The Jedi sat a plate of something delicious in front of her, and she hesitantly began to eat.
"This is pretty good," she admitted continuing to eat. "I didn't realize how hungry I was."
"I'm glad you like it," Obi-Wan said. "Sari?" She looked up from her meal to meet his deep soulful eyes across the table from her. "I want to thank you for all you've done for me while I've been here. You've been so kind to tend to my injury and allow me to stay here. I hope I've not been too much of an inconvenience to you."
Sari had to snap herself out of it. It was a mixture of his smooth sexy voice, mesmerizing eyes, and quiet sensuality that kept drawing her right back under his spell. She was sure it had to be his manipulation of the power he called the Force that was causing her to feel this way. Jaik's words about other women crept back once again. Looking at the man sitting there, she was sure he had to have women all over the galaxy longing for his return. How could he not?
"It's been no trouble at all," she blurted out. "Well, except for last night..." she quickly added. Obi-Wan suddenly looked away, a slight blush showing on his cheeks.
"Oh, right. Sorry about that. I was too... bold, and I apologize."
"You apologize for rescuing me?" she asked. Realization slowly dawned on Obi-Wan. She was talking about the incident in the mountains--- not the one on her couch.
"Oh!--- of course not. I was... I was referring to.... to something else." Now he really felt like a fool. Suddenly, Sari jumped up from her chair.
"What time is it?!" she declared.
"Huh?" Obi muttered.
"I've got to get to school! I'll drop you at your hotel first, though, but can you get a ride back to the school later?"
"Yeah, sure," he answered. He was relieved the subject was changed, yet disappointed that he didn't get to share his plan. Instead, he readied himself to leave.
"My padawan may send some information here for me later today. Would you be sure to save it for me?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied as she closed the door behind them. 'Whew!' she said to herself. 'I'm glad that worked! I wouldn't have known what to say to him.'
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The day was going rather smoothly for Sari despite the frequent thoughts of Obi-Wan and his kiss, always quickly followed by the memory of Jaik's words that stole her joy every time. She wanted so much to believe that there could possibly be something between herself and the Jedi, but the seeds of doubt had been sown, and try as she might, she couldn't get past the thought of Obi-Wan in the arms of another woman. He probably laughed about his conquests from planet to planet....
but that kiss......
"Miss Zendar?" came the voice on the intercom. It was Chairman Calder.
"Yes, sir?" she replied from her now empty room. The children were gone to art class.
"Would you please come to the office?" the man asked.
"Sure," she answered. It wasn't very often that he called on the intercom, so Sari was sure that it must be important.
She was surprised to find Obi-Wan, Jaik, and a few others in the chairman's office when she arrived. The Jedi was dressed in a clean black outfit and stood at the head of the room as a quiet but powerful presence. Jaik flashed one of his winning smiles when she entered and politely offered his seat to her.
"Thank you," she replied casting a quick glance at Obi-Wan. He shifted uneasily and his brow wrinkled as he frowned and looked away.
"Anything for you, my dear," Jaik whispered into her ear. Of course, Obi-Wan heard the remark even if no one else did, and his lip curled into an imperceptible snarl. He didn't trust the man anymore than he'd trust a Bothan politician. Why was he feeling so possessive of this woman? Did one kiss mean that she'd pledged her life to him? No, of course not... but he couldn't help feeling a tad bit jealous for some reason.
Chairman Calder began to speak once everyone was situated.
"I've called you all here because of the recent kidnappings of some of our students. As you all know, Jedi Kenobi was sent here to investigate the matter and last night discovered the location of some of the perpetrators."
Sari shifted nervously in her seat. Would Obi-Wan reveal that she had been with him? That might be a little embarrassing in front of all of these people. The chairman continued.
"He has come to me with a plan for solving this crime. I believe it could prove successful, so since it will involve some of you, I thought you should hear it straight from him. Jedi Kenobi...."
Obi-Wan moved to the center of the room and explained his plan.
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"Are you insane?!" Sari yelled as she sprang from her chair and quickly covered the distance between herself and the Jedi. She could tell from the surprised look on his face that he was caught off guard by her reaction despite his attempts to appear unaffected. She glared into those piercing eyes and refused to back down.
"You want my students to play the bait in your little trap?! Surely you can't be serious, Jedi Kenobi." She hoped he noticed her use of his formal title. "They're just children, and I refuse to purposely put them in danger's way.... No.... I won't allow it." With that she crossed her arms to emphasize her resolve on the matter and thrust her chin defiantly into the air.
That was that, she thought, quite proud of her boldness. Everyone was silent for a moment as their eyes went back and forth from Sari to the Jedi waiting to see who would speak first. Obi-Wan frowned as he studied the young woman in front of him. In the short time he had spent with Sari, he had realized how devoted she was to her students, much like himself. However, he hadn't expected such heated opposition from her.
"Now just wait a minute, Sari," a voice spoke, but it wasn't Obi-Wan. It was Jaik. He moved in between the two and attempted to calm the situation. "I know that you're concerned about the kids, but Kenobi's plan may be our only hope of ending these abductions. He's got it all figured out. He does this kind of thing all the time. I think we should trust him."
Both Sari and Obi-Wan were now looking at Jaik like he was some alien life form never before seen by man.
"YOU want me to trust HIM?!" Sari asked trying to straighten it all out in her mind. Jaik was the last person she expected to defend the Jedi. Obi-Wan was just as shocked.
"I agree, Miss Zendar," Chairman Calder interjected. "I believe it may be the only way, and despite your opposition, I'm afraid I'm going to cooperate with Jedi Kenobi's plan. You can help... or not. The choice is yours."
Everyone was uncomfortably silent again as Sari pondered her options. If her students were going to be involved, then she had no choice.
"All right... I'll cooperate--- but I still don't like it." If looks could kill, then the one she shot Obi-Wan would have knocked him over instantly.
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Sari was so angry that she couldn't see straight. How could Obi-Wan even suggest such a thing? And how could the others go along with such a crazy plan? She somehow forced herself through the rest of the school day praying that she wouldn't run into the Jedi. She didn't trust herself not to belt him in the mouth.
Jaik was right. That's what she kept thinking. He was right yesterday when he said he didn't trust Obi-Wan. She had trusted him until he came up with the idea to lure the kidnappers by using her students. She just had a bad feeling about the whole situation. Something wasn't quite right.
She made it out of the school without seeing Obi-Wan again. She didn't know if he was even still in the building, and right then, she didn't even care. All she kept thinking about was the danger the children could be in as soon as tomorrow.
Once inside her apartment, she walked back to her room to change into something more comfortable. She wasn't going anywhere tonight except to bed. No jaunt to the mountains or even downstairs.... just bed. As she dressed, her holoprojector beeped alerting her to an incoming call. Sitting down at her desk, she turned it on and was surprised to see a handsome young man with a head of tousled blond hair and big blue eyes.
"Hello?" she said, sure that he must be Obi-Wan's padawan.
"Oh, hello," he replied with a nice smile. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. I'm trying to contact Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Hello, Anakin. I'm Sari Zendar, a teacher at the ---"
"Yeah, I know. Obi-Wan told me about you," he said with a grin. "And I saw you briefly last night."
Sari felt her face heat up at the memory. "Oh..." she muttered. "Anyway, he's not here. He's back at his hotel, if I had to guess. We haven't spoken since earlier today."
Anakin could sense that all was not well. He had been able to tell from speaking to Obi-Wan the night before that something was happening between his master and this woman. The way his face had turned bright red when she had entered the room... it was something all right! The young man instantly liked this woman and couldn't believe that his master had messed things up already. Well, Anakin thought to himself, he would just have to fix them.
"Do you think you could deliver some information to him for me? I'm sending some printouts to your computer, and they're very urgent."
"Well...," she was thinking it over, he could tell. "I'll probably see him tomorrow..."
"No, he really needs to get this stuff right away. It's for his investigation." She was a tough nut to crack, but he was not giving up that easily.
"Oh, all right," she finally conceded. Anakin gave a silent cheer at his accomplishment. He had given Obi-Wan another chance, and hopefully the man would use it to his advantage. She was very pretty and seemed quite likable.
"It'll take a few moments to complete the transmission, so just hang on," Anakin said. "You know, I think he really likes you."
"What?" Sari asked, suddenly very interested in what the boy had to say.
"Obi-Wan is not one to get close to many people. He pretty much stays to himself and focuses on his work... all the time! But I could just tell that he seems to genuinely like you." Anakin was watching Sari's face trying to gauge her reaction. When she finally grinned, he felt victorious. Maybe there was hope for his lonely master after all.
Sari felt herself blush a little. Was this boy right? Did Obi-Wan truly like her company and hers alone? The possibilities made her heart flutter.
"Okay, Anakin Skywalker. You've won. I'll see that he gets this information tonight." Sari smiled as she said good-bye and switched off the holoprojector. So much for staying in. Pulling out a clean outfit from her closet, she quickly dressed and took off to find the Jedi knight.
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Obi-Wan Kenobi was not used to dealing with a woman's scorn. It was quite an intimidating thing. Sari's reaction to his idea earlier that day had been very unexpected, but now in hindsight, he should have known she would fight to keep her students safe, like any good teacher.
However, one thing he had learned as a Jedi was to give people space and time to cool down, so he hadn't tried to speak to her anymore that day. He had even avoided her hallway in the school so as not to risk receiving anymore of those killer glares. She had quite a temper along with all of that sweetness, and he was confused and intrigued all at the same time.
After interviewing a few of the school staff, he had left to set things up for the next day. He wanted to make sure everything was just right, so that none of Sari's fears would prove founded. The children's safety was important to him, as well. It was his job... his duty to keep them safe.
After a hectic day, the Jedi made his way back to his hotel room. He snickered as he realized he hadn't spent much time there, and blushed when he thought about where he'd rather be. For the first time since his childhood friendship with the Mon Calamari girl, Bant, he found that he truly enjoyed the companionship of a female. Only this time he was an adult, and he found himself thinking of Sari in a slightly more 'adult' kind of way. He licked his bottom lip and remembered kissing her the night before. She had stirred feelings within him that he didn't even know he was capable of having.
He had just thrown his cape over a chair when there was a knock on his door. Opening it, he was shocked, and pleased, to see Sari standing on the other side.
"Hi," she said sheepishly.
"Hello," Obi-Wan responded, a bit confused by her appearance at his room.
Sari pulled a small disk out of her jacket pocket and held it up. "I have some information for you. Your padawan sent it to my computer."
"Oh... please come in," Obi said as he moved aside to let her enter. She took in the surroundings and then faced him.
"Wow... this is nice," she said.
"Yes...... it is," he replied nodding his head. The tension was being poorly covered by inane small talk, something neither was very good at. Obi shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
"Here's your disk," she finally said, shoving it into his hands.
"Oh... right." He took it and headed over to the data pad sitting on the desk. "Let's just see what young Anakin found for me." He sat down in front of the screen, and Sari moved to stand behind him. She was grateful for the distraction the disk created. Obi-Wan pulled up several documents from the disk and skimmed over each of them looking for what he was certain he would find.
"A-ha! I was right!" he exclaimed as he pounded the desk and looked at Sari whose face was now right beside his. Her skin looked so unbelievably soft that it took his breath away.
"Right about what?" she asked.
"I...," he almost couldn't speak. His throat was tightening by the second. Finally, he regained his Jedi composure and continued. "I thought that I had heard that name before... the one the men mentioned.... Perrin. Turns out he has been linked to several slave operations. He's a big time courier. He hires mercenaries to collect the slaves, then delivers them to the slavers, making a mighty large profit in the process. He makes a show of being legitimate to the authorities, but he's dirty... plain and simple. He's got to be behind all this. I just have that feeling."
Sari chuckled at the excited look on his face, just like a little boy. Suddenly, she felt awful about how she had treated him at school and about being so quick to think ill of him. He certainly seemed honest and sincere.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out. He looked at her with bewilderment, as if to say, "What?".
"I'm sorry about how I acted today. I shouldn't have gone off like that... especially in front of a room full of people. It wasn't professional--- or the least bit kind."
Obi-Wan gently took her hand in his. "No, don't worry about it. I know you're just concerned about your students, but believe me... I am not going to let anything happen to them. I promise." His other hand moved to tenderly touch her cheek, and she willingly nestled into his warm palm.
He slowly stood up without moving his hand away from her face. Her heart and breathing sped up, and she couldn't take her eyes off of his. With his other hand, he brought hers to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm and then her wrist. A slight whimper escaped her lips as his touch brought all of her nerves to life.
He let her hand go and placed his free hand on the other side of her face. She was forced to look only at him. His eyes hungrily studied her whole face, and she melted under his gaze. Obi-Wan had a million things he wanted to say to her running through his mind.
//What is this woman doing to me?// he thought. //I am a Jedi. I'm not supposed to let myself be distracted from my duties, yet all I've done since I first saw her is think about her... dream about her... long to hear her voice and see her smile.//
Part of him wanted to spurt out all of the feelings he was experiencing, but his lips wouldn't allow it. He had kept himself isolated for so long that the thought of revealing himself to anyone terrified him.
Slowly, he dropped his hands from Sari's face and looked away. She was totally confused. Her body had been prepared for whatever he would offer, and now he was stepping away. She could feel herself redden with embarrassment, and the silence hung heavily in the room. Suddenly unable to breathe, she knew she had to get out or pass out.
"I'm going to leave now," she began as she moved toward the door. Obi-Wan simply stood facing away from her with both hands on the back of the desk chair and nodded.
"I need to get some rest before tomorrow. Bye." As quickly as she could, she exited the room and breathed a heavy sigh.
//Well, that went well,// she told herself while walking down the hallway. What had went wrong? It had felt so right, but then... he had stopped--- just like that. Had she totally misjudged the signals? Was she that out of practice with romance? She felt so foolish rushing to his room. This man was so frustrating. It was like he wanted her, but then again, didn't.
On the drive home, Sari made up her mind. She was finished with Obi-Wan Kenobi. After tomorrow he'd most likely be gone anyway,..... back to glamorous Coruscant and all of his sophisticated, elegant companions. Maybe he had done her a favor by stopping. It would make it easier to forget they had ever met. Yes, she'd keep telling herself that--- despite the tears that were slowly trickling down her cheeks.
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