Obi-Wan and Cotar made their way quickly and discreetly through the back alleys of Gatamo. The guard had given Obi-Wan an old cloak to throw over his head and shoulders to provide some sort of a disguise. Obi-Wan couldn't believe that he had made it out of the prison without any detection. He would have been more vocal with his thanks, except he was having trouble simply keeping his footing, let alone carrying on a conversation.
"We are almost at my house, Jediya. It's just at the end of this alley and around the corner."
Obi-Wan grunted his approval and slightly shook his head to clear some sweat out of his eyes. As he did so, he noticed a Trian man sitting in a cardboard box, watching him and the guard move down the alley. For just a few seconds, he made eye contact with the disheveled man, and then he looked away. I hope that this alley isn't as long as it seems, he thought with a slight grimace.
Time seemed to blur for the next few moments, and Obi-Wan did not regain his awareness of his surroundings until they were upon Cotar's door. The guard looked around and then hurriedly unlocked the door and helped Obi-Wan inside. He kicked the door shut behind them and guided the Jedi into a back room. Obi-Wan lay down on the small bed that was in the room with a sigh of relief. Now that he wasn't moving, he finally felt like he could talk.
"Thank you, Cotar. I have a feeling that I owe you my life."
Cotar bowed his head. "No, noble Jediya, it is I who am in debt to you. Many years ago, a group of Jediya helped my family. It is the sworn duty of my family to always help a Jediya who is in need. Many other Trian families hold the same creed."
"Arling families too?"
The guard paused for a moment. "Yes, Arlings as well." Obi-Wan was surprised that there was no unsavory emotions behind the reply.
"I thought your people did not like the Arlings."
"Not all Trians are like Makono, Jediya," Cotar said while pulling a shirt out of a drawer and handing it to the Knight. "Sometimes, though, to stand up for what is right is to mark yourself for death. I have hidden in the shadows too long. To see misfortune brought upon one of the noble peacekeepers of this galaxy is the last straw. I only hope that I have not brought my family into danger with me."
"You have family?" Obi-Wan's voice was muffled as he pulled the shirt over his head.
A smile came to Cotar's face. "Yes. I have my daughter, Suriyama. Do you have family, Jediya?"
Obi-Wan smiled through the dizziness of the fever. "I do, somewhere out there. My brother Owen, but I haven't seen him or talked to him in many years. My Padawan, though, is probably the closest thing I have to family at the moment. Anakin is like a brother at some times, a son at other times. Without a doubt, he is one of the most loyal friends that I could probably ever have."
"That is good, Jediya. Makono called you Kenobi. Is that your name?"
"Kenobi is my last name. You may call me Obi-Wan."
"Very well then, Jediya, I shall call you Obi-Wan." Cotar backed up a bit and took hold of the door. "Now, you must rest if you are to escape from this city successfully. You still have much healing to do."
Obi-Wan nodded his head and closed his eyes. Cotar quietly closed the door. Just before Obi-Wan slipped into a healing trance, he called out to his Padawan.
I'm here, Anakin. I'm all right.
* * *
Suriyama shifted her basket to rest it on her hip while she opened the door. She had a bit of difficulty holding on to it because the packages inside were set in a somewhat haphazard manner. She closed the door behind her and set the basket on the kitchen table.
"Arya, I'm home," she called out to her pet felina while unwinding her scarf from her neck. The furry animal let out a meow and padded over to wrap itself around her ankles. Suriyama smiled and reached to put away the food she'd bought at the market.
Darn it, she thought as she looked through the basket. I think I lost some of the chekyn eggs when I ran into that philosopher.
Another meow called her attention to the felina at her feet. "Oh, I'm sorry Arya. I completely forgot. I think I have your treat right in he-"
She broke of abruptly as a slight cry sounded from the back room.
"Father? Is that you?" When no one answered, she began to creep silently towards the room, grabbing a metal pan off the counter as she moved.
"Father?" Suriyama called again as she carefully pulled the door open, holding the pan defensively. "Are you in here . . . oh!"
She was somewhat shocked to see a human man lying in her father's bed. He was asleep and his face was flushed with fever, his forehead creased in a pained concentration. A moan escaped from between his lips.
Who is this? she wondered, setting the pan down on a small table. She didn't even notice that her pet had followed her until Arya padded into the room. The felina hopped up onto the bed and curled up on the pillow next to the man's head.
Suriyama moved forward and put her hand on his forehead to check for fever. The man let out another small cry of pain, surprising Suriyama and causing her to jerk her hand back.
His eyes fluttered open and roamed around the room before they came to rest on her. "You must be Suriyama," he said in a gentle voice that seemed surprisingly strong for one so ill.
"Yes, that's my name. But how did you know . . ."
"You're father brought me here. I was in . . . trouble," he settled on, not knowing how much would be safe for her to know. "He's offered me safety until I'm well enough to go on my way."
Suriyama flicked her long silvery hair over her shoulder and folded her arms, giving the sick human a cursory glance. "I don't believe you. My father is not one to pick beggars off the street."
The man gave her a patient smile. "I beg your pardon. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight from Coruscant."
"You are a Jediya? Oh, sir! I'm so sorry!"
"No, that's okay. I probably look like a beggar by now," he reassured her, absentmindedly rubbing a hand over the stubble that had filled in on his cheeks. His hand moved to cover his mouth as he stifled a cough.
"Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine. Could I have a glass of water though?"
Suriyama immediately left the room to go to the kitchen for the water. When she came back, Obi-Wan had swung his legs over to the side of the bed and was trying to stand up.
"Hey now, take it easy. I know you're a Jediya but even you can't heal that fast."
Obi-Wan just gave a slight smile and began removing the splint from the lower portion of his right arm. He reached for the glass of water and began to gulp its contents down greedily. He only slowed down when he noticed Suriyama watching him with raised eyebrows.
"Sorry," he said with a slightly embarrassed shrug of his shoulders. "I haven't really had any food or water in the last twenty-four hours."
"Well, if you can make it to the kitchen, I can fix you something to eat."
Feeling much more confident about his stomach then when he had been in the prison cell, he nodded his thanks and followed Suriyama to the kitchen. He pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. Arya followed him, rubbing against his ankles and then jumping up onto his lap.
"So what exactly are you doing here, Jediya?" she asked as she began heating a pot and adding vegetables to it for a soup.
Obi-Wan shifted his eyes uncomfortably. "I don't mean any offense against you, Suriyama. I just don't think that it may be safe for me to tell you why I'm here. You father has already put himself into a great deal of trouble to help me."
Suriyama's pale hand slammed the large spoon she was holding against the counter. Arya jumped from Obi-Wan's lap, startled by the noise and the sharp tone in her mistress's voice. "Pardon me, sir, but I am not exactly a child. I know very well that my father is putting himself in danger. If he is risking himself like this, I would at least like to know why."
The Jedi closed his eyes for a moment. Well, I guess I do owe her that much.
"All right, Suriyama. I will tell you why I am here."
Suriyama listened with wide eyes as Obi-Wan told of the tigra attack and how he and Anakin had arrived at the Arling village. He explained to her how he had been kidnapped and held in the prison cell until her father had rescued him. As he was finishing explaining it to her, she brought over a bowl of steaming soup and some bread for him.
"Anyways, I have to get out of here to find Anakin. He's probably looking for me already." He blew carefully on a spoonful of soup and then brought it to his mouth and swallowed it. "This is very good."
"Thanks." Suriyama put her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands. "Would your friend really be able to sneak into Gatamo? It is very well guarded and he is bound to stand out in the crowd. There are not many humans on Eloyl."
Obi-Wan swallowed another mouthful and reached for a piece of bread. His fever was mostly gone and it had left him very hungry. "Anakin is a Padawan, and a very capable one at that. He'll figure something out if he hasn't already done so. I just hope tha-"
A loud crash cut him off. He looked up to see that Arya had managed to get up on the counter and knock over the basket of groceries that Suriyama had never finished unpacking. Suriyama leapt to clean up the mess.
"Arya! Shame on you! You know better than to do that!" She picked up a towel and began mopping up a jar of fruit jam that had shattered. Obi-Wan got up from his seat and bent down to help her.
"You do not have to do this, Jediya Kenobi. Please, go and rest."
She was about to protest further when Obi-Wan picked up an object from the jumbled basket contents.
"What is that?" she asked staring at the silver object.
"This is Anakin's lightsaber. But how did you get it?" He looked at her with a piercing gaze.
"I-I don't know. It must have fallen in with my groceries some how when that philosopher bumped into me."
"Philosopher?"
"Yes, a philosopher. I haven't seen one on the streets in some time. He seemed very peculiar though. Almost as if he was worried about something." She studied the look on Obi-Wan's face. "Why? Do you think that was Anakin?"
"It could have been. I just hope that -"
"YEEE-AAH!" The sound of blaster fire accompanied the yell.
"What was that?" a very startled Suriyama asked.
"I don't know. But . . . wait . . . Anakin! Come on!" Obi-Wan took the lightsaber in one hand and Suriyama's wrist in the other, scrambling to his feet and making a mad dash for the door. Arya gave a slightly confused meow and then leapt off the counter to forage among the scattered food as her mistress and her guest ran out into the alley.
