Chapter Two - Patience
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
A/n: Review! Yay! Happy me. Anyhow thanks a lot, means the world. And by
the way, when Obi-Wan says 'means the world', I meant to change it to
'means the galaxy'. Sorry this took such a long time, final exams yeah..
And can we wait about why she's alive for a while? I'm still trying to
decide whether it's AU or not. Suggestions anyone?
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Anakin stared thoughtfully at the cacophony before him. Street vendors, shops, restaurants, hospitals. He had gathered that he had arrived at the capital of the planet. What he aimed to do there was contact the Council. He figured that if he could get hold of a governor or a diplomat, he could find means of communication. Taking a deep breath, Anakin stepped into the beautiful metropolis of Zehava. One might have wondered why Anakin was not searching for Obi-Wan. Well, he had concluded that there were indeed people trying to harm himself and his Master, and drawing attention to himself was probably not a very smart thing to do at the moment. Besides, he had a rather large gash on his stomach that stung. He needed to lie low. The city felt peaceful enough. Peaceful, in a sense that meant the people thought they were peaceful. As if they were a little ignorant of something bigger, something Anakin knew not what. As he proceeded through the city, he started to think about concealing his identity. He also began noticing a girl about his age, following him. After making a few fake turns, even turning back once, his suspicions had been confirmed. Anakin found his way to what seemed to be the House of Parliament. At the door, a sentry stood guard. Anakin walked up some steps to talk to him. "Good morning, sir, my name is-" he began before a hard slap came down on his back. He looked to his left to see the girl who had been following him. She was slightly shorter than him and athletically built. Long, brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she glared at him with fierce brown eyes. There was a smallish green pack attached to her hip. She smiled at him and gave him a look that said, "Shut. Up." He did so. Then she turned to the guard, and jokingly said something in a strange language. Panic hit Anakin. What if these people didn't speak Basic? Anakin had only once ever encountered a foreign language, and he had gone through hell and back with that. He soon realized the sentry was laughing along with the girl, who grabbed Anakin's arm and whispered, "Follow me, quickly," in a serious and urgent tone. Anakin did so, trying not to act strangely. The girl led him through an alley to a park. "You're lucky I told that goon that you were drunk. You must be from out of town, otherwise you wouldn't be acting out of your mind," she snapped at him, still walking. "Just hold on a minute, miss," said Anakin, still confused. "What's going on here?" "You don't have to know. Not yet, just stay out of trouble. Who are you?" "My name is Anakin Skywalker." He didn't say anymore, thinking that she might not be a very well-meaning person. Now he chided himself for even telling her his real name, but his instincts told him that she could be trusted. He was a little surprised by her next question. "And you're a Jedi Padawan?" she said, with the air of one asking a question and knowing the outcome. He stopped for a while. Then, remembering his manners, he answered, "Yes, I am Jedi. How did you-" "Robes. Braid." She said matter-of-factly. "Judging by your looks, you'll be about..." she paused to evaluate. "Fifteen?" Anakin stared. "You slept in the woods, probably hiding. Am I right?" "On all counts." Anakin was dumbfounded, and a little suspicious. Only a little, seeing as she had not told him anything about his personality. "Also," she noted, circling him, "You're really arrogant, and temperamental, aren't you?" "Would you mind telling me how you are deriving this information, miss..?" he inquired, a little ticked. She cocked her head at him, and said, "Not at all. K'yn. Caliere K'yn." She extended a hand that Anakin shook. Then, she revealed her observance. "Your blown up ego I can discern from your, pardon me for saying so, indescribably awful hair." Anakin reached up to touch his head, offended. "Your muscles tense up rather often, which gives away your annoyance. That teeny tiny scar on your chin shows inexpertise at shaving, providing age. That, and the fact that your pants are slightly too short for your legs revealing you to be at a 'recently shot up' stage of your life. A Netana leaf stuck to the side of your hip with dried blood and dirt tells me you were in that forest three miles southwest from here. It's thick, best hiding place around." She looked at him, smirking as he rubbed his chin, pulled his pants an inch lower, smoothed down his hair and removed the leaf. "Alright. My turn." Anakin said. He took one more look at her before beginning his own little speech. "You are exactly my age. You do a lot of housework, probably because you are taking care of someone by the marks on your hands. You are trained in martial arts, says the Iqeta dagger in your boot, and are either and army cadet, juvenile delinquent or scared, judging by the 976B blaster that's strapped to your arm under your sleeve. You have or had a boyfriend or relative who goes by 'Falcon'. You're obviously not in school or working, and you think I'm cute." She paused a while and adjusted her sleeve, slightly put off. "Not bad. I am fourteen, and I take care of my younger brother at home. The dagger was a gift from my teacher. The blaster," she paused as she tried to conceal the thing better, "is a souvenir. The Falcon is me," she said. "And finally," she intoned before she slapped him across the face. "Are we all clear on that matter?" Anakin opened his mouth to speak. "Good," she said. "Let's go." And she set off. Anakin didn't know what to do but go along, but he asked anyway. "Again, why are you doing this?" She stopped, turned around and grabbed him by the collar, looking annoyed. "Listen up, Skywalker. I'm trying to help you here. You might not know this, but you're already in over your head. You're pretty much lost, and all I can say is that if you would rather go off on your own and get probably killed that's fine with me, but I don't get my own way around here, so just shut up and keep moving." She let him go, collected herself and began walking again. When they reached a small park, a pain in Anakin's ribs was causing him some agony. Caliere saw this and told him to sit down. She pulled out some medical items from her pouch and had him remove his shirt so she could bandage a large bloody gash. This was all rather awkward for Anakin but he tried to seem indifferent. Besides, he was grateful for the medical attention. Caliere had just applied some sort of soothing gel on top of the cloth. At that moment, an official walked up to them with unfriendly intentions. "Hey, kids, what are you doing here?" he asked. Anakin felt Caliere tense up and prepare to attack. Quickly, he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, then stood up. "We're just passing through the park," he said, waving his hand over the officer's face. The poor man looked suspicious for a moment, then he repeated, "Just passing through the park." "Nothing wrong here, we can be on our way." "Well, I don't see anything wrong here, go on your way," said the estranged lieutenant cheerfully before walking off. Anakin smiled at Caliere, who was staring at him with something a little short of wonder mixed with slight irritation. "Well," she said after a while. "I didn't know you could do that. Don't try it on me, alright?" Anakin looked at her a moment. "It only works on the weak-minded," he said, putting on his shirt again. "Let's go." They walked quickly and silently. Anakin was trying to figure out what was going on, and Caliere didn't care too much for idle conversation. They reached a small building and entered an apartment which was on the smallish side. A five year old boy ran to greet them. He had sandy colored hair and Caliere's brown eyes. Caliere scooped him up into her arms laughing happily. He was laughing along with her and for a while they were oblivious to poor Anakin. After swinging the little boy around once, Caliere put him down. "Welcome to my humble abode, Skywalker. Prince Charming over here is named Joluca, my brother," she said, in a considerably better mood. Then she turned to the boy. She told him something in the same language she had spoken to the sentry with, and the boy scampered off. "Come with me," she motioned to Anakin. She walked into a bedroom, most likely her brother's. "You can sleep here. Change into these," she said, handing him some more common clothes. "You look like a ghost warrior from ancient Zehava." Anakin was still curious, but he didn't suspect anything anymore. He simply thanked her. "You're welcome," she said sincerely. "Now get some rest and tomorrow I'll tell you what's going on. Then you can tell me." She walked out, closing the door behind her. Anakin watched her exit, then shook his head and began to change.
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Obi-Wan was woken up by Cerasi shaking him slightly. He moaned a little. She was crouched over him with her eyes focused, listening. "What's going-" he began. He stopped when she put a finger to her lips and beckoned. Then she sprang off her feet and up a tree. Obi-Wan followed, bringing himself up sleepily with the Force. He was immediately alerted, however, by the sound of two or three voices. Cerasi was looking at them with her eyes narrowed. Obi-Wan could sense a strange feeling towards them. Whether it was hatred, fear, anger or otherwise, he could not tell. What he could feel was that it was very surely of a negative origin. Obi-wan tried to read his disoriented companion. Surprisingly, he found that he couldn't access her mind. On one hand, it was as if she had put up barriers around her thoughts, but then again, she was thinking too much for Obi-Wan to be able to see anything. She began to climb further up the tree, her acrobatic agility not lost with age. Obi-Wan followed suit, trying to keep up. For a moment, she disappeared out of sight. She was next to him in an instant. "Sh," she whispered. "Come on." Then she showed Obi-Wan how she had switched trees. She aimed and leapt off the branch they had been standing on. With stunning flexibility and coordination, she grabbed a branch of the tree in front of her in mid air. Then she pulled herself up onto it. "Got it? Let's go," she told him. She continued to do the same thing and Obi-Wan again had to race along with her, using the Force for guidance. After traveling this way for quite a while, Cerasi stopped, Obi-Wan close by. She was silent for a moment, listening, then she dropped some 20 feet to the ground, landing on her feet. She called to Obi-Wan to do the same, and he did without as much grace. "Who were those men back there?" asked Obi-Wan as they began to walk in the same general direction that they had been going previously. "That, Obi-Wan, was who I thought YOU were. Assassins," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't understand," he replied, "Why are they trying to kill you?" Cerasi shot him a look. "Listen, it's a really long story. I'll tell you later, right now we need to hurry." "Where are we going?" "My original destination. You'll see."
The two journeyed all day, stopping only necessarily to rest. They ate their meals on foot and didn't stop when night came. At the earliest sign of dawn, they came to a structure. It looked like the ruins of some sort of temple. Cerasi gave a cry at the sight of it, and ran to the place. The pair were greatly fatigued and Obi-Wan caught up with her a minute later. He watched as she placed her hands in a short sequence on something that had used to be a pillar. A passageway appeared in the ground. Cerasi seemed relieved at the sight of it, and she led Obi- Wan down a staircase. The trapdoor closed when they had gone all the way down and for a short time, they were in total darkness. Suddenly, Cerasi very quickly said, "Alright, listen. Whatever you do, you can't tell anybody who you really are. Follow my lead, and mostly, don't call me-" Another door slid open, and Cerasi said no more. Bright lights glared at Obi-Wan and he had to blink a few times to let his eyes adjust. Cerasi looked at him worriedly one last time before she changed her demeanor completely. She was grand, regal. A man in uniform appeared to greet the pair. "Your Honour," he said, respectfully bowing. Cerasi held out her hand. The man touched it and then brought his own hand to his chest. Cerasi did the same. "It is good to see you, Lady Ka'ilea." "Likewise, sergeant," she replied. "I trust all is well here?" "Everything's fine, allow me to escort you to your quarters." "Thank you, sergeant. This is Reuben Nobe, a trusted friend and advisor. He will be with me for some time." She said, indicating Obi-Wan who bowed, a little surprised. The sergeant bowed as well and offered his arm to Cerasi who took it. They began walking. Obi-Wan followed behind. His surroundings reminded him of Queen Veda's courtroom from many years before. Beauty and comfort was emphasized in everything he looked at. Shortly, they reached Cerasi's apartment, and the two were left to clean up and get some rest, with questions on Obi-Wan's part. He looked at her expectantly. "Alright, alright," she said. "Listen carefully." And she began.
"My name is really Cerasi. I haven't changed. At least, that's what I'm told. I can't remember anything from before I was fourteen. Melida/Daan is governed by a cabinet, a council. The peace on the planet has not been forgotten. After a few years with the government I was officially named Ka'ilea. A nice young man helped me get through most of my years, and I've lived with him for a while. He's the person who told me about you. I discovered who I was a few years ago, and I still haven't gotten all the answers. Now I need it for security. Only my closest friends, relatives and enemies know that about me. And Nield, of course. That's another reason I thought you were an assassin. I've dealt with a few in the past." "Before they could say bounty hunter?" asked Obi-Wan. Cerasi glared at him. "You wouldn't believe it. But you," she paused, her expression changing. "I can remember you.." She tried to remember something. Obi-Wan's heart wept for his old friend. He forced himself to be a little more serious. "Ka'ilea?" he ventured. She recomposed herself. "I'm sorry. Lately, the Peace has been, well, off balance. The Twelve has been threatened. One of us was killed a week ago, and-" "Wait," said Obi-Wan. "Where's Nield?" His companion sighed. "That's what I was going to tell you. He's gone missing. He's been lost for a month. We still don't know if he was abducted, killed or anything worse." At this she sank into a couch behind her. Her fierce pride, the fire in her eyes, drained. Not a fighter, not a leader. Just exhausted. Obi-Wan didn't know what to do. He sat down beside her silently. "He left his family behind as well as me. He married Deila. They have a daughter, Flame. Beautiful child. She," Cerasi paused, a small smile on her face. Then she looked up at Obi-Wan. "She's my Padawan." She turned away, and the two sat in silence for a while. Eventually, Cerasi spoke again. "You should rest. Get some sleep. We have to find your boy." Obi-Wan didn't move for a while, then he stood up and bowed. "Good night, Your Honour." Cerasi smiled. "Good night, Ben."
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"What are you doing, Mister Anakin?" The child's voice caught Anakin by surprise and he dropped to the ground in the middle of a complex jump. Joluca gave a cry of surprise, but he didn't run away. "Ugh," said Anakin. He got up, hurting slightly, and approached the boy. He bent to come face to face with Joluca. "Well, where I come from, I have to practice these patterns everyday. They are called katae." He smiled, and Joluca smiled back. Anakin patted him on the head and stood up to begin his exercise again. Just as he started the first movement, he heard again, "Can I watch?" Anakin sighed. "Alright. But be quiet," he said in a friendly tone. Joluca broke into a wide grin and he ran to sit down and observe. Anakin proceeded. "Joluca, breakfast," called Caliere from somewhere. Joluca was still watching Anakin, transfixed. "Luc, adi, come and eat your food," she called again. Then her little brother jumped up and made his way towards his sister. "I'm coming, nai," he replied, disappearing into another room. A minute or so later, Caliere came out carrying a tray with some food on it. She waited patiently until Anakin finished performing the kata. When he stopped, he turned to her. "Good morning, Miss K'yn," he greeted. She paused, a little surprised. "Morning, Skywalker," she said. "Here," she continued before setting the tray down. "Breakfast. We've got a busy day." "No problems sleeping at all, thanks for asking," said Anakin, his teenage side getting the better of him. Caliere rolled her eyes. "Eat quickly," said her retreating figure.
**************************************************************************** ** "Thanks for everything, I swear something just came up like that. Noone else was free on such short notice you know." Anakin stood quietly as Caliere talked to her friend about Joluca. He was wearing a long black outfit which resembled a flight suit and his cloak, and Caliere was dressed the same way. "Just do the same things that you always do. Make sure he gets a nap and everything," she was saying. Evae listened patiently to this; she had heard it plenty of times before. "I'll be back at the usual times. Luc knows what to do." "Chill, honey. It's not like it ain't gonna be like every other day Luc comes to visit with Nai Eve keto right?" then she turned to Joluca. "Mei, Luc ngkite maki khedalm ruma, prega." The little boy looked at Caliere, who ruffled his hair lovingly and said, "Prega, adi, I'll be home soon." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Luc walked into the apartment and Evae watched him. "Don't get killed or anything okay. Reo fyran," she told Caliere, holding up a hand. "I won't. Reo fyran," replied Anakin's companion. The two girls slapped palms together and held them in a clasp for a while before releasing.
As Caliere and Anakin made their way to the city, the Jedi asked, "What does 'reo fryin' mean?" Caliere gave a brief laugh, but didn't break her stride. "It's fyran, Skywalker. It means 'honor for hope'. Traditional, sort of," she told him. "Oh. The Jedi have something like that. My Master says it as if it were a greeting, but I don't think that's what it's meant to be," said Anakin. He fell silent as he thought about Obi-Wan. A few quiet minutes later, Caliere touched his shoulder, signaling a stop as they reached the beginning to a sort of hub near the boundaries of Zehava. She pulled her hood over her head and Anakin followed suit. "Can you do that mind thing to anyone?" she asked, adjusting the dagger in her boots. "Just about, as long as they're weak-minded," replied the young Jedi a little tentatively. His companion finished up. "Shouldn't be a problem then. I don't need more casualties on the way." she said. They walked through the city without much trouble and came to a stop behind a building. Caliere removed her hood and kneeled on a spot on the gravel. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on the ground before her, then said a few words. Bringing her palms together she struck the ground once and stood up, pushing her hair out of the way. Anakin watched, fascinated as she stuck a foot into the floor and disappeared under. He was taken aback and remained there for a moment. After a few seconds, her head popped out of the ground, slight annoyance in her eyes. "Are you coming?" she hissed urgently. "I, uh," was all Anakin could manage. "Listen, it's a holographic projection for thirty seconds after the ritual which is kinda running out for you, so come on!" she snapped impatiently before disappearing again. "Right. I get it," muttered Anakin. He hurried over to the spot where her head had been and stepped in. She was right, there was nothing but thin air. The instant he had disappeared completely, he heard a small noise as the hole in the ground closed up.
A/n ii - okay, so they didn't meet up, we practically know nothing about Cerasi and a freaky new character is around. I don't intend for Anakin and Caliere to do anything romantic, but I don't intend for a lot of things to happen, I'm so sorry. Ben and Cerasi? Er..well, when I first did this thing, that was the main idea, but at the moment I'm a little tentative. Again, suggestions please. And of course, review! Still love ya
Anakin stared thoughtfully at the cacophony before him. Street vendors, shops, restaurants, hospitals. He had gathered that he had arrived at the capital of the planet. What he aimed to do there was contact the Council. He figured that if he could get hold of a governor or a diplomat, he could find means of communication. Taking a deep breath, Anakin stepped into the beautiful metropolis of Zehava. One might have wondered why Anakin was not searching for Obi-Wan. Well, he had concluded that there were indeed people trying to harm himself and his Master, and drawing attention to himself was probably not a very smart thing to do at the moment. Besides, he had a rather large gash on his stomach that stung. He needed to lie low. The city felt peaceful enough. Peaceful, in a sense that meant the people thought they were peaceful. As if they were a little ignorant of something bigger, something Anakin knew not what. As he proceeded through the city, he started to think about concealing his identity. He also began noticing a girl about his age, following him. After making a few fake turns, even turning back once, his suspicions had been confirmed. Anakin found his way to what seemed to be the House of Parliament. At the door, a sentry stood guard. Anakin walked up some steps to talk to him. "Good morning, sir, my name is-" he began before a hard slap came down on his back. He looked to his left to see the girl who had been following him. She was slightly shorter than him and athletically built. Long, brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she glared at him with fierce brown eyes. There was a smallish green pack attached to her hip. She smiled at him and gave him a look that said, "Shut. Up." He did so. Then she turned to the guard, and jokingly said something in a strange language. Panic hit Anakin. What if these people didn't speak Basic? Anakin had only once ever encountered a foreign language, and he had gone through hell and back with that. He soon realized the sentry was laughing along with the girl, who grabbed Anakin's arm and whispered, "Follow me, quickly," in a serious and urgent tone. Anakin did so, trying not to act strangely. The girl led him through an alley to a park. "You're lucky I told that goon that you were drunk. You must be from out of town, otherwise you wouldn't be acting out of your mind," she snapped at him, still walking. "Just hold on a minute, miss," said Anakin, still confused. "What's going on here?" "You don't have to know. Not yet, just stay out of trouble. Who are you?" "My name is Anakin Skywalker." He didn't say anymore, thinking that she might not be a very well-meaning person. Now he chided himself for even telling her his real name, but his instincts told him that she could be trusted. He was a little surprised by her next question. "And you're a Jedi Padawan?" she said, with the air of one asking a question and knowing the outcome. He stopped for a while. Then, remembering his manners, he answered, "Yes, I am Jedi. How did you-" "Robes. Braid." She said matter-of-factly. "Judging by your looks, you'll be about..." she paused to evaluate. "Fifteen?" Anakin stared. "You slept in the woods, probably hiding. Am I right?" "On all counts." Anakin was dumbfounded, and a little suspicious. Only a little, seeing as she had not told him anything about his personality. "Also," she noted, circling him, "You're really arrogant, and temperamental, aren't you?" "Would you mind telling me how you are deriving this information, miss..?" he inquired, a little ticked. She cocked her head at him, and said, "Not at all. K'yn. Caliere K'yn." She extended a hand that Anakin shook. Then, she revealed her observance. "Your blown up ego I can discern from your, pardon me for saying so, indescribably awful hair." Anakin reached up to touch his head, offended. "Your muscles tense up rather often, which gives away your annoyance. That teeny tiny scar on your chin shows inexpertise at shaving, providing age. That, and the fact that your pants are slightly too short for your legs revealing you to be at a 'recently shot up' stage of your life. A Netana leaf stuck to the side of your hip with dried blood and dirt tells me you were in that forest three miles southwest from here. It's thick, best hiding place around." She looked at him, smirking as he rubbed his chin, pulled his pants an inch lower, smoothed down his hair and removed the leaf. "Alright. My turn." Anakin said. He took one more look at her before beginning his own little speech. "You are exactly my age. You do a lot of housework, probably because you are taking care of someone by the marks on your hands. You are trained in martial arts, says the Iqeta dagger in your boot, and are either and army cadet, juvenile delinquent or scared, judging by the 976B blaster that's strapped to your arm under your sleeve. You have or had a boyfriend or relative who goes by 'Falcon'. You're obviously not in school or working, and you think I'm cute." She paused a while and adjusted her sleeve, slightly put off. "Not bad. I am fourteen, and I take care of my younger brother at home. The dagger was a gift from my teacher. The blaster," she paused as she tried to conceal the thing better, "is a souvenir. The Falcon is me," she said. "And finally," she intoned before she slapped him across the face. "Are we all clear on that matter?" Anakin opened his mouth to speak. "Good," she said. "Let's go." And she set off. Anakin didn't know what to do but go along, but he asked anyway. "Again, why are you doing this?" She stopped, turned around and grabbed him by the collar, looking annoyed. "Listen up, Skywalker. I'm trying to help you here. You might not know this, but you're already in over your head. You're pretty much lost, and all I can say is that if you would rather go off on your own and get probably killed that's fine with me, but I don't get my own way around here, so just shut up and keep moving." She let him go, collected herself and began walking again. When they reached a small park, a pain in Anakin's ribs was causing him some agony. Caliere saw this and told him to sit down. She pulled out some medical items from her pouch and had him remove his shirt so she could bandage a large bloody gash. This was all rather awkward for Anakin but he tried to seem indifferent. Besides, he was grateful for the medical attention. Caliere had just applied some sort of soothing gel on top of the cloth. At that moment, an official walked up to them with unfriendly intentions. "Hey, kids, what are you doing here?" he asked. Anakin felt Caliere tense up and prepare to attack. Quickly, he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, then stood up. "We're just passing through the park," he said, waving his hand over the officer's face. The poor man looked suspicious for a moment, then he repeated, "Just passing through the park." "Nothing wrong here, we can be on our way." "Well, I don't see anything wrong here, go on your way," said the estranged lieutenant cheerfully before walking off. Anakin smiled at Caliere, who was staring at him with something a little short of wonder mixed with slight irritation. "Well," she said after a while. "I didn't know you could do that. Don't try it on me, alright?" Anakin looked at her a moment. "It only works on the weak-minded," he said, putting on his shirt again. "Let's go." They walked quickly and silently. Anakin was trying to figure out what was going on, and Caliere didn't care too much for idle conversation. They reached a small building and entered an apartment which was on the smallish side. A five year old boy ran to greet them. He had sandy colored hair and Caliere's brown eyes. Caliere scooped him up into her arms laughing happily. He was laughing along with her and for a while they were oblivious to poor Anakin. After swinging the little boy around once, Caliere put him down. "Welcome to my humble abode, Skywalker. Prince Charming over here is named Joluca, my brother," she said, in a considerably better mood. Then she turned to the boy. She told him something in the same language she had spoken to the sentry with, and the boy scampered off. "Come with me," she motioned to Anakin. She walked into a bedroom, most likely her brother's. "You can sleep here. Change into these," she said, handing him some more common clothes. "You look like a ghost warrior from ancient Zehava." Anakin was still curious, but he didn't suspect anything anymore. He simply thanked her. "You're welcome," she said sincerely. "Now get some rest and tomorrow I'll tell you what's going on. Then you can tell me." She walked out, closing the door behind her. Anakin watched her exit, then shook his head and began to change.
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Obi-Wan was woken up by Cerasi shaking him slightly. He moaned a little. She was crouched over him with her eyes focused, listening. "What's going-" he began. He stopped when she put a finger to her lips and beckoned. Then she sprang off her feet and up a tree. Obi-Wan followed, bringing himself up sleepily with the Force. He was immediately alerted, however, by the sound of two or three voices. Cerasi was looking at them with her eyes narrowed. Obi-Wan could sense a strange feeling towards them. Whether it was hatred, fear, anger or otherwise, he could not tell. What he could feel was that it was very surely of a negative origin. Obi-wan tried to read his disoriented companion. Surprisingly, he found that he couldn't access her mind. On one hand, it was as if she had put up barriers around her thoughts, but then again, she was thinking too much for Obi-Wan to be able to see anything. She began to climb further up the tree, her acrobatic agility not lost with age. Obi-Wan followed suit, trying to keep up. For a moment, she disappeared out of sight. She was next to him in an instant. "Sh," she whispered. "Come on." Then she showed Obi-Wan how she had switched trees. She aimed and leapt off the branch they had been standing on. With stunning flexibility and coordination, she grabbed a branch of the tree in front of her in mid air. Then she pulled herself up onto it. "Got it? Let's go," she told him. She continued to do the same thing and Obi-Wan again had to race along with her, using the Force for guidance. After traveling this way for quite a while, Cerasi stopped, Obi-Wan close by. She was silent for a moment, listening, then she dropped some 20 feet to the ground, landing on her feet. She called to Obi-Wan to do the same, and he did without as much grace. "Who were those men back there?" asked Obi-Wan as they began to walk in the same general direction that they had been going previously. "That, Obi-Wan, was who I thought YOU were. Assassins," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't understand," he replied, "Why are they trying to kill you?" Cerasi shot him a look. "Listen, it's a really long story. I'll tell you later, right now we need to hurry." "Where are we going?" "My original destination. You'll see."
The two journeyed all day, stopping only necessarily to rest. They ate their meals on foot and didn't stop when night came. At the earliest sign of dawn, they came to a structure. It looked like the ruins of some sort of temple. Cerasi gave a cry at the sight of it, and ran to the place. The pair were greatly fatigued and Obi-Wan caught up with her a minute later. He watched as she placed her hands in a short sequence on something that had used to be a pillar. A passageway appeared in the ground. Cerasi seemed relieved at the sight of it, and she led Obi- Wan down a staircase. The trapdoor closed when they had gone all the way down and for a short time, they were in total darkness. Suddenly, Cerasi very quickly said, "Alright, listen. Whatever you do, you can't tell anybody who you really are. Follow my lead, and mostly, don't call me-" Another door slid open, and Cerasi said no more. Bright lights glared at Obi-Wan and he had to blink a few times to let his eyes adjust. Cerasi looked at him worriedly one last time before she changed her demeanor completely. She was grand, regal. A man in uniform appeared to greet the pair. "Your Honour," he said, respectfully bowing. Cerasi held out her hand. The man touched it and then brought his own hand to his chest. Cerasi did the same. "It is good to see you, Lady Ka'ilea." "Likewise, sergeant," she replied. "I trust all is well here?" "Everything's fine, allow me to escort you to your quarters." "Thank you, sergeant. This is Reuben Nobe, a trusted friend and advisor. He will be with me for some time." She said, indicating Obi-Wan who bowed, a little surprised. The sergeant bowed as well and offered his arm to Cerasi who took it. They began walking. Obi-Wan followed behind. His surroundings reminded him of Queen Veda's courtroom from many years before. Beauty and comfort was emphasized in everything he looked at. Shortly, they reached Cerasi's apartment, and the two were left to clean up and get some rest, with questions on Obi-Wan's part. He looked at her expectantly. "Alright, alright," she said. "Listen carefully." And she began.
"My name is really Cerasi. I haven't changed. At least, that's what I'm told. I can't remember anything from before I was fourteen. Melida/Daan is governed by a cabinet, a council. The peace on the planet has not been forgotten. After a few years with the government I was officially named Ka'ilea. A nice young man helped me get through most of my years, and I've lived with him for a while. He's the person who told me about you. I discovered who I was a few years ago, and I still haven't gotten all the answers. Now I need it for security. Only my closest friends, relatives and enemies know that about me. And Nield, of course. That's another reason I thought you were an assassin. I've dealt with a few in the past." "Before they could say bounty hunter?" asked Obi-Wan. Cerasi glared at him. "You wouldn't believe it. But you," she paused, her expression changing. "I can remember you.." She tried to remember something. Obi-Wan's heart wept for his old friend. He forced himself to be a little more serious. "Ka'ilea?" he ventured. She recomposed herself. "I'm sorry. Lately, the Peace has been, well, off balance. The Twelve has been threatened. One of us was killed a week ago, and-" "Wait," said Obi-Wan. "Where's Nield?" His companion sighed. "That's what I was going to tell you. He's gone missing. He's been lost for a month. We still don't know if he was abducted, killed or anything worse." At this she sank into a couch behind her. Her fierce pride, the fire in her eyes, drained. Not a fighter, not a leader. Just exhausted. Obi-Wan didn't know what to do. He sat down beside her silently. "He left his family behind as well as me. He married Deila. They have a daughter, Flame. Beautiful child. She," Cerasi paused, a small smile on her face. Then she looked up at Obi-Wan. "She's my Padawan." She turned away, and the two sat in silence for a while. Eventually, Cerasi spoke again. "You should rest. Get some sleep. We have to find your boy." Obi-Wan didn't move for a while, then he stood up and bowed. "Good night, Your Honour." Cerasi smiled. "Good night, Ben."
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"What are you doing, Mister Anakin?" The child's voice caught Anakin by surprise and he dropped to the ground in the middle of a complex jump. Joluca gave a cry of surprise, but he didn't run away. "Ugh," said Anakin. He got up, hurting slightly, and approached the boy. He bent to come face to face with Joluca. "Well, where I come from, I have to practice these patterns everyday. They are called katae." He smiled, and Joluca smiled back. Anakin patted him on the head and stood up to begin his exercise again. Just as he started the first movement, he heard again, "Can I watch?" Anakin sighed. "Alright. But be quiet," he said in a friendly tone. Joluca broke into a wide grin and he ran to sit down and observe. Anakin proceeded. "Joluca, breakfast," called Caliere from somewhere. Joluca was still watching Anakin, transfixed. "Luc, adi, come and eat your food," she called again. Then her little brother jumped up and made his way towards his sister. "I'm coming, nai," he replied, disappearing into another room. A minute or so later, Caliere came out carrying a tray with some food on it. She waited patiently until Anakin finished performing the kata. When he stopped, he turned to her. "Good morning, Miss K'yn," he greeted. She paused, a little surprised. "Morning, Skywalker," she said. "Here," she continued before setting the tray down. "Breakfast. We've got a busy day." "No problems sleeping at all, thanks for asking," said Anakin, his teenage side getting the better of him. Caliere rolled her eyes. "Eat quickly," said her retreating figure.
**************************************************************************** ** "Thanks for everything, I swear something just came up like that. Noone else was free on such short notice you know." Anakin stood quietly as Caliere talked to her friend about Joluca. He was wearing a long black outfit which resembled a flight suit and his cloak, and Caliere was dressed the same way. "Just do the same things that you always do. Make sure he gets a nap and everything," she was saying. Evae listened patiently to this; she had heard it plenty of times before. "I'll be back at the usual times. Luc knows what to do." "Chill, honey. It's not like it ain't gonna be like every other day Luc comes to visit with Nai Eve keto right?" then she turned to Joluca. "Mei, Luc ngkite maki khedalm ruma, prega." The little boy looked at Caliere, who ruffled his hair lovingly and said, "Prega, adi, I'll be home soon." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Luc walked into the apartment and Evae watched him. "Don't get killed or anything okay. Reo fyran," she told Caliere, holding up a hand. "I won't. Reo fyran," replied Anakin's companion. The two girls slapped palms together and held them in a clasp for a while before releasing.
As Caliere and Anakin made their way to the city, the Jedi asked, "What does 'reo fryin' mean?" Caliere gave a brief laugh, but didn't break her stride. "It's fyran, Skywalker. It means 'honor for hope'. Traditional, sort of," she told him. "Oh. The Jedi have something like that. My Master says it as if it were a greeting, but I don't think that's what it's meant to be," said Anakin. He fell silent as he thought about Obi-Wan. A few quiet minutes later, Caliere touched his shoulder, signaling a stop as they reached the beginning to a sort of hub near the boundaries of Zehava. She pulled her hood over her head and Anakin followed suit. "Can you do that mind thing to anyone?" she asked, adjusting the dagger in her boots. "Just about, as long as they're weak-minded," replied the young Jedi a little tentatively. His companion finished up. "Shouldn't be a problem then. I don't need more casualties on the way." she said. They walked through the city without much trouble and came to a stop behind a building. Caliere removed her hood and kneeled on a spot on the gravel. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on the ground before her, then said a few words. Bringing her palms together she struck the ground once and stood up, pushing her hair out of the way. Anakin watched, fascinated as she stuck a foot into the floor and disappeared under. He was taken aback and remained there for a moment. After a few seconds, her head popped out of the ground, slight annoyance in her eyes. "Are you coming?" she hissed urgently. "I, uh," was all Anakin could manage. "Listen, it's a holographic projection for thirty seconds after the ritual which is kinda running out for you, so come on!" she snapped impatiently before disappearing again. "Right. I get it," muttered Anakin. He hurried over to the spot where her head had been and stepped in. She was right, there was nothing but thin air. The instant he had disappeared completely, he heard a small noise as the hole in the ground closed up.
A/n ii - okay, so they didn't meet up, we practically know nothing about Cerasi and a freaky new character is around. I don't intend for Anakin and Caliere to do anything romantic, but I don't intend for a lot of things to happen, I'm so sorry. Ben and Cerasi? Er..well, when I first did this thing, that was the main idea, but at the moment I'm a little tentative. Again, suggestions please. And of course, review! Still love ya