Chapter 4

Dinner and Dancing

In which teasing goes too far.

Obi-Wan came rocketing back to full awareness because of the smell. It was strong, nearby, and delicious. Throwing back the blankets he climbed to his feet and hurried into the main room. The captain stood in the galley, dishing mounds of food onto two plates. She eyed his disheveled appearance with amusement, but refrained from commenting upon it. "Whatever faults you may have Kenobi, bad timing isn't one of them." She gestured to a seat and set a heaping plate before it. "You're just in time to skip the work."

"Your talents in this area far exceed my own Captain. Any assistance I might provide would likely be more of a hindrance than any real help." So saying, Obi-Wan seated himself and attacked the steaming portions with gusto. Taking the stool beside him, Jerika watched him inhale his food and smiled with that special enjoyment reserved for cooks whose efforts are appreciated. He finished before she was more than half way through her smaller portion.

"May I?" He waved his plate at the leftovers on the stove.

"Of course, I'm used to feeding hungry spacers. Which is all to the good since I had no idea Jedi were bottomless pits."

As Obi-Wan refilled his plate he smiled, this morning seemingly unaffected by her teasing. "Often I am required to go without food for long periods of time. When food is available, I fill up." Then he grinned, that terrible heart-stopping smile, suddenly so charming with his messy bed – hair and twinkling eyes that she froze with the fork halfway to her mouth. "And the food in the temple is never this good." He was pleased and more than a little surprised to see her blush.

But she regained control quickly, swallowing and smiling, "You're welcome."

"See what I mean about the increasing traffic in Tancho spice? And these other ingredients are all for performance enhancement." Obi-Wan gestured to the screen in the workstation before them where they had gone after cleaning up the dishes.

She nodded but didn't look pleased, "And it's not centered on one or two systems, it's spread all over the galaxy…damn-it! You're right, it does look like some one is building an army." She pulled up another screen. "Certain industrial-grade metals are fast disappearing too! But who'd want to start an inter-galactic war? The Republic has problems, plenty in my book, but it's the most workable system we have – war won't fix those problems."

"That's why going through your database is so vital. We need to trace these shipments." His face was hard with concern and determination. And as she watched him he lifted one hand and stroked his beard, his expression lost none of its seriousness, but the gesture was charming nonetheless. She found herself wanting to sigh and just watch him for the next thousand years or so.

Handsome, easy to tease, likes my cooking, smart – why oh why does he have to be a Force-damned Jedi knight hero! Goddess you are cruel! She sighed out loud and quickly returned her eyes to the screen to cover the real reason for her sigh. Thus she missed his glance when she sighed, and the way his gaze lingered on the smooth column of her neck. She spoke without looking up, "Then we better keep searching."

The communication terminal chime pulled Anakin from his meditation just as he was getting started. Leaping to his feet, the gangly teenager ran to the unit set in the wall and a holo image of his master appeared before him.

Anakin bowed, "Greetings Master. How are you? You're not hurt are you? Did you get the spice?"

"Anakin-"

"Master Windu said you had to escape with a smuggler-"

"Padawan-"

"Is she scary? Most of the smugglers on Tatooine were really nasty-"

"Anakin Skywalker be silent!" The boy froze, looking surprised and embarrassed, "I am quite well, no injuries, and no, I did not get the spice." Obi-Wan took a deep breath and let go of his anger, he'd gotten plenty of practice in the last four years. "As for the captain who assisted me – Jerika, this is my apprentice Anakin Skywalker. Padawan, this is Captain Delorolo." Anakin watched as the smuggler appeared beside his master. Like Obi-Wan he was surprised to see that the smuggler was young, human, and very pretty. Not like his Padme of course, no one was, but still-. He recovered from the shock and bowed formally.

"I am pleased to meet you Captain."

"Likewise Jedi Skywalker."

Anakin flushed with pleasure. At thirteen years old he was called 'apprentice' and 'padawan', never the actual title of Jedi.

"Your teacher has told me much about you. I hear you are quite an, oh, 'energetic' student."

"Master!"

Obi-Wan just managed to keep any show of emotion from his features.

Anakin fumed visibly, and Jerika could already see him planning Obi-Wan's doom. Much as the idea of leaving the Jedi to his apprentice's tender mercies appealed to her, even Jerika could not be that cruel. "Relax Anakin, he has said nothing but good of you."

The boy blushed, "I, uh, um, Captain I do my best."

She smiled, "I'm certain you do. No doubt Jedi Kenobi has reason for all the glowing descriptions of your performance."

Under such praise the agitation melted from his face, "I certainly hope so Captain."

"Ani, please tell Master Windu that the Captain and I have not yet completed the investigation of her sources. We should have some information for him in a day or two."

"I shall tell him my master."

"I'll contact you when we have new information or there is a change in plans."

"Good hunting Master." The boy grinned impudently.

Obi-Wan's grin answered, "May the force be with you Padawan." He disconnected the transmission.

"Well, looks like that one's a handful." Jerika grinned wickedly and raised her eyebrows; "I bet he drives you crazy."

"Anakin is a good student, he's very intelligent." Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly.

"Top of his class too?"

"Yes in spite of starting years later."

"Force, how is it you're still sane?"

"I'm not sure."

They locked eyes and simultaneously burst out laughing. Obi-Wan recovered first, "Ah – ha –heh – Some days it's all I can do not to grab the little sithspawn and choke the life out of him."

"And sometimes you love him so much it feels like a physical pain to know he's not really your son."

Obi-Wan's mouth fell open and he stared at her in amazement. On the surface she was a rough-and-ready fighter, clever, carefree and not overly thoughtful, but then she'd come out with these incredibly perceptive assessments that left him stunned.

"He's ahead in his classes, so he's a hero to some and others are terribly jealous." She continued with her analysis, "He finishes every task you set him, even with extra, so he has time on his hands to get into mischief. One minute he's putting glue in your boots, the next he's throwing his arms around you, just happy you're his teacher."

He nodded mutely.

"You're the first person who chose to love him for himself. Even his parents loved him because he was their son."

"Mother only, no father, and they were slaves when my master found the boy." His voice was dry, devoid of emotion, but terrible sadness and anger lingered in his eyes – and perhaps, just a little shame.

"No!" She leapt to her feet and clenched her fists at her sides, growling the angry denial. "Wretched slavers are turning this galaxy into a toilet!" Jerika paced back and forth, muttering angrily to herself. She paused and kicked a nearby chair. It fell over and slammed into the low wall that divided the food-prep area from the main room. Obi-Wan watched in fascination as she quickly got herself once more under control. Being a master practitioner of meditation, he was always fascinated by the methods used by non-Jedi.

When she resumed her seat beside him, Obi-Wan stared in shock. The fury of a minute before had vanished and now her eyes were filled with a compassion that previous experience told him this cynical smuggler was not capable of. Even more disturbing, this compassion appeared to be mostly for him, not for the slaves she had been lamenting only a moment ago. She covered one of his hands with her own. "The poor boy! Trying to live up to this life you lead after surviving as a slave, I don't know how that's possible. And it makes it doubly hard for you too, having to train him and be harsh with him and wanting only to comfort him."

His first instinct was to shake off her hand and dismiss her concern, to appear the stoic warrior and protect himself from her wit. Instead he covered her hand with his other and squeezed them together lightly, closing his eyes, just for a moment taking comfort as a person, not a Jedi.

"So now you are his father, and he loves you but he tests your love every day."

"In as many ways as he can think of." He nodded, sighing.

"Your council sent you away to give you a little break as much as to accomplish this mission, didn't they?"

"Perhaps." He straightened and released her hand, "That doesn't mean the business at hand is not important." Climbing to his feet, he squared his shoulders and she watched him visibly become the Jedi once again. "But nine hours of research is enough for one day, let's have something to eat."

The young man leaned back with a sigh. I'm going to get fat! No one cooks like this at home! She's not really like any woman I've ever known. All the women he had known were fellow Jedi or diplomats. The former were calm, confident, and gentle. The latter were polished, professional, and smooth. Jerika seemed to have a galaxy's worth of confidence, but there the similarities stopped. He never knew what she would do or say next. One minute she was intelligent and thoughtful, the next relentless in her attempts to get under his skin, quick to anger, quick to forgive, and she was so passionate - about everything! In short, she fascinated him.

Her voice ended his introspection, "Delorolo to Kenobi, come in Kenobi – is this frequency jammed?" She reached a hand out and tugged his ear.

"Pardon me, I was thinking, what did you say?"

"Jedi or not, you are definitely a guy." She drug out the pronunciation of the last word, while rolling her eyes dramatically, then turned back to the kitchen.

Obi-Wan jumped up to help her, "You were in doubt of this?" He took the towel she offered and then the dish to wipe the sanitizer off it.

She looked him up and down, "Not really, but one wonders sometimes. What had you so lost in thought that you didn't hear me?" There was that expression again. The faint smile and laughing eyes that said he was there solely for her entertainment.

Enough of this, time to turn the tables "You actually." He reached to take the next dish from her hand, but it wouldn't budge. Their gazes locked and her lips parted, then she lowered her eyes and released the dish. He nearly dropped it, but recovered in time and smiled. One up on her at last, how marvelous.

Turning from the sink, she moved to wipe down the counters, deliberately keeping her back to him. He sighed in frustration and set the last dish in the cupboard. When she still ignored him he went to one of the repair bays and removed various tools, unclipping his lightsaber from his belt, he took the weapon apart, carefully cleaning each piece.

"I never knew you had to do that." Recovered from her earlier embarrassment, she reached out to pick up a ring-shaped section, but he caught her hand before she could touch one of the parts and, without looking up, carefully set her hand down on the table, then had to fight the sudden urge to continue to hold it.

"Do not touch any of these Captain, please."

"Why not?"

He resisted the temptation to tell her 'Because I said so.' "Because each piece is attuned to my signature within the Force."

"What the hell does that mean?" Nonetheless, she pulled her hand back from the part and held both hands clutched to her middle.

"I perform a light meditation whenever I take the weapon apart. When I constructed it I used a deep mediation so the entire construction would be attuned to me. No one else can repair it." He finished cleaning the pieces and reassembled the handle. Once the weapon was whole again he stood and thumbed it on. The brilliant blue blade described an arc around his head as he tested it out to make sure it was in working order again.

Jerika stepped back, her eyes watching closely. He noticed her attention and decided to see if he could put her off guard again. With slow, precise steps, he moved through the first lightsaber kata, then the second. Obi-Wan progressed through all seven levels, each faster and more complex than the last.

She relaxed against the wall, her stance unconcerned with her arms loosely folded and one foot extended the other bent back, but her eyes were locked on his every move. The only sounds in the room were the hum of the blade and the slap of his boots on the floor, echoing off the high rocky ceiling. The final move was a twist into a triple backwards summersault and he added a turn, giving more thrust to his last leap so that he landed facing her, the beam of light mere centimeters from her face.

They stood like that, eyes locked over the blue glow until he flicked the switch and the blade disappeared.

"What an incredible performance, that was amazing." For once she appeared truly impressed, her eyes bright and her smile wide.

Obi-Wan bowed.

"You're not even sweating!" She stepped up to him, searching his face.

"Of course not. That's the point of the exercise, to use the Force, not just your muscles."

"Just-just beautiful, like a dance. Is there a version where two people do it?"

"Yes, that's how we learn to fight an opponent."

"Or work together?"

"Exactly."

"So, you know how to dance with a partner."

"Dance with a – " His eyes narrowed, "Captain, I believe you are trying to flirt with me."

"And doing a pretty piss-poor job of it if it only rates as 'trying'."

Having clipped the saber to his belt, Obi-Wan's hands were free. He closed the short distance between them and closed his hands around her upper arms, pinning them to her sides. "You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met." He leaned down and kissed her, his lips almost bruising hers. When he broke the kiss she grinned, only making him madder.

"And do you usually kiss the women who annoy you? How annoying do I have to be to get you to sleep with me?"

His eyes bulged and his face went dark red, making her nervous. The hands that held her arms were powerful, she could feel it. Oops, maybe making him angry was a bad idea.

Obi-Wan saw the fear surge up behind her eyes at the same moment he realized how tightly he was holding her arms. He let go, embarrassed and angry with himself, lowering his eyes to the floor, "Forgive me Captain, I'm not sure what came over me…"

She grabbed his retreating hands, "No don't – " He looked up again and she saw the anger had vanished, replaced by fear, fear of the feelings she could see were welling up inside him as they threatened to overwhelm her. "Don't let go, please."

He shook his head, "No, I can't do this, y-you and I are so –"

"Different?" She jerked away from him then, turning her back and folding her arms, "Yes we are. Go then. You have all the information you need! There's another ship here, take it and go back to your safe little life. I had no idea Jedi were such cowards!" she hissed with fury.

"Cowards!" He snarled, catching one of her arms and whirling her back to face him, "I am a Jedi, I'm not afraid of anything!"

"You are!" She yelled back, "You're afraid of me! Afraid of your feelings and the inconvenience they might cause you!" Jerika squirmed and tried to pull away.

"No." He held her with his left arm and reached up with his right hand to run his fingers down the side of her face. "The only thing I'm afraid of is hurting you."

She froze, feeling his hand tremble against her cheek, "I'm pretty tough."

"Yes, I know." He bent and kissed her again. This time his lips brushed lightly over hers, once, twice, then pressed down, capturing her mouth to stroke her lips with his. Her lips parted and he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, and then let his tongue pull gently on hers. When their lips parted he tilted his head, rubbing his nose against hers, turning to kiss her cheek, bending to slide his mouth down her neck to the base of her throat, lingering in the hollow.

"Oh my, oh, O-Obi-Wan…"

"Ssshh, hush Captain, no matter how much fun they are, no more arguments tonight."