Sabé got over her confusion from her meeting with Palpatine, and she was as
good as new by the time she arrived at Obi-Wan's apartment. They had
nothing to do since Roth and Beula were taking care of it, so Obi-Wan had
promised to start showing her how to make a light saber.
She typed in the security code and walked right in. She hadn't felt comfortable enough to do that before, but now it was just Obi-Wan and Anakin. Neither of them would mind.
Inside the apartment, Anakin was levitating something in front of him, practicing the Jedi arts, and Obi-Wan was sitting in front of a personal computer, staring at the screen with a look of blank confusion.
"Hey!" Anakin cried as the object he was levitating fell to the ground. "Why'd you do that?"
Sabé pulled out a piece of scrap paper from her cloak. "Will you forgive me if I give you Padmé's comm frequency?" she asked, using the plan she and Obi-Wan had worked out to get Anakin out of the way.
Anakin jumped up and ran to her, grabbing the paper with numbers and looking at it with starry eyes. "Are you serious?" He looked up at Sabé with pained eyes. "Do you think she even wants to talk to me?"
"Of course she does, Ani," Sabé reassured him. "Why don't you use the comm in your room for privacy?"
Anakin didn't need to be asked twice. He was out of the room in a flash. Sabé walked over to Obi-Wan, sitting at the breakfast bar, and sat in the stool across from him. "What's wrong?"
Obi-Wan turned off his computer and leaned over to give her a peck on the lips. As he pulled away, he looked contemplative. After a moment, he replied. "Sabé, tell me about your parents."
Sabé was a little surprised at his question, but she answered anyway. "My mom stayed at home and schooled me. My dad worked at the Palace of Theed. That's how I ended up being Padmé's bodyguard," she said, saying the first things that came to her mind.
Obi-Wan nodded along. "And your dad. Did you look like him?"
Sabé shrugged. "I don't know. I guess so. Why are you asking me all this?"
Obi-Wan ignored her questions. "How far back does your family tree go? Living on Naboo, I mean."
"Far," Sabé replied. "Both my mother and father came from prestigious families. My grandfather on my dad's side was Senator for a few years."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "There's something terribly wrong here."
"Gee, thanks." Sabé took one of Obi-Wan's hands in her own and looked at him imploringly. "Tell me what's wrong, Obi-Wan."
"I was just looking on the holonet. I even hacked into a few places. I've been wondering about your heritage for years now, and I finally found the incentive to do something about it." Obi-Wan paused. "Sabé, the reason you weren't tested for the Jedi temple was that Naboo has a population of Jedi at zero. For thousands of years, not one Jedi has been found on the planet. They eventually just gave up testing babies."
Sabé's heart began pounding in her chest. "What does this mean?" she whispered. "Do you think that it was the Force?"
"It could be," Obi-Wan admitted. "I don't think that's it though. This is something much simpler than that, I can feel it. I'm just not sure what it is I'm feeling."
Sabé tried to absorb the information that he was giving her. "What are you saying?" she asked breathlessly after a minute. "I was adopted?"
"I'm not saying anything," Obi-Wan said gently. "I have no idea what's going on, but, yes, it's possible that you could be adopted."
Sabé jumped off of the bence defensively. "I have my mother's eyes and hair," she informed him heatedly. "How can you explain that, if I'm adopted? And . . . my mother . . . she and I have a bond that could never be that of two *strangers*."
Obi-Wan stood up and pulled Sabé close, whispering soothing words. Sabé tensed at first, but then she melted against him as he slowly stroked her hair. "It just doesn't feel right," she finally murmered.
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan apologized. "I should have waited to tell you--"
"No." Sabé pulled back slightly from his embrace and met his eyes. "I'm glad that you told me. I don't want you keeping anything from me."
"Okay," Obi-Wan agreed simply. He leaned down and kissed her softly, an apologetic touching of lips. Sabé wrenched one hand onto his neck and pulled him down, pressing hard against his lips and using her tongue to ask for entrance. Obi-Wan didn't seem to mind the change of attitude at all. He eagerly drank from her lips, pulling her closer and letting himself just enjoy her.
"Sabé, Pad-- Whoa!"
Sabé pulled abruptly away from Obi-Wan while staying in his arms. Anakin had entered the living room, and he looked like he couldn't decide whether to be disgusted or to start laughing. "What?" she asked, trying to get his attention to what he had come in for.
Anakin grinned. "So *that's* what Roth meant the other night."
Obi-Wan let go of Sabé's waist and ran a hand through his hair. Sabé smirked at the gesture. She loved it when he did that. "What do you want, Ani?" Obi-Wan asked tiredly.
"Padmé wanted to talk to Sabé, but I'll just tell her that you're busy," Anakin offered.
"Tell her I'll comm her later tonight," Sabé added. Anakin nodded and left the room. Apparently his master making out with her wasn't enough to keep him away from Padmé for long.
"Sorry about that," Obi-Wan muttered. "Shouldn't have lost control . . ."
"Believe me, I didn't mind."
Obi-Wan smirked at her, then eyed her obviously. "Well . . ."
"Let's not get sidetracked," Sabé said. "I came over here for you to start teaching me how to make a lightsaber, and I plan on leaving with a little bit of that accomplished."
"That can be arranged," Obi-Wan said reluctantly. "For a price."
"I see where this is going."
"Let me take you out again. This time just us," Obi-Wan continued.
Sabé couldn't help smiling. "Okay," she said simply.
Obi-Wan smiled back, a little bit shyly if she wasn't mistaken. "Great. Then we have no problem. I have everything set up on the coffee table."
* * * * *
Roth and Beula were on Lark in no time, and Roth easily found a place to park the ship for the next few days. He was overly fond of using the Force to tilt people's thoughts to what he wanted. Most Jedi frowned upon it, especially Obi-Wan, but Roth had seen a few changes in him over the years. Obi-Wan was willing to use the Force as his aid on occasion.
Roth dressed in his Jedi robes for once, and he instructed Beula to do the same. They needed authority if they were going to get into the palace without a call from the Chancellor. Roth was beginning to wonder if they had moved to rashly. Should they have gotten Palpatine in on it before they left? He shook of his wonderings. Obi-Wan and Sabé could deal with that now. It wasn't his problem anymore.
Roth met Beula just outside of the ship, on the docking bay, and they went into the city of Gaiku. It didn't take them long to find directions to the palace, and thanks to Roth, they found a man who conveniently gave them his landspeeder. Beula reminded Roth that he could have just rented one, but Roth complained that rented ones were also in bad shape and that he was on the case of the Chancellor's assassin. Beula reminded him that she was too, and they quickly got into an argument.
The heated words were playful, as usual, but Roth could feel the change in their relationship. He felt closer to Beula, and he knew that, in turn, she felt closer to him. Talking out the night before had been one of the only smart things he'd done in his life. Choosing Beula as an apprentice was amoung the small list of smart things he'd done. They were attuned to each other more closely than Roth had ever been to his Master, and he was convinced that they would go far. They might even become as famous as Obi- Wan and Anakin someday.
Once they got the palace, it wasn't so easy anymore. The guards that surrounded the place weren't very weak-willed, and even with Beula and Roth working together, they couldn't convince them to let them through.
"We really *are* Jedi," Roth insisted hotly. "See the robes?"
"Anybody could wear those robes." "Who would want to?" Roth retorted, disgusted. "I mean willingly."
"You two," the guard replied smartly.
"We're searching for a fugitive, and we have reason to believe that he's in this palace," Beula broke in, using her calm voice to try and make up for Roth's repeated sarcasm.
"Look, little girl, I'm sorry, but we can't let you in," another guard said. "We don't have any message from either the Jedi Temple or the Senate."
Roth let out an angry breath. "That's because this isn't exactly public! Look, I can get the Chancellor to talk to you, if you want, but I'm sure that he'd be very angry. And I know from experience that he's not a fun guy when he's angry. Especially if he has Zoilo with him."
Beula nodded seriously. "We're not kidding either."
"Come back when you have proof," the guard said, pretending to yawn.
Roth sighed and shrugged. "All right then." In one flash, he had his lightsaber in his hand and turned it on. The guard looked startled, as if he was afraid that Roth was going to attack him. But instead, Roth turned around and crashed the blade down onto Beula. As he expected, she already had her blade out and was rashly defending herself. She knew what was going on. Roth's smile grew as they twisted and twirled, delicately slamming lightsaber against lightsaber as they put on a show for the guards. Yeah, they were attuned all right.
In unison, he and Beula shut off their lightsabers and stood, looking daringly at the guards. "Do you believe that we're Jedi now?" Roth asked. He wasn't out of breath, but his heart was pumping with the thrill of it. Never would he get over the personal joys he got from a lightsaber battle, even a mock one.
The guard that seemed to be in charge nodded numbly. "I guess so," he said weakly.
Another guard pulled a commlink out of his sleeve and turned it on. "We've got some vistors," he said into the commlink. "They want to speak with you and the Queen." He must have got a reply, because a second later he shoved the commlink back up his sleeve and gestured for Roth and Beula to follow him.
Beula looked taken aback by the beauty of the palace as they went from hallway to hallway. She looked around her in awe. Roth shook his head sadly. He wouldn't understand that part of her that was a girl.
All of me is a girl, thank you, Beula replied, invading his thoughts.
Roth didn't even flinch. Maybe you should show me sometime.
Beula rolled her eyes. Yeah. Keep on dreaming, Jedi-boy.
The light conversation made Roth even more at ease. He was confident, and he was going to do what he came to do. Regardless of how many lightsaber fights he had to get into with Beula.
Unfortunately for him, it didn't come to that. They were quickly led into a room where a man and woman introduced as the King and Queen greeted them. It seemed to be an office of some sort, but Roth quickly focused in on the two people instead of his surroundings. The slightest wink of an eye could give something away.
The guard left, staying at the door, as Roth's Jedi senses told him, and he and Beula were asked to sit down on a comfortable yet stylish couch across from the King and Queen.
The Queen gave her husband a nervous look. He must have given her a signal, because she quickly sobered and turned a cool gaze onto Roth and Beula. "You are Jedi, I suppose?" she asked, pointedly eyeing their attire.
She's a smart one, Beula cracked dryly.
"Jedi Sagiv," Roth said briefly, holding out a hand.
"Jedi Guiseppa," Beula said afterwards. Her eyes were cold and indifferent. Roth felt something akin to pride inside of him. Beula was good. This was the first time she'd been introduced to royalty on a mission like this. He was glad once again that they'd gotten out of "babysitting" the Chancellor.
"Greetings," Queen Fluharty said, nodding briefly. "To what to we owe this pleasure?"
"I'm going to be blunt," Roth said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. "We believe that you are hiding a fugitive here in your palace."
The King and Queen looked properly affronted. "I beg your pardon!" King Fluharty interjected.
"Let me correct Jedi Sagiv here," Beula said. "We *know* that you are hiding a fugitive. His name is Clemens Lorcan, and he's wanted for attempted assassination on our Chancellor, Dantuis Palpatine." She smiled. "But you already know all of this."
The Queen brought a hand to her chest. "Whatever would make you think--"
Roth interrupted. "We have recordings of a certain comm conversation between you and Gemina Yrrk. There's no need to deny anything."
The two stood frozen for a minute, not even glancing at each other. The King finally broke, his voice softer than before. "What do you want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Beula snorted. "We're here to get Lorcan."
The two didn't move.
Roth sighed. "Look, we know you have him. Bring him here. If you attempt to keep him from us, then we will have reason to arrest you as well. Don't think that the Senate just sent two Jedi either. They're a lot smarter than that."
King Fluharty gave up. "Just a moment please," he said icily.
* * * * *
Sabé was true to her word. That evening, she allowed Obi-Wan to take her out to an expensive restaurant. Anakin, sadly, had to stay at home. He didn't seem to mind though. Sabé could already see the wheels turning in his head. He was going to tease Obi-Wan mercilessly when he got back.
"This is nice," Sabé said softly as they sat down.
"I know. You're not wearing one of your flight suits," Obi-Wan said, smiling. "Not that I'm complaining about them or anything."
"I clean up rather nicely, don't I?" Sabé said unashamedly, giving him a sultry look.
"I already knew that," Obi-Wan told her. He cleared his throat suddenly. She saw his hand twitch as if wanting to run through his hair, but he had the constraint to stop himself. "I'm not used to doing this kind of thing. Is this . . . romantic enough?"
Sabé raised her eyebrows as she looked around. "I wouldn't know. One thing you can be glad to hear, Obi-Wan, is that I don't require flowers, candy, or love letters." She smiled. "Though if you decided to treat me every once in awhile, I wouldn't mind terribly."
"I'll keep that in mind," Obi-Wan murmered as the waiter came. It was a human waiter instead of a droid, and she took their drinks, promising to come back when they had decided on something to eat.
Sabé looked down at the menu in front of her. "I'm at a loss," she finally said. She looked up and met Obi-Wan's eyes. "You know, I've never been to a place like this except as Palpatine's bodyguard."
"I try to avoid these places at all costs," Obi-Wan confided. "I hate the stuffy people that eat at these restaurants."
The waiter came back in record time, and Obi-Wan and Sabé stayed safe by ordering the special.
Afterwards, Sabé felt a little awkward. As was her usual style, she blurted out what she was thinking. "With Roth and Beula getting Lorcan, this case is probably going to be closed soon," she said extremely casually.
Obi-Wan sighed. "I know. But we're both on planet. You are staying with Palpatine, right?"
"As far as I can see ahead, yes."
"Then we can still be together," Obi-Wan, a touch of finality in his voice.
"It's not that easy though," Sabé protested, breeching the subject. "I know what your Jedi missions are like. You're off planet more than you are on. And when you're in the Temple, you're probably going to be busy."
"I'll make time for you," Obi-Wan promised loyally. He reached across the table and took her hand in his, delicately holding it at the center of the white tablecloth. He smiled slightly. "And when we're apart, you can expect exceedingly long, mushy love letters from me. I'll send you three a day."
"You'd better not," Sabé said quickly. They both smiled at the intensity in her voice. She coughed slightly. "Just, um, don't lose touch."
"I will write you," Obi-Wan said seriously. "And we can comm each other all the time. Then when I'm on planet, I'll spend every waking second with you."
"Is it going to be like that for the rest of our lives?" Sabé asked bluntly.
Obi-Wan contemplated this for a moment. Finally, he answered. "I don't know for sure. I don't want it to be that way. But, Sabé, for the time being, we'll have to make do. It's never going to be easy for us."
"I know." Sabé smiled a little sadly. "I guess I should have thought of that before I fell head over heels for a Jedi."
"I doubt it would have stopped you," Obi-Wan said. "At least, I hope it wouldn't have stopped you."
"I don't think anything could have stopped me," Sabé admitted. She smiled slyly. "Not with you attacking me with your lips every day."
Obi-Wan pretended to be offended. "Hey! You weren't so innocent yourself." He shrugged. "Besides, I tried to stay away from you."
"Inevitable, isn't it?" Sabé said, her voice a little dreamy.
Obi-Wan looked at her face across the table in a way that made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. "Yeah," he repeated softly, "inevitable."
She typed in the security code and walked right in. She hadn't felt comfortable enough to do that before, but now it was just Obi-Wan and Anakin. Neither of them would mind.
Inside the apartment, Anakin was levitating something in front of him, practicing the Jedi arts, and Obi-Wan was sitting in front of a personal computer, staring at the screen with a look of blank confusion.
"Hey!" Anakin cried as the object he was levitating fell to the ground. "Why'd you do that?"
Sabé pulled out a piece of scrap paper from her cloak. "Will you forgive me if I give you Padmé's comm frequency?" she asked, using the plan she and Obi-Wan had worked out to get Anakin out of the way.
Anakin jumped up and ran to her, grabbing the paper with numbers and looking at it with starry eyes. "Are you serious?" He looked up at Sabé with pained eyes. "Do you think she even wants to talk to me?"
"Of course she does, Ani," Sabé reassured him. "Why don't you use the comm in your room for privacy?"
Anakin didn't need to be asked twice. He was out of the room in a flash. Sabé walked over to Obi-Wan, sitting at the breakfast bar, and sat in the stool across from him. "What's wrong?"
Obi-Wan turned off his computer and leaned over to give her a peck on the lips. As he pulled away, he looked contemplative. After a moment, he replied. "Sabé, tell me about your parents."
Sabé was a little surprised at his question, but she answered anyway. "My mom stayed at home and schooled me. My dad worked at the Palace of Theed. That's how I ended up being Padmé's bodyguard," she said, saying the first things that came to her mind.
Obi-Wan nodded along. "And your dad. Did you look like him?"
Sabé shrugged. "I don't know. I guess so. Why are you asking me all this?"
Obi-Wan ignored her questions. "How far back does your family tree go? Living on Naboo, I mean."
"Far," Sabé replied. "Both my mother and father came from prestigious families. My grandfather on my dad's side was Senator for a few years."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "There's something terribly wrong here."
"Gee, thanks." Sabé took one of Obi-Wan's hands in her own and looked at him imploringly. "Tell me what's wrong, Obi-Wan."
"I was just looking on the holonet. I even hacked into a few places. I've been wondering about your heritage for years now, and I finally found the incentive to do something about it." Obi-Wan paused. "Sabé, the reason you weren't tested for the Jedi temple was that Naboo has a population of Jedi at zero. For thousands of years, not one Jedi has been found on the planet. They eventually just gave up testing babies."
Sabé's heart began pounding in her chest. "What does this mean?" she whispered. "Do you think that it was the Force?"
"It could be," Obi-Wan admitted. "I don't think that's it though. This is something much simpler than that, I can feel it. I'm just not sure what it is I'm feeling."
Sabé tried to absorb the information that he was giving her. "What are you saying?" she asked breathlessly after a minute. "I was adopted?"
"I'm not saying anything," Obi-Wan said gently. "I have no idea what's going on, but, yes, it's possible that you could be adopted."
Sabé jumped off of the bence defensively. "I have my mother's eyes and hair," she informed him heatedly. "How can you explain that, if I'm adopted? And . . . my mother . . . she and I have a bond that could never be that of two *strangers*."
Obi-Wan stood up and pulled Sabé close, whispering soothing words. Sabé tensed at first, but then she melted against him as he slowly stroked her hair. "It just doesn't feel right," she finally murmered.
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan apologized. "I should have waited to tell you--"
"No." Sabé pulled back slightly from his embrace and met his eyes. "I'm glad that you told me. I don't want you keeping anything from me."
"Okay," Obi-Wan agreed simply. He leaned down and kissed her softly, an apologetic touching of lips. Sabé wrenched one hand onto his neck and pulled him down, pressing hard against his lips and using her tongue to ask for entrance. Obi-Wan didn't seem to mind the change of attitude at all. He eagerly drank from her lips, pulling her closer and letting himself just enjoy her.
"Sabé, Pad-- Whoa!"
Sabé pulled abruptly away from Obi-Wan while staying in his arms. Anakin had entered the living room, and he looked like he couldn't decide whether to be disgusted or to start laughing. "What?" she asked, trying to get his attention to what he had come in for.
Anakin grinned. "So *that's* what Roth meant the other night."
Obi-Wan let go of Sabé's waist and ran a hand through his hair. Sabé smirked at the gesture. She loved it when he did that. "What do you want, Ani?" Obi-Wan asked tiredly.
"Padmé wanted to talk to Sabé, but I'll just tell her that you're busy," Anakin offered.
"Tell her I'll comm her later tonight," Sabé added. Anakin nodded and left the room. Apparently his master making out with her wasn't enough to keep him away from Padmé for long.
"Sorry about that," Obi-Wan muttered. "Shouldn't have lost control . . ."
"Believe me, I didn't mind."
Obi-Wan smirked at her, then eyed her obviously. "Well . . ."
"Let's not get sidetracked," Sabé said. "I came over here for you to start teaching me how to make a lightsaber, and I plan on leaving with a little bit of that accomplished."
"That can be arranged," Obi-Wan said reluctantly. "For a price."
"I see where this is going."
"Let me take you out again. This time just us," Obi-Wan continued.
Sabé couldn't help smiling. "Okay," she said simply.
Obi-Wan smiled back, a little bit shyly if she wasn't mistaken. "Great. Then we have no problem. I have everything set up on the coffee table."
* * * * *
Roth and Beula were on Lark in no time, and Roth easily found a place to park the ship for the next few days. He was overly fond of using the Force to tilt people's thoughts to what he wanted. Most Jedi frowned upon it, especially Obi-Wan, but Roth had seen a few changes in him over the years. Obi-Wan was willing to use the Force as his aid on occasion.
Roth dressed in his Jedi robes for once, and he instructed Beula to do the same. They needed authority if they were going to get into the palace without a call from the Chancellor. Roth was beginning to wonder if they had moved to rashly. Should they have gotten Palpatine in on it before they left? He shook of his wonderings. Obi-Wan and Sabé could deal with that now. It wasn't his problem anymore.
Roth met Beula just outside of the ship, on the docking bay, and they went into the city of Gaiku. It didn't take them long to find directions to the palace, and thanks to Roth, they found a man who conveniently gave them his landspeeder. Beula reminded Roth that he could have just rented one, but Roth complained that rented ones were also in bad shape and that he was on the case of the Chancellor's assassin. Beula reminded him that she was too, and they quickly got into an argument.
The heated words were playful, as usual, but Roth could feel the change in their relationship. He felt closer to Beula, and he knew that, in turn, she felt closer to him. Talking out the night before had been one of the only smart things he'd done in his life. Choosing Beula as an apprentice was amoung the small list of smart things he'd done. They were attuned to each other more closely than Roth had ever been to his Master, and he was convinced that they would go far. They might even become as famous as Obi- Wan and Anakin someday.
Once they got the palace, it wasn't so easy anymore. The guards that surrounded the place weren't very weak-willed, and even with Beula and Roth working together, they couldn't convince them to let them through.
"We really *are* Jedi," Roth insisted hotly. "See the robes?"
"Anybody could wear those robes." "Who would want to?" Roth retorted, disgusted. "I mean willingly."
"You two," the guard replied smartly.
"We're searching for a fugitive, and we have reason to believe that he's in this palace," Beula broke in, using her calm voice to try and make up for Roth's repeated sarcasm.
"Look, little girl, I'm sorry, but we can't let you in," another guard said. "We don't have any message from either the Jedi Temple or the Senate."
Roth let out an angry breath. "That's because this isn't exactly public! Look, I can get the Chancellor to talk to you, if you want, but I'm sure that he'd be very angry. And I know from experience that he's not a fun guy when he's angry. Especially if he has Zoilo with him."
Beula nodded seriously. "We're not kidding either."
"Come back when you have proof," the guard said, pretending to yawn.
Roth sighed and shrugged. "All right then." In one flash, he had his lightsaber in his hand and turned it on. The guard looked startled, as if he was afraid that Roth was going to attack him. But instead, Roth turned around and crashed the blade down onto Beula. As he expected, she already had her blade out and was rashly defending herself. She knew what was going on. Roth's smile grew as they twisted and twirled, delicately slamming lightsaber against lightsaber as they put on a show for the guards. Yeah, they were attuned all right.
In unison, he and Beula shut off their lightsabers and stood, looking daringly at the guards. "Do you believe that we're Jedi now?" Roth asked. He wasn't out of breath, but his heart was pumping with the thrill of it. Never would he get over the personal joys he got from a lightsaber battle, even a mock one.
The guard that seemed to be in charge nodded numbly. "I guess so," he said weakly.
Another guard pulled a commlink out of his sleeve and turned it on. "We've got some vistors," he said into the commlink. "They want to speak with you and the Queen." He must have got a reply, because a second later he shoved the commlink back up his sleeve and gestured for Roth and Beula to follow him.
Beula looked taken aback by the beauty of the palace as they went from hallway to hallway. She looked around her in awe. Roth shook his head sadly. He wouldn't understand that part of her that was a girl.
All of me is a girl, thank you, Beula replied, invading his thoughts.
Roth didn't even flinch. Maybe you should show me sometime.
Beula rolled her eyes. Yeah. Keep on dreaming, Jedi-boy.
The light conversation made Roth even more at ease. He was confident, and he was going to do what he came to do. Regardless of how many lightsaber fights he had to get into with Beula.
Unfortunately for him, it didn't come to that. They were quickly led into a room where a man and woman introduced as the King and Queen greeted them. It seemed to be an office of some sort, but Roth quickly focused in on the two people instead of his surroundings. The slightest wink of an eye could give something away.
The guard left, staying at the door, as Roth's Jedi senses told him, and he and Beula were asked to sit down on a comfortable yet stylish couch across from the King and Queen.
The Queen gave her husband a nervous look. He must have given her a signal, because she quickly sobered and turned a cool gaze onto Roth and Beula. "You are Jedi, I suppose?" she asked, pointedly eyeing their attire.
She's a smart one, Beula cracked dryly.
"Jedi Sagiv," Roth said briefly, holding out a hand.
"Jedi Guiseppa," Beula said afterwards. Her eyes were cold and indifferent. Roth felt something akin to pride inside of him. Beula was good. This was the first time she'd been introduced to royalty on a mission like this. He was glad once again that they'd gotten out of "babysitting" the Chancellor.
"Greetings," Queen Fluharty said, nodding briefly. "To what to we owe this pleasure?"
"I'm going to be blunt," Roth said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. "We believe that you are hiding a fugitive here in your palace."
The King and Queen looked properly affronted. "I beg your pardon!" King Fluharty interjected.
"Let me correct Jedi Sagiv here," Beula said. "We *know* that you are hiding a fugitive. His name is Clemens Lorcan, and he's wanted for attempted assassination on our Chancellor, Dantuis Palpatine." She smiled. "But you already know all of this."
The Queen brought a hand to her chest. "Whatever would make you think--"
Roth interrupted. "We have recordings of a certain comm conversation between you and Gemina Yrrk. There's no need to deny anything."
The two stood frozen for a minute, not even glancing at each other. The King finally broke, his voice softer than before. "What do you want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Beula snorted. "We're here to get Lorcan."
The two didn't move.
Roth sighed. "Look, we know you have him. Bring him here. If you attempt to keep him from us, then we will have reason to arrest you as well. Don't think that the Senate just sent two Jedi either. They're a lot smarter than that."
King Fluharty gave up. "Just a moment please," he said icily.
* * * * *
Sabé was true to her word. That evening, she allowed Obi-Wan to take her out to an expensive restaurant. Anakin, sadly, had to stay at home. He didn't seem to mind though. Sabé could already see the wheels turning in his head. He was going to tease Obi-Wan mercilessly when he got back.
"This is nice," Sabé said softly as they sat down.
"I know. You're not wearing one of your flight suits," Obi-Wan said, smiling. "Not that I'm complaining about them or anything."
"I clean up rather nicely, don't I?" Sabé said unashamedly, giving him a sultry look.
"I already knew that," Obi-Wan told her. He cleared his throat suddenly. She saw his hand twitch as if wanting to run through his hair, but he had the constraint to stop himself. "I'm not used to doing this kind of thing. Is this . . . romantic enough?"
Sabé raised her eyebrows as she looked around. "I wouldn't know. One thing you can be glad to hear, Obi-Wan, is that I don't require flowers, candy, or love letters." She smiled. "Though if you decided to treat me every once in awhile, I wouldn't mind terribly."
"I'll keep that in mind," Obi-Wan murmered as the waiter came. It was a human waiter instead of a droid, and she took their drinks, promising to come back when they had decided on something to eat.
Sabé looked down at the menu in front of her. "I'm at a loss," she finally said. She looked up and met Obi-Wan's eyes. "You know, I've never been to a place like this except as Palpatine's bodyguard."
"I try to avoid these places at all costs," Obi-Wan confided. "I hate the stuffy people that eat at these restaurants."
The waiter came back in record time, and Obi-Wan and Sabé stayed safe by ordering the special.
Afterwards, Sabé felt a little awkward. As was her usual style, she blurted out what she was thinking. "With Roth and Beula getting Lorcan, this case is probably going to be closed soon," she said extremely casually.
Obi-Wan sighed. "I know. But we're both on planet. You are staying with Palpatine, right?"
"As far as I can see ahead, yes."
"Then we can still be together," Obi-Wan, a touch of finality in his voice.
"It's not that easy though," Sabé protested, breeching the subject. "I know what your Jedi missions are like. You're off planet more than you are on. And when you're in the Temple, you're probably going to be busy."
"I'll make time for you," Obi-Wan promised loyally. He reached across the table and took her hand in his, delicately holding it at the center of the white tablecloth. He smiled slightly. "And when we're apart, you can expect exceedingly long, mushy love letters from me. I'll send you three a day."
"You'd better not," Sabé said quickly. They both smiled at the intensity in her voice. She coughed slightly. "Just, um, don't lose touch."
"I will write you," Obi-Wan said seriously. "And we can comm each other all the time. Then when I'm on planet, I'll spend every waking second with you."
"Is it going to be like that for the rest of our lives?" Sabé asked bluntly.
Obi-Wan contemplated this for a moment. Finally, he answered. "I don't know for sure. I don't want it to be that way. But, Sabé, for the time being, we'll have to make do. It's never going to be easy for us."
"I know." Sabé smiled a little sadly. "I guess I should have thought of that before I fell head over heels for a Jedi."
"I doubt it would have stopped you," Obi-Wan said. "At least, I hope it wouldn't have stopped you."
"I don't think anything could have stopped me," Sabé admitted. She smiled slyly. "Not with you attacking me with your lips every day."
Obi-Wan pretended to be offended. "Hey! You weren't so innocent yourself." He shrugged. "Besides, I tried to stay away from you."
"Inevitable, isn't it?" Sabé said, her voice a little dreamy.
Obi-Wan looked at her face across the table in a way that made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. "Yeah," he repeated softly, "inevitable."