Chapter III

The ship flew through hyperspace, towards their destination of Coruscant.  Karen pounded her fist on the console in frustration. The navigational systems had been damaged from their escape. Five small pirate ships had followed them into hyperspace, and a scrimmage had ensued. They eventually made it out with the Silver Glory still intact, but barely. Obi-Wan was currently attempting to fix the hyperdrive. Hitting the console a final time, Karen decided to go and see if Obi-Wan had fared any better than she had.

Karen's thoughts drifted to the Jedi, a very courteous man. He was very attractive also, but his eyes…they were always what she found herself focusing on. A turbulent green and blue, changing like the seas depending on his emotion. She could see much sadness in his eyes, though. Something that had left a mark on his soul. He hid the sadness quite well. If Karen hadn't been looking for it, she wouldn't have found it in his features. She always seemed to find the pain in peoples souls. Perhaps because she had so much in her own.

But though he had been relatively quiet the entire trip, she could sense that he had a quite pleasant and funny personality. She had heard some of the staff, when they were back on Corellia before lift-off, discussing the Jedi's looks and persona. The men thought that someone with Kenobi's looks would at least have the decency to have the personality of a rock.

"Karri, where's Beni?"  Karen stopped in the corridor, and turned to see Janine standing behind her.

"I don't know sweetie, I'm going to look for him now." Karen said with a genuine smile. The little girl had a tendency to add a 'i' to everybody's name. She referred to her sister as Meri, much to the teenager's infuriation. It was quite amusing at times. Janine was the only amusing thing in their particular situation; actually.

"Tell me if you find him," Janine said, "My daddy wants to talk to him."

"Of course," Karen replied as she continued down the hall.

She came across Obi-Wan exactly where he said he would be, fixing the hyperdrive. He was half emerged under the hyperdrive console, working.

"Obi-Wan?" Karen addressed.

There was a bang and a muttered curse from underneath the console, and Obi-Wan slid out from underneath, looking to see who had called him. She wasn't aware that it was possible to sneak up on a Jedi, but lately the Knight had been distracted by something.

Karen had to keep herself from staring when he stood up. He was covered in grime from doing repairs…but he was also without a shirt. It was a pretty sight. Years of Jedi training seemed to do wonders to one's body. Perfectly sculpted muscles that were toned to perfection…

"Perfection?" Obi-Wan asked with a chuckle, "You give me to much credit, miLady."

"Huh?" Karen asked, suddenly aware that she had been staring, "Oh, I'm sorry for staring," she murmured, turning her face away as it turned a brilliant shade of red.

"No, no need for apology. I'm flattered," Obi-Wan said, picking up his utility belt, and fastening it around his waist, "You may want to guard your thoughts more carefully though. People might be able to pick up much more important thoughts, ones that you really don't want to have heard."

"You were reading my mind?" Karen asked, her eyes narrowing, just connecting that with what he had said.

"No, no. I wouldn't do that. I'm just picking up things that you project." Obi-Wan said.

"I'm projecting my thoughts?"

"Yes, but not extremely loudly though. Just things off the top of your head." Obi-Wan said, "Like the fact that you're here to tell me the nav computer's down, and you're going to try to fix it."

He decided not to mention the thought she had about how good she believed he'd look in tight leather.

"I'll try to guard my thought more carefully," Karen said, beginning to re-construct her mental shields. She stole a quick glance at her bracelet, which had been active ever since she had entered into the Jedi's presence. She knew it wasn't just due to the fact that Obi-Wan was a Jedi. She had been around other Jedi many times before, but the bracelet had stayed dormant.

"How's the ambassador doing?" Obi-Wan asked, while pulling his shirt over his head.

"I'm not sure. Janine says he wants to speak with you. I believe it may be quite urgent."

"I'll get down there right away," Obi-Wan said, walking towards the door, "Tell me if you need any help with the nav computer."

"Will do," Karen replied, walking back towards the bridge. Even with the shirt on he was a sight to behold. It did her mind good to see him out of those concealing Jedi clothes for once. Karen shook her head.

Must…….get…….out…….more…….

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Sara sat at her desk with her arm propped on the desk, her head resting on her fist. She was hoping that staring at the pile of paper work might make it disappear. Unfortunately, it did not. Instead, more appeared.

Jake tossed the file folder onto the never-ending pile of papers, and slumped down in his chair across from Sara.

"More work?" Sara asked.

"Courtesy of our ever loving boss." Jake said sarcastically, nodding towards Dante, who was lurking by one of the desks outside the office.

"How does he expect us to finish any cases if we're at our desks the entire time?"

"He doesn't," Jake muttered, "I hear he wants to keep us off the streets and chained to our desks. He said he wanted us here till we finish all this crap. And since Danny's out on sick leave, we get most of his paper work."

"Well then," Sara said, standing up and reaching for her jacket.

"Pez, what are you doing?"

"Going to get lunch. You coming?"

"Sara, I don't think that's a good…" Jake paused as he saw Dante coming towards them with a load of papers in his hand, "…I'll drive,"

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Obi-Wan walked back towards the cabin he was staying in, aware that it was quite late in the sleep cycle. He had been meditating, then went to tend to the ambassador and the two staff members. It didn't look good, and if they didn't get to a healer soon, they weren't going to survive more than 72 hours. Allan Josefski had been in and out of consciousness for the past 24 hours, and hadn't been in the best mental state. But he had been very concerned about his daughters, and made Obi-Wan promise he'd watch over them. He would have anyway, but the spoken promise seemed to soothe the ambassador's turbulent mind. 

He was jarred from his thoughts by a faint shudder in the force. He followed the disturbance to one of the cabins across the ship, and paused in front of the door before going in. For the entire duration of the trip, he had sensed the slight disturbance that radiated from the Intelligence agent. It was a small disturbance, but always there, pressing in the back of Obi-Wan's mind whenever he was anywhere near her.

The light from the hallway fell across the lower bunk of the cabin, where Karen lay. It was clear to Obi-Wan that she was having nightmares of some sort, but when he tried to get a brief glance in her mind, he was thrown back. He sat up in the middle of the hallway, stunned. The door to the cabin closed with a hiss, and Obi-Wan rubbed his head.

Such mental strength from someone without a strong Force connection was unheard of. 

But it seemed that could be possible, since he had just been thrown across the room and out into the hall by i*something*/i, and whatever it was, it packed a punch. He walked back into the room, still a bit shocked from what had just happened. Obi-Wan's eyes fell to the bracelet on her wrist, which was now quite noticeable in the darkness, glowing light blue, tinged by red on an outer circle. It had lit up the moment he had entered the room.

The inanimate object on this woman's wrist seemed very much alive to Obi-Wan. The Force flowing though him seemed to be communicating with the bracelet, and suddenly flashes of what Karen was dreaming were transferred into Obi-Wan's mind. The very thing that had thrown him across the room was now accepting him.

He saw what Karen was going through in her dreams, but to him, the flashes of memories made little sense. Karen shifted in her sleep, and he came down on one knee beside her, looking at her face. She was beautiful, Obi-Wan had noticed her grace and beauty earlier, but given it little thought. From the glimpses of her eyes he had caught earlier, he was mesmerized.

She had cat-like eyes, deep green in color, except for the occasional flash, where the shade would go lighter or darker. Her hair was long, and a medium shade of brown, with two red streaks in the front. He made himself look away. He should leave. He came and saw what the disturbance was, but he could do nothing about it. Might as well leave…

Obi-Wan froze in place as he glanced at her face again.

He felt as if he had been in her presence her before they had met, only a few weeks ago. When they first shook hands, it just seemed right. As if they were destined to meet at that time, and had done so before. As if they would meet again, but not as they were now…Obi-Wan shook his head, trying to make the thoughts vanish. He should know better. De ja vu and destiny were not the same things. He must have just seen someone similar to her once before. The visions got stronger, and he was pulled into watching them, as if he were standing there when it happened.

There were two visions that stuck out in the chaos of his mind. A vision of a tall, man with dark, long curling hair, a beard, and caramel eyes. And one memory that stuck out. The look in the man's eyes when he was stabbed with a dagger by another man with short, shockingly white-blond hair, and the hate towards the older man in Karen's eyes. The sadness radiating from Karen as she held the tall, dark haired man as he died in her arms.

The other vision, of Obi-Wan. But he had no idea why he would be there. These seemed to be memories. Why would he be in her deep memories, when they had meet no more than a month before? Obi-Wan was battling with the man that he had seen killed previously, only they were smiling, laughing, obviously having a good time, even though it looked as if they were trying to kill each other. He glanced around, and standing, observing was Karen. But it wasn't Karen…

The rest of the vision was hazy, and Obi-Wan was brought back to reality. He reached out to Karen's cheek, to wipe away the tear that ran down her face, but pulled his hand back, almost afraid to touch her.

Who are you?  Obi-Wan thought, And why am I in your memories, if I have never before met you in these places?

Past, future and present. All in memory. We have met before, whether you remember or not.

The voice came not from Karen's mind, but from the bracelet, and the shield that surrounded her.

Obi-Wan walked to the bunk across from where Karen slept, and sat down, continuing to observe her silently. The voice in his mind sounded so familiar. Karen shifted again, and whimpered, probably from what she was experiencing in her dreams. Obi-Wan got up and sat beside her. He reached out and wiped a tear that rolled down her cheek, silently cursing himself for the emotions he had allowed himself to feel…….

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"Hey Pez, the freaky stalker dude is on the phone, and wants to talk to you." Jake said, holding the reciever up in the air.

"Huh?"

"Nottingham wants to talk with you, you know the Gothic stalker, assassin extraordinaire, whatever you call him these days."

Sara sighed and grabbed the phone from him. The two of them hated each other with a passion. It would be much funnier if they didn't try to kill each other every time they crossed paths. 

"Pezzini,"

"Lady Sara, so nice to hear your voice again," Ian Nottingham said in his deep, silky voice.

"Get to the point of this phone call, Nottingham," Sara said. She still had a lot of work to complete, and though calls from Ian were usually interesting, and so vague at times they were amusing, they weren't going to help with the paperwork.

"Yes milady," he replied, some remorse tinting his voice, "Mr. Irons wished me to report an irregularity at one of his warehouses on the east side of town."

Sara wrote down the location Ian gave her, and sighed. He had a way of seeming like an abused puppy; one tactic that always made Sara have pity on him, or at least make her listen to him.

"By the way Nottingham, this is homicide, you need to call the front desk next time." Sara replied tiredly. Running to check on what was probably a homeless man looking for a place to stay was not high on her to-do list.

"I was aware of that." Ian replied, "I also suggest you bring a pair of gloves and some body bags with you."

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At that Ian cut the call, imagining the look on Sara's face. He had neglected to mention the corpses earlier in the phone call. He may have come off as too insensitive by adding it at the end. But he did not have time to think about it, sensitive or insensitive, his main focus was supposed to be his job. Though it hadn't been lately. He had been distracted...but he would focus now.……Looking up at the starry sky, he closed the cell phone and headed towards the pier warehouses, to be there when she arrived. His master had first alerted him to the body of the young child in the warehouse. Ian didn't want to know why Irons had come across that knowledge, because it would most likely implicate his master in some…….undesirable proceedings. 

A flash in the sky over the bay took his concentration for a few moments, but he continued walking towards his destination.

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A/N: Reviewreviewreviewreviewreview…and they say subliminal messaging doesn't work…hehehehe. Hope you enjoyed.