First chapter = disclaimers
{telepathy}
*Nods* A long chapter for a long absence.
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Obi-Wan did his best not to grimace as he walked into the rather loud nightclub. He dutifully nodded at the patrons as he maneuvered himself to a seat at a large table in the corner. Jaina sat down next to him as Jacen and Anakin sat with their respective girlfriends.
"So, Ben, this must be pretty tame compared to what you're used to," Jacen commented.
Obi-Wan glanced around. True, it was much tamer than being shot at, and the trip on a Hutt slave trader's ship had been rather debauched…
"I've been in better places, I've been in worse," he replied vaguely.
Tenel Ka nodded, "You are well trained in the art of evasion. Even my father's mother would be proud of your political ways."
Anakin frowned, "We, if I recall correctly, are here to have a good time, not play a round of grill Ben. Why don't we go and dance?"
With that, Anakin pulled Tahiri out onto the dance floor, Jacen and Tenel Ka followed suit. Jaina looked at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan looked back.
"I don't dance with my cousins."
"You have cousins until very recently," Jaina pointed out.
"Still, I think it is a good policy. It might be a bit embarrassing to explain that the young man you were dancing with was really your cousin when those reporters ask you."
Jaina's eyebrow quirked upwards, "What reporters?"
"Over in the corned with the blue light. A short humanoid, grey hair, small scar above his right eye. A tall Bothan, red fur, twitching ear. They've been following us for eight blocks. Didn't you notice?"
Jaina started to turn to look.
"Don't Look! They'll see you."
Jaina rolled her eyes, "How do I know you're not just being paranoid?"
"Paranoia is a trait of the mentally unstable. I fully passed my last psychological examination."
"I don't know whether to worry about the reporters or the fact that you seem to have had several psych exams."
"It is necessary for my work. I'm not exactly a delivery man you know. I need to be of sound mind."
Before Jaina could say anything else, the other four returned to the table.
Jacen sighed as he plopped down, "Governs and Ha'cher are over in the corner there. They're probably trying to get a scoop on the 'Wild Solo Children'."
Tahiri nodded, "We're going to make a run for it once Tenel Ka gets back from the bathroom."
Obi-Wan shot Jaina a 'told-you-so' look. Jaina stuck her tongue out at him.
"What was that about?" Anakin queried.
"Your elder sister doubted my abilities in surveillance and observation," Obi-Wan grinned at his companions.
Jaina huffed, "You're going to have to work on the ego big time if you ever decide to be a Jedi."
Obi-Wan frowned, "From your lack of scrutiny of the situations around you, I'm surprised you made it past your trials."
"WHAT? Look, Buster, I don't care how cute you were as a kid, you've got some nerve. You don't know the first thing about being a Jedi."
"I wouldn't be the one to say that. You probably can't even recite the first stanza of the Jedi Code," Obi-Wan felt his dander rising and desperately tried to release his ire into the Force.
Jacen cut into the conversation, "Now kids, we're here to release the stress of the last few days, not get more of it. Now isn't the best time to start a fight. In case you two have forgotten about your original argument, might I point out the two reporters over in the corner?"
Jaina snorted and looked away. Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Several minutes passed. Tahiri shifted in her seat.
"Shouldn't Tenel Ka be back by now?" she meekly asked.
Four sets of eyes focused on her. Then they all bolted from the table. As the five Jedi piled into the hallway by the restrooms, they could clearly see the signs of a struggle that the loud music had cloaked to their ears and the fight had cloaked to their Force sense.
Jacen glared at his sister and cousin, "Well, that fight of yours was certainly productive, wasn't it?"
Obi-Wan sighed, "I'm certain we can make apologies and guilt trips later, but at the moment I would advise going after her before the trail is cold."
With that, Obi-Wan centered himself and began to follow the trail of Tenel Ka's abductors.
"Shouldn't we call the authorities?" Anakin asked.
"Indeed, but what will waiting for them accomplish? They do not have the Force and by the time they get here, the trail will be cold. Plus the fact that she is a prime target for a political hostage. The place will be swarming with the press," Obi-Wan replied without slowing down.
Ceding to Obi-Wan's arguments, The other four followed and began to probe the Force for clues.
"They will more than likely attempt to get her off planet as quickly as possible. It is too easy for her to escape on Coruscant," Obi-Wan's voice was more serious than they had ever heard it, "Jacen, she is your girlfriend, do you have any sort of bond with her?"
Jacen shook his head, "No, we sort of thought we were too young."
Jaina sighed, "There are two launching pads nearby. One is public the other is private."
"They'll more than likely use a private launch pad," Anakin voted, "It might be a touch hard for them to conceal carrying an unconscious body through a public station."
"Agreed," Obi-Wan nodded, "Which way is the station?"
Jaina pointed the way, "Maybe I should lead. I've had to be there before when I escorted a couple of senators."
"It would be the most prudent course of action," Obi-Wan nodded and allowed Jaina to overtake his stride.
"Um, Ben, not that I don't think you're capable, but don't you think that going in without a weapon is a bad idea?" Jacen asked.
"Yeah, We've all got lightsabers, you don't," Anakin seconded.
"You have a point. On the other hand, Tenel Ka also had a lightsaber. It did her little good. I assume that there are several assailants. Our most logical course of action is to find out exactly where they are and how many of them there are. Then, we call for help and make attempts to stall them while help arrives. If we call for help now, they will likely request that we stop and wait for them. By the time help arrives, we will be too late."
"That and our communicators are jammed," Tahiri's sullen voice added, "It went out the instant we got within one hundred meters of the landing bay."
"Good," Obi-Wan said out loud.
"Good?" the other for echoed in disbelief.
"Well, not good as in everything is good, but good as in we know she is in there."
"Oh, yeah, that's just wonderful. What I always wanted for my birthday," Jacen muttered under his breath.
Obi-Wan sighed, "You'll just have to call the Masters and have them come. We don't have time to get away and comm them now."
"Umm, Ben, have your brain circuits fried? How are we supposed to call them without a communicator?" Anakin stared at his cousin like he had grown gills.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "Use the Force, what did you think I meant? Building a bonfire?"
"We're Jedi, not magicians. The Force rarely works as a communicator like that. It took Uncle Luke a long time to use that skill. He could barely use it with Mom on Bespin," Jacen patiently explained
Obi-Wan sighed. What they said was true, but surely they had bonded enough by there age to communicate with their family members. Well, he couldn't debate the issue now, "Well then, we go in on our own."
Without waiting for them to suggest he go off and try to comm. the others, Obi-Wan started to enter the landing area. As the others followed, he opened his mind to his master.
{Master?}
The thought jolted Qui-Gon out of his miserable situation of being grilled for information by the elder Skywalker-Solos.
{Padawan?}
{Master, we seem to be in a bit of trouble. Assistance would be helpful.}
{What happened?}
{Tenel Ka has been kidnapped. We've tracked her to a private landing area near the Spr'tiz district. We just entered the landing bay and there appear to be… oh Sith… oh about fifty kidnappers.}
{Obi-Wan, I'll be there as soon as possible. Don't engage them.}
{Ah, a little late for that, Master. They've already spotted us.}
{Don't do anything stupid. I'm on my way}
Qui-Gon stood up from the table abruptly and began to stride towards the door of the establishment. Aliens and human scattered out of the way as his large frame took on a foreboding cast.
"Hey, where are you going?" Luke jogged up beside him.
"I am going to find my apprentice. He is in trouble. If you wish to join me, your piloting experience would be most welcome."
"But…" Luke looked confused.
"I have no time to explain, Master Skywalker. You must trust me. He IS in danger."
"You heard the man, farmboy. Lets move," Mara shouldered her way past her husband as they raced towards the speeder.
Luke, Mara and Qui-Gon jumped into Mara's speeder and took off. Seconds later, a confused Han, Leia, and Chewie boarded their speeder and followed.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes as he concentrated on Obi-Wan's position. The distress through their bond told him that his padawan was under some heavy fire. He tersely gave directions to Mara until they landed nearby.
Qui-Gon pulled on the Living Force as he bolted towards his padawan. Dimly, he registered the fact that Mara and Luke were following with their 'sabers already ignited.
A blaster shot whizzed past his ear as they entered the hanger bay. A survey of the room showed that the younger Jedi had been able to cut down about fifteen of their attackers and damage the ship. Tenel Ka was bound and unconscious by the landing ramp. Tahiri and Anakin were fighting back to back in one corner while Jacen and Jaina were making their way towards Tenel Ka. Obi-Wan was crouched behind a stack of crates firing with a blaster "borrowed" from one of the fallen opponents.
Qui-Gon reflexively reached into his robe to draw out the two lightsabers he had hidden there. He ignited his own and began to deflect the shots as he made his way towards Obi-Wan.
"Padawan!" He shouted as he tossed Obi-Wan's lightsaber towards his apprentice. With a flick of his wrist, Obi-Wan called the hilt to his palm and switched it on. Two Force assisted leaps later, Obi-Wan was back-to-back with his Master.
"Master," he said between gaps in the fire, "I don't think this was the best way to inform them of our chosen profession."
"I tend to agree with you, Padawan, but, it does take care of that nagging problem of deciding exactly how to break the news."
With the arrival of Han, Chewie and Leia, the kidnappers had little chance. As one of the attackers began to flee, Obi-Wan chased after him. The Force warned him a little too late of the weapons fire coming towards him. Obi-Wan twisted out of the way, but he was not quick enough to avoid the shot altogether.
As he hit the ground, he was dimly aware of two green lightsabers swinging at his assailant. Two concerned faces swam in his vision as he passed out. Both called out his name.
One said "Ben"
The other said, "Obi-Wan"