First chap = disclaimers

Okay, first this will not become an Obi/Siri story. In this story Obi & Siri are just friends. But Jaina wouldn't necessarily know that *evil grin* After all, wouldn't you be jealous of a close, attractive, female friend if you had just started a relationship with Obi?

Secondly, I chose to have Bant "seduce" Mace because it did seem so unlikely. It would no doubt be quite a shock to the Jedi.

As for the category, yeah, I was thinking about changing it. The story was originally supposed to end about two chapters after Anakin's return. Instead I have a Drama/Comedy going…

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Anakin closed his eyes as he concentrated on the feel of Tahiri's hand in his. They would be going to Kamino at the end of the week. There would be no time for lovers once they began the invasion. Part of him inwardly cringed at the thought. Even though he had had over two years to readjust to his family, they still did not know how extremely focused he could become.

A Jedi sometimes had to ignore everything around him in order to have success. The determinedness that this caused was often seen as calculated coldness while it was only designed to protect those around them. To allow emotional release in a time of great travail could cause devastation.  Ani himself had warned Anakin about this.

He had told Anakin that he know believed his path to darkness had been signed not the day that his mother died, but the day that Padme had fallen out of that ship on Geonosis. His mother's death had been terrible, and he had used the darkside in its aftermath. But, Ani had known that it was wrong. He had never been able to censure his outburst over Padme's injuries as wrong because of his love for Padme. She had been the other half of his soul.

Qui-Gon's story about Tahl had been similar. Only, Qui-Gon had recovered before it was too late.

Anakin looked at Tahiri as she leaned into the last bit of evening sun. He could easily imagine falling into that same trap.

"You do realize that you're going to have to wear boots for the whole mission, don't you?"

Tahiri's eyes snapped open as she gave Anakin a cheeky grin. "The whole mission? Even at the victory celebration?"

"That isn't part of the mission. Besides, what makes you think we'll win?"

"ANAKIN! Don't joke about something like that."

Blue eyes turned calmly to her. "I'm not joking. We are talking about an entire army of trained Jedi. I'm just pointing out the possibilities."

Tahiri crossed her arms and pouted. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a lame attempt to get past first base."

Anakin shook his head. "My apologies, I forgot that you don't discuss strategy every time you breathe. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, they are perpetual planners."

Tahiri smiled and pulled closer to signal her acceptance of his half-apology.

"Besides," Anakin continued, "what makes you think I couldn't get all the way to third base without cheap tricks?"

Tahiri blushed and laughed. "I don't know how you fit so many subtexts into one sentence like that."

"It's a gift."

"Anakin? Do you mind that I… that we… I mean…"

"Tahiri, I am a Jedi Knight. I was trained to ignore the impulses of my body. I have no problem dealing with the fact that I may die before we ever consummate our relationship. I would have a problem, living or dieing, with the knowledge that we rushed into a physical relationship before we were ready."

A sunny smile broke out across her face. "I think I know why Jaina finds Master Kenobi so attractive. After Kyp, it must be nice to have someone with compunction."

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Jaina stood frustrated. She was at her room in her mother's apartment. She did not keep her nice clothes in her barrack's locker. There was no need to. Now, she had twelve of her nicer outfits spread across her bed, and she couldn't eliminate a single one.

Obi-Wan had offered to take her out to dinner. She had accepted, but her rebellious mind wouldn't stop playing less than encouraging footage through her memory. She had seen them today. Obi-Wan had been sparring with Siri. Jaina had seen the other woman's moves. They were not as smooth as Obi-Wan's, but they did not have to be.

Siri's moves were uniquely her own, and Obi-Wan had found a challenge.

Jaina grit her teeth. Obi-Wan loved a challenge. She shook her head sadly. She had spent nearly every day analyzing Obi-Wan ever since she had first laid eyes on him, but Siri had been his friend long before her mother had ever been a twinkle in Ani's eye. Sith, they had known each other since before Ani had even been born.

How could she compete with that?

"Distressed you are, disrupted my nap, you have."

Jaina yelped as she spun around to see Yoda staring calmly at her.

"What are you doing in my room? I'm in my underwear! I could have been naked!"

"When train fifty-two apprentices you have, know when decent a person is."

"That doesn't explain why you're in here."

"Help you I can, Yes, hmmm."

"I doubt that."

Yoda quickly dismissed the idea of riffling through her drawers and tossing things around. Her temperament was more her father's than her uncle's.

"Concerned about Obi-Wan you are. Sexy you find him."

Jaina's eyebrows shot straight up.

"When nine-hundred year you live, know things about young humans you do. Jealous of Siri are you?"

"I don't think that I can compete or compare."

Yoda shook his head. "Too defiant Obi-Wan is for Siri."

Jaina frowned. "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"No. Siri may be brash, but defiant, Obi-Wan is. Long stories I could tell, but help you now, they would not. Enticing outfit for Obi-Wan you should pick."

Jaina couldn't control her mouth. "I didn't think you would approve. And I didn't think you had that kind of humor."

"Adapt to change a Jedi must. Humor comes from talking too much with Jinn and his apprentice. Bad they both are for sanity."

Jaina chuckled, then looked at her bed is dismay. "I haven't the foggiest idea of what to wear."

"Something you can fight in, I would recommend. A dive Obi-Wan will take you to."

"What?"

"Hate to be noticed Obi-wan does. To avoid notice, hang out in seedy places he will. Make friends with questionable people always he does. Know this you should."

Jaina sighed. "So I should wear something nice that would fit into a seedy place."

"Yes, blue it should be."

"Blue?"

"Lightsabre color it is. Like it Obi-Wan does, or chosen it he would not have."

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Obi-Wan shot a frustrated glare at Qui-Gon. "This is entirely your fault."

"I'm not the one who kissed her."

"No, but you planted all the seeds to get me there. Besides, how could you sic Yoda on her?"

"Because I was needed to make sure you wouldn't stand her up. Any male relative's advice would not have been appropriate. She doesn't know Bant or Siri well…"

"She doesn't know Yoda well either!"

"Yes, but she respects his authority. Where was I? Oh, yes. Tenel Ka is a friend, but she is not exactly romance on wheels. Tahiri is too besotted with Anakin to notice, and I certainly couldn't ask Leia."

"Yoda is romance in any form? And why couldn't you ask Leia?"

"Master Yoda has studied the human life form for ages. He knows his business. And I hardly think that Leia would agree to assisting her daughter get ready for a date with you."

"What's wrong with me?"

"'Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.' I don't think she'd like to continue that sentence with 'Please knock up my daughter.'"

"I knew there was a clinker in this whole relationship. Leia will definitely not like it."

"Don't worry, I've got Han working on the idea. Mara is working on Luke."

"Han knows? Why hasn't he shot me?"

"Han had a deep dislike of Kyp and his groping ways. He likes you. You always could endear smuggler types. Now, go get her."

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Jaina smoothed her outfit down. Apparently, Master Yoda had risqué taste in women's clothing. A blue leather skirt and boots with a white halter top was not what she had had in mind at the beginning of her journey through her closet.

She had been embarrassed enough when Mara insisted she buy them. Never had she conceived of wearing the outfit in an actual public place. She heard the doorbell ring and she hurried to open it.

Obi-Wan stood outside dressed in, what else, a tunic, leggings, belt, boots and a robe. Jaina was about to make a sarcastic comment when her brain caught up with her eyes. Obi-Wan was grinning at her. He was grinning, and he had dimples. He also has a very adorable cleft in his chin.

"You shaved."

Obi-Wan's eyes raked over her. "I thought it fitting."

Jaina cleared her throat. "Should we go then?"

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Obi-Wan grinned at Jaina's reaction to the diner they had entered. Despite being in a seedy section of Coruscant, it appeared fairly clean.

"You know, Obi-Wan, I was sort of thinking you were going to take me somewhere, special."

"This is special. Just don't eat anything exotic."

Annoyance filtered across her features. "You obviously have never been on a date before." She muttered under her breath.

Obi-Wan ignored her and waved to someone back in the kitchen.

"Jaina, this place is very special to me. I've been coming to this establishment since I was thirteen. I've always found good friends and good help here. Is it too much to ask that you give it a try?"

Guilt crept across her features for a second. Then enlightenment dawned. "YOU planned this! You wanted to see how I would react to being taken to a place like this."

"Jaina, love, I always plan. It's a habit even Qui-Gon couldn't break me of. Now, sit down and order something that sounds normal."

She shot him an irate look and sat down.

By the end of the meal, she was in a much better mood. Obi-wan had regaled her with tales of Didi and Astri, then stories of Dexter. She smiled, Dexter's grandson now ran the business and had taken the same liking to Obi-Wan that the previous owner's had.

As they walked out of the diner, Jaina sighed. She really didn't want to end the evening this soon.

Obi-Wan picked up on her sentiment. "You know," he said, "I know this great little bar where was could go."

"Is it like your diner over there?"

"Nope. It's seedier."

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Jaina giggled as Obi-Wan fumbled with his pass code for the room. They had both had too much to drink. Fortunately, they also had too much money thanks to the fact that Jaina had won a nightly dart game and Obi-Wan had won a monthly pool game.

She really couldn't believe how much alcohol Obi-wan had downed in one night. Then again, she couldn't remember why she had drunk so much either. All she really could recall at the moment was that she had already called in sick for her duty shift tomorrow.

Thankfully, when Obi-Wan suggested they walk to a hotel instead of driving home, he had chosen a rather nice one instead of keeping with the seedy theme.

The door swooshed open, and Obi-Wan gestured her grandly into the room and followed her.

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*Smarmy Grin* How's that for a cliffhanger?