Chapter Six
Mace Windu studied President Hounry's facial expressions carefully. The man was very cautious and anxious. Mace wondered if it was due to being a new leader or if something else was the cause.
Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum sat across the desk from the President. Mace and Ki-Adi Mundi sat on either side of the Hocha leader. Two armed Hocha guards stood on either side of the door way to Valorum's office. Lavish furnishings and various plants decorated the office. The politician's desk and walls were adorned with holocubes of his large family.
"President Hounry, I'm not entirely sure what you want. Kidnapping children is not the right way to obtain the attention of the Senate," Valorum spoke looking directly into the other man's yellow eyes.
"Our past President tried to discuss his terms with the Jedi, but they left before the terms could be agreed on," the leader explained.
"Former President Hartion tried to kill the Jedi team that was sent to negotiate. They escaped only because your predecessor had a heart attack," Ki-Adi calmly disagreed, glancing from the President to the Chancellor.
"Your Jedi team would not listen to what President Hartion had to say to them," Hounry explained.
"The Republic will not listen if you continue to make threats. Release the hostages and I will listen to your demands," Valorum replied.
"If I release my guests now, I have no guarantee that you will listen to me," Hounry disagreed, his tongue quickly flicking in and out of his mouth seeming to taste the air.
"I'll give you five minutes," the Chancellor acquiesced and sat back on his chair.
"My demands are simple Chancellor Valorum," the Hocha leader began. "My people want to become a part of the Republic. We are at war with the Cadills and we are sick of the fighting. We want to become a part of the Republic. What we really want is a more peaceful way of handling our problems."
"You have kidnapped two teenagers because you want to join the Republic," Mace stared at the leader. After many years of being a Jedi, he didn't think other races could surprise him any more. He was wrong.
"Would you have listened to us otherwise?" the new President questioned.
"President Hounry, new races have been joining the Republic for hundreds of years. Did you try contacting a Representative to discuss the matter?" Valorum asked.
"But former President Hartion said that as a race we are too barbaric. We hunt for our food ourselves and eat it without cooking it first. Each clan sends hunting parties to hunt for food. We eat our food as we find it. Sometimes we bring food back to our homes for our elders, young or the injured who are unable to hunt."
Chancellor Valorum took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again he said, "It appears you and your people were deceived by your former leader. Many Republic Representatives are species that hunt and eat their food the same as you. Coruscant and many other planets have special restaurants for races of your kind. Now why don't you release your hostages and we can discuss what you must do in order for the Hocha to become a part of the Republic."
Obi-Wan sat on the damp floor watching Melody sleep. She had fallen asleep in his arms while he hugged her. She looked so peaceful he did not want to wake her. He had sensed her exhaustion when he first saw her at the club and wondered why she was so tired. He had not asked her about it because he was intent on finding out why she had been avoiding him.
Melody lay on the floor with her head resting on Obi-Wan's thigh. When Obi- Wan looked down at her again he discovered a beautiful pair of lavender eyes looking up at him.
"Hello," he greeted her softly.
"Did you give me a Force suggestion to sleep?" Melody slowly sat up with a shiver and wrapped her arms around her bent knees without taking her eyes off him.
"Are you always this charming when you wake up?"
"Yes."
"You fell asleep in my arms from exhaustion while I was hugging you."
"Oh, I haven't slept much lately." Melody looked down at the floor and waited for the concerned question that she knew he would ask.
"Have you seen a healer?"
"Healers can't cure everything Obi-Wan. I'll be fine as soon as we get back to the Temple," she assured him. The young girl picked at the material of her skirt nervously.
Obi-Wan nodded. "I wanted to talk to you after our duel last week but you avoided me."
"I knew you were going to say you were sorry to me and I thought if you couldn't find me you would get over your obsessive tendency to apologize," she shrugged. Melody lifted up a small portion of her skirt and then let it drop. She repeated the action several more times with different parts of her skirt.
"Obsessive tendency to apologize, what are you talking about?"
"It seems to me that every time we speak you say you're sorry for something. Whether it's bumping into me in the corridor or when I broke up with Garen. You even apologized when we ate lunch together."
"I was late," Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment as he contemplated her words. Could she really have avoided him because she didn't want to hear another apology? He wished he could access the Force. He suspected that she was telling him only a partial truth. "Why do I get the feeling that you are not telling me the entire story?"
"Because you're a pest," Melody stated.
"A pest huh," he grinned. "So why are you having so much trouble sleeping?"
"What makes you think it's any of your concern?" she asked.
"Because I'm your friend and I'm worried about you." Blue/green eyes stared into her lavender ones. He knew that she would not tell him the real reason so he decided to tease her. Hopefully she would relax a little. "Besides I thought maybe you had a new boy friend who was keeping you up at night."
"Obi-Wan, I can't believe you said that," Melody exclaimed. "I do not have a boyfriend."
"What about Garen? You and he are always together. Bant said that you dance together at clubs and eat meals together. Did you two get back together?"
"No, we're not like you and Siri. We do not get back together every other day. We are still friends. Sometimes he's a better friend than Bant and Salene. While we were going out we became good friends."
"I'm still friends with Siri too," Obi-Wan protested, glad that Melody was not dating Garen again. Although he wished, he could have the same kind of a relationship with her as his friend. "I'm finally starting to realize that we're better at being friends than we are as a couple."
"That's exactly how it is with Garen and me," she agreed.
"You still didn't tell me the reason you can't sleep," Obi-Wan reminded her.
"I know," was her simple reply. Melody pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees.
"Are you going to tell me?"
"No."
"Don't you trust me?"
"Obi-Wan," Melody sighed, "I trust you. But I can't tell you. I'm not allowed to tell anyone but my Master or the Council."
"The Council, are you telling me that the Council knows why you can't sleep?"
"Yes."
"Does my Master know why you were avoiding me too?" Obi-Wan demanded.
"Obi-Wan, it's classified. I can't tell you."
"Classified," he stood up and walked across the small cell. Do you think I'm an idiot? Why would the Council classify something as stupid as that?"
"Stupid! You don't even know what it is and you're calling it stupid. Blast Obi-Wan even if I could tell you, I don't think you're mature enough to handle it," Melody snapped at him. She stood up and moved away, beginning to pace again.
"Melody," Obi-Wan began.
"Don't apologize. I don't want to hear it. Gods I can't believe I ever had a crush on you."
"You have a crush on me?" Obi-Wan grinned.
"I had a crush on you. It was three years ago. I know Bant told you about it, so you can stop acting surprised. I also know that you were going to ask me to the Senate Ball before my mission failed. But that was a long time ago."
"Do you still have a crush on me?" Obi-Wan's heart raced with anticipation as he waited for her answer. He hoped that she did. Then he could tell her that he also had feelings for her.
"No, I've grown up since then. I like mature men now."
Her words felt like a slap across the face. In the time they dated, Siri and Obi-Wan often argued. Sometimes they said things they later regretted but Siri's harsh words had never affected him the way that Melody's just did. "I don't believe you. I think you do like me. I think you want to ask me to the Senate Ball next month," the young man smirked down at her.
"Obi-Wan, you are an ynukyhd zang," Melody spat at him half in basic and half in her native language.
As Obi-Wan stared at her with confused eyes Melody's heart began to race. This was it, her vision of the future was happening now. She would have to stop it herself. There was no one else to help her.
"What am I?" he asked grinning at her. "You need to teach me to speak that language of yours."
"Obi-Wan, listen to me. The guards are coming. You must let them take me with them. You must trust me," Melody pleaded with him.
"Mel, what are you talking about? How do you know if the..."
"Just listen to me. For once in your life you must listen to me."
Obi-Wan looked into her violet eyes. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying. "It's ok Mel, we're..." He stopped talking as he heard the click of the locking mechanism. Melody was right the guards were coming. He wondered how she knew without the Force to aid her.
The nineteen year old Padawan looked up as the door slid open. Melody turned around and looked at the doorway waiting for the two guards she knew would enter.
One of the guards entered and walked toward them while the other guard remained in the doorway. They both had their weapons aimed at the prisoners.
"You're coming with us," the first guard said looking at Melody. Obi-Wan began to move to try to stand in front of her. Melody stepped forward away from her friend and closer to the guard.
"I'll go with you as long as you don't hurt Obi-Wan," she told him.
"No. She doesn't know anything. She's of no use to you," Obi-Wan stepped toward them.
The guard inside the small room growled and said something in a strange language that neither Melody nor Obi-Wan had heard before. He pushed Obi- Wan backward causing the young man to stumble.
Obi-Wan quickly regained his balance and stepped forward.
Before Obi-Wan reached the guard, Melody moved in front of him. "Stop fighting..." Melody yelled as the sound of a weapon firing echoed through the cell.
Chancellor Valorum went over the information that the Hocha would need to know in order to become a part of the Republic. The President had contacted his men and informed them to bring their guests. Mace wondered if the delay was because one of the Jedi teams searching for the Padawans had found them first. The buzzing sound of the President's comlink interrupted his thoughts.
"What is it," the Reptilian man growled into the hand held communications device.
Mace watched the Hocha leader squint his eyes. His tongue rapidly shot in and out of his mouth. "How did it happen," he demanded. His tongue darted in and out of his mouth again. The man was clearly agitated. "Find out what happened now," Hounry shouted into the device and cut the transmission.
President Hounry looked to Ki-Adi, then at Mace before he finally spoke. "There was a problem when my guards went to retrieve your students. I was informed that one of them tried to stop the guards from taking the other and one of your students was shot."
Mace could not believe it. Had Melody's vision come true? Did the Jedi lose a future Knight destined for greatness? "Which one was shot?"
"I don't know. I was not informed which one was injured. All I know is that they were taken to the Coruscant medical facilities closest to the Senate building."
"No, tell them to bring them to the Jedi temple. Our healers can heal them better," Mace told him.
The leader nodded and lifted the comm. Link to his mouth again. He did not waste any time in telling his men where to take the Jedi. While the man did that, Mace contacted the Temple to inform the healers of the situation.
To be continued...
Mace Windu studied President Hounry's facial expressions carefully. The man was very cautious and anxious. Mace wondered if it was due to being a new leader or if something else was the cause.
Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum sat across the desk from the President. Mace and Ki-Adi Mundi sat on either side of the Hocha leader. Two armed Hocha guards stood on either side of the door way to Valorum's office. Lavish furnishings and various plants decorated the office. The politician's desk and walls were adorned with holocubes of his large family.
"President Hounry, I'm not entirely sure what you want. Kidnapping children is not the right way to obtain the attention of the Senate," Valorum spoke looking directly into the other man's yellow eyes.
"Our past President tried to discuss his terms with the Jedi, but they left before the terms could be agreed on," the leader explained.
"Former President Hartion tried to kill the Jedi team that was sent to negotiate. They escaped only because your predecessor had a heart attack," Ki-Adi calmly disagreed, glancing from the President to the Chancellor.
"Your Jedi team would not listen to what President Hartion had to say to them," Hounry explained.
"The Republic will not listen if you continue to make threats. Release the hostages and I will listen to your demands," Valorum replied.
"If I release my guests now, I have no guarantee that you will listen to me," Hounry disagreed, his tongue quickly flicking in and out of his mouth seeming to taste the air.
"I'll give you five minutes," the Chancellor acquiesced and sat back on his chair.
"My demands are simple Chancellor Valorum," the Hocha leader began. "My people want to become a part of the Republic. We are at war with the Cadills and we are sick of the fighting. We want to become a part of the Republic. What we really want is a more peaceful way of handling our problems."
"You have kidnapped two teenagers because you want to join the Republic," Mace stared at the leader. After many years of being a Jedi, he didn't think other races could surprise him any more. He was wrong.
"Would you have listened to us otherwise?" the new President questioned.
"President Hounry, new races have been joining the Republic for hundreds of years. Did you try contacting a Representative to discuss the matter?" Valorum asked.
"But former President Hartion said that as a race we are too barbaric. We hunt for our food ourselves and eat it without cooking it first. Each clan sends hunting parties to hunt for food. We eat our food as we find it. Sometimes we bring food back to our homes for our elders, young or the injured who are unable to hunt."
Chancellor Valorum took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again he said, "It appears you and your people were deceived by your former leader. Many Republic Representatives are species that hunt and eat their food the same as you. Coruscant and many other planets have special restaurants for races of your kind. Now why don't you release your hostages and we can discuss what you must do in order for the Hocha to become a part of the Republic."
Obi-Wan sat on the damp floor watching Melody sleep. She had fallen asleep in his arms while he hugged her. She looked so peaceful he did not want to wake her. He had sensed her exhaustion when he first saw her at the club and wondered why she was so tired. He had not asked her about it because he was intent on finding out why she had been avoiding him.
Melody lay on the floor with her head resting on Obi-Wan's thigh. When Obi- Wan looked down at her again he discovered a beautiful pair of lavender eyes looking up at him.
"Hello," he greeted her softly.
"Did you give me a Force suggestion to sleep?" Melody slowly sat up with a shiver and wrapped her arms around her bent knees without taking her eyes off him.
"Are you always this charming when you wake up?"
"Yes."
"You fell asleep in my arms from exhaustion while I was hugging you."
"Oh, I haven't slept much lately." Melody looked down at the floor and waited for the concerned question that she knew he would ask.
"Have you seen a healer?"
"Healers can't cure everything Obi-Wan. I'll be fine as soon as we get back to the Temple," she assured him. The young girl picked at the material of her skirt nervously.
Obi-Wan nodded. "I wanted to talk to you after our duel last week but you avoided me."
"I knew you were going to say you were sorry to me and I thought if you couldn't find me you would get over your obsessive tendency to apologize," she shrugged. Melody lifted up a small portion of her skirt and then let it drop. She repeated the action several more times with different parts of her skirt.
"Obsessive tendency to apologize, what are you talking about?"
"It seems to me that every time we speak you say you're sorry for something. Whether it's bumping into me in the corridor or when I broke up with Garen. You even apologized when we ate lunch together."
"I was late," Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment as he contemplated her words. Could she really have avoided him because she didn't want to hear another apology? He wished he could access the Force. He suspected that she was telling him only a partial truth. "Why do I get the feeling that you are not telling me the entire story?"
"Because you're a pest," Melody stated.
"A pest huh," he grinned. "So why are you having so much trouble sleeping?"
"What makes you think it's any of your concern?" she asked.
"Because I'm your friend and I'm worried about you." Blue/green eyes stared into her lavender ones. He knew that she would not tell him the real reason so he decided to tease her. Hopefully she would relax a little. "Besides I thought maybe you had a new boy friend who was keeping you up at night."
"Obi-Wan, I can't believe you said that," Melody exclaimed. "I do not have a boyfriend."
"What about Garen? You and he are always together. Bant said that you dance together at clubs and eat meals together. Did you two get back together?"
"No, we're not like you and Siri. We do not get back together every other day. We are still friends. Sometimes he's a better friend than Bant and Salene. While we were going out we became good friends."
"I'm still friends with Siri too," Obi-Wan protested, glad that Melody was not dating Garen again. Although he wished, he could have the same kind of a relationship with her as his friend. "I'm finally starting to realize that we're better at being friends than we are as a couple."
"That's exactly how it is with Garen and me," she agreed.
"You still didn't tell me the reason you can't sleep," Obi-Wan reminded her.
"I know," was her simple reply. Melody pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees.
"Are you going to tell me?"
"No."
"Don't you trust me?"
"Obi-Wan," Melody sighed, "I trust you. But I can't tell you. I'm not allowed to tell anyone but my Master or the Council."
"The Council, are you telling me that the Council knows why you can't sleep?"
"Yes."
"Does my Master know why you were avoiding me too?" Obi-Wan demanded.
"Obi-Wan, it's classified. I can't tell you."
"Classified," he stood up and walked across the small cell. Do you think I'm an idiot? Why would the Council classify something as stupid as that?"
"Stupid! You don't even know what it is and you're calling it stupid. Blast Obi-Wan even if I could tell you, I don't think you're mature enough to handle it," Melody snapped at him. She stood up and moved away, beginning to pace again.
"Melody," Obi-Wan began.
"Don't apologize. I don't want to hear it. Gods I can't believe I ever had a crush on you."
"You have a crush on me?" Obi-Wan grinned.
"I had a crush on you. It was three years ago. I know Bant told you about it, so you can stop acting surprised. I also know that you were going to ask me to the Senate Ball before my mission failed. But that was a long time ago."
"Do you still have a crush on me?" Obi-Wan's heart raced with anticipation as he waited for her answer. He hoped that she did. Then he could tell her that he also had feelings for her.
"No, I've grown up since then. I like mature men now."
Her words felt like a slap across the face. In the time they dated, Siri and Obi-Wan often argued. Sometimes they said things they later regretted but Siri's harsh words had never affected him the way that Melody's just did. "I don't believe you. I think you do like me. I think you want to ask me to the Senate Ball next month," the young man smirked down at her.
"Obi-Wan, you are an ynukyhd zang," Melody spat at him half in basic and half in her native language.
As Obi-Wan stared at her with confused eyes Melody's heart began to race. This was it, her vision of the future was happening now. She would have to stop it herself. There was no one else to help her.
"What am I?" he asked grinning at her. "You need to teach me to speak that language of yours."
"Obi-Wan, listen to me. The guards are coming. You must let them take me with them. You must trust me," Melody pleaded with him.
"Mel, what are you talking about? How do you know if the..."
"Just listen to me. For once in your life you must listen to me."
Obi-Wan looked into her violet eyes. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying. "It's ok Mel, we're..." He stopped talking as he heard the click of the locking mechanism. Melody was right the guards were coming. He wondered how she knew without the Force to aid her.
The nineteen year old Padawan looked up as the door slid open. Melody turned around and looked at the doorway waiting for the two guards she knew would enter.
One of the guards entered and walked toward them while the other guard remained in the doorway. They both had their weapons aimed at the prisoners.
"You're coming with us," the first guard said looking at Melody. Obi-Wan began to move to try to stand in front of her. Melody stepped forward away from her friend and closer to the guard.
"I'll go with you as long as you don't hurt Obi-Wan," she told him.
"No. She doesn't know anything. She's of no use to you," Obi-Wan stepped toward them.
The guard inside the small room growled and said something in a strange language that neither Melody nor Obi-Wan had heard before. He pushed Obi- Wan backward causing the young man to stumble.
Obi-Wan quickly regained his balance and stepped forward.
Before Obi-Wan reached the guard, Melody moved in front of him. "Stop fighting..." Melody yelled as the sound of a weapon firing echoed through the cell.
Chancellor Valorum went over the information that the Hocha would need to know in order to become a part of the Republic. The President had contacted his men and informed them to bring their guests. Mace wondered if the delay was because one of the Jedi teams searching for the Padawans had found them first. The buzzing sound of the President's comlink interrupted his thoughts.
"What is it," the Reptilian man growled into the hand held communications device.
Mace watched the Hocha leader squint his eyes. His tongue rapidly shot in and out of his mouth. "How did it happen," he demanded. His tongue darted in and out of his mouth again. The man was clearly agitated. "Find out what happened now," Hounry shouted into the device and cut the transmission.
President Hounry looked to Ki-Adi, then at Mace before he finally spoke. "There was a problem when my guards went to retrieve your students. I was informed that one of them tried to stop the guards from taking the other and one of your students was shot."
Mace could not believe it. Had Melody's vision come true? Did the Jedi lose a future Knight destined for greatness? "Which one was shot?"
"I don't know. I was not informed which one was injured. All I know is that they were taken to the Coruscant medical facilities closest to the Senate building."
"No, tell them to bring them to the Jedi temple. Our healers can heal them better," Mace told him.
The leader nodded and lifted the comm. Link to his mouth again. He did not waste any time in telling his men where to take the Jedi. While the man did that, Mace contacted the Temple to inform the healers of the situation.
To be continued...
