Author's Note: This story was actually based on a dream I had when I was a kid. In that I was in a cell with Luke, Han and Leia but it was dark and I couldn't see any of them. They offered to let me become part of the Rebel Alliance, lol. So when I got reminded of it I thought it would make a nice Sabé and Obi-Wan story.

Disclaimer: Yes I did steal the name Muerta from Pirates of the Caribbean. No I don't own that or Star Wars or any characters in Star Wars. I just manipulate them for my own amusement (and hopefully other people's too!)

The Jedi and the Thief – Part One

Muerta, on the Outer Rim. Home to some of the richest and most unlawful beings in the galaxy. A small, out of the way planet composed mostly of areas of forest and mountain, used by many as a hiding place from the Republic's laws. Among the exotic blue-skinned Muertians lived countless other species, every one of them with something to hide.

One such being was a Hutt named Bocca, who had fallen out of favour not only with the Republic, but with his fellow Hutt's. He had hired a thief to steal Jabba's prize jewel, and had brought it to Muerta to keep it safe. Jabba had, of course, been furious, and the news of the thievery had spread all over the Outer Rim. He had sent Bounty Hunters out looking for it, but so far Muerta had been ignored, as Jabba had made the poor assumption that the Muertians were on his side and would tell him immediately if a Hutt landed on the planet's surface. This made the jewel accessible to anyone else who wanted to try and steal it. So far nobody had, as the Muertians pride themselves on their security technology.

It was this knowledge that encouraged one of the Galaxy's most successful thieves to try. No security system had stood in the way before, why should this one be any different? Garbed entirely in black from head to toe, Sabé Ikabel made her way around the rooftop of Bocca's quarters. She crouched down to look through the skylight and saw to her satisfaction that the Hutt was lying on a dais, fast asleep.

Breaking into a run, she leapt noiselessly across to the next roof and glanced through the skylight there. This was the building she needed. Taking a lightsabre from her belt she cut through the transparisteel, dropped lightly to the floor and began sprinting, avoiding guards wherever necessary. She once again used the lightsabre to cut through to Bocca's treasure room, and circled her prize. She had to study it carefully before deciding that this would have to be a grab-and-run job. There was no way she would be able to take the jewel without triggering an alarm, so she had to hope that she could run faster than the Muertian guards.

Taking a deep breath she snatched the jewel and darted back the way she had come. There were guards on her tail almost at once, and she had to move erratically to avoid them. She had almost made it to the exit when she found her way blocked by Bocca the Hutt himself. Turning, she saw that she was surrounded on almost every side and ran down the nearest available corridor, blinded as to where she was heading. But it was no use. The guards closed in around her, and she had to stop running.

Having been thoroughly disarmed, even down to the tiny vibroblade sheathed in her boot, she was marched down to the cells. Two Muertian guards secured her wrists and ankles with shackles, and then departed, closing the door with a slam, leaving her in complete darkness.

"Sith!" she swore.

"Jedi actually," a voice said, making her jump violently.

"I thought I was on my own in here," she said, pinpointing the source of the voice to be at her back.

"I do hope so with that language."

She sniggered at his tone. "Did you say you were a Jedi?"

"Yes. Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi at your service."

"I'm Sabé. Sabé Ikabel."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sabé Ikabel. What are you in for?"

"Attempted thievery," she answered with a grimace.

"Of what?"

"Jabba the Hutt's prize jewel that Bocca stole last week."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Oh dear. I take it you weren't doing it as an act of kindness with the intention of giving it back to him?"

"Not exactly, no."

He chuckled. "Steal often do you?" he asked conversationally.

"Quite often, yes," Sabé said defensively. "Does it bother you?"

"Well I'd rather be stuck in a cell with a thief than a homicidal maniac, so no, it doesn't bother me."

"Glad to hear it. I'd hate to put a damper on our relationship just as we were becoming friends."

"Indeed."

There was a slight pause, then Sabé asked, "So, what are you in for?"

"Espionage, infiltration, that sort of thing."

"I thought Jedi didn't get caught," she said with a smirk.

"Usually they don't, but I'm only a Padawan, and this was supposed to be my first mission on my own. I seem to have failed it spectacularly."

"What were you supposed to do?"

"Spy. Report back to the Council on the goings on here. I must have underestimated their security system." He gave a sigh.

"That's exactly what I did."

"The very thing my Master warned me not to do was underestimate them."

"Where is your Master now?" Sabé asked, shifting slightly so the shackles didn't cut into her wrists so much.

"On a mission of his own, on the other side of the Outer Rim."

"That's unfortunate. We could do with a Jedi Master bursting his way in here and rescuing us. Well, you anyway."

"I very much doubt he would just leave you here."

"Why would he free a thief?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm not saying he wouldn't make you face the courts at Coruscant, he just wouldn't leave you in this place."

"That's very comforting," she said dryly. "Honestly, you've known me five minutes and you're already trying to hand me over to the law."

He laughed quietly. "Not like I can do much handing of anything while my wrists are chained to the ceiling. You're safe for now."

"Good. Then I wont have to steal a lock pick."

"Do you keep all the things you steal?"

"No, I sell them on. A girl's got to make a living."

"I suppose so. But couldn't you have found a legal way of doing so?"

"No."

"Very well. Who were you planning on selling the jewel to?"

"The highest bidder," she answered without hesitation.

"I see you've got it down to a fine art."

"Which is more than I can say for getting settled," Sabé grumbled, tugging on her chains. "How does one manage to get sleep around here?"

"Only one way," Obi-Wan replied at once.

"Oh?"

"With great difficulty."

During their time in the cells the two kept each other amused with stories and banter, waiting for Bocca to pull Sabé for questioning. At first it was jovial conversation, then Obi-Wan moved it onto personal details, realising that although they now considered themselves friends they knew very little about each other.

"Where are you from, Sabé?" he asked one day.

"Alderaan. But my mother was from Naboo, hence my Nabooian name. What about you?"

"I don't know exactly, but I believe it's Coruscant."

Sabé nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "Next question."

"Lets see. How old are you?"

"Seventeen. You?"

"Twenty-five. Your turn."

Sabé thought. "What colour is your hair?"

"Light brown, going sort of reddish. And you?"

"I'm a brunette."

"And…what style?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No style really, just sort of loose. You?"

"The traditional Padawan haircut."

Sabé laughed. "Do you have the braid too?"

"Oh yes."

"What colour are your eyes?"

"Blue."

"Brown. No point in asking what you're wearing, all Jedi dress the same. Although I suppose you could ask me."

"No, there's no point."

"Why not?"

"Thieves always wear black."

Sabé smiled. "Very astute."

After conversations went this way for a while, the talk became much more serious, and the two began to theorise ways to escape. Food was given once a day in tablet form, which was thrown down their throats by the guards, and they were each let out once a day for necessities, but never at the same time. Suffice to say that two weeks had passed, and they still had no idea, other than verbal description, of the other's appearance. They were comfortable with each other now. Obi-Wan had grown used to Sabé's dry wit, and she admired his gentlemanly nature.

Shortly after the escape theories became the main topic of conversation, Sabé had said, "You're a Jedi, and I'm an accomplished thief, we should not be taking this long to work out a way to get out of here."

To which Obi-Wan had replied, "If you have a way to speed things up I'm all ears."

Of course she didn't. She was used to planning how to get in to places, not out. "If I only had my lightsabre we could cut through the chains," Sabé sighed.

"You had a lightsabre?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.

"Yes, I–"

"Stole it?"

"How did you guess? It was good for cutting things."

Obi-Wan had sighed noisily and rolled his eyes, not that she could appreciate the gesture, and the theorising had continued.

"I fail to see," Sabé remarked on the morning of the third week, "why you can't use the Force to pick the locks."

"I told you," Obi-Wan said, exasperated. "I tried that already and they've got some sort of defence against it. But I have been steadily weakening the chains. They should break any day now."

"Oh that's just fantastic," Sabé growled, suddenly afraid. "Once you've done that you'll shoot off and I'll never see you again. Not that I'm exactly seeing you now, but you know what I mean."

"Sabé, you're my friend. Do you honestly think I'd just leave you here? True I may need to get my lightsabre back in order to cut your chains, but I won't abandon you."

"That's good to know."

There came movement at the door and it swiftly opened, causing them both to squint as a shaft of light hit them. Two Muertian guards entered and approached Sabé, unlocking her bonds and pulling her roughly forward. "It's time for your questioning, thief," one of them spat.

Obi-Wan turned his head to watch as she was led out, hoping to get a glimpse of his companion. But her figure against the bright light outside only allowed him to see a silhouette, and the only thing he learned from that was that she was slim.

Was it possible to feel for someone you had never seen? Of course it was. But why had it happened to him? And just why did he have feelings for a thief of all people? If Master Qui-Gon found out about this… But he wouldn't, Obi-Wan would make sure of it. He sighed to himself, wondering what Sabé thought, and just what was happening to her.

Currently she was sitting in an uncomfortably hard chair facing a stern looking Bocca the Hutt, Muertian High Governor, his advisors, and several guards. The questioning was unproductive, at least for the Muertians. Sabé said nothing, and merely sat where she was, sullen and still. No interrogation tactic could make her talk, and in a rash move Bocca declared her nothing but a useless common thief, good for nothing but execution.

And so it was that her questioning took only half an hour, and soon found herself being shackled up once more. The High Governor stood observing and whispered something to one of his advisors, who immediately stepped forward and said, "The High Governor wishes to say that you can spare yourself your fate if you agree to spend the night in his company."

Sabé backed up as far as her chains would allow her, colliding with Obi-Wan as she did so. The strength and reassuring warmth of his back against hers gave her courage, and she said firmly, "I would rather bed a Hutt."

"We could arrange that," the advisor hissed.

Sabé felt sick at the very thought.

"Very well," the advisor said finally. "You are scheduled for termination first thing tomorrow morning. Sleep well." And with that, the whole party left.

"Tomorrow morning?" Sabé repeated in dismay. "We'll never escape by then."

"Have a little faith," Obi-Wan scolded gently. "Anyway, I thought you said you weren't afraid of death."

"I wasn't," she said quietly, "until I met someone…who was worth living for."

He tilted his head in her direction. "What do you mean by that?"

"I…I think I love you."

He smiled. "But you've never seen my face. I could look hideous."

Now it was her turn to smile. "Something tells me you don't."

There came a quiet clattering sound, and Sabé listened, startled. "What was that?"

"My chains," said Obi-Wan's voice in her ear.

She heard his footsteps move around in front of her. "Where are you?"

"Right here," he replied, touching his forehead to hers. "I need to go and find my lightsabre, otherwise I can't free you. But you must trust that I'll come back."

"I think I can manage that," she said, feeling butterflies in her stomach at hearing his voice so close to her.

"Glad to hear it. By the way…"

"What?"

"I think I love you too." Placing a hand either side of her face he kissed her gently in the darkness. "I'll be back."

Thoroughly stunned, she watched his silhouette disappear out the door. It seemed an eternity that he was gone, during which Sabé pictured herself pacing up and down. But soon he returned, lightsabre in hand, its bright blue blade almost fluorescent in the dark. He wasted no time in cutting Sabé's chains, and as soon as she was free she made a painful executive decision.

Leaping away, she darted to the doorway and blocked it, her silhouette cutting out most of the light. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," she said in a shaky voice. "I have to do this. I can't face the courts on Coruscant, they'll just throw me back in another prison. I know you'll get out of here quickly, but perhaps I'll have enough time to get away. Don't think too badly of me, please. I couldn't bear it. Remember, I'll always love you. Goodbye." With the last word, practically a whisper, she slammed and locked the door, sprinting down the corridor as fast as she could. On her out of practice limbs it was not as fast as usual. She risked a look behind her as she reached the corner, and saw that Obi-Wan had already cut his way through half of the door.

She blinked back tears as she ran, not allowing them to blur her vision, and successfully burst through the nearest door out. A few feet more and she would be safe in the woods. The guards were all busy trying to stop Obi-Wan, who, with his sabre, posed a much bigger threat.

Nearly there. She leapt for the fence, rapidly climbing it and hopping neatly over the alarmed force field at the top. Then she was in the canopy of trees, running wearily towards where she'd hidden her ship.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was making his own way out, causing trouble for the guards as he went. Sabé's betrayal had hurt and angered him, though no more than the average Jedi should feel. She had claimed to love him, and yet she had run.

'Well,' he thought, 'she's a thief. It's in her nature to fool people.' But in his heart he knew she had been speaking the truth.

Blocking the blaster bolts from the guards, he slammed the outer door shut and used Sabé's stolen lightsabre to jam it. (Having seen it lying with his, it had seemed a waste to leave it there.) He was just in time to see a figure in black running through the trees. Should he give chase?

That question was quickly answered by a speeder that swooped down to land in front of him. And at the controls –

"Master? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you. Get in."

Obi-Wan hurriedly slipped into the passenger seat, and the speeder took to the air once more. "I thought you were overseeing the peace treaty on Ansion."

"When I heard nothing from you I came here to make sure nothing had happened to you," Qui-Gon Jinn replied smoothly.

"You've been here all along?"

"Mostly, yes."

Obi-Wan was incredulous. "Why didn't you help me?"

"I thought it would be best to wait until you did that on your own. Unless it had seemed like you were in trouble. Do you know the Muertians were asking for ransom on you?"

Ahead of them a small ship rose out of the woods and headed up into space. Obi-Wan watched it with mixed feelings.

"That must be that other prisoner's ship," Qui-Gon mused. "The girl in black that I saw run out before you."

"Yes. She was my cellmate. A thief named Sabé Ikabel. We were going to help each other escape, but she bolted. She didn't want me to bring her before the Coruscanti courts."

"I suppose you can't blame her for that."

"I suppose not." Obi-Wan inwardly sighed, and clasped his hands tightly in his lap.