Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. That right belongs to George Lucas. It should be noted that some things are borrowed from Greg Bear and Jude Watson, both who write EU (Extended Universe) Star Wars books.
Writer's Block: Accustomed by Shella. This is a Star Wars fic that's rated M, involves Anakin/Obi-Wan slash, and isn't completed yet (sob). The characterization is superb. Shella does a really great job with making Anakin and Obi-Wan seem real enough to touch. And then there are the little details she adds about the planets they're on, and that gives everything this realistic, down-to-earth feel (though they aren't even on earth—sorry, that's just my lame attempt at a joke. XD). In chapter five, there are some pretty powerful metaphors, and I really like them. I like her writing style, and what she writes about. 'Accustomed' is a good story.
The last chapter was pretty important, although you may not realize why until a couple more chapters. Just keep what was said in that chapter in mind when you read on. ;) Of course, by chapter nine I knew exactly where I wanted this story to go, so just about everything from here on out will be important one way or another. I didn't write down any outlines, but I had the entire story playing in my head. I guess you could say I had a 'mental' outline. I just didn't want a firm outline written out on paper because I didn't want to prohibit growth in my story. I believe that sometimes you have to let the characters speak to you.
Thanks for reviewing to the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one also! If you find any mistakes, no matter how small or trivial they seem, please tell me.
Page Amount: 11
Word Count: 7,936
Written 7-30-05
Listening to: System of the Down "Revenga"
Written by Ice Dragon3
Jedi Genocide
Chapter Ten: Revelations
He sat up in bed, gasping. What a nightmare—what a memory. His fists tightened around the blankets covering him, twisting the sheets. Sweat created a pale sheen to his skin. He tried to calm his ragged breathing, but could not. He kept gasping, his hands only tightening more and more on the thin layers he clutched.
His mind was too chaotic to meditate. There was no solace in the Force; in his scattered state all he received was silence.
He had to act rational. Starting by calming his breath, he gained some control of what he was thinking. He ran a hand through his brown hair and sighed. That damn dream. He wished it would go away—get out of his mind. He didn't want to think of it. But he remembered with only too much clarity.
Forcing his hands to loosen their hold, he settled back down into his bed. The covers were uncomfortable due to his excessive sweating, and they clung to him like a second skin. Uncomfortable. He shifted a bit and closed his eyes.
Sleep took its time coming.
It was because of that damn dream.
Obi-Wan woke up the next morning, a slightly disconcerting feeling running through his mind. He couldn't remember exactly what, but something last night had caused a disturbance in the Force. He didn't know if he should just dismiss it as a nightmare that he'd had and simply couldn't remember, or what. He did remember being jolted awake by that unsettling feeling—but nothing more. He shrugged. He must have fallen back asleep and forgotten; the memory would come back when it was needed, as was the way of the Force.
He got out of bed and stretched a bit to limber his limbs. He went into the bathroom to use the refresher. Afterwards, as he was toweling his hair dry, he went to the dresser containing his clothes and opened it, planning on adorning himself with his usual drab, but well loved, Jedi wear. He frowned, shifted through the clothes he found and then methodically went through the other drawers in the dresser.
Opening the closet, he rummaged through the hanging clothes before closing the door once again. He looked on the floor, where he had thrown his discarded outfit from yesterday.
All his Jedi outfits were missing.
'And so the disappearances begin,' thought Obi-Wan morbidly as he pulled from the drawer a green tunic made of shimmersilk. He also extracted beige pants made of a soft cottony material that almost felt like thin, soft leather. He pulled them on, and they fit exactly to his form and hung there comfortably. Anakin was showing his resourcefulness at gaining private information—Obi-Wan couldn't remember the last time someone had had to record his measurements, but he knew it had been a long time ago. Probably when he had first been fitted for his Jedi Master's outfit.
He stared at himself in the mirror and sighed. Even though the design stitched into the tunic was subtle, being an only slighter darker green than the rest of the tunic, and the pants were made of an only slightly more expensive material than he was used to, he felt extremely uncomfortable in the outfit. It was too gaudy to him—it did not suit him. It spoke of luxury he did not have, or want.
But there was nothing he could do about it, so it was best to ignore the change. However, there was something else he had to make sure of now… He started looking through his other personal possessions.
Just as he thought—his lock-pick set, jamming device, and data-stick were gone. He searched a secret compartment on the back of his suitcase, and found that his decoder was still there. Obi-Wan smiled, relieved at that stroke of good luck; he kept all of his special items in separate, hidden compartments in his suitcase just for this purpose. If one item was discovered, it didn't mean that all were. Since Anakin hadn't been looking for the decoder (Obi-Wan hadn't used it that night, so Anakin wasn't aware of its existence) he must have overlooked the pouch. He hadn't used the data-stick or jamming device that night either, but Anakin must have found those secret openings while searching for the lock-pick—which he had known about.
Well, too much luck could be bad in the end. Too much luck could turn out to be not luck at all, but a carefully concealed trap. Obi-Wan considered himself fortunate to have kept the decoder's identity a secret. Hopefully, Anakin would think that he had ridded himself of all the items that disagreed with him and would not go searching through Obi-Wan's possessions again. The decoder could come in handy…but retrospectively, if all the locks were physical like the forty-ninth floor, then maybe he wouldn't get much use out of the device anyways.
Obi-Wan replaced the decoder and zipped up his suitcase. He placed his bag in exactly the same position as before. It was as if it had never been moved.
Just like yesterday, when Obi-Wan walked towards the kitchen he was met with the delicious aromas of cooking breakfast. He reached out and found that the void was still there. Anakin greeted him cheerfully when he came in and fixed him a cup of tea, adding the honey himself. Obi-Wan tasted it, and found that it was just the way he liked it.
Breakfast nearly paralleled what happened yesterday. Anakin was cheerful and chatted amiably, Leia and Luke filled the room with their shouts of joy, and the entire scene was oddly, disconcertingly domestic. However, though Obi-Wan couldn't put his finger on it, something was different…some hidden element in the atmosphere had changed. Unlike yesterday, he did not feel watched or uneasy while eating. Just as he couldn't understand why he had felt apprehensive yesterday, he couldn't grasp why he felt comfortable today. It was vexing; an itch he couldn't locate so couldn't scratch.
Sipping his tea, he cradled the mug in his hands and contemplated the changed atmosphere. What was different? He snuck a glance at a laughing Anakin, and wondered, 'Does this have something to do with you?'
Certainly, last night must have been a much more pleasant conversation than the one before—for both of them.
Obi-Wan didn't like all these invisible factors that kept adding up. He'd much rather deal with something logical, something he could see and understand. He dealt in solid facts, things on which he could read up a holofile and instantly become more knowledgeable, or observe and gain a solid idea on what he was dealing with. These were things that didn't change on inexplicable whimsies.
He excused himself from the table, saying that he was going to check up on Kye. Anakin nodded, his eyes following Obi-Wan's departure. But he did nothing else and said nothing to stop him.
Obi-Wan made his way up to the greenhouse, a frown on his face. This was all too confusing. "Why I say, I do believe it's Master Obi-Wan!" a droid voice called out to him once he was in the greenhouse. "How do you do, sir? Well, one would hope."
"Hello, Threepio," Obi-Wan returned the greeting.
"Is there any way I can assist you, Master Obi-Wan? It would be my pleasure." C-3PO set down the water mister he had been holding and started to totter over to Obi-Wan. "If you wish, I can give you a detailed account for every plant in here—I am well versed in herbology, if I do say so myself. I am familiar with the plant culture of six-point-four million star systems, have live footage of growing plants from five-point-two billion planets, and audio sound of six different kinds of carnivorous plants eating species natural to their environment."
"No, no, that's quite fine, Threepio," Obi-Wan said hurriedly. "Perhaps another time—"
"I would be delighted!" C-3PO exclaimed.
"—although I am a very, very busy man…" Obi-Wan cut in. "Very busy. So while I'm sure it'd be lovely to hear a thorough synopsis on every plant in here, I'm afraid I won't be able to test your memory skills. I am simply looking for Kye—my veractyl."
"Oh. Yes." If it was possible for a droid's voice to hold disappointment, C-3PO's did at that moment. And if that was possible, then it was also possible for it to sniff disdainfully. "That abysmal beast. She is quite a nuisance, I don't see why you can't train her—" At that moment C-3PO's lecture was stopped by a high-pitched, musical trill. Kye launched herself at C-3PO and started rubbing her head against his golden chest plates. "See! She's at it again! Stop, stop, you wretched creature! I command it of you!"
C-3PO flailed his arms at Kye, but to no avail. She merely thought he was playing with her, and nipped gently at the outstretched hand. "Ah! This is outrageous! You've slobbered on my newly buffed plates, you impudent, horrid little…" C-3PO tried to tug his hand away.
Obi-Wan laughed, watching the comical scene playing out before his eyes. It was better than virtual reality television.
Flustered by Obi-Wan laughing at what he considered a very grave matter, C-3PO bowed low to Obi-Wan and said, "I leave this…thing…to you and bid you good da—ahh!" When he tried to straighten up from his bow, Kye bumped her head against his shiny metal bum, causing C-3PO to clatter to the ground in a shiny, gold heap.
"And I bid you a good day, Threepio. You look like you could use it more than me," Obi-Wan commented lightly. "Come on, Kye, leave the funny little golden man alone." Kye chirped happily and launched herself on him, licking his cheek. Obi-Wan led her away from C-3PO, pitying the droid enough to give him some privacy to regain his lost dignity and balance.
C-3PO watched them go and said, " 'Funny little golden man' indeed. Hmph. I see nothing funny about this situation, my height is at a standard five-foot three-inches—hardly 'small,' and because I lack the need of organs for my continuing functioning I cannot be a mammal, much less a homosapien. Seventy-five percent of his accusations are factually incorrect." The lightly misted air, his only listening companion, said nothing to disagree with him.
"I take it that you like how shiny he is?" Obi-Wan patted Kye on the nose. She closed her eyes and chirruped. Obi-Wan smiled. "It is fun to bug him, isn't it? To the point that you almost can't help yourself…"
They came to a large tree with enormous deep red, heart-shaped leaves. Kye sprawled on the grass underneath it and Obi-Wan leaned up against her side. She rested her head on the ground at an angle so that one large eye could peer up at him. She garbled something that seemed a worried question.
Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm just a bit confused, is all. All this is so…new. I'm at a loss of how to act, and react. Part of me feels like I'm at a dead-end, and I can't go back now. But I can't exactly go forward. I can't waltz through locked doors, you know." Kye tweeted agreement. Realization suddenly dawned on Obi-Wan's face. "…But there is something that I can check up on," he mumbled, "If you find the path blocked, go back to the source. To find out who tried to assassinate Leia all I have to do is—" Obi-Wan patted Kye appreciatively on the neck. "I'm going to the zoo after work today. Thanks for all the help, Kye, you really put it into better perspective for me."
As Obi-Wan strolled away, Kye chirruped happily, not knowing why her master's mood was suddenly so cheerful but glad for it nonetheless. She went to go find the shiny, moving metal man. He wasn't far away, and she proceeded to pounce on him. She watched with rapt attention as the light dance on his shiny body as he started doing his erratic and jerky dance of flailing arms, shrilling yells, and falling over. He was an odd creature, but it was a fun game nevertheless.
Obi-Wan walked to the kitchen, trying not to rush. It wasn't as if he could set his plan into motion instantly, but he was anxious to start his day now that he knew what had to be done. Having a direction to go gave him energy.
He found his target in the kitchen putting dishes into the dishwasher. Anakin grinned and said in greeting, "Have you come to help with the detestable and most evil chore of washing dishes?"
"Sorry, that seems more like your genre," Obi-Wan said playfully. "I have come here for the sole purpose of adding to your list of chores."
"Need another lift to the Temple?" Anakin asked as he rinsed out a glass.
"You read my mind."
Anakin sighed dramatically as he placed the glass into the dishwasher. "Is there no rest for the weary?"
"You can rest while you drive me to the Temple."
"I thought you of all people wouldn't want me sleeping at the wheel." Anakin had a mischievous light in his eyes. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. Anakin shook his head, saying, "Fine, fine, I'll play the role of chauffer. I'll just finish these later…or make Threepio do them." He grinned evilly as he left the dishes half finished. They went out of the house and entered the hangar bay.
As he started the pulsar engine he commented lightly, "You know, it's only because it was you who asked that I left those lovely, dirty dishes alone." He gently coaxed the craft out into the midmorning Coruscanti traffic.
Obi-Wan snorted. "I bet you would have left those dishes alone if a wampa had invited you over to his cave for a bit of supper."
Barking a laugh, Anakin said, "I think the traffic just got rougher because of that."
After much swerving, speeding, and spontaneous prayer, Obi-Wan was able to set his feet down on beloved land. As Anakin closed Obi-Wan's passenger door, he paused and said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention: the green goes beautifully with your eyes. Brings out the color." He smiled and then the hovercraft was gone.
Obi-Wan stared after him, confused. Then he looked down and remembered the green tunic. He sighed; he was purposely trying to forget about it, and Anakin had intentionally brought it up. 'Zounds, he knows exactly what not to say, doesn't he? And then goes and says it.'
Obi-Wan wandered around the Temple, seeing if he could just happen to run into someone. The first person he met was Carra. The Bonthan pounced on him like a cat on a mouse. And if Obi-Wan had been a toy mouse, she surely would have gutted him, tearing out the stuffing in his stitched belly in her quest to see What Was Stuffed Inside. If only it was that easy to pick the mind of a living being.
"Master Obi-Wan, it's so good to see you! Where have you been? What were you doing? Why did Darth Vader come here yesterday to give you a ride home? Who are Leia and Luke?" She paused, noticing his new clothes for the first time. "What's with the outfit?"
"I'm glad to see you too, Carra. As for the outfit, I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh." Understanding floated into her golden eyes. "It's the new Jedi dress code, isn't it? When do I get one?"
"No, it's my own personal clothes."
Carra wrinkled her nose. The action made her cheeks scrunch up also, and the whisker marks on her face grew wavy. "I didn't know that you had any clothes other than your Jedi pair."
"I didn't, until today."
"How did you get them?"
"A gift."
Carra's eyes gleamed like gold coins, but she didn't ask about the remark. This made Obi-Wan particularly wary; Carra normally saved the important questions to find out on her own. Her bombardment of little questions was just a strategy to confuse the opponent into slipping and saying something important. Like what had just happened now. She was very astute, and could gain the most information from the least amount of words.
"You don't seem very comfortable in them," Carra commented, cocking her head to the side and looking at Obi-Wan's stiff stance. "For what reason would you wear something you didn't like?"
Obi-Wan remained silent.
Carra laughed merrily, saying nothing more about the subject. "I've finally got you," she proclaimed. "I've made the great Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi fall silent! Now that I've achieved my goal in life…what can I do for you, Master Obi-Wan?"
"Finally, assistance instead of interrogation." He spoke the truth through gritted teeth and grinning lips. "I was wondering if you could round up everyone so we can meet in the same meditation room as yesterday."
"I am duty bound to serve you." She gave him a graceful, theatrical bow coupled with a silly grin before scampering off.
" 'Duty bound'…?" Obi-Wan mused out-loud as he walked to the meditation room at a much slower pace than Carra. "And here I thought they all followed me around because they liked me."
When he got to the room, Tarren, Darrien, and Skraith were already there. Skraith nodded his head respectfully while Darrien kept his mediation stance, barely batting an eyelash in his direction. Tarren, however, didn't take his arrival with such calm. He sprung up from his pad by Darrien and exclaimed, "What was yesterday all about?"
"Sssilenccce, fool," Skraith snapped. "He will tell usss if he wissshesss to do ssso. Your idiotic blathering helpsss none."
"Skraith, don't be so harsh. I must admit that I, too, am mystified. Tarren is younger than us, and it's understandable that he wasn't able to keep his questions to himself." Darrien opened his eyes and glanced at Obi-Wan. "But I am just as curious as him, and I do not regret that he spoke what is on all our minds."
Obi-Wan was stunned by how much Darrien had said all at once. He didn't think Darrien had ever let a comment go on for so long before. This only proved to him the enormity of the curiosity and confusion his Padawans were feeling, if even levelheaded Darrien was acting out of character.
Giving it serious thought, Obi-Wan finally found a way of wording his situation without giving much away. He just wanted to give his Padawans enough to assure them that he had a good reason for everything, without having to tell the specifics. "I am keeping an eye on the Emperor's secondhand man."
Tarren scowled in frustration. "What does that mean? Why couldn't someone else do that? It's not fair that it has to be you…you have other duties to deal with as it is. Someone else with nothing to do ought to have done this, and done it long before now."
"Circumstances have made me the most capable for this job," Obi-Wan said carefully.
Calming down, Tarren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I still don't see why someone else couldn't have done this anyways," he said firmly. "I don't like this business."
"Have you forgotten all you have heard?" Skraith hissed, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth in exasperation. "Ussse your mind, and remember what Lord Vader sssaid yesssterday. They have known each other for a long time. A connection like that cannot be forged easssily. Who elssse could do thisss job? I ressspect and underssstand Massster Kenobi's decccisssion, and you would be wissse to do the sssame."
"Skraith is correct, Tarren; you must trust me," Obi-Wan said quietly. "I have trusted you, and I wish for you to return that faith."
"I haven't forgotten what you've said, Master Obi-Wan. I'm just frustrated, is all. We have let the enemy into our Temple, and we have found out that he is your friend. What is there not to be confused about?" Tarren shook his head in shock. "I always thought that evil would be more…cold. But he seemed friendly, almost…likeable. How can that be? I know he's a murderer, yet he smiles and jokes like any one of us. He shouldn't. He's Darth Vader."
"Evil is often not what we expect."
"Well, I won't let you down." Tarren steeled himself, looking grim and proud. He was a soldier in a boy's body. "I'll protect the Temple."
Skraith's head swung from Obi-Wan to Tarren, the movement oddly like a lazy cobra swaying to a piper's tune, his reptilian features enforcing the impression. He attentively followed their private conversation, and when their words died out his gaze shifted to his silent, meditating friend.
Carra stormed into the room, herding the other younglings in. Jarg and Ki'lya brought up the rear, making sure none of the others straggled behind. They all had questions and exclamations similar to Tarren's. Obi-Wan found himself combating accusations and suspicions, soothing worries and fears, and altogether becoming very mentally tired.
They all wanted to know: Why did the evil, which we have strived to fight, come here? What did he mean by all his comments? Has he known you for long? How does he know you? Why didn't you tell us this before? Didn't you think you could trust us? What will happen to us now?
He was evasive with all his answers, except for the last question. "I will never let harm come to you," Obi-Wan promised. "This will all be over soon enough, and then things will return to normal. I don't like this any more than you do, but this is something I must do. As a Jedi it is my duty, and duty is not to be questioned." He gave them all a stern look, and all other questions they might have asked were stemmed immediately. They may have been frightened children, but they were also younglings training to be Jedi, and they knew how to follow commands.
"Now, let us meditate." They meditated for an hour. This time, unlike yesterday, Obi-Wan easily slipped into the current of the Force. He had a plan. This gave him infinite comfort and made the Force hum pleasantly around him. Yet however satisfying mingling with the Force was, exactly one hour later Obi-Wan withdrew his spirit from the current and planted it firmly in his body.
Getting up, he announced to the younglings, "I'm sorry that we cannot have a long lesson like yesterday, but I have somewhere important to be." He saw the disappointed and curious faces around him, and said firmly, "This is business, and I expect it to be treated as such." All the opening mouths snapped shut.
Obi-Wan bowed to all his students and said, "May the Force be with…and don't forget to meditate."
"That's just like Master Obi-Wan," Carra said after their master had left, shaking her head. "Always a hidden meaning in his words."
Ki'lya laughed. It was a quiet, unobtrusive and pleasant sound, altogether like spring rain drizzling on lily pads. "I don't think that meaning was hidden very well, then. It sounded more like a command to me."
"Well, that won't do, will it? How can he expect us to follow his instructions if he doesn't suggest them to us? I think his Persuasion skills are getting rusty." Carra grinned. "Perhaps someone should point that out to him, before he really gets himself in trouble." Carra saw Tarren leave the room from the corner of her eyes. "Oh, hey—gotta be somewhere. See ya, Ki'lya!" She rushed out of the room before Ki'lya could even ask what she had to do and if she could come along.
Ki'lya merely smiled at her friend's strange antics. Well, she'd use this time to meditate, as Darrien was. No matter how entertaining a pastime it was to make fun of Master Obi-Wan, she truly admired him (and knew that Carra did also, although it was buried deep underneath her jesting insults and jokes). So while she joked about some of his funnier habits, she always followed the orders he gave. Right now, that required meditation. That was okay; she was good at it, and enjoyed the deep connection to life she felt whenever she let her mind drift in the ambience of the Force.
She was so deep in her meditation that she didn't even register it when Darrien got up quietly and left.
Darrien walked through a nearby hallway and witnessed Carra talking urgently to Tarren. Face furious, Tarren snapped something in a harsh voice to her. She said something else softly, too quietly for Darrien to hear it, and Tarren's face paled before turning a deep crimson with anger. He brandished a finger at her, and from the snarl on his mouth he was obviously threatening her. He stormed off, shoulders tense and back straight.
Carra was stock-still, her back to him. Darrien hesitantly walked toward her and asked, "Carra…? Are you okay? He seemed a little mad…did he hurt your feelings?"
She turned to face him, a triumphant grin expanding on her face like a balloon being blown up. "He's hiding something."
Darrien nodded. "I suspected as much. Especially after what Master Obi-Wan said."
Her ears twitching with interest, she said eagerly, "Let's go to the lake room. We can talk there and not be overheard."
"Probably for the best." He bowed and flourished an arm in front of him. A sign for Carra to lead the way, which she gladly did. Her light footsteps hardly made a sound. There was an extra spring there, one she always got when delving into a secret. Darrien allowed himself to smile leisurely when her back was to him. Her innocent curiosity always amused him.
The lake room was the recreational room, although occasionally it was used for mock-duels to help the younglings get used to fighting on different terrains. It was a huge room in the center of the Temple, an indoor forest with grass, trees, flowers, and large stones perfect for sitting on. Their worn look was proof of that. In the center of the room was an enormous lake. Towering rocks created a cliff that hugged one side of the lake, and from the cliff crystalline water spewed down in a powerful waterfall. The roar of water crashing on rock and more water made quiet conversations silent to eavesdroppers.
Carra sat on the edge of the lake right by the waterfall. She dipped her feet into the water, waiting for Darrien to join her. He sat cross-legged off to her side. She turned to him and asked enthusiastically, "What did Master Obi-Wan say?"
"It's more of what wasn't said." Darrien was silent for a moment, contemplating the cascading water. A serene, musing look laid on his face as he watched the droplets catch the artificial sunlight and bend it into a small rainbow.
"What gives you that idea?" Carra asked, trying to hold back the frustration that threatened to leak over. Darrien rubbed her the wrong way from time to time…it was just that he talked so little. For Carra, that was an undesirable trait.
" 'I haven't forgotten what you've said.' "
"What? What did I say?"
"That's what Tarren said to Obi-Wan."
Realization colored her yellow eyes, making them dance a molten gold. "That means they must have had a previous conversation—one on the same topic. I knew that Tarren had talked to Obi-Wan before he left the Temple! The way he had said with such confidence that Obi-Wan would come back, and the way he kept patting his pocket…" Her eyes flickered with speculation after speculation as they whizzed by in her head.
"Why would he do that?" Darrien asked, mildly interested. His eyes flickered off the waterfall for a nanosecond, taking in her expression, before jumping back to the falling water. The rest of his face did not move.
Carra shook her head. "Sorry, I forgot that you don't know. Just caught up in the moment, you know. A good mystery will do that." She grinned. "He kept patting his pocket because something was in it—a ring of keys. I caught a glimpse of them when they fell out of his pocket."
Darrien did not disagree with her lie.
Carra's eyes twinkled; at least this boy was sharp. They both knew that the keys hadn't 'fallen' out. Valuables like that never did. She had snuck into Tarren's room at night and rummaged through his clothes until she had found the keys. "There were six of them, all nearly alike. Same size, same color, same overall appearance. Ordinary looking. The only difference was that the ridges and indents in each key varied slightly. I suspect that Obi-Wan gave those keys to Tarren before he left. They must be important—and involve the Temple if Obi-Wan was unwilling to let them leave this place, yet had to make sure that someone knew of their existence."
"Intriguing. This could be your greatest mystery yet." A small smiled played at his lips. "Any clue as to what they might unlock?"
"None," she said with regret. "That's what I was trying to ask Tarren about, but you saw how he reacted when I even mentioned the keys. He went from a sheet to a tomato in three seconds flat. And then stomped off." She sighed regretfully.
"Giving up?"
"Never!" she swore, shocked that Darrien would even ask something like that. "I'm going to find out what those keys unlock if it's the last thing I do!"
Darrien studied her. "It'll be hard."
Carra gave him a toothy grin. "All the better."
Darrien nodded. "I wish you the best of luck." He got up and brushed off specks of dirt from his pants. "If you'll excuse me…" he said politely as he walked away.
Carra hummed happily, swinging her feet back and forth in the water. She now had some leads: she had already known about the keys, but she had been stumped there. With Darrien's revelations, she now knew that Master Obi-Wan had told Tarren something important before leaving, and that the keys were connected to his departure. She had almost given up on solving the mystery of the keys (there were simply too many devices and locks that used keys to check them all one by one), but now she knew she would follow this one to the end. This was indeed her greatest mystery yet.
She didn't know when he had joined her, but she became aware of Skraith's sitting presence when he asked, "What were you talking about?"
She was still caught up in all her fantasies and ideas, a dreamy look on her face as she flicked up water with the tips of her bare feet. Stopping her tuneless humming, she said absentmindedly, "Tarren. Keys."
He nodded his head in her direction and left her to her grand schemes.
"Can you at least let me access the camera feed? I know that you keep recordings of it."
"I'm sorry, Mister…" She paused.
"Kenobi."
"Kenobi. All camera footage is private property of the National Coruscant Zoo, and visitors are not allowed access to it."
"I am not a visitor, I am a Jedi investigating a case. A reek was let out of its cage two days ago, and someone I knew was involved in that accident. I was asked to examine the incident and see what I could gather. For that, I need to see the holograms."
"Mister Kenobi, unless I see a permit from the Imperial police giving you permission to examine our personal records, and our camera footage is considered personal, I cannot allow you access," she snapped out, frustrated with him as he filed down her last nerve. It was no surprise; they had been arguing back and forth for over a half-hour by now.
Just as Obi-Wan was drawing breath for another round he spotted a familiar figure heading their way. "You there!" he yelled out, pointing at the zookeeper from the other day. She looked up, startled and eyes wide. "Yes, you!" He stomped over to her.
As he got closer, she gave a cry of recognition and said, "You're the one involved in the reek accident! I searched through all the holograms, but I didn't find anything interesting… I would have sent a message telling you so, but your friend seemed so cynical that I was afraid he would scoff at me and say he knew it all along…"
Obi-Wan had more important things to do than hear about her insecurity issues. 'Whoa, stop right there, Obi-Wan,' he thought to himself. That was no way for a Jedi to think. The last half-hour had worn away more of his patience than he had realized. "I would like to see the footage for myself, if that is all right by you." He tried to smile, and almost managed one.
The zookeeper said, "Yes, that's fine."
The lady behind the desk frowned severely. "You can't do that. If the hologram doesn't concern him directly, he has no right to look at it. It doesn't matter if a friend of his was involved; if he's that worried about this he should have came here himself."
The zookeeper stared at her, confused. "But he was involved—he was there when the reek attack his friend's daughter. In fact, he was almost directly in-between the reek and the little girl. Can't get much closer than that." She gave him a tired smile and walked away from the thin-lipped, but non-arguing secretary. "Follow me to the records room, please."
When they got there, she accessed the computer. Numbers and words raced over the screen as she typed in a series of commands and codes. Finally, an image was displayed on the holoprojector. "I must admit, what we have is rather…odd. You have to see it for yourself to understand."
The camera filmed a small section of the reek's cage, mostly focusing on the power generator and small control system that fed electricity to the cage's shields. The zookeeper fast-forwarded for a bit, explaining, "It's like this for most of the time, but then this happens…" She stopped it and watched the film with great scrutiny. Everything remained the same, but for a fraction of a second the image fritzed before returning to normal, nothing out of place. This went on for a while, before suddenly the image fritzed again. This time the hologram showed the wrecked shield generator as he remembered seeing it. A holographic Anakin was crouched by it, saying something. "See?" the zookeeper said with frustration. "I don't know what went wrong with the camera."
"Rewind to right before the image fragments for the second time." The zookeeper complied. Obi-Wan nodded his head, his notion confirmed. "From when it fuzzed the first time to the second time is all a prerecording that was recorded over the real footage. See how the shadows don't match up before and after the fritz?"
"Really?" the zookeeper asked, rewinding it again to notice the change for herself. "Yeah, you're right."
"—scorch marks seemed to be made by a blaster…DC-15, by the looks of it. The panel was destroyed—"
Obi-Wan stared at the hologram. While he hadn't found the assassin's identity by watching the hologram, Anakin's holographic image had just given him another lead. "Thank you for all your help. I must be leaving now."
The zookeeper nodded tiredly and said, "Sure thing. Find me if you need help again."
Obi-Wan hurried out of the record room, past the glaring secretary, and out onto the Coruscant streets. He flagged down a taxi and said, "Coco Town, Dex's Diner."
"Got it," the taxi driver said through closed lips and a cigarette, speeding through traffic. He was almost as bad a driver as Anakin. The faux-leather interior smelled like cigarette smoke, and Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose distastefully. At least Anakin didn't smell as bad.
'Well, he made good time if nothing else,' Obi-Wan tried to think positively as he paid and thanked the driver. He entered the small diner and almost instantly was hailed heartily by Dexter Jettster. The giant lumbered over to him.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi! Your last visit was so long ago that I nearly thought you were dead. Or worse, forgot about me!" The burly Besalisk chuckled at his own joke. He squashed Obi-Wan in a four-armed bear hug, which Obi-Wan valiantly returned the best he could. Clapping Obi-Wan on the back, Dexter asked, "Now, what can I do for you?"
They slid into a table and Dexter got his waitress, Hermoine Bagwa, to get them drinks: coffee for Dexter and tea for Obi-Wan. "What makes you think that I came for business? What if I just sorely missed your rambunctious company?"
Dexter chuckle. "I know your kind, Obi-Wan. You Jedi never stop by for personal reasons. There's always a mission behind it. So let's get down to it…what's the reason this time?" He leaned in closer. "I know you Jedi try not to keep friends, but I consider myself yours. I'll help you however I can."
"I consider you a friend also, Dex. A useful one, at that." Obi-Wan smiled as he sipped his tea.
Laughing loudly, Dexter said between chortles, "The only kind you keep, I bet."
"Maybe." Obi-Wan's eyes twinkled to show he was joking. "And you are right: I have a reason for being here."
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere." The Besalisk rubbed two beefy hands together in anticipation.
"I need to know everything that you know about a type of blaster…a DC-15."
"Why, there isn't a more common blaster out there!" Dexter exclaimed. "Are your Jedi Archives so outdated that they don't even have that in them?" Dexter shook his head in astonishment.
"I'm glad one of us finds this funny… I can't trust the Archives anymore. Electronic data is too easily manipulated or erased, and I want all the facts I receive to be authentic. Plus, a holofile search can easily be traced, and I don't want anyone to know of my investigations."
"All that cloak-and-dagger stuff, eh?" Baxter snorted and scratched his bristly moustache. "But I've noticed the tighter information control myself. Some of my friends are having difficult times because of it."
"Still keep a few old acquaintances from your wilder days on Ord Sigatt?" Obi-Wan questioned, reminiscing a bit of the first time he had met Dexter.
"Can't get rid of old friends that easily. Besides, I like to keep a couple useful acquaintances myself." He smiled, showing yellowing teeth. "Back to your DC-15 blaster rifle. It's the standard weapon for all Imperial soldiers—meaning the clone troopers. The blaster fires blue plasma bolts…very tricky to aim but deadly. Can make quite a mess at close range, if you get my meaning."
"Are they limited to the clone troopers?"
Dexter shook his head. "No, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone else who does have it. Even though it's not written down, it's practically a law that only clone troopers have those weapons. It's because 'DC-15' instantly makes people think 'clone trooper,' then 'Galactic Empire.' People who disagree with the Empire don't want to be associated with it."
"I can sympathize."
"So does half the galaxy! Doesn't mean they'll do anything." Dexter shrugged. "Do what you can, but don't stick your neck out too far, you hear?" Dexter used his top right hand to waggle a finger at him, his lower two arms crossing over his chest and his top left one flat on the table. "Or else I'll personally make sure that you don't have enough neck to stick out next time. That is, if the guillotine doesn't get you first." He chuckled and slouched back into his seat, relaxed once more.
Obi-Wan smiled, amused by Dexter's strange ways of showing concern. "That was oddly comforting and forbidding at the same time."
Dexter laughed. "That's what I like about you, Obi-Wan. You got style; I knew that since the first time I met you."
"I'd love to stay and chat about old times, but I must be off. Can't have too many unexplained disappearances on my record, now can I?" Obi-Wan got up from his seat. "I'm sure you know how that goes, Dex."
Once again, Dexter drew him into a hug, clapping him on the shoulder. "I know, and that's why you better be careful," Dexter said gruffly, "Don't go and try to take on all the clone troopers at once. Save some for the rest of the galaxy. You Jedi aren't as invincible as you may think."
"I try not to—denying a fact allows it to become your downfall. See you later, old friend."
Obtaining a ride back to Skywalker Skyscraper (Obi-Wan's personal nickname for the mammoth building) was as easy as getting one to Dex's Diner. When he stepped out of the air taxi he was surprised to see Anakin pacing on the landing platform. The darkly clad figure hurried quickly over to the air taxi. "Thanks for the service," Anakin told the driver as he paid the fee himself. The driver looked stunned; it wasn't every day that a Sith Lord thanked him for driving someone else and then paid him. Once the credits finished exchanging hands, the air taxi was flying through traffic away from the building at a neck-breaking speed. Obi-Wan didn't blame the driver for wanting to distance himself.
"Why the agitation?" Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin stared at him incredulously. "Why would I not be agitated? I felt your force signature leave the Temple and I couldn't figure out where you went—just…someplace. I know the districts, but I have no clue why you went to those two. I was worried; you might have been kidnapped, or off on some martyr mission, or gotten into any other number of dangerous situations!"
Obi-Wan felt embarrassed about having worried Anakin. And uneasy that Anakin had honed his skills enough to be able to mentally track his movements to the point of knowing which districts he had visited. He bet that Anakin had been in the Galactic Senate building, which was close to the Temple, and that was why he had known Obi-Wan's exact location before he had started moving around. Sensing the exact position of a life force signature was easier at closer range. As he had moved away, the 'tracking signal' had gotten more obscure and generalized.
If Anakin had been nearer to the districts he had visited, he probably would have been able to sense the exact building that Obi-Wan had gone into. With some alarm, Obi-Wan realized for the first time just how much danger he had put his friend Dex into.
"I'm…sorry. I didn't realize that you would be worried if I went elsewhere." Obi-Wan bereted himself for not thinking of that; he should have known that Anakin would keep tabs on him personally. He had forgotten that the spiritual powers that worked for him also worked for Anakin: the Force did not choose sides.
"Where did you go?" Anakin interrogated. Now that Obi-Wan was right in front of him and clearly unharmed, other thoughts were creeping to the fore of his mind.
"To a café to have a cup of tea."
"Why didn't you just get one at the Temple?"
"The younglings were driving me mad with all their questions. You created quite a disturbance with your presence yesterday. I had to evade everything except physical blows from them. With eleven of them, they are an awe-inspiring force to be reckoned with. Certainly a hassle at the least."
Anakin couldn't help the small smile that the comment created. "I apologize for the unplanned visit. I probably should have thought through a better way to introduce myself than by just appearing suddenly. Maybe we should have given them a couple days warning first, so they could have prepared themselves and gotten used to the idea of me being around more often."
"I'm not sure I'm getting at what you're saying."
"I want to become more active with what goes on in the Temple," Anakin explained. "You spend so much time there…" Anakin drifted off with a sigh. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he rubbed his face wearily.
"Why should it matter how much time I spend at the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked, confused and a little suspicious.
Anakin's eyes lost their distant look as he focused directly on Obi-Wan. He said mournfully and plaintively, "I miss you."
" 'Miss me'?" It was Obi-Wan's turn to be incredulous. "Anakin, I've only been in your household since yesterday…you can't possibly have gotten so used to my presence around the house that you already 'miss me' when I'm not there."
"I've been missing you every time you went away since I was nine," was the simple response.
Anakin had first met Obi-Wan when he was nine.
"Well…yes…I suppose…if you wanted to…you could spend more time at the Temple." Obi-Wan was mortified, although he tried to speak in a casual tone. He didn't think he was very convincing. It was just…Anakin a constant figure at the Jedi Temple? The younglings had been thrown into disorder with one small appearance of him. How well would they react to continual encounters with him?
What worried him most was that they might actually get used to Anakin.
"I know this must be a shock for you, but this can actually work to your benefit." Anakin smiled at him and herded him gently toward the building without actually touching him. "With two of us, we can give each Padawan Learner more attention than if there was only you."
"Well, when you put it that way…" Obi-Wan mumbled, allowing himself to be steered.
"You'll see," Anakin promised optimistically, "this will work out nicely."
Obi-Wan excused himself from Anakin when they got to the house portion of Skywalker Skyscraper. He went up to the greenhouse and called softly for Kye. She came racing towards him, chirruping excitedly. Obi-Wan heard a distant voice—C-3PO's—say, "Finally, the dreaded beast is gone!"
"Causing trouble again?" Kye tilted her head to the side and chirped lightly, the embodiment of innocence. Obi-Wan chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Threepio's that uptight even when you don't cause problems for him."
The smile slipped from his face. "Kye…things have just become more complicated. I solved one problem, only to find that I'm now facing a much larger one. I just really wish I could speak to…someone."
Obi-Wan shivered; he had been about to say 'Yoda.' While he knew Kye wouldn't repeat the name (in fact, couldn't), any number of cameras could be watching. He had to be careful of what he said because he could never be sure of just who was listening.
He leaned his head against Kye's and closed his eyes. He felt very faint waves of reassurance coming from Kye and smiled gratefully. The veractyl was using their mental bond to try to comfort him. He stayed like that for a long time, letting Kye temporarily wash away all his worries with her soft telepathic waves and low, musical crooning.
At night, Anakin once again came to his room. Obi-Wan didn't try to stop him, or even to ignore him. By this time, he knew that either action would only aggravate and provoke Anakin. Obi-Wan knew the strength of Anakin's will: when he wanted something, he could not be discouraged.
They merely talked, Obi-Wan bone-weary and Anakin strangely rejuvenated.