Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. But I do own Rae and her Crazy.
Time-line: roughly 3 years and 4 months after Naboo. Roughly.
Chapter 23: How Rae Got a Whole Knife Collection
It was supposed to be a routine mission.
Except, the Kenobi-Skywalker team was doomed to life as trouble magnets, and Rae knew it, so she tagged along. You know, as back up for when things inevitably went wrong.
And go wrong things did, though not too spectacularly.
They ended up running into Generic Baddie Number 33, Rodian class.
A big fight in a dark alley, in the rain, broke out and the two Jedi made it out, but only because Rae sacrificed herself.
(Anakin was only twelve after all, and not yet accomplished with a saber. She'd fought fully armored warriors not even a month ago, Generic Baddies with ballistic vests and black market blasters would be child's play in comparison.)
Turned out, the Rodian was a slaver who delivered girls to this older human guy who had a thing for knives. And tying up pretty young girls and creeping the living daylights out of them.
(He was going to regret trying to hold her.)
/*/
"Dude! Get some better lighting in here! You're creeping me out man!" Rae screamed to the empty room. Despite being made of metal, it reminded Rae of practically every hostage room she'd ever seen on NCIS or Hawaii Five-O. Heck, the old guy reminded her of a Castle villain! And the kidnapper? Scooby-Doo Villain was written all over him! But, that was because he was an alien. Oh! Rick Castle would have gone nutso over this set up! He did over that sci-fi convention murder. Oh wait. Murder? Shoot! That wasn't in the plan. Not that she'd really had a plan outside of 'spare Anakin more childhood trauma and give Obi-Wan a Break' but still. She hadn't thought she'd have to kill anyone today, and make no mistake, she would kill him before dying herself. Just then, the door whooshed open and this guy who looked like a Bubba walked in, twirling a knife in his hand. She plastered a wide grin on her face and lounged as best she could in her bonds. If there was one thing she'd learned from Obi-Wan, it was that charm was an effective tactic for distracting opponents. "Hey Bubba! What'cha got there? Looks like a mighty fine piece of metalwork," she said. The man sneered as he glared down at her, the knife slowing slightly in his hand.
"This is a Karthian diver's knife that I won in a pazzak game, many years ago," he said. Rae hummed and craned her neck to get a better look, interested despite herself.
"Nice. Full tang? Plasteel handle? Non-reflective finish?" she asked. The man blinked.
"Half tang, but other than that... yes," he said with the air of someone who was confused but pleased. Rae jerked her head to the right and back, craning for a better look at the knife. It really did seem to be a nice piece.
"Bring it closer, I want to see if I can place the metal," she said. Intrigued, the man came closer and held out the knife, point first. "Hum... looks like... durasteel, but with a slightly more blue tinge, which can be seen along the finely honed edge of the blade. Very nicely sharpened serrations too, those are difficult to keep up. Humm... an alloy then. Nope, can't place it. Care to enlighten me?"
"They call it rathium, and it is in fact an alloy. It's a rare metal that doesn't get brittle in extreme cold and has an extremely high melting point, making it seem like it absorbs heat. The coating on it is meant to protect it against vibrations, that it gives the blade a matte finish is just a bonus," the man explained, distracted from his original task by her interest in one of his other passions.
"Amazing! And the pommel? What is it made of? What style is it?" Rae asked, craning her neck in an attempt to see the end of the handle
"What do you mean?"
"The butt of the knife! The part you have pointed right at your sternum right now! Dose it have a metal cap on it?!" Rae asked, jerking against the ropes that held her. The man blinked. "Good grief Bubba! You are one slow man! Just turn the thing around and let me look!" Bubba, as Rae resolved to call him, turned the knife around. After examining the hilt, Rae nodded. "Looks kind of like they used durasteel and covered it with the same coating they used on the blade," she said. "It's handy when you want to knock someone out, having a nice solid pommel." Bubba blinked in obvious confusion.
"Who are you?" he asked. Rae laughed, low and dark, straining against the ropes and letting her Shiva mindset settle into place with a deadly grin.
"I'm not too surprised that Rodian goon you hired didn't know who he was grabbing. All he knew was that I was a female human or near-human walking with a Master/Padawan team that was 'stupid' enough to get captured," Bubba was beginning to get scared now, though he wasn't too sure why. She was a tiny little slip of a girl tied to a chair, unarmed, and he had his knife. So why did she make him feel so scared? "That fear you feel curling in your gut? It's likely because you possess enough self-preservation instinct to sense danger."
"Danger? From you?" Bubba scoffed. Shiva laughed again and sat back with a grin, wishing she could cross her legs but the man had enough sense to tie her ankles to the chair as well.
"It's more likely than you seem to think," she answered. "Now, why don't you tell me what you want, hum?" He growled and shook his head.
"I'm gonna make you scream, little girl," he said, stalking closer. "And you're going to look so good with blood on your face." Shiva scowled.
"One, I'm a full grown woman so... rude. Two, that's really kriffing gross. And three, is that supposed to scare me? Because, honestly, it kinda makes me want to laugh." Bubba growled and backhanded her.
"Shut up, wench! You're mine now, you speak when I tell you to!" he snarled. Shiva shot him a chilling glare then spit out some blood.
"You shall pay for that, Bubba," she hissed. Bubba laughed.
"Oh really? Because from where I'm standing," he lunged forward and yanked her head back by her hair to leer down at her, "I'm the one with your life in my hands." Shiva grinned, showing her bloodied teeth.
"Check again, Shibito," she hissed, pulling her hands free and grappling the knife from his surprise slackened grip and stabbing it into the back of his shoulder before yanking it free, ramming her forehead into his nose to force him back. As he stumbled back in pain and surprise, she slashed her ankles free. Unbound, she bounded to her feet, then lashed out and caught her captor in the back of the head with the durasteel capped toe of her work boot.
(He really hadn't stood a chance.)
/*/
When they'd been attacked not long into their mission, Obi-Wan had wanted to negotiate, but Rae had quickly seen the attackers as slavers, and forced him to take Anakin and run. He'd tried to argue, as had Anakin, but one look from those steely eyes had shut them both up. 'Get the Brat out of here! I'll hold them off, try to buy you some time!' she'd said. With the slavers closing in on Anakin, and knowing his past as a slave on Tattooine, Obi-Wan had been forced to follow her command and get the kid out.
But there was a price.
Rae had been captured.
He could not let this stand.
First, he found the slaver who took her and recovered her weapons... after a quick water-boarding session that Anakin found rather informative that is. Obi-Wan would find the boy a little less quick to test the boundaries after that mission. But Obi-Wan got something far more immediately gratifying in that interrogation.
The name and address of the rodian's client.
It was a simple matter for them to find the house, and another to find Rae's Force signature. It was flared like a beacon. A devious beacon, but a beacon. Obi-Wan actually considered slowing down a little, letting her play with the poor man, but his Jedi training took over and he went in for the rescue. Anakin later admitted that from the moment Rae'd been taken he wasn't sure who was getting rescued: Rae or the man who 'bought' her. When they arrived, the slaver was bound and laying unconscious in the living room with a stab wound to the shoulder and a large lump on the back of his head that explained the unconsciousness and made Obi-Wan concerned the man also had a concussion. Rae's Force signature was deeper in the house, so they went after her... after calling the authorities with the location and a request for a medical team. They found her exiting a secret room with a large pack on her back. "Well you two sure took your time," she said cheerfully. Obi-Wan just shook his head while Anakin sighed.
"I'm honestly not surprised," the teen said. Rae laughed and clapped him on the shoulder before walking right out of the building and immediately schmoozing with the local authorities.
She was a piece of work, that was for sure.
/*/
Rae was rather pleased with how things worked out.
Her search of the building allowed her to claim all of 'Bubba's knives, which was quite a windfall. He had one for each inhabited planet, moon, and asteroid within three systems. Sometimes more than one, considering the various tribal and military grade weapons he had in his house. Rae also picked out two coats and a pair of boots that fit from the slaver's closet and donated the rest to the Jedi for use as disguises.
And both she and her Jedi gained contacts in the law enforcement of Bengelia.
For a mission that went pear shaped, they all went home rather happy.
/?/
A/N: Yeah, it may be a bit out there, but this is Star Wars! It's going to be just short of unbelievable.
