At last the return of the Authour's Note: Awkwardness ensues. Yes, I haven't updated for a month and a half. I am very sorry, but believe me, I have many good excuses. One of them you can look up on the New York Times. Search for article "explosives camp".
Chapter 3: The (relative) Calm before the Storm.
Obi Wan angrily got up from his table, Selah still attatched to his arm. "Master Obi Wan, where are you going? Surely your apprentice can take care of himself?"
Obi wan glared at her in exasperation. "I know my Padawan, Miss Selah. I know him well enough that it is simply not possible for him to behave respectably in a situation like this. I'm going to find him before he ends up on the 21:00 news."
"Well, I'll come with you!" she exclaimed happily.
Thinking fast, Obi Wan smiled, partly in act, partly from guilt (but not much of it). "Of course Miss Selah. Right this way." They walked out through the kitchen doors and started past the ovens. "Ah, wait just a moment! I know that the head cook keeps a special selection of Denebian brandy just off here, wait a moment and I'll fetch some." He walked casually into another doorway, then jumped quickly into a ventilation duct and sat still.
Three minutes later an impatient Selah came through the door also, looked around and then stalked off. Thank god. He jumped lightly down from the ceiling and headed back in the opposite direction, hurrying swiftly past a fresh argument that had broken out between Alaya's two oldest. Walking into the main entrance, he tried to feel in the force for his ties with Anakin.
Suprisingly, a very large amount of static met his probe, and he was unable to sense anything. This, he thought, is not a good thing. For one, it meant he would have to search the old fashioned way. For another, it meant that Selah would be able to sneak up on him. He set off in the direction of the fountain room, bypassing the thought of checking on their quarters. Anakin was likely to assume that Obi Wan would check there first. Walking through the entrance to the fountain room, he tried to ignore the couples scattered around on benches or by the pools. A cursory glance told him that Anakin was not here.
Entering another hallway, Obi Wan was run over by a tan blur. Only pure luck ensured that it was his leg and torso that was stamped on and not his head or other important body parts.
"Aahhhg! What th-? Scout? What are you doing?!" he yelled, trying to distangle his robes.
Screeching to a halt, Scout turned back to look at him. "Oh, jeez! Sorry Master! Didn't see you there. You really should try to be a bit more visible."
"Tallisibeth! Why are you running?!" Unfortunatley Obi Wan's next sentence was trampled on as thoroughly as his head when Whie Malreaux rounded the corner.
"Whie, why were you so far behind me? He's got to be gaining, come on!" Scout shouted. Obi Wan grabbed both their shoulders and refused to let them go. He could hear the distant sounds of boots slapping on floor tiles.
"Who is chasing you?" He asked firmly. Whie and Scout tried vainly to pull away.
"Let go, please! It's Master Leem!" That was Scout talking. "We can fix it, I promise!" That from Whie.
Obi Wan thought for a microsecond. "Okay, help me with something afterwards and I'll hide you." The two Padawans only hesitated until a harsh curse was heard not so far away and gaining. "Deal!"
Obi Wan quickly threw them high in the air (with a little force helping; after all, he wasn't as young as he used to be), where they grabbed desperately to the tapestries hanging from the ceiling. Three seconds later Master Maks Leem rounded the corner, red faced and cursing under his breath. He spared only a glance at Obi Wan, who smirked and pointed down the hall. Scout and Whie shakily dropped down to the floor.
"Okay you two, I'm going to ignore what you may or may not have done for right now. First I need you to tell me if you've seen Anakin."
Scout spoke up imeadiatly. "We haven't seen Anakin at all this afternoon."
Whie started to add "But he's probably-" at which point Scout elbowed him hard in the ribs. He fell silent.
Obi Wan studied them hard before asking the next question. "Why, when I reach for the force, do I sense only static?" Scout and Whie looked at each other shiftly and didn't reply. Obi Wan sighed and pantomimed writing in mid air.
"Dear Master Leem, in addition to tonight's trouble, it seems Padawan Malreaux was the one responsible for last month's-"
"Ahh! Okay, okay!" Whie interjected with a panicked look on his face. "Look," he began, with a glance at Scout, who just sighed at him. "All I'm gonna tell you is to look in Speeder Bay 7."
"But that's been unused for years since Master Tipada let off those awful stink grenades."
Scout replied knowingly. "Well, the scent's worn off since then, hasn't it? Only none of you wanted to go check to be sure."
Whie nodded. "Just go there, and keep our names out of this!"
Obi Wan walked away with a very grim feeling eating away at his stomach, and a nagging voice in his head that urged him to call for back up.
The next chapter (though it will be longer) (and funnier) will not take nearly so long. I hope.