Obi-Wan spent most of the flight through hyperspace in mediation. Since leaving Corsuscant, a bad feeling settled into him. He focused his emotions into the Force, releasing the fear that accompanied the feeling. Beyond the anxiety accompanying the 'feeling,' there was little he could identify about it, though Hawk's comment about a storm felt apropos.
The Force felt different since meeting with Hawk and Wolf, though they went by different names at the time. Their initial duty of assisting the pair was superseded by the strong presence in the force, particularly in Wolf. After saving them from a slaver gang on Nar Shaddaa, Qui-Gon brought them back to Corsuscant to meet with the council. Over the course of several weeks, Hawk and Wolf explained their situation and the Jedi, particularly Obi-Wan and other padawans helped the pair adjust to a new galaxy. Both were quiet, conferring in hushed tones before speaking out about some topic. While Hawk dove into the library with a passion, Wolf followed Obi-Wan around for the most part.
During that time, Obi-Wan explained two perspectives of the force: the Living and the Unifying. Whereas his Master was a student of the Living Force, following the changes and the here, Obi-Wan was a student of the Unifying Force. The Living Force flows through everyone, connecting every living being to one another. Mindful of the future, students of the Living Force were solidified in the present, focusing on how things could and might change in the immediate future. This mindfulness helped them avoid temptation, though it was no guarantee.
The Unifying Force connected everything, dark and light side. Regardless of one's emotions, the students of this school focused on fulfilling the possibilities of the future. Some referred to this as destiny, while the students believed it simply was the will of the Force. With the connection of the dark side, falling to temptation was more than a potential. Master Yoda spoke with Obi-Wan at length as he began to study the Unifying Force. The Force was powerful, and glimpsing at its power could tempt even the strongest of hearts, and humble even the strongest of men.
For Obi-Wan, every time he fell into the Force, he felt the humbleness surround him. The galaxy was vast, but the Force was immense. A cosmic connection with everything and he was offered a mere glimpse of its beauty. It was this beauty that he helped Wolf learn to see.
When he first met her, anger and despair filled the girl. Wolf's power fed upon those feelings, and had someone else found them first, maybe she would have fallen to the Dark Side. If anyone else experienced a similar emotional upheaval, Obi-Wan wondered if they could cope. No Jedi would be able to, at least currently. The Dark Side grew more tempting as one became more fearful or angry with the world. Except she was already aware of those temptations, cautioning herself in every action and reaction. Hawk stabilized her to a point, but eventually Wolf found herself releasing those emotions into the Force in much the same way as the Jedi were taught. Despite the Council's caution, he followed his Master's impetus for once and began to slowly introduce Wolf to meditation. While Hawk spent hours in the Council's libraries, combing through recent and archaic histories, Wolf spent the time either training with a practice saber or in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
The pair spent nearly three months there, learning what they could of their new galaxy. The Jedi in turn learned gathered what information they could of the planet Earth and the magic both Hawk and Wolf possessed. Wolf cautiously spoke of her abilities and Hawk nearly refused to offer any information, only providing them it when threatened with removal from the libraries. In hindsight, it was the threat from the Council that drove the pair away.
Obi-Wan remained in contact with them as best as he could over the years. He filed away their exploits, or at least the ones he could find. With both of them becoming bounty hunters, most of their missions would never make the holo-net, but there always were tales of the extraordinary things that occurred. Things normally attributed to Jedi. If you knew where to look, and his Master taught him to look beyond the surface, then it was easier to find out about his friends.
This was their first formal mission together since meeting them, and both had grown into fine young woman. He kept his gaze from lingering, especially when the two engaged in any amorous activity (which admittedly was quite often it seemed). Still, his eyes wandered over them at times. Wolf stood far shorter than him, while Hawk was about his height. Their armor covered their bodies, and since leaving Corsuscant, he never saw them without it. It was only the cloth-covered bodies of his youth that he remembered, but the armor hugged their now grown forms very well. He pushed aside youthful fantasies about them, knowing both the Jedi Code and their faithfulness to each other.
"We will be arriving shortly." Wolf's words broke his mediation. He glanced up to see the shorter girl standing in the doorway, dressed for battle. Much as his lightsaber remained at his side at all times, so did her dual blasters.
"Thank you," he said, rising from his kneeling position. "Any word from Naboo?"
"Only that we are to proceed to the orbiting station," Wolf said with a shrug.
Obi-Wan paused as he moved to the doorway. "You feel it too, don't you?"
"Something's off," she said. She hugged her torso, glancing back over her shoulder into the hallway. He nodded his agreement before ushering her out.
Despite spending most of his mediation contemplating the past, the Force was trying to tell him something. A darkness subtly crept along their path. It followed them and pull them toward its goals. The motivation and outcomes were still unclear, but Wolf summed it up perfectly: Something was off.
Their ship docked without much fanfare, and a protocol droid greeted them in the hanger. Wolf and Hawk both donned their helmets, the armor concealing their features and protecting them. Images of their namesakes were painted upon them aided in creating an intimidating facade. The wolf's white teeth stood out against the dark fur that covered most of the helmet. Except for a white slash along the forehead and the emerald eyes that bore into observers, the helmet could perfectly conceal Wolf in the dark. Hawk's helmet pushed forward, dipping slightly in front of her chestplate as if the beak of a bird. Sharp eyes caught everything, twisting to stare down its prey.
The bounty hunters' presence would upset most, but in the company of the Jedi it left the Trade Federation no doubt as to who was conducting the negotiation, as the Jedi robes openly shared their allegiance. The armor, as was the case for most bounty hunters, conversely concealed the pair's, leaving them free to find work wherever they could.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan said as they were lead into a waiting room. Wordless glances were shared between the bounty hunters.
"I sense nothing," Qui-Gon said.
"It's there," Wolf said, her voice distorted by her helmet. "Something is out there, reaching for us."
"You sure?" Hawk asked. She removed her blaster reflexively, checking the components before slipping it back into the holster.
"I – yes, I'm sure," Wolf said, nodding as if to confirm her own thoughts.
"You mustn't center on your anxieties," Qui-Gon tried to coach them.
Hawk snorted. "I've learned to trust those anxieties, Master Jedi. So if it's alright, we'll remain on edge for the moment."
Qui-Gon nodded at the statement. The bounty hunters were there to assist, and in this case, being Force sensitive aided them even further. While both he and Qui-Gon would feel the danger approaching before it arrived, the bounty hunters could openly act in defense of them without starting an inter-galactic incident. After all, they were 'hired' to protect the Jedi. As legal fiction went, it was a stretch, but Obi-Wan wondered if his Master sensed something else that necessitated their presence.
"Be mindful of the living Force, my young Padawan," Qui-Gon said to him as they moved to stand before the window. The warning wasn't unexpected given the ominous feeling encompassing him at the moment. His master often coached him to be aware of the ever changing present. Something could happen and shift the balance within the Force, changing that feeling. This time, it felt almost solid, like years of preparation finally coming together in a few master strokes.
Following his master's advice, Obi-Wan turned his attention to the planet. He'd never been to Naboo, and the cultural information on the planet only provided so much. Beyond knowing that Naboo consisted of two races, the Naboo and the Gungan, little of . The bountiful planet supplied both with more than their need, and while the Gungans lived easily under the surface of the vast oceans, the Naboo openly welcomed those in need and sent aid to those they could.
Obi-Wan kept his gaze on the planet as he responded. "Yes, Master."
They waited in silence. Hawk and Wolf took up positions by the door while Qui-Gon finally moved to seat. Obi-Wan joined him after a short while, finding the planet enthralling. They'd been on dozens of missions before, most of them never involving the threat of violence let alone the need to draw their lightsabers. His fingers brushed the elegant weapon.
The lightsaber acted as a Jedi's conduit through the Force in battle, allowing them to enhance their abilities. They moved quicker, struck harder, and responded faster than most humans could, even with outside assistance. Still, drawing the lightsaber should be only in defense of the self or others. He knew of some Jedi who enjoyed the aggressive training bouts with the sabers, and for a time Obi-Wan was one of them. It was that aggression that nearly cost him the chance to be a Jedi, as he fought harder and struck harshly during the tournament as a youngling. Had Master Yoda not encouraged Qui-Gon to take another apprentice and the Force not leading them to meet again, Obi-Wan knew he'd be on Bandomeer in the Agricultural Corps. The lightsaber may be the Jedi's weapon, but to Obi-Wan, it also served as a reminder of his hubris.
Wolf broke the silence first, asking, "Why are they making us wait so long?"
The same protocol droid, TC-14, from before entered, this time carrying a tray of drinks and food. Obi-Wan watched the door close behind it as it moved first to the bounty hunters. Both remained motionless, staring down at the droid. It finally gave up, and could droids sigh, he believed it would have. Smiling, he accepted a glass before Qui Gon did the same.
"No," his master said. "I sense an unusual amount of fear for something that should be trivial as a trade dispute."
Another moment of silence continue the façade of the negotiation before a rumble passed through the station. Obi-Wan and his master stood, their sabers drawn. Hawk and Wolf appeared just as ready, their blasters no longer in their holsters. Turning to locate the source, Obi-Wan spotted the gas slowly leaking into the room.
"Dioxin!" Qui-Gon and Hawk both shouted. Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan centered himself as the gas slowly filled the room. Wolf moved to his side, bring a rebreather up to his lips. Once he accepted it, she did the same for Qui-Gon, earning a nod of approval from his master.
They waited in silence for several minutes, the gas covering every inch of the room. The fog clouded their sight. Without helmets or the Force, they'd be left blind and most likely dead. Except Jedi were never truly defenseless and the bounty hunters had more than their share of tricks.
Hawk moved to start slicing the door when it slide open. The gas began to seep out of the room along with the protocol droid. She held up a hand, signaling them to hold even as she raised her blaster, with Wolf following suit. The bounty hunters fired off a quick round for each of their weapons. Bursts of sparks flared just outside the fog as the droid attackers fell They moved forward, stepping out of the fog and into the hallway.
Obi-Wan followed after a few moments, his lightsaber raised in defense. An easy battle shifted into a mere exercise as the bounty hunters quickly cut down the oncoming droids. The four of them moved swiftly toward the bridge, carving down the droids in their path. Blast shields quickly covered doors as they approached.
Wolf and Hawk took up flanking positions as they attempted to slice through the door. Another shield fell into place as more droids came down the hallway. Sharing a glance, Obi-Wan thrusted his saber into the door, burning it into molten slag.
"Destroyers!" Wolf said as she fired off several rounds into the shielded droids. The blasts back deflected off of Hawk's shield. He removed his saber as did Qui-Gon to prepare for the fight with a tougher opponent. Reaching out with the Force, Qui-Gon opened a vent before disappearing in it. Obi-Wan quickly followed him up, then Wolf and Hawk disappeared inside. This certainly had taken a turn for the odd, but so far wasn't his worst negotiation. He hoped it wouldn't become worse, but the feeling in the Force grew stronger with each passing moment.
Once on the planet, with any luck they could reach Naboo without incident, but if their luck held, an incident would be the least of their worries.
I0I
Wolf thought back to the last time she snuck onto a ship. Well, technically this wasn't a ship but a landing vessel. She was the only person on it too, as the rest of the space was packed to the brim with droids. Well, technically, they weren't droids any more but motion sensor bombs timed to go off in proximity with other droids.
The last ship she snuck upon was several weeks after they arrived. She was still Jenna Potter then, the Girl-Who-Shouldn't've-Lived. Somehow, magic shucked her across the universe and she arrived on an alien planet. New sights, sounds, threats. So really, just like home for her. Except this time, people helped because the generally cared. No ulterior motives, no hidden agenda, nothing but kindness rang out through her magic, or the Force as it was known on this side of the universe.
"Almost done," she muttered to herself. Wolf never quite grasped the concept of slicing, not in the way Hawk did, but finesse wasn't important here. She crossed another set of wires, tying them off before sliding them back into the powered down droid.
The ship rumbled as it made its entry. She grasped two droids above her and tightened her legs around the neck of the droid she sat on. The hold popped the head of the droid off. She tried to grab onto it, but fumbled the head as gravity took ahold of the ship. It rattled around down there, adding to the deafening thunder of her ride. Her last ride was definitely better than this one.
They hitched a ride on a freighter off of Corsuscant once Mia (she still was Hermione Granger then) read enough to craft them new identities for wherever here was. They slipped out in the middle of the fake-night on the planet, hiding on one freighter to a planet before hopping onto another one back to Nar Shaddaa to finish up the initial paperwork to be bounty hunters. Wolf wasn't quite sure how Mia decided on that job, but with five years under her belt, she felt at peace.
The rumbling ended almost as quickly as it began, followed by a sudden jolt. Climbing through the droids, Wolf reached the entrance. A push from the Force and she freed herself from the confines of the vessel. It carried her several dozen meters away, even as the ship continued to mow down trees in its path.
Wolf bounded back to her feet, ignoring the dull pain in her shoulder. She raised a hand to her helmet. "Wolf to Hawk. Wolf to Hawk."
A burst of static and then - "Hawk has landed. Where you at?"
"Right where the -" The vessel she road down in made it only a hundred meters before exploding in a fiery blast. "Where that was."
"Wolf!" She smiled to herself, fully expecting Hawk's reaction.
"Just how far are you?" Reaching out with her magic, Wolf searched for her. Her senses bounded through everything, moving through the rocks, the grass, the trees, the dirt, the burning mess of droids and vessel, until she found Hawk, and the Jedi. "Never mind. I'll meet up with you."
"Good. Qui-Gon is nearby," Hawk's voice echoed through her helm.
Another sweep with her enhanced senses brought a smile to her face. "Liar, but I still love you."
A moment of silence. "Fine. Just come find me, and we'll find the others."
"Deal." Wolf said. She took off in a run, the Force coursing through her and pushing her faster. This new manifestation of magic to enhance her senses brought her closer to the world around her. The tournament would have been much easier if she'd known how to do this during her fourth year. Unfortunately, it took traveling across space and time to learn something useful with magic.
Wolf moved through the trees, pushing off the ground as she bounded toward Hawk. Her steps brushed the ground as she ran at speeds beyond most humans. Wind wrapped around her whipping by her as if she were riding a broom and not running. The Force helped guide her between the trees as she journeyed to Hawk. She kept searching for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. The forest meshed with a swamp, the dirt becoming muddy and slippery at times even as she darted about the ground. She passed by the indigenous life, cataloging their presences for future reference but generally ignoring them. She did sense a humanoid lifeform by Qui-Gon, but Hawk was her priority.
Landing with a dust cloud, Wolf stared up at Hawk with a wide smile on her lips. Not that Hawk could see the smile, but it was the thought that counted. "Missed me?"
"Always," Hawk said, likely smiling and rolling her eyes. "So, where are they?" Wolf spun around, staring into the swamp and trees. She pointed deeper into the trees, southwest from their current position if her HUD still worked accurately. "Then we better hurry."
"How many landed?" Wolf asked as they started running before their jetpacks took over. The investment more than paid for itself as it allowed them to cover ground quickly without worrying about expending too much energy or alerting their prey of their Force/magic abilities.
"More than Naboo could deal with," Hawk answered mid-stride. "More than we can deal with."
"Well, one less." Wolf changed course moving to a lake or maybe just a large water source. Studying the planet should have been a priority, but Wolf spent more time mediating while traveling to Naboo. The storm Hawk talked of was coming, and with it something that would either break them or send them back to Earth. She could hardly call it home, not when she'd spent the last five years running and gunning with Hawk to stay alive.
"There!" Hawk pointed out to the edge of the water. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan conversed with one of the Gungans gesticulating widely.
The lake stretched out further than the horizon, ending somewhere past two mountain ranges. The green expanses continued along the shore, protecting whatever fauna inside and providing them some cover from the landing droids. Wolf let her feet skid across the lake's surface, kicking up a spray behind her. Hawk flew several meters higher, her movements calculated and efficient. When on the job, she never wasted energy unless completely necessary.
Wolf managed to reach them first, landing softly as her jetpack cut out. Hawk landed beside her, not quite as gracefully, but still without much fanfare. Their landing caught the Gungan by surprise, sending him spiraling to the ground. Obi-Wan grinned briefly before settling into his usually stoic disposition. Qui-Gon shook his head at the Gungan as the alien struggled to stand.
"Theed is on the other side of the planet," Hawk broke the silence as the Gungan finally put his feet underneath him. "And we have no transport to get there."
"We're heading to Gungan City," Qui-Gon said, pulling out the rebreathers Wolf handed him earlier. "Jar Jar will be leading us there."
"Jar Jar?" Wolf turned to the Gungan, taking in the long floppy ears, elongated nose, and reddish skin.
"That's mesa," the Gungan pointed at himself.
"Okay, rule one: Don't speak in Basic," Hawk said, her hand going to her blaster. The Gungan nodded quickly, catching the hint. Wolf shook her head as Haw relax.
"You can translate?" Qui-Gon asked.
Hawk nodded as Wolf fixed her blasters to the holster. If they were going underwater, she'd hate to lose her weapons. The lecture certainly wasn't worth it. "It's better than trying to listen to creatures butcher basic or us butcher their language. I assume you understand Basic?" Jar Jar nodded. "See, no problems then."
"And if they actually speak Basic?" Obi-Wan asked, smirking again.
"She'll turn off her audio ports, leaving me to translate," Wolf said. It'd happen before, and Hawk owed her dearly each time, but the nights together certainly made the extra effort worth it. "Ready?" Jar Jar nodded then let out an odd battle cry before jumping and twisting in the air. Spinning several times in the air, he then dove into the water. With no other option, the Jedi began to follow the Gungan into the unknown depths. Hawk turned to look at her, and underneath the helmet, Wolf knew the look wasn't a good one.
It wasn't her fault they had to go under water. Hopefully they wouldn't have to be down there too long. How far could a hidden city be?
A/N: Thanks everyone for reading this story. I am not sure the schedule of updates for this story, but this is the next chapter. I will be switching POVs every chapter or so, but sticking primarily with Hawk/Hermione, Wolf/Jenna, and Obi-Wan. Maybe I'll add Padme later.
An extra thanks to those who took the time to review the story. Unfortunately for me, I'm unable to actually read the reviews at this time, but the counter seems to work. So I got that going for me. If there are things you have concerns with or questions, feel free to leave them in the review and I will get to them. Either in the story proper or in one of these Author's notes.
Good night and good luck.