Stepping into arid climates always bothered Hawk when in her armor. Between sweating and the weight of the armor, fatigue struck harder and faster than without it. This only happened when in her armor. Without it, the aridness reminded her of an emptiness. It stole everything from the air, the water, your breath, even your life. It pushed her to be more aware, more active in her seeing. Both of them pushed harder in fact, as Wolf would bound across the landscape faster at times and use the Force even more. Despite her jovial attitude at times, Hawk always trusted Wolf more than the Jedi, even if the Jedi in question were friends.
"Why do I need two body guards?" Padme whispered. Hawk turned to look down at her. Without her helmet, the wind stung against her face, dust whipping up at times into her eyes.
"Because if something does happen, we want you defended," Hawk said, "and before you say otherwise, you got hurt the last time you tried to fight. We didn't."
"It was a lucky a shot," Padme said, turning away to pout. Hawk glanced up at Jinn, catching his gaze. He shook his head, silently letting her take the lead on this. Jar Jar wandered off, though stayed within reach of their astromech droid, R2D2. Hopefully
"A lucky shot is all it would take," Hawk said. "You're more than just a person to your planet. You know that?"
"I know that," she snapped. A couple of aliens passed them in deep discussion about the last pod race, talking about someone named Sebulba. She took two deep breaths before starting to walk again. When she spoke, she nearly whispered her words. "I know. But I can't do nothing. My people are dying."
"And you are doing something," Hawk said. "You're not locked up in a tower somewhere, waiting to be saved."
"Thank the Force for small favors," Padme muttered as the started to move back toward the junk traders. Wolf and Kenobi headed toward the newer sellers, potentially finding a deal there. It was unlikely, given their lack of funds, but the chance could not be overlocked. It's why Wolf planned on stopping at the cantina. There always were local jobs to be done. They never paid much, or if they did, they were incredibly dangerous. Their current lack of funds meant taking dangerous jobs may become a necessity if they wanted to leave the planet without alerting the Trade Federation.
The group spent most of the morning stopping in and moving from trader to trader. Hawk kept scanning the crowd, glaring at the over eager men staring at Padme. The young girl never realized it, enthralled by whatever was in the stall. Hawk moved her hand over her blaster and stepped in front of Padme. The men blustered and glared at her, but Hawk casually removed the blaster, tapping it against her thigh. They scattered rather quickly after that. She turned back to catch Jinn's approval, smiling in return.
By mid-afternoon, they stopped to grab a bite to eat from one of the stalls. No matter what the planet or galaxy, meat on a stick remained a delicacy of the street vendors. More often than not, Hawk trusted them rather than the restaurants claiming to have the newest and best techniques known to civilization. Often that translated into overcooked, overpriced, and underserved meals. Wolf loved the vendors too, always surveying everything. Ever since they had a little extra credits, Hawk took to buying trinkets for her partner, things Wolf's eyes stalled on for just a moment before moving on. Wolf never asked for anything, and instead spent her pocket money on orphans and the destitute.
Unfortunately, it had been a stall Jar Jar decided to sample before paying. His tongue snapped out, grasping at the odd bit of meat. The human owner predictably wasn't thrilled and pulled his blaster on Jar Jar, and consequently their party. Jinn managed to smooth things over with the vender, using the Force to manipulate him into forgiving them. Hawk took the opportunity to slowly explain to Jar Jar that such behavior would have him locked in a very tiny room onboard the Nubian yacht. Then she handed him the odd meat, earning odd looks from the Gungan. Never let it be said Hawk didn't know how to use both the carrot and the stick.
Padme swallowed a bit of the meat on a stick, which turned out to be a local type of cattle (maybe), before speaking to them. "I hope our friends are having better luck than us."
"Things happen in their own time," Jinn said. He directed them toward another vendor, one just off the main road. "Best not to give up hope quite yet."
Hawk walked at the rear, watching out for Padme. A fortunate byproduct of this was also making sure Jar Jar stayed out of trouble. She still wasn't sure why the Gungan remained with them. While potentially useful, Jar Jar drew more attention to them than necessary. For the moment, she had control under him, but it wouldn't be long before his brain short circuited or something and then she'd need to lock him in that tiny room on the yacht.
The first stop off the main road provided them no success on the hyperdrive generator. Hawk found some items worth reselling, but that would require time and haggling. With Jinn's very quick assessments of each store, she'd have to attempt the bargaining later. Maybe tomorrow if they or Wolf didn't have any success today. She preferred to deal with problems head on, but buying and selling offered her a way to actively deal with merchants. She'd rarely used the Force manipulation, despite the effectiveness of the technique – not that she could do more than make someone consider a different opinion. Jinn, on the other hand, manipulated with the best politicians she'd ever seen. He managed to manipulate emotions, thoughts, and maybe if he tried hard enough, convictions. Watching Jinn utilize his Force influence several times on different merchants through the day to gain information left her feeling uneasy. For a man who warned the queen about her arrogance earlier, he certainly didn't see the irony of the Jedi and their methods.
"We have a lead," Jinn said, coming up to talk with her. Padme never moved far from her side, silently searching everything the wares of the vendor. Nothing extravagant or to meet their needs, but interesting nonetheless. "A merchant named a Watto may have the parts we need."
"Let's hope he does," Padme said, placing a droid part back onto the shelving unit where she'd grabbed it. "If not, we will need to find an alternative. Maybe trade our ship for another one."
"We will think of something Padme," Hawk said, moving from looking around the shop to her.
"Thank you Hawk," Padme said, walking side by side with her as they headed to Watto's shop. "I know you and Wolf didn't have to agree to be a part of this."
"No, we did," Hawk said. She caught several people watching them again. One from only a few stops previous, a rodian that kept trying to stay in the shadows. "Go on inside. I need to speak with someone." She pushed Padme into the store, catching Jinn's eye contact. He nodded, letting Jar Jar in with him. R2D2 stayed by her side, whirling his question. "No, it shouldn't be trouble." R2 beeped and tweeted again. "Not that it is the plan, but Wolf can't have all the fun, can she?" Another beep and she was left alone as R2 headed inside.
Hawk waited at the door, leaning against wall right by the entrance way. She closed her eyes, silently opening herself up to the Force. While the Living Force flowed through her, she caught a glimpse shadow finally moving through everything even as the light of life dances around her. The shadow Wolf warned her about, the same one that Obi-Wan likely saw, branched into everything. Some branches were tiny, barely able to trickle anything into the dancing light. Some branches were thick, balancing with the light in a delicate tango.
In the rodian, the branch reached deep inside of him and nearly extinguished his light. Not to the level she expected in the Dark Side, but the shadow's reach struck deeply inside of him. If the rodian was in control, then he freely chose the traitors life he lived. If the shadow control the rodian, then the thought frightened her even more: whoever manipulated the shadow had a reach that extended to the very tips of the Outer Rim.
She used the Force to memorize as much as she could about him. The green skin stood out against the desert motif of the Tatooine. The rodian wore dark clothing, but did nothing to hide besides sticking to the shadows. His large dark eyes followed her companions, sticking to her for a moment but then trying to appear focused on something else. His long fingers played with a blaster rifle in his hands, keeping it pointed at the ground. She caught his eyes one last time, staring down him and the darkness he represented before slipping inside the shop.
Upon entering the mercantile, Hawk watched a young boy speak with Padme. He appeared no more than nine years old, maybe even younger. Sandy hair clung to his head in a bowl shape, but the blue eyes stared deep into her. She caught the boy's eyes evaluating her as she stepped around several piece of junk Jar Jar must have knocked over. "Who is your friend, Padme?"
"Hawk," Padme turned to greet her before turning back to the little boy. "This is Anakin."
"Hello," Anakin said. There was something about him that drew your attention, but at the moment, Hawk failed to identify the cause. The Force pulled on her though, drawing her gaze back to the boy even as she tried to surveil the shop. Something about him felt off. Unlike the rodian, there was no branch of the shadow inside the boy, but the emotions sparked his light into a blazing fire. Uncontained, it could burn through everyone and everything.
"Hello," Hawk said, nodding to him. "Has Jinn made a discovery?"
"Yes, I believe he's talking to Watto about the hyperdrive," Padme said. Hawk turned to look out the door to the back. On one hand, Jinn possessed nothing of value to trade rendering any negotiation pointless at this point. On the other, leaving Padme along with someone else, even a child, went against her role as a bodyguard.
"And you two?" Hawk asked, moving to stand by Padme. Jar Jar cowered under the glare she sent him, standing still in the center of the room.
"She's an angel," Anakin said, now focused on her instead of Padme. "Are you one too?"
"Of a different kind," Hawk said. "My partner is much more of an angel then either of us." She smiled at the thought of Wolf. Unbidden, she pictured Wolf beneath her, writhing under her touch. She shook her head, letting the thought disappear for the moment as it wouldn't do her any good. "Do you work here?"
"Kind of," Anakin said, looking away from her. "Watto owns me and my mom."
"Oh," Hawk said. Padme narrowed her eyes, not quite glaring at her, but definitely not happy that Hawk brought up the slavery. "How is it?"
"It's okay. I don't really remember my last master," Anakin said with a shrug of his shoulder. "He lets me work on anything I want, as long as I get my work done."
Hawk nodded, understanding his conflicted feelings. Her senses caught Jinn's approach. "Thank you for your help today, Anakin."
"The boy isn't causing any trouble, is he?" Watto's grating voice came over. She almost wished the Toydarian switched to Huttese or whatever his native language was. She couldn't speak them all, but translating them was easy enough. Convience was no excuse for improper
"No, quite the opposite in fact," Hawk said. "Anything we need to discuss?"
"Have to check with the missus, eh?" Watto chuckled before slapping Jinn on the back. Hawk kept her face as neutral as she could before making her way out of the shop. Jinn returned the awkward laugh, motioning for Padme and Jar Jar to leave.
The rodian from earlier was gone. Hawk considered contacting Wolf to see if they had any success. Trading for the drive, even if they found it, likely would require more credits or items than either of them had on hand. Even if the Jedi Council or the Nubian government could reimburse them, it still remained a moot point at the moment.
"Are you always so tense?" Padme asked, breaking her from her thoughts. Jinn motioned for them to head out, discussing something into the comm unit in his hands.
"On the job? Yes," she said. If Jinn spoke with Kenobi, then Wolf likely knew the situation already. "It keeps me alive."
"And Wolf helps you relax," Padme said, blushing slightly but smiling all the same.
"That and reading."
"You like to read?" Before should could respond, Hawk felt the Force reach out to her. She turned to see Jar Jar on the ground, pushing himself away from what appeared to be Anakin and a Dug arguing. The argument finished quickly, with Anakin helping Jar Jar stand. When the Gungan caught her eye, he looked away. Oh, the small room was looking better and better all the time.
"Thank you for saving our friend," Padme said to the little boy. His face grew red even as the smile threatened to overtake it.
"It was nothing," he said. He looked around then up at the sky. "There's a sand storm coming. Do you have a place to stay?"
"Well –" Hawk started but was quickly interrupted by Jinn.
"Why do you ask?" Jinn said from beside her.
"You could come with me," Anakin's eyes flickered over to Padme for a moment, "and wait it out there."
Jinn bowed toward him. "Thank you." He motioned for Anakin to guide them. R2 and Padme followed first with Jar Jar hurrying behind them. "I will explain when we have a moment."
"You better," Hawk growled even as the winds began to pick up. "We could have easily made it back to the hanger in time."
"You didn't sense it?" Jinn asked. Sand burned her eyes and she squinted to keep it out as much as she could.
"Does it matter if we get killed first?" Hawk shot back. Without much choice, she followed after her charge. Even if Jinn made poor decisions, she would not leave Padme undefended.
The storm roared into Mos Espa. Sand on the ground and the air whipped around her, burrowing through the cracks in her armor. Where the others in the group where light cloth, she felt the burden of her protective gear grow with each step. Her eyes burned as she tried to track the movements of everything around her. Ducking her head, she reached out with the Force, opening herself to those around her. She let it guide her, the shadow fell back out of immediate danger, but it still danced on the edges of her senses.
Hawk made it with the rest of her group to the small hovel Anakin lived in with one other person. She tried to shake as much of the sand out of her armor, but without removing it she'd be stuck with the extra burden. She wouldn't have a chance to remove it as long as they were off the ship. If she could get word to Wolf, then maybe her partner could assist, but for now, she'd tolerate it.
Jinn smiled sympathetically at her before turning to greet their host, Shmi Skywalker. Anakin already rushed past his mother to his room, dragging Padme and R2 with him. Giving up on emptying all of the sand, Hawk moved to make her own introductions. Jinn motioned for Shmi to head to the kitchen, and it became clearer they were going to be here for a while. Jinn's fascination in this boy meant making the rest of them uncomfortable for the time being. Reaching up, Hawk started to work on the clasps of her armor, pulling off her chest piece to watch all the sand drain from it. A small pile gathered at her boots. Hopefully, Wolf and Obi-Wan would have a better night than she was about to have.
I0I
Obi-Wan sat comfortable in the cantina, sipping on his second ardees. Inappropriate for Jedi under normal circumstances but in a place like this, it made him less of a concern for the locals. Despite his appearances and attitudes toward etiquette and regulations, a cantina offered a chance to relax. While his Master and Hawk searched the junk shops for the needed hyperdrive generator, Wolf dragged him and Sabe to investigate the locals, which invariably brought them here.
He sipped the jawa juice Wolf bought him at the bar. She stayed there only for a few moments before leaving to talk with someone. He followed her even as Sabe tried to get comfortable within the local watering hole. The scene he watched from his seat at the bar played out a hundred times before, whether he was there or not. Wolf spoke with an armor-covered alien in hushed tones, probably about some job. What started as an animated conversation settled into a mild confrontation in harsh whispers and angry glares. Still, if she managed to get a job, she'd be more successful than he had been.
"Is it always like this?" Sabe asked from beside him. The Queen – Padme – choose well in her decoys. Sabe physically looked like the queen, and under the appropriate garb, likely acted like the queen as well. But on her own, her own personality began to shine through.
Sabe's quick wit and observations offset her nervousness and caution. She remained quiet until the point where action was needed, and once there, acted decisively and without fear. Outside of the queen's retinue, she relaxed more. It seemed the burden of the queen spread beyond just Padme's shoulders, and while Sabe never made the decisions, it often would be her life on the line. Since the Trade Federation's assault, this had been the first time she appeared as herself, mostly serving as decoy for the Queen to ensure the power of their government. Whether through bravery or selflessness, Obi-Wan silently applauded the younger woman.
"Dangerous and most of the people drunk?" Obi-Wan asked, even as he sipped his drink. She nodded, her eyes scanning everyone and everything. "Not always, though I've been to worse places." The Force echoed the approach before his senses could. He pushed an incoming drunk away from the bar before the man crashed into Sabe. Obi-Wan enjoyed the shocked look on her face as he took another sip.
"And shouldn't we be looking for a hyperdrive?" she whispered, leaning close to him.
"The newer markets were already well above what a drive would cost back in the Core," Obi-Wan admitted. Wolf made her way back to them, pushing through the groupings. He reached out with the Force to sense her emotions. Despite the turmoil on the surface, Wolf appeared at ease and as close to peace as she might ever achieve. "Time to leave."
"How do you know?" Sabe asked, standing up from her seat.
"There's a sandstorm coming," Obi-Wan said, finishing his drink before sliding a few of the credits toward the bartender. Even if the junk shops didn't take credits, a cantina always accepted money, as long as it was backed in some form.
Sabe stood at his side, waiting for him to stand. "How can you tell?"
"He glanced out the window," Wolf said, appearing behind them. Obi-Wan turned, greeting her with a smirk as Sabe tried to calm herself down. "Ready to head back?"
Obi-Wan turned to look around the bar once more. Without diving into the Force too deeply, he wouldn't be able to sense much within the making himself known. His clock aided in hiding him from others, and in a place like this, people didn't go looking for trouble unless they absolutely needed to or were in trouble themselves. Unfortunately for them, Wolf needed to court a little more, given the need for some type of tradable funds.
Still, something kept him on his toes. His senses remained unaided by the Force, but he kept looking around for source of the eyes on his back. No one stood out at the moment but the sensations never left.
"I know," Wolf said before motioning toward the door. Sabe kept looking between them. She started to ask a question but Obi-Wan stopped her with a glare.
The sand whipped and whirled around him as he stepped out of the cantina. The wind pushed against them, robes and cloth flying up and away. Had they not been attached or wore, undoubtedly the storm would have taken it from them. Ducking his head, he slowly moved through the oncoming sandstorm with Sabe behind him and Wolf at the rear. Sabe covered her eyes, desperate to maintain her sight as she fought to keep up with them. Obi-Wan turned to grab her hand, only to find Wolf already helping the handmaiden through the storm.
As the townspeople and merchants scurried to hide, they fought their way back to the hanger. After he made sure Wolf kept Sabe with them, Obi-Wan kept his focus on moving forward. He shuffled his feet, one arm holding his cloak close to his body and the other up in front of his face to block even the tiniest amount of sand. The stung his eyes, reached into his dry mouth, and burned his throat. Still, he kept walking, straining against storm.
The fifteen-minute walk to the cantina that they stretched for most of the morning took them nearly an hour. Between fighting against the door and dodging some stray pieces left in the market, stepping lightly required more effort than finding a place to hold out the storm. Obi-Wan reached the spaceport first, opening the doors to hurry Wolf and Sabe in. He struggled with the doors, his muscles straining against the further effort. The storm raged against him, trying to drag the doors open even as he tried to hold them shut. Another set of arms joined him, and then another before they finally managed to shut them both.
Obi-Wan collapsed against the closed doors, breathing harder than some of the training sessions. He turned to see one of their security guards alongside of him. He gave the man a grin before turning to the other side, only to see Wolf struggling to stand back up. He managed first by pushing up off the floor.
Offering her hand, Obi-Wan struggled to pull her back up. Sand poured from her armor as she righted herself, and continued to try and escape out of her as she moved slowly to Sabe's side. "I would have gotten it eventually."
"Maybe," he said. His skin burned under his touch, rubbed raw by the sand storm overtaking Mos Espa.
"Not as glamorous as you though?" She asked. She bent over slightly, not enough to fall over but enough to start to assess the handmaiden's condition. Obi-Wan knelt down, helping Sabe sit up while hoping to let Wolf continue.
Sabe shook her head. "No. I – that was horrific."
"If we stayed out there much longer, it could have torn the flesh from our bones," Wolf said. She slowly began to heal Sabe through the Force, the glow present to his senses. Wolf acted as a guide to the Force, her own light reaching out and soothing the sand burns. Her hands moved slowly over Sabe's body, never touching her but brushing the Force close enough to mend her pain.
He'd seen Wolf use bacta stim packs before, but never to heal with the Force. Both could and did leave scars, but remained effective in treating some of the most egregious wounds Obi-Wan saw. To use the Force to heal meant using one's body as a conduit, transmitting the Force through compassion and kindness. Jedi healers trained years to perform the act, working only outside the temple when absolutely necessary. The energy used to maintain such a strong bond with the Force was taxing, but as Wolf finished she appeared at ease. The mystic energy weaved around her hands receded back into her, as if the Force understood their job was done.
Wolf fell backward, off-balance and tired, but smiling nonetheless. "All better?"
Sabe reached up with her hand, touching her face. "Much. How?"
"I had my armor, Obi-Wan the Force," Wolf said, shrugging her shoulders. Sand dropped out of the breaks in her armor, falling from her shoulder plates. "You had nothing, so it seemed only fair to help you heal a bit."
"And me?" Obi-Wan asked, offering Wolf another hand-up. Grasping her wrist, Obi-Wan pulled Wolf off the ground. She stood shakily, sand still falling out of her armor though at a slower pace. "The Force?"
"Jedi are tougher than us 'normal' folk. Though, 'normal's just a setting on the dryer," Wolf said with a smirk. "Now, I need to get this off, and shower before we talk about today. Hawk back yet?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. His master hadn't commed him, and with the storm, he hoped they found shelter. "I will send out a message once the storm passes. Best to take the chance to clean up now." Wolf stared at him for a moment before nodding.
"With any luck, they might have found us a part," Wolf said. She walked toward the Nubian yacht and passed Captain Panaka coming down the ramp. The two exchanged a silent nod before Panaka approached him. Obi-Wan waited at the bottom of the ramp for the captain. He motioned for Sabe to head up as well, knowing that whatever the man wanted to share he may need to filter before talking with the handmaiden, if the grim look on his face was any indication.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am going to be slowing down the updates by quite a bit as I need to now focus on my grad school. The story is progressing and I have most of the major scenes planned out for Episode 1. If things go to plan, I hope to have the story done within the next few months - though if things pick up this timeline will be stretched longer.
I hope I've kept Obi-Wan in character. Given this is the Star Wars universe (for now), writing from his perspective is just as important, if not more, than Hawk/Hermione's or Wolf/Jenna/Harry's. Obi-Wan (and the other Star Wars POVs) ground this story, allowing me to have Hawk and Wolf play their way through it. I've been drawing on Daniella Harwood's work to help me shape my Obi-Wan. If you have a chance, please check out her work. This includes her incomplete work Shimmering through the Woods. Admittedly, her stories are Obi-Wan/Padme stories and those perspectives have clouded how I write. Not to say that will be an end pairing or not, but I enjoyed her perspectives on both Obi-Wan and Padme.
I've also been told that Hawk and Wolf may be too powerful, and this is something I need to consider and be wary of. Currently, I've given both of them a lot of latitude in their actions, but any ripple bounces back, meaning I should and will have the Jedi begin to respond to Hawk and Wolf's presence. I also want them to be some type of role models for Padme, though the queen does not approve of their methods. Qui-Gon is going to be known to the reader as well, as I will be begin to utilize his perspective next chapter as well.
If anyone has any suggestions or things they want to see, things you didn't like, problems, or anything else, please leave a comment. I've enjoyed the ones you all have left so far. Thank you to those who have also added this story to their Favorites and following it. Happy readers make happy authors, so please take the time to let me know what you think, even if it is just to leave a short, positive review. Also, constructive criticism is welcome, but flamers will be shot, propped back up and shot again.
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