Chapter 15

Obi-Wan's smile was both grim and wry as they got into the immigration line. "I meant, this planet isn't an active war zone," he whispered back dryly. "But it's still under CIS control, don't twist my words." As they waited, he glanced back over their shoulders—at the B2s that were keeping a close eye on the line. "Just let me handle it."

The line moved slowly as they neared the front. The line of people, including the undercover Jedi Master and his little Padawan, were under close surveillance of the Separatist security forces.

Obi-Wan remained calm, his hands in his pockets as he continued to keep a close eye on the surroundings. "Remember," he murmured. "As far as they know, we have nothing they are interested in. Don't stand out. And please don't give any of the Type 2s a death glare."

Jaina snorted, glancing over at the B2 droids that continued their patrols. "I'll try."

"Try hard," the Jedi Master shot back, as the line moved closer and closer to the front and the two human immigration officers. "Our best chance of getting through this without incident," he continued, "without alerting any Separatist intelligence personnel to our undercover identities…" He gave her a warning look. "... is to blend in as best as we can. Those droids just want to check our papers and make sure we're not carrying weapons. That's all."

"But we are carrying weapons," Jaina murmured dryly.

"Yes, but they don't know," the Jedi Master whispered back. "And they won't know, unless you give them cause to."

Jaina continued to gaze around at their surroundings.

"I can see the 'danger meter' going off inside your mind already, little one. Just relax. For the love of the Force."

"How exactly are you planning on fooling Durd, by the way?" Jaina muttered, turning to glance up at him as the immigration line moved slowly. "If your cover is some sort of engineer, doesn't that require years of study? Was that what you were reading through on the ship?"

Obi-Wan smirked as he replied. "My little one, you underestimate me." He gave her a light, playful poke, nudging her forward as they proceeded to the inspection kiosk. "I don't need years of study." He winked. "Just play along, little darling daughter of mine."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "For all the grief you give Anakin about winging some of his plans, you're just as bad as he is sometimes. You know that right?"

"Don't be ridiculous, my little one." Obi-Wan let out a light, amused huff. "The difference is that mine actually work—mostly."

The two undercover Jedi came to a halt as they reached the immigration kiosk.

The officer at the counter raised his head, his expression—thankfully—neutral, impatient, and borderline bored.

Obi-Wan smiled politely, handing over their IDs. "Engineer Arman Deshar," he said, adapting an undercover voice—one he had carefully practiced to sound both casual and intelligent. "I'm here for a meeting with General Lok Durd, regarding work orders for the Separatist Alliance."

Jaina almost clasped her hands behind her back—in her usual habit—but stopped herself at the last possible second, choosing to slide them into her pockets instead. Casually.

Obi-Wan saw her movements and smiled, noticing her attempts at resisting her usual tendencies. He turned his attention back towards the officer, waiting for him to finish scanning and verifying IDs.

"Validation completed, Engineer Deshar," The immigration officer said in a firm, unemotional voice. "What about the child?"

"Alanna Deshar, my sweet little daughter," he replied, gesturing towards her. "She is just accompanying me. I'll need to keep her with me while I'm here."

Jaina forced an innocent smile towards the officer and casually, awkwardly, leaned her head on her Master's shoulder.

Obi-Wan hid his grin as he realized the genius of his little one's move.

She had chosen a seemingly mundane and natural act to cover up her awkward and stiff movements. It seemed she was beginning to understand undercover situations better.

"Validated." The officer said, then gestured towards her purse, and Obi-Wan's satchel. "Bag check."

The Jedi Master subtly waved a hand in front of the immigration officer, gathering the Force within him. "You do not need to inspect our belongings."

The officer nodded dazedly. "I do not need to inspect your belongings," he droned, then handed them back their IDs. "You may both proceed."

Obi-Wan gave a polite bow of his head in acknowledgement. He then turned around, leading the way out of the immigration line and into the public transit hub, with his Padawan-slash-undercover-daughter following along behind.

"I can't wait until my Force Persuasion lessons progress further than the Tooka-cat," Jaina muttered under her breath, giggling softly. "That was brilliant."

Obi-Wan chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow towards his little "daughter" and laying a hand on the small of her back to guide her through the transit hub. "Now, now. I still have many more hoops for you to jump through with the cat," he said dryly. "Don't get ahead of yourself, my little Padawan."

They passed various types of battledroids and Separatist military personnel, some traveling with heavy cargo, others carrying boxes and briefcases.

Jaina's eyes widened at all the CIS officers passing through in and out the spaceport, if anyone matched their faces with an article from the HoloNet, they were—

"Easy, my little one," Obi-Wan said calmly, squeezing her back. "They're on their way in and out, just as we are." He tried to be as reassuring as he could, despite the underlying threat he was very aware of. "Nobody will notice us, if we do not draw attention to ourselves."

Jaina nodded, silently following along. They continued through the transit hub, navigating the crowd of travelers and Separatist personnel, keeping a close eye on their surroundings, with the Padawan's eyes constantly darting around.

His little one truly was her own worst enemy at times.

They reached the tram stop, and the Jedi Master led her across the platform, where they hopped onto the next cart.

"You're doing well, my little one," Obi-Wan said, his tone still gentle as he sat down next to his little 'daughter'. "When we enter the base, remember, no stiff movements, no tightly clenched fists, no straight body, no shoulders-back. Be comfortable."

Jaina nodded silently once more, her hand continuing to absentmindedly run through her loose curls.

The Jedi Master smiled, watching as his little Padawan nervously played with her hair. "Stop touching your hair, darling," he said quietly, glancing out the window as the tram continued to move down the track, and through the various stations. "Relax."

"You know," Jaina grumbled under her breath. "It's a little difficult for me to relax with you nitpicking on every single thing I do, every five seconds, and telling me to relax."

Obi-Wan chuckled again, his voice still filled with amusement. "Then maybe, my dear darling daughter, you should stop being so obvious, and I wouldn't need to point everything out, hmm?"

Jaina scoffed. "'Dear darling daughter'?" she teased. "Isn't that redundant?"

Obi-Wan smirked. Her sass never failed to amuse him. "Why, yes. Yes, it is, little one." He raised a wry eyebrow. "Would you prefer it if I reverted to 'my little cinnamon roll', or some other form of confectionery snack?"

Jaina narrowed her eyes.

His smirk widened. "That's what I thought. Now." He tugged at her curls. "Relax."

"My dear darling father isn't exactly the most relaxed of parents either," Jaina retorted under her breath.

"You're right, my little one; I'm not, usually." Obi-Wan's smirk remained. "But at this moment, we are about to walk right into danger, and you are playing with your hair."

"My hair which you set loose," Jaina muttered, letting go of her hair and (stiffly) interlacing her fingers on her lap.

"To fit your cover," the Jedi Master whispered, glancing out the tram window at the large approaching structure of the Separatist base, the final station in the line. "Which, in case you've forgotten, consists of you being a civilian teenager—a breed not particularly known for having their hair tied back into a neat braid. Listen, I know this is difficult," he continued. "But this is our only chance to find out what Durd is truly up to. We need to proceed with the utmost caution."

Jaina nodded once more but chose not to say anything gazed out the window as the tram sped through the large gates of the facility, her eyes sweeping the area, surveying the security systems and the droid patrols.

It was strange, to say the least—being behind enemy lines and being unable to directly cut the droids down, after months of doing so.

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed, observing every movement and detail of the Separatist facility—a facility he would typically be in charge of destroying. "Keep an observant eye, little one. But be inconspicuous about it."

"I know, I know," Jaina murmured, her eyes continuing to sweep. "You've told me a hundred times in these past twelve hours alone."

Obi-Wan knew his little one's mannerisms. In the past five months, she had thoroughly learned how to carry herself with calm efficiency and a quiet poise when in the heat of battle. Unfortunately, her fiddling fingers and darting eyes still surfaced at times. Almost a product of pure instinct at this point.

"Stay alert," the Jedi Master whispered gently, as the tram slowed down into a halt. He stood from the bench and gently nudged her towards the exit. "I expect you to not touch your hair once, darling."

Jaina sighed, following along. "Again, you removed the braid, Dad."

Obi-Wan smirked, glancing back at her as they left the tram. "I am not having this discussion with you again, young lady."

He was completely amused, watching his little Padawan try and keep her usual cool and collected facade, all while being visibly uncomfortable with the pink dress she wore, and the loose curls framing her face.

They entered the austere, dimly lit main building, surrounded by dozens of droids, scientists, and Separatist military personnel.

"Let me do all the talking," Obi-Wan murmured towards his little Padawan. "I would rather we did not need to fight our way out of this."

Jaina snorted. "I would rather we did…"

"Of course you would," he muttered back, giving her a playful elbow to the side as they approached a female receptionist.

"Good morning," the receptionist greeted. "Ah, you must be Engineer Deshar and…"

"My daughter," Obi-Wan cut in, offering a charming smile. "She is just here to accompany me. Things have been, ah, difficult since her mother passed."

Jaina raised an eyebrow towards him briefly, impressed by the quick, improvised sob story.

The receptionist's facial expression faltered as a wave of sympathy came over her, despite her professional demeanor. "Of course, of course…the General is expecting you. Your loss is very unfortunate, Engineer Deshar," she continued quietly. "We will ensure you and your daughter feel right at home here. My name is Elissia, I am Lok Durd's personal assistant and main secretary." She stood. "Please. This way to the General's office."

As soon as Elissia turned away and began to lead them, Jaina lightly shook her head, holding back a chuckle at the sheer ridiculousness of her Master—the respected and feared High General—pretending to be a doting, mourning single father.

Sensing his little one's amusement through their bond, Obi-Wan couldn't help but give her a fond yet playful glare in return. He knew she felt like he was potentially going overboard.

But with the risks on the line, going overboard was better than being underprepared.

Elissia led them into a large office hall at the center of the facility, stopping in front of a mahogany door, and knocking lightly. "General, the Engineer is here," she said.

The door opened, and Obi-Wan and his little Padawan—his undercover daughter—stepped into the large, lavishly-decorated office.

They both looked up at General Lok Durd, a rather large Neimoidian, who had just sat back down in his massive, leather chair in an informal manner, conversing with a tall Faust humanoid wearing a lab coat and goggles.

Jaina gulped, absentmindedly fixing her dress, still immensely uncomfortable at wearing anything other than her robes. She took in a deep breath and slouched…casually…then lowered her eyes to the floor.

Obi-Wan gave a subtle nod of approval. Her walk and posture had changed, and her expression was fitting: relaxed and disinterested, as if she was truly just there to accompany her father.

Durd and the tall Faust Separatist medical officer turned to glance towards them. There was a cold, analytical and calculating air to them both; a cold facade which hid the danger within.

Durd's large eyes studied the girl at Obi-Wan's side. "A child...?" he said slowly. "They didn't mention a daughter. Engineer Deshar, you should be more careful who you let follow you here."

Obi-Wan smiled with feigned nervousness, letting his "father" persona take over. "My apologies, General Durd, but you see, lately, my little girl has been struggling…" He gave a quiet sigh, as if this was a difficult topic to discuss. "It has been quite difficult for her to cope with the loss of her mother two months ago."

"I was not made aware of this," General Durd said with an icy monotone, his red eyes fixed on Obi-Wan and his little "daughter".

Meanwhile, the Faust Separatist medical officer was silent, eyeing the small girl with the brunette curls a bit too curiously. The scientist was studying every detail of her, her clothes, her appearance, her mannerisms. "And how did your mother pass, little girl?" he asked.

Jaina blinked for a moment, caught by surprise. The gears in her mind turned desperately. "Oh, uh…"

Obi-Wan sensed his little one hesitate for a moment. "My wife…" He interrupted, his fake father voice wavering, his tone turning slightly solemn as if he was reliving this tragic event. "She—"

The Faust medical officer raised a hand. "I was asking the girl."

Obi-Wan stiffened, his body language tensed for a moment.

Just act natural. Be like a father, not a Jedi General.

"Clone bombing run," Jaina responded quickly, feigning distress and anger. "It was the—uh—the Republic scum…"

General Durd's icy look immediately shifted to a slightly more sympathetic one.

"The Republic has been attacking our good worlds, my darling," Obi-Wan continued quietly. "But do not worry. We will hold them back. They will not win."

The Faust scientist remained still, his expression shifting to a somewhat satisfied one.

Obi-Wan could feel his relief. Their fake backstory was working.

It seemed as if both Separatist officials were now convinced that Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was just a sad, and concerned father—one who simply wanted his little girl to be safe, and was thankful for the protection and mercy General Durd was offering in exchange for work.

"Republic scum, indeed," Durd muttered. "And where are you originally from?"

"Ord Mantell, sir." Jaina tried to keep her composure, but her nerves were rising with every moment she spent within the Separatist facility—especially with the General's ominous companion staring her down. She took in a deep breath, working on keeping her emotions in check.

Obi-Wan, however, recognized the uneasiness in his little one. His blue-eyed gaze softened with sympathy and affection, as one would feel towards their real children. He subtly stepped in front of her, blocking her from the Faust Scientist's intense gaze. "It has been a very trying time for us," he said. "It is difficult for my daughter to speak of it. I am all she has left, and I cannot leave her for an extended period of time."

Meanwhile, the General's companion continued to study the small girl intently. His beady eyes were piercing, observing every little minute detail. He began to move ever so slightly towards them, as if he wanted to examine her more closely. "You must forgive my…curiosity," he said, his voice ominous.

General Durd raised a hand towards his companion. "Doctor Nuvo Vindi. Head of Biomedical Research."

Jaina's stiffened slightly, adjusting her positioning behind her Master and feigning shyness.

Doctor Vindi's gaze remained unblinking, his tone shifting to one of fascination. "She is a small thing…" he muttered, as if to himself. A smirk crossed his features, as a nasal-sounding cackle escaped his lips. "You know, Engineer Deshar, I am certain my researchers would love to examine more intimately how the Republic's bombing campaign has affected your young daughter's mental and emotional state."

Obi-Wan's heart suddenly skipped a beat at the idea of this fiend getting his hands on his Padawan. But he maintained his smile, his persona of a protective father. "My daughter has experienced enough pain," he responded calmly. "We are working through her trauma privately. She is only here to accompany me for my work. Nothing more."

"A shame," Doctor Vindi muttered. "We could learn so much from a young mind during such a crucial age. The way her mind processes different stimuli—her thoughts, her reactions, her emotions—"

"Unfortunately," Obi-Wan interrupted smoothly, "I must deny your request for such research. I want to ensure the privacy and comfort of my own child."

Jaina slowly reached for her Master's sleeve, her fingers gripping tightly, in an action borne both out of her undercover persona, and her very real discomfort at Vindi's gaze.

Obi-Wan felt her fingers gripping tightly on his sleeve, and he reached to gently grasp her small hand in his own. He continued acting as a protective father, not wanting to give the impression that he was anything else.

"My daughter is simply here to accompany me. She is not here for research purposes. If you require my engineering expertise in completing whatever project it is that you need completed, then you will leave her be."

He was not even going to pretend that he liked this vile man, or that the idea of him touching his little one wasn't making him furious. But he maintained his calm and polite demeanor, his fake smile, as he looked at Doctor Vindi with steely, blue-eyed resolve.

General Durd cleared his throat, cutting through the tense silence and nodding his head slowly. "Very well," he said, regaining his composure and his impassive nature. "Your child may stay at this base. Kindly ensure that she refrains from entering the restricted areas of the premises. As you can imagine, given the nature of this facility, some sections can be…hazardous."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "My little girl is not accustomed to such things. She shall keep herself safe in our assigned quarters."

"Good," Durd said with a curt nod. His facial expression remained emotionless. "We look forward to your assistance in our many, many projects—for which, I hope the Republic is in for a very rude awakening," he smirked maliciously, then gestured towards the door. "The real work begins tomorrow morning, Engineer Deshar. We have you scheduled for a briefing at 0900. For now, Elissia will show you and your child to your quarters."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Very well. Come now, dear one," he said with a gentle smile, taking her hand.

He didn't like playing the role of an affectionate parent in public, but he would do it for the benefit of their mission. As her fake doting father—but also, very real doting Master—he had no choice but to make sure she was protected and safe, and not subject to any unwanted examinations by this Nuvo Vindi.

Jaina silently followed along, staring blankly ahead as they exited the executive offices, and walked through the facility hallways.

Obi-Wan walked swiftly but gracefully, the small hand of his undercover daughter gripped in his own. With General Durd and his sinister companion now gone, he could finally relax a little, his shoulders dropping ever-so-slightly as his brows creased in thought.

He hated these undercover missions, he always did.

For a Jedi Master of his level, with all his years of experience—there was little he hated more than not having control of a situation. And he hated pretending to act a part in order to carry out a mission, particularly in front of the enemy.

But duty was duty. Obi-Wan knew he and his little one had come for a specific reason.

And it was a far bigger cause than his discomfort.

They both had a mission to complete.

"You have been assigned a room on the western section of the third floor," Elissia said, continuing to guide the undercover Jedi duo to their designated quarters.

Obi-Wan nodded, glancing downwards towards his little Padawan, who was doing a brilliant job of concealing her intense observations from the Separatist scientists and droids roaming around the base. As they continued on their way to the West Section, he knew—beyond the shadow of a doubt—that his little one was absorbing every single detail she could.

"So, Ms. Elissia?" Jaina began politely, intentionally making her voice a higher pitch than it usually was as she'd read in a psychology book some time ago that higher pitched voices tended to be more associated with innocence and harmlessness. "How many people would you say are currently residing in this base?"

That's my girl, thought Obi-Wan with pride.

Elissia raised an eyebrow, her gaze becoming a trifle more inquisitive, but she responded politely enough. "In this facility alone, there are approximately one thousand personnel."

"And is that…including the military presence as well?" Jaina asked curiously, attempting to adjust her approach and her language. "Or is that just the R&D people?"

Elissia had to stop herself from frowning. The young girl's question was direct and blunt—and she was not used to children asking such straightforward, blunt questions.

Obi-Wan squeezed his little one's hand in warning.

"That number includes both military as well as R&D personnel," Elissia responded coolly. "We are a relatively small facility compared to other Separatist bases, but our work here is rather crucial to the war effort as a whole. We need to rely on the military to ensure that this facility remains safe and secure from a Republic invasion."

"That's…um…very..." Jaina paused, struggling to find the right word. "…cool."

The Jedi Master held back a facepalm.

"Uh, yes, cool is certainly one word for it." Elissia replied, still seemingly unsure what to make of the girl. "Most of our work here revolves around the development of new bioweapons for use in the war effort," she explained. "We are currently investigating the use of viruses, both synthesized ones and existing ones, as a means of bringing down the Republic army. In addition to a few other projects. We're also in the process of testing a new form of chemical warfare—one that can incinerate all organic matter, but leave specific metal alloys untouched. It's all very exciting."

Jaina squeezed his hand nervously.

Obi-Wan noticed that her grip had become tighter—as if she was getting more and more anxious around Elissia and the information they were obtaining from her.

In order to save the Republic, their cover needed to remain completely intact. The stakes had just gotten much, much higher.

"You must forgive my daughter," he said, doing his best to sound just like any overprotective father. "She can sometimes ask questions that may seem a little…inappropriate…or rather, unsuitable, for her age." He shot a subtle glare at his little one, hoping that she took the hint. "She is still very young, I'm afraid."

Jaina lowered her gaze to the floor as they walked.

Obi-Wan could tell that his little one was a bit embarrassed at being called out for her blunt questions. Good.

The sooner she reverted back to her normal, teenage persona, the less Elissia would suspect anything. He knew she would always remain curious—always. But this particular situation was delicate, and she needed to balance curiosity with caution.

"I understand, of course," Elissia said, giving Obi-Wan a look of mild amusement. "Children can sometimes be…curious, to say the least. I was the same."

After a few silent moments, Jaina paused, attempting to get a read on the situation. It seemed safe enough to continue… "…so is Doctor Vindi overseeing these projects?" She asked innocently. "Or is it General Durd?"

Obi-Wan tightened his grip again on his undercover daughter's hand, shooting her another silent glare.

"Doctor Vindi and General Durd are both overseeing this facility," Elissia replied, without much inflection added to her voice. "The bioweapons program is a joint project of the Separatist military, so they both have their hands in it. Doctor Vindi is Head Researcher and Biomedical Scientist, while General Durd manages the military operations aspects of the program, as the Commanding Officer of this base."

"I see…" Jaina murmured. "Vindi seems like…quite…an intimidating person…?"

Her questions were becoming dangerously direct, and her bluntness was becoming harder to excuse as simple "teenage curiosity." Obi-Wan's hand squeezed again, very firmly this time, as he shot another silent warning look towards his Padawan.

Jaina grimaced, wiggling her small fingers in his grip.

Obi-Wan quickly loosened his grip again, relaxing his facial expression and his demeanor to one more consistent with his undercover role.

"Intimidating...yes," Elissia answered slowly. "Doctor Vindi can sometimes be…intense," she concluded, after seemingly thinking of a way to politely express her meaning without compromising the scientist's reputation. "But behind his somewhat eccentric exterior, he is an extremely brilliant scientist, and his research is invaluable to the Separatist cause."

"He does indeed seem brilliant. My daughter has a tendency to sometimes overanalyze all the people we interact with," Obi-Wan said dryly. "So, you must forgive her, if she seems a little…blunt, Elissia."

His words were subtle, but he was effectively telling his little one to back off. His large hand squeezed hers hard one last time, and the way his thumb pressed forcefully into the middle of her palm let her know that he was not amused by her behavior.

Jaina squeaked in surprise, her cheeks flushing.

"Are you alright, darling?" he asked, shooting her a concerned look. He made his voice soothing and caring, his entire demeanor and body language seeming to indicate perfectly that he had not—in fact—been the one who had jolted her.

Jaina glared up at him. "…all good…Dad…" she muttered.

Obi-Wan sighed in relief, his thumb relaxing its pressure on her hand. He was willing to play the fatherly type, but that never meant that he would stop being her Master. The last thing they needed was for someone to become suspicious that the little girl was anything more than what she appeared to be.

He smiled softly at her and spoke in a tone consistent with the undercover parent he was currently playing. "That's good, dear one," he said. "You must be exhausted, aren't you?" He squeezed her hand a little tighter once again, indicating that she needed to agree to being tired.

Jaina huffed under her breath.

Obi-Wan smirked softly, turning to Elissia once more. "Teenagers," he murmured. "Their moods can be difficult to decipher at times."

Elissia responded to his words with a quick nod. "I understand. But rest assured, we are all on the same side here. "They soon reached the apartment entrance, and Elissia stopped, looking towards them. "This is the designated room for Engineer Deshar and little Miss…I did not catch your name?"

"Alanna," Jaina said.

"Alanna." Elissia nodded again. "Well, Miss Alanna, I do hope you enjoy your time here at our base."