Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: George Lucas Owns them. I'm just filling in plot holes for fun and no profit.
Summary: There are some damn big plot holes as to how the battle of Naboo was won. I know for a fact that no war has ever been won without the crucial contribution of those who are Special Means. Spies, thieves, assassins, cryptologists. This is the story of the Queen's Special Means operative.
Notes: Feedback is always appreciated. Just a warning, Obi-Wan is a bit of an arrogant stuffed shirt in this one.

I am the handmaiden that no other handmaiden wants to admit to.

Let me explain who they are before I explain who I am and maybe it will make much more sense. All the handmaidens are between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. They are all young women who came from the finest schools and families on Naboo. They were all extremely popular and well liked at those schools. There wasn´t a club they didn´t head nor a class position they didn´t get voted into.

The finest Naboo has to offer. Charming, adorable, cute and perky. Born yes-women to the queen. I detest the superficiality of every single one of them.

I am none of those things.

I am a recluse of the highest order. I wasn't well liked in school, quite the opposite actually. I was the type of girl those handmaidens sneered at, made fun of, tripped in the hall and occasionally spit on. The one they avoided looking at incase some of my uncoolness rubbed off on them. I am not pretty, nor do the words cheery or perky fit my description.

The moment I was handed my handmaiden robes I burned them. I refuse to wear that 'hey I'm a target, HIT ME' outfit. I wear what I like most time. When I am forced into a uniform I wear one of the male guard uniform, sensible trousers, dark shirt and brown leather.

My usual dress is usually something along the lines of high lace up black boots, loose flowing black dress with a front lace up bodice. When I am really in the mood to tick off the other handmaidens I pull out my Kohl eyeliner, white face powder and black lipstick.

The other handmaidens are in charge of nice perky things, like foreign relations or internal affairs. I am in charge of Special Means, which is just a polite euphemism for the queen's personal Code Ripper, in charge of Naboo's spy network.

The queen may never condone actions that lead us to war, but she has no qualms in ordering me to hack into an enemy computer and find out what they are thinking. I have taught her to blackmail her enemies with a cheerful heart if it will keep them within their boarders. I have shown her the uglier side of being a ruler.

Needless to say I like the queen. She may be one of those cheery perky popular people, but she doesn't try to look down on people like me. The different ones. She may not personally like or understand me but she values my opinion. As much as she may detest the darker side of things, she knows that as a ruler, sometimes she must do them.

"What do you think?" She asks me as I approach her as she stares out the window.

I said sighed. "Strategic retreat."

She frowned, "But the Nemodians will occupy my people, and I haven't enough to take back the planet."

I snorted, "If history tells us anything it's that one well flung stone can topple an emperor and hence an empire. So we are few, a knife strike often accomplishes more then a full scale attack can."

She stared at me, "But my people are dying. What ever we do, we must do it quickly."

"But now we have some time with nothing to do but plot." I smiled, "Come on, The Twerp… I mean Sabe is almost in disguise. Time to strip you into a handmaiden."

She gave a flicker of a smile and I helped her peel off her robes. Underneath it was the handmaiden's outfit.

"Now I am just Padme." She sighed, almost in relief.

"That time of the month again dear?" I asked sweetly

The queen hauled back and punched me in the arm. But there was a smile on her lips, "Come on, let's go."

***

That boy enjoys his work as a Jedi far too much, I concluded. The way he arrogantly twirled his lightsaber after he finished all the droids off. There was this clean cut feeling about him that just made my skin crawl in much the same way it did around the handmaidens. He was the Zoneball player to their Cheerleader.

We walked down the hall, the Jedi master leading the way. I didn't mind taking orders from him. The cool efficient way that he used only the necessary amount of violence to accomplish his goals told me he was a man I could respect. He treated everyone with the same deference he gave the queen.

It was his arrogant bastard of a padawan I minded. He was friendly enough with the men of the group, treating them as companions in the fight and was deferential to the queen. He was flirtatious with the Handmaidens, using his charm to keep them calm during this stressful time.

I might as well have been a ghost to him. I was ignored until I dashed off to a wall workstation to tap in a few commands to see if my securiy grid for our computers were holding against their hacking attacks. Half way thought my check I heard a clipped and distinctly unfriendly "Move along, don't lag." from the apprentice.

I tapped in a few commands to throw up a few more layers of encryption.

"Did you hear me, I said, move along." He growled at my ear, his lightsaber humming behind me.

"I heard you." I said calmly as I kept on working at the terminal. "I'm ignoring you. This will only take a few seconds."

"We don't have a few seconds." His inner core accent clipped at me, "I said, move along."

"I wouldn't suggest it." I replied calmly as I tucked a fly away strand of black hair behind my ear.

"And why not?" He asked as if he was merely humoring my inferior intelligence.

I resisted my urge to give him a universally acknowledged rude gesture.

"Because there is a platoon of droids preparing to engage our party by jumping from the overhang, much the same tactic you used yourself." I commented as I pointed to the sky bridge.

He looked up and was about to call out when I tapped in a few commands. Funny thing about Theed. To protect the power lines from the corrosion of the acidic soil that develops from having buildings in the area, the city planners strung the lines of the power grid above ground, but the make them more aesthetically pleasing as well as giving the city some character, they turned the places where the lines were into sky bridges over the streets.

I rerouted some of the grid over the bridge, causing the centuries old power line to fail spectacularly. The increased magnetism rooted the droids into place on the bridge. With one more command I manually shut off the fail safes causing electricity to burst from the lines and run along the bridge.

The windows of the sky bridge flashed once and I could see the droids jerking stiffly before the power surge died and they collapsed. Some droids fell to the floor, a few fell smoking in front of the Jedi Master leading the Queens party.

The party looked at the raining smoking droid parts with some astonishment.

"Now we can go." I said as I typed in a few last commands to close the work station. I marched over to my queen holding my head up high.

I looked over at Rabe, handmaiden for internal affairs. "You know, you might want to talk to the mayor of Theed about updating the power grid. It is shamefully easy to hack into and cause some serious damage."

Her response was the same one I always receive when I speak directly with one of them. A cluck of her tongue and a roll of her eyes. I simply shrugged and took my place to the back of the party of handmaidens.

***

I sighed as I stared at the collection of viscous goo that was supposed to pass for food on this ship. Word had just come down. We were losing power and were going to have to make an emergency landing somewhere. Tatooine I think was the planet.

Did I mention I hated space travel? I was one of those one in a few trillion that got seriously space sick. No amount of pills could stabilize my stomach, so I wasn't hungry for my creamed food anyway. But was under med orders to try and eat.

"Just look at her." I heard from across the room where the Handmaidens were sitting with the Jedi apprentice. "She's so unfriendly."

"What do you mean?" The padawan asked.

Another handmaiden piped up, "I went over to her cabin this morning and asked her what she would say to a cup of tea."

"What did she say?" A third handmaiden said.

"'Shavit Off Cup.'" The second handmaiden replied. "She's so rude, and just look at what she wears. She is just not a team player."

"I too have found her social skills to be somewhat lacking." The Padawan replied.

"You are being polite." A fourth piped up. "She wears strange clothes, she behaves in a manner unbefitting a lady, she's just creepy."

I sighed as I stared at my plate. This was the same thing I have been hearing giggled in the corners. I was so used to the veiled and unveiled insults that I was numb to it by now. I just no longer cared.

"May I join you?" I heard a soft melodic baritone say above me. I waved him to the seat and acknowledged it was the Jedi Master.

He stared at me for a while before commenting, "You don't look so well. Hyper Sickness?"

I nodded and groaned, "My mother had it. Only logical I get it. That's how I ended up being born on Naboo. My mom and dad went there for their honeymoon and my mother was so ill on the way there, they stayed on planet rather then risk going back."

He nodded, his kindly blue eyes examining me. "You remind me of someone I knew once, long ago."

I chuckled, "Good or bad?"

He stared at me for a little while longer, "Where was your mother from, originally?"

"Telos." I sighed, "Mind if I ask you a question?"

He inclined his head as he took a bite of his food. "Yes?"

"Why are you talking to me?" I asked point blank.

He smiled a bit before saying, "I was wondering what it was about you that makes you continue to stick your nose in the air when the handmaidens are hell bent on grinding it into the ground."

I smiled weakly up at him, "I guess it's because I don't really care anymore. I can't change their opinion of me. I can only keep doing what I love."

"Which is?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Special Intelligence." I smiled

The Jedi master nodded, "I see. What do you say to my seeing if I can send you to sleep so you won't suffer the agonies of Hyperspace for the next few hours."

"I love you and I want to have your baby." I whimpered.

He gave me a flat out grin as he helped me up and held me steady as I tried to get my feet under the wave of dizziness I felt. He was a good man in making sure it didn't look as if I was having a hard time standing and didn't offer to carry me. Some how he understood my pride wouldn't suffer that.

"Thank you." I sighed gratefully as I started to walk out, him right behind me.

"Look, she must have said something rude to your master and he's going to chew her out."

"Serves her right."

The Jedi master leaned close to my ear, "I'll only chew you out if you move from that bed during the trip. I'll make sure you spend the rest of the trip heavily sedated."

I smiled up at him, "On second thought, I don't want to have your baby, you are too old for me. You remind me of my dad."

He chuckled as I made my arthritic way to my rooms. When we arrived he discretely waited outside my door while I changed and crawled into bed. He sat down beside me and placed a hand on my forehead. His big warm palm covered me from my hair line and most of my eyes.

"Close your eyes." He whispered gently.

I nodded and closed my eyes, "Are you going to force me to sleep."

He chuckled, "Actually I was thinking of singing you to sleep."

Before I could laugh his voice began a soft melodic chant in a language I didn't understand. The sounds were beautifully rounded and complimented his clear gentle singing voice. I gave a deep sigh and could feel my lids grow naturally heavy. Slowly I felt fatigue settle gently on my limbs.

I felt safe, warm and cared for. It was a feeling I haven't had in a long time and denied that I needed. I desperately needed to feel that warmth again. It's really cold and lonely being totally self reliant.

My last conscious memory that day was the sensation of the covers being tucked to my chin and a gentle hand brushing the hair back from my face.

***

When I next woke it was to the blessed feeling of rest and relief. My stomach now felt securely lodged in my abdomen instead of back in the Hangar on Naboo. This heavenly feeling was quickly interrupted as I figured out why I woke up. The summoning buzzer was ringing.

With a reluctant groan I hauled myself up and threw on my personal uniform. Now that we weren't trying to all look the same to the Nemodians I could wear what ever I bloody well liked. That bright Red and Yellow monstrosity was not my type. I quickly tossed it into the laundry and pulled out my black and purple one. Same cut and style as the others but colors more suiting my taste.

Personally, given the heat of the Tatooine sun, I'd rather slouch around wearing my sandals, shorts and T-shirt that said "Naboo star fighters kick Ass."

I walked in to see Padme still in her handmaiden uniform and Sabe wearing the queens robes and sitting on the Dias. The Jedi were sitting on one of the benches in the throne room and Panaka was on the other side with Padme.

I personally liked Panaka. He may seem like a pessimistic pain always crying gloom and doom around the corner, but he was merely doing his job. As head of Security forces, his job was to think of the worst possible situation then plan for it. This habit usually made him right.

He, the queen, and I made up the war council.

"Ah, here she is." Panaka said, "Sir Jedi, I would like to introduce you to Sakura, our chief of special means."

I nodded to the Jedi politely at the formal introduction, sat next to Panaka on the other side of Padme. I then turned my attention to Sabe, knowing full well every word out of her mouth was coming from signals that Padme subtly typed into a handset in her sleeve and sounded in Sabe's headpiece.

"We were discussing, now that we landed on Tatooine for repairs, the plan how we were to get them." Sabe said regally.

Panaka nodded, "We were going to send a party into Mos Espa for parts. Incognito. Jedi Master Jinn would head up that party."

I nodded, "Good plan. Has my vote as war consol."

Panaka smiled, "Motion passed then."

I nodded, "Before we break, let us not forget that Naboo is still under siege. I say while we are here we might as well sniff around for information. After all, Tatooine is one of the most universally known wretched hive of scum and villany."

"Why should we?" Obi-Wan asked, "The fewer parties that leave the ship, the less risk of discovery."

"You really think anyone is going to suspect the queen has landed here?" I stared at him. "We are now in the safest place in the galaxy."

"How do you figure that?" Panaka asked, astonished. "The Hutts are gangsters!"

"First off, they don't know we are here. Secondly, even if they did, the queen of someplace is such a big plum prize that the Hutts in this sector would need to have a counsel session on who gets to profit. They have an alliance where Tatooine is still a hotly debated planet."

"That doesn't cover Hutts keeping secrets from each other." The padawan stated.

I chuckled, "The Hutts here all have spies in each other's court. None of them would be able to keep a secret from the other for very long and they know it. So rather then have a potential war on their holdings, followed by the republic taking extreme notice of them, they'll politely ignore us."

"You seem certain of your analysis." The padawan said with a soft hint of disbelief.

I smiled at him, "Intimate knowledge of criminal networks is one of my aquired skills of a misspent youth." Let him chew on that.

"So what would we be looking for?" The jedi master asked.

I shrugged, "I'll know when I find it. Could be anything from Nemodian heirachy chart to evidence to who is really behind this."

Panaka snorted, "That's easy, the trade federation."

I winked at Panaka, "Always the soldier thinking directly. Sometimes the way to Theed is through Gunga city. Someone is behind this. Just look at the tactics for invasion they used."

"What do you mean?" Padme spoke for the first time. Things were usually quite serious when Padme forgot herself and didn't speak through Sabe.

I tapped in a few commands into a wall panel near my seat and called up a map of the Naboo. "Here is the planet before the invasion. Now watch the red. That's Nemodian's droid army."

Quickly a flood of red dots signifying ships and large floatillas landed and spread like a disease. More and more kept pouring down even after the area was conquered. The land was saturated with droids.

"Looks like a well planned full scale invasion." The padawan frowned.

I shook my head, "War is an art. Like any art, what you do and how you do it shows a lot about your psychology. This isn't just well planned. This is overwhelming force."

Panaka cocked his head as he studied it, "That's putting it mildly. This is what's known as overkill."

"That doesn't make sense for a member of the trade federation." The Jedi master mused, "they are far more interested in the bottom line of the balance sheet then they are in anything else. This is a wasteful use of resources so extreme that a Federation type should never even have considered this much less put it into action."

I nodded, "Right. Even if they did order this many droids and paid to have them all moved out here, they would never have put them all down in a full assault like this. Keeping a battle droid up and operational is far more expensive in energy and maintenance then it is to keep them in storage as needed."

"What about wanting to psychologically break Naboo's will to fight?" Sabe asked as queen.

I shook my head, "Then a Federation type would have used the minimum amount to fully accomplish the job and a precise fraction more to make their fleet seem overwhelming. Then they would have made it very clear they had the reserves. Seeing more droids ready to take the place of ones you destroy is as disheartening as seeing wave upon wave of them, even after you've given up."

Panaka nodded, "I agree, this isn't like the federation at all. This isn't their style. Someone is hiring them and dictating instructions."

Panaka paused, I knew what else he was thinking. Or this was a practice dry run for an even larger invasion somewhere else. Naboo didn't matter. We were just a practice ground. But neither Panaka nor I said a word. No sense in infesting the rest of the crew with our rampant case of paranoia.

We were also the ones who believed that Senator Palpatine was one of the most evil men we have ever met. He was too perfect a servant of the state, seeking no reward. When Panaka and I see now open reward, we look for one hidden. But we never breathe a word of our suspicion to anyone.

But as I said, Panaka and I are clinically paraniod. We are the type in our spare time to come up with theories about how the Supreme Chancellor secretly owns both Mon Calamari and a dominant resturant chain.

"In any case, we need more information about not only why naboo and who is behind this, but how we are going to figure out which shoe horn we need to extract them." I continued. "I'll go. I know how to talk to the people who might know something."

Panaka nodded, "When do you plan on going?"

I smiled, "Night. The people I talk to usually like darkness."

Sabe spoke in a very flat tone, I could tell it galled her to say what came next, "Excellent, you need a someone to guard your back, though. Naboo can't afford to lose you."

I nodded, 'Thank you, your magesty."

The Jedi master then did something I didn't expect, "My apprentice shall go with you."

Both the apprentice and I stared at the Jedi Master as if he had parts on order. I think that was the first time we agreed upon anything.

I spoke first, "Oh Hell no. No, that boy will blow my cover in half a second."

Obi-Wan Kenobi arched an eyebrow at me, "I am trained in the arts of disguise."

"Trust me, They'll pin you as a narc the second you walk in." I stared him down.

"He won't wear what he is wearing now. Surely he can fit in," The Jedi master suggested.

"Not unless some kindly passing healer cuts his head open with a spade and puts a new brain in it." I comment laconically.

"I think I might surprise you." The padawan commented. I could tell by the slight change in his voice he was indignant at the implication his skills were lacking.

I sighed and resigned myself to my fate, "Alright, but I get final review and I am in charge of this mission."

"Agreed." Qui-Gon said.

***

I tapped my foot as I waited outside the door for Obi-Wan to emerge. Qui-Gon and his party were going to go out a few hours before sunset. People are tired at the end of the day and less likely to notice anything odd. Obi-Wan and I were preparing now since I felt Obi-Wan was going to have a lot of work to do.

"Oh my goodness." Qui-Gon said behind me. "You look a sight."

I smiled a bit. I had gone full out. After all, if one was a famous code ripper and part of a few famous organizations of code rippers, one might as well dress the part.

I had pulled out my white powder so my normally alabaster pale skin had a dead look to it. I had on my black lace dress with black leather corset. A studded collar was around my neck and my black hair was gelled up. Kohl eyeliner and black lipstick completed the outfit.

I bowed to the Jedi master, "Never saw a real live D.S. did you?"

He chuckled, "I heard of them. Their illustrious members have comitted every known cyber crime and several that aren't even on the books yet. I met a D.J. Once though. They were recruited by the Temple for a mission."

I nodded, "Yeah. I'm a member of both."

Qui-Gon arched his eyebrow, "How can you be a member of both? One fights code ripping the other advocates it."

I chuckled, "I code rip intentionally and do damage. That qualifies me for DS. But everything I do is under the umbrella of Naboo's protection and on the sunny side of the law, makes me a D.J."

Qui-Gon smiled and looked at me for a long time, "So you are the one."

I smirked, "I keep telling people I know what I'm doing."

"Forgive me, but I thought you were a man." Qui-Gon chuckled

"Most men do." I intoned sadly "But the division between the S and J's isn't that simple. S's consider themselves Robin Hoods. Only ripping those who deserve it, so to speak. The J's are the ones who turn our bad apples to the police and only rip according to the law.."

Qui-Gon shook his head, "Amazing what you learn. Ah here is my apprentice."

I turned and saw that Obi-Wan's notion of looking like a criminal was dying his Jedi tunics and pants black and wearing black boots and putting a stud into his ear.

"Well?" He smiled, expecting I'd be impressed.

"We're dead." I announced.

He stared at me, "What do you suggest?"

"Surgically removing the stick from your ass." I announced testily. Qui-Gon suddenly had a coughing fit and had to sit down.

When Qui-Gon recovered from his well disguised laughing fit he looked up, his mouth twitching, "Perhaps some more practical suggestions would be more appropriate at this juncture. I think it's a bit too late to remove the stick from my apprentice's backside."

If looks could have killed, Obi-Wan would have slaughtered his own master.

I sighed, "All right. First off, something shinier. Color is good, but usage is poor. You need far more leather. Forget it, I'll find you something. If you insist on keeping that braid in plain view, we are going to get some beads for it."

Qui-Gon nodded, "Perhaps he can wrap it around his tail replacing the tie there."

"Better. Now, lightsaber… lose it."

"Absolutely not." Obi-Wan replied flatly "A jedi is never to be without his lightsaber."

"All the more reason why you shouldn't have it." I countered. "Anyone sees that and you are dead."

Obi-Wan snorted, "I think I can defend myself."

"The point is we want to make them talk willingly. They won't if they see that."

He looked at his master who merely nodded. Obi-Wan unclipped his saber and handed it reluctantly over to his master. "I don't see why I need to surrender it now."

I sighed, "The sooner you slip into this part, the happier I'll be."

He growled, "I will not be weaponless."

I help up a blaster holster to tie around his hips and fasten to his leg. "Your weapon."

He glared at me once again as he reluctantly undid his Jedi tool belt and put on the blaster harness. "The sooner this is over, the happier I'll be." He growled.

"I think that's the second time we've agreed on anything." I commented as I turned on my heel and marched down the corridor.

***

"Come on! We are going to be late." I cried as I pounded on the door. The padawan had been in their half an hour already. And men said women took a long time.

"I can't wear this." came the muffled reply

"It's easy. Put the arms in the arm holes, legs in the leg holes and head through the head hole." I replied testily.

"I feel utterly ridiculous." He said as he cracked the door open.

I sighed, "Try to at least bend the stick up your ass." I activated the door open all the way to reveal how he was getting on. I had taken the simple orange jumpsuit of a pilot and dyed it completely black. Then I tossed it into the drier with a few rocks so it got that worn and aged look.   It was enough of a uniform to account for his bearing. He couldn't go complete slacker so I had to go for a look of controlled chaos.

"You don't look ridiculous." I replied, "What's the problem."

He pointed to the sink at the make up I had left out for him, "I will not wear that."

"You can and you will. Don't worry, men aren't supposed to wear much." I shook my head. "It's only for one night that you have to pretend to have somewhat lax moral fiber."

I shoved him to sit on the refresher seat while I picked up the kit and contemplated his face. I immediately whipped out the eyeliner and tilted his head up. "Look down."

"Is this entirely necessary?" He asked as he obediently turned his eyes down to his chin

"Trust me, it is." I said as I drew a perfect line across the lids near the lash line. For an intense pain in the ass, the man had the longest lashes I had ever seen. The skin of his chin under my hand felt nice too.

I gave an internal sigh as I turned the pencil to the smudger side and smudged the line so it was softer and a trace more natural looking. Keep dreaming girl. He may be a pain in the ass, but I'm as susceptible as the next girl to good looks. Perhaps even more then the average girl.

"Look up." I said as I dotted the under lash and smudged it. He squirmed a bit. "Hold still. You'd think I was putting you through a torture test."

"Only women wear make-up in my species." He groused, "There is a reason why men don't wear it."

"Why?" I asked mildy, "Having trouble maintaining your masculinity lately?"

Just as I finished he lowered his head and glared at me, "What did my master tell you about that!"

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I knew I struck a nerve. But if I was anything, I was an accomplished liar. I considered myself one of the republic's best liars. He'd tell me everything if I let him. "Enough" I said calmly as I pulled out mascara. "Look up again please."

He sighed, "It wasn't what it sounded like. I can explain the dress and wig."

"Really? And that is supposed to explain everything?" I said as I mascaraed the other eye.

"I lost a bet. How was I supposed to know she was an andelsian and a hundred years old? I just wanted dinner with her." He sighed.

I smirked as I put things together, "So you bet her if you won you got dinner with her and she wore a dress you picked out. Then she replied that if she won, the same held true?"

He sighed as I mascaraed his upper lashes. "Yes. It was the poorest showing I ever did. So I figured if I had to wear a dress in public I would look like a woman."

I kept the smile out of my lips just barely as I put the barest touched of eyeshadow under his brows. Nothing unnatural looking, just a soft purple to highlight the green in his eyes. "I see. How did you get caught?"

His cheeks flushed, "A man goosed me."

Now I couldn't keep the laughter out, I gave a tiny snort, "I'll bet he was shocked to discover your candy."

Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow in curiousity, "Candy?" Then the meaning came to him. His cheeks turned that charming pink again as he tore away from my grip. "Enough!"

I chuckled as I poured out a small amount of iridescent shimmer powder into my palm and then blew on the dust. A cloud enveloped the padawan and when it settled his skin and hair had a subtle colorful hue. Like he was chiseled out of some exotic rock.

"Now for some ground rules." I announced.

"Rules?" He asked getting on the defensive again.

I Tilted my chin up. "I am head of this mission, what I say goes. Remember, don't speak unless necessary, let me do the talking. Don't ever leave my sight for more then a few moments. Don't try to get information on your own. Follow my lead and agree to any back story I make up. I want to reveal as little of ourselves as possible."

He sighed, "Anything else."

"If anyone asks, you're my apprentice."

"WHAT?" He elevated his voice so the small room reverberated his outrage. His teal eyes were wide with shock.

"You are to call me Nitos."

He sighed as if deeply put upon, "Anything ELSE?!"

I smiled perkily, "Yeah, don't screw up. If you do, I'll reveal you as a Jedi Padawan who mind whammied me into taking you with me. Unlike your real master, I haven't a conscience, I will leave you for dead."

I turned on my heel, stuffed the make-up kit into one of the many hidden pockets of my dress and walked out the door.

"Come along slow poke, time is wasting." I called behind me as I headed out the ship.

***

"You still haven't answered my question." Obi-Wan said, "Where did you get the hovercar?"

I smiled and looked at him, "You don't want to know. You are far better off not knowing."

Obi-Wan sighed and sunk lower in his seat as I drove. "Do you have any idea where we are going?"

I pulled out my sunglasses and put them on as we drove through the Mos Eisley streets. "No, but I will know when we get there."

He put his feet up on the dash and scowled out at the world in general. I laughed, "That's the spirit. You are really getting into the act now."

His eyes flicked over at me and he replied, "What can I say? You are inspirational in bringing out the worst in me. And isn't driving with those one a safety hazard."

"They would be if they weren't night sight enhanced. Right now I can see better then you." I chuckled as I scanned the doors along the street looking for a certain symbol painted onto it. One that can only be seen with this type of glasses.

I soon saw the symbol and in accordance to the group's tradition and parked a few blocks away. I climbed out and motioned for Obi-Wan to do the same. I walked over to him and pinned a small silver tube about the length of my pinky finger on his suit near his collar. On each end of the silver tube was a small green crystal.

"What is this?' He asked as he examined it.

I revealed a similar one on my dress, "Marks you as mine. Since you don't have a name yet I have to get you in somehow."

His eyebrow arched, "I'm nameless now? You have a pseudonym, why don't I have one?"

I laughed, "Honey, you have to earn it first. Now come along and don't embarrass me."

He sighed, "If there are so many rules, how come you won't tell me them? There is less risk of my getting into trouble if I know what the rules are."

"Do as I say and don't talk and you can't break any rules." I shot back as we walked to the door.

He pointed, "This is where we are going? This could be a residence."

"Probably is a residence." I nodded, "In which case we are inviting ourselves for tea."

"It's nearly midnight." He replied

"Late tea." I chuckled as I rang the chime. In a few seconds an aged woman answered the door.

"Hello dears? Do I know you?" She asked in an querulous voice.

I took off my glasses and smiled, "Yes, we are here for the family reunion."

She looked at me, "Oh, which branch of the family are you?"

I grinned, "Distant cousin I'm afraid. Deith Sad's my mother. I am Nitos and this is someone who wants to join my family."

A small flicker of a smile showed on the old woman's face, "Deith Sad's family is always welcome here. Come on in."

Obi-Wan and I walked into the house behind the old woman. We walked down a corridor to a flight of stairs and she waved us to a door. "Go on in. I'll get you something to drink."

With that she walked off humming to herself.

"Who was that?" He asked whispering into my ear.

I smiled, "Deith Sad is the common anagram of my groups' name. This is a house of the Royals. They are a ripper organization that passes it's membership from parent to child. Can't become a member unless you are born one or marry one."

"That old woman is a code ripper?" He asked astonished thumbing back at the old woman.

I chuckled, "In all likelihood a fine one. Shall we?" I opened the door for him and motioned him inside.

The room was large and painted pure black with bright emerald lighting. Black and green were the colors of the Royals.

"Holy Shavit! It's Nitos!" Someone at the back cried.

I looked through the crowd as it quieted down. Leaping over sitting people and walking along low tables I was pleased to see an old friend. "Kun!" I cried as I walked up to him and we hugged.

"What in hell are you doing in this neck of the woods." He asked as we pulled away. His clothes were the traditional black and red of the DS. His mop of curly blonde hair fell into his sky blue eyes. The man looked like a poster boy for some seminary school.

"Nitos?" Someone in the corner said, "Last I heard she retired."

"The truth is much worse. She went legit." Someone answered.

Kun picked up a black floor pillow and tossed it at the speaker, "She's still one of us. Just because she's managed to land a job where she has an automatic pardon for what she does doesn't mean you need to get malicious Zed."

"I thought Nitos was a man." A mon Calamari male in the back piped up.

"I knew Nitos was a woman! You owe me a scrambler." A Nemodian Woman said as she hit the Calamarian.

"You never answered me," Kun asked, "why are you here? Last I heard you were somewhere green with lots of water. Felt the intense desire to get away from water but still have a beach?"

I slapped his shoulder, "Mission. Naboo has been invaded by the Trade Federation and I want to know everything. The traditional seven questions as well as how to extract them."

"So you came to tatooine to investigate?" Kun blinked like he didn't believe me

I smirked, "I also heard you were in town and decided to stop by. You owe me for Alderaan."

Kun groaned, "Alright, alright. I'll introduce you to Meave. She's a Nemodian and what's more, her father is in the trade federation."

I grinned, "Perfect."

Kun looked behind me and said, "I know who Nitos is, but you are a stranger to me. Has he got a name yet?"

I shook my head, "No, but he wants one. Call him Ben for now."

Kun nodded and stared at Obi-Wan for a while Sizing him up. "He's a narc. What does he have on you. I'll kill him."

Everyone in the stared at Obi-Wan, who stared at me like I betrayed him. I told him they'd sniff him out. I rolled my eyes, letting my ability to lie work it's magic. "Of course you get that vibe. He's fresh out of the Jedi."

Everyone stopped, "He's a real Jedi?"

I rolled my eyes, "WAS. He's not any more. He's now with me. He's a hardware specialist, do you people want a technical resume?"

"No, but a sexual one would be nice." The old woman said from behind us as she sampled a bit of his anatomy by slapping his bottom.

The group laughed and all drifted back to their private conversations. Kun looked at me for a little while longer before saying, "I'm going to watch him. But Let me introduce you to Meave. She's new here so she might be a bit overawed by your reputation."

I laughed as I walked up to the Nemodian female who immediately stood and bowed, "It's an honor to finally meet you. You are the reason why I wanted to become a code ripper. That one you did to the Nadolian Mining group was phenomenol."

I chuckled, "Hey, there was absolutely nothing to connect me to that… that… beautiful piece of work."

We all sat down and she sighed like her cup of happiness was full, "What are you doing here?"

I smiled, "I was hoping we could make a trade. I'd like some information. I'm sure you could use some too."

She nodded, "Sounds good. What do you want to know about?"

"Trade Federation." I said

She grinned, "You came to the right place. I grew up around them and I know their systems like the back of my hand."

"What would you like in return?" I asked

"How you did the Nadolian Mining group rip." She smirked.

I laughed, "Sure, just a warning, they plugged the hole already, but if you want to look for similar holes elsewhere be my guest."

She sighed as if her cup of happiness was full, "Wow, I finally get to meet Xanitos."

I could literally feel Obi-Wan's eyes bore into me at that moment. Xanitos was the name of a recent Fallen Jedi and Jedi are always a bit touchy when talking about one of their own gone back. Chances are I had just touched a nerve with my alias.

And he had no idea why I picked it. Otherwise he or Qui-Gon would have killed me by now with their bare hands.

I settled in to regale the small group that gathered the tale of my conquest and in turn, get some information I needed.

***

I nodded as I went over what I had been told by Maeve. I was right, the federation would never waste resources like that. I had also gotten some pointers on how they ran their droid network. It wouldn't be an easy nut to crack. They worked on a dynamic server basis where orders were carried out through an almost infinite number of relays. Should any individual one be destroyed , another would rise in it's place. There were back ups to back ups to back ups, and every one of them authenticated to each other constantly.

Bad news in terms of trying to take over the system. Good news in terms of fighting it. The makers of the droid army spent so much time and effort on making it a tough nut to crack that they forgot about one crucial element. The droids were incredibly slow at making decisions and putting them into action. They constantly validated their every move with their next level tier support, by the time they got permission to take the shot, there was a good chance the target had moved. Only by having enough droids to create a hail storm of fire do they manage to be effective.

Then again, throw enough bodies at any defense line at it will break.

Hmmm, something to consider for an attack. Maybe taking over the droid army might not be possible. But the only one main computer could give orders and it received no information. The commander of the main computer had one screen up of their own sensor array displaying results and in a separate computer that it's only source of input was keypad strokes, issued orders.

I frowned; destroying that computer might pause the system, but not halt it.   There were lots of other second level that took the orders of the main computer and distributed them. They were like the generals under a commander. Should the commander die, a general becomes a commander. Only input is the keypad, all remote access ability is killed. To prevent someone from taking over a secondary and killing the primary in hopes of having control, the programmers put the 'generals' into musical chairs game with one chair. Should primary go off line, first general to check in got the post.

I smiled, maybe there was something that could be done after all.

"I know that smile" Kun whispered to me, "You had the same one when you thought of Nadolia."

I smirked and looked at Kun, "Maybe, maybe not." I watched as Obi-Wan walked over to the bar and tried to get himself some water. The human females in the place were gawking at him and trying to climb all over him. While it was true that among the code ripping community females were few and far between, the men we usually had to look at weren't all that attractive. Kun was handsome but had taken a formal vow of celibacy with his Home planet's God of Mischief.

"Nitos." Kun sighed, "I don't mean to sound suspicious."

"Yes you do, go on." I chuckled as I watched Obi-Wan tolerate the overly affectionate attention with all the aplomb of a cat being petted the wrong way. He was still and tolerated the attention, but if he had a tail it would have been twitching furiously.

Kun tilted his head towards Obi-Wan, "Are you sure he's not a newly made knight gone undercover? I'd hate to think that your hormones were getting in the way of your head."

"Excuse me?" I replied blandly, the very idea that I was bypassing my judgment cause I had the hots for Mr. Pain in the backside, was ludicrous.

Kun held up his hands, "I know I am one of the people who's been saying you need a right hard shagging to loosen you up, but not him."

I took a sip of my drink, "I certainly hope not. If you ever hear my talking about hooking up with my apprentice, do me a favor."

Kun nodded, "I will. If Chemotherapy doesn't work I will sign for electroshock."

"Good man." I said, "I hate my apprentice which is exactly how it should be."

Kun sighed, "So what is this mission for the queen? Anything you might need an calling a rippers for?"

I tilted my head to the side, "Let me think about it. I'll get back to the Dead Sith."

Kun laughed, "Only you could wear the purple. You are starting a trend you know. Blue for the dead Jedi, red for the Dead Sith. Some Sith are thinking how to join the Jedi and the Jedi want to join the Sith."

I snorted, "Great, just start calling me the Chosen one. The one who brought Balance to the rippers."

We shared a laugh and was about to get into another drink when suddenly someone burst through the door. All of use recognized the Mechies. A group that specialized in making illegal hardware.

"There! That's him!" Their leader who was half android growled pointing to Obi-Wan. "We heard a Jedi was in the area. One of his kind captured one of us. We demand justice."

Obi-Wan turned and looked at me. A plea for help was in his eyes. I simply held up my hands and shrugged, "He's nameless and hasn't come under protection yet. Take him. We've done all that's required in the treaty."

Quick as a wink one of the Mechies in the back shot a dart which landed in Obi-Wan's neck. One of the bigger ones walked over and tossed the Padawan over his shoulder, then in the next moment, they were gone.

"Well, that was interesting." I said as I placed my drink down.

Meave just stared at me, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

Kun sighed, "We can't. We don't want a war among the rippers, even if they are secondary bastard cousins. You may be new, but you should know this Meave."

I slapped my hands on my knees, "It's been a lovely evening and I'd love to stay and all that but I am afraid I really must dash. I have much to do and even less time to do it in now that I am out an apprentice. Thank you for your hospitality, royals. Kun, I'll contact you later about a gathering."

Kun nodded and I turned on my heal and walked out of the building.

I sighed as I walked., Obi-Wan was a grown Jedi padawan. He was fully able to take care of himself. This is what he was trained to do. I told him of the risks and said I would abandon him. I warned him he'd be picked up as a galactic goodie two shoes in a second. Not my fault.

I reached the hover car and flopped into the driver's seat. I stayed there for a long time, thinking.

"This is ridiculous." I growled as I cranked the engine over and sped out of town.

It took me a few minutes to realize I wasn't heading towards the ship. I was heading north. Mechies always had their headquarters south and their punishing grounds to the north of what ever city they frequented for parts.

With a growl I cranked the nose to the east. What was WRONG with me? Obi-Wan can take care of himself. He's a Jedi padawan, almost a knight for crying out loud. He should be the one rescuing me!

He was annoying.

He was a pain in the ass.

I hated him.

There was no way or reason I should care a jot about him or his fate.

"SHAVIT" I screamed in anger as I punched the steering wheel and turned my car north.

***

I crawled carefully along the dunes towards the glow of light that indicated a trial ground. Mechies' hobby was building deadly battle bots and fighting them against each other. In point of fact, that is how they chose their leader.

Mechie Justice was to take their victim, place them in the battle ground and fight their robot with them. Usually the robot won. There have been only a handful of people to escape with their lives and the only way to escape was to win.

I picked out my sunglasses and tapped them to infrared. Ninety degrees and under the sand I saw the Mechie's hold where they were going through their final set up. I crept over just a little higher and looked into the pit.

Obi-Wan lay on his back motionless inside of the battle ring, The ring was sealed off by a shield dome. Inside was the nastiest looking Droidika I had ever seen. It was a miniature tank. It was shielded to a fair-thee well both in metal plate and ion generated and had more standard issue big guns then I had seen in quite a while.

I suddenly remembered exactly WHY I went into retirement and took the job with the Queen. Six years ago I was young and stupid enough to think risking my life like this was fun.

Reaching to my little piece of Jewelry I quickly pressed the crystals down until I heard a small click. I then smiled, I maybe an old dog in this arena, but I still had some new tricks these upstart Mechies probably hadn't heard of. This little trick had just rendered me invisible to everything except the naked eye. If a mechanical instrument was pointed at me, it wouldn't see me.

One of my few in the personal arsonal I never let reach anyone else's hands.

I stood up and then sat down on my butt and slid down the dune like a kid on a slide, going with the fall of the sand. Lying in the shadows next to a shield generator I whispered, "Ben…Ben!"

Obi-Wan groaned and held his head, "Sa…what? No Force."

"No names, I'm not here." I whispered again, "Listen I don't have much time before they finish preps. The pin I gave you, twist the top most crystal a quarter turn to the left."

"huh?" He said as he stood up and looked at it. I watched as the crystals flashed twice. I smiled, "They make you appear a bit off from where you really are to their sensors. Should help you since they've snagged a force collar around you. Now keep them distracted, I'm coming in to help."

He groaned and rubbed his neck. Just then the droid woke up and shot a large heavy plate at him. It wasn't a direct hit, but the corner that clipped him was enough to knock Obi-Wan to the ground.

"No problem" Obi-Wan groaned as he picked himself up.

I paused in my attempts to pick open the lock to the shield controls, Did Stick up his ass just make a joke?

I don't know what happened in the arena in the few minutes it took for me to pick the lock and adjust the shields so I could roll under them. I just heard a lot of mechanical whirring, and thumps of Obi-Wan's Body coming in for yet another landing.

I'll say this for him, he can take a beating.

By the time I got in a few minutes later I looked to see that he was on his knees and the droid had one of its arms extended with a chokehold on his neck. The other was teasing him with a blade. Cutting his clothes and body as he struggled.

Not much time left. Racing against the clock sending my mind whirling into overdrive and ran to the droid and examined it. I found an access panel and opened it staring at the wires as they ran everywhere.

I wanted to just yank them all but something told me it wouldn't be one of the best ideas I ever had. Chances are, they'd expect this and this was just a dummy. Carefully I spread the wires apart and looked. Another access panel.

By now the Mechies must have seen something strange was happening and was sending a few spare arms whirling in my general direction. I was able to dodge most, but not all. One heavy one hit me in the temple and made me dizzy.

They must have noticed they hit something so they increased their efforts. But given the wild whirlwind they made of the limbs I could tell they couldn't see me.

I examined the bunches of wires. Two were loose. So I tied them together and the panel opened. Four buttons, blue, yellow, red and black.

"What's your favorite color Obi-Wan?" I whispered softly

"B….b…." Obi-Wan choked out.

"You would like blue." I sighed as I pressed the blue button.

The droid gave a single shudder and then fell still. Obi-Wan gasped a bit as he pried the mechanical hand that was around his windpipe away and collapsed to all fours. He looked a sight. Clothes torn, body bleeding a bit from a dozen places and a large red spot on his neck.

"Come on." I growled as I dashed for the shield, "Before they come out of the control pit!"

He gasped a bit but followed me under the shield and up over the dune to my waiting car. From there we both jumped in and peeled out of there into the night.

***

After a half an hour we realized we weren't being chased. We also realized that the hovercar had broken down.

We sat in the car for a little while, before I turned to Obi-Wan and said, "Here, let me see your neck. Maybe I can get this collar off."

Obi-Wan leaned very close to me. I noticed his cuts were so small that they were already healed mostly. Probably due to some Jedi healing technique I wasn't aware of. I also noticed that the man smelled good under the dryness of the sand and the coppery sweet smell of blood.

The strong chorded muscles of his neck before me suddenly seemed incredibly fragile when I thought about how helpless he was under that knife. My eyes stole up to his face in the pale moonlight and I felt my heart give a tell tale painful squeeze.

Oh shavit.

As if my life weren't complicated and crappy enough. I had to go and …

"Why did you save me?" Obi-Wan asked as I tinkered with the locking mechanism.

"You know that Conscience I don't have?" I asked him as I reached in and got another tool hidden in my sleeve.

"Yes?"

"It got to me." I stated as I gave the lock a twist and the collar fell off.   "Don't go around telling anyone one. I have a reputation to maintain."

He stared at me, his crystal teal eyes examining me with an intensity I wasn't comfortable with. "Of course." He murmured.

I lifted my chin as I busied myself by putting my tools back into their hidden sheaths, But I could still feel his eyes on me. What in hell was he staring at? "I can't have every moron in this universe with a sob story coming to me thinking I'm some sort of sucker for a just cause. People have got to know how to take care of themselves."

"I understand." His voice rumpled in his chest and in my ears. Those eyes were still pinning me like a bug on a cork board. I began to really prefer it when he ignored me all together. I really didn't like him looking at me like that.

"So how far do you think we are from the Queen's ship?" I asked, trying desperately to shatter this increasingly awkward moment. Tease me, Vex me, anger me, hurt me. Do anything but move me.

He finally turned his gaze away from me and closed his eyes. After a few moments he opened them and said, "Not far. But I suggest we get walking now so we are there before the heat of the day tomorrow."

I nodded, "Sensible idea. Let's go. The sooner we get back, the sooner I can go to bed. Let's ransack the car for anything useful."

We managed to find a small med kit, a couple of emergency blankets and four bottles of compressed water. Obi-Wan frowned as he looked at some packages under the matting on the bottom of the trunk.

I Nodded, "I wondered where they hid that."

Obi-Wan turned to stare at me, "You stole the car of a SPICE DEALER?"

"Your point being?" I asked as I took a swig of water.

"Are you insane?" He demanded his eyes round with shock, "What if they came looking, we'd all be dead."

I looked up at him, "By the time they'd notice the car was gone, we'd be back at the ship, car thier abandoned merchandise in tact. Besides, even if they did catch us they'd have to let us go because of hutt's would have priority over valuable prisoners and as I said before, the Hutts can't hold us."

He sighed the sigh of the long suffering and then looked at me carefully, "You are bleeding."

I frowned, "Where?"

He started to reach for my head, "Just below your left temple near your ear.   The trail of blood is trickling from behind your hair."

I clapped a hand over the area and felt the warm slow ooze. "It's ending, no need to worry."

He reached into the med kit and pulled out a cloth and a bandage, "At least let's clean it and bandage it."

I backed away from him, "Oh no, it will be fine, let it alone."

He strode forward determined, backing me against the car. Damn Jedi, programmed to take care of people. Why can't he just ignore it? It wasn't a life critical injury.

"No, You are injured, I must help. Even if you don't want it." He said as he wedged a foot between mine, jutting his hip against my stomach, plastering me against the car.

I struggled, desperately trying to push him away, slide up over the car, anything to escape the discovery I knew was coming. But the cheating bastard wrapped one arm around my shoulders and pressed me against him so my hands were trapped between us. He used the force to tilt my head in the correct direction.

I continued to try and gain some leverage to escape but he would simply adjust his grip and pull me tighter. Every muscle in my body was tense and I was breathing fast as he started to clean up the blood soaked hair on my cheek.

I knew he saw it when he stopped. Under the straight black hair I carefully arranged to hide it, high on my left cheekbone near my ear was a scar the shape of a broken circle. I felt his finger trace the shape.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, his voice had gone very soft.

"Are you done yet?" I asked testily

'Where did you get this?" he repeated

"I don't wish to talk about it." I replied, "Now will you finish."

"Where did you get this?" He asked a bit more forceful

"I don't wish to talk about it." I replied in kind and punctuated my statement by finally getting a bit of leverage by raising one foot to his stomach to aid my arms as I shoved him. The force of my repelling sent him staggering back a few steps.

I tore a small piece of cloth from my sleeve grabbed the cleaning cloth where Obi-Wan dropped it, dusted it off and pressed it to my temple. I immediately turned and started walking briskly towards the ship.

"Who are you?" He asked as he nipped at my heels

I remained silent as I marched, picking up the pace. He stayed right behind me.

"Who was your mother?" He asked and again I doubled my pace and was jogging.

He kept right up beside me, "Why did you pick the Alias Xanatos?"

I broke into a dead run. It wasn't that I wanted to get away from the questions, I was running from the answers.

After what had to have been a few miles of running over the dunes. He reached out and touched my shoulder as he said, "Stop! Just stop! Please."

I did and turned to him silently as we stared at each other, both of us breathing hard. I remained mute.

He stared at me and whispered, "Just tell me one thing."

My face remained impassive.

"Did you know him?" Obi-Wan asked

I gave a small bitter laugh as I looked off into the dunes for a few seconds. It was the same bitter laugh I usually get when I think about my life. After a few seconds I turned back to him, his entire being seemed to have put it's self on pause waiting for my answer.

"Who do you think gave me the scar?" I asked him staring up into his eyes.

Then I turned on my heel and continued to march back to the ship.

***

We were silent the whole rest of the trip back. One good thing came about from our little jog. We got to the ship just as the pink streaks of dawn were fading away with the sunrise.

I marched directly up the ramp, into the ship. Panaka came out and greeted us. "How did it…" He started but saw my hand raised palm facing him. He silenced as I walked into the refresher and shut and locked the door.

I heard his voice filter into the room, "That bad huh?"

I immediatey stripped down and jumped under the sonics, shutting the door. This was the only place I felt alone with no risk of being disturbed. I felt the sand and grit driven off my body. I finished with a real water rinse to relax my muscles. I stepped out of the cleaner and wrapped a towel around my wet hair into a turban and pulled a standard issue bathrobe on.

I then dared to look into the mirror.

I didn't do this often. I didn't like doing it. Everytime I peered into the looking glass, I didn't see my face after a while. I saw his. Two of a kind. "We are the same", he had said. The same Parents created us. Same midnight black hair, same blue eyes, same angular face.

"And now, same scar." He had said when it was over.

I was ten and it hurt when he gave it to me. Force above and below it hurt.   But I was willing to endure it and a thousand more like it. I worshiped the ground he walked on and was willing to follow him through hell and back.

My peers hated me for being different, but when I was with him I didn't feel despised. My mother couldn't bear to look at me, my step father hated the very sight of me. He was the only one who welcomed me with willing arms. Gave me the acceptance I craved.

My mind shuddered away from what happened as once again, my face morphed in the mirror once more into the face of my older brother.

Before I knew it my vision misted red and my brother was gone. Now all that remained was the dying echo of a scream of rage I didn't remember uttering but knew came from me, a shattered mirror and my fist in the center of the damage ring, blood splattered and trickling from the knuckles.

I swore gently as I pulled my hand away from the mirror and methodically picked out the pieces of glass from my knuckles. I opened the medicine chest and cleaned the wound and bandaged it.

I quickly dried and dressed and walked out of the refresher. Panaka, Obi-Wan and a couple of handmaidens were staring at me. I looked back at all them them.

"What? Haven't you ever seen a bathroom accident before?" I asked them. Before they could reply I walked away to my room to get some sleep.

***

I avoided the padawan after that. Really hard to do on that tiny ship, let me tell you. But everywhere I went, he seemed to hover just at the edges. He didn't approach, he just watched. I was using my technical knowledge gained from my somewhat spotty past to prepare the ship for a new hyperdrive.

Though given its likely dubious source, I didn't trust the new hyperdirve to take us one inch, and I didn't want the Nav computer to trust it either. A thousand things have to go right in a hyperdrive in order for us to get into and out of hyperspace successfully, even more have to go right if we want to reach our destination without dying.

Finally he left to wander outside as Qui-Gon came with the goods. When he returned he had the hyperdrive on a hover pad beside him.

"Well someone's got to break the ice and it might as well be me." I announced, "Shall we install this hyperdrive and connect it to the Navicomputer?"

He smiled slightly and nodded, "Yes, I know about the installation and mechanics of a hyperdrive but I don't know about it's methods of sabotage. I am not sure I trust the source."

I snorted, "I know I don't. Come on, let's crack this puppy open and see what they did to it."

I knelt beside the drive as Obi-Wan opened the casing and we both dove in. Obi-Wan tested the components to make sure they were all there, I checked to see they hadn't been tampered with. Occasionally, one or the other of us would toss an item over our shoulders into the junk pile.

"Where did you learn about hyperdrive repair?" He asked casually as he handed a piece to me, "I didn't know this was a required knowledge for a specialist in your area."

"It's not." I replied as I hooked the part up to my computer and examined the readout.

"How did you acquire this knowledge?" he asked

I chuckled, "One of my more legal jobs in my misspent youth. It was, in fact what gave me the idea that since I was so good at causing trouble, maybe I could learn how to stop it. Didn't last long."

"Why not?" He asked as he looked at a part and immediately tossed it behind him the same time I unhooked the part I was examining and chucked it over my shoulder.

"I missed the thrill." I said, "This is incredibly boring."

He smiled as if pleased with himself, "So you chose to work for the Queen. You still have the thrill of illegality but it's for a good cause."

I snorted, "I don't know how good her cause is and I don't really care. I get an automatic pardon for anything I do so I don't have to worry about her arresting me. I just need to worry about falling into one of her enemies hands. I'm a mercenary, never forget that."

"Of course." He said with that same searching look he had before in the hovercar but that damn smirk was on his face. He handed me a new piece of hardware which I hooked up to be examined as he started replacing the parts we chucked with our own spares.

"I'm not lying!" I protested, "I'm an evil woman whose only goal is chaos and disorder. I topple governments for fun and blackmail people with a cheerful heart all while breaking into their secret databanks and stealing, altering or destroying information."

That fecking smile didn't fade one bit. I think the man was on some sort of drug. "Of course." He repeated, "I think that's it, shall we test the connection between the Nav computer and the Hyperdrive?"

I nodded as I got out a couple of handheld computers and hooked them up. One computer was between the connection of the Nav computer and the hyperdrive, one was afterward between the hyperdrive internal translator and the generator. Obi-Wan inputted the co-orindates to Coruscant and set to go.

My computers tricked the hyperdrive into thinking it was going and I watched as our coordinates were translated by the hyperdrive into going through a sun.

"Well that's interesting." I said mildly.

Obi-Wan smiled, "Yes, sometimes it really helps to be paranoid."

I nodded, "I think that is the third time we've agreed on anything."

"Four." Obi-Wan corrected. "We agreed Maeve was a good trustworthy source."

"I stand corrected." I replied as I turned away to hide my smile, "Four."

"Don't do that." He leaned against the computer and tapped in another destination, back to Naboo. This time out destination was going to be Mon Calamari if we survived the trip through the asteroid belt

"huh?" I said confused

He shook his head, "Never mind, I think it's a problem with the translator inside the hyperdrive that takes the instructions from the Navi computer to work on the components."

I nodded as I examined the data of where we went and what the components did. "Not just damaged, sabotaged. There is a pattern. Put in a few other destinations. Let's see if I can get a lock on it."

He nodded and set another destination, "Can we repair the Hyperdrive's translator?"

I chuckled, "Yes, but that would take days. The queen wouldn't be happy. There is another option. If I can find the pattern of what comes out, I can write a program that can take the instructions from the navi computer and translate them."

"Excellent." He nodded, "How long will that take?"

"A few hours, when your master gets back, we'll be ready to go." I said, "Do you know anything about programming?"

He nodded, "The Basics, yes."

"Good, since it will be likely I'll be out of commission and can't monitor the program, I'll show you what exactly it does and you can watch it and make on the fly adjustments as needed. I'll leave the monitor on so you can see if we are on course or not." I replied.

"You are thorough." He observed

I sighed, "No, I just don't trust anyone, not even myself."

Obi-Wan was silent for a while as a worked for a bit. Then he strode over to stant behind me. He was so close I could feel the warmth coming off his body. I didn't know whether I wanted to leap away from him or lean back into him.

"Someday, you are going to have to trust someone." He whispered into my ear.

I stood up straight. When I turned around to ask him what he meant, he was gone.

***

"Anakin Skywalker, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi." I heard as I quickly ran into the room. Obi-Wan was shaking the hand of the half-pint blonde cherub.

"Wow, you're a Jedi too!" Anakin, the kid said cheerfully.

I watched from the corner and examined the child carefully. He may seem like an idealistic exuberant young child. Every action he did and move he made seemed true. And yet… my instincts couldn't help but go on red alert. Something was off. The child seemed at once too mature and too immature for his age.

"I see you didn't die." I commented idly to Qui-Gon as he stood up.

Qui-Gon chuckled slightly, "And I see that you and my apprentice managed not to kill each other."

"Yet." Obi-Wan muttered with a wink to Anakin. Anakin giggled.

I stared at Obi-Wan with my mouth half open, "My god, Two jokes in less then twenty four hours? Your Jedi training must be slipping."

Qui-Gon smiled, "I see you have managed to perform the necessary surgical procedure on my Apprentice."

"Nah, I just took him slumming." I chuckled, "But I did get some interesting information on the Nemodians. We were right, there is something else behind this."

Qui-Gon nodded, "Thank you, I'll get the report of the material from my apprentice. In the mean time I suggest that you get ready for bed. We will be jumping soon."

"Why does she need to go to bed?" Anakin asked, "I don't even go to bed this early!"

To my intense surprised Obi-Wan answered Anakin, "She gets severely hypersick. There have been cases of people with her severity of reaction dying from the shock."

"It's true." Qui-Gon said when Anakin turned to the Jedi master for confirmation. "Someone with her condition has a possibility of dying if the trip is too long or if the entry or exit from hyperspace is too rough."

Anakin frowned, "Then why are you on the ship…um…. What's your name?"

I knelt down, "Sakura."

Anakin marched up to me and glared at me, "Why are you on the ship, Sakura? You should have stayed on the planet!"

I smirked, "Because the queen is going to go before the senate and she wants someone who's better at lying then they are."

Anakin cocked his head to one side, "Your job is to lie?"

"Among other things." I tweaked his nose.

"Come along, Anakin." Qui-Gon said, "I'll introduce you to the pilots. Obi-Wan, would you make sure the queen's hired liar follows orders and goes to bed? A newly installed hyperdrive isn't going to make a smooth jump."

Obi-Wan trailed behind me as I walked to my bedroom. "I'd rather you were at the hyperdrive making sure they and my program worked." I groused.

"And I'd rather make sure you lived through the jump." Obi-Wan replied smoothly, "The queen is going to need you on coruscant snd contrary to your belief, I am every bit as stubborn as you."

We reached me door and I turned, "Well, I'm here. You can go now."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Oh no you don't. I don't go in with you and, you'll hop on the ships computer and watch the entire jump remotely."

"You're not seriously going to tuck me in!" I exploded outraged.

Obi-Wan simply smirked and activated my door for me. "After you."

"No!" I replied flatly, "I'm not going to have you order me about!"

Obi-Wan leaned forward and smiled mildly, "You will walk in there, prepare for bed and get in or I will toss you over my shoulder and carry you in."

"I won't stand for this!" I growled as I turned to walk towards the engine room.

"You're right," Obi-Wan said behind me and suddenly my feet were off the floor and I was tossed over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

"Why you…" I growled in outrage and started flinging at him every explicative and colorful metaphor I learned in my years of working with criminals as he calmly walked me inside and dumped me on the bed. He used the force to keep me on there as he removed my shoes.

I stopped struggling against the invisible bonds and continued to fling verbal abuse at him as he pulled a blanket over me. My rage hit an all time high when I thought he was going to tuck it under my chin. Instead he pressed it against my mouth silencing me. I glared daggers at him as his expression continued to be one of calm amusement.

"May I get a word in edgewise?" He asked me calmly, "either you be a good girl and lie here or I will make you to be a good girl by rendering you unconscious with the force."

"Burr, hmmp merph mive." I tried to say

Obi-Wan smiled, "I'll be watching it remotely and will tell you what's happening during the jump if you promise to lay there."

I stared at him and remained mute.

"Do you promise to lay there and keep your word?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow

I nodded and he eased the pressure off my mouth and tucked the blanket under my chin. I watched him as he got up and picked up a hand held data pad and the desk chair. He set the chair down near the bed facing the night stand. Then he sat down, put his feet up on the night stand, started using the datapad with one hand while the other reached down and covered mine.

'Why are you touching me?" I asked

"I read that the disturbance you'll experience can be eased by some moderate physical contact." He replied, his eyes remained glued to the datapad while his thumb made slow circles on the back of my hand.

I cleared my throat, "How is the hyperdrive going?"

"The pilots are entering the co-ordinates for Coruscant now, and Nav computer is sending the instructions to your program which is calculating the compensation needed for the faulty translation component." He replied businesslike as his fingers started to toy with mine.

By now I was thoroughly confused. What was up with him? Why was he acting so… well… I couldn't say nice since a nice person wouldn't toss me over his shoulder and force me into bed. But here he was, toying with my fingers.

I gasped as I felt the beginnings of the jump. I always knew then the jump was coming because I got the same sensation I when I sit on roller coasters.   The extremely heavy feeling as everything pressed down and we were dragged up the ramp.

Obi-Wan laced our fingers so we were palm to palm. "Obi-Wan." I whispered as I felt every muscle in my body tighten at once.

"Shhhhh." He turned his gaze from the data pad, took his feet off the table and leaned over me. His free hand coming up to toy with my hair.

I was beginning to feel that familiar sense of vertigo. Like the world had stopped spinning beneath my feet. I swallowed and tried to maintain some semblance of control, but my body was turning into a nervous wreck.

"It will be all right. Don't be frightened." He quieted as if trying to calm a frightened child. I should have been highly offended, but all I felt was a sense of comfort.

I closed my eyes trying to regain some sense of balance when I heard Obi-Wan say, "Look at me, focus on me."

I opened my eyes and stared up into his face. Those aquamarine eyes framed by the long lashes I was admiring earlier were entirely focused on me. His noble brow and high forehead, the mole on one cheek that I knew he probably hated and was mystified why people liked it so much.

"You're not alone." He whispered. There was an expression in his face that looked familiar somehow but couldn't place. It was like I had never seen it before but I knew I had, somewhere.

Before I could ponder it I felt the world drop out from under me as once again my body was launched towards Coruscant and my internal organs were left somewhere over the Tatooine skies.

The sensation was so rough that I heard myself give a small gasp before the world went black.

***

I woke up.

It wasn't a pleasant sensation either. My head pounded, my stomach was churning something awful like I ate an entire case of hot peppers, and my joints all ached. I was lying on the floor tangled in my sheets. I started to wonder what I was I drank the night before so I would avoid it the next time I was at the bar.

Then I remembered I don't drink anymore. After one night where I woke up with a Tattoo in a place I didn't want to remember about how it got there I vowed I would never lose sobriety again.

I groaned as I sat up and blinked trying to see where I was. I was on the floor of my bedroom in the ship. That combined with how awful I felt was not a good sign as to how the trip was going.

My door opened and I looked up from where I was laying on the floor to see a particularly worried looking Jedi master, with a little blonde head peeping from around the Jedi's volumous cloak.

He saw me awake and blinking and sighed, "Thank the force."

I frowned, "Why do you look so relieved? My first guess is that something went wrong."

He bent down and helped me up, "We were afraid that sudden jolt might have caused us to lose you. But I see you are made of sterner stuff."

I smiled ironically, "What happened?"

Qui-Gon sighed, "We dropped out of hyperspace for reasons we cannot fathom. Captain panaka and the Queen are anxious."

I sighed, "Get me to the hyperdrive."

Qui-Gon stared at me, "Are you sure?"

I stood on my own feet, a bit wobbly, but standing none the less. "I think I know what went wrong."

Qui-Gon nodded, "All right, But you fall once and I am carrying you back to bed."

I toss my hands in the air, "What is it with you Jedi and wanting me in bed?"

I didn't remember the nine year old in the corner. He piped up, "You aren't well in Hyperspace. They want to see you taken care of. It's what' Jedis do."

I shook my head and walked out the door, using the wall as a guide.

***

"… an inappropriate use of resources. These computers are the property of internal affairs and were confiscated without proper notice or warning. I noticed the drain on the systems power supply and saw these monitors were left without any provocation or reason. It was sheer irresponsibility to wire them so if they were removed the ship would drop out of hyperspace." Sache was complaining vehemently to the Queen as queen and Panaka when I walked in.

Obi-Wan was standing off to one corner opening and closing his fists. The muscles in his neck were bunching. He must be really trying to control his temper. "As I said before, we had put those computers there to compensate of a certain amount of sabotage done to the hyperdrive navigation translator. They were to compensate for it and automatically make course corrections should the pattern of sabotage change."

Sache stuck her nose in the air, "Why wasn't the translator fixed then?"

"Would you have cared to stay on Tatooine for a week?" Obi-Wan asked mildly.

"It was still irresponsible to hook them up so we dropped from hyperspace." Sache returned volley

"Perhaps flying into a sun would have been preferable?" Obi-Wan growled, "You nearly killed Sakura by not at least coming to someone else and finding out what they did."

"Would that have been a great loss?" Sache asked

"Probably not." I said from behind Sache, "You would have done the universe a great service by sending me back to the darkside. I know of at least half a dozen people who would send you a bottle of wine for doing it and that doesn't include anyone in the Cybercrimes division of the republican police force."

Sache stared at me gape faced. Apparently she didn't know I was there. Obi-Wan gave a flicker of a smirk before settling his face back to neutral. The Queen remained stoneyfaced and Panaka started coughing trying to hide his smile.

I sat back, "I took those computers because they were the best suited for the job."

She frowned, "They were my division's property."

"I am War Council, you are internal Affairs, I outrank you in times of war. I believe full scale invasion of the planet and the flight of the ruler constitutes an act of war." I said as I looked at her, "In short, I need it, I get it."

Sache gave a rather ugly and angry frown, twisting the beautiful features of her face as she whirled upon the queen, "Isn't she supposed to have some amount of respect and diplomacy being on the council?"

"I'm not paid to be diplomatic or polite in my fights." I replied, "I am paid to win."

Sache ignored me as she stared at the queen. Padme simply shrugged, "Panaka, how soon can we be back underway?"

Captain Panaka shrugged, "Immediately, Jedi Obi-Wan repaired the damage done to the hyperdrive and reattached the computers."

"Then we shall go underway immediately. And Sache, perhaps a good use of your time between here and Coruscant is to read the council operation rules in times of war a little more carefully. It is always unwise to act upon that which you do not understand." The Queen replied as she and Panaka left the room.

Sache glared at me once before she stalked out.

That went well. Yet another handmaiden incident.

***

When I next woke up it was gradually and to the soft sounds of distant vacuuming. I opened my eyes to see I was lying in a strange bed. Given the fact I felt alright I made the guess that we weren't moving.

With a frown I looked around and tried to figure out where I was. Then my eyes fell upon the discrete and subtle medical equipment lying nearby.

"Ah, you are awake." I heard from behind me. I turned to see a Twilik smiling brightly at me, wearing medical blues. "You really should see a Jedi healer about your severe reaction to Hyperspace."

I arched an eyebrow, "Why?"

She smiled, "Hypersickness seems to be found in a higher percentage of their population then most. They probably have some really good techniques to help alleviate it."

I chuckled, "Jedi would never do a favor for someone like me. Speaking of Jedi, where is the Queen and her retinue?"

She handed me my clothes and discretely turned her back while I pulled off the hospital gown and into my clothes, "She's going to speak with the senate about trying to get aid for freeing your people. Shame you were invaded."

I chuckled, "Yeah, damn shame. Thanks for everything. I'm off."

***

I smiled as I arrived at the bottom level of the Senate parking building. In my clandestine visit to the queen in the hallway she had asked me into researching the likelihood of being able to repel the droid army. When she asked me something it was usually by any means necessary. In order for me to do that I would need transportation.

I was here in the parking lot to borrow it. I spotted Senator Palpatine's vehicle. I rather pleasant looking late model car, designed with a somewhat retro look. It was this purple blue color that matched his robes. I pulled out my Kit and set about acquiring access.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" I heard a familiar cultured tenor ask me from over my shoulder. My heart and stomach gave a bit of a flip.

I thought that was the last I would ever see of Obi-Wan Kenobi. After all his job was done. Why would he or Qui-Gon ever be near Naboo. I felt a little sad all day at the idea. I would have liked to have said my goodbyes to the pain in the ass.

Then I usually kicked myself saying I was being stupid. Why would he want to see me again? I was nothing but trouble.

"What the hell are you doing here!" I demanded as I turned about to glare at him

"Looking for you." He smiled mildly with his head cocked to one side.

"How did you know where to find me?" I demanded.

"The force works in mysterious ways. Besides, I needed to find you to return this." He smiled as he held the small piece of jewelry I gave him. The one that helped him in the Mechy pit.

I snatched it back and glared at him, "You didn't show this to anyone did you?"

He cocked his head, "No, but I examined it myself. Clever little device. All the greatest technologies of surveillance of the galaxy flummoxed by a mere slip of a girl."

I glared at him, "I am over twenty."

"Barely." He commented with one head cocked to the side.

"I repeat my question, what are you doing here, aside from looking for me?" I growled

He held his head up high, "I am one of the Galaxy's peacekeepers. My destiny is to seek potential trouble and prevent it."

"Oh." I stated blandly, "So that explains everything."

Obi-Wan watched me as I pulled out a few slim metal bands as I stood beside Senator Palpatine's car and continued to attempt to aquire transportation. "You aren't seriously thinking about stealing Senator Palaptine's cloudcar are you?"

"It's not called stealing, it's called borrowing. I'm going to give it back." I defended.

He frowned, "Like you gave back the last car? Come now, be serious. You can't steal this car. There are better methods of transport."

I stood up from my work and sighed, "You are right."

He smiled down proudly, "I'm glad to see you are finally realizing the error of your ways."

"Indeed I am." I said firmly as I walked away from the Senator's car. "That kind of thing isn't even worth my time to break into."

"That's the spirit." He affirmed.

"I need something more sporty." I said as I looked around. Then my eyes landed on Supreme Chancellor Vallorum's Sleek new cloud racer 4000. My eyes lit up at the sight of the liquid powerful lines of the silver car.

"Oh no." Obi-Wan said as I marched towards it, "No, no that is not what I meant."

"I must drive this car." I intoned as I reached the door and started working.

"This is the SUPREME CHANCELLOR'S!" He hissed at me. "This isn't just Grand Theft. This is treason."

"So? Makes it all the more challenging doesn't it?" I grinned as the thrill of the chase set on me.

"You'll never be able to get in, the car is probably wired to a fair thee well!" He rejoined.

One twist of my wrist and the door slid open, smooth as silk.

I looked at him, "You were saying?"

His lips pursed as he stared at me, "Do you even have your cloudhopper license?"

I rolled my head over to look at him with an expression I hoped to clearly express my disappointment at the sheer idiocy of him asking the question.

"Then I am driving." He replied flatly as he immediately sat in the driver's seat. I sighed as I walked briskly to the other side of the car to get into the passenger side.

When I sat down I saw he had the display board panel open and was fiddling with the wires. "What are you doing?" I asked

"You aren't the only one with skills." He replied. He twisted two wires together and the aircar activated. He looked up at me, winked and pulled the car out of the parking space.

All right. I'll admit it. I was impressed.

***

"So where are we going?" I asked as he pulled into another lane of traffic.

"I ought to turn you into the police for grand theft." He replied evenly, "And then mediate between the Auto Division and the Cyber Crimes division as they debate who gets to prosecute you for what."

"Would be one of the smarter decisions you've ever made." I said evenly, "And I can't say I'd blame you."

His eyes flicked over to me, "No hard feelings?"

I shook my head, "Nope, my job is to be trouble, yours is to prevent it. I was an idiot to get into the car with you in driver's seat."

I saw a smile flicker in his mouth, "I wondered. Seemed like an uncommonly idiotic thing for a criminal thing of your caliber."

I laughed, "Or incredibly intelligent."

Obi-Wan chuckled, "True enough. I don't know what it is, but I am not going to turn you in. You saved my life. I owe you something for that."

I snicker, 'That isn't what I meant."

He looked over at me, "What do you mean?"

I crossed my arms, "You were the one to start the car. You think I would be so stupid as to not have proof of that? I also know for a fact that there isn't near enough evidence to convict me of any other crimes. So in truth if I go down, you'd go down with me."

His jaw dropped open slowly before he chuckled to himself and banked a hard left to join another traffic stream. "But you still saved my life."

I snorted, "Only because I didn't want a cheezed off Jedi master on my ass."

He nodded, "If you say so. Where were you planning on going?"

I shrugged, "Where inspiration took me. I have most of the information I need, now it's just a matter of having a think."

"And you think best when committing grand theft?" He asked mildly

"Thrilling, isn't it?" I grinned, "Sends my heart racing and my mind into a whirlwind as I think one hundred and seventyfive thousand meters per second.   I feel like a genius."

"Technically, you are." He said

"I see someone's been reading my file in their spare time." I observed as he landed in an abandoned roof lot.

"And the fact your parents died when you were very young and you disappeared." He commented

I sighed, "I can also see someone's been hearing Sakura's tale of Woe from some sympathetic yahoo profiler in Cybercrimes."

He turned off the car and turned in his seat towards me, "What do I have to do? Tell me that?"

"Have to do for what?" I asked defensively

"For you to melt a little and trust me." He growled as he leaned close, his teal eyes boring into mine.

I felt my body give a tiny tremble from head to toe. His eyes were serious and strong and yet there was a touch of gentleness there.

I quickly looked away again to stare at my hands, "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" He asked

"Like you trust me. You shouldn't. I'll just stab you in the back one day." I replied evenly

He placed one hand on top of mine. His was rough with calluses but warm and strong. "But I do trust you."

I snorted, "Not exactly your brightest idea. A lot like the one not to turn me in for grand theft. You are an idiot."

His warm chuckle rolled over me like warm water over icy cold skin. It burned at first, but after it passed I knew I wanted more. "I go by people's actions rather then their words. Your words lie about your actions. You said you'd leave me for dead and wouldn't protect me and yet you risked your own life to save mine. What should I believe, your words or your actions?"

"I told you, I only did that because…" I protested

"I don't believe you." He said, "Rather curious habit you have. To do something completely selfless and then have to justify it to yourself as a selfish act. Most people do things in reverse."

"I'm evil." I repeated

"A person's parentage does not make them good or evil." He whispered as he brushed back the hair covering my face to reveal my scar, "No matter how you are branded."

"Xanatos isn't my father." I sighed

"He's your brother then." Obi-Wan nodded, "How did you get to Naboo? I thought Crion was killed twenty years ago."

"He was. However my mother was pregnant with his last child already by the time he was killed. The planet, not exactly happy with the Crion family given the civil war decided to flee. My mother married my Uncle and with the help of my brother fled to Naboo." I replied as I toyed with my dress

"Let me guess, your brother exacted a price for his generous help. The right to take you away when he wanted." Obi-Wan replied

I nodded, "And many I night I spent praying for the day he would come to take me away. My mother couldn't bear the sight of me since I looked exactly like my father, Neither could my step father for the same reason. They both hated my father and were terrified of my brother."

His hand tightened over mine to stop their nervous plucking of my dress, "And your agemates didn't appreciate you because you were different. You had Telosian accent and cool manners as well as your incredibly high intelligence."

"High intelligence. Wonder where it came from." I mused.

"Force sensitivity in the blood is libel to take the strangest forms." Obi-Wan replied. "Siblings of Force Sensitives either tend to be remarkable themselves. My brother has this fantastic instinct with desert farming."

I nodded, "Intelligence I may have, but my common sense is lacking severely given how I fell for my brother's plans so perfectly. I was lonely, unhappy and alienated and he seemed to give me everything I craved. Love, acceptance, attention. He might have been there all the time but when he was I felt so happy."

I drifted off, lost in the memories I had. My sitting alone in the forest trying to avoid those who seemed bent on making my life miserable and the joy I felt when I'd see my brother coming to find me. No matter where I hid myself he always knew where I was.

"Go on." Obi-Wan encouraged

I sighed, "But most of all, was the promise he made to take me away. He said I was really the daughter of a ruler just as he was the son of one. Together we could claim the seat of power back and steer telos back to a prosperous nation. I day dreamed about doing something vague but extremely important while my brother did something just as vague but just as important."

"How did this get there?" He asked as he touched my scar

I reached up and felt it with my fingers, "When I was ten on his very last visit he took me on a camping trip and told me this was it. I finish this semester in school I could go out to him. He gave me the ticket and a little bit of spending money for the trip. He said he had things almost ready. He just needed a little more time to finish things. But he said that incase the absolute worst happened and we couldn't meet he wanted to have a marker of some kind. Something to let us both know who the other is."

Obi-Wan nodded, "A marker?"

I frowned as my voice sounded distant even to me. "He pulled out this gold ring. Said it was my father's wedding band to my mother. My mother was one of the great betrayers since my father's body wasn't even cold before she took up with my Uncle. We were the children of Crion and tragedy and should be marked as such. So he threw the ring into the fire. When it was hot he lifted it out with the force and pressed it to my cheek."

I closed my eyes, remembering how the world grew blurry as tears filled my eyes. The fire turned into a flickering orange haze. I could remember the pain, the sound and smell of burning flesh. Out of sheer pride I refused to cry out, but nothing could stop the tears of pain.

Then the ring dropped to the ground and my brother held me close, rocking me as I cried. Telling me words I hungered to hear. I was brave and strong for not making a sound, a true sister of his. My tears weren't bad, I was to cry them for the both of us. How I made him proud and how I would have made my father proud.

"When the term was up, you went to him on Telos." Obi-Wan prompted

I nodded, "Yes, I arrived with nothing but the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet. I announced to my mother the night before I was leaving because my ship departed early that morning. My step father said if I wanted to catch that ship I was to walk to the hangar. Which I did. I arrived in Telos just in time to hear how my Brother had thrown himself into the acid and killed himself."

Obi-Wan placed a hand on my shoulder as I began to shake from head to toe. I didn't know if I was vibrating from anger or grief. Likely both. "I had nothing and nowhere to go. I used the last of my travel money to try and call home to mom for help. When I got a response back I was transferred through to the police station. My parents had been found murdered the day I boarded transport to Telos."

Obi-Wan's hand tightened on my shoulder. My fists were in such tight balls my nails cut into my palm. "I slowly pieced together what had happened and what my brother really was. In addition to his treachery to Telos He had ordered a hit on his own MOTHER. He'd be my only tie and I would turn to him totally. That's when all the love I felt for him turned to hate. Everything he had ever told me was a lie. I vowed never to trust anyone that deeply."

"Why didn't you ask the police for help?" Obi-Wan asked me softly

I sniffled and let the tears stream down my cheeks unheeded, "Don't you think I tried? I was born on Naboo but my parents never applied for citizenship. So I wasn't Naboo's responsibility and the government didn't want to pay for my transport back to Naboo simply to become another Ward of the Planet and a drain on thier finances. Telos didn't want any of the Crion family and certainly not a miniature of it's latest traitor so I couldn't get help there. No one legitimate would hire a traitor's sibling for an honest job So I resorted to the only thing I could think of."

"Crime." Obi-Wan filled in. "That's how you turned to crime."

I nodded, "Yes. At first it was just something to give me enough money for transport back to Naboo where I could throw myself on the mercy of the court. But then I discovered I had a real talent for it. I was not just good, I was a natural. Breaking into servers and writing hacking tools were as easy as breathing."

"So you turned it into a career." Obi-Wan replied. "What happened to make you come back to naboo?"

I shrugged, "I woke up one morning and saw that every hacker around me was several years my junior and didn't know a quarter of what I did. Everyone else I knew was either dead, in jail or had long since bought a large Island in some outer rim tropical planet and retired with a hundred concubines to share their bed. I thought I would do the smart thing and quit while I was ahead as well."

"So you returned home to Naboo?" Obi-Wan asked "Why?"

I Chuckled, "It was one of the few planets I haven't committed a crime on and has forgiving extradition laws. Since I was born on Naboo, unless it's cold blooded murder I'm wanted for on another planet I can't be extracted unless I am guilty of a crime on naboo."

Obi-Wan smirked, "There is something to be said for not soiling your own nest. How did you come to work for the Queen?"

I chuckled, "Funny that. While I was technically in retirement I decided I needed to keep my hand in, just in case. So I'd break in and out of nearby houses and leave notes for the owners that their security is lax. One day I was merrily code ripping through Naboo's governmental servers when I found a honeypot."

"A Honeypot?" Obi-Wan asked curious

I smiled, "Term used for a server specially set up to watch how hackers hack. This honeypot had something special. It contained only one file. A Contract with the preface 'if you can read this, you are hired.'"

Obi-Wan laughed, "Good lord, that is how the Queen found you! She offered you umbrella pardon from the Galactic senate for past crimes if you fulfilled the office's term."

I nodded, "Yes, that is my story in a nutshell."

Obi-Wan sighed and cocked his head to one side, "One last question. I Assume you got your alias when you Joined the Dead Jedi and Dead Sith. Why did you pick your brother's name for your alias if you hate him so? There are plenty of other Jedi who have turned to the Dark that you could have picked."

I smiled very sadly at him, "By that time I had discovered that the older I got the more I became him. I figured I bear his mark, why bother with fooling around? Just admit I am becoming the nightmare he was and bear his name as well."

***

I smiled very sadly at him, "By that time I had discovered that the older I got the more I became him. I figured I bear his mark, why bother with fooling around? Just admit I am becoming the nightmare he was and bear his name as well."

***

Obi-Wan simply looked at me for a very long time. Then he reached up and brushed the hair back from my face, bringing my scar into the sunlight. "You aren't your brother. No more than I am."

I sniffled a bit as I blinked and felt the hot splash of tears tickling down my cheeks, "How would you know?"

He cupped my cheek in his warm palm, "Xanatos would never have saved me from that Mechanical Monster. Xanatos would never have placed a device on me to protect me in case of an emergency. I see a lovely person. Kind and warm. A complete and utter softie under the sharp tongue and Durasteel armor. Braver then anyone has a right to be."

My jaw dropped, "Brave?! You think I'm brave?"

"I've witnessed your courage." He smirked.

I shook my head, "You are seeing things that just aren't there."

He sat back and continued to smirk at me. "I'm going to drag you back to the light, kicking and screaming if I have to."

I rolled my eyes, "Why do you care?"

He leaned over and started up the aircar again. "Three reasons. Firstly, you are worth it. Secondly, you can be saved."

"Third?" I asked curious as he pulled into traffic to head somewhere else.

Obi-Wan gave this flicker of a smirk as he watched the traffic out the front view screen. "I too have had encounters with Xanatos. I can think of no better revenge then to undo any work he has done."

I couldn't think of anything to say. I honestly thought he was going to turn me in to some strange Jedi tribunal where I would be tried and executed. Instead he simply looked at me and asked, "Are you hungry?"

I blinked, "Wha… what?"

"Hungry. As in food." He winked, "After all we need to at least legitimize our theft by refueling and giving the Chancellor a tune-up on his air car. I know an excellent place to eat while we wait for the mechanics to finish."

I simply blinked at him, "Um, yeah, now that you mention it I am a bit peckish. But shouldn't we get back to the Senate with this car?"

He chuckled, "Don't tell me you are going legitimate on me?"

I shook my head, "No, I was just wondering what you thought since you are more familiar with the Senate procedures then I am."

He chuckled, "We have plenty of time. The Senate doesn't break for another four hours."

I smiled slowly. The idea of having lunch with him was distinctly appealing. "You don't have an alternative motive do you?"

"Other then my previously stated campaign? One other small matter but nothing you need to worry about." He chuckled "What do you say?"

It was at that moment my stomach decided to wrap around my spine and complain bitterly. The Audible growl did not go unnoticed by the Jedi padawan, trained in keen observation.

"I'll take that as a yes." He grinned as he swung the car around in a tight curve to enter another stream. I smiled a little. Maybe the Jedi padawan had a desire to cut loose. Given the strict nature of his training it wasn't likely he'd ever get a chance to go joy riding again.

***

Lunch turned out to be a little café on the street within sight of the Spires of the temple and right next to the car garage. We had dropped off the Car and were sitting in an open air table with the remains of our meal before us.

I settled back and patted my stomach, "I'll give you credit for one thing. You know how to pick the restaurants."

He chuckled, "When all you have available is temple food, you learn how to find the good places very fast."

"Temple food not appetizing?" I asked curious

He rolled his eyes, "Its ship fare. How tasty do you think it is?"

I groaned in sympathy. Ship fare is all preprocessed, prepackaged sludge. They tried to break it up by varying consistency and flavor, but it was still sludge. "I'm sorry. That borders on child abuse."

Obi-Wan smirked, "There is quite a lot that Jedi hopefuls go through that could be considered abusive. But it's all done with a reason."

I nodded, "Yes, they are being tougher then anything you'll have to face so when you go out to the real world, you are ready to face it."

"Exactly." He said as he waved the waiter over for the check. When the waiter came I plucked it out of Obi-Wan's hands before he could read it. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" I said as I read over the check.

He reached over and pulled the check from my grasp, "I invited you for lunch, I pay for it."

I stole it right back, "You would have some extreme difficulty paying for it."

He pulled it back to him, "I think I have sufficient funds."

The waiter watched this volley with a look of extreme consternation, "Should I split the check?"

"No, of course not." I replied evenly as I grabbed the bill from Obi-Wan's fingers while he looked at the waiter, "And the amount of money in your account isn't in question."

"Then what is?" He asked as the check was removed from my hands once more and continued to examine the bill.

I simply held out my hand palm up as I propped my chin up with my free one. "You haven't got your credit stick."

He looked up and stared at me. Then he quickly examined his pockets and found they were completely empty of credit sticks. With a glare at me he handed me the bill over which I waved my credit stick to pay for it and handed the bill back to the waiter for processing.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. "I wonder where my credit stick went."

"Strange huh." I replied evenly as I smiled, "I'm sure it will turn up again."

"I'm sure." He narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, you said you retired because everyone you knew that was alive and not incarcerated had as well. You indicated the retired to exotic locales and yet you did not. Instead you went back to work."

I nodded, "Yes that's correct."

He cocked his head, "What will you do after your stint with the Queen is up?"

I shrugged, "I don't really know. Something I'm sure."

He absently adjusted a plate on the table, "You could teach about your experiences. That way you could pay your bills and you'd have people grateful to you for your services."

I rolled my eyes, "I could become a prostitute and pay my bills and I'd have a grateful community but I do consider some professions beneath me."

He shook his head, "But you retired to Naboo."

I smiled, "Are you insinuating something?"

I thought I saw a faint hint of color appear on his cheeks, "I assumed you didn't profit much from your life of crime."

I rocked my head back and laughed, "Obi-Wan, never let anyone tell you crime doesn't pay."

He looked at me, "You mean you profited off your crimes?"

I shrugged, "Your point being?"

He stared at the table, "It's wrong."

"So says you, the people I've stolen from and lawyers." I replied calmly

He looked up at me, "How would you feel if someone stole from you?"

I smirked, "I'd congratulate them on a job well done. I've locked my stuff down so it isn't easy to steal."

He looked at me, "Don't you have a conscience about what you've done?"

I shook my head, "I'm a thief, a liar and the sibling of a fallen Jedi. Any conscience I had has long since died."

He gave a heavy sigh, but his heavy expression was lightened by a rueful smile "I see I have a lot of work to do with you."

I grinned impudently, "Good luck. I won't be easy to reform or redeem."

He got up and held out his hand to help me to my feet, "I always have found impossible challenges irresistable."

***

I sat alone in the room that the Handmaidens have taken over. It resembled a dressing room for a theater given that there were sets of desks in front of one long mirror along one wall and along the other was a Giant Hangar full of the different wardrobes we have.

Each part was sectioned off according to the handmaiden. All segments were stuffed to the gills with dressed and back ups to uniforms. While mine was paltry holding only a winter weight uniform, a summer uniform, a battle uniform, a formal dress and two sets of casual clothes. The rest of the space was covered with empty hangars.

While the other handmaiden's desks were covered in make-up boxes, hair accessories and a few data pads, Mine looked like a Techie work station. Complete with sodering Iron and magnifier.

I had be enjoying my alone time when the troupe wandered in. They all flopped into the comfortable couches in the middle and continued what ever they were giggling about when they walked in.

"How did you see this?" One asked excitedly

"So, as I was saying, on the ship I walked in on the Jedi practicing their sabers and my god was it heart stopping to see." Sache giggled.

Sabe sighed, "I think I have a crush on the Jedi master."

Rabe tossed a pillow at Sabe, "You always did have a thing for older men and long hair."

Sache laughed, "I prefer the younger one. The Padawan. Why go to someone old. Youth has it's advantages."

"So does experience." Sabe defended her choice.

I had stopped what I was doing completely and was simply staring at the project ahead of me. I couldn't believe it. I was in shock. Could these ladies really be that shallow? I understood they were barely out of their early teens but still.

"I take it you don't agree with us about how cute they are, Sakura." Sache needled.

"No wonder, she's just been subject to lectures from them." Sabe snorted.

Was it really worth speaking my mind right now?

"Probably just jealous cause they like us best." Rabe grinned

That did it. I turned about in my stool at glared at their simpering giggling faces. "Can you three think of anything aside from yourselves for just a few minutes?" I asked sharply, "The people on naboo are dying by the thousands, being systematically killed and all you can do is sit there and postulate which of the Jedi has a bigger lightsaber."

Their mouths had been slowly dropping as I spoke snapped shut upon my conclusion. I was right, that was what they were giggling about before they walked in.

"Lighten up Sakura," Rabe tried to salvage her pride, "What's wrong with enjoying life a little."

"It's wrong to enjoy it at the expense of others." I replied.

"Fine words coming from a thief!" Sache snapped

I glared at them, angrier then I have ever been. Most of the time I could just brush it off as their immaturity and they'd grow out of it. Not today.   The confession of my past to Obi-Wan had left me feeling a bit raw. I could feel the nails digging into my palm as I clenched my fist tight.

"First of all, I have never stolen anything from anyone that hadn't been stolen from someone else already. Secondly, I will not lighten up because our people are dying. Do you have any concept of what that means? Rabe your boyfriend has been left behind, so has your best friend, Sabe. We could get back and discover they are dead. How would you like to explain to their parents they are dead because you were trying to flirt with a Jedi?"

Rabe and Sabe sobered quickly at the thought. But Sache wasn't so easily swayed.

"What do you care?" Sache asked, "You ran away from Naboo. You are only back because the queen is giving you a full pardon for your previous crimes. This is just a job to you."

That stopped me. This was just a job to me right? I didn't really care about the deaths of people I have never met, did I? The queen had told me upon being hired that I would likely have to risk my life. I said I didn't mind. Why did I want so much to save these people, Even the trio of Idiots before me.

Sache smiled a bit, her smirk triumphant.

I spoke slowly and carefully. "Honestly? I don't know why I care. All I know is that I have every reason not to and yet I seem to care more deeply then the three of you put together ever could. And that is a rather poor showing for your parts."

With that I stood up and walked out of the room.

My feet carried me away. It was late evening and I had no idea where I was going. I've never feared the darkness outside, usually because I was worse then anything out there. But I really needed to think, and I thought best when my body was in motion.

So I walked. Got onto transports to take me to other places to walk. My mind churned over and over. I shouldn't care. I had every reason not to care about anyone or anything.

Yet I did. There it was.

I felt confused, angry and scared. I found my feet walking towards the guest entrance to the Jedi temple. I reached the door and looked a the keypad entry. I keyed in Obi-Wan's name and after a few clicks the sound of a somewhat sleepy Obi-Wan came up with a "Hello?"

"Did you mind whammy me?!" I demanded angrily

"Did I… what?" Came his response.

"Did you mind whammy me?" I repeated, "I think I am losing my mind and you're the only person I can think of who'd steal it."

"Can't this wait until morning?" He asked somewhat plaintively

"No!"

"I thought not." He sighed, "Give me a few minutes, I'll meet you in the south park."

"Good." I said as I turned on my heel and marched to the appointed meeting place. I stood waiting in the dark near a lamp. After about ten minutes I saw Obi-Wan walk into sight, looking somewhat discombobulated from sleep, but otherwise put together.

"What did you do to me!" I demanded when he got close enough to hear me.

"Good morning to you to." He replied with a yawn, "This crisis couldn't have waited five more hours could it?"

I simply glared at him.

He sighed, "All right, fine. It can't wait. Now, what seems to be the problem?"

I explained the conversation I had with the handmaidens. He seemed both amused and slightly offended by their talk about him and his master. When I told him about my responses to them his face fell back to neutral as he nodded. Finally when I told him about the possibility I am losing my mind he gave a tiny flicker of a smile.

It was that same damn smirk that I had first seen in the car on Tatooine. I really wanted to hit it off him.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly

"Terrified." I replied flatly, "I think I'm going crazy."

"It's called a conscience." He smiled, "You are giving birth to one. As with any birth there will be some pain and it will take a while."

"I don't want a conscience." I growled, "I was quite content without one."

"I think you do, why else would you come to me with this revelation instead of killing it." He replied smoothly

"I don't WANT one." I growled, "Take it away. You put it there!"

"As flattered as I am with your accusation that I am the father of your conscience, I can't take any credit. You did this all on your own." He smiled. Under any other circumstances, I'd have said it was proud.

"No! I don't want it! Take it away!" I demanded, a sick feeling was forming in the pit of my stomach and I began to feel light headed. I wanted to scratch and claw at the feeling with my fingernails as if it was something I could remove. It felt as if I had swallowed a lead plate then chased it with a colony of butterflies.

"Why don't you want this?" He asked, "Don't you want to rejoin the world of the living?"

My mind fought desperately against something dark and ominous. I was standing up to my waist in some ocean. I could feel the tsunami looming in front of me and the undertow pushing me towards it.

"No! I don't!" I gasped. My mind whirled, if I did that would mean…

I attacked Obi-Wan then. I was so terrified and angry I needed to lash out.   I was going down and by all that was holy I wanted to take someone with me. Obi-Wan easily dropped us to the ground and proceeded to wrestle.

I lashed out, but Obi-Wan wouldn't fight back, he would only restrain. Finally he managed to twist me into a position where I couldn't move. He held me still as I made a few last struggles.

Then something inside me shattered.

I lost the will to fight. My limbs went limp and I was as weak as water. I was helpess to do anything but cry.

The answers I had been fighting ten long years against finally arrived.

Since the day my brother died leaving me nothing but the dust from shattered dreams, I have wanted to die. I became a criminal in the hopes for survival but also in the vague strange opposing hope I would resurrect my brother's dream.

I still loved him for the lies he told me, and despite my knowing they were only lies, I wanted them back.

It's an ugly truth about your self to realize. To know you'd rather have a pleasant dream then the harsh truth.

Then sick of trying to live for a dead dream I left my life of crime. But I was still discontent and restless. I needed something. So when the queen offered I took it.

Finally, the reason why I was willing to risk my life for the queens cause. It was because I hated myself and everything I was. I desperately wished for death, only I didn't want to kill myself. I wanted my death to mean something.

My whole life has been meaningless. I thought I could validate my existance with my death.

I cried. I wasn't even aware that Obi-Wan had picked us off the ground and walked us to a bench. I clung to him. I was ashamed of myself to desperately need him but I couldn't help it.

I don't know how long we sat there. Me, sitting in his lap, my arms around him and my face pressed to his shoulder. I was terrified at any moment he'd get disgusted with me and shove me off him. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did.

Instead he held me close, whispered comforting sounds and ran his fingers through my hair.

The first words from my mouth were words I hadn't spoken in over ten years.

"I'm sorry." I whispered into his tunic when I could recover enough to speak.

"Whatever for?" He asked as he rubbed my back, calming the last of the tremors inside me.

"For… for everything." I sniffled as I pulled away a little to sit up. That caused Obi-Wan to reach into his pocket and pull out a handkerchief.

"Rather vague apology if you ask me, " He mused as he dried off my face with the soft cloth. "You aren't responsible for all the evils in the universe."

"What about the ones I have committed?" I asked

He smiled, "I don't really see that you've committed any mortal sins. Your crimes were against other people's wallets and vices. All in all, considering the sins committed against you, I'd say your score card with the universe is about even."

I sniffled a bit as I laughed. "I'm sorry to have woken you up from a sound sleep."

He inclined his head, "That apology I accept and freely forgive you for. I'm honored to have been chosen as the midwife for your conscience."

"A conscience, great. Just what I need. I guess no more stealing my transportation or cheating on my taxes." I sighed

"To say the least." He smirked, "But a conscience isn't a terrible thing or a kill joy. It does bring some advantages."

I stared at him as if he had parts on order, "Like what?"

He winked, "I'll show you one day."

I continued to stare at him in absolute wonder, "Why are you so nice to me? Even after everything you know and how much of a pain I am."

He tilted his head to one side and whispered a string of words in a language I didn't recognize. "Tah heli fagu soot. Neiyt ni Foliweh Neiyt. Pah Foliweh Neiyt. Shambahl lefth. Dyste fa inu."

I frowned. "That wasn't the answer I was looking for."

He smiled, that same mysterious smirk, "It will be when you understand it. Now, I think it is time you get some sleep."

We walked in silence to the transport stop, every once in a while my hand would reach out to touch him. I was terrified he'd disappear on me and prove not real. Upon reaching the hall the handmaidens were sleeping in he activated the door for me and bowed me in.

I stopped halfway in the door, "One thing is bothering me, how do you know if something is right or wrong?"

He smiled, "I ask the force."

"What happens if I don't know?" I asked, feeling more then a little lost.

He reached out and tucked some of my hair behind my ear, "You can always ask me."

I nodded, "Thank you."

"You'll be just fine, Sakura Chi Crion." He smiled at me, the expression in his face was back to that one I couldn't place. I know I have seen it before, but where?

"I will?" I asked, somewhat confused.

He nodded once, "You always were."

With that he gave my cheek one last caress before he turned on his heel and walked away. I watched him as he left. He was gone and a felt a little loss from it, I was comforted by the idea that if I called out he'd turn around.

I walked into my room and dressed for bed. Then out of curiosity I tapped in the strange string of Syllables that Obi-Wan had spoken in the park.

When I finished cleaning up and was crawling into bed the translation appeared on my screen.

"In this world, Hate never yet dispelled hate. Only Love dispels Hate. This is the Law. Ancient and Inexhaustible."

***

"..this is excellent news." Padme said as she and panaka listened to my report.

"Your highness, you realize this plan greatly depends upon many things happening all at once. Should any one thing go wrong we are up a proverbial creek without a certain instrument." I said flatly

She smiled, "Yes, but at least with this we have a chance. A Twenty percent chance of success is better then none."

"Yes, your magesty." I said as I started to gather up my things. "But our plan hinges on having an army. Which rather sadly, we don't have."

Padme nodded, "We shall think of something. Even if we have to resort to dipping into the treasury and purchasing one of those mercenary companies you talked about."

I wagged my finger, "Don't knock merc companies. I worked for one for a while. While the idea of fighting for money may seem distasteful it is no more evil then prostitution. Both are selling a skill."

"But their loyalty can only go to the highest bidder." The queen sighed

I shook my head, "Only if they aren't members of the guild. Guild merc companies are more expensive but should they ever double cross you they are subject to severe punishment."

Panaka nodded, "Be that as it may, I would rather go to that as a last resort. Merc companies aren't cheap and they take time to train to work together. Time we don't have."

The queen nodded, "Agreed. I believe this concludes war council. Panaka see if our ship is ready. Sakura, see how many of those little devices you can make to protect us and prepare for your assault."

Panaka and I bowed formally to the queen. Panaka left the room immediately because he had nothing to clean. I on the other hand had gobs of materials that seemed to have vomited onto the table.

"Sakura." Padme called as I looked up at her, "You seem a little distracted. Anything wrong?"

I blinked in surprise. That was perhaps the first time the queen had ever asked me about my personal life. "No, nothing I can't handle."

She looked at me for a while, "You seem different somehow. Something happened to you here on Coruscant."

I looked from side to side, "Really? I wasn't under the impression my behavior had changed."

She smiled, "No, you seem a little softer somehow. It's a good change."

I shrugged, "Maybe." My voice sounded gruff and unbelievable to my own ears.

Padme walked past me to meet with Senator Palpatine. As she did, she touched my shoulder.

A few minutes after she had left and I was thumbing through some notes I had made I heard the door open once again and a small gaggle of handmaidens came to alight upon chairs around the table.

And they sat there silent. Staring at me.

I ignored them, as I am so adept at doing, and continued to work.

"WELL!" Rabe said explosively

"Well what?" I asked as I continued to make notes on multiple datapads.

"You sly thing." Sabe giggled, "I saw you come in late last night in the company of that Jedi apprentice."

"Very good." I replied, "I see you've passed first year vision. Can you now identify that big bright thing in the sky?"

Sache snorted, "Oh come on, what were you doing with the apprentice late at night. Fine one with all your talk about staying focused."

I looked over at Sache, "Please stick to the issue. I will argue issues with you but not personalities."

"Why?" Sache asked, walking right into my trap

"Because you do not have a personality." I replied. "And lastly, my talking to the Jedi late at night was personal business and had nothing to do with what you are insinuating."

Sabe smirked, "Are you sure?"

"Postitive. Now if you will excuse me, I have to join Panaka at the ship." With that I got up and walked out of the room.

***

I was hearing the engines prepare for take off when I saw Obi-Wan walk into the engine room. There was a slight frown on his face. "I take it by your sour expression you are none too happy with taking the little one around."

He sighed as he flopped into the chair opposite me, "No. The boy is dangerous, I can sense it. Why can't anyone else?"

I nodded, "I agree with you. The boy is dangerous."

He looked at me curiously, "I would love to hear your reasoning."

I sat down beside him, "Setting aside my total and complete rancor at the idea of bringing a nine year old with no combat experience onto a battle field, the boy is dangerous. He seems far too mature and yet immature for his age."

Obi-Wan cocked his head to one side, "What do you mean?"

"He's an excellent pilot, as good as some of our professional starfighters and yet he can't do basic computational navigation. Not because he doesn't know it, it's because his brain isn't developed enough to handle it. He deals with being away from home with frightening intelligence and detachment and yet gets excited like a child at the idea of sitting in the cockpit." I sighed.

"All that can be explained." Obi-Wan sighed

"That's my problem. Everything can be explained about him. All the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed. We are giving him credit for too much and too little all at the same time. Too much credit in that he's a slave and was taught to keep his emotions tightly reined and too little saying he's being tempermental because he's away from home." I sighed

He smirked, "Only you could suspect a nine year old."

I shrugged, "I was only three months older then he is now when I turned to my life of crime. I know what a child his age is capable of. Besides' it's my job to mistrust anything I don't understand and mistrust things I do understand even more."

He sighed, "He is taking separation from his mother rather well."

"Yeah, as well as I did. That is the second most scary thing about him." I said

Obi-Wan cocked his head to one side, "What is the most suspicious thing?"

I frowned, "He reminds me of senator Palpatine in a way I really don't like."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot to his hairline, "Senator Palpatine?"

I leaned forward conspiratorily, "I've never told anyone aside from panaka this, but Senator Palpatine is one of only three truly evil people I have ever met. My brother is included in that."

Obi-Wan's eyes flew open, "The senator seems to go about his duties very well, with much talent and passion."

"That's my problem. He fights so hard for these causes for Naboo and yet I don't see him getting any real reward from it. His wealth isn't growing, he has no family on Naboo, no ties in any way. He doesn't seem very happy in his job, doesn't even crack a smile when he gets a victory so he isn't even in politics for the love of it. When I see no open reward taken, I look for reward hidden."

Obi-Wan sat still for a little while thinking, "And you see this passion filled yet no reward trend in Anakin?"

I nodded, "Anakin is calculating. He wants something. What's scary is that I don't even think he knows what it is."

Obi-Wan looked up at me and gave me a flicker of a smile, "Thank you, that explains everything for me."

I blinked, "That doesn't explain ANYTHING."

Obi-Wan chuckled, "It's one thing to have vague and baseless fears, it's another to know they have some basis in reality. And I must say, you have quite an interesting turn of mind, seeing everyone and everything as a potential enemy."

I chuckled, "Hazard of my trade."

Obi-Wan smiled as he stared at me for a while, "It's about time you went to bed now. The queen needs you more then ever now."

I sighed as I stood up and turned to walk down the hall. I had to admit, it was rather comforting feeling that warm hand on the small of my back, guiding me to my room.

***

"Well conceived plan your magesty." Qui-Gon commented.

"Thank you, however, it is far from complete." The Queen commented, "Sakura here will detail her part."

I nodded and walked up to the back of the hovercraft that was taking the place of a board room table. I was wearing the same outfit as Padme, only I let my hair fall loose around my face. "Your highness. Now, Let me explain.   This is how the droid army is set up with their command chains. R2?"

R2 then proceeded to show a projection. The planet showed our satellite system and the Nemodian control floating in space in Geosync orbit. On the planet was a group of ten stationary substations that dotted regular intervals around the planet.

"This is how they are occupying us. The main command ship is the only place orders can be issued, the substations relay the commands and compensate for the terrain they are on. The plan is to destroy the main station. However, there is a problem. Any one of these ten substations will take over being commander. Once it does, the system locks down and the substation merely sets about seeing the other subs carry out the last standing order until someone with the proper codes comes over and enters new ones. These orders can only be issued from within the station it's self." I said showing and example of this dynamic system in action.

"Do we know which will be in command." Obi-Wan asked

"In a way. The main and sub stations constantly send checks to each other, saying they are still working and gives status reports. Should the main control go out, the first station to check in gets the post." I replied.

"So how will we destroy the droid army?" Panaka asked

I smiled, "Get me into one of those stations and I can make sure I not only control it, but when the main ship goes down, my station is next in line."

Qui-Gon nodded, "How do you propose to do this?"

I sent R2 to display Theed and the two stations near it. "I will have to assume that the Nemodians know who I am and suspect this move. So rather then merely attacking one, we will attack the two that share control the capitol city. I will only go with one party. Once I am inside, I can make it seem as if our party was repelled like the other one."

"That leaves you alone in the Station." Obi-Wan said, "With no back up. That isn't wise."

"War it's self isn't wise. But this is the best I can do. This also has the added benefit that I will be able to make it so you can reach the palace unharmed. My station's droids will simply ignore you." I smiled, "Best part about the plan is that this is all automated. Should I be killed between the time I take over the station and the time the main station is destroyed, my stand alone programs will simply send the signal to shut everything down."

The group nodded and talk drifted to who will go in the various parties to the stations. But I could feel Obi-Wan's eyes on me the entire time.

***

I was just finishing packing my kit for the battle ahead when I heard Obi-Wan's voice behind me. "I cannot come with you."

I nodded, "I know. You are given power to protect the queen, nothing more. Coming with me would indicate you are taking sides."

"I will however be following the party." He said as he leaned up against the wall beside me, his arms crossed. "I may not fight, but there is no reason that I can't wander where I wish when not on duty."

I grinned, "Are my lax morals rubbing off on you?"

He smiled, "No, just the idea that rules like truth very much depends upon one's point of view. You showed me that."

"Sakura, it's time." I head over the com-unit earpiece.

"Be right there." I replied then looked up at Obi-Wan, "Any last bits of advice?"

"Yes." He breathed. There was something hypnotic in the look he gave me tonight. Those teal eyes seemed to shift and glow in the low light. I was fascinated by them. I was reminded of butterfly wings.

  He then reached out with one hand and tilted my chin using the tips of his fingers as he stepped a little closer. All sound around me dropped from my consciousness as his face came closer. I was hyper aware of everything about him. The small mole on his cheek, the sheer perfection of skin, the incredibly long eyelashes.

I felt a warm puff of breath across my lips as he exhaled, causing my lips to tingle with sensitivity. I watched his lids drop shuttering away those beautiful eyes from my view. Before I could mourn the loss of that sight I was granted something to replace it.

His lips softly touched mine. So light the touch was barely there. I felt my own eye lids slip shut as my world came into sharper focus so there was only his touch. I could feel my pulse in my lips as my heart thudded in my chest.

His lips danced over mine ever so slowly. All I knew was the feel of those soft strong lips on mine and the light touch of his fingers tracing jaw bone, down my neck to rest on my shoulder.

Obi-Wan slowly pulled away and I forced my eyes to reopen. I wanted nothing more then to spend the rest of my life in that perfect moment. He removed his hand from my shoulder and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

His face once again had that strange expression. I didn't know what it was but I knew I had seen it before. I was one hundred percent certain I had seen it before. But where still escaped me.

"Stay Alive." He whispered before pressing one last kiss to the broken circle scar on my cheek and turning on his heel to walk away.

***

It was almost too easy.

As soon as we got close enough I turned on my little hider device so the droids wouldn't see me. When the battle started I just slipped through the crowd of droids and into the control room.

The one bit of trouble came when I saw a small group of Nemodians at the control panel. Apparently they aren't as idiotic as I thought. Damn. I really preferred stupidity as a flaw in my enemies.

So I merely pulled out the canister of gas from my dress and tossed it into the room. This would knock them out for an entire day. I slipped inside the room wearing my gasmask and set to work. In mintues I had control of the station and was installing the redundant sniffer to gain control when the main ship was destroyed. I sent the signal to the fighters outside letting them know I was in and in control by making on droid fire into the sky three times.

I watched on cameras as they pulled back making a credible look of them retreating hastily in failure. A few mintues later the other team gave up as well. From now on it was com blackout between me and the queen.

Now came the hardest part of war. Waiting.

Good lord was waiting ever boring. It wasn't like I could go distract and amuse myself somehow. I had to remain vigilant I wasn't caught. I set about carefully scanning the communication channels to see if anyone picked up anything suspicious.

There were the voices of some of the Viceroy's ops in the space station asking about the attacks to stations nine and ten and the droids reporting back that attacks had been repelled successfully. I kept on surfing setting about putting in the patterns of patrols so that the queen would be able to slip through the patrols unseen.

It was then I caught something on the com. This time the signal was scrambled on a code I had never seen before. It took me a While to descramble it. It was a holo signal of a man in a black cloak giving orders to the Nemodian Vice roy. Quickly I set about capturing the data. The voice might be slightly modulated but I knew it anywhere.

Palpatine.

Shit, I knew he was up to something. I looked at the signal being sent out and it was of the two Nemodians and the that same creep in red and black tattoos we had seen on Tatooine. When I had asked Obi-Wan about him he had been very tight lipped.

When the conversation finished I stopped the recording, popped the disc out with all the other information in the capture for me to decode later, if there was a later.

Sith. Had to be. It explained so much about palpatine's behavior.

Naboo wasn't a goal. Naboo was simply an means to an end. An end Palpatine had likely already accomplished. He was nominated for Supreme chancellor, and I knew he had curried enough favors to win him the seat. Whether or not Naboo comes under the Federation and his control was irrelevant.

With the certainty that I knew that, I knew that I had to tell Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. I had to give the Jedi my evidence. I don't know what we could do about it or how we could nail Palaptine. The man had a spotless record. But at least the frigging sith would have ten thousand Jedi breathing down his neck.

Not to mention one unpredictable, devious code ripper that can sink to the levels jedi can't to obtain evidence.

Now all I had to do was wait and pray the queen and the Jedi came out alright.

***

I sat back with a sigh as I watched the Nemodian main base explode because of that skywalker kid. My instincts towards the child both went up and down. He succeeded at something so wonderful, but how good was it really? The damage to the galaxy has already been done. This entire battle was pointless.

I smiled as my center gained control and automatically shut down all the droids, rendering them useless. I was about to start them up again to give the troops some back up when I heard a small soft beep behind me.

I turned and looked behind me trying to find the source of it. When I didn't find it I simply went back to working on rebooting. I was half way through when it beeped again.

This time I got up and wandered around. The third beep came in about half the time it took the second beep to sound. The fourth came in half that time again.

I found the small light that flashed at the sound. Next to it was a screen.   At first I thought it was random fuzz from it being down. Then the fuzz died to form the face of Palpatine in his cloak.

He didn't say a word. He simply laughed silently on the screen before it faded back to fuzz again.

My heart stopped in my chest. I leaned forward and looked at the light. There was one word written underneath it. "Targeting"

"SHAVIT" I screamed as I ran back to my post to collect my bag. Turned around once and looked at the four knocked out nemodians on the floor.

I couldn't save them. My heart broke at that thought. The beeps were coming more frequently and soon I wouldn't be able to get out. My grabbing someone would slow me down so I'd die too.

So much for my turning over a new leaf.

I ran out of the building at top speed, leaping over fallen droids. The doors open and I made it about fifteen steps outside the door when I heard the sound of something large falling from the sky. I looked behind me to see a large black ship, plummeting down. It didn't look damaged in anyway. It looked more like a suicidal pilot was going to ram it into the building.

Or it was programmed as such.

I turned about and kept running. Heading for the forest.

At impact the blast picked me up like a rag doll and sent me flying. That was all I knew before the world went black.

***

"…So that's my story." I said to Kun on his ship. His ship was more like a moving temple to the god of mischief. He and several other of his fellow priests and initiates lived together on this ship that moved from port to port in space. Them arriving on a planet just a bare day after a major battle wasn't unusual. They usually did so to do some post war looting.

Kun sighed as he continued to apply bacta patches to my numerous wounds, "Understandable your paranoia."

"I wouldn't have told you unless I thought no one would believe you. I don't want you to get killed." I sighed as every muscle in my body was sore.   "I have a feeling this is the kind of knowledge that will make me a fatal companion."

"Have you considered going to the Jedi?" Kun asked, his eyes worried, "They might help."

"Maybe they can protect me, but I know I can protect me. I've got the survival instincts of a cockroach." I would have smiled if it wouldn't have caused my lip to start bleeding again. The blast had thrown me several hundred feet. I had broken bones and was bleeding from several dozen places but I was alive.

When I woke up I came to two conclusions. It was likely people would think I was dead. It would be far better for everyone's health if people continued to think that way.

Kun shrugged, "Xani, you are in a galaxy of trouble."

I nodded, "Tell me about it."

"The rippers might be able to help a little. Do you need money?" He asked

I shook my head, "My life of crime has left me sufficient funds. I was mainly in the work for the queen to get a pardon. Well, nothing like being dead to get square with the house."

Kun placed a hand on my shoulder, "You can stay here as long as you like. My order will protect you and take you anywhere you want to go."

I stared at him, "You won't get mischivious and turn me in will you?"

Kun shuddered, "We are worshipers of mischief not evil. There is a difference. We are the galaxys mostly harmless practical jokers and a real pain to those who oppose us."

I snickered, "I have to admit, getting the Governor of Alderaan's credit cards canceled by convincing his banks he was dead was good."

Kun held up a and, "Hey, as you often say. There is not enough evidence to connect me to that beautiful piece of work."

"Ow, don't make me laugh. It hurts." I complained

Kun sighed, "What about that apprentice of yours? Can he help?"

I shook my head, "He's back to being a real Jedi now and has a padawan who I think it going to grow to be evil incarnate but that's a whole different story."

Kun cocked his head as he laid me back into the bed, "Do you love him?"

That question made me pause for a small bit. I nodded slowly, astonished at the truth. "Yes, I love him."

"Then you better stay away from him." Kun said

"No argument here." I sighed as I settled back into the cushions. "I'm now a walking death warrant. Would you mind?"

Kun smiled, "Of course. I would be honored to be the priest at your fake funeral. There won't be a body because the control room was vaporized but I'll hold one and record it for you. I don't know if the Jedi has seen a ripper funeral."

I laughed, "I don't think the companies I've ripped have either."

"Now lay there and sleep. I've got to prepare and get holy." He grinned as he ruffled my hair then walked out of the room, turning off the lights.

***

Ripper funerals are interesting to say the least.

I have been to more then I'd care to remember, but I have to say, remotely watching Qui-Gon's funeral I much prefer the rippers. Qui-Gon's was the most somber and depressing funeral I had ever seen. People stared stony faced as they morbidly watched his body burn. Not a sound aside from the roar of the flames and a few words spoken by Mace Windu.

Ripper funerals are different. We don't mourn the person's death, but celebrate their life. The theme and timbre of the party changes a bit given the personality of the ripper themselves and the circumstances of their death, but mostly it's a party in the person's honor. People gather and regale each other with stories of the great times they had shared. It becomes a contest to see who can remember the most outrageous story. Games and music are sometimes played, there is more food and alcohol then can be consumed in a single party.

"Good lord this is wholly depressing." I groused over the mic to Kun, "Why do people insist in having their last memory of someone be a bad one?"

Kun shrugged and muttered, "Got me on that one. Personally this is not how I want people to remember me."

I shivered as Kun turned his head and I saw Palpatine in the picture. Fecking bastard had a tiny smile on his lips. I wanted to kill him.

"Down girl." Kun whispered, "You aren't in any condition to fight him."

"He's got no right to be there!" I snarled. The force of my anger was so strong I was vibrating from it.

"I said down." Kun chuckled. "I know how you feel. It was like when the Cyber policeman who arrested Bane showed up at his funeral."

I had to agree. But at least the Cyber policeman had some amount of respect for Bane's work, given the fact he had chased bane for years. But this was a travesty.

Slowly one by one people began to leave as Qui-Gon's ashes began too cool. People walked past paying their respects to Qui-Gon and their condolences to Obi-Wan. Anakin was taken by the hand by padme and lead away as well. Finally it was Just Obi-Wan and Kun.

Obi-Wan walked up to Qui-Gon's ashes and stared at them. Kun walked up beside Obi-Wan. "Saying goodbye?" Kun asked

Obi-Wan looked up at Kun, "I wish I could. I keep thinking of things I want to say to him but I have to remind myself he's not here."

Silence reined for a while before Obi-Wan spoke up, "Have they found Sakura?"

Kun frowned, "Who the devil is Sakura?"

I chuckled, "Me you id-jit."

Kun nodded, "Oh… you mean Xani. No, Xani is most assuredly dead. There is no way she could have survived that blast."

Obi-Wan nodded and I watched his jaw clench, "Why isn't the queen holding a funeral? She deserves to be honored for her sacrifice."

Kun snorted, "She does deserve to be honored but sure as hell not like this."

Obi-Wan looked up at Kun, "What's wrong with this?"

"Everything." Kun frowned, "This is far too depressing. Concrete pillars and Cold Marble isn't for her. This just isn't befitting her personality. Her life deserves to be celebrated, not mourned."

Obi-Wan stared at Kun as if he had grown horns. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm not suggesting, I'm flat out telling you. Her life party will be held at this address. Show up if you are brave enough." Kun said as he handed Obi-Wan a small datapad.

Obi-Wan took the datapad and nodded, "I'll be there. How wild will this get?"

Kun smirked, "Let me put it this way. Be thankful we don't have her body. It's common practice to prop the dead's body in the middle of the party and talk to them like they are really there. Sometimes we attach repulsors to the limbs and make them move."

Obi-Wan stared at Kun, slack jawed.

Kun continued, "Likely we'll just do the usual hijynx. Do an honorary ripping in her name, drink heavily and see if any of us can guess what her tattoo says."

With that, Kun turned on his heel and walked away to make arrangements for the party.

***

It's really interesting to be an observer in your own funeral. People I only vaguely remembered must have broken several laws of physics to get to Naboo in time for this. Quite a few of them left their retirement homes to come in. Those who couldn't leave were attending remotely from the countless floating droids.

When Obi-Wan showed up in full Jedi regalia, I thought he was going to be cut to pieces. The music stopped, everyone stood stock still and stared at him.

Obi-Wan simply looked at them for a while before saying, "Don't tell me. My pants are open."

Then Kun started laughing and it cascaded through the room. Obi-Wan was welcomed with open arms. He enjoyed a good bit of teasing from people, him being on the sunny side of the law and everyone else not. But he gave as good as he got.

After a while Obi-Wan walked up to Kun, his eyes smiling, "You are right. This a far more appropriate fair well to her."

Kun chuckled, "You liked the story of her getting drunk on Malistaire didn't you?"

Obi-Wan chuckled, "I will admit, that held something of an appeal for me. Did she really tell the judge that she was not intoxicated, she was merely participating in an initiation rite."

Kun laughed, "That she did. Convinced the judge of it too. She was in inspiration to us all."

Obi-Wan sighed, "I dearly wish I had gotten to know her better."

Kun placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, "Well, she's only had three scandals in her life. The first was that drunken night where she told off the judge and a number of other things. One of them was that she got a tattoo."

Obi-Wan looked up, "A Tattoo? What did she get?"

"That's the second scandal." Kun smirked, "It said, Eat me inside of a directional arrow."

Obi-Wan cocked his head, "How is that a scandal? And Where is it?"

Kun smirked, "That is the third scandal."

It was at that point Obi-Wan spit his drink across the room. There was the noise in the background of someone saying, "Someone else has found out about her tattoo."

"Lord knows I would have been happy to follow directions." Another man said.   "Fine woman like that."

"Shavit, I'd have packed a lunch and stayed down there for the day." A third laughed.

Obi-Wan finished coughing and wiped his mouth, "I stand corrected. That is indeed one hell of a scandal."

"Thanks a lot Kun." I whispered into the earpiece.

I sighed and settled back for a long and painfully embarrassing night.

***

Kun came back to the ship humming to himself and walking funny. He was tipsy from Alcohol.

"Thanks a lot, Kun" I growled, "Now Obi-Wan thinks I was a scandalous drunkard."

Kun flopped into a chair with a satisfied sigh, his blonde curls falling into his eyes. "But you were Darling. Did you like the Ripping we did in your name?"

I smiled, "Thank you. It's quite an honor to have my symbol plastered on every light billboard on Coruscant."

He sighed, "So, what are you going to do now?"

I shrugged, "I figured I might as well hang with you. You picking up a new initiate isn't something that'd arouse suspicion. And then them leaving after a few months will arouse even less given what your initiation rites are."

Kun nodded, "So, I guess we are ready to ship off. Are you strong enough to handle the jump?"

I nodded, "Yes. I am."

Kun frowned, "Eventually we are going to have to alter your appearance. Perhaps some streaks in your hair. Or maybe cut your hair short. You're thin enough, you could pass for a boy."

Nodding I lay back in bed, "Eventually. For now, let's just focus on my staying out of sight."

"Agreed."

***

It's been two months.

I sighed as I surfed the holonet news. I had been keeping a close eye on it since the debacle of Naboo. Palpatine turned out to be a major force in the investigation and persecution of the Trade Federation. People were beinging to coin the catch phrase a vote for Palpatine is a vote for order.

Naturally, my sick sense of humor let me laugh at it.

Two months since Naboo. Two months since my faked death.

Two months, three days, five hours and seven minutes since I last saw Obi-Wan.

Not that I was counting or anything.

Kun's spaceship was docked on one of the seedier ports of Corellia. Usually they were the only places civilized planets would let him dock.

"Sakura, can you come here?" I heard him call on the comm unit.

I walked up to the bridge to where Kun was watching a pair of men wearing emerald green were walking towards the ship.

"Jedi." I said, "From the Corellian temple. What are they doing in this neck of the woods?"

Kun frowned, "They don't look happy to be here. More like they are following orders but not liking it."

"Formal indoor robes." I observed from the soft suede of their boots. "Can't be here to book passage for themselves. Perhaps arrange passage? But why be observed officially entering this place? Usually when they book passage on trans-kun spaceways they arrive disguised."

Kun shrugged, "Maybe I am getting a salutations for being a good boy?"

I smacked him up the back of his head, "Yeah right. More like a citation for what you did to that padawan that was on here last month."

Kun looked up at me innocently, "Was it my fault her master kept her so sheltered she had never seen a naked human male?"

I rolled my eyes, "I think she's seen human male, I don't think she's seen one like you."

Kun laughed, "I always say to anyone obsessed with sex. I highly recommend self castration. It's liberating and you get to get away with virtually anything short of murder. I don't know why worship and new inductees is at an all time low."

I smiled, "Maybe it's the fact to show you are ready for full priest hood you get very drunk and get a very large knife."

"Ceremonial knife I will have you know." He replied "Anyway, it's probably a very good thing for this universe that there aren't a lot of us."

"Yes, order and public decency laws would disintergrate and then who would be left for us to scandalize?"

"Exactly."

Sure enough the Two official Jedi arrived at the enterance and pressed the button to chime the signal. Kun opened a audio com port, "Hello?"

"Sakura Crion?" One man said

Kun looked up at me with worried eyes, "It's for you."

"Yes?" I replied mildly

"Will you come with us please?" The other spoke, "We have an important proposition to discuss with you."

***

"We want to charge you with the mission of finding out who the sith are, what they are planning and stop it." The Jedi said when we reached their ship. It was a very slick very new ship. Definitely a custom job outfitted with every advance the geniuses at the corellian shipyards could come up with.

This was a ship connoisseurs wet dream.

"Well I know who the other sith is. I've got proof. I know part of his game but I don't know all of it." I replied evenly. "What do I get if I go on this mission?"

"This ship." The elder of the two Jedi said. Under his hood it turned out he was a wrinkled old man with a head as bald as an egg. His apprentice was a young Twilik Boy likely only been a padawan for a few years.

"You are going to have to do better then that." I said leaning back, "Since you know everything else about me, you'd know I get badly hyperspace sick."

The man nodded, "Full pardon from the republic. Full backing of the Jedi temple and all it's resources. Equipment, clothes, you name it. If you need it, you get it."

I frowned, "Will I be doing this alone?"

The man smiled, "No, you will have help. He will be your pilot."

I nodded, "Why do you trust me with this? Surely another Jedi would do just as well?"

The man now grew uncomfortable. His eyes shifted from side to side. "The man in charge of this mission is a Jedi and is a pilot of this ship. However, he requested you be his partner in this endeavor. We asked him if he'd prefer another jedi but he insisted on you. He insisted you were alive and he wasn't going to budge from this space port until we found you."

I blinked, "A Jedi? Insisted on me? Who?"

"Qui-Gon Jinn." The man said

My jaw dropped, "Qui-Gon is alive?! But his body burned."

The man nodded, "His * body * did, yes."

I frowned, "Where is he? And what do you mean his body burned?"

"He means that my body burned but my brain survived." I heard Qui-Gon's voice boom from the ship's speakers. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Master Qui-Gon?!?!" I gasped.

He gave a soft chuckle over the speakers, "Yes, childling. My body was severely damaged in the fight with the sith. He cut through most of my vital organs and severed my spinal cord. I was given the choice of three options, live in my failing body with fake organs and never walk again. Be allowed to die and rejoin the force, or have my brain saved and placed into a ship as the main control computer."

I blinked, "I didn't think this was medically possible."

"It is." The man in green spoke up again. "We've given people artificial limbs and organs when the originals can't be remade. This is just one step further along. Most of the time we don't do it because nearly 99.99 percent of the population can't mentally adjust to the new body, so different from their original."

"Master Jinn is." The apprentice spoke up in awe. "He's fully functional. His autonomic nervous signal is attached to life support, his hands are the many small droids that work on the ship, his legs and feet are the engines, his skin is the hull and the shields. Eyes, ears and nose attached to the various sensor arrays."

"Why didn't you pick Obi-Wan?" I asked, "Why me?"

"Obi-Wan has a padawan he needs to focus on. You are the only person with the intelligence and background to go after the sith as well as help maintain me." Qui-Gon's voice rumbled through. "Besides, you have the additional advantage of being considered dead too. You are the most logical and best choice. Besides, I thought we got along rather well."

I laughed, "Since you put it that way. Very well, I accept."

"Good." The man said, "we can get you clearance to lift off tonight."

I looked at the man, "Please tell Kun, thank you and I'll be alright now."

The man nodded, "I will."

With that the two Jedi left and I was alone on the ship.

"Not quite alone." Master Jinn replied in an amused voice. "I'm here."

I smiled, "I guess that means you still have control of the force."

"Quite." He replied, "Now, what was this evidence you were talking about?"

***

I sighed as I sat back in my chair and rubbed my eyes. I had been up for the past several days trying to crack this code. For two years Qui-Gon and I had been wandering about the universe doing the delicate dance of snooping about while maintaining our own secrecy. So far we've haven't found out diddly squat.

Suddenly I watched the my monitors which had been running pattern analysis suddenly froze and then turned to black.

"Qui-Gon!" I growled.

"Yes?" He replied mildly.

"Turn my monitors back on please." I asked mildly.

His voice came back sounding just too innocent. "I'm sorry, but there must be a malfunction on the monitors. I'll get the bots to look into it right away. In the mean time why don't you have some lunch?"

A floating tray came over bearing my favorite sandwich and a tall cold drink. I watched as my napkin miraculously lifted up and dropped into my lap. I had to smile. Sometimes Qui-Gon did things like that just to keep his mental hand in with the force. Half the time I had to get him to stop using the force and use his robots so he keeps those parts of his brain active.

"I suppose you'll be talking me into a shower and sleep next." I muttered around a mouthful of the sandwich as I gestured with my drink.

"Possibly. On a Side note, I think that is the only thing I have found you and your brother had in common." He commented.

"What is that?" I asked as I took a swallow of my drink. It may seem odd, but he and I had a long talk one time about my brother. It was one of those late nights where we were hiding out and needed to pass the time.

Since then the topic slowly but surely became of less pain to us. I think we held each other to finally write a closing to that chapter.

"Atrocious Table Manners." He concluded. "Now why are you pushing yourself like this?"

I sighed, "Because I am going to be meeting the Jedi contact to pass off any information we have learned, and we haven't found ANYTHING."

"I think we've found a great deal." Qui-Gon said. "It's amazing the amount of evidence of their handiwork you've found."

I rolled my eyes, "It just doesn't explain anything. Why Palpatine? Of all the people in the god damn galaxy why HIM as a sith. Maul I can understand.   He was an abused and neglected child. But Palpatine had everything from birth. Middle class parents. Father was a little less then twice as old as his mother at his birth but they both loved each other dearly. They made enough to cover basic expenses plus a little extra for some fun, like a yearly vacation off planet. Only child, no evidence of force sensitivity."

"We know about his past in general, we have some evidence to connect him to maul. We know how he orchestrated Naboo."

"True that's become painfully obvious, but knowing his past doesn't explain what he plans to do or how he plans to do it. We have good theories but no concrete evidence." I growled, "I keep sniffing communication packets from his office and weeding out the ones using no government code and I just can't break them. It's driving me nuts."

I felt a pair of phantom hands come and rub my shoulders. I sighed as I leaned into the sensation of muscles coaxed into relaxation.

"You have good theories. Sound ones. Sound enough that they ring true for me in the force. It's rather frightening in a way that you can think how he does." Qui-Gon commented

I shrugged, "I just think that if there is a way for him to play one party off of another to give him a little more power, he'd take it. So far he's getting into patterns where he can come out looking the winner if the senate or the house of law does anything wrong, which they eventually will. He only has to worry about the fifth estate."

I could almost see the frown on his face, "I've heard of the fourth estate being the media. I've never heard of a fifth."

I chuckled, "That's because you were it. The Jedi. They are a group of people always looked at as being infallible and incorruptible. You people are the knottiest and yet simplest to knock out. All you need to do is make one mistake and the entire galaxy could turn against you."

Qui-Gon sighed, "I've heard this all before. Save it for your contact."

"Who am I meeting and where?" I asked. Usually I met some relative of a Jedi that could be trusted or I deposited something in a box somewhere and it made it's way to Coruscant or Corellia by some mysterious method.

"You choose location, another ship like me is bringing him." He said

I tapped the control panel, "How about Kun's club?" Under Palpatine's new laws against terrorists and heckers taking a zero tolerance policy, he began to crack down on the ripper community. Cyber crimes now went under the terrorist laws and hence forth we were labeled 'enemies of the republic'.

Naturally, there was a rather large party celebrating our new elevated status from 'galactic hoodlums' to 'traitor'.

Kun's religion was banned as an illegal cult. I thought his group would pitch a fit but in they surprised me by taking it all in stride. They all just faded into the background. Apparently his god has been banned as an illegal cult on his own planet several times.

Kun blended in by making an establishment for people to get blended. He did this by turning his previous profits into a dance club. The kind of club where one often wears outrageous clothing, contraceptives are listed on the same menu as drinks and the base was so loud it could be used as a mass defibrillator.

"You are sadistic aren't you?" Qui-Gon asked with a laugh. "What is it with you and finding the one place a Jedi would be most uncomfortable?"

I smiled, "You jedi are supposed to be flexible. Well, since you've hired me on with you, you are going to get flexible like you've never seen."

I listened as Qui-Gon readied the ship and changed our course mid hyperspace. A task impossible for other ships, but not for Qui-Gon. He had the navigational power and control as well as the force to guide him. It's as handy as well when escaping irate police officers.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "I see and I agree. The jedi do need to loose the stick that has become lodged in their collective back sides."

I grinned, "and I am glad to be of service to remove it, one Jedi at a time."

Qui-Gon groaned, "between you and Kun I am surprised they send anyone out here to meet us."

"Who are we meeting?" I asked

"The head of the council." Qui-Gon informed me, "Mace Windu. He wanted to meet to source of the information about the sith."

"Do the words secrecy and incognito mean anything to him?" I asked upset. If I didn't know better, it sounded like some higher up wanted to go slumming and gawk at the grunt workers.

Qui-Gon's voice chuckled, "He is a member of the Jedi council but he does have some experience outside of the Council Chambers. They just found his natural leadership talent would be best put to use keeping Jedi in line."

"So he thinks he's prepared to enter that nest of snakes that are Kun's regular customers and come out?" I frowned, "He's overestimating his chances."

Qui-Gon gave a small musical blip of color on the monitors that usually indicated a shrug to me, "Also says he's going to have a bodyguard while inside, but they don't specify who."

I shrugged, "I'll probably pick them out in a heart beat. So which wig should I wear? The Ice white wedge cut? The blonde layer cut? Brunette Mohawk?"

I had discovered quite a flair of make-up and disguises. I had rejoined the Dead Sith and Dead Jedi under the new name Satrapis. Satrapis was a force user who no one was ever sure where he learned his techniques or what side he was on. He was just as likely to hinder the Sith as he was the Jedi. No one knew what Satrapis looked like.

"White wedge cut." Qui-Gon said definitively. "The blonde has too much yellow and your skin has a blue undertone."

I nodded, "You are right. I just bought it since I loved the way it moved when I shake my head while screaming in anger. Just looked so dramatic."

He laughed, "It did look a sight."

I grinned, "And the dark purple leather lace vest, green silk blouse, tight skirt and high boots."

Qui-Gon really laughed, "That should surprise Mace! You must take a button camera with you so I can see his face."

"Agreed. I'm going to freshen up a bit." I said as I streached.

"And sleep." His voice boomed around the room everywhere at once and no where at all.

"Yes." I replied absently. I knew as I started to walk towards my bedroom that I had just been mind whammied.

I didn't complain thought when I was nearly fell asleep in my shower. My last thoughts before I drifted off was which Jedi would be around to Guard the head of the Council. ***

"Kun, this is one kicking party." I said to the bartender behind the counter. Kun had decided that he wanted to be redheaded this month. When I said red I meant fire red.

He slid a drink across the bar to a waiting hand. "Thank you. I work hard to live up to your expectations."

I smiled, "I'm to meet someone here."

Kun nodded, "Yes, he came in before the place opened. Thank the lord he did. Else he never would have gotten past the bouncers in the front."

I rolled my eyes, "Let me guess, black pants and a white shirt."

Kun nodded, "yes, thinking looking like a preppy would make him look like a bad-ass."

"Please tell me you made a passing nod at making him look like he blended in." I sighed.

Kun smiled a little too widely, "Yes. I think he's beginning to enjoy the clothes a little too much."

I looked at where he nodded and saw a tall darkskined man wearing sunglasses and black leather suit. He was leaning against the wall and was beginning to look like he was grudgingly beginning to like his clothes and the beat.

I made sure my wig was in place, my colored contacts were set, and the patch that hid my scar was in place. I sauntered up to the man in black and got very close to him and whispered into his ear, "Mace Windu?"

He looked at me, "Satrapis?"

I smiled, "Shall we sit somewhere more private?"

He stared at me, "They say that music is the soul of civilization."

I rolled my eyes, "Another stiff ass Jedi. Come along, I know a place we can talk."

Before I could walk away I felt him grab me and pull me against him, I felt a blaster muzzle being pressed into my kidney as my back was pressed against his chest. "Let's try this again."

I rolled my eyes, "If music is the soul of civilization then art must be it's heart. Are you satisfied?"

He let me go and I watched as his put the blaster back into his wrist sheath. A small smile on his lips, "Yes. Shall we?"

We walk over to a small booth and activate the privacy shield. I sat down in front of him and pushed a disk over to him, "Here is what I know so far…"

***

Several hours and an interrogation later I had given Mace Windu everything I knew and quite a few things I didn't connect until that very moment. At the end he sat staring at the disk silent.

"I'm sorry." I said, "I wish I had more for you."

Mace Windu looked up at me, "More? My dear girl I was about to say that you've done wonders. It's amazing that none of us knew this was happening. We are Jedi."

I shrugged, "Maybe it's because it's hard for you because you just didn't know what to look for."

Mace Windu shrugged, "With this information I am going to suggest the Jedi are put on alert."

I shook my head, "With this, I suggest you start hiding Jedi."

Mace Windu looked up at me, "What do you mean."

I frowned, "Don't you get it yet? Senator Palpatine has ALREADY WON."

He blinked, "What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes, "Look, he is in the highest office of power in the republic. Getting there is what is hard, making the position permanent is easy. He just needs a crisis to come over the republic and according to law, he has the right to be voted powers of dictatorship temporarily and then when crisis is over give them back. All he has to do is get one crisis. Then he can simply build up enough army loyalty not to give it back."

Mace Windu frowned, "I must admit, I hadn't thought of that. But surely there is something we can do."

I shook my head, "He and his kind has been planning this for centuries. Don't you think that they know every move you could make? Face it, you've lost. It's now time for a strategic retreat. That way it will be you who is the watcher, waiting for him to make one fatal mistake."

The head of the council nodded slowly, "I see."

Silence reined for a while before Mace Windu spoke up, "How is Qui-Gon?"

I smiled, "A thorn in my side, but I love him."

Mace windu shared my smile, "Sounds like him. The ship that brought me here is an old friend of his. Tahl."

I grinned, "I remember him telling me about her. He'll have a lot to catch up on with her."

Mace nodded, "Yes. They were always great friends. I remember when she was first placed into her ship. She had been blind for years and now was able to see again. The first words out of her upon waking were, 'why the sith didn't I do this years ago?'"

I laughed, "I suppose I should let you go now. You leave first, I'll stay back."

He nodded, "I'll have my guard escort you back to your ship. It's late at night, I don't want you wandering about this nest of snakes alone."

I crossed my arms, "I'm likely more dangerous then anything out there."

He frowned, "Be that as it may, I still want you with an escort back to your ship."

I sighed, "I don't want an escort."

Mace Windu held up a communicator, "You want me to call your commanding officer and ask him?"

I glared at him, "Damn you to pull rank."

"Now stay here. My escort will be back. If I hear from him you aren't here when he gets back I'll be very upset." He wagged a finger, "And I will tattle to Qui-Gon."

I sighed as I settled back in the seat as he disappeared. After about five minutes I was extremely bored. Here was a very relative term so I decided 'here' was the club and I went out to go dancing.

I let my body be carried away by the pulse of the beat and swayed to the music. How long I was caught up in it's spell I don't know, but I suddenly felt a strong male body mold against my back.

"Your escort has arrived Madame." I heard whispered into my ear.

I turned around, shocked the Jedi would have one among their member who could dance.

My jaw became unhinged as I saw who it was.

Before me in all his masculine beauty stood Obi-Wan Kenobi. His hair had grown out from the padawan cut and was a tawny blonde as it fell into his incredibly teal eyes. He had fleshed out. He was harder and more angularly cut then I remembered him. These past two years had tempered him.

Those beautiful teal eyes went round with surprise with recognition.

"Sakura." He breathed.

I nodded, "Obi-Wan. Let's get out of here."

He nodded and waved me ahead of him. The chill night air hit me as I pulled my Jacket closer to me. My legs were bare and freezing so I started a brisk pace to the ship. Obi-Wan was silent next to me.

"You look well." I said awkwardly. What does one say to someone who has presumed you were dead for over two years.

"And you look remarkably alive for someone supposedly dead." He replied. There was a small edge of bitterness in his tone.

I frowned, "Look, my becoming a spy for the Jedi was not my original idea."

"So your illusion of your demise was your idea." He growled softly.

"What is your malfunction?" I asked somewhat hurt. I had dreamed of a warmer reception from him when I revealed I was alive. Well, hoped for one anyway. But right now his response was as cold as the air around me.

"You didn't trust me." He growled, "I thought you could trust me."

I sighed, "I do trust you, it's just…"

"Nothing!" He growled, "You know I'd take the secret of your existence to my grave and beyond if asked. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell you because I am a walking death warrant!" I shot back angry. "I'd have every bounty hunter in the Galaxy looking for me if so much as a hint of my having a pulse was to get out. If anyone from my past knows I'm alive that is one more risk. It'd be too suspicious if suddenly Satrapis started hanging out with all of Sakura's old friends."

"Did it ever occur to you to ask me if I wanted to take the risk?" His voice rumbled in his chest angrily as I arrived at my ship and palmed open the lock. Obi-Wan followed me inside, hot on my heels into the main cabin.

"I needed a few years completely on my own to establish the truth of my cover story. Then the risk would be mitigated somewhat." I replied evenly

"Fine, call me after a year." He said as he threw up his hands, "Its been two. Why haven't you contacted me?"

"because I just didn't." I replied as if it explained everything, "Don't ask."

"No, I will ask. Because why?" He demanded, "Afraid of what might happen to me? I'm a Jedi. I can take care of myself."

"Because you terrify me." I replied flatly.

"Why?" He growled taking a stance so one hip was higher then the other and his arms were across his chest.

"Because I barely know you for a week and yet I find myself dreaming about you almost every night. That scares the shavit out of me." I admitted as I turned away from him.

There was silence from behind me for what seemed like an eternity. The only sounds I could hear was the ventilation and the sound of my own heart pounding in my ears.

"Well then. Prepare to be petrified." I heard his melodic accented voice pour over me like warm water.

Before I could blink one hand on my shoulder forced me to turn around. One moment I was spinning, the next his arms were locked in a vice grip around my body, pinning my arms down and my hands were trapped between our chests.   One arm wrapped around my back as the other tilted my head.

He kissed me. For the second time in my life he kissed me.

The first kiss was a soft question, a teasing dance. This had nothing of the sort. This was proprietary, possessive. His strong lips were burning hot as they moved over mine. It was as if he had kissed me like this every day of the week, he was so skilled. Taking advantage over the shock I was in at the touch, he deepened the kiss, teasing my tongue out to play with his.

I groaned deep in my throat as the feeling of his lips on mine and body pressed against me went straight to the parts of me a lady doesn't speak about. My breasts felt heavy and swollen. I had this desperate need to be invaded.

His hand on my neck rose up to remove the wig from my hair and the flesh toned patch covering the broken circle scar and dropped them unceremoniously on the floor.

He pulled away just as the heat in my belly turned to a few degrees below the surface temperature of a sun. It took my a while for my eyes go adjust to the change in light, my pupils were dilated so much from hormones.

"Petrified now?" He asked mildly.

I wasn't quite verbal. Not after that kiss. My knees were Jelly and he was holding me up. So I settled for non verbal and simply nodded.

He grinned slightly as the fingers of his hand on my back started making some circles. They should have been calming but I found them arousing.

The hand that freed my hair wandered across my cheek, down my neck and cupped a breast. I groaned and pressed myself against his hand despite there being three layers of clothing between said hand and breast.

"Good." He said as his thumb started caressing my breast.

I threw my head back as a shudder wracked my body from head to toe with the most instability damage done to those places polite girls don't mention.

This was going to be an interesting night.

***

I was shaking from head to toe as Obi-Wan leaned down and nibbled on my neck as his hands wandered about my body, loosening ties and zippers until I was ready to just fall out of my clothes.

I couldn't describe the emotions ricocheting through me. I was happy, terrified, estatic. I was shaking like a leaf under his hands.

He looked up at me and gave me a small smile, "Do you know what this is?"

My breath was coming in short little gasps as he asked me that question. I blinked as I concentrated. Did I know what this was? Yes. I was no blushing virgin, but even when I was I didn't feel half as terrified as I did in his arms. Everything was new. The feel of a warm male body against mine, the possessive look in his eyes.

It was his eyes that frightened me the most. Most men when they are about to bed you have a look somewhat possessive look in their eyes. Most were the glory of a temporary conquer.

Obi-Wan's eyes clearly stated he was playing for keeps. I don't know what frightened me more, the demand in his eyes that I surrender everything I am to him, or the fact I felt no hesitation in giving him my soul.

"Love?" I whispered, half a question, half a statement.

Some of the hard edge of him softened as he nodded, "Yes. Love."

"But how? I've barely known you a week." I stammered out, "I'm a criminal, you are a Keeper of Justice. This going against all logic and reason!"

"Love has a tendency to fly in the face of reason." He smiled as he kissed my nose and scooped me up in his arms like I was some boarder land bride.

I blushed as he carried me into my bedroom, "You… You said once that you'd show me the pleasures of having a conscience. Is this one of them?"

Obi-Wan's smile could have powered Coruscant for a standard month it was so brilliant. "Yes. A Conscience means true care about yourself and those around you. Love is a benefit. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue my lesson."

I smiled as he gently lowered me down onto my bed.

***

I woke up slowly the next morning, savoring the sensations in my body. The left over languor from the previous night's rapture. The soreness of too long unused muscles. I could feel every fiber of the sheets against my skin. The pleasant warmth of a human body spooned behind my own.

"Good morning sleepy." I heard the melodic voice whisper in my ear before kissing my neck.

I hummed happily, "Very good morning indeed."

"Did you sleep well?" He asked as a kiss was dropped to my bare shoulder.

I nodded, "Oh I could get used to this."

He chuckled, "You should. Now I know you are alive we can rendezvous as much as humanly possible. I can tell Anakin that you are alive."

I felt my heart skip a beat, "No. not Anakin. No one. Just you."

He paused as he registered my sudden flash of terror and immediately rubbed my arm soothingly, "It's alright. It can be just me. It will just make things slightly harder."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. The less who know, the less chance of us getting caught."

"Agreed." He murmured and kissed my neck again.

I coughed, "Speaking of getting caught, I think there is something I need to tell you."

Obi-Wan immediately stopped. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Hmm?" I said

Obi-Wan pulled away from me slightly, "I didn't know you were involved, I had assumed you were free."

It took me a few seconds to process what he was saying before I turned in his arms and kissed his mouth, "No. Not that. I just am not alone on the ship."

Obi-Wan smiled in relief, "Oh. I didn't think you were a pilot given your hyperspace condition."

I grinned, "Yes, I have a pilot and a good one too. Instead of being violently ill he's so light on the touch I just get queezy."

He nodded, "That is good. I can't wait until they come back and I can meet them."

"He is already on the ship." I smiled, "One could say, he never leaves."

Obi-Wan chuckled, "I don't believe it, the Jedi trusted you with one of these ships! Good lord, I know about Tahl since my master was the one holding her mental hand while she went through the partial anesthesia needed for the final transfer, but I didn't know there were others."

I nodded, "Yes, there are. And now would be a good time that he join the conversation since he can hear us talking about him and I KNOW his camera came on sometime during our evening."

"I'm sorry Sakura." Qui-Gon said over the speakers, "I heard you moaning in here and I thought you were being attacked."

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped as his eyes went round with surprise. "M…Master?"

"Yes Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon replied, "I'm sorry to have intruded on your privacy in the night but I usually don't hear noises come from this room. I was concerned."

Obi-Wan's face broke into an elated expression so bright it could light the stars. "You're alive!"

"Yes, Obi-Wan, my padawan. I'm alive." Qui-Gon replied

Obi-Wan's face then changed again as our earlier words sunk in. His cheeks flamed, "You saw us?!"

"Was he always this slow on the uptake?" I asked as I watched Obi-Wan's expression go from embarrassed to horrified.

"Extremely." Qui-Gon replied with a sigh.

Obi-Wan's face took on a look of annoyance, "You both could have told me you were alive."

"I thought that was what we were doing now." Qui-Gon pointed out with flawless masterly logic.

Obi-Wan looked about to argue the point when instead he turned to me and glared at me, "Are there any OTHER secrets you have? At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Xanatos walked in and said he was now of the light."

I shook my head, "No. No more secrets. Xanatos is dead, thank your chosen Deity."

Obi-Wan sighed as he settled back into bed and ran his fingers over my cheekbones, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Follow my Tattoo's instructions again?" I asked Hopefully Obi-Wan followed directions extremely well. So well I was arching off the bed so only my hips and the top of my head touched the mattress.

Obi-Wan smiled wickedly, "Only if you follow mine."

I laughed, I really wanted to know how he got away among the Jedi with getting that tattoo and how he managed to find the same person who did mine.

"On that note, I shall leave you two to your… activities." Qui-Gon said, "I'll inform Tahl that we are taking you back to coruscant and will likely take the scenic route."

By the time Qui-Gon finished that statement I was already completely under the covers and well on my way to Obi-Wan's Naval.

"The extremely scenic route." He commented and then I heard the audible click as Qui-Gon turned off both Audio and camera in my room.

I felt Obi-Wan's hand tangle in my hair and I practically purred at the touch. I knew from last night any pleasure I gave him he'd return ten fold.

This wasn't how I would have chosen my life to go. I never intended to become a galactic terrorist and underworld code ripper. As a little girl I didn't dream of breaking every known cybercrime law as well as being the cause for inventing a few new ones.

One of my earliest memories was my brother singing me a Telosian Lullabye. It was a song sung by a fornlorn lover who felt as if a piece of them was missing. They sung about their desire to be made whole again.

Somehow, in that moment, I was.

End