Obi-Wan had barely made it off the porch before Kettie took his arm, tucking hers inside. Companionably, they walked a short distance around the house, discussing trivialities. The weather, the crops this year, the world of comm systems repair. She hadn’t come on to him again, but neither had she once more turned pensive.

Kettie was actually quite informed and interesting to talk to, when she was sober. But Obi-Wan carefuly kept his chat neutral, not wanting to step a conversational foot in a direction he wasn’t willing to explore.

After they’d made a little over two circuits, however, Kettie decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. She stopped at the side of the house and grasped Obi-Wan’s wrists, turning him to face her. She gazed up at him significantly. "Well. Perhaps I should be going?" She made it a question.

If ever a girl was waiting to be kissed, it was Kettie. If ever a girl was waiting to be told to stay, it was Kettie.

Obi-Wan looked down at her for a moment, considering. Anakin was right. She really was very pretty. Her eyes were deep, expressive. The moon cast purple highlights on her smooth, dark hair, and her slightly-parted lips shone invitingly. He'd enjoyed her company this evening, very much. She’d made it very clear that if he wanted, he could
enjoy it even more. It could get very lonely, out here...

Obi-Wan shook himself mentally. What was that he'd told Anakin, two weeks ago? Something about sowing seeds, and circumspection? He swallowed. And finally spoke.

"Perhaps it’s best. An and I need to get up early. As, I’m sure, do you."

She almost huffed in frustration. "Oh, not too early…"

"Well, you know how it is with growing boys. They need their sleep."

"Hmph. Are you still growing?"

"You never know." He decided to be more firm. She didn’t deserve to have him play games with her. "Goodnight, and thank you for coming over. Please get home safely."

At that, she released him and stepped back, cowed but not beaten. "Goodnight, then, Owen. And thank you for the hospitality." She walked the few yards to her speeder bike out front. She threw a leg over, then sat, looking at Obi-Wan soberly. "You do understand, don’t you, that I’m not just some desperate, lonely woman that clings to every man who comes within a lightyear? I’ve been on my own for five years. I have my own life. It’s just that I’ve been around long enough to know that if you find something you want, you should try and get it. Life is too short, and if you don’t take risks, it’s worth less than nothing."

Obi-Wan gazed at her. He knew about risks. "I do understand."

"I thought you might. Well. Be seeing you!" With one last grin, she revved her engine and was gone.

Obi-Wan watched her fly off, then mounted the steps to the house. Looked like it was time for another cold swim. But he had to deal with his apprentice, first.



****



He found Anakin still seated in the living room. The boy had his arms crossed on the table, and rested his chin on them, wearily. "So. Did you kiss her?"

Whatever questions Obi-Wan had expected, this wasn’t one of them. "No, I did not."

Anakin shot him a look that clearly said, coward. "Huh. She was probably embarrassed, anyway. Because you were walking around naked. She saw your--"

Obi-Wan interrupted, exasperated. "I know what she saw. I was there, remember?"

"Well, you shouldn’t walk around naked in front of girls. It’s not polite."

"Have I gone completely mad, or have you somehow forgotten that it was you who brought her here, unexpectedly?" Obi-Wan suddenly realized what Anakin was doing. Trying to distract him from the lecture. Not a chance. "Which reminds me. We still haven’t discussed your punishment--"

"Please! I said I was sorry, and I have a really good reason, if you’d only listen--"

"This had better be very good."

"Oh, it is!" Anakin proceeded to tell Obi-Wan what he’d seen and heard at Kettie’s shop today. "So you see, it was important, and we have to help her!"

Obi-Wan listened to his apprentice, stunned. He’d sensed Anakin’s upset earlier, but had thought it directed at himself. He’d not realized quite what the boy had been through today. Not to mention Kettie. Other than her strange conversation regarding her father, she’d given no indication that something was wrong.

Ixolidium. This was very serious indeed. But there was nothing he could do. Piraan was not yet a Republic world. Also, that was not part of their mission. It was very important that they remain incognito. If he suddenly decided to take out a weapons gang, well, then, that would attract notice. Not to mention the censure of the Council.

Would Qui-Gon do something, in this situation? Obi-Wan didn’t know for sure. All he did know was that he was not Qui-Gon, and he was going to do nothing. He told Anakin so.

The boy’s reaction was expected and immediate. "What? I can’t believe it! They might kill her! Don’t you care?" Anakin was so upset, tears were forming in his eyes.

"Of course I care. But this is not our mission. We didn’t come here to break up weapons cartels." He rounded the table to grasp Anakin’s shoulders and force the boy to look at him directly. "And Kettie will be fine. I get the idea she can take care of herself. Let her. I know you understand why we cannot do this."

"No! I was so sure you’d want to help! And I know you could!" Anakin’s disappointment was profound. "I can’t believe you won’t do it. I guess I’ll have to do something, then--"

"NO!" Obi-Wan wouldn’t have it. The time for leniency and caring was over. Time to play the Master. "Don’t you dare. I was already going to ground you for a few days, for bringing her here. Don’t make me confine you to the house for the rest of our stay."

"But--"

"I’m not joking! I want to trust you. Any Jedi wants to trust his Padawan. But if I can’t, I will restrain you. Don’t think I won’t do it."

Anakin, shaking with anger, looked up at Obi-Wan. The older man was dead serious. Purple light filtering in through the window shone onto Obi-Wan's face, casting his bearded features into sharp relief and making him look different, older somehow. Almost frightening. Anakin realized that Obi-Wan would do it. He had the power and ability to back
up any threat.

Still gripping the boy’s shoulders, Obi-Wan softened his voice and expression, a tiny bit only. "Do you understand? Haven’t I taught you anything? Jedi don’t use their powers for attack—only for defense. Going after these men would constitute an attack."

Anakin had to speak up. "But what about defending others? Wouldn’t we be defending Kettie?"

Obi-Wan sighed. This was not easy to explain. "Perhaps. But as much as we would like it to be so, we are not here to defend Kettie. We are doing our part to defend the Republic. We can’t abuse our power beyond that. You must understand that in this case, we can do nothing. And you will do nothing. I don’t want to resort to any extreme measures to convince you of my seriousness. But if I am forced to, I will."

Anakin took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm himself. Obi-Wan’s decision had been final. There was nothing Anakin could do for now. But later was another matter. He needed to get away, to think.

Anakin bowed his head. "I understand, sir. I’m just tired. May I please go to bed, now?"

Obi-Wan was relieved to be done with it. "Please do. Good night."

Once alone in his room, Anakin weighed his options. Would it be worth the punishment, if he could help Kettie? Like Jame had said, someone needed to take care of the little people. Slaves, farmers-- surely they needed the help of the Jedi more than did the politicians who benefited from their spy station. The galaxy was so unfair. If only Anakin had
Obi-Wan’s power…

But he didn’t. Anakin began to think he might have to resort to some extreme measures of his own.



****



Early the next morning, Obi-Wan sat in the noisy communications room, checking the transmission log and viewing a holographic message from Jak Qado. The news was good.

"Greetings, friends," came the familiar voice through Obi-Wan's headphones. Jak didn't use names, because even an encrypted and protected message could be sliced. "Things here are going well. The contracts may be signed soon-- much sooner than expected. That means you can probably return from exile a week earlier than you planned. But make a note that we'll still need to keep an eye out for hostile takeovers. It appears the competition has caught onto our tactics. I'll keep you informed. Hope things are well. See you soon."

The holo-message blinked out. Obi-Wan removed his headphones and exited the painfully loud chamber, thinking. Perhaps leaving would be the best thing for both him and Anakin. Their first two weeks here had been near-bliss, but the last couple of days had soured him somewhat on the quiet life.

Anakin was the problem. He was almost too curious and clever for his own good. If the boy wasn't constantly occupied, he had a tendency to find trouble. Anakin had noble intentions, but he often employed them in the wrong directions. Thus the boy’s sudden interest in Kettie Selva’s welfare.

Kettie. Leaving also meant that Obi-Wan could escape his growing attraction to her. He was in no danger of falling in love, but her overt availability was starting to wear him down. He was a Jedi, but he was only human, after all. Yes. Leaving was the best thing for both of them.

He was about to head to the kitchen to get some breakfast, when he felt, suddenly, something was wrong. He stretched out his awareness, looking through the Force. Something was missing, perhaps…

Anakin. Anakin was gone.

That was the last straw. Fuming, Obi-Wan went outside to wait.



****



Arriving in town early, Anakin pushed the speeder to its max, nearly shorting out the ancient vehicle.

Obi-Wan would know he was gone. Obi-Wan would be livid. Anakin was prepared for that. But he was hoping to get into town and back before Obi-Wan came looking for him. Anakin would have to be very quick, and very careful, if he wanted this plan to work.

He parked the sputtering speeder in a vacant, vine-overgrown lot on the outskirts of town. He got out and walked the few blocks to Kettie’s store, careful to avoid contact with too many townspeople.

Obi-Wan had shown him time and again the amazing things he could accomplish when he concentrated, and Anakin was ready to try those things outside of training. He’d spent a lot of time last night, calming his inner turmoil and focusing his energies. But he knew he couldn’t mind-erase the whole town, and he didn’t want anyone to remember
he’d been here.

Soon he reached Kettie’s place and walked in, setting off the door monitor.

Kettie appeared from the back of the store. "Well, hello, Ani. Thanks again for dinner last night." She looked pleased to see him but somewhat uncomfortable. "So, what are you doing back so soon?"

"Hi, Kettie." Anakin presented the very picture of nonchalance. "Owen told me I could come by for a visit. So here I am. Umm, are things quiet this morning?"

"Yep, they sure are. But, hey, I’m pretty busy with an inventory, so I really can’t talk…"

"Oh, that’s OK. I’ll stay out of your way."

"Well, it’ll be pretty boring around here, so--"

Suddenly, from behind the store, they heard a roar of engines like a moving explosion, coming closer and closer. After a few moments, the noise abruptly stopped.

Kettie, tense, turned a look of distinct alarm upon Anakin. "Listen, Ani, I’m sorry, but I really don’t think you should be here right now. Why don’t you come back later? We’ll go get some lunch, or something…"

Her short silence was broken by an angry yell. It was Deiss. "Hey! Little girl! You knew we were comin’, so get out here, now! You don’t want us to have to come in."

"Hold on!" Kettie yelled back. Shaking only slightly, she palmed a small blaster from the counter and slipped it into the arm of her dusty coveralls. She then pointed a stern finger at Anakin. "Ani, stay right here, I mean it, don’t move,    this could get bad…I’ll be right back. Just DON’T MOVE!" She then took a deep breath and disappeared through the storeroom door.

Anakin had no intention of staying put. He waited a moment, then followed her through the door, her messy garage, and out into the sunlight-dappled back lot. Unlike last time, though, he didn’t hide. He simply stood a few paces behind Kettie, surveying the scene with confident calm.

Present were the same five men from yesterday, and if possible, they looked even meaner. The big bald one, Deiss, again wore body armor, and the others had all pulled nasty-looking weapons and held them pointed threateningly at the petite woman before them.

Kettie, hands on hips and facing down the five huge, scarred men looming over her, looked very small and very helpless to Anakin. He thought it was disgusting that the stupid lugs obviously found it amusing to intimidate a girl. Anakin thought he might enjoy watching them face down Obi-Wan, when the time came.

Deiss was talking. "So, do you have the stuff or dontcha? I’m leaving here with something, I don’t care—Hey!" The shaven-headed giant noticed Anakin for the first time. "What’s that kid doing here?"

Kettie gasped and spun to look at Anakin. "Ani? What are you doing out here? I told you to stay put, so go back inside, right, now, I mean it." She turned back to her antagonist. "Hey, he’s just a little kid, he came by just before you got here. I’ll send him away. Don’t mind him--"

Anakin interrupted Kettie, ignoring the wild shooing motions she made behind her back. "No, don’t send me away.  I’ve got something to say. I think these losers might want to listen to me." He was proud at how steady his voice sounded.

Deiss started, but quickly covered his surprise at being addressed that way by such a small fry. He leered at Kettie. "Hey, I didn’t know you had a kid. Is he your protector, or something? He’s got guts." Deiss turned an indulgent look upon Anakin, ready to have some fun. "Boy, we got important business here. So get on with it. If we like what you have to say, maybe we won’t kill ya."

Behind him, his greasy compatriots snickered.

"No! Ani, get out of here!" Kettie twisted and tried to push Anakin back into the garage, to safety. "What are you doing? Please, I’d never forgive myself--"

"Don’t worry, Kettie, I’m all right. In fact, I’m not even here." Anakin waved his fingers in her face, almost imperceptibly. "You forgot something inside. Why don’t you go get it?"

She looked confused for a moment, then shook her head as if to clear it. "Yeah. Maybe I should." She wandered back into her cluttered garage, heading for the inside door.

Deiss didn’t think this was funny. "Hey get back here, girl, we ain’t done yet!"

"You are with her." Anakin crossed his arms and stared smugly at Deiss and his gang, who glanced at each other confusedly. "We don’t need her. I can help you. I can get you some ixolidium." Darn, but he sounded confident. He only hoped he’d pronounced the name of the element correctly.

Deiss began to stalk forward threateningly, giant boots clomping and sending up little puffs of dust as he advanced on Anakin. He stretched out a beefy arm, prepared to pound the boy into pulpy bits. "What do you know about that, kid? Tell me now, or I just give you a beating where you stand. I ain’t afraid to kill a kid."

Almost as if mimicking his attacker, Anakin extended a hand as well. But his, though smaller, was more effective, stopping Deiss with the Force. Concentrating hard, Anakin slipped in a mind touch, there, making the man think he’d stopped on his own. "You don’t want to kill me. I have what you need. My brother and I, we’ll have a shipment of ixolidium tomorrow. Out on Road Five. You’ll find us."

"We’ll find you?" The big man’s vicious face bore a look of almost childlike confusion. "You have what we need?"

Anakin almost visibly strained, trying to harness as much Force as possible. Combining Mind Trick with physical Force was hard. Anakin told himself that if he failed, he would die, Kettie would die, and all his planning would be in vain. He struggled for one last brain tweak. There. "Road Five. Tomorrow. No earlier." He then lowered his arm,
slowly, and began to back away.

One of the greasy-haired men shot a strange look at Deiss and brought his blaster to bear on Anakin. "Kid, where do you think you’re going? Get back here, or I’ll blow you away--"

"Hodgen, what the frak are you doing?" Deiss reached out a fist and clamped it on the other man’s rifle, forcing it down. "That kid has what we need. What we gonna do if you kill him?"

"You’re crazy, Deiss. That kid’s weird. He just stopped you, or something…" Hodgen turned to the other men. "You saw it, too, didn’t you?"

"What are you talking about, idiot? How could some little kid stop me?" Deiss glared at them all in turn, daring them to argue. They didn’t.

Anakin took advantage of their momentary confusion to escape. He was nothing but a blur as he ran at breakneck speed back to the vacant lot and his ride home.

He jumped in and started the speeder, panting heavily but feeling elated. He’d done perfectly! No one had been hurt. He’d exercised perfect control over the whole situation. Obi-Wan would be proud of him, if the circumstances were different.

Anakin’s happiness dimmed for a moment. Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan would be furious. This wasn’t over yet. But with courage and the Force he'd gotten through the confrontation with Deiss and his men. So Anakin knew he could survive the forthcoming interview with his master. Then all he had to do was behave, and wait for the gang to show up so Obi-Wan could take them into custody.



****



"Where were you. Answer me now."

Anakin had steeled himself for this. He remained surprisingly calm as he explained his absence to his very, very angry master. "I'm sorry. I just went into town, to check on Kettie, see if she's all right. That’s all. I checked on her, and came back."

Obi-Wan was so angry, he nearly couldn't speak. His own rage frightened him. Fear, anger, the dark side are they, he reminded himself. "Was she all right?" he finally ground out, between clenched teeth.

"Yes, she was. And I'm sorry, Owen. I'm prepared to accept my punishment." Head bowed, Anakin presented the very picture of contrite humility.

"Good, because you're getting one. And you will start calling me Master again."

Obi-Wan extended his Force sense, trying to see if Anakin told the truth. He couldn't get much-- Anakin's excessive power sometimes prevented others from reading him. But the boy certainly looked sorry.

He took a deep breath and pronounced Anakin's sentence. "You will go into the house, now, not to leave today. For the rest of our stay, you will be allowed outside, but you are not to go beyond a ten-yard radius of the house."

"Yes, Master," Anakin mumbled, the picture of abject sorrow.

"You will spend three hours each morning and each evening in meditation, under my supervision."

"Yes, Master."

"I will hear no complaints, or you will lose your yard privileges."

"Yes, Master. Sir."

"There will be no lightsaber lessons until I decide to reinstate them. You will have to convince me of your patience and sincerity, and believe me, I will be damned hard to convince from now on."

"Yes, Master."

"Good. Now go inside, and sit, and think about how you have disobeyed me and dishonored yourself."

"Yes, Master." Without demur, Anakin shuffled inside to do as he was told. For now, he would be good.



****



"Repeat after me. A Jedi uses his strength only for defense. Never for attack."

"A Jedi uses his strength only for defense. Never for attack."

"A Jedi must be calm. A Jedi must have the most serious commitment."

"A Jedi must be calm. A Jedi has the most serious commitment."

Obi-Wan, seated cross-legged on the porch across from Anakin, gave his apprentice a look that spoke volumes. "Your Master makes decisions and issues orders because he is committed to keeping his Padawan alive, and to upholding the Code and honor of the Jedi."

Anakin tried his best. "My master decides things and issues orders because he wants to keep me alive, and to uphold the Code and honor of the Jedi."

"Close enough." Obi-Wan abruptly stood up. "Your three hours of meditation are over. I am appreciative of your attention, and hope it will continue. Go to bed."

"Yes, Master." Anakin stood as well, and without further speech, shuffled off inside and into his bedroom.

Obi-Wan watched him go, sighing. Since Anakin had returned this morning, the boy had been meek and contrite, nothing like his usual self. Obi-Wan wondered at the source of his apprentice’s apparently demoralized state. Had he seen something in town, something that frightened him?

Obi-Wan hoped not. He believed Anakin when he said Kettie was all right. And he was glad of it. It had been a hard decision not to help her. Obi-Wan felt he’d made the right one, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t care, just a little.

He ran a hand impatiently through his long, white bangs, banishing them roughly from his face. Despite Anakin’s improved behavior, Obi-Wan was still in a horrible mood. He was physically frustrated, there was a weapons gang loose in town, his apprentice had directly disobeyed him and to top it all off, the heat and humidity were as foul as ever.

He decided to go swimming, to see if he could cool his body off and perhaps with it, his temper. He strode inside to his room and grabbed a towel, checking Anakin’s chamber as he passed. He didn’t open the door, but could sense the boy’s physical presence, lying in bed. His inability to get inside Anakin’s head didn’t bother him. The boy had
probably fallen asleep instantly after his stressful day, and besides, Obi-Wan was now ever-alert for trouble from that quarter.



****



An hour later, after a cold, relaxing swim, Obi-Wan’s mood had improved immeasurably. He lay stretched out on the soft, grassy bank, hands behind his head, watching the purple moons of Piraan in their trek across the night sky. It was still damnably hot, though.

And his earlier anger had turned to worry. If the boy got up to mischief, was that somehow his, Obi-Wan’s fault? What if he couldn’t control Anakin? Was Qui-Gon correct to have asked his apprentice to train the boy, and was Obi-Wan correct to have insisted on honoring that request? And was he doing it all wrong, compounding one mistake with another, and another?

Suddenly Obi-Wan wished he were back on Coruscant, so he could talk to Master Yoda. The ancient Jedi Master was often disconcertingly direct, but always wise. Obi-Wan decided that when they finally did return, Yoda would be the first person he sought.

But first they had to stick it out through a few more days on this stupid planet. The thought made his temperature rise yet again. Why, oh why, couldn’t he keep cool here?

He considered going back inside and trying futilely to sleep, when he sensed a presence nearby. He stretched out with the Force, to see if Anakin were breaking his house arrest.

But it wasn’t Anakin. It was Kettie, making her way towards him through the trees.

Obi-Wan sighed, watching her. He wasn’t angry at her presence-- he’d almost expected it, at this point in his very long, very stressful day. No, he just wondered how she’d gotten here. He hadn’t heard her bike.

She wasn’t clothed appropriately for riding, anyway. She wore a pretty, low-cut flowered dress that barely reached her thighs. Her legs were smooth and bare but for a pair of flimsy sandals, inappropriate for both speeder-riding and tromping through underbrush.

But at this moment, he thought she looked marvelous. He didn’t examine the feeling, but simply observed her approach, waiting silently for her to identify herself or state her reasons for being there.

She did neither. She just strolled up beside him, and stood, staring, down at his naked body.

After what seemed like an hour, she spoke. "Delightfully natural again, I see."

"Well, I had assumed that since this is private property, my clothing or lack thereof was not an issue." He spoke mildly, almost wearily, removing his words of any real sting. "I hadn’t realized I would inconvenience anyone."

"I’m not inconvenienced at all." Oblivious to any impropriety in her behavior, she slipped off her sandals and sat down in the grass next to his prone form, dark eyes regarding him blandly.

He found her regard intensely stimulating. But he forced himself to sound blasé, not excited. "Oh. Well, would it inconvenience you to tell me why you’re here? And how you got past the alarm?"

"What alarm?" Leaning back slightly and looking up at the moons, she casually stretched out a hand to stroke his chest. Her fingers brushed over his ribs, lightly, almost carelessly, sending shivers coursing through him. "My reasons are simple. I’m here because I wanted to see you. I knew you’d be out here."

Obi-Wan knew why she was here. He also knew he should get up and leave, walk away this instant. But he couldn’t,  just yet. He simply lay there, indecisive, enjoying the feel of her fingers as they traced gentle circles on his feverish skin. Just reveling in the touch of another human, something he was allowed so rarely.

Any minute now, he would get up and she would leave, he promised himself.

She continued. "Ani says you go swimming every night. To cool off." She leaned over, taking a deliberately long look at his lower regions. "You can’t have been doing that. I know for a fact that water’s freezing."

"Am I to be allowed no modesty whatsoever?" Half-exasperated, half-aroused, Obi-Wan reached out to grab her wrist, stopping her fingers’ assault on his senses. "Or do you plan to examine me all evening?"

She surprised him by rising abruptly. She hiked up what little there was of her skirt and stepped over to perch on his stomach, straddling him. She leaned forward, warm hands burning into his chest. "There." She spoke in a deep, throaty voice that went straight from his ears to his belly, where it coiled and uncoiled within him. "Now I can’t see anything."

He gasped, but whether it was from her sudden weight or the feel of her warmth pressed against him, he couldn’t tell. He did know she had on nothing underneath that dress.

Almost of their own volition, his hands slid up her legs to rest on her hips. He stared at her for a moment, undecided, breathing hard.

How had he ever thought her not pretty? Her eyes shone with desire as she gazed down at him, and the skin on her shoulders glowed from moonlight and humidity. Her dress clung to her delightfully, and he could see the curve of her breasts and the imprint of her nipples through the thin material. Each ragged breath she took, each small movement she made, stretched it wonderfully and brought her enticingly closer to a part of his body that wanted her very much.  He was tempted to give in to the feeling, to grab her and have all of her, to let himself go. It had been so long…

No. He strained to clear his mind. No matter what his body wanted, his heart and head told him it was impossible. This was his last chance to be a gentleman.

"Listen, Kettie," he began, breathless, as he distractedly stroked her thighs. He could feel every inch of their warm length, squeezing his hips-- No. "You are a lovely woman, and I find you attractive. Very attractive," he repeated. "But…I can’t…I mean, we can’t….what I mean is, I wouldn’t be able to have a relationship with you. This is not fair to you. I can’t offer you any kind of commitment."

She smiled then, in the moonlight, slowly, seductively. She leaned down and stared into his eyes, seeing clearly the desire written there. "Hmm. You can’t make a commitment, and I don’t want one." She pushed against his chest, raising herself up slightly, then back against the hardness she could feel behind her. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "All I want, right now, is this. Don’t tell me you don’t want it, too." She maneuvered herself until she could feel the by-now hard tip of him, pressing against her intimately.

They both gasped as she slid onto him, pushing his hardness inside of her.

His last chance had passed. Obi-Wan was lost. All his doubts, all his worries, fled before the onslaught of sensation her warmth and heat sent radiating through him. His hands tightened on her, almost imperceptibly.

Pushing off from his chest and leaning back, she stared down at him with passion-glazed eyes. "Oh," she whispered,  breathlessly, "you feel so wonderful. I knew you would." She reached to entwine her hands with his, on her hips, and pull them inexorably up the sides of her trembling body.

Together they slowly lifted her dress, revealing inch by inch of sweat-glowing skin underneath. With an impatient yank, Obi-Wan pulled the offending material over her head and outstretched arms and tossed it aside carelessly.

She leaned forward again, the heels of her palms landing on his shoulders heavily, gripping them, supporting her so she could concentrate on moving against the hardness buried inside her.

Obi-Wan couldn’t suppress a small moan at the sweet, near-pain at her movement. He needed more. He needed all of her, pressed against him, now.

But their position, though acutely exquisite, was awkward. He could have of her only what he could reach. With her dress gone and all of her exposed to him, he began a caressing assault on her body.

He slid his hands over her hips, thumbs gliding over the satiny skin of her belly. Slowly, he slid his palms up her sides, gentle fingers softly kneading.

All the while she quietly moved against him, with him, rhythmically. He could feel each breath she took, each gasping exhalation, his own ragged breathing mingling with hers in the air between them.

With his thumbs he lightly traced the curve of her small bosoms, circling, teasingly avoiding the dark tips. Finally, he slid his hands around to cup the wonderfully soft breasts gently but firmly, massaging them with his fingers while his palms lightly teased the hard buds of her nipples.

She moaned in pleasure and leaned into his kneading hands, thrusting against him with her hips in a move that sent him deeper than ever inside her.

He moaned, at the intense warmth of her, and the pressure of her hips at his sides, and the sweat-slicked skin beneath his fingers. He slid one hand over her glistening shoulder to grasp her tenderly by the back of her neck, entangling his fingers in the damp, silky hair at her nape. He pulled on her lightly, trying to bring her lips down to his for a hungry kiss. Some part of him, still capable of conscious thought, realized that he was moving inside her, but he’d never even kissed her.

She resisted. Without breaking their gentle rhythm, she pushed off from his shoulders and arched her back, grabbing his roving hands in hers. Between her own gasps of passion, she kissed his fingertips lightly, tongue darting out to tease each one, before she pulled his hands down to her thrusting hips and held them there.

Thwarted of her mouth, he grasped her smooth buttocks with strong fingers and pulled her against him harder and faster, intensifying the urgency of their slippery contact.

Words were beyond both of them. No sound broke the stillness of the night but their ragged breathing and the gentle rasp of skin. But Obi-Wan was beyond hearing as well. He closed his eyes and spun off into a night where there was only his body, hard and lean, and hers, soft and pliant above it, and the fierce pleasure spreading a searing languor
throughout him. He began to feel very heavy, as if he were sinking into the soft ground, taking her with him.

Just when each slick contact bordered on the edge between ecstasy and pain, when it became almost too much to bear, he felt Kettie stiffen against him. She cried out and collapsed as climax claimed her, falling forward on him helplessly, her face landing in the hollow of his neck and her damp hair entangling in his lips.

No! She couldn’t stop now, Obi-Wan thought almost desperately. Never breaking their connection, he gripped her shoulders and almost roughly rolled her over to stretch his hard length atop her shuddering body. He dimly felt her legs wrap themselves around his hips as he plunged inside of her, over and over.

A few powerful thrusts of his hips, and he shuddered, finding his own release. Then it was his turn to collapse on her,  almost in relief, as every inch of his body relaxed all at once.

They lay there like that on the grass, for a few minutes, while they both caught their breath.

After a few silent moments, Obi-Wan lifted himself from her to his elbows, and reached out a trembling hand to brush sticky-damp hair from her face. She gazed up at him, eyes wide, unsure, not speaking.

He gave a breathless chuckle. "May I please kiss you now?"

She grinned at him in relief. "Be my guest."

It was several hours before she went home.



****



Obi-Wan felt fabulous all the next morning. He hadn’t allowed himself to feel guilty about last night. He’d woken up in a good mood, he’d eaten breakfast in a good mood, and now, even though he was engaged in meditation with a distracted apprentice, he held on to that good mood.

But he figured he’d better find out what the problem was. "An. You’re not concentrating. What’s wrong?"

Across from Obi-Wan, the boy sighed. He removed his palms from his master’s and leaned back against the porch railing, eyes shifting around the yard uncomfortably. "Nothing."

Obi-Wan sat back as well. "Something is obviously wrong. I hope you’re not angry with me over your punishment, because I’ll tell you right now that I won’t relent."

Anakin bowed his blonde head and watched his fingers pluck nervously at a splinter in the wooden floor. "No, I’m not upset about the punishment."

"Well, I hope you’re not still upset over my decision about the weapons gang? We can discuss it, rationally, if you wish."

Another heavy sigh. "No, that’s not it. It’s nothing."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Well, it is evidently something. You had better just tell me what it is. Unlike you, I am patient. Very patient. I can sit here all day, staring at you if you like, until you speak up."

"No! Don’t do that." Anakin finally sat up, but he was still unable to look Obi-Wan in the eyes. He gazed somewhere in the vicinity of his master’s unkempt hair, and took a deep breath. "I was just, um. I was kind of wondering. What were you and Kettie doing out here, last night?"

"What?" Obi-Wan was stunned almost speechless. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, unable to form words. No, please, no, he thought. His good mood vanished to be replaced by the guilt he’d been holding at bay.

Finally, however, he squeaked out the question. The one he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. "Were you watching?" He winced, anticipating the dreaded answer.

"No! I…no! I wasn’t! That’s gross!"

Thanks for small mercies. Obi-Wan could sense Anakin was telling the truth about that, anyway. But the guilt wouldn’t go away. "Well. That’s a relief. But why did you ask such a question?"

"I just heard noises, so I came out on the porch. I barely looked. I swear!" Anakin gazed directly at Obi-Wan, face intensely red. "I was just curious. Were you…um…doing….um….youknow what?"

Obi-Wan felt sick. Thoughts ran through his mind, accusations, mostly directed at himself. What kind of example are you setting? Why was it, again, you didn’t want to take Anakin to Ruxe court? Oh, yes, something about decadence, wasn’t it? Well, you’re the one who’s warped his tender young mind, now. Obi-Wan tried to shut the inner voice out. This situation was entirely his fault. The time for the discussion he’d avoided two weeks ago had come. Better start thinking quickly, fool, the voice taunted.

"Um. Anakin. Perhaps we’d better have a talk." Stupid. "I’m very, very sorry that you had to see that. Very sorry," he reiterated. "But if you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them." Keep going. Qui-Gon was much better at this. "You see, as you become an adult, there are some changes your body goes through, and--"

Anakin waved a hand, interrupting his near-stuttering master. "Oh, I know all about that. Sex and stuff. I grew up in a spaceport, remember? I heard all that from pilots when I was just a kid." He looked down again at the splinter he’d been fidgeting with. "Um. I just wondered if that was what you were doing. That’s all."

When he was just a kid? Well, what did that make him, now? But Obi-Wan began to feel a little better. At least he hadn’t been entirely responsible for Anakin’s fall from innocence. "Well, then. Yes. That’s what it was."

A thoughtful look came over Anakin’s young face. "Oh. Just like farm animals. Oh!" A look of recognition appeared. "So that’s what you meant, about seeds of destruction. That’s pretty funny." But Anakin seemed more embarrassed than anything.

"Oh, An. Yes, that’s what I meant. And I didn’t heed my own warning, did I? So you finally see, that your master is not perfect. None of us are. We are not saints, after all."

"Just seekers." Anakin finished the saying. "But I thought--"

He was interrupted by a familiar beeping. Sighing, Obi-Wan reached up to shut off the perimeter alarm on his communicator, which sat on the porch railing. But his face suddenly took on an expression of concern.

"What--"

Obi-Wan was drowned out by a near-deafening explosion of noise. He recognized the sound of speeder bikes, and not Kettie’s well-maintained four-four-ex-dee, either. He turned to look at Anakin, and was shocked to see a distinct look of guilt on his apprentice’s face. "Anakin! What is going on?"

Before the boy could answer, the source of the noise came tearing into their yard. Obi-Wan scanned the disturbance,  and picked out five very large, raggedly dressed men on black bikes. The largest, in front, was six-foot-eight, bald, had a scar cleaving his lower lip and chin and wore body armor. The four others wore no armor, but his sharp eyes picked
out twenty-four various weapons, some on the men’s metal belts, some attached to the bikes.

And one of the greasy-haired men in back held Kettie in front of him as he rode in. The red coveralls she wore were covered in dirt and oil. Either more grease, or bruises, covered one side of her face.

"No! Why did they bring her here? They weren’t supposed to hurt her!" Anakin started babbling, clearly upset. "Oh,  I’m so sorry! Please, don’t let them hurt her, I didn’t mean--" A hand roughly covered his mouth.

"Shut up!" Obi-Wan glared at his frightened apprentice in fury. "Shut up, and let me take care of this. Go inside, you know what I need."

But Anakin wasn’t even listening. Wide-eyed, he watched the approaching men, who’d parked their bikes halfway up the drive. One of them pushed a protesting Kettie before him, blaster rifle to her head.

Soon the gang was were upon them, and Obi-Wan had no further chance to speak to Anakin. He put on his calmest expression, and stepped down from the porch, stopping within two yards of the leader. Anakin dazedly followed.

"Can I help you?" Perhaps Obi-Wan could diffuse this situation with words and diplomacy.

The big bald man spoke. "Yeah. That kid right there told us you have something we need. We’ve come to get it."

Obi-Wan pretended to search his memory. "No, I’m sorry, unless you want your communications systems repaired, you’ve come to the wrong place. Perhaps you’d better leave. Oh, and thanks for bringing her here. I wondered where she’d gotten off to." He took a step towards Kettie.

The man raised his blaster, threateningly. "No. I want the ixolidium, and I want it now. I can pay for it, or I can kill you for it, mister. It’s your choice."

"Ixolidium? I’ve never heard of it. I’m sorry, I can’t help you." Obi-Wan steeled his voice. "Now, like I asked. Please go. And please leave the woman, if you will."

Kettie, obviously frightened out of her wits, spoke up suddenly. "I told you they don’t have it, Deiss. Coming here was a waste of time. Let’s go back to my place." She turned a beseeching, desperate look upon Obi-Wan. "Owen, I’m sorry! I told them you didn’t have that kind of stuff, I told them they were crazy, but would they listen? No. But I swear, I didn’t tell them to come here, I’m sure Ani didn’t either--"

A growl from Deiss drowned out her babbling. "Rinn? She’s getting on my nerves. Shut her the frak up, would you?"

The greasy-haired thug called Rinn snorted gleefully and pulled the trigger on his blaster rifle. With an ear-splitting boom the weapon discharged and blew Kettie’s head to pieces, splattering her blood and brains all over Obi-Wan and Anakin.

Her headless, smoking body stumbled forward a few halting steps, only to fall, finally, catching Anakin on the shoulder as the boy tried desperately to wipe gore from his eyes. Anakin screamed and took a stumble, falling on her still-twitching corpse.

Almost the same instant the killing blast erupted, Obi-Wan was in motion. Merely a blur, he moved on the man who’d fired the shot. He yanked the killer’s blaster from his hand and in one fluid motion, had the man in a headlock and the blaster jammed into his temple. Surveying the group, he tried to use the Force to end this, here, to tell them to leave before there was more bloodshed.

But the men were too stunned and angry to succumb, and Obi-Wan himself too unfocused. There was Kettie, on the ground, he was covered in her blood, was it only last night they’d… And Anakin was howling, sobbing, sending out waves of fear and sorrow that almost knocked Obi-Wan off his feet. He settled for yelling harshly at his apprentice,
hoping to calm him enough to get what Obi-Wan needed.

"Anakin!" Once Obi-Wan had the boy’s attention, he screamed into his mind. Lightsaber, lightsaber, lightsaber! he sent, over and over, hoping his apprentice would understand.

Anakin forced himself up from Kettie’s bloody remains, and took off into the house, blubbering.

Obi-Wan turned his attention back to the group of men. Only a few seconds had passed, and they stood, stunned, wondering how this nondescript fellow had moved so quickly. But they were getting angrier, fast. Time to defuse this, now. "Why don’t I hold your friend, here, until the rest of you get off my property!" Obi-Wan said, yelling at the last.
"Now!"

Deiss simply growled. "Kill him."

The four remaining men began firing wildly at Obi-Wan, not caring whether they hit their compatriot or not. Before long, Obi-Wan’s human shield was turned into a useless, screaming, steaming piece of meat by his own gang’s fusillade. With a grunt, Obi-Wan heaved the blaster and the smoking husk onto the nearest thug and advanced,  ducking and grappling to bring the man down.

The big human reacted more quickly than Obi-Wan anticipated, throwing off his bloody pal and grabbing Obi-Wan’s arm, trying to twist it. As they struggled they turned sideways, and Deiss found a clear shot at Obi-Wan’s head. He fired.

Anticipating the blast, Obi-Wan suddenly jerked his arm up, yanking the man’s grabbing fist with it. Deiss’s shot hit his own man’s hand, and the shrieking gunman released Obi-Wan, cradling his injured arm.

Snapping out a leg with a powerful thrust, Obi-Wan kicked the howling greaseball, knocking him into the line of his buddies’ red and green blaster bolts. The front of the idiot’s face exploded in eyeballs, teeth and greasy hair as friendly fire pounded the back of his head.

Obi-Wan wasted no time. He flipped backwards from the faceless horror in a blur, stretching his hand outward.  Anakin had appeared on the porch, bearing Obi-Wan’s lightsaber at last. He wrenched it from the boy’s hand with a Force grip, and it sailed smoothly into Obi-Wan’s waiting grasp as he landed.

Immediately, the green blade ignited, deflecting the barrage of blaster shots. Obi-Wan angled his saber, trying to send the shots at the leader, the most obvious threat. It was no use. Deiss’s body armor withstood the fire.

With a downward swipe, Obi-Wan bounced one ricochet at Deiss’s twitching trigger finger, sending the heated blaster flying. With a feral bellow, the huge man backed off, turned and ran for his bike.

The other two remained, still firing futilely at the Jedi who’d now easily decimated their ranks by two. They flanked Obi-Wan, trying to catch him in crossfire but unable to hit him for the arcing green blade.

Hodgen, on the left, suddenly noticed the kid vomiting off the side of the porch. He swung his arm, preparing to take the brat out with a well-placed laser to the brain.

Obi-Wan noticed instantly. He’d tried, so far, not to kill anyone directly. He had been consoling himself with the fact that both dead men had been murdered by their own. But now, his apprentice, unprotected, was in danger. He couldn’t have that. The gauntlet had been thrown.

Steely-eyed beneath his wild hair, Obi-Wan strode purposefully toward Anakin’s threat on the left. Almost carelessly,  he swung his hissing green blade outward, one-handedly deflecting a shot from the man on the right. The seemingly casual swipe sent the red blast home, embedding it in the throat of the man who’d fired it. The man dropped his smoking blaster and wrenched his hands to his shredded throat, gurgling, trying vainly to stop the spurting flow of blood between his fingers.

Having neutralized one threat, Obi-Wan still advanced inexorably to the left. Swinging his blade back inwards, he fell upon Hodgen in a bare instant. The man, helpless, stared into the glowing green shaft that came for him, seeing his own death in its cold depths. Obi-Wan’s killing instrument sliced down and through him effortlessly, sizzling, cleaving
him in half at mid-thigh. As Hodgen fell forward, moaning in fear and pain, Obi-Wan grasped the handle of his weapon with both hands and turned it straight down. He ruthlessly thrust the hissing blade into the man’s head, pinning him to the gore-splattered ground and putting him out of his misery.

Barely winded, Obi-Wan turned to check on Anakin. He hoped he still had a living, breathing apprentice to show for all this.

The boy stood on the steps, done retching but still covered in gore, bloody tears running in rivulets down his cheeks. "I’m so sorry, Obi-Wan, I’m so so-sor-sorry!" he choked. Anakin wiped his eyes, then suddenly turned his head, looking in the direction of the drive.

Immediately, Obi-Wan heard a booming, harsh voice call from behind. "Hey, Jedi! Deflect this!"

Obi-Wan spun, blade ready, but instantly retracted it at what he saw. Deiss stood, by the bikes, holding a rocket launcher on his shoulder. Obi-Wan turned and grabbed Anakin, hauling him off the porch under his arm.

They barely made it. With a concussive blast that slammed them to the ground, the front of the house exploded outwards in a giant ball of flame and flying shards of building material. Feeling the searing heat at his back, Obi-Wan picked up his apprentice again and tried to run for cover.

Deiss gave them no time. He fired again and again, four more shots that took out their speeder, a tree, and more of the house. The unlucky fellow who still stumbled about, holding his gushing throat, took the fourth shell in his back and exploded outwards in a sickening spray of bone, clothing and smoking entrails. His head, untouched, was sent rocketing into the sky by the force of the blast that had decimated his body.

Dodging a sixth shell, Obi-Wan decided he’d had enough. He dropped his screaming apprentice roughly onto the grass and stood, facing Deiss, arm outstretched. He spoke one word into the smoky haze that engulfed them both. "Stop."

Deiss chuckled maniacally. "You’re crazy, Jedi. I ain’t stopping till you’re dead." So saying, he sighted along his huge weapon at Obi-Wan and pulled the trigger. A rocket erupted with a boom from the weapon’s end, heading straight for Obi-Wan’s unmoving head.

Face set, Obi-Wan gathered all his strength. With the Force as his ally, he grabbed the shell in midair, mere inches from his nose. With a flick of his wrist and a grunt of disgust, he sent the shell back home.

Deiss stared in horror as his own missile flew back at him. He watched, almost entranced, as the rocket re-entered the smoking whole from whence it had sprung. He never moved as the launcher detonated, obliterating his entire torso in a ghastly ball of destructive flame. Even after the rest of him had atomized, his armored hips and legs remained
standing in place, unmoving.

Until the head returned. Whistling through the air, the gaping bloody head that had been blown into the sky reappeared, caught in the grip of gravity. In a gruesome irony, the skull impacted against the armor with an
incongruously innocent metallic clang. The statue-like legs wavered for a moment, then fell over with a dull thud.

An eerie silence pervaded their yard in the aftermath of the wanton destruction, broken only by a sparking and hissing in the ruins of their house.

Four minutes. Six were dead, their house and speeder were in shambles, and the whole thing had taken less than four minutes.

Anakin stood, shivering, on the remains of the porch, staring at his master with something like fear. The cold, deadly efficiency with which Obi-Wan had dispatched the gang had been horrific to see. And with his clothes bloody, hair and beard dripping with gore, Obi-Wan didn’t look at all like himself.

As his master turned to him, a look of near-fury in his eyes, Anakin began crying again, softly. "I-I-I didn’t know! It was s-so horrible! All that blood. Kettie. Oh, I didn’t know!" He sobbed, helplessly, alternately gulping air and wailing.

Obi-Wan took deep, calming breaths and watched his apprentice silently. Anakin had caused all this. But the boy already knew that. He didn’t need his master to tell him. Obi-Wan felt the waves of sorrow, horror and regret
emanating from Anakin. He realized the boy had been punished enough, for this at least.

Wordlessly, he looked up at Anakin, arms outstretched.

The boy lost his fear of his master, then, and ran down the steps to cling to him. He still couldn’t speak, but buried his face in Obi-Wan’s crimson-stained shirt and wept noisily

"It is horrible, isn’t it? I don’t think you believed me until now." Obi-Wan spoke softly. He gazed numbly at the carnage around him, eyes alighting only briefly on Kettie’s headless body. His heart constricted at the sight and he pulled his eyes resolutely down to Anakin’s head pressed against his chest. "Killing is not glorious. It is messy. Even in self-defense. And every life you take is forever imprinted on your soul."

"I’m sorry," Anakin whispered against Obi-Wan’s shirt. It was all he could say.

"I know." But Obi-Wan could only give so much comfort. This wasn’t over quite yet. "Stand back. There. Breathe.  Calm yourself, like I taught you. Good. I need you functioning, not blubbering."

"Yes, Master." Anakin took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. He had to ask. "Will….will I ever have to do that?"

"I wish I could tell you no. But I can't. I can only hope not." Obi-Wan steeled himself. They didn't have time to discuss it. "Now. Go, and search the front rooms of the house. See what’s left, that we need to take with us."

"Yes, sir." Anakin left to rummage in the remains of their home. A few minutes later he returned, carrying only his lightsaber and a half-melted data card. He found his master at the side of the house. "This is all that was left. Everything else was blown to bits." He looked sick at his own words.

"Good. Now stand back. There’s something we need to do." Obi-Wan held a large blaster rifle he’d scrounged from the dead gang’s bikes. He pointed at an unused rocket from Deiss’s destroyed launcher. It lay on the ground, next to a gaping hole in the wall of the half-intact communications room. "We can’t take it with us, but we can’t leave it, either."

Anakin understood. The equipment was no longer functioning, its power source having been destroyed. But people would soon come by to investigate the explosions. They couldn’t be allowed to discover this technology.

Anakin stood back and watched silently as Obi-Wan fired the blaster at the rocket. The room went up in one last fireball, raining more wires and electronics over the bloodbath that had once been their yard. With a flick of his wrist, Obi-Wan tossed the blaster aside. The two Jedi then made their way to the speeder bikes, both wanting only to escape from here, and fast.



****



Half a day later, exhausted but clean of the blood, if not its memory, Obi-Wan and Anakin crept through a window into Jak Qado’s quarters in Riaga. The man himself jumped from a chair at their entrance, surprise written plainly on his darkly-bearded face. "What are you two doing here? The wedding isn’t for another week! Didn’t you get my last message?"

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his tangled hair, sighing. So many explanations. "Something unexpected happened. I need to speak to the Council, immediately. Can you contact them for me?"

"Of course," Jak agreed without hesitation. He trusted Kenobi. Whatever had happened, it had to be important or they wouldn’t be here. "I’ll call them, now. Can you at least tell me, does it impact our mission here? Should I be prepared for anything? Otherwise, I wouldn’t ask."

Obi-Wan chuckled morosely. "Not unless you expect the ghosts of a dead weapons-smuggling gang to attack us here. We weren’t followed by anyone living." He brushed a hand over his face and straightened his borrowed clothing. Their own clothes soaked with blood and credit chip lost, they’d been forced to raid an unsuspecting clothesline. They hadn’t found an exact fit, but at least they were covered. "How do I look? Will the Council recognize me?"

Jak grinned. "You look like the living dead yourself. Both of you. But wait a minute. Did you say weapons gang? This wouldn’t have anything to do with one Jenker Deiss, would it?"

Both Obi-Wan and Anakin started at the name. They shared a significant look before Obi-Wan turned back to Jak. "We tangled with a Deiss, yes. Why?"

"Well, if you killed him, you’ve done us all a favor. Republic Intelligence has been looking for that man for days.  Remember that message I sent, about hostile takeovers?" At Obi-Wan’s nod, he continued. "We received word a gang was working with the Piraani government resistance, plotting to blow up the wedding. Rumor had it they were only looking for--"

Obi-Wan interrupted him. "Let us guess. Anakin?"

The boy spoke softly. "Ixolidium."

Jak was amazed. "Exactly. RI couldn’t find them, because they avoided all communications channels. But it appears you ran into them yourselves. What a coincidence," he added, shaking his head. "The Force works in mysterious ways."

"That it does, my friend. That it does. Now." Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "On to the Council."



****



"Good afternoon, Jedi Knight Kenobi. Padawan Skywalker. Why are you not at your post?"

Mace Windu’s voice was surprisingly calm, considering the way he’d been contacted. And considering the raggedy appearance of the two wayward Jedi who bowed holographically on the marble floor before him.

But Obi-Wan had expected no less. "Hello, Master. The communications array has been completely destroyed. My Padawan and I traveled here, secretly, to inform you and arrange transport off-planet. No one but Jedi Qado knows we are here."

There was silence for a moment, while Windu considered Obi-Wan’s words. Then another voice spoke, from beside him.

"More there is, that you do not tell us." Yoda, as always, read between the lines.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes, Master. We encountered a gang of weapons smugglers. They murdered an innocent and threatened our lives. I killed them."

Another voice joined the conversation. It was Ki-Adi-Mundi. "You hide even more, Jedi Kenobi. You are agitated, and your Padawan moreso."

Obi-Wan began to wonder just how many Jedi Masters he was confronting. The only one he could see directly was Windu. "Yes, Master. But if you would please send a transport, we will discuss this with you in person the instant we arrive on Coruscant."

There was a silence on Obi-Wan's and Anakin's end of the transmission while the Jedi Masters discussed the situation. Finally, Mace Windu turned back to them. "You will remain in Riaga until the wedding and the completion of the talks. We will not send a transport."

Obi-Wan was startled and dismayed. "But, Masters, we are not expected--"

"Then your presence at Court will come as a pleasant surprise to Lady Omanna and the Supreme Chancellor," Mace Windu spoke wryly. "Since your replacement mission failed, you will have the chance to assist Jedi Qado in completing your original."

"But how will I explain my presence here? And what do I tell Chancellor Palpatine about the destroyed communations array?"

"As to explaining your presence, we will leave that to you." Windu turned his head for a moment, as if listening to a voice out of view. He then returned his attention to the two holographic Jedi. "And do not inform the Supreme Chancellor as of yet. He will find out soon enough. We will deal with that, when the time comes."

Obi-Wan was surprised, but came to a sudden realization. The Council were not very disappointed about the destruction of the communications array. In fact, he would have guessed they were quite pleased. But that didn’t mean he was off the hook, yet. "Thank you, Masters. One last thing, if you please. Where did you tell him I was? I will need to know if I am to explain my sudden appearance."

Windu answered. "We simply told him you were unavailable. We trust you to think of a satisfactory explanation."

What that meant was, you caused this mess, so you can help clean it up. Obi-Wan bowed respectfully. "Thank you again, Masters."

"You are welcome. May the Force be With You." Windu ended the communication.

Obi-Wan sighed and turned to bow at Jak, who’d watched the interview from across the room. "Sir. Your helpers have arrived." He swiped a hand through his hair, smiling ruefully. "Damn. All my lovely hair will have to go. The beard, too."

Anakin, who had remained silent during the transmission, spoke up at that. "Why, Master? I thought you liked it?"

Obi-Wan sent his apprentice a significant look. "Well. Since we are to remain on Piraan, we will be thrust once again into the public eye. Don’t forget, Kettie wasn’t the only person we met in that town. We don’t want anyone to recognize the two young men who created a smoking scene of carnage and didn’t bother to leave an explanation."

"Oh," Anakin answered quietly. So Obi-Wan’s hair was yet another thing he had to feel guilty about.

Jak looked at them with interest. "Was it that bad?"

Obi-Wan was solemn. "Yes. I will tell you about it, later. For now, though, could you please find us some decent clothing? We have no credits. And may we borrow your room to clean up?"

"Of course. " The dark-haired man grinned, and bowed out. "The scissors and razor are in the refresher room, second drawer from the bottom."

"Thank you so much, my friend." Obi-Wan managed to sound not the least bit sarcastic.

Once they were alone, he turned and crouched to face his apprentice. "Listen, Anakin. We haven't had time to talk.  And now, it appears, we are to be kept busy once again. I'm very sorry, but I have to ask. Can I count on your obedience and cooperation for the coming weeks? You understand I don't ask this lightly."

Anakin nodded sadly at Obi-Wan. "Yes, Master. I don't want to fail again. Or kill anyone else."

Obi-Wan almost felt sorry for Anakin, because the boy looked so pathetic. Almost. Anakin had blundered, badly. But Obi-Wan reminded himself that he was hardly blameless.

"Listen to me. We both made many mistakes here. You understand what mine was. I feel responsible for her death as well."

Anakin was appalled. "But that was my fault! If I hadn’t--"

Obi-Wan cut him off. "I realize now, that if I could go so far as to become involved with her, I should also have been able to help her when she needed it. But I didn't, did I?"

"No." Anakin spoke very quietly.

"And you realize what your mistakes were."

"Yes."

"We can't do anything about them now. We must simply learn, and strive not to repeat them."

Some of Anakin's old insouciance peeped through. "Huh. Well, you can bet I won't do anything like that again. Ever."

Obi-Wan snorted. "I can only pray that you don't." He stood and swatted Anakin on the back. "Now go take a shower. You stink."

"Yeah, right. Like you're any better. Yuck."

"Don’t insult your master."

"Well, you're not!"

"GO!"

Anakin went.