Title: When Words Have No Meaning
* * * * * Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in a long hallway of glass, not just the side panes but ceiling, floor and walls. The divider behind him where he awaited the governor of Waddas was an opaque color, making it possible to see only silhouettes moving about behind the frosty walls. Outside the building he was occupying, was a tranquil sea with aquatic life swimming to and fro. It reminded him of Mon Calamari but softer, quieter and the submerged edifices here were not deep enough to knock out light. In fact, it was created so that a person could look up and witness light streaming through the pale blue waters. He could just imagine how entrancing this place would be if he were not on mission. Thinking of this, Obi-Wan cut his eyes to the presence in the other room. He had met Governor Saril once before. He was a man of his world, calm, friendly and inviting. But, now, his Force-presence was one of desperation and great sadness. Obi-Wan was sent by council to see what Saril’s message was about. The leader had been vague, yet his sorrow had been genuine. “Lord Kenobi?” Obi-Wan turned to the young female, smiling calmly. “Please… Master Kenobi will do nicely.” The woman bowed, stiff strains of black hair sweeping over her shoulder. Waddasi women were much smaller than their male counterparts and this one was no different. She was almost smaller than Obi-Wan himself. “The governor is ready to greet you and to apologize for keeping you waiting.” The Jedi Master inclined his head and entered the room, leaving behind the young woman who shut the door behind her to give Obi-Wan and Saril privacy. “Governor Saril, it is an honor to meet you once again.” The other male rose up from his chair, towering over the human. But Obi-Wan saw not the alien but the sorrow imbedded in a good man’s heart. “Jedi Master Obi-Wan, it is good to see you well. I wish… I was better.” Obi-Wan cocked his head. “You are ill?” “In my heart…my soul. I call the Jedi to help. A sacred treasure has been taken from us. We are a humble people. We try to be. We do not horde goods… we share!” he exclaimed, having no time for more pleasantries. Saril sat heavily in his sponge chair, the energy leaking out of him. “It is sacred to us… But, others would have it for market value… black market. Someone will buy it as if it were a mere stone! A stone!” Obi-Wan held up his hand, trying to bring calm back to the room. “A… sacred object has been stolen?” “Yes!” “Perhaps this is a matter best handled by law enforcement.” “No.” His voice was not angered but sure of his conviction. “This… sacred object, its name I cannot speak, is holder of great power. I trust only the Jedi. It can be dangerous.” He leaned forward and said softly, “I will show you.” Crossing his arms loosely, Obi-Wan watched the male rise up and retrieve a golden orb. He passed his seven-fingered hand over it and it opened. Inside was a tiny sliver of red. Saril placed his hands under the open orb and leaned over to Obi-Wan. “Look… but do not touch.” Hiding a perplexed look, the Jedi did as the other asked and trained his eyes on the ruby splinter. He felt it almost immediately… every color brightened, every sound heightened, every touch intensified. His Force-sense flowed like a river, nearly sweeping him away. Obi-Wan jerked back. “What is that?!” “It’s name I cannot speak. In Basic, it would be considered… the ‘Mind’s Eye’,” he stated reverently, looking heavenward. “Sacred. The larger is stolen.” “Larger?” Saril nodded his massive head. “More powerful. Much, much…” * * * * * “It’s an amplifier for the Force itself, master!” Obi-Wan was walking down the hall of the Jedi temple on Coruscant along side one of the greatest Jedi alive. “It was like… looking into a mirror of the whole galaxy… of everything.” Mace Windu nodded sagely. “We knew of its existence and that it was in good hands. Never did I dream it would be stolen. Not too many people would think a little stone would pack a punch.” “I can imagine.” “Any leads?” “Why, yes, master. Governor Saril tells me he is almost positive that it is a human woman named Alassa. She visited Waddas only a month ago. One of the governor’s security men caught her skulking about. He said she acted suspicious and, from what I know of the governor, he is a good judge of character. I gathered she’s some sort of low level royalty.” Master Windu nodded, his dark skin gleaming in the soft lights. “Thanks to your report, I already put someone to work on that.” He slipped a handheld out of his robe pocket. “You’ll not be taking Anakin on this one. I’m sure the boy will understand. We are sending you with another knight instead.” “Yes, master.” “Have fun,” Mace told him, giving him an odd expression. “And be sure to come back in one piece.” Obi-Wan watched him leave, the pair having arrived at the open door to the library. Obi-Wan gripped the hand held between his long fingers. “That bad?” he asked aloud but to himself. “Afraid so.” Obi-Wan looked up, shocked. “Master Jade?” “That’s me.” The red-haired woman smiled nervously, avoiding eye contact and rubbing her palms together. The male sighed inaudibly and asked in a more calm voice, “So, it’s you that’s coming along on this mission?” Jade looked up, eyes ablaze. “Yes. Is there a problem?” “No! I mean… no. Of course not. I was merely not informed.” “Oh.” “Well… we should… get ready to go.” “Yes. I’ll meet you on the platform.” “Alright. I’ll be there.” Obi-Wan watched her walk away and felt the urge to bang his head against the wall. ‘Well, of course, I’d be there… Where else would I be?’ Instead, the Jedi straightened his shoulders and sought out his padawan. * * * * * “But… why?” “Because, I said so. Three times already. And the council too,” he reminded the blonde haired boy as he stood with him at the exit to the platform outside the temple. “I promise, it probably won’t be exciting. Not exciting at all.” “Master?” “Nothing.” Obi-Wan settled his gaze on the 14-year-old. “Stay out of trouble?” “Yes, master.” “Good…” Jade had arrived, walking fast to do away with the distance. She had a travel bag thrown over her shoulder and was more calm than before. “Are we ready?” Obi-Wan nodded. “Master Jade, may I come?” The pale-skinned woman laughed. “I’m afraid not, Ani. You have to stay this time. Maybe next time?” He nodded, disappointed but willing to give up now. “I’ll see you when you get back.” “Be good.” “I will. Bye!” Anakin Skywalker ran off, his padawan braid flipping behind him. “Off to mischief.” Jade laughed and waved him to the ship. “C’mon. Let’s get this over with.” * * * * * ‘Of all the people to send me off with…’ Obi-Wan and Jade sat in the cockpit, looking out at the dull void of hyperspace… with nothing to say. On their last mission together, they had talked for hours on end. They were amazingly similar and what was not similar was interesting to the other. They had a companionship that rivaled any he had experienced before and all in the short span of four days. Their connection had been instantaneous. He wished he didn’t feel so awkward now. Jade took in a breath, blinking sleepily. Bad idea. She could smell Obi-Wan’s scent from where she sat. She’d never noticed things about a man like that… only in passing. The other Jedi had plagued her thoughts and dreams for many weeks now and all because… ‘Don’t think about it. Just don’t.’ Jade sighed and picked up a handheld, looking through their notes. “So…” Uncomfortable silence interrupted was the worst sound. “Should we go over the plan again?” “Arrive, confront, ask nicely and, if that fails, reacquire.” Obi-Wan nodded. He refused to tap his fingers or chew his lower lip and allow his disquiet to show. ‘If only I hadn’t kissed her back!’ * * * * * ‘What was I thinking?! I kissed him… Twice.’ The memory of their last mission teased Jade again… The camaraderie, the freedom she felt with him to let her guard down, to laugh, to… And she kissed him. But he kissed her in return… which did not mean she had to nip at him again and, yet, she did. ‘JEDI DO NOT KNOW LOVE!’ Jade rolled her eyes, glad Obi-Wan was staring out the window. With him distracted, she could view him to her liking… just as long as she kept her thoughts to herself. His shaggy hair was a teasing color, red-brown-blonde and his eyes… ‘Stop thinking about him!’ * * * * * ‘Stop thinking about her!’ The mission was the most important thing right now and, yet, a forbidden kiss was all he could recall. Jade was a bright star behind him, one he refused to look at, staring instead at the realm beyond. Maybe if he did not find her so beautiful… No, that wasn’t it. Oh, she was but… it was deeper than how she appeared. She made him laugh. Made him see through new, unjaded eyes and had him wishing for things that the council had long ago forbidden. “Master Kenobi?” His turquoise eyes turned her way. He much preferred it when she called him Obi-Wan. “Yes?” Jade pointed at the control panel. “Time to come out of hyperspace. We’re here.” * * * * * Side by side they walked up the stone path leading to an ornate mansion that rested on a rocky hill. Once they had landed on Ta’Rail 2, they were met by a droid who bowed and told them how honored everyone was to have two Jedi Knights on their undeserving planet and that they were to be made to feel at home for the duration of their stay. They had accompanied the droid with out question. There was no one about anyway. The land was pretty much barren and was sparsely populated. The only way any of the inhabitants had supplies was by cargo runs. The Ta’Railians had been run off from their home after a botched uprising on their homeworld two-hundred years ago. The population was close to one thousand and was governed by a queen. This supposed thief was a lady by birth and had no previous ties to any criminal doings. No one was suppose to know they were coming and, yet, they had been greeted. They could feel the bulk of the populace in the distance and could see a small but grand castle sticking from the ground even further into that distance. But not many near here. “I don’t like this.” Obi-Wan agreed. “At least we know it’s a trap.” “Yes, much better to jump in a trap on purpose than to fall in by accident.” “My sentiments exactly.” Jade chuckled. “That was sarcasm, Obi-Wan.” He smiled. Not at her words but that she had used his first name. Odd how that something like that seemed to matter to him at a time like this. They stopped their conversation as they arrived at the huge doors leading to the interior of the mansion. With a slow, sweeping motion, the doors opened unaided, a common sight in a galaxy of technology but there was an oddness to the air that put the Jedi on alert. Not everything would be as it appeared. “Enter, please.” Not glancing behind them at the droid, Jade and Obi-Wan stepped into the richly decorated front room and stood in the center of it, their eyes artistically drawn up the stairs and to the figure that stood there. Jade blinked in awe and Obi-Wan’s hands tightened into fists. The form was that of a woman, no doubt. She was human, mid-twenties, rich copper skin, black hair filled with seashells and beads and her healthy body was swathed in a glimmering skein of material that barely covered any of her. She stepped down the stairs, one by one, full of grace. The closer she got, the more dazzling she became. Obi-Wan swallowed. Jade felt like slithering away. She felt dull in comparison. Everything felt dull compared to the epitome of womanliness before them. “I am Lady Alassa.” “I’m Obi-Wan.” Jade hit him before she could stop herself and he grabbed his arm, eyes wide. “I mean… I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service.” Jade’s wide eyes turned to him and she whispered harshly, “We are not at her service!” Obi-Wan seemed a bit dazed. But, then again, so did Jade. The woman had reached them now and she stood on the last step, her sensual features alive with the fire of life. She was perusing Obi-Wan with feline interest. “And I am Jedi Master Jade Blood.” Lady Alassa glanced at the other female and dismissed her immediately. “What brings you to me?” Obi-Wan stared then, realizing a question had been asked, pointed towards his chest. “Me?” Alassa laughed in mirth and both Jedi found themselves wanting to laugh with her. Jade was the first to stop and to realize that things were suddenly more complicated and more… Her blue eyes caught sight of a gold necklace that wrapped about her neck and disappeared between Alassa’s ample cleavage to reappear at her midriff. It was a ruby stone. Jade looked up to see the woman still looking her companion up and down like a morsel of man. The woman was too overconfident… Just to look at the red crystal made Jade’s eyes ache and her brain to feel as though it would liquefy. No wonder Obi-Wan seemed so- Jade made a grab for the crystal, her hands catching air. Then the room was swirling, not from dizziness but because she had been thrown. Alassa was actually many feet away when she’d made that grab. The crystal was too powerful and was warping her sense of reality. All thoughts were put to a sharp halt when Jade finally hit the floor and slid to the wall nearby. Obi-Wan was staring at his companion and weaving in his spot. Alassa was right in front of him now and he fell back on his backside, his body trying desperately to obey what his mind was trying to say. But the closer she got, the more… no! Jade had reached out for something! He saw it, then, dangling before him as Lady Alassa leaned over him. Grabbing the chain, he broke the links and let the gem skitter away from them, far across the room. Almost immediately, the effects vanished. The Lady Alassa screamed in his ear and she nearly ran over him to follow her bauble but Obi-Wan grabbed a stretch of fabric and forced her to the ground. “Gua-!” Jade saw Obi-Wan clamp his hand over the woman’s mouth. If she did have guards, they would be here any minute. She rose up and dusted herself off, clutching her lightsaber for support. “Let’s do this with as little blood shed as possible, shall we?” “My Lady!” Jade and Obi-Wan turned in the direction of a male’s voice. He already had his blaster pulled out and had it aimed at Obi-Wan. “Shoot him!” “We are Jedi Knights of the Republic, put down your weapon,” Jade called strongly. The man hesitated and she sent a tiny feeling of compliance to him. “Put your weapon down.” The blaster clattered to the floor and the male hit the ground beside it with a thud. Obi-Wan frowned as he got to his feet, still holding onto the woman with her back to his front so she could not punch him. “Jade… what?” She shrugged. “It’s the crystal…” Alassa said quietly. “It makes people do what I want.” Jade’s attention went back to the other woman and she gasped, eyes wide. “Oh… By the Force!” Obi-Wan edged over to look at the woman, to see what Jade saw… and in his arms was a girl of no more than seventeen, no longer stunning. “What is this?” “You heard her… it was the crystal.” The female master stepped closer to the pair, eyes blazing at the girl. “The crystal you stole.” “I wanted it.” “Obviously,” Obi-Wan agreed dryly. “Do you have parents?” No answer. “We can turn her over to local authority for now,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “Though, I am sure, Governor Saril may want to speak with her about all this.” Still, the girl did not speak, only stared stonily ahead. Jade sighed, shaking her head. “I’ll check the guard and make sure he’s okay.” “Sit here,” Obi-Wan said softly, applying a little bit of pressure to her shoulder. Having a teenage padawan was tough but it helped him be more sensitive to others of that age. “Are you okay?” Alassa covered her mouth and sniffled, shaking her head. Obi-Wan sighed and wrapped an arm around her, patting her shoulder. She sniffled. “I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?” Obi-Wan decided not to nod but settled for patting her shoulder again. Nearby, Jade sat by the guard, watching the other Jedi with the girl. She no longer felt the manufactured jealousy, instead, she saw a sensitive man being kind. ‘That’s so Obi.’ The man beside her grunted and stirred groggily. “Are you okay? Can you get up?” “Uh, yes…” Jade helped him stand and he looked around. “What is this?” Lady Alassa suddenly started to cry harder. “You’re her guard?” “Guard?! Of course not. I’m her older brother. Damn it, Carassa! What have you done to bring the Jedi here?” Obi-Wan rose from his spot beside the now-frightened girl, holding out a hand in supplication. “Please, be calm. I think she realizes her mistake. Wait… Carassa?” He looked back to the girl. “I thought your name was Alassa.” “Our Lady Alassa is our mother.” “I’m sorry, My Lord Riffen,” she apologized in a soft voice. The black-haired man grunted again. “And why do I feel like I’ve been asleep for a week?” “I said I was sorry!” Jade almost groaned. It was going to take some fancy work to figure out everything the girl did while in possession of such a potent item. It was quite a shock to find out that the great thief and black market dealer was just a young teenager who had not been taught manners and the proper way to follow rules. No doubt Governor Saril, the gracious host he was, did not notice age differences in humans. She obviously took the ‘Mind’s Eye’ because she somehow found out that it made her powerful. Speaking of which, Obi-Wan had moved away from the woman and was standing over the crystal, his hand at his temple. She made her way to his side and they both looked down, feeling giddy from the odd effects. Against her better judgment, Jade bent down and picked it up, the chain wrapped in her fingers. The gem appeared to slip and Obi-Wan’s hand shot out to grab it and, in that instant, the world fell away. * * * * * The Universe unraveled, galaxies dispersed, systems flung themselves to dust, planets faded from view and the world of the living had no form. It was the Force unfettered. In a realm of light, one woman and one man, two spirits incased in flesh, stood together, linked by a thread, a thread of the most basic creation of life. They saw all this and more, from the beginnings of time to the end and back again. They saw into each other and all pretense was stripped away. They were forged from the same light. They were man and woman, nothing more, nothing less. The creations and rules of others no longer held sway. Here, the past was forgotten and the future forever waited while the present had no existence. Time was as obsolete as matter. It was a place in-between creation and the mundane world. And, yet, when the too would-be lovers reentered reality, they would take with them this truth. When words have no meaning, the laws of mortal life ceased to exist and all that remains are hearts that love. * * * * * Riffen and Carassa stood beside each other, mouths agape. “I didn’t know Jedi could kiss.” “Neither did I.” END
~JADE BLOOD~
~LADY KARIGAN~
~CAT WILLOW~
~Let me know what you think! Send a comment of your own~
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