The Right Place at the Right Time (repost)

That was sooo cool!

Kithera

 

That last post was one of the ones that originally had me hooked on this story. The detail and discription combined with action was superb.

Plus I liked her beating Obi and ending up tangled with Qui-Gon!

 

Section 5

Debrah was standing in the kitchen making sandwiches when they finally came in. Obi-wan zeroed in on the food and came to stand next to her to see what she was making. Both men could feel her tense up almost instantly. She gave him a gentle shove away and pushed her shower damp hair behind one ear. ?Personal space. Remember, Obi??

?Sorry,? he replied, but to her he didn?t sound all that contrite. //Brat,// she thought.

?Yeah, well, I hope neither of you is allergic to tuna because that?s what?s for lunch. To drink we have juice or water. I threw out the milk because it was spoiled.? The blond woman neatly sliced each sandwich in half on the diagonal and began dropping them on plates. ?I know it?s still a little early for lunch, but we ate breakfast so early, I didn?t think either of you would mind. Especially you, Obi.? She wagged a finger at him, ?I remember how much my brothers used to eat when they were your age.?

Debrah went to the cupboard to get glasses for them. ?Oh, Obi-wan. I got my computer set up a little while ago. It?s got some pretty cool games on it, if you?re interested. I know there isn?t a whole lot to do around here.?

?A computer?? The surprise in his tone made her turn around.

?Yeah, it?s got a Celeron processor and over 64 Meg of RAM.? She watched his face carefully, unsure of why she suddenly felt his answer was important. ?I?ve got it over-clocked to about 300 megahertz. Only one of my flight-simulator games lags a little. The rest just zip right along.?

?Voice interface or manual?? he asked, interest peaking in his eyes.

The look she shot him was suspicion mingled with confusion. Sure, it was just one more strange thing about these two, but it was stranger than usual. ?What do you mean, voice interface? Not even the state of the art stuff has voice interface yet. We?re working on it, but there are a few points we?re hanging up on.?

?Oh,? he covered rather smoothly, but she could practically hear his brain searching for a plausible answer. ?Well, I mean, I?ve heard about some of the advances being made and I was hoping . . .? he trailed off. Disbelief was written plainly on the woman?s face. Debrah was a non-confrontational sort by nature, going out of her way to avoid arguments, but this just didn?t sit right and she?d dealt with far too much in the past few weeks to put up with anymore without blowing off a little steam first.

Confusion and frustration swirled within her and the tiny knot of paranoia that lurked at the back of her brain dipped it?s fingers into the pool, muddying the emotional waters still further. The potent mixture hit critical mass and Debrah?s temper, which came rarely and never lasted long, flared up and settled into a low burn.

Those green eyes blazed with suspicion and not a little anger. ?I assumed, from the way you were dressed and the way you talked that you two were some sort of cloistered monks.? Debrah?s analytical mind began to connect the dots, all the little discrepancies and inconsistencies that she?d encountered and passed off. ?But there?s no way that even monks wouldn?t know what cars are,? she was ticking points off on her fingers again. ?Or what country they live in, or what state they live in, or that we -have- states. You should also know how to read. And there is *no* way on God?s green Earth that a monk would know about voice interfaces on computers, let alone expect a personal computer to have one.? She looked back and forth between the two men, anger and frustration snapping in her eyes and making her voice harsh.

?Are you going to tell me just what the heck is going on? Because you guys aren?t monks, that much is clear. And you aren?t from around here, either.? Within herself Debrah made a private bet that they were IRA, but she was willing to accept almost anything at that point. ?I?m going to give you just ten seconds to start explaining before I call the cops.? She gave a high piercing whistle and the tortoise-shell cat, which had been in the kitchen from the instant the first can of tuna was opened, tr

 

The underground workstations were a scene of frantic activity. The lost trace was hanging over all their heads. The Powers That Be wanted answers and wanted them right this instant. The various techs were glued to their consoles, praying that they?d find the missing ship before something went wrong. There wasn?t much else that they could do.

?Sir,? one brave soul stood in that stone office and faced their immediate superior. ?We have satellite photos of all the cars that passed through the projected target area during the estimated window of time. There are quite a few. It will take a little time to track them all down, if indeed we can.? Bradley knew that this wouldn?t satisfy the Boss, but he was lucky they had managed that much. The satellites had all been pointing the wrong way and turning them had thrown off all the schedules across the board. Other agencies would be having kittens right about now and would be breathing down their necks if there was any way for them to find out who had done it.

There wasn?t, of course, but Bradley knew how important timing and information could be to delicate sting operations and the like. He used to work for the CIA and had seen many an operation go belly up from bad timing. The sort of thing that emergencies like this generated.

?You can and you *will*!? The suited man?s words were punctuated by the thump of his fist striking the spotless surface of the desk. ?We need to keep a lid on this and we can?t afford to have even a single alien wandering around loose. We need to locate and contain it or them before contact can be made.? There was a desperate sort of intensity in the suited man?s voice. ?Find it. Now!?

*******

Debrah decided later on that asking them to ?prove it? was not the smartest thing she had ever done, but she was an engineer by mind set as well as training. Proof, actual tangible evidence that something was or wasn?t so was what she thrived on. Without proof there wasn?t a whole lot anyone could do to convince her. They convinced her alright. They also nearly started a forest fire and came that close to killing one of her neighbor?s dogs. The small blaze was put out quickly with a garden hose and the dog escaped injury by less than a finger?s width when the tree came crashing down, but all in all there was no harm done and she believed after that.

?If you guys had told me those things produce heat as a by-product I would have had the hose ready and waiting.? She chastised them as they trooped back into the house. ?In a month or so that brush out there will just be so much dry tinder waiting for some idiot to get careless. We?ve had some bad fires up here in the past.?

A gleam came into those green eyes and they latched onto the lightsabre once more hanging on Qui-gon?s belt. ?Hey, I couldn?t convince you to let me open one of those up and take a look inside, could I??

?I do not think that would be wise.?

Her face fell a little, but Debrah was used to reactions like that when she asked to take things apart. ?So, this Jedi order that you belong to, what exactly is it all about??

?The Jedi are an order of beings who can access and use the Force. We travel throughout the galaxy seeking out students, mediating disputes, acting as ambassadors . . .?

?Putting out political brush fires, stroking egos, and generally making a nuisance of ourselves.? Obi-wan finished for his master.

The older man bent a stern gaze on his apprentice and the young man bowed his head contritely. Debrah couldn?t help but smile as she began to wash the lunch dishes. Obi-wan reminded her more and more of her little brother as time went on. ?Sounds like you lead pretty busy lives. I imagine that getting stranded somewhere might actually come as a welcome vacation.?

?As it turns out we were on retreat when we were attacked and forced into hyperspace to escape.?

?Hyperspace?? Green eyes lit up at the word. They now had her undivided attention. She turned from the sink to face them. ?You have the capability to travel at hyper-light velocities??

?We do.?

?

 

Hmmm, I don't know whether I'd be glad or disappointed if those two were really my uncle and cousin!

 

Section 6

?So, you guys can enhance your senses, strengthen your muscles, read other people?s emotions, get early warnings of danger,? Debrah took a wary taste of the boiling hot contents of the pot she was currently seasoning and tried to keep from stepping on the cat underfoot. Koshka was winding in and around the woman?s ankles, hoping for a choice tidbit to fall to the floor, but still studiously avoiding the men. ?What else can you do with the Force??

?Control pain, heal, meditate, telekinetics.? Obi-wan answered absently as he tempted fate and tested his reflexes by playing with Portia, dangling his Padawan braid just over her head.

?Telekinetics?? She paused a moment to think about that. ?Really??

?Yes,? Qui-gon answered her. ?But, it seems, that while we have not lost the ability here, it is at the very least severely hampered.?

?Hmm, well, there?s been all sorts of hoaxes involving people who claimed to be able to bend spoons with the force of their minds alone, but very few. There are many more stories of mothers who heard their children cry out in distress over long distances, or men and women who felt the instant of their lover?s death. There are doctors and nurses who are said to have healing hands, and soldiers who are said to have developed inhuman sensory perception due to their combat experiences.? Debrah added a little more garlic salt to the pot and stirred it. ?Perhaps your ability is handicapped here because that aspect of the Force just isn?t strong here. Of course,? she shrugged away her own theory. ?I?m not all that familiar with the Force so I could be way off base. I?m only an engineer, after all.?

?No, that seems to be a sound theory. The rest of our abilities have not suffered in any way.?

The phone rang, interrupting them, and Obi-wan dropped his braid to pick it up. Portia took advantage of the situation to latch her claws firmly into the dangling plaything and began to gnaw on it vigorously. Debrah added a pinch more pepper to the simmering pot while stirring the contents and moved it to the back burner on the stove-top. She wiped her hands off on a towel and listened as the young man answered just as she had told him to.

?Hello?? There was a pause. ?May I ask who is calling, please?? He held the handset out to her. ?He says his name is Leigh.?

Debrah?s face lit up with a wide smile. ?My oldest brother.? she responded as she took the phone from him. ?Hey, dude. What?s up??

?Who was that who picked the phone up?? The welcome and familiar deep voice held a note of suspicion in it.

?A friend.? she replied as she leaned against the counter. She suppressed the urge to laugh hysterically as Obi-wan sought to extricate his braid from Portia?s claws.

?Is he from out of town?? he asked, a strange intensity in his voice.

?Yeah, sure. It?s just a couple of mom?s cousins from Scotland. Why?? Debrah was aware that her brother knew very well that mom had no cousins in Scotland. All their Scottish blood came from their father. She?d said it deliberately as a warning. Leigh used to listen in on Russian radio signals for the military. He knew just how easily any sort of signal could be intercepted. She hoped he would get the message and was rewarded when there was a thoughtful pause before he spoke again.

?You remember that conversation we had at Christmas break about the place that doesn?t exist that my buddy from Counter Intelligence got recruited to??

Debrah frowned thoughtfully. She and her brother talked about everything, even things he probably shouldn?t have told her. The result was there were several conversations that could have fit the bill, but only one that stuck in her mind. ?Never, Never Land? Sure.?

?He got word to me just a little while ago that the Pirates are looking for Dellon.?

?Dellon? What?s he done that they?d want to talk to him about?? The blond couldn?t think of any reason why government spooks from Area 51 would want to talk to her cousin.

?I don?t know, but my friend mentioned something about a license plate.?

Debrah gasped

 

Is anybody still reading this, or am I wasting my time?

 

I'm reading!

 

The connection died and Debrah dropped the phone back onto the recharger stand, her eyes still riveted to the two Jedi in her kitchen. Her eyes darted to the clock display on the microwave. 8:23. Eight hours difference between California and London. Leigh was calling her at just past four in the morning his time. He felt this was important enough that he couldn?t wait another couple of hours to call her. This was just too weird. No, she wasn?t going to tell anyone because there was no one in their right mind who would believe her.

Leigh used to work for the Army, Counter Intelligence. He?d gotten an early discharge during all the mid 90's military cut-backs. A couple of his buddies had as well, but one in particular had landed back on his feet in no time at all. Recruited by Area 51 to help spread misinformation and cover the agency?s tracks, he still kept in touch with Debrah?s brother on occasion. Obviously this was one of those occasions.

?Debrah? What is wrong?? Qui-gon interrupted her preoccupied thoughts.

?Hmm? Oh,? she gazed around the room, looking for inspiration. ?Um, how do I explain this??

?Slowly and with detail is usually a good bet.? Obi-wan suggested, eyes dancing with humor.

Debrah made a face at him, but his impertinent quip had given her a second to collect her thoughts. ?Ok, well,? she took a deep breath. ?There are rumors that quite a few years ago a spaceship crashed in the south-western United States. There were other rumors about a secret government agency that cloaks itself in fabricated rumors and outrageous stories to hide the truth of its existence. The job of that agency is to investigate and cover up everything that has anything to do with real extra-terrestrials, that?s anyone not from Earth.? she explained for them. ?Anyway, my brother has a friend who works with these people.? A sickly smile twisted her lips. ?That?s how I know that they?re more than just rumors. He gave my brother a call and told him that they were looking for my cousin, Dellon. Only, it?s not really Dellon they?re looking for.? Debrah closed her eyes.

?It?s me.?

?Why??

The blond started to pace back and forth on the kitchen?s tile floor. ?I inherited my grandfather?s car, but Dellon wanted something a little heavier duty than what he had because he was going to be living in Alaska. So we traded cars. He got grandpa?s car and I got his. They probably have a satellite photo of most of the cars that passed through the area we were in yesterday and they?re probably checking into everyone, but right now they think they?re looking for my cousin instead of me which will give us a little time.? She paused in her pacing. ?Maybe more than a little since Dellon?s a bush pilot. He?s gone for days, even weeks at a time flying people into remote areas for vacations and things. If we?re lucky, Ruth, his wife, went with him this time and it?ll take them a day or three to catch up with him and find out where they went wrong.?

?And when they come to talk to you?? Qui-gon asked quietly.

?We?ll just have to make sure we?ve gotten your ship fixed by then.? She sighed. ?And speaking of your ship, we?ll need to plan to go out to Nevada again so that I can take a look at it and see what we can do about it.?

?No,? Qui-gon corrected her, ?All we need to do is turn on the beckon-call.?

?Beckon-call??

?Yes.? The tall man pulled a silvery cylinder from the back of his belt. ?Our ship is fully slave-rigged. It will home in on the beckon and fly itself here.?

Debrah?s face took on a skeptical look. ?Not that I think it won?t work, but I?m not so sure that?s a good idea. What if someone sees it? The military could follow it straight here.?

?It has full stealth capability.? Obi-wan offered. ?The question is where would we put it once it got here.?

?That, at least, is an easy one.? Debrah answered as she turned and gave the pot on the stove a final stir before taking it in to the dining room and placing it on the table. ?We can put it down in the canyon. I own about five acres of hillside here and I?m sure

 

I love this story. Every time you put a post up, I end up smiling in anticipation of what's to come.

The thought of Obi sitting and massaging shoulders...oh how I wish...

 

Yeah, Calam. I agree entirely! He can massage my shoulders any time...wait a moment. He does! ( the character, that is)

I almost forgot what an incredible story this is. Post more soon Lilith!

 

I have to agree with Calam and Jemm, I always get to the end of the post and wish heartily for more!

This is great!

Kithera

 

Sorry for the long delay folks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Section 7

?Hey, guys?? Debrah called up the stairs after breakfast the next morning. ?I gotta go into town to return the trailer and get some food. Is there anything you want me to pick up while I?m at it??

The Jedi came down the stairs to discuss it with her. The woman shrugged. She?d had plenty of shouted conversations in this house and didn?t see any need for the two men to come all the way down the stairs. Shouted conversations used to be a common occurrence, what with her three young nephews underfoot and as many as seven adults running to and fro on their various errands. Shouting was the only way to be certain you?d been heard.

?We have no real needs at this time.? Qui-gon told her when he and his apprentice had seated themselves on the couch. ?We will just go out on the deck and drill some more. Obi-wan needs practice with his throws.? Bright blue eyes winced at the thought, but the young man stayed silent.

?Are you sure?? Debrah looked doubtful. ?Maybe I should take you with me to keep you out of trouble.? The Jedi Master looked ever so slightly affronted at the thought that he couldn?t keep himself out of trouble for a few hours.

?If you are worried about us being seen by your neighbors, we can simply stay indoors.? he suggested.

?Look, it?s not that, it?s just that . . .? she sighed, throwing up her hands. ?I can?t just leave you two here every time I need to go out. That?s just a little rude. I have to take the trailer back and I have to get groceries and then I?ll have to look at your ship and then I?ll probably have to go out to get parts or something that we can jury-rig into the stuff you need to make your ship fly right. Each of those trips will take a while. During that time you?d have no way to reach me if there was an emergency. And you can?t go out dressed like that.? She gestured at their robes and tunics.

?We have no other attire.? Jinn remarked. ?It seems we are at an impasse.?

?Impasse? Why??

?We need other clothing to go out, but we need to go out to get other clothing.? he explained.

?Not so, though I?m not sure how good a fit the leftovers I have will be. My dad?s pants and shirts ought to fit you length wise, Qui-gon, but they?ll be baggy around the waist. Obi, on the other hand,? she trailed off and turned to face the young man in question. ?My little brother?s stuff is the only thing I can think of that might fit you, but Justin?s a little leaner through the hips and not quite so broad across the shoulders. It?s going to be a tight fit.?

?You do not need to-?

?Yes,? she interrupted, holding up a hand to forestall any arguments. ?I?ve heard it all before. But you know what?? Debrah looked back and forth between the two of them. ?You need clothes, not only so that you can accompany me on other excursions, but also so that you have something to wear when your robes and tunics are in the wash.? She wrinkled her nose. ?There is no way that you can convince me that wearing the same clothes for a week straight is customary where you come from.

?I have both the time, the money and the inclination to provide clothing for you. It won?t hurt you to let others help out on occasion, you know.? Debrah sighed deeply. ?Besides, I need to help someone right now. If I didn?t have you two here to fuss over and help, I would be laying in bed still. I wouldn?t have moved once I got here and I would still be wallowing in my own misery and pain and I don?t think I would get over it in time to get on with my life.? Anger at their self-effacing attitudes and reluctance to take advantage of her offer welled up. ?So just stuff your ?we don?t want to put you out? routine in a convenient orifice of your choice and let me buy you some clothes already.?

There wasn?t much that either man could say in response to that, so they chose the wiser course in not saying anything. They both followed Debrah up the stairs. She first showed Obi-wan where Justin?s old clothes were stored and left him t

 

They dropped off the trailer first and while paying for the rental, Debrah was once again grateful for the invention of credit, debit and check cards. Yeah, her money tended to slip through her fingers on occasion, but they sure came in handy when you were in a hurry and didn?t want to carry around large amounts of cash. She swiped the little rectangle of plastic through the reader and mere moments later she and her guests were on their way.

As Debrah steered Jinx out of the U-Haul parking lot, she turned her thoughts to where she could go to get them all the things they would need. All the Jedi had was what they were wearing. They would need at least several days of clothing. The Jedi mentioned late last night when she?d asked that they had not packed any extra clothes on their ship because they?d been expecting to pick some up on their arrival at their retreat. That meant they?d need underpants, pants, socks, shoes, shirts, and probably a light jacket considering that the Northern California weather wasn?t going to seriously warm up for another month or more.

Debrah sighed. That meant a mall.

She wouldn?t go to the Great Mall of the Bay, there were too many people there on a regular basis. Besides, this was Saturday, a weekend, and the normally loaded walkways would be overflowing with moms buying summer clothes for their kids and teenagers looking for somewhere other than home to hang out. Not that it would be all that different at any of the other malls in the area, but the smaller ones would at least have a proportionately smaller amount of people in them. The only alternative was to spend the whole day driving back and forth across town going to individual shops. //Not gonna happen. I?m feeling generous, but not that generous.//

Debrah had never been what one might call the usual female shopper. In fact, Leigh had once told her that, when it came to shopping, she would have made a great guy. She went to the store, got what she needed and left. She?d never felt the need to wander in and out of the dressing rooms trying on anything that caught her eye, something that had frustrated her mother to no end. So she knew exactly which mall she wanted to go to. Once she got there, she fully intended to use the idio-locators with their silly little ?you are here? arrows to map out the most efficient route through the chaos.

She was an engineer after all.

They finally found a spot to park Jinx on the third level of the garage. Debrah led her charges to the nearest stairway and down to the main floor. They crossed the walkway and stepped through the glass double doors into the department store that anchored this end of the mall. The woman made a point of looking around to see what was around them.

?Take a good look, boys. This is the entrance closest to where Jinx is parked. If, for any reason, we get separated, this is where we will meet back up. Got it??

?Yes.?

?Okay then.? She pointed toward the men?s department and started off. ?Away we go.?

*******

?This stuff you guys have been teaching me is great,? Debrah remarked out of the blue. ?Can you sense him??

?Sense him??

?Yeah, about twenty meters back. He?s focused pretty tightly on us.? She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. ?No, don?t look, Obi. That?ll just tip him off. Never, Never Land figured out that Jinx doesn?t belong to Dellon quick enough, didn?t they? They probably traced my credit card use. We?ve been here long enough that they could have been looking for it and driven here to see what we were up to.? She laughed lightly as though Qui-gon had said something amusing. ?Or, more likely, to see what you two were up to.?

?What should we do about it?? Obi-wan asked. Both men were taking all this extremely well. So was Debrah, for that matter. She was mildly surprised to realize just how well. Maybe she?d just seen a few too many spy movies.

?Well, we certainly don?t want him following us around all day. He?s triggering my danger sense almost constantly now and it?s starting to get on my nerves. Anywa

 

You know, apart from this being such a great story (which it is) it's also full of Obi in tight clothes/bare chested/leather jacket. Plus we have Qui-Gon. The thought of him nibbling on an ear...

Bliss!

 

I would have to agree with Calam about the mental image of Obi-wan in a tight white t-shirt....oooooohhhh

More soon?

Kithera

 

Section 8

?You ought to blend in fairly well with your new wardrobe, boys.? Debrah said over her shoulder. ?Once I teach you two a little of the local slang, people will stop asking you what planet you come from.? She rounded the side of the car, her hand dropping to her pocket for the keys.

?Debrah.? Qui-gon?s voice was low, urgent and came just as her danger sense flared, but his warning was too late. She turned, keys in hand, as another voice, a strange voice, cut through the silence of the parking garage.

?Hold it right there! All of you freeze!? The man edged around the trunk of the car next to them, the sleek, lethal looking gun in his hands tracking back and forth to cover them all. The first sight of that small round hole staring at her jolted Debrah enough that she dropped the keys. Panic fluttered in her heart and beat against her chest, struggling to get free. Ruthlessly, she smashed it down. There was no time for it. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Debrah felt all her muscles relax into a ready state. Her weight shifted to the balls of her feet and her knees bent ever so slightly. Master Chung would have been proud of how quickly she controlled herself, though he would have reprimanded her for losing such an excellent weapon of opportunity as a set of keys.

Now that she was paying attention, Debrah could feel the men behind her drop their bags of clothing, sensed it as they reached habitually for their lightsabres. But she had insisted that they leave the weapons at the house and could feel the flare of dismay that blossomed in each as they remembered. The two Jedi were on the other side of the car from the aggressor. They might as well have been on the other side of the world considering how poorly their telekinetic abilities performed in this galaxy.

It was up to her.

Debrah knew Qui-gon and Obi-wan could sense her anxiety despite her feeble attempts to hide it. She was a non-confrontational sort by nature and this little scenario wasn?t at all to her liking. She also knew that if she didn?t do something soon, they would, there was no way they could come around or over the car nearly fast enough to accomplish anything other than getting someone shot. She would have to do something soon.

Thanks to the Jedi and the exercises they had shown her, Debrah?s spatial awareness was at the highest pitch it had ever been since she had stopped her marital arts training to go away to college, so she sensed it the moment Qui-gon moved.

The man before her reacted instantly, swinging the gun toward the Jedi Master. //Now or never.// Debrah skipped forward, bringing the man into range even as the gun lined up on Qui-gon. Vaguely, the woman sensed more movement from behind her, but her concentration was on the target. Abruptly time seemed to slow and everything came into sharp focus. She could hear the gritty dust of the garage grinding under the feet of all four of them, smell the old oil and exhaust that stained the ground, could see the beads of sweat that had appeared on the agent?s forehead and the determination in his dark eyes. The black belt had never experienced that before when fighting, but then, she?d never before been fighting for a life, her own or anyone else?s. She saw his finger tighten on the trigger and fear momentarily sparked in her chest, but necessity, training, and concentration shunted it aside. Her foot was already in motion.

The top of Debrah?s tennis shoe connected solidly with the butt of the gun and a bullet exploded into the concrete ceiling over Obi-wan?s head. //That was close. Too close.// The thought fled quickly before the rush of battle input that streamed through her mind.

The gun tumbled though the air, bouncing off the roof of a car, out of the equation for the moment. She had to give Never, Never Land credit, their operative was quick on the uptake. His gun gone, he whipped around and caught her a glancing blow on the chin with an elbow. By the time she?d recovered he had a wicked looking knife in his hand. Debrah circled warily. //When fightin

 

Even posting it the second time, the feeling and reaction from it are just as amazing.

That still has to be one of the best action and discription posts I've ever read. Everything from the situation to feelings was spot on.

 

?Is she going to be alright, Master?? Obi-wan glanced over his shoulder at the woman seated next to his teacher, then riveted his attention back on operating the strange vehicle. He?d never heard such terror in a human voice before and he was genuinely worried about their only friend on this world.

?I don?t know. She obviously has never had to fight before.?

?But she is so well trained, Master. How could she not have fought??

?There is a vast difference between friendly, or even not so friendly sparring, and fighting for your life, Padawan. Remember what she said when we sparred? ?The point of martial arts is not to have to use it.?? The Jedi Master gently brushed a lock of blond hair from Debrah?s face. ?I do not think that she ever expected to have to use it, and certainly not to kill.?

?Well, I am grateful that she -did- use it, Master. That man would have killed one of us with that slug-thrower if she had not fought him.? The young man chanced another glance into the back of the car. ?I don?t understand her reaction.?

?Obi-wan, do you remember the first time you took a life in defense of your own or another?s? Not just deflecting blaster bolts or the like, but actively sought to kill another being??

?Yes, Master. How could I forget?? Bright blue eyes stared out the windshield at the road. ?It was that Rodian bounty hunter at Ord Mantel. He was going to shoot you in the back while you fought those two illegally programmed droids he?d just bought.?

?And your reaction afterwards??

There was a pause of embarrassment and dawning realization. ?I vomited,? he responded quietly.

?Three times, as I recall.? Qui-gon remarked gently. ?You killed him with your lightsabre. A clean, swift death and you were separated from it by the length of your weapon. That fight in the transport storage, it was quick and decisive, but it was not clean. She killed him with her bare hands, Padawan. There was no distance, no separation from the kill for her. We will have to careful with how we handle this.?

They drove on in silence, slowly following the directions the Jedi Master had pulled from their host?s mind. Obi-wan checked the strategically placed mirrors and then moved the car one lane to the right in preparation for a turn. Nothing looked familiar. ?Are you sure you got the right directions from her mind, Master? She wasn?t very coherent at the time.?

?This is the route she mapped. Besides, we know of nowhere else that we can go.? Qui-gon reached out a hand and placed it on his student?s shoulder. ?We will take her home. We will care for and help her, as she has cared for and helped us.?

*******

The darkness lifted briefly, incompletely. Debrah was in strong arms, safe arms and there was a sensation of movement. She heard Butch mewl an impatient demand to be pet. A door was opened and closed. The movement became up instead of just forward. Stairs she thought, a little disconnectedly. Shortly there after, the arms set her down and tried to leave. She protested with what strength she could muster, but it wasn?t much.

?Hush now. Sleep.? And darkness claimed her again.

*******

Screaming, she was screaming. That was Debrah?s first rational thought. She jerked bolt upright, her mouth still locked open, issuing those hideous sounds, and smacked her head against the bottom of the bunk above her. After that she collapsed back to the bed and was reduced to pathetic, gasping whimpers. Someone was instantly by her side. Strong arms surrounded her, pulling her against a broad chest, resting her head against a firm shoulder.

//Leigh?// Debrah?s tired mind asked quietly. Had her childhood protector returned from England? But no, this was not something her oldest brother would have done. Much as Leigh loved her, it just wasn?t in his nature to comfort in this way. No, he would have hunted down whatever it was that had done this to her and killed it, repeatedly. //Too late. You?ve already done that.//

?It?s alright. It?s alright. You are safe. It?s alright.? A gentle hand stroked her h

 

Such a strong and emotional post.

I particularly liked how Obi-Wan was the first one to give comfort to Debra. And I liked the way Qui-Gon had gently pointed out to Obi his first reaction to killing.

 

WoW! I am enjoying this story more and more, and I do read it all, even if I lurk occasionally.

This is great! I liked both this post and the last, the way she reacted in both times was so life-like (that was a pathetic word to use but I couldn't think of another one!)

Kithera

 

Ooo, more readers! For a while I was afraid that only Calam was reading.

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Section 9

She was laying in her parents? bed. Debrah could tell by the way the room smelled, of dust, her mother?s perfume, her father?s cologne, of cat hair. Then again, nearly every room in the house smelled of cat hair. She was stretched out full length next to a warm body, her arm stretched across a broad chest, her head resting on a comfortable shoulder.

Why had she slept here? Why was there someone with her? The questions nagged slightly, but the deep, restful calm that suffused her precluded anything but abandoning herself back to it. Everything was relaxed, peaceful, perfect.

Debrah let sleep reclaim her.

*******

Deep blue eyes opened wonderingly and gazed about the room. It had once belonged to Debrah?s parents. She didn?t question how she knew that. She just knew it, like she knew her father was Irish and her mother was Welsh, Isolda was the Captain, Erich was the bosun, Joanna was the quartermaster and Sven was the navigator. Those things simply -were-. //The year is 1536. Nae. That is my year. Debrah?s year, this year, is 2001.// That realization forced a radical change in her outlook, but she accepted it as she accepted that she knew the proper year, calmly and unconditionally.

She became aware of the warm body beside her on her bed, a wondrously male body, and gazed up at the slumbering Jedi Master?s face. In it there was strength, maturity, peace and a hint of a smile. She liked smiles. They could show so much of what a person was really like. Debrah might not think of this man as anything other than a person in need of help, but Morgan had spent far too long on an all-female pirate ship. The cabin boy, Rob, the only man on board the Emerald, was married and Morgan knew better than to mess around with a married man. But the man beside her was neither married nor a priest.

She reached within. //The others sleep. The body is mine.//

Her hand slowly stroked across his chest, making the movement a caress and those blue-grey eyes opened to regard her with growing surprise.

?Good morning. How are you feeling today??

?Good, but since you?re on tha other side of tha covers from me end we both still have all our clothes on, I could be better.? Her hand moved from his chest to the side of his face, continuing the caress. ?You, on tha other hand, feel verra nice indeed.? she purred.

?Deb . . .? He started to say, eyes wide, but she cut him off.

?No.? A finger pressed softly against his lips to keep him from finishing the word. ?Do nae say -her- name. Say mine.? She watched him look her over, confusion in his eyes. He stared hard at her face and she let a warm, come-hither smile stretch her lips.

?And what name should I call you??

?Morgan, of course.? She pushed herself up and leaned toward him, seeking to close the gap between her lips and his. Qui-gon hurriedly slipped off the side of the bed and out of her reach before she could complete the maneuver and her sultry smile melted into a disappointed pout. ?A whole night in tha same bed together end I do nae even get a kiss??

?Wake up, Debrah.? His voice carried more than a trace of worry. ?Wake up.? he urged.

The pout turned into a frown.

?Wake up.? This time it was a command.

All expression melted away as she turned inward and felt Debrah waking. **no! i only wanted a little time. only a little more, please.** But there was no answer and her entire body relaxed and she collapsed back onto the bed with a soft plop. A moment later her eyes fluttered open, revealing the proper jade green hue.

A soft, shy smile spread across her lips and she stretched. ?Good morning. Whatever you did last night, thank you. I feel much better today.? Debrah gazed up at him, completely unaware of what had just transpired. ?Speaking of today, which today is it? How long have I been alternating between wigging out completely and sleeping??

?Our shopping expedition was only yesterday. And i

 

More, Lilith! More more more!!!