To Stand Alone/ Post TPM (and beyond) AU (New Post 5-16)

Wow. If I was without my voice... people might actually get to talk! Post soon.

 

I forgot to mention when Zaize was thinking about not being able to talk, how she could hold her own with any of the spacers and such people she and Master Mikata encountered in the outer regions.
********************************************

The ship that was bringing the jedi back from their mission had to make a stop at a space station to stock up on suplys before going on to Coruscant. Obi-Wan made sure that Anakin was settled in and asleep. He could not sleep himself. When ever he had to use his saber on living beings it disturbed him. Thinking of the dead children and the parents disturbed him. He needed to meditate.

He found where he thought was a quiet corner of the ship and quieted his mind.

"Do you ever alow yourself to have any fun Kenobi?" It was Quarell. "Why don't you go with the rest of us onto the station and try it."

"Your definiton of fun is quite different than mine." Obi-Wan said. "For some reason I think I will anyway."

"What did I hear right? Strait laces is going to have fun."

"I didn't say I was going to have fun." Obi-Wan frinned. "I'm going to keep you out of trouble."

"Me in trouble, never."

"Oh never."

It was cirtainly not typical for six jedi to be in the bar of a space station. Especally ones who once again looked like jedi. The only one who did ot order a drink was old Rubis who suprised the bar tender by asking for water.

"Water? I don't get any money on water."

"I'll still give you a credit don't fear." Rubis said.

The bartender shook his head and mumbled 'jedi.'

"Food." Obi-Wan said as they sat at their table. "Has this place got food?"

"Somethings never change." Quarell said. "I know your true weekness Kenobi. I think they do have food here."

The jedi wound down from the mission and talked amoungst themselves, swaping stories of thier last missions, the temple and such.
Quarell was the only one who continued to drink. He however could hold it.

The other jedi turned in and Obi-Wan and Quarell were left to themselves. Obi-Wan stayed to make sure Fyrecaster got back to the ship without getting mugged. He was still not ready to sleep.

"I never figured you to have the patients for a padawan so early." Quarell said to Obi-Wan.

"Me niether."

"You always got after Qui-Gon for taking up with his strays, now your in the same boat."

"I don't know how to explain it other than when He died everything in my life became focused. Everything he ever tryed to teach me just fell into place. I gave him my word, and I will not fail him."

"I believe that. One thing I know about you is you keep your word."
(TBC)

 

hmm, I think I like this Corellian Jedi LOL, I like how one thing about Obi-Wan never changes! He and Anakin could probably have competitions on eating.

 

I am interested to see how Zaize copes with her speechlessness and what sort of experiences she has. Is she allowed to write things down for people to read?

I also like this Corellian Jedi Quarrell. He sounds cheerful and resourceful and teasing and yet dependable. I also like the way that Obi-Wan has suddenly absorbed Qui-Gon's teachings, the way that everything fell into place after the death of his master. And I especially liked the part where Quarrell teases Obi-Wan about knowing his true weakness--food! Good touch!

 

When The two jedi masters were finished with Zaize she did not look like a jedi, and that was what they needed. The only problem was the saber. It was quite obvious even hidden.

"A good job you have done." Master Yaddle had joined them. "I think a saber my size she will need." The small jedi took her saber off her belt. "It would be my pleasure for you to use mine on your journey."

Zaize was flatered that Master Yaddle would make such and offer. A part of her still thought 'I can't even use my own saber.' She bowed and extened her saber out for the master to take, and the master gave zaize the compact one in return. It was very well hidden under the dress.
(More is on the way. I'm not sure how soon.)

[This message has been edited by jodiwent (edited 06-11-2000).]

 

Now they would tell the would be knight what her mission involved. It was not a offical mission for the senate. It was an appeal from some of the people who lived in the mid levels neer the lower levels. Children had been disapearing from their quadrent. They feared they were being taken to the lower levels for who knows what perpose.

Zaize wondered if the council was doing a diservice to them by sending her without her voice. They must have had faith in her. They told her she was only to locate the children and not to interfear any further. They would have to get the athority to do any more. She was given a few credits and a small data pad to help her comunicate with people.

Master Mikata told her he knew she would not fail in either finding the children or finding her voice. There was only one more thing she wanted to find out before she left the temple. Zaize was pleased to find that indeed Obi-Wan had returned from his mission. She sent a message to his room hoping he would check.

It was late yet Obi-Wan checked his messages. He smiled when he saw one that read : 'Leaving for a while soon. Meet me on the roof. Spit is optional. Z.'

He rushed to meet with his betrothed in secret. The stars above Coruscant shone down on her when he saw her there. He wondered why she was not dressed in her useual way, and why her back was to him.

"What's this all about?" He asked.

<I'm in the middle of my trials.> Zaize sent in the force. <I wanted to know something before I left.>

"What's that?"

<I wanted to know if you could hear me?>

"Of course I can hear you what nonsence is this." Obi-Wan had not yet realized he was hearing her not with his ears, but with his heart. He always heard her with his heart.

She turned and sent again. <You have answered my queston.>

He realized now she was not speeking with her voice.

"What did they do to you?"

<It's all part of the trials. I have to go now.>

"Wait." Obi-Wan called after her. "Weather it's alowed or not, I can not let you go without..." He had moved close to her. He took one of her hands in his, and put the other around her and kissed her with a passion he had never before. "That's for luck."

<You don't believe in luck.>

"I wish it for you anyway."

<I will take it.>
(TBC)

[This message has been edited by jodiwent (edited 06-11-2000).]

 

An intriguing mission for Zaize! Can't wait to find out more.

I loved the message that she sent to Obi-Wan: "Spit is optional." And I loved the kiss!

More, more!

 

If you liked that wait till the fourth & fivth betrothals woo hoo.

 

Ohh yes....I can't wait for that jodi

 

cute. post more

 

Zaize made her way to the quadrent where the children had been disapearing from, then she decended to the lower levels. She wanted to obsreve the area before anything elce. The area where the people who had made the request of jedi to help them was concitered the last mis levil before the lower levels. Benieth the lower levels were the sub levels. None of these levels ever saw the light of the sun, it was entirely artifical light down there.

Zaize spent the first half of the night learning the lay of the area. If she got into a tight spot she wanted to know how to get out. she went mostly unnoticed because she made sure not to be seen. The mid level was mostly resedental. The workers who kept the capitol of the Galactic Republic lived here. It was typical of other resedental areas on Coruscant just not as 'high class' as the upper levels where all the government and bussiness and military people lived.

Zaize thought about Obi-Wan's friends the O'Daki cousins. They had started out the sons of spit and tin-can machanics and now they were heads of industry and high ranking in the defence forces. The kids who had disapeared were probably like them. Not angels but hardly bad people.

As Zaize decended down the levels she thought the people decended as well. As a jedi she would take people as they came to her, but she like Obi-Wan defiently had some oppinions on useless or 'pathetic' beings. She held nothing against them, she just had no use for them. She also had no uses for the row after row of slezzy places she passed in the lower levels. Places where anything or anyone could be baught for the right price.

Zaize thought right away, she had no doubt that the children were being misused in some fashion. In illegal factories, running spice for non legal uses, or the flesh trade. It made her sick to think that here on Coruscant such things went on. What adults chose to occupy their time with was their own poison, but to involve children was something elce. To take other people's children for such perposes was just about the worst thing she could think of.

When Zaize felt that she knew the area well enough she went back to the mid level. She knew she'd have to spend time in the lower levels but she didn't want it to be just then. She also wanted to watch the other children of the area, maybe she would see something that would help her. Maybe the abductors would be talking to other children, trying to lure them away with the promise of easy credits.

When she was back in the mid level she wanted to sit and think. She found a place where teens were playing a ball game even that late at night. She sat at an outside food shop and dicreatly watched them. After a while the lady who ran the shop aproached.

"Heay missy." She said. "Either order something or beat it."

Zaize looked at her, and pointed to a cold drink pictured on a poster on the wall.

"You from uppers? Well here we tell people what, we want we don't point. I'm not your servant."

Zaize had taken out her data pad and typed in 'I can not speek.'

"Oh, sorry kid." the owner was all apologetic now. "I didn't realise... I'll get you that drink. If you want anything elce just write it down for me."

The owner rushed off. Zai didn't like how the woman felt sorry for her, She had felt it in the force. As soon as the lady knew she could not talk, her attitude changed, as if the lack of a voice was to be pityed.

In her days as a jedi padawan there were many people she had to help. though simpathetic, she never pityed any of them. She hoped people would not think less of her because at the time she could not speek. On the other hand maybe she would be less threatening to them this way.

"Here you go." The owner said loudly. "You want anything elce?"

Zai typed in. 'I'm not deaf... I can hear you just fine.'

"Sorry."

Zai nodded that it was ok. She typed in some cheeze and crackers would do fine. She sat there watching the kids play and carouse as she drank the drink and ate the food. Nothing unuseual happened.

The jedi was ready to call it a night and get a fresh start i

 

Do I sense trouble? Great post. I can't wait to see what happens.

 

The disgised padawan made her way around the corner to the inn that the shop owner Hassie had recomended. Zaize didn't sence that the older woman had any hidden agenda so she trusted her. She walked up top the front desk and saw a man and a woman sitting behind it.

"You want a room miss?" The woman asked. "How many?"

Zai held up one finger and pointed to herself indicating she was the only one in the party. She showed them her data pad that read 'Hassie sent me.'

"Oh, your the young lady Hassie sent." The woman now said. Zai wondered how the woman knew already. She senced something was not right and steped back towards the door, but now a young man was blocking it.

"Looks fairly harmless." The young man said.

"But Hassie said she was watching the kids." The woman said. Did they think she was one of the abductors?

'This worked out well.' Zaize thought. 'Only on the mission a few hours and cornered already. Good going Z.'

"What were you doing out there?" The older man asked. "We don't like strangers snooping around here."

Zaize just looked confused and shrugged.

"Answer him!" The young man yelled, it made the jedi jump.

"Your scaring her." The woman said. "Hassie said she couldn't talk."

"That's probably an act." The young man said grabing the data pad from Zaize. "What's this?"

She did not want to tip off that she was a jedi yet, so didn't react with jedi speed. She just acted like someone who really did need the data pad would act. She tryed to grab it back. The young man held it up above his head. Zai faked that she couldn't jump and looked like she was helpless as she streached her short frame to reach for it.

"You want this back 'Red'."

"Trad, stop that." The woman said. "Give the poor girl back..."

As the woman was telling Trad to stop being a jerk Zaize bit his arm, and he dropped it.
She picked it up.

"Why you little..." He went to slap her, but the other man stopped him.

"That's enough."
(more on the way)

 

She would have taken the slap like a jedi, but Zaize was glad the older man stoped it.

"Voss she bit me." Trad complained. "Like to fight dirty Red?"

Zaize wrote on the pad, 'My name is not Red!'

"I'll call you what I like... Red."

"This is getting us no where." The woman said. "We don't even know if she's got anything to do with the disapearences."

"L'Ensa she's got uppers written all over her."

"That doesn't mean she's involved. " L'Ensa turned to Zaize and asked in a calmer tone. "What's your name and why are you down here?"

Zai wrote down her proper name 'Shu-Sen' and misled saying she had been kicked out of where she lived.

"You've never been down here before, have you?"

Zai shook her head 'no.'

"Oh you are so gullable." Trad rolled his eyes. "Now we'd like to hear... oops read the truth, Red."

Zaize was sure if he called her Red again she'd have to smack him. 'Not very jedi Z.'
(TBC)

 

I'm just checking to see if this will work. Very wierd things are ahowing on my screen.

 

why do I still have a bad feeling about this? Will it post?

 

"What are we going to do with her?" The man Voss asked. "We should keep her untill the jedi gets here."

"The jedi arn't sending anyone." The young man Trad said. "Thye don't care about the people anymore."

"Yes they do." The woman L'Ensa defended. "You'll see."

Zaize wrote on the data pad. 'You people can't keep me here.' She showed it to L'Ensa.

"You're right." L'Ensa said. "Get out of the lady's way Trad."

"Whatever you say." Trad said. "You just remember we're on to you Red. I'll be keeping an eye on you as long as your in this quadrent."

Zai wanted to write on the pad 'You'll only see me if I let you see me.' She refrained because she did not want them to know she was the jedi yet. She wanted to be sure before she trusted anyone down there.

Zaize left to find some place to sleep where there would be no questions. The place she found was not the worst place she'd ever slept. It was a small room but she needed no more. At least it was clean.

The young jedi thought about the next day before curling up in the bed. Tomorrow she'd have to really get down to the bussiness of finding out what had happened to those kids. She had four days before she was told to contact the temple, if she knew anything or not, so they would know she was alright.

Before she fell asleep she thought of that kiss Obi-Wan had given her earlier. She thought about the way it made her feel, the way he felt, his sent, and the look in his eyes. That image was a good memory. It would sustain her untill she saw him again. She hoped it would be soon. She still had not figured out just what Master Yoda had done to render her speachless.
(TBC)

[This message has been edited by jodiwent (edited 06-16-2000).]

 

That morning Obi-Wan was reminded that he was supposed to be setting up a class on evasive fighting menouvers. He and Anakin spent the morining talking to the masters of the padawan's who had been there the day he had helped them, giving Master Yoda the idea that he should teach them when there were no missions.

When they were neer the end of the list of names that Anakin could remember Obi-Wan asked him if there were any others he could think of.

"Well..." Anakin stalled. "There is one kid, but, I don't think the others like him."

"That does not matter." Obi-Wan said. "Who is it."

"Taffy."

Obi-Wan knew that name well. He thought the kid was a little pest with that stupid song he always sang or hummed. Dispite that he could not in good consciousness leave him out. Taffy's master was a friend of Qui-Gon's. They went to speek to Master Sosu. when they got there Taffy answered the door.

"Hi Anakin!" The boy chirped. "Master it's my friend Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan."

"Obi-Wan is a knight now you must address him as such." The old Camassi Master Sosu corected the padawan.

"Yes Master. Come on in Sir kenobi, Anakin."

"Hello Padawan Tafasta and greetings to you Master Sosu."

"What brings you here Sir Kenobi." The furry bird like man smiled. It was the first time he was able to use his old friend's padawan's new title.

"I would like to ask you if Taffy could join the other padawans I'm going to be teaching evasive fighting tactics."

"Yes, yes Obi-Wan your just the one to help him get better at... his coordination."

Obi-Wan was a little embarassed. He forgot that it was Qui-Gon's Camassi friend that had helped him in the same area when he was young.

"It will also show him how to fight by avoiding fighting when one can."

Thought the Camassi were very in tune with the force it went againct their beliefs to fight. Yet there were a few Camassi jedi who did use their sabers when they had to.

"This is going to be awsum." Taffy beemed. "I'll be in a class with my best pal Anakin."

'Great.' Anakin thought. 'I'm his only pal.'

<Knock it off.> Obi-Wan sent.

Anakin looked at his master. It unnearved him how much he could see into him. Then he though but it works both ways. <You used to be a klutz like him huh?>

<Anakin.>

<Master.>
(TBC)

 

hmmm, methinks Anakin's getting a little too cheeky for his own good. It's gotta be hard on Obi-Wan to have a Padawan and TEACH other's Padawans being such a new Knight himself. Defeating a Sith lord helps, but I cna't help but wonder what he will do to keep their respect.

 

Can't wait for your next post!

 

This just keeps getting better, jodiwent .

 

I like the way Zaize did not reveal herself at the beginning, but took the time to size up the situation and see exactly whom she can truth.

I also like the way that Anakin guesses about Obi-Wan having been clumsy like Taffy.

Keep up the good work, Jodiwent!

 

Neil Blevins of Soulburn Studios
---------------------------------
So let me just go on record as saying my work in John's gallery is there
by permission, he asked me very nicely, and I agreed. John has been
nothing but corteous, and I'm sure if he's got something on his site
that scifi3d owns, he'll prompty remove it, solving all problems. Either
of you may post this email in any forum you wish for any purpose, and I
ask the both of you to resolve this manner in a timly fashion, there's
already enough things in this world we have to worry about.

May you both have a pleasant day.

 

Zaize had deceided if she was going to get anywhere she'd have to start playing the part of someone kicked out of their home and desperate for money. The jedi needed to know where people went, and what they did, where they hung out and made 'deals'. She knew that ment going back down into the lower levels. To Zaize's suprise the day time down there was relitively quiet.

The people who lived in the mid levels went to whatever their work was. Thier children were in school. On the lower level it was a different story. Some worked, but most were sitl sleeping off the night before. Down there night time, even if it was an artifical night, was the time to make your money.

Making money useually ment giving into or providing the vices of people from the upper levels who went down there to find what could not be found aloft. The whole idea of it gave her the creeps. Zaize had been to places like the smugler's moon, yet it disturbed her more when it was on Coruscant.

'The shinning jewel of the galaxy.' Zaize thought about it. 'I'd hate to see the arm pit of the galaxy then.'

As she walked along a few husslers tryed to sell her passage to colonies on other planets. This was a typical scam that fooled many people who dreamed of a better life somewhere elce. Sometimes whole families would spend their life savings only tofie themselves stranded on an unlivable planet, or even worse with counterfiet tickets. Each time one asked she shook her head and walked on.
(posting not to loose)

 

"Heay you." Someone would say. "Uppers girl. You looking for some glitter stim? I got a good batch..."

It was hard for people not to know Zai was not from down there. She looked too confident, too not worn out from life in the lower levels. They did not know she was a jedi, but everything that made her one still shown through. Even without her voice.

"Young lady are you looking to make some credits?" A well dressed man asked. "I know a senator who would like to meet a young lady like you."

The whole place was overwhelming to Zaize. She was an adult, how could kids survive down there. A part of her wanted to meet this 'senator' and then tell him that she was a jedi and what a sleeze bag he was. That was not why she was there. The jedi focused on the images of the missing children, in hopes that she might catch a glimps of one of them. She saw a child, but it was not one of the missing.

"Prity lady." The five year old girl asked. "What are you doing down here?"

Zaize wanted to say 'No, what are you doing down here?'

Zai wrote something simple for the girl to read. 'Hi, my name is Zai.'

"Can't you talk prity lady?" The child questioned. Zai shook her head. "That's too bad... I can't read.
(more on the way)