Anglefire<TITLE> <BODY TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000ff" VLINK="#800080" BGCOLOR="#ffffff">   <P>Title: Angel Fire <BR> Author: Shana Nolan <BR> Rating: NC-17 (not in pt 1, but it will be) <BR> Archiving: JH Temple, General's Hos, others ask <BR> Summary: This is the General. This is the General combined with an <BR> Intelligence Officer. <g><BR> Comments: Always. Flames will be shunted out the airlock. <BR> Disclaimers: GKL, oh great god of SW, we stand at your shrine and borrow the idols for a good go 'round. I don't own them, I wouldn't mind if I did, and I'll return them in short order. No money, no credits, not good at dealing. <BR> Notes: Military and such aside, (www.cia.gov, good for a rainy day ;-)) I had fun melding various real elements with a raging imagination. Also invented the ship name cause I hate leaving stuff like that undefined. :) Play along, just a fic, and hey, Kenobi's in it….yuuummmm…. </P> <P>*************** </P> <P>A silence descended the bridge of the cruiser, each person there, officer or enlisted, afraid to speak over the impending bellow of disgust. All their eyes were locked on one person, watching his every move, waiting to see just how their stoic General would take the news. </P> <P>But rather than shouting, pounding his fist against a metal rail or storming off the deck in a fit of indignant rage, he sighed, shifted a single foot and quietly said, "I'll be in the de-briefing room." </P> <P>And with that, he left. No angry words, orders or body gestures, just his simple stalking off, leaving his 2IC to the deck. </P> <P>"As you were," Sidram said, adjusting the tight collar of the uniform. This crew hadn't been together long, just a mish mash of salvaged soldiers rescued and jammed together in the name of the Republic; they had no experience with this commander, and because of that, they feared his reactions to bad news. </P> <P>But Sidram knew better, or at least a little better. If there was one thing easily learned about General Obi-Wan Kenobi, it was that he was not impulsive. His thoughts were thorough, his orders wise and his judgments harsh, but fair. </P> <P>A model for Officers. </P> <P>There was a beep and the communications officer, a greenish hued wisp of a man, raised his head, "Major, sir, the Raize requests permission to depart." </P> <P>~So, they finally force an intelligence officer on us. This should be interesting.~ "Permission granted." Lowering his voice, he thoughtfully added, "Try to make it home in one piece." </P> <P>The comm. officer quirked his head. "Sir?" Sidram had forgotten about this man's hearing. He shook his head, making himself stand fully upright in the place if his charismatic superior. "Nothing they need to hear, Lieutenant." </P> <P>"Yes, sir." </P> <P>* * * </P> <P>Easing his feet onto the sleek black desk, the heels of his boots clicking against the smooth metal, Obi-Wan Kenobi pushed back against the chair, leaning it backwards towards the wall, trying to relax despite tightly knotted muscles in his shoulders and back. </P> <P>~For a Jedi, Kenobi, you sure seem to be a ball of stress,~ he mused to himself, staring across the way at a small holo of the Jedi Temple. </P> <P>The Temple. Sweet Force, he missed it. The warm halls, the radiant glow of peaceful auras, the lush gardens and soft beds, the time to laugh with comrades and meditate uninterrupted, the re-assuring voices of men and women infinitely more wise than he could ever dream of being. </P> <P>And here he was, caught commanding a cruiser a bit too heavy in class for his taste, leading a motley crew into the depths of space towards peril and death. </P> <P>This was one of those days where he missed the Temple so badly he could smell it, taste it on his lips, hear all the myriad sounds of life there and feel the buzz of ever present energy at his fingertips, the Force ever inviting him to play in its swirling depths. </P> <P>But he couldn't. He had responsibilities. </P> <P>Accidentally kicking a datapad across the desk as he shifted a leg, he watched it skitter towards the edge. Extending a slow hand outwards, his fingers curling slightly, he called out to his beloved Force, wrapping it like ghost fingers around the pad and bringing it to his corporeal hand. </P> <P>~Still have it, Kenobi.~ </P> <P>Staring at the datapad, he suppressed the growl in his throat. He just couldn't believe that his superiors, supposed figures of wisdom and wise decisions were sending an Intelligence Officer to -his- ship. </P> <P>Of course, this was the military. The Republic Navy, as a whole, seemed to lack that whole "native brilliance" trait. </P> <P>"'To the Commander of the Angel Fire: rendezvous with the Raize at 1800….' endless details… 'pick up Intelligence Officer….'" </P> <P>He set the datapad down, enjoying the sound of it clattering against the surface. He had read this order over and over again, and it still mystified him. In this brief tour on Angel Fire, he had pulled off maneuvers that his equals couldn't even begin to do, managing to save most of the lives of his crew, and still, out of the entire fleet, he got the Brain. </P> <P>His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the chime of the door. Lifting his eyes from the tip of his highly polished boot, murmuring, "Enter." </P> <P>The door slid open smoothly, whispering along its track to admit the person standing outside. Dropping his legs to the floor with a *clack,* Obi-Wan stood, expecting the worse of what he knew about IC. </P> <P>However, rather than an ancient fool teetering on unsteady half-truths, his gaze was flooded by the presence of a young woman, her trim frame clad in a crisp black uniform that defined the edges of her waist and hips, the ranking bars glinting gold against the soft lights of the room, her carefully coiffed dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. </P> <P>She strode confidently across the floor, moving so silently that he heard nary a footfall, and when she stood before him, she clicked the heels of her boots together and saluted him. "Major L'iere Roelfs, Intelligence Corps, at your service, General Kenobi." </P> <P>Obi-Wan paused, taken a bit aback by her boldness. Most of IC reminded him of skulking weasels, but this one stood fearlessly, even proudly before him, offering herself over to him, the typical conspiratorial nature of a Brain lacking in her pale eyes. "At ease." </P> <P>He watched her shift a little, the tight uniform moulding to her hip even more as she eased her weight onto one side, her face relaxing into a pleasant curiosity. "General?" </P> <P>Glancing around the room, grateful for being alone, he gestured to the seat on the outside of the desk, permitting her to sit. If nothing else, it was wise to cultivate, especially as the CO, a friendly relationship with someone who was in regular contact with the high brass of the Navy. Who knew just how many secrets her ears had been privy to, and what ones she would work free from his to deliver into the hands of waiting superiors. "Why have you been asked to investigate my ship?" </P> <P>Her eyes met his briefly before falling away in typical military fashion. There was an urge there, like she felt obligated to look into his eyes as a superior, but she was fighting it. Why? "Because, sir, your superiors have questioned your amazing ability to save lives and equipment in the heat of battle while the rest of the fleet cripples itself in skirmish after skirmish." </P> <P>~Jedi reflexes, that's why.~ He sighed, stopping the thought. Even though he was right, it -was- his edge as a fully trained Knight that had served him so well, the brass would never understand. </P> <P>As it stood, it was a serious matter when the Jedi were pulled into service such as this. Everything in the Code railed against actions like Obi-Wan had made in recent times. ~Jedi use their powers to defend and to protect, never to attack others.~ </P> <P>"General, if this is a bad time, I will gladly report to you when it's convenient." </P> <P>He immediately raised a hand up, stopping her. "No, I'm sorry, I was somewhere else. You were saying?" </P> <P>A small smile tickled past L'iere's mouth, disappearing in an instant, but not before he spotted it. "I was saying, sir, that your superiors suspect you." </P> <P>That brought him back. He had never done anything but what they asked of him, even when he wished desperately to do otherwise. "Why?" </P> <P>"They think you have a spy on board." </P> <P>He scoffed openly. The crew was fresh, raw, but they were not traitors. He had spent too much time feeling the fear radiate off of them as the ship was shaken with blasts, too much time watching them as they tiptoed around what they thought of his quiet demeanour. "Yes, that's right, I'm helping the dark side, that's it. I have a black cloak sitting in my cabin closet." </P> <P>The trim woman's eyes widened. She knew what he was all-too-casually referring to. He held back his next line, the line he was going to add after the crass comment, and observed her reactions closely. </P> <P>The nearly white irises were intense, like a diamond, the lightest hues of blue and silvery grey flickering into view only when she moved. Behind those eyes, he could feel carefully controlled emotions, respect, all the things that made the IC proud, but… </P> <P>She had walls up. Walls that took years of training. </P> <P>Obi-Wan leaned forward, feeling nearly scandalous for his next words. On the Angel Fire he was just another officer, just another man to take orders from, another man to entrust your life with. </P> <P>"You're Jedi." </P> <P>The smile returned slightly, and she nodded very tenuously. "As are you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as are you." </P> <P>* * * * * </P> <P>"Jedi… " His mouth formed the word carefully, moulding the letters with his lips. He hadn't said it aloud for weeks now, he had been so wrapped up in the current affairs, and now he wished he had. </P> <P>Like the Temple, he missed the title. No one, not even Sidram, called him what he had spent so many years of his life earning. He wondered if his 2IC even knew. </P> <P>"General?" </P> <P>He blinked, shaken out of his reverie. She still called him by his military rank, despite the fact that she knew who he was, probably even better than he knew who she was. Leaning forward as far as the desk allowed him, locking his gaze on hers, using the Force to pull those crystalline eyes to his, he concentrated, trying to recognise the face. She was young, probably a few years behind him. Her face was pale, the flesh smooth and unlined, standing out in stark contrast with the nearly black locks pulled off her forehead. "Have I met you before?" </P> <P>L'iere paused, now accepting the fact that his intense oceanic eyes were breaking past some of her walls. "You may not remember me, but we met once at a celebration. Master Qui-Go—" She stopped suddenly, biting her lip. Crossing her arms over herself, she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's not my place." </P> <P>Her use of that rarely whispered name was not what impacted him, but rather the great amount of wistful loss that flowed in lapping waves against his consciousness as she admonished herself. "L'iere… " </P> <P>Her head snapped up. He had just used her given name rather than her rank, and she had given him no leave to be so informal. He could detect the grain of discomfort that had settled between them, and sighed, slipping back to lean heavily in his chair. "Excuse me, I stepped out of line, Major. And, please, that was a long time ago and I've moved," ~been forced to move,~ "on. You don't have to tiptoe around me like my crew does." </P> <P>She nodded and relaxed a little, much to his joy. He would -not- put out the only contact to his lost past. But now a question remained. "Why are you IC?" </P> <P>A bitterness stained her voice. "We were both drafted for similar reasons, but they convinced me to go over after my former Master was killed on the bridge along with their CO. Seems that between the 2IC and myself, we saved the ship, and they gave me honourary rank. The Corps yanked me out of front line service and asked me to help them, and since it's a bit closer to what I trained to do… " </P> <P>Obi-Wan nodded slowly, noting that it was apparently not just him that longed for more peaceful days. ~Peace is a notion longed for when it has slipped from our grasp.~ "In the interest of duty, I'll be brief. I think you already know how I keep my men alive, but I also know that neither of our superiors will accept that answer as acceptable. The Council no longer holds enough sway." He sighed, pulling a hand through his lengthening hair. It was almost to the point of unruly now. "But you are welcome to check for anything amiss. Unlike your colleagues, I know you to be trustworthy and I'll give you access to my logs." </P> <P>"Thank you, General." </P> <P>He could see the hard words in her eyes before she said it. "Please, say it." </P> <P>"I never got to tell you I was sorry for your loss. He was a very good man." </P> <P>~And like all men, we all must die,~ he added to himself. A flare of old emotion played at the back of his mind, scratching at a tightly built wall, and his gaze slipped up to the little Temple holo again. Rivulets of anger mixed with guilt threatened his composure and he dropped his eyes to the smooth desk, catching the distorted reflection of his face. He hadn't shaved very well in the last few days and the shadow of a barely kept goatee coloured his face, the reddish blonde hairs seeming strange against the darker locks that nearly fell in his eyes. ~All the time in artificial light has changed you, Kenobi.~ </P> <P>Picking his words carefully, turning his voice pointedly neutral as to not betray the inner toil, he quietly admitted, "Yes, he was." </P> <P>Apparently he wasn't fooling her in the slightest. Served him right for trying things that she herself had been taught to do. Standing up and tugging at the cote of her uniform, L'iere mentally kicked herself for choosing such a deeply personal topic for him. It was not her place, neither as an officer of the Republic Navy nor as a Jedi to verbally stab at such wounds. "If I can have one of your crew show me my quarters, I'll ask my leave of you." </P> <P>The Force tugged at him. He couldn't let her out of his presence so easily, there was something he needed, but whether it was from her or facilitated through her, he wasn't sure. "No. I'll show you myself." </P> <P>L'iere nodded politely. Everything she had heard about him was true, except the rumour that his heart had hardened past the point of compassion. This man, this Jedi before her, was -deeply- compassionate. "I would be honoured." </P> <P>* * * </P> <P>"You mean you haven't been back?" </P> <P>Obi-Wan Kenobi, his outer jacket unbuttoned to expose the light cream tunic, half-nodded. "I haven't had the time. As is, it seems every time I lock my cabin door behind me and finally sink into a true meditative state, the commlink is screaming, or the ship is being attacked or some other such nonsense. I stopped wearing any of my robes after the first fire on the command deck. Anymore it's not like I can just go down to the stores and replace a burnt tunic. The only good thing is that when they gave me the Angel Fire, I got to spend a few hours on Coruscant, but it was on the other side of the planet in those ramshackle shipyards." </P> <P>The disappointment in voice was evident. There was no use hiding that he longed to be home, truly home. He pointed to a hallway banking to the left and pivoted a booted foot, noticing the grace with which she moved, fluidly walking next to him. She had lost nothing of her training. </P> <P>"What about you?" </P> <P>"I got back to see it, but couldn’t stay long, just enough to see who was alive and what not." </P> <P>"And?" </P> <P>L'iere's face darkened. "It's getting worse. You can't feel it?" </P> <P>"Every day," he admitted. It was a heavy burden, the Force, when no one else shared it with you. "Not to jump subjects, but why IC? Why not stick with the regular militia and take a ship? We need more good commanders." </P> <P>"I was always more of a negotiator than a pilot. You know, the kind of Padawan that gets thrown into a political debate rather than the shuttle contests so she doesn't accidentally wing one of her fellow students into a wall?" </P> <P>Obi-Wan could feel the mood lift with her comment. "I was just the opposite," he mused. </P> <P>"I know." </P> <P>"Oh?" </P> <P>"Um, yeah." Turning to miss his curious glance, she grinned, feeling her cheeks flush. "I used to have the worse crush on you when I was," she paused, lowering her hand to indicate height, "younger." </P> <P>"I think I'm honoured." </P> <P>L'iere stifled the laughter, finding the building trust between them illuminating, dredging memories of the ridiculous crush back up to her mind, making her momentarily forget why she was actually here. "Can I call you Obi-Wan when we're not around other officers?" </P> <P>His face cracked a smile, the request wonderfully timed considering he was just about to ask the same of her. ~Great minds.~ "Yes. May I call you L'iere now without you giving me that icy stare?" </P> <P>Spinning on her heel, whirling to face him, she melodramatically crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow in false indignity. "What icy stare?" </P> <P>Chuckling despite himself, Obi-Wan watched her. He could see her, holding a lightsabre, whirling it around and wielding it as if it were literally an extension of her arm, glowing with the hue of fiery composure, its well constructed energy focused towards one goal. The black uniform of an Intelligence Officer no longer fit her, the lines of snug fabric far too restraining on the Jedi athleticism, the lack of a great, flowing, hooded robe diminishing the physical appearance of her mental presence. </P> <P>The true L'iere Roelfs was hidden, tucked away in military uniform like some miserable career soldier posted on a no-promotion ship. The diamond eyed creature underneath, radiant with power he had felt deprived of recently, was begging to emerge, like some opalescent butterfly trapped in its dreary cocoon. </P> <P>Underneath their feet, the ship shuddered and Obi-Wan could hear the hyperdrive powering down. They weren't expected anywhere this soon, so it had to be something out of the ordinary. If it was dire and was something he needed to personally supervise, he would be called to the bridge in moments. </P> <P>L'iere set a hand to the cool wall, feeling the ship move in compensation for its sudden drop in speed. "Maybe you should go up there." </P> <P>"They would call for me." </P> <P>She gave him a dubious look. "Who says they're too busy to?" </P> <P>He paused. She could be right and he -really- didn't like this sudden adjustment of course. No one had asked him first, or notified him of any impending trouble, they simply cut the engines and made Angel Fire detectable and slower moving. </P> <P>A target in some sectors. </P> <P>An instinct sang out to him, and he pursed a lip. ~Instincts, always about the instincts, isn't it, Kenobi?~ "Come on. The worst that can happen is that nothing is wrong and I stormed up to my own command centre for no good reason other than a good cardiovascular workout and unintentional intimidation of the crew." </P> <P>"Right behind you, General." </P> <P>* * * </P> <P>"Commander on the deck!" </P> <P>Obi-Wan shook his head, striding past the anxious enlistee obviously out to impress. "Sidram?" </P> <P>The 2IC's face was composed, except for the eyes. "Sir. We're not sure what happened, but one of the engines started to overheat and we didn’t want to risk any serious damage this far out." </P> <P>He nodded. Of all that he had dealt with, Sidram was one of the more reliable officers trained by the Republic Navy he had ever met. The tall humanoid's caution was tempered, quick to wake at the first sing of trouble and most of the time merited; never was it based on flighty unfamiliarity or idiotic bravado. His interest lay in the ship and the welfare of those on it. "Repair crews?" </P> <P>"Already there, General." </P> <P>Again, there was his reliability. Finding nothing more to do, Obi-Wan caught the observant eye of L'iere as she carefully surveyed the entire deck with one visual sweep, making mental notes of everything she needed to keep in her mind. She was incredibly gathered, the button at her collar refastened and her back ramrod straight. The look on her face was utterly unreadable. </P> <P>Taking a chance, knowing that if he was careful enough to not violate her own commune with the Force, he could ask her a question without capturing himself in the endless rumours of associating with a Brain. ~Is everything okay?~ </P> <P>The pale eyes fell on him, taking his gaze quietly in, examining it as she just had the bridge. Giving the slightest nod, the movement of her chin so swiftly and minimally made, she returned his query. ~Mostly, but nothing can be done now.~ </P> <P>That was all he needed. Knowing that he could leave command in the capable hands of the man standing in the centre of the command deck, the other officers effusing a sense of respect and reliability, Obi-Wan nodded, clasped his hands behind his back and turned to leave. "Sidram, I'll relieve you as scheduled. Until then, you know how to reach me." </P> <P>* * * * *</P> </BODY><P>He paced his quarters endlessly. It was only a few hours between that moment and his agreed time to sweep back up and take full control of the Angel Fire, but it felt like days, endless, ongoing, and the trench he was wearing in the metal floor wasn't helping. <P>He just couldn't stand still. <P>Surveying the cabin, Obi-Wan shook his head, forcing himself to stop and think. What was this? Was this apprehension? Excitement? Anxiety bubbling over from all the mundane mind of his crew? The temporary loss of the hyperdrive was notable, but at this moment, with no due skirmish to be thrown into, non-fatal. <P>The lights were off, but there were a few candles going. His teal eyes catching on the dancing pattern of the flame, he took a single step towards it, noticing that suddenly his loud pacing had disappeared and he was now moving so silently he could hear the rustle of his tunic as he shifted. ~Back to the old lessons.~ Extending a cautious hand, letting the heat from the little flame swirl about his palm and seep inside his pores, he took a deep and cleansing breath, exhaling every bit of air in his lungs, the recycled air of the cruiser tickling at the inside of his throat. He could feel his nerves untangling, the muscles in his broad shoulders loosening at the intentional pull of Force, drawing it into himself to use it like some cleansing agent, the waves of vibrant energy tingling through his being as he pushed all the mire of daily life away. <P>Stepping back, withdrawing his hand, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and dropped slowly to his knees. Settling his weight slightly forward, his spine aligning itself straight, he drew huge draughts of air into his lungs like he had been taught to so long ago, the exhalation of the changed air a method of cleansing, and every time that he did it, he felt himself sinking into a world that he missed. A world of tidal energy, where the boundaries of planets and star systems held no meaning, the angry words of peoples arguing over land and trade rights held no sway, where the sound of blasters and cannon fire didn't echo against walls and haunt the hearts of those firing them. <P>Home. <P>This was what he truly missed. The Temple was his home and shelter, where he could cloister himself in silence and not have people at his side, demanding his attention or asking if he was alright. Of course he was all right, he was with the Force. The permeating nature of it was powerful, alluring, it called to him even when he had to ignore it, it lapped at his feet like a tidal pool as he walked, it sang in his ears when he heard the voices of others, it flowed in and out of his heart every time he felt the thump-thump of the strong muscle, it burned in his blood and soothed the harshness of the outer world. <P>Standing up, moving with such ease that he hadn't realised he was now at his full height, he shifted his hands around him, feeling out with his fingers. The room was palpably warm now, the air swirling around his hands buzzing, shifting like a great invisible fog bank as he moved his arms in meditative circles. His arms ached with movement, feeling as if they were being pushed through something dense, the taut muscles in his legs tense with his weight, every minute movement sending a ripple through moulded flesh. <P>Exhaling hard, breaking the slow series with a sudden twist and lunge forward, he could practically feel the energy around him rush against him, holding him aloft, pressing against him, moving him into a defensive crouch. Balancing on his toes, his calves howling at their now rare usage, he felt his hands sink around an invisible lightsabre, his palms curling tightly, the fingers interlacing around the non-existent handle. Arcing wrists at lightening speed, his hips slipping easily into complimentary balance, he could feel the Temple training room around him, an invisible opponent at his heels, pursuing him to the edge of the ring, trying to push him over. Swinging forward, bringing the ghost 'sabre down, he spun to knock his opponent down, asserting a fierce dominance, his heart pounding n his chest as he took a single step forward. The phantom opponent backed away, leaping to their feet, brandishing their own weapon, bringing their plasma blade down at Obi-Wan's shoulders, trying to disarm him; but it would do no good. He was listening to the Force, he was with the Force, he -was- the Force. <P>His ears perked suddenly, and his opponent disappeared. Something was wrong. He could feel it, easing out of a low crouch, releasing his hands from their steely grip of air. The energy that touched him now was tainted with something, a hot sweep of unwelcome emotions tumbling over his extended senses, sending him backwards, rising a reaction somewhere deep inside of him that manifested as a single, uncloaked growl. <P>Opening his eyes and reaching for his real lightsabre, the weapon hung up on a peg near the door, Obi-Wan cast a single parting glance at his quarters. Spotting his largely abandoned brown Jedi robe hanging near the head, the urge to possess it seized him. Moving to pick it up, slinging it over his arm, he turned, walking out into the hallway without a breath of hesitation. <P>* * * <P>Tangled up in the sheets, her feet twisted up in white fabric, L'iere Roelfs was caught in a nightmare. <P>Unsure of where to go, trapped in the non-corporeal realm, L'iere tugged at the branch holding her captive on the forest trail. She was being chased, her pursuer cloaked in the shadows of heavy trees, his face unknown to her. Muttering words that would anger her Master, she wrapped strong fingers around the ground growing branch, trying to yank it free from her ankle. <P>She would not die like this. She was too strong. <P>Focusing her concentration, she forced herself to realise that this was a dream. A dream. Not real. She was not really trapped in a forest, she was not being pursued and she was not trapped by some inane -branch.- <P>A dream. <P>Drawing a deep breath, trying to feel for the Force, but still caught between the waking and dream world, she struggled. Reaching out a hand, grasping for something, anything solid, she reared back suddenly, startled. <P>Her fingers had just struck something solid. Solid and warm. <P>Nearly pitching herself over the side of the bed, instinctually heading for cover until she got her wits back, L'iere let out a small cry as she felt arms wrap around her and pull her away from her goal. Finding her strength failing her, the arms clutching protectively at her waist, she gave in, waiting for her breath to return, her heart pounding in her chest. <P>"L'iere… ssshhh… " <P>Someone said her name, someone she knew. The voice was strong, powerful, soothing, lancing straight to her mind past her ears. <P>"General Kenobi?" <P>Surprise coloured his actions. This was an odd reaction, but it could be an after affect of her dream and whatever had broken his meditation. Something that had unified the both of them for one reason: they were Jedi. Releasing one of his hands from her waist and cupping her face with it, his fingers brushing across her flushed cheek, Obi-Wan tried to control his initial reaction. <P>It went beyond comforting; he wanted to kiss her, have her, and he wasn't sure why. <P>"L'iere… " <P>This time she opened her eyes, finding herself staring into bottomless depth of his eyes, the blue and green hues mixing like swirling inks in water. Inhaling sharply, beginning to feel his body pressed next to her, the warmth of his only partially uniformed skin seeping through the thin gown she was wearing. "Obi-Wan." <P>The way she said his name shot electricity down his spine. The hand at her cheek tightened, drawing her face closer to his. He could smell her now, her breath warm against his cheek every time she exhaled, her eyes clearing up as sleep slipped from her mind. He could see a little more of the blue now, the sky blue line weaving like a river cutting through a white landscape, the slightest edge of silver outlining the blue. <P>"How long have you been here?" Trying to suppress the shiver and failing, L'iere shook her head. When did she turn into such a weakling? <P>"Not long." The shiver bothered him more than it should have. It wasn't cold induced, nor fear, but by some other power. Stepping away briefly, loosing the cloak tangled around his arm, he shook it free of the worst wrinkles, watching her face as he unhesitatingly wrapping around her bare shoulders, noting that as soon as the soft brown fabric touched her skin, she seemed to visibly relax. <P>He also noted that it only brought his instinct to feel her further, and when he set his hands back at her waist, he knew he was not unwelcome. Gathering her close once more, cradling her body against his, he pulled her face close to his, the tip of his nose brushing over her cheekbone. Catching her scent once more, a fire rose up in him, he felt it flare along the same lines as the ghostly battle, the energy threatening his control. <P>She could see some of his internal battle, and to her credit, felt it in her too. Listening to her inner voice, she trusted it's advice that this man wouldn't take advantage of her despite their military differences, and let him hold her close, shifting just enough to lean forward, experimentally brushing her lips against his, the moist texture framed with rough facial hair enough to awake long hidden desires. <P>So many years she had seen the younger version of this man that now held her, wondering as a teen what he smelled like, and now she had her chance. She could taste the salt of his skin, savour it, and only now did she let those youthful wants manifest full force. <P>Repeating the gesture of the tender exploration, she felt her heart sweep to her throat when he responded roughly, answering her gentleness with a pressing, mouth exploring kiss, his tongue sliding against hers like hot velvet. His hands tightened on her waist and Obi-Wan shifted, falling into the delicious moment, hefting the pair of them up, setting her on the bed and falling between her legs. <P>Loosing his fingers from the thin fabric, the shoulders of his heavy robe falling back to the mattress, he broke away from her mouth, parting them with a lingering suckle on her lower lip before sliding down her neck, touching his now wet lips down her throat to alight over her bared collarbone. Hearing her exhale, a sound of contended enjoyment mingling with her breath, he dared to alight over a breast, closing his eyes before trailing a circle of kisses around the nipple before suckling gently on the bud through the silky gown. <P>L'iere lurched up, the heat of his exploring mouth spreading over her in waves. Sweet Force, she could have never imagined this back in the day. Finding his hair with a hand and wrapping fingers around his scalp, she pushed his head further down, driving him deeper onto her body. However, despite her steely grip, Obi-Wan exposed the saliva soaked nipple to the air, shifting across her chest, spending the same amount of time on the other nipple before descending past the grip of her hand. <P>His hands slipped down to the hem of the light garment, pushing it up with a delicate grip, sliding the silky fabric up over her hips, exposing her lower half in the mostly dark room. Arching his back, settling his knees near her ankles, he slid a hand down her thigh, urging it aside, all the while working tender nips down the inner curve of her waist, past the rise of her abdomen, skirting past the soft nest of curls to play lips across her nether flesh. His reward was a barely restrained moan and arch of her back as she tried to press his mouth further onto her. <P>Inhaling her scent, the tingling in his nostrils matching the increasing discomfort in his usually comfortable pants, he placed a single kiss on each of her inner thighs before extending his tongue and running up the length of her sex. <P>In any other case L'iere would have been deadly embarrassed to be caught writhing like this, but decorum be damned, his touch was magick. His mouth was working her over well, his tongue easily sliding through her wetness to graze the centre of her clit, but only long enough to heighten and not dull the sensation, working its way near her opening, his lips caressing and sucking against her labia, his hot breath coursing over the ends of nerves, making her shudder with delight and move her hips further against him, burying his nose in her curls. <P>Chuckling, finding that L'iere only reacted stronger to his laughter, he slid his tongue back up to her clit, circling it in cycles of hard and soft pressure, one of his hands sliding off of the rise of her hip and slipping over her thigh. Extending a finger, using the very tip to tickle lightly along the edges of each set of labia, he waited until he heard a whimper rise from her throat, grazing the edges of her opening before thrusting his finger inside her. <P>Her control leaving her with the stealth of a pissed off cat, L'iere cried out, bucking against him, hooking a leg up to curl her toes around a sheet. There was a climax rising to the surface, rising quicker now that his finger was pumping in and out of her as his tongue still worked over clit. This was more than she could have ever imagined… <P>His own control was slipping as well. Sensing the palpable tension in the energy around them, he worked his finger against her walls carefully, striking nerves he wanted to strike with something other than part of his hand. Hearing her breath rise into staccato rasps for air, her vocal chords betraying her state, he worked his slick digit in her a little more forcefully, using his teeth to grate on exterior nerves, waiting for that key moment, that point of no return… and biting down. <P>Throwing her head back, the cry cutting free from her lungs as the climax washed over her, she missed as Obi-Wan withdrew his hand and mouth, stepping back briefly to strip his tunic and pants off. Now freed from his cloth burden, crawling up the bed to lay atop of her, pressing his weight gamely against hers, he cradled her head in his hands, angling her face to meet his. <P>"L'iere?" <P>Fluttering her eyes open, shifting enough to realise he had pinned her and there was no moving, not that she wanted to, she angled her hips to feel the tip of his erection slide across her folds, licking her lips. "Never thought I would ever get to say this, but… take me, Obi-Wan." <P><P>His lips parted slowly, his eyes locked on hers as she watched him. The smile was slow to rise, but it broke over his face, his voice smooth and musical, "My pleasure." <P>Dropping hungrily on her mouth, possessing her lower lip and then tongue, Obi-Wan ran a hand down her shoulder, sliding over the edge of her ribcage, hooking fingers at her waist, the other hand tangling in her long hair splayed across the bed. Angling his hips, he arched his back and slid easily inside her, a growl catching in his throat as he filled her, her gasp and then moan muted by his heated kiss. <P>Hooking a leg around his waist, her foot dangling ineffectually in the air, Obi-Wan tightened his steel grip at her scalp, beginning to thrust his hips against her, driving himself as deep and hard as she would let him, his attentions to her mouth becoming more insistent yet uneven, his deeply repressed need coming to the foreground, the touch of a being as sensitive as he was achingly wonderful and satisfying. <P>L'iere closed her eyes, her spine jarring, the muscles in her back and abdomen tight and drawn to sharp attention, the feel of his member impaling her pushing her away from the burden of her last few years. She could feel her sadness over the galaxy changing slip away as she felt the deep commune with the man and Jedi in her clutches, the energy around them like a bubble of static electricity, their bodies entwined and encased in a place beyond the reality they were usually condemned to. <P>Half opening her eyes, seeing the sheen of sweat layered on his brow, his eyes finding her own and locking on them, the irises radiating with near preternatural blue hues, she let her body find the rhythm to his, bucking counter to his, the half-moan, half-growl slipping free from him her reward. Dropping his mouth to her neck, trailing the edge of her jaw, he froze and gave into the shudder, his body spasming and releasing the stream of white heat, the muscles in every part of his body finally relaxing and settling into comfort again. <P>Nipping at her chin, playing idly across her mouth, his lids heavy, he waited for her to say the first words, to which she smiled gently and kissed him, twining her arms around him, nipping at his lower lip. "Think I should include this in my report?" <P>Obi-Wan chuckled, responding to her delicate touches with a brief yet searing lip lock and a roll of his hips. "Probably not." <P>Feeling her body tingle to his single movement, L'iere nodded. "As my General wishes." * * * * * <P>"General?" Reaching for his commlink, finding it somewhere in the mass of his clothes piled at the edge of the bed, Obi-Wan brought it grudgingly to his mouth. "Yes?" <P>"Sir, we could use you on the bridge." <P>The growl caught in his throat. He hadn’t had nearly enough sleep for all the "exercise" he had just done, and here reality was dragging him back. Cracking open a single eye, squinting at the clock hung just over the door of the quarters, he sighed. "Lieutenant, what's wrong?" <P>The voice at the other end paused. "Sidram tried to contact you at your cabin, but didn't get an answer… we have a problem… " <P>His other eye flying open, the sound of distress tinging the young communications officer's voice raising hackles at the back of his neck, his instincts pounding on a warning button somewhere in the back of his mind. Obi-Wan sat up slowly in the bed, easing L'iere's head off his chest. "What kind of problem?" <P>"The hyperdrive, sir. It was sabotaged." <P>Stirring slowly, feeling sleep being lifted from her mind, L'iere blinked, noting that her human pillow had moved. "Obi-Wan?" <P>His gaze locked on hers for just a second. Her breath catching as his mood washed over her senses, flooding her with the details of the last few minutes, she sat straight up, listening raptly. <P>"Say again." <P>"It was sabotaged and the repair crews can’t find any evidence of who did it. If you could come to the bridge, sir…" <P>There was a brief non-vocal exchange between the two Jedi, both of their senses alerted to the various aspects of the same problem. Obi-Wan pushed through the Force, skimming the surface of his crew for that edge of deception, scraping for the telltale signature of someone bound to destruction. L'iere, her eyes focusing on nothing, was feeling out through the air, shifting through the after-echoes of emotions that tainted the energy of the ship. "I can't sense—" <P>"Too far away," he finished quickly, pulling his legs from the bed, grabbing his pants and hurriedly dressing. "I hate to ask this, but after me, you're the only one who can find the saboteur before the security personnel can." <P>"Yes. Of course." At this point, she noted to herself, slipping by his half-dressed form, pausing to lace her arms around his waist and kiss him gently on the lips, she realised that she would go to hell and back to help this man. <P>"I'll be on the command deck, come and find me when you discover them." Obi-Wan paused, a deeply hidden regret rising to his thoughts. "Don't take them on alone." <P>She squinted at him, but nodded slowly a few moments later, understanding. No repeats of history. "Yes, Obi-Wan." <P>* * * <P>Mentally mapping the passage she just turned, L'iere paused, getting her bearings. ~If there's one thing I'll never forget about Angel Fire, it's that her halls go on forever.~ <P>She had been at this for hours now, scouring the ship for that residue she knew would be hanging the air. She had found it in the engine room where the now crippled hyperdrive whined and buckled under the steady hands of repair crews, its faint trail leading out into the public areas of the cruiser, dragging her up a few decks and through lifts and hallways and finally through a few tight corridors strewn with equipment and crew, leading her to where she was now. <P>Sighing, re-gathering her senses, she closed her eyes, remembering her lessons. It was simply a matter of coming into proximity of the saboteur. Their aura would be literally dripping the same energy she was following, and at that point she would take out her commlink, contact Obi-Wan and have him dispatch the security teams to do the dirty work. <P>If she ever got to that point. <P>~Be patient.~ Inhaling, pausing to re-gather the Force around her to silence the rushed impetus tugging at her, she looked around, taking in every detail. Two hallways led to the left and right of her, the smooth walls of the bulkhead directly in front of her. Behind her was the hallway she had just come up through, the lockers of equipment and access panels clean of her prey, but the trail had brought her here. Now what? <P>Closing her eyes, she quieted the thoughts racing through her waking mind. She had to focus on nothing and open herself up, expand her awareness to feel the areas around her and leave the barriers of physical wall behind. The Force tickled at her, warming to her curiosity, and she let her senses explore out, flickering across the awareness of the crew, past the sounds of the ship's systems, feeling, digging, probing for that one tell tale mark that would point to the man who bore no loyalty to his ship, CO, nor fellow crew. <P>Tightening her posture suddenly, her reverie broken by a shrill internal warning, she opened her eyes, watching the hallways around her. When a few of the crew came walking by, she caught their gaze, compelling them to stop with a trick she had been taught at age eleven. <P>"What do you two know about the hyperdrive?" <P>Clad in officer's regalia, one of them acknowledged her rank by nodding his head. The man's eyes, however, widened slightly as the gold symbol of IC pinned to her chest caught his glance. "Not much, sir, we were told by one of the engineers that it was an enlisted." <P>~A soldier?~ "Are you certain?" <P>The other, his shoulders broad and muscular, his hand gnarled with years of equipment repair, nodded. "Yeah. The officers here know how a ship works. They wouldn't risk their careers in an attempt to piss off the General." <P>"Which would fail. I've never seen him lose his temper," the first one added thoughtfully. <P>"Yeah, what he said. The enlisted they stick with us are just that. Stuck. They don’t have any loyalty to the Angel Fire and some of them, well, value their lives no more than yours or ours." <P>This struck her. Someone so bent on destruction that they'd destroy friends in the process? It was alien to her sensibility, so contrary to the inbred dedication to life and the galaxy the Jedi fostered that it actually disgusted her. Swallowing slowly, L'iere nodded. "Thank you, that helps. As you were." <P>The pair went back to their path, walking past her without another word, but she knew better. Her arrival on the cruiser was not a classified action, but due to fast action by IC and the Navy brass, it hadn't had time to become rumour and official news. Most "Brains," as the general populace of the Navy called them, were not there for public assistance; they were deliberately placed to flush out problems. <P>Which she was doing, despite the fact that what she was currently investigating was not the reason she had been sent to the Angel Fire. <P>With a shake of her head, reigning in her wandering thoughts, L'iere trusted the instinct whispering in her ear and chose the left hallway, moving silently past access panels and doors, scanning for anything resembling what she was looking for. Wondering idly what she would put in her report, she bit back the chuckle. It was all too odd to fall into the lap of an assignment that would send her to the ship of a man that she had long since admired, her girlhood crush manifesting to full reality with the previous night of passion. She knew she couldn't mention -that- to her superiors: they would drag her into the office of the top brass and berate her for unprofessional conduct and probably drum her out of the Corps. <P>But if it meant she could spend time with Obi-Wan Kenobi, it was an alluring prospect. <P>What made it worse was that she could feel him, even as she walked hallways decks away from the bridge. The signature of his spirit was strong on this ship, his commune with the Force undeniable in a sea of mundane minds. His residue marked hallways like a territorial boundary; and now she was marked as his, something that soothed her as she hunted down the hallways of a ship she had never been on before yesterday. <P>Pausing, noting a crawlway hatch left ajar, L'iere stopped walking, combing the area around her so carefully with the Force that if presented with the faces of those that had been there in the recent days, she could identify them by their signatures at first sight. ~You will find, my Padawan, that not all people are so careful when they fall into the dark.~ <P>"Always, right, Master," she murmured quietly, suppressing the memory of the ebony skinned man that had been her teacher, friend and Master. "Now if only you were here to help. You were always so much better at hunting… " <P>Something whispered in her inner ear, making her raise her eyes. On the upper edge of the hatch she could make out slight scratch marks, like someone had to pry the airtight door open. Stepping up to it, bending down to run fingers across the marks, she let a small grin cross her face. <P>They were definitely the marks of the saboteur. <P>Sliding her hand over to the control panel, popping open the panel, she keyed the code all IC officers knew, unlocking the mechanism without a breath's hesitation. Complaining against the damage the prying had done, it slid into the wall, allowing her a full look inside. <P>"Of all the tubes to crawl up… " L'iere muttered. The small space, barely 1.5 metres in width and height, ran forward about 10 metres and then curved up, a small steel ladder affixed the vertical wall. The cramped area smelled of lubricants and wiring, the embedded lights casting dirty yellow light over the sleek reflective walls. <P>She had to go in there. The trail was strong there, largely because of its remote access, and would be easy to follow. <P>Tying her hair up and tucking it under her collar, she sucked in a final breath of non-stale air and, on hands and knees, crawled inside the tube. Wincing as the lightsabre at her hip clanked loudly against a metal wall, she shook her head. ~Gee, they never told us how to deal with this. If I ever get out of this damned thing alive I'm jotting out a new Temple lesson: how to move in a crawlspace without your lightsabre making more noise than an air taxi.~ <P>Reaching the vertical part of the crawlspace, turning her head to stare up, she glanced around for a deck marker. There had to be something here to indicate where she was heading, and she certainly didn't know her way around -this- part of the ship to not be lost. Taking a chance, letting go of her focus of the man she was trailing, she reached out. ~Obi-Wan?~ <P>Apparently she had startled him, because it took a few moments for him to respond. She could feel him as he shifted away from the centre of the command deck, acting as if he was examining one of the station readouts. ~L'iere?~ <P>Her heart lept slightly as his disembodied voice touched her. A ripple of pleasure, utterly ill timed, played at her conscious and she forced herself to ignore it. ~Not sure where I am, but it looks like I get to climb a really long shaft.~ <P>She could practically hear him growl. Surely he wouldn't want to hear that his saboteur was clever enough to take to areas where the interior sensors couldn’t penetrate. ~Pull open an access panel and read me a junction number.~ <P>"Easier said than done." Wrapping hands around the third rung and climbing up 'til she found a control panel like the one for the hatch, her boots hooking on the circular bars, she keyed her code again and waited. <P>With a *pop* the door sprung open and L'iere coughed. Squinting through the released cloud of dust, she ran fingers over a small placard tucked underneath a mass of wires and cylindrical tubes. ~One-four-zero-alpha-gamma-two-five.~ <P>The silence that fell between them was unnerving. Stuck in the tube, the dust stinging her eyes, she wrapped a leg around a rung and waited, her patience seeping away again. <P>"You’re three decks below the bridge." <P>L'iere lurched, startled by the sudden use of the commlink tucked in her belt. Breaking through the silence as easily as his disembodied voice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Republic General and commander of the Angel Fire, was now doing two things. Responding to her and alerting the appropriate people that -he- knew what was going on. <P>And she knew it. <P>~Watch your back.~ "Okay, General. I'll be there shortly." Reserving her spoken words to the simple statement, she coughed once more and began to ascend the little ladder. <P>~You be careful, too.~ <P>His words soothed her and she imagined his eyes, the blue and green depths watching her as she climbed the incredibly long way up to a hatch that would lead her to another hatch, the command deck, the saboteur and Obi-Wan. <P>* * * <P>His instincts were driving him mad. All he could hear in the back of his mind was that little yet insistent voice that nagged him at every turn and step, and no matter what he did, it wouldn't go away. <P>Of course, it probably wasn't possible to gag a voice with no mouth. <P>Beginning to pace the semi-circular deck, his hands held tightly behind his back, his boots clicking rhythmically on the cool floor, he caught the eyes of the communications officer following him. Nodding briefly to the young man and setting back to the path he was stalking, Obi-Wan knew that worry had no place here. Not right now. <P>Except for the fact that one of his crew, one of the people milling about -his- bridge could be the saboteur, lingering right under his nose. It was a disconcerting thought. Whomever it was had no reason to do what they did, they just did it and hid themselves in the crowd, obscuring themselves from the curious eyes of those who cared. <P>It was enough to make him lose his temper, and if there was one thing he had been brow beaten into for all those years, it was that he should -never- lose his temper. <P>~Diplomacy, Kenobi. Tact. Do -not- fly off the handle because someone stepped over the line.~ <P>He glanced at the door that sealed the bridge off from the rest of the deck. The hatch that L'iere was approaching would let out just inside that hallway, and all it would take is to have the door slide obediently open and she would be inside, using the same route as the saboteur. <P>The saboteur. What a simple word for someone who intentionally went out of their way to cause mayhem and not accept responsibility. <P>It would take all his mental power to reign in the urge to throttle the bastard at first realisation. <P>"General?" <P>Obi-Wan turned, stepping free from his pacing, his eyes skimming over the bridge like a hunting panther. Letting his boots strike the deck with a clack that intentionally transmitted his displeasure over the recent events, he walked up to stand next to his 2IC. "Yes?" <P>"The repair crew says the hyperdrive will be back up in approximately 20 minutes." <P>Studying Sidram, he saw the relief flood the eyes that met his. No, Sidram wasn't the one, but someone, Obi-Wan realised, a curt growl rippling up from the depths of his curbed temper, wasn't happy to hear the news. He could feel it, almost see it; it was like a inky stain spreading over the crystalline waters of the Force. Nodding shortly, he offered as few words as possible, refusing to betray his awareness of the traitor. "Excellent. Let me know when it's fully functioning." <P>"Yes, sir." <P>Every step he took was measured, careful, observant. He -had- to find this man. He was here, somewhere, his caution over being discovered partially masking his responsibility. <P>The door slid open, and stepping through, covered in a small bit of dust, her hand poised by her hip, ready to grasp the Jedi weapon, L'iere met his eyes, locking on them with an unquestionable message. <P>~He's here.~ <P>Obi-Wan nodded slightly, feeling Sidram turn and observe the visitor. Donning a mask of casual inquiry, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Major, how can we help you?" <P>"Just looking for someone," she intoned quietly, stepping further inside the bridge, her eyes sweeping across. When they locked on someone, her back stiffened and he caught her instinctual move towards the sleek silver and black handle on her side. She took a single step forward, but it was already too late. <P>Rearing up from his chair, his white knuckled grip on the back betraying his panic, Silas tried to back away from his station, dropping the earpiece on his console. Attempting to make a run for it, his path leading directly into the bulky figure of one of the stationed security officers, he gasped and struggled, his arm grasped hard in a burly hand. <P>Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, the temper howling in the pit of his stomach. Repeating the words of the Jedi code over and over again in his head, trying to dispel the emotion, he cut straight across, intending to wrest an explanation from the young communications specialist. <P>"Obi-Wan, don't!" <P>His head wrenched around as he spun on his heel. Fire darkening his irises, he met L'iere's eyes as she held up a hand, the other now firmly grasping an unlit 'sabre. <P>But the pause was enough. <P>Silas, wrenching his arm out of the steel grip, had taken his free hand and managed to loose the blaster free of the security's chief's holster. With a brandishing cry, he aimed it towards the direction of Obi-Wan's back, but froze for a crucial second, his eyes widening. <P>Flying towards him at an alarming rate, the blade of glowing blue arced through the air, easily missing the black clad General as it spun, leaving Silas only enough time to leap to the left… <P>Right into the path of the lit 'sabre. With an anguished scream he watched his own hand sliced cleanly away from his arm, the blaster clattering to the deck as the fingers that once held it released. Before he could realise that there was no blood pooling at his feet, the wound cauterised by the white heat, he felt his breath press from his lungs as he was crushed into a wall, the hand of a distinctly displeased General at his throat. <P>"Sir--?!" <P>Growling, his voice hard and laced with a rush of adrenalin, Obi-Wan grate his words out very carefully. "Give me one reason I shouldn't strike you down right here." <P>The man held up against the wall, his face blanching with pain, sputtered and fell silent. <P>"Now you, my dear piece of space flotsam, will be taken to the med bay and held there until you're tended to. After that, I suggest you have yourself moved to a very dark and very unpleasant holding cell in which you can hide from my presence, lest you wish to me to truly lose control of my temper." <P>The man nodded politely, not left much to do besides agree. <P>Letting calm sweep in on him, Obi-Wan released his grip, stepping back so the security guard, could drag Silas off. Turning to walk to the centre of the deck, he paused when he found a distinctly feminine form in front of him. <P>"General?" <P>His face softened. "I owe you my life, Major." <P>L'iere refused to let the mirth show itself, waiting until he was watching her to set the lightsabre back on her belt. "I'll be noting this in my report, which I'll have you go over with me," she paused, her mouth curling up slightly, "tonight." <P>Setting a hand on her shoulder, rumour be damned, Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. We have to find out what happened to make someone like Silas, a perfectly good comm. officer, snap like that." <P>~Oh, well, I guess there's that too. But not before I get you bathed and shaved.~ <P>His breath caught in his chest, the rest of his anger fading with a delicious twist of ardour. "Alright, Major. I'll meet you after I get off shift." <P>L'iere chuckled to herself. Turning to stride off the bridge, knowing full well that the eyes of the crew were staring at her, some of them slack-jawed, she made sure the doors closed before she laughed outright, the mischievous smile betraying her new found joy to be stationed on the Angel Fire. <P>Duty aside, this could all work out. </HTML> </object></layer></div></span></style></noscript></table></script></applet><script language="JavaScript" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mc/mc.js"></script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://us.js2.yimg.com/us.js.yimg.com/lib/smb/js/hosting/cp/js_source/geov2_001.js"></script><script language="javascript">geovisit();</script><noscript><img src="http://visit.geocities.yahoo.com/visit.gif?us1256254658" alt="setstats" border="0" width="1" height="1"></noscript> <IMG SRC="http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=76001078&t=1256254658&f=us-w5" ALT=1 WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>