The Magpie
Sequel to "Mindfulness"
by jedimom
anotherjedimom@lycos.com

George Lucas owns the galaxy (except for Ninigi and Mikotoport), the Jedi and the Sith. Padawan Zol-Tan owns KeRaad. And although by now removed from it by quite a few steps, this story is descended from the Sith Academy, which belongs to Siubhan. Thanks to all the above. By the way, Steeleye Span is a real band.

And oh, yeah--if you haven't read the SA canon, plus the non-canon "Hell" and "Mindfulness," this story will make no sense whatsoever. I must be writing this for love or sheer cussedness or something, 'cause there sure isn't any money in it.

This one's for Padawan Zol-Tan.

//KeRaad. Coffee.//

//Good morning to you too, boss. It's in the galley.//

The warrior formerly known as Darth Maul stalked groggily into the galley in search of caffeine. A few minutes later he returned to the bridge.

//Report.//

//Everything looks good, no surprises during the night. We should be in orbital range of Ninigi in just over two hours.//

//Good. Take a break; I'll take over.// Maul reached past KeRaad to activate the tactile readouts at the pilot's station. His hand encountered a foot in a soft leather jazz oxford.

//KeRaad.//

//Yes, boss?//

//I told you not to put your feet on the console.//

//And this matters to me how?//

//I'm the boss. It's my ship.//

//True, but right now we're in flight and I'm the captain. So you can--// The rest of her comment was cut off as Maul yanked her out of the captain's chair with the Force and dumped her on the floor from five feet up. She got slowly to her feet.

//Okay, boss, remember this when the next beer you open turns out to be Budweiser.//

//You wouldn't dare.//

//What was it you said when we stripped that Corellian freighter? "If the Force hands you an unfair advantage, grab it and run"?//

//Watch yourself, KeRaad. You can be replaced.//

//I think not, Boss. Where else are you going to find a pilot who can mindspeak and will let you use her eyes and ears? If my working conditions get too unpleasant, I walk.//

//Assuming you still can.//

//A point,// KeRaad admitted.

//And you owe me something for the combat training. That wasn't in your contract. Unless you'd like to stop...//

//An even better point. Okay. For the training, I'll keep my feet off the console.//

//What about the beer?//

//No promises.//

***

//We're dropping out of hyperspace now, KeRaad. We'll be in orbit in twenty minutes.//

//Okay, boss. Be right there. What's the weather like at Mikotoport?//

Maul consulted the spaceport's broadcast. //Partly cloudy, cool, breezy. They're expecting frost tonight. It's three hours till sunset, local time.//

//Hm. Okay. A little early to hit the bars. Want me to check out the pawnshops?//

//Good idea. Feel free to spread a few credits around; that last run put us well in the black.//

//Boss, as soon as you get tired of Obi-Wan, you let me know.//

Maul snorted. //Yoda should live so long.//

Landing procedures went smoothly, though KeRaad had some caustic things to say about the docking bay's layout and design. For someone who preferred the Outer Rim to Coruscant, she had high standards. She was heading out the door when Maul called to her.

//KeRaad. Be mindful.//

//Do you sense something, boss?//

//I'm not sure. But I have a feeling someone besides us has an eye on this port. Watch yourself.//

//I think maybe civvies would be a good idea.// She ducked back into her quarters and came out with a long gray duster in place of her pilot's jacket. //Later, boss. Force be with you.//

//You too.// Maul turned his attention to updating the ship's log.

***

//I'm back, boss,// KeRaad mindcalled as she keyed the ship's entrance.

//In the galley,// thought Maul abstractedly. KeRaad grinned. Cooking again. That boded well for the boss's mood as well as for tonight's dinner.

//You will never believe what I found,// KeRaad continued as she came into the galley.

//What?//

//Must be seen to be believed. Come look.//

Maul crossed the room and stood behind KeRaad with his hands on her temples. //Ready?//

//Go for it. But don't say I didn't warn you.//

Maul concentrated briefly and then with a peculiar shift in perception he was seeing through KeRaad's eyes. She looked down at her cupped hands.

//Oh, Force.//

//Told ya.//

//I feel the sudden need for a Hamster Death Gulp. KeRaad, what in the name of Sith is that thing?//

//It's what my mom used to call a ceramic atrocity. Isn't it amazing?//

//Words fail me.// The thing was about the size of two beer cans stacked end-to-end, and every bit of its surface was covered with curlicues, zigzags, ripples, spirals and other forms too obscure to name. It was painted crudely in colors that somehow managed to be both muddy and garish.

//Shall we keep it? It looks like it would drive off evil spirits.//

//It's nearly driving me off. Ew.//

//Seen enough?//

//More than enough. // He released her. //I cannot believe you brought that hideous monstrosity on board my ship. I feel like I should have the place fumigated.//

//I don't know, I kind of like it,// said KeRaad, tongue firmly in cheek. //But really, boss, once I spotted it I couldn't ignore it. I kept looking back at it. Guess I was trying to convince myself that an object could really be that ugly.//

//What is it, anyway?// said Maul, turning his attention to the butter melting on the range top.

//Some kind of container. See, it opens...// She twisted the ends of the cylinder and it came apart into two pieces, revealing brass screw threads on the inside edges. Maul turned away from the stove as if seeking the source of a scent or a draft of air.

//Let me see that a minute.// He took the pieces out of her hands, with a curious, intent look. Setting them on the counter, he ran his fingers carefully along the inner surfaces. //KeRaad, look at this. What do you see?//

She bent over for a close look. //There's something sparkly on your fingertips.//

//Let me look.// He put his free hand on hers, using her eyes again. His sharp intake of breath startled her.

//What is it, boss?//

//How long were you at the Jedi Academy?//

//Four years. I left when I was twelve to go to flight school full time.//

//You weren't ever a padawan, were you?//

//No. Why?//

//This dust is what's left when you polish lightsaber crystals. Reach out and you'll feel its signature in the Force.//

//Yes. Oh hell, boss.//

//Oh yes. This is a little more interesting than the weapons smugglers we came looking for.//

//No wonder I couldn't stop looking at it.//

//Nice work. Well, you know what this means.//

She grinned. //Time to max out Ms. Stewart's card.//

//Yes. We need more bacta. I think we're on our last case of Pete's--and if you bring Budweiser on my ship you will perish in flames. We need spare induction coils. For the rest, use your imagination.//

//I think I shall now complete my CD collection,// thought KeRaad gleefully.

//Oh, Force, not more bloody folk songs.//

//Hey, you don't have to listen to them. Back in a couple hours, boss.//

KeRaad returned with a rented speeder to hold her purchases. //Not easy maxing out a credit card in this place,// she reported. //Not much in the way of luxury goods. But we now have the best-stocked liquor cabinet in the sector--you wouldn't believe the assortment of single-malt whiskeys. And I have a very nice set of boot knives. And I bought you a leather trench coat. I know you're jealous of Obi-Wan's.//

//You are provisionally forgiven for putting your feet on the console. Did the merchant call MacroStiff about the credit limit?//

//Yep. The representative will be here tomorrow and the merchant's holding the last of our stuff until then.//

//Excellent. Go wash up. Dinner's ready.//

***

The representative from MacroStiff arrived in Mikotoport the next morning. He was perfectly happy to authorize a temporary increase in KeRaad's credit limit, and also to deliver a coded message to his boss. KeRaad spent the rest of the morning listening to the new additions to her vast collection of "get me off this ship" songs. After lunch she paid a return visit to the pawn shop, whose owner regretfully informed her that the ceramic--whatever--was one of a kind.

"Well, here's the address where I'll be staying. If you ever get any merchandise like it again, or if the person who brought it to you has more available, please contact me." She headed off to the spaceport bar to get a drink.

While she was sipping her sangria, a cloaked figure strode into the bar. //With that kind of panache it could only be a Jedi,// thought KeRaad, //and I bet I know which one.//

"KeRaad, if I keep finding you in every cheap bar I walk into, I'm going to have to have a talk with your employer," said Obi-Wan, sliding into the booth next to her.

"If you keep hanging out in cheap bars, my employer's going to want to have a talk with you," she retorted, hugging him. "That was fast. Has Ms. Stewart taken out a patent on time travel?"

"Actually my sister didn't send me. The Council did. I was already in orbit when she contacted me and told me where to find you. It seems you've found something they were looking for."

"Shall we continue this conversation elsewhere?" asked KeRaad, and left a stack of coins on the table to pay her tab. She chuckled.

"What?"

"Oh, just enjoying the other customers' reaction to seeing a Jedi walk into the bar and immediately pick up a chick. And you didn't even have to buy me a drink."

"Well, you know what they say about the mind trick."

"By the way, part of my credit card tab went to a luxury suite at the spaceport Hilton."

Obi-Wan grinned, blue eyes glinting. "That was generous of you."

"Generous, hell," she said. "The hotel's for me. You guys get the ship."

***

Back aboard the Mindful, KeRaad tactfully left Obi-Wan and Maul to renew their acquaintance while she went to her quarters to pack an overnight bag. There was a disturbance in the Force she could sense even through her best efforts at shielding. She shook her head, smiling. //Okay, guys, a little respect for boundaries if you please,// she thought to herself. She cranked up the volume on her CD player and flipped the switch that connected it with the ship's intercom system.

Maul felt a rhythmic vibration through the soles of his boots. He looked puzzled for a moment. //Just a second, Obi-Wan,// he said, and turned his attention to KeRaad's quarters.

//Hey! Who are you and what have you done with my pilot?//

//I beg your pardon?//

//Whatever that is you're piping through the comm system. It actually has a BEAT. One could, theoretically, DANCE to it.//

//Oh yeah, right, boss, you should know, you're such a dancing machine,// she thought scornfully.

Obi-Wan and Maul burst out laughing.

//What?// Getting no response, KeRaad came onto the bridge to find the two of them leaning on each other, howling with laughter.

//WHAT??// KeRaad looked back and forth between them as if they had suddenly turned into Ewoks.

//You know nothing. You are still unenlightened,// said Maul smugly.

//Give the kid a break. The Grey Side was pretty good about checking IDs,// said Obi-Wan.

//The Grey Side? You mean the Grey Side of the Force?// KeRaad was mystified.

//Oh, my lost youth,// said Obi-Wan, wiping his eyes. //Never mind, KeRaad. And what is that you're playing? It sounds Celtic--sort of.//

//It's Steeleye Span, if you must know,// she said testily. //And if you're going to be jerks about it I'll take it to the Hilton. I was almost done packing.//

//You do that, dear,// said Maul condescendingly, patting her on the cheek with a saccharine smirk that would have done Senator Palpatine proud. KeRaad vanished into her quarters and the music stopped. She came back carrying a shoulder bag and stormed off the ship with an air of offended dignity.

//Reminds me of My Apprentice,// thought Maul. //Now. Business.//

//Business. Alas. Who is smuggling lightsaber crystals?//

//I think we can safely assume it's not the Jedi.//

//Yes. And who does that leave?//

//Wait. Not so simple. You could get at least a dozen good-sized crystals in that container.//

//And?//

//And there are only two Sith.//

//You sure about that?//

//It's the rule.//

//Sith have rules? Or more to the point, Sith obey rules?//

//Good point. Actually I hope it's the Sith.//

//Why?//

//Because if it's someone else, Sidious will find out about it. Then we not only have to worry about the smugglers and their clients, we have to worry about running into him. Or his new apprentice. Or both.//

//Shite. I'll keep that in mind.//

***

KeRaad surveyed her penthouse suite with satisfaction. //At last, I am supported in the style to which I wish to become accustomed,// she thought smugly. She stacked her new CDs atop the room's very nice sound system, ordered a hellishly expensive room service dinner, and kicked back on the Emperor-sized bed. The Wampa fur rug was really a bit much, she thought, but what the hell--it was all found money.

She was polishing off the remains of her chocolate-raspberry cheesecake (not, alas, as good as the boss could make it, but not having to listen to the reunion taking place on the ship was worth a small sacrifice), when the vidphone rang. "Yes?"

"Main desk, madam. A package for you."

"From whom?"

"The Eight-Way Roller Pawn Shop, madam." The receptionist's voice was pleasantly neutral. Good hotel, KeRaad thought; the staff apparently considered snobbishness beneath their dignity.

"Thanks. Send it up." When the bellboy arrived she tipped him lavishly and sat on the bed to open the securely-wrapped package. More ceramic atrocities? Or perhaps information about the source of the one she'd bought? She broke the seal and lifted the lid on the box inside. There was a loud pop and a hiss; she was hit in the face with a strong blast of some stinging aerosol that burned her eyes and made her cough and sneeze violently. A practical joke? She stood up and a wave of dizziness hit her. Oh shit. She'd been drugged. She tried to mindcall the boss but her vision was already darkening, her pulse sounding like waves in her ears. She didn't even feel herself hit the floor.

She dragged herself back into consciousness some time later. Unable to stand, she crawled to the vidphone, found it disabled. She felt dizzy as well as weak, and she couldn't stop coughing. Her vision was behaving strangely and her heart was racing. She fought down panic, forced herself to concentrate. She crawled painfully to the door and pulled herself up by the doorframe, but stopped with her hand on the controls. Her connection with the Force was weak and erratic, but it was screaming a warning. She must make the right moves now; more than her life depended on it. //Think, KeRaad. Focus.// She reached out to her boss, the Force-link writhing in her mental grasp like a firehose. //Boss...//

***

Maul awoke, groggily, with the feeling that there was something he should be doing. He checked the tactile readout on the alarm clock. Three-twenty a.m.

//Boss.// The mind-voice was faint. Maul felt a twinge of alarm.

//KeRaad. Where are you? I can barely hear you.//

//Sorry. Sick. Fever.//

//Hang on, I'm coming--//

//NO! Don't, boss. Don't leave the ship. Call medical droids. Quarantine.//

//Where are you?//

//Spaceport Hilton. Penthouse. Don't leave the ship, boss.// The contact faded.

//Obi-Wan--//

//I heard, Khameir. I'm on it.// Obi-Wan scrambled out of bed and headed to the bridge to hail the spaceport's emergency response team.

***

The emergency medical droids were well-equipped and efficient. While one team set up an airlock on KeRaad's door, entered and began trying to stabilize her, another established a perimeter around the hotel, then moved inward and upward, floor by floor, taking samples from the air and various surfaces until they determined that the organism that had infected KeRaad was limited to her suite.

As soon as quarantine was lifted from the rest of the hotel, Maul and Obi-Wan stationed themselves outside KeRaad's door, with video and audio hookups to the suite, and began keeping vigil. //Why the hell couldn't I be a half-decent healer?// fumed Obi-Wan. //I can't do anything from out here.// Through the monitors he could see KeRaad's haggard, sweating face and hear her painful breathing, hour after hour, a grating sound that made his chest constrict as if he couldn't breathe either.

Maul paced up and down the corridor. //Drugged out of her skull, half delirious from fever, and the kid has the sense to stay in the room, and to warn us to stay on the ship. I'd have barged right in there.//

//Me too.//

On the monitors, KeRaad took another gasping breath. Another. And another. Each breath was followed by a long pause that suggested it might be the last.

***

Obi-Wan and Maul were on the thin edge of exhaustion when the medical droids finally came up with a treatment for KeRaad's infection. Her vital signs stabilized and she recovered consciousness, though she was still terribly weak. Declaring that she was no longer contagious, the droids allowed Maul and Obi-Wan to transport her back to the Mindful.

//Get some rest. I'll take the first watch,// said Maul.

//Thanks.//

After a few hours' sleep, Obi-Wan found Maul sitting beside KeRaad's bed, brooding.

//How is she?// asked Obi-Wan.

//Sleeping. The droid says she probably won't do much else for a few days. It was close, Obi-Wan. It was pneumonic plague, and the bug was engineered. Drug-resistant, incredibly fast-acting, and contagious as hell. It would have gotten all three of us.//

//Not to mention Force knows how many other people.//

//Always the Jedi.//

//It's my job.//

//When I find the bastard who did this...// Maul stopped. //Oh.//

//What?//

//I think I already know who did it. Sidious. He has the resources to come up with the bug, and it would be just like his sense of humor to infect her with something that would end up killing you and me too. And maybe take out half the continent. By the time anybody notices anything he's long gone. Or rather, his flunkies are. And everyone's too busy fighting the new plague to care about Jedi, or lightsaber crystals, or Sith, or anything else.//

//It does sound like him,// said Obi-Wan grimly.

Maul scowled as he stroked KeRaad's long hair. //I think I'm turning into you. I care about this child.//

//Oh well. It builds character. You know, by the way, that that "child" is only seven years younger than you.//

//Seven years and several lifetimes.// Maul's hand paused. //Obi-Wan. Look.//

KeRaad's hair was spread out on her pillow, revealing a thin braid behind her right ear that had been concealed in her ponytail.

//I'll be damned,// said Obi-Wan. //You seem to have acquired a padawan.//

//Oh, shit.//

//I should have guessed. Look at what she calls you.//

// "Boss"?//

//Not too far from "Master."//

//What the hell would make her want to be my apprentice?//

//It's not too surprising. The two of you have been together 24-7 for over a year, mindspeaking constantly. You've probably formed a training bond without realizing it. That's why the Jedi don't pair up a student with the same teacher for long unless they're Master and Padawan.//

//Damn! That's all I need right now, a fucking dependent. Just proximity's enough to do it?//

//Yeah. It's been known to happen.//

//So much for Jedi tradition and mysticism. Qui-Gon would probably claim it was "the Will of the Force".//

//Qui-Gon might be right.//

//I need an apprentice like I need pneumonic plague. And even if I wanted one, she's too old. She isn't even all that strong in the Force.//

//You're selling her short. If she'd been younger, and if she'd stayed at the Academy, I would have been glad to take her as mine.//

//That's different. You're a Jedi Knight.//

//You passed the Trials before I did.//

//Don't start, Obi-Wan. What am I going to do with her?//

//Well, to start with, you're going to have to tell her who you are. Or who you were. And what's going on.//

//I can't do that. What if she runs into one of the Sith and lets something slip?//

//What if she runs into one of the Sith and is completely unprepared? She could be turned. She's Force-strong, she's undisciplined, and she has a rebellious streak you could land a freighter on. You have to train her, and you'd better make it fast.//

//I should send her back to Mary Sue.//

//It's too late. She's already bonded to you. Can't you sense it?//

//No.//

//You just consider her your employee? Ready to send her home and hire another pilot?//

//I could.//

//Turn around and walk towards the door.//

Maul complied, mystified. Behind him he felt Obi-Wan's lightsaber ignite. He was standing between the Jedi and KeRaad's bed before he realized he'd moved. Obi-Wan deactivated his saber without comment.

//What the hell was that?// said Maul.

//That's what a training bond feels like. Of course, I've only experienced it from the Padawan's side,// said Obi-Wan. //But you may find it harder than you think to send her away. And even if you can do it, no way is she going to walk away from her Master.//

//I did.//

//Yeah, after he damn near tortured you to death. Besides, you're a statistical anomaly. How many ex-Sith have there been in the last thousand years?//

//None, as far as I know. At least, none that survived for more than a few seconds. But look, Obi-Wan, how am I supposed to train her? I'm not a Jedi. And somehow I don't think honing her rage and hatred is what's called for.//

//I don't know. But you'd better think of something. You're stuck with her, and if you don't equip her to take care of herself, she'll be a huge liability.//

//Why don't you train her?//

//I'm not her Master. You are. But I'll do what I can to help. I suppose I could get her started on Force-healing, though it's not my best discipline.//

//You're better than me. But I was hoping you'd teach her to pick locks.//

Obi-Wan snorted. //Okay, that too. But I can't stay here long; once we trace those crystals, the Council will be sending me off somewhere else.//

KeRaad stirred. //Could you guys keep it down?// she thought sleepily. //You woke me up.//

//Sorry,// Obi-Wan said.

//What were you arguing about anyway?//

//We were discussing your new hairstyle,// said Maul.

//Oh. Oh, shit.// KeRaad's shields slammed shut with surprising energy for her condition.

//You talk to her. She's shutting me out,// said Maul. "KeRaad," Obi-Wan began.

"Not now, Obi-Wan. I'm too tired," said KeRaad in a strained voice.

"I know. You need to rest. And then we need to talk. There's a lot we haven't told you."

"I don't want to hear a lecture on maturity, Obi-Wan. And I wasn't--it was just meant as a private gesture."

"It was a better gesture than you know, KeRaad," said Obi-Wan. "Get some sleep." KeRaad turned over and lay still.

//You get some sleep too, Khameir,// said Obi-Wan privately. //I'll stay with her.//

***

"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" asked Obi-Wan late the next morning.

"Not bad. I think I could eat a little."

"Good. Lunch will be ready in a little while. In the meantime, I have a story to tell you."

KeRaad rolled her eyes. "Hello, Obi-Wan! I'm not eight years old any more! You can skip the fairy tales."

Obi-Wan's face remained solemn. "This one is true. What do you know about the Sith?"

"Powerful, bad and gone."

"Well, two out of three's not bad. And it's not your fault your instructors were misinformed."

"What the hell are you babbling about, Obi-Wan?"

"Powerful, yes. Bad, yes. Gone, no. I've met them. And you very nearly have."

"Do I need to take your temperature?"

"Do you know who trained your boss?"

"Well, I don't know where else he studied, but he must have learned lightsaber technique at the Academy."

"Nope. Try again. Jedi are not the only warriors that use lightsabers."

"Obi-Wan, are you trying to tell me that my boss is a Sith?"

"An ex-Sith. I wouldn't sleep with a Sith. Well, I used to, but I didn't know it at the time." Obi-Wan blushed as another thought hit him. KeRaad raised an eyebrow, but the Jedi shook his head. "Never mind."

//Boss,// KeRaad called to Maul in the galley, //either Obi-Wan is hallucinating or I am.//

//Oh?// Maul's mind-voice was carefully noncommittal.

//He's trying to tell me you're an ex-Sith.//

//That's right.//

//You're shitting me.//

//No. Care for some supporting evidence?// Maul's mind-voice was serious.

KeRaad considered this offer. Shivered.

//No thanks. How does one get to be an ex-Sith?//

//There's not much of a precedent. In my case, falling in love with a Jedi.//

//I'm glad it didn't work the other way,// said KeRaad fervently.

//It nearly did,// Obi-Wan commented.

//TMI!// said KeRaad nervously. //I do not want to know.//

//Want to take that braid out now?// asked Maul. //Because if you leave it in I'm going to take it seriously.//

//No,// KeRaad said firmly. //That's your job. Take it out when you decide you can't put up with me any more, or cut it off when I can kick your ass. Otherwise it stays.//

//Unless you outlive me.//

//Not an option, boss. Anything that wants a piece of you has to go through me first.//

Obi-Wan stifled a laugh.

"Jerk." KeRaad threw her pillow at him. //Boss, Obi-Wan says he has dibs on some pieces.//

//Possessive little bastard, isn't he? Come get lunch. I promise it's not poisoned.//

//We're supposed to take a Sith's word for it?// Obi-Wan asked. He offered KeRaad his arm.

***

KeRaad sat in the pilot's chair, eyes glued to the street map on the viewscreen. She keyed the ship's comlink. "Obi-Wan?"

The Jedi sat in an outdoor cafe, seeming to daydream but actually concentrating on the small packet of crystal dust in his hand. He spoke into his comlink. "Almost due north from me."

//Boss?// KeRaad mindcalled.

//North by northeast,// responded Maul from his seat on a park bench.

//Got it. About half a mile further inland. It's a commercial district.// "Obi-Wan," she continued aloud, "go a few blocks east and try again."

Half an hour later KeRaad had pinpointed the building where the Force said the lightsaber crystals should be.

Ninigi's surface was mostly ocean, scattered with four small continents and thousands of archipelagoes made up of millions of islands. Most of its land was seashore. Since Ninigi's small moon generated only gentle tides and its weather was not given to violent surprises, nearly everyone wanted to live, work, or eat on the beach. Inland real estate, like the area around Mikotoport, was cheap and given over to agriculture or to low-rent commercial buildings. The building that interested them was surrounded by dozens just like it; an ideal hiding place for illegal activity.

That night the three of them dressed for skulking. Maul had on black jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. KeRaad wore a hooded blouse and harem pants of black raw silk that swallowed up light like a singularity. Obi-Wan had his uniform with the formal robe that hid everything but his fingertips.

//I think I know what the Trials really are,// KeRaad commented as they glided along the dimly lit streets towards their goal.

//Oh?// said Obi-Wan.

//Not making noise in those boots and not tripping on the robe.//

//In that case you'd better quit now,// said Maul.

//You're just pissed because Obi-Wan said your leather trench was too shiny,// KeRaad retorted. They reached the building they had pinpointed earlier in the day.

//Both of you knock it off,// said Obi-Wan, //or this will take all night.// He slipped a few slim metal objects out of his sleeve and bent to work on the lock. //Next time you get to do this yourselves, children,// he said as it clicked open. //I'm going back to keep an eye on the ship. Good hunting,// he added as he faded into the darkness. Maul and KeRaad slipped through the door, closing but not locking it behind them.

Inside, the building was pitch black and utterly silent except when the ventilation system produced a barely audible whisper. Maul and KeRaad paused to search for signs of life.

//Guard,// said KeRaad. //One floor up. Alert but not jumpy.//

//Another one in the subbasement,// Maul commented. //Half-asleep. Let's start with this floor. Maybe we'll get lucky.//

//Sounds like a plan, boss.// The two of them moved silently down the corridor. //Here, KeRaad.// Maul stopped outside a door that appeared to lead into a supply closet.

//How can you tell, boss?//

//You tell me.//

KeRaad concentrated, frowning. //I think I sense something. There's a sort of...emphasis?...in the Force,// she said tentatively.

//Good call,// said Maul. //Someone's been obsessing about what's in this closet.// The simple lock was easy enough for Maul to pick without making noise or leaving scratches.

//Nice work, boss,// commented KeRaad. //Obi-Wan would be proud. The downstairs guard's awake, but he's not moving. Upstairs guy's going up one more floor.//

A careful search of the closet revealed a hidden switch just above the doorframe that caused a section of the frame to swing open, exposing a small hollow from the bottom of which a cylindrical shaft ran down through the wall. Maul concentrated briefly. //There they are.// He exerted a tiny bit of the Force and a small, tightly wrapped bundle floated up from the shaft. KeRaad could feel the Force-signature of lightsaber crystals. Maul was reaching for the bundle when KeRaad grabbed his wrist.

//Boobytrap?//

//A distinct possibility,// he admitted. //You check on the guards.// He cleared his mind and concentrated intently on the package as it hovered in midair.

//Upstairs one is back to the second floor. Downstairs one is starting to move around,// KeRaad reported.

//All right.// KeRaad momentarily lost contact with Maul as he sank into a light trance. A minute passed before he sighed and returned to his immediate surroundings. //No boobytrap. Let's go.// He tucked the package of crystals into his pocket.

//Ready when you are,// KeRaad replied, replacing the concealed panel. //Can I relock the door?//

//If you can do it in under 45 seconds,// said Maul. //The downstairs guard is coming up the stairwell.//

KeRaad managed the lock in 40 seconds, including bowing and kissing her hands to an imaginary audience. She and Maul were back out in the street with their booty before the guard came out of the stairwell.

***

Maul, Obi-Wan and KeRaad stood around the galley table in various stages of admiration. The bundle had proven to contain thirteen lightsaber crystals of varying hues and sizes, all crudely polished and resonating strongly with the Force.

//I still wonder who these were intended for,// said Maul. //The Sith wouldn't want them. Wrong colors. And the Jedi get all they need from the legitimate sources.//

//Collectors?// said KeRaad. //I mean, do we have to assume they're going to be used in lightsabers? Doesn't the mere fact that the Jedi monpolize them make them rare and valuable? I've certainly never seen one before, except at the Academy when they showed us what's inside a lightsaber.//

//Maybe the Council has picked up some more information by now that'll help this make more sense,// Obi-Wan said. //I'm going to go pack. Will you two try to find me a ship to Coruscant?//

//Sure, I will // said KeRaad. //Hey, boss, when are you going to teach me the mind whammy?//

//Never. You might turn out like My Former Apprentice and I'd be in the galley making truffles for the rest of my life,// said Maul.

//Fine. I'll just have to do it the old fashioned way. Big grey eyes and 'pleeeeease'. And if all else fails, the quivering lip.//

Obi-Wan laughed. //I swear I did NOT teach her that,// he said.

//Hah. I am immune to the big eyes AND the quivering lip. And whining just hones my rage,// said Maul. //Get going, KeRaad.// He turned to Obi-Wan, who was gathering his few possessions. //We'll tap into the medical droids' data banks and try to find out something about that bacterium. Let us know what you find out on Coruscant. Mary Sue should be able to get word to us.//

***

KeRaad found space for Obi-Wan on a ship headed for Coruscant with a cargo of sunburned tourists. The three of them walked down to the docking bay together. KeRaad said her goodbyes, then waited at the entrance to the bay as Maul accompanied Obi-Wan to the ship's boarding ramp.

//I'll miss you. As always,// said Obi-Wan.

//Yeah. Me too.//

//I did leave a good-bye present for you though. And one for KeRaad. They're in the guest quarters.//

//Thanks. Watch your back, Obi-Wan.//

//May the Force be with you, Khameir.// Obi-Wan enfolded Maul in a fierce hug, then ascended the boarding ramp.

Maul and KeRaad returned to the Mindful in silence. Maul retrieved a heavy tool case from the guest quarters and handed it to KeRaad. //Here. Obi-Wan left presents for us. Open it.// KeRaad complied, and Maul felt her shock like a physical blow. //What?//

KeRaad laughed, shakily. //If the Council finds out about this--//

Maul took the case from her hands and explored it with cautious fingertips. Electronic parts, a small tool kit, metal cylinders...

Lightsaber crystals. Three of them, a matched pair and an odd one. Maul grinned a slow, wicked grin.

//But why three?// KeRaad asked, puzzled.

//You'll see. There are a few things you didn't learn at the Academy.//

//I have a very good feeling about this, boss,// KeRaad thought.

//Life loves us,// Maul replied smugly.

END

(11/9/99)

Email the author