Kenobi Chronicles

Episode 6 (part 2)

"Gently, Haja!" Kenobi scolded. Haja had flopped the sleeping Princess across his back, smacking the back of his head with her limp arms.

"She is a little tall for a toddler—but still small enough to fit, I think." Haja said as he folded her legs in to where she looked like a little sleeping beetle.

"She's not a toddler—" Kenobi said, as Haja tucked a blanket around his chest. "Wait, is this safe? I feel she'll fall—"

"Be quiet, Master Jedi—I have done this. You have not."

A knock on the wall signaled them.

"Quickly, we haven't much time." Kenobi urged. Haja rolled his eyes as he tied the ends of the blanket together.

"There you are—you look like a regular mother from Sorgan!" Haja declared. Kenobi glared at him. Oh how far the Jedi had fallen.

"Oh! Wait, let us pull it over her head." Haja said, covering the pale face with a corner that hadn't made it into the folds.

Another knock came. Kenobi stood up and wobbled for a moment. The new weight of the princess threatened to topple him over.

"Here," Haja handed him what looked like a staff.

"Where did you get this?" Kenobi's brow darkened in confusion.

"No questions now—we must go!" Haja shoved Kenobi through the hallway. Greez was waiting for them in the interior lounge.

"Good luck my non-paying passengers—next time you need a ride, I'll expect a fee!" He said as he opened an escape hatch. Haja slipped through, after Kenobi. After they gave a goodbye salute to Greez, they both sneaked through the iron legs under the Mantis and took shelter behind some boxes in the docking bay where they had landed.

"Why did they care to dock properly this time?" Haja whispered as he followed Kenobi to a hallway.

"I'm not sure—they didn't say." Kenobi whispered back. They quickly walked through the hallway, as Cere had instructed them to earlier, and found it opened out into a forest.

"We follow its edge till we find the transport to Gesco?" Haja asked. Kenobi nodded. And the two disappeared into the foliage.

Back on the Mantis, Cere greeted the Docking Manager at the base of the ramp. After she had given their docking codes to him, Cal approached her from behind.

"You think he'll be fine on his own?" He asked her. "That kid looked like a lot to handle."

Cere smiled back at him.

"I don't believe it will be his first time dealing with such a child."

"Anakin, I said no!" Obi-wan yelled across the street to a boy that did not look much differently from him. The young boy looked startled at his master. He quickly left the merchant he was speaking with and ran to join Obi-wan.

"How many times must I tell you? When we are summoned by the Council—we go immediately with no delays." Obi-wan pushed his way through the Coruscant market.

"I just wanted to see this really cool droid—it's an Explorer Droid that's been modified so it can fly!"

"It doesn't matter—the duty of a Jedi is to always be on time—"

"Look! Roasted Porg!" Anakin bolted off into the crowd, again.

"Anakin!" Obi-wan called after him. He ran his hand through his hair that now hung a little past his ears. Master Qui-Gon had made mentoring a child look so easy. "Anakin!"