Two Halfs of One Warrior • Obikin/Vaderwan One-Shots

Aggressive Negotiations

• Summary: Obi-Wan is called The Negotiator with good reason. He's very good at reading a situation to best work it to his advantage. Sometimes, surprisingly, Anakin can be a great help. Or a great hindrance.

Or, five times Obi-Wan makes use of Anakin's beauty in a negotiation, and one time someone turns the tables on him.

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[1.]

It starts off innocently.

Obi-Wan establishes himself as a keen negotiator from the start, even while he’s still Qui-Gon’s Padawan. His ability to remain cool under pressure is noted by the Council and by the Senate alike. He’s almost always able to sway people to his side, to get anything he wants, because he’s willing to use any tool at his disposal.

With some negotiations that means a thorough understanding of the issues and the cultures at play. Fortunately, Obi-Wan retains knowledge well, and he has the right kind of personality to be able to sink himself into pages and pages of admittedly tedious reading.

(Unlike some people he can name.)

With some negotiations Obi-Wan must take a harder stance, outsmarting and outmaneuvering the belligerent parties at every turn. Obi-Wan does enjoy that in moderation. He enjoys the way a well-placed argument can strike so deeply, almost like a physical blow in combat. It suits him.

And with some negotiations Obi-Wan simply turns up the charm. He knows he can talk circles around many people, even many politicians. A smile, some light flirtation, and maybe even a lingering touch here or there. Such things have proven to be some of Obi-Wan’s most effective tools.

But they will very much not be used today, Obi-Wan thinks wryly as he observes the child queen of Yeoth V. Obi-Wan has been accused of being a flirt before, but he has absolutely never flirted with someone as young as this queen.

The girl is sixteen years old and looks it, even under her heavy bejeweled headdress. She might be intelligent, poised, and effective, but she is still a child.

Unbidden, Obi-Wan thinks back to Padmé Amidala, the last child queen he dealt with. And then he wonders what must be wrong with these planets that they keep electing teenaged girls. Are there no adults around who can be trusted to serve in government? Is this truly their best option?

But he will admit, Queen Amidala had been a ferocious leader and absolutely beloved by her people. And by some others, Obi-Wan remembers with faint amusement, looking to his right at his own teenaged Padawan.

He’d half-expected Anakin to moon around after this queen too, as he’s been doing to Queen Amidala from afar for years. Anakin’s unwavering devotion to Queen Amidala in the face of other, more available targets, left Obi-Wan wondering if Anakin’s taste was simply ‘Queens’.

(Which would have been unfortunate for the poor boy, long term. There just aren’t that many teen girls elected as queen of entire systems. Obi-Wan has a much easier time satisfying his preference for fiery blonds.)

But no, Anakin seems completely indifferent to Queen Madeve, even though she too has elaborate headdresses and speaks with an authority far beyond her years. Anakin just sits there in his chair at Obi-Wan’s side, leaning back a little and staring out the window dreamily.

‘Pay attention, Padawan,’ Obi-Wan rebukes through their bond, although there’s no real heat behind it. The negotiations have been going poorly so far: Queen Madeve and her people don’t seem to have any interest in budging. Their relationship with their nearest neighbor has soured, resulting in a rather painful and tedious trade dispute. He doesn’t entirely blame Anakin for being distracted.