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Backed into a Corner

by PaRu

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Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Star Wars not mine. Just borrowing. George Lucas owns. ‘Cept Malaya. She was just inspired by Star Wars.

Synopsis: Sequel to Hiding Out. Obi-Wan and his new Padawan must take a break in their studies to rescue a friend. Takes place a year later.

~~~~~~~~~~

Obi-Wan rushed into the quarters he shared with Anakin. "Start packing," he ordered the boy.

"Why?" Anakin asked as he pulled out a case and started shoving clothes into it.

"Because we have to go bail out an old friend again," he replied as he slid some of his own clothes into another bag.

"What do you mean again?" Ani asked.

"Qui-Gon used to make a habit of getting this particular friend out of trouble," Obi-Wan said. "Malaya is a Jedi with a good head on her shoulders but a knack for getting into trouble." He shook his head sadly. "She ran away a few years ago and centered herself. She was doing really good when she came back—until this."

"What happened?" Ani asked as he finished packing and grabbed his robe.

"Who knows," he said, sounding a bit tired. "Last time I went after her she almost got us killed..."

"Then why are we going after her now?"

Obi-Wan turned to him. "Because she is a friend and she was very special to Qui-Gon."

Anakin nodded as Obi-Wan lead him out and down to where the ship was waiting for them. "What happened to get her into trouble this time?"

"She was sent to Ambilias for a simple treaty negotiation," he said. "She must have said or done something to get them annoyed at her. She has a habit of doing that."

Ani let out a breath. "Why don’t we just let her get herself out of it then?"

"Because she has already proven that she can’t," Obi-Wan replied. "I just hope we get there in time."

"In time?" Anakin asked as they boarded the ship.

"Before they execute her," Obi-Wan explained.

"Oh boy," Ani murmured as the ship took off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malaya was in the worst predicament she had ever been in. She sat on her knees on the floor of her cell meditating. She was so agitated that it wasn’t helping. This was her first major assignment since she had returned to the Jedi Temple a year before. She had been centered and more knowledgeable than she had been before. She had been proud of herself. But then came Qui-Gon’s death.

She went to Naboo for the Funeral Pyre and the celebrations the next day. Then she begged for the council to send her somewhere, anywhere, where she could be useful and away from Coruscant. Someplace where she could forget. They had complied with her request, but not without telling her how she needed to heal from this tragedy. She just wanted to stay busy.

Malaya sighed. Obi-Wan was on his way, that much she knew. The thing she hated most was that he was probably walking into a trap especially if he brought the boy with him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Klaa Dgo was waiting on his huge throne for the next Jedi to come take the place of the Jedi down in the dungeon. It was not proper for her to have done what she did. Klaa sighed. The Jedi would be shown a proper lesson—as an example to the others. He just hoped that the next Jedi, the one that was landing right now, was smarter.

Obi-Wan walked into the throne room followed by Anakin. Both were dressed in Jedi Robes with the hoods pulled up. Klaa was unnerved by the size of the younger Jedi and guards stopped them just inside the entrance. "How old is the boy!" Klaa growled at them as he stood.

Obi-Wan pushed back his hood and looked down at Anakin as he did the same. Obi-Wan shrugged and turned back to Klaa. "Just over ten cycles," he replied.

Klaa smiled. "You have complied with the traditions," he said as he sat back down.

"Traditions?"

"Our traditions say that no one under the age of ten cycles will be brought to any negotiations," Klaa replied. "That is the mistake your predecessor made."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan questioningly. Obi-Wan shrugged again. ‘Maybe the council gave her a Padawan,’ he thought.

"The Jedi are usually more thorough than this," Obi-Wan said aloud. "She did get a briefing regarding your traditions. Didn’t she?"

Klaa looked at his lieutenant who shrugged. "We do not usually do such things," he said then puffed himself up. "It was HER responsibility to learn our ways."

"What is the punishment for this mistake?" Obi-Wan asked.

Klaa smiled again, this time showing his rows of sharp teeth. "Death," he hissed.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes to think. When he opened them, it was with an idea. He stepped closer to the ruler. "What is the punishment for not learning your traditions?"

"We do not have such a punishment."

"Perhaps you should," Obi-Wan said as he waved his hand slightly.

"Perhaps we should," Klaa repeated.

"A lesser punishment may be warranted in this case," Obi-Wan said as he waved his hand again.

"A lesser punishment may be warranted," Klaa repeated. He paused as Obi-Wan’s mind released his and his own mind started working. He gestured to a man just outside of Obi-Wan’s view. "Forty lashes," Klaa said as the man to whom he was gesturing stepped out of the shadows.

The man pulled out a nasty looking whip with several strands. At the end of each strand was a small piece of sharp metal. The whip was designed to tear out pieces of flesh as it punished. Obi-Wan grew concerned.

"I don’t think this is proper either," he said, trying to regain control of the man’s mind.

"Forty lashes," he repeated sternly, adamant about the punishment

Obi-Wan knew he’d never be able to change the man’s mind, even using his mind tricks. He waved his hand, "I want to see her before her punishment is carried out."

He didn’t even need the mind tricks for this request. Klaa nodded and waved to the guards behind him. "Take the Jedi to his friend. Then make preparations for the lashings. When the Jedi is through, the woman will receive her punishment."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malaya sat in quiet meditation when the door to her cell opened and Obi-Wan came in. Relief washed over her and she stood to take him in a big hug which he returned. "I am so glad to see you!"

"And I you," he replied taking a look at her. She had stripped off her robe and vest. All she wore was her tunic and pants with her knee high boots. "Your punishment has been lessened."

Malaya sighed. "Good."

"Not so good," Obi-Wan said then took her hand and replayed the events in the throne room through both of their minds.

"Not so bad either," she said as she let go of his hand and his mind.

"What did they do with the child?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Told you did they?" she said. Obi-Wan nodded. "They have him in some of the chambers above. They said someone would take care of him."

"I’m sure they will," Obi-Wan replied. "When I’m done talking to you, they are going to take you for punishment."

Malaya sighed. "I’ve been in worse spots before," she said. "Being trapped in the middle of a swamp fire comes to mind."

Obi-Wan put his hand on her shoulder. "Don’t worry. I’ll be there."

Malaya put her hand on his and smiled. "Thanks Obi-Wan."

The door opened again and the guards came in. "It is time," one said. Malaya gave Obi-Wan a second glance then set her shoulders and went out the door with the guards close behind. Obi-Wan followed.

They were led back into the throne room where they had set up a long pole near the door where Anakin and Obi-Wan had come in. Anakin was standing next to Klaa, so Obi-Wan joined him there. Malaya’s hands were chained together then above her head to the pole. The man with the whip came out and stood behind her.

Malaya took a breath, and Obi-Wan could sense her hold it and go into a meditative trance. Good, he thought. That would help lessen the pain.

The whip flew once, striking her back and tearing skin and cloth in one blow. Malaya jerked, her body spasming with the effect of the blow. Obi-Wan gritted his teeth and reached out with the Force to help reinforce her trance. He split his attention between that and keeping the whip from doing too much damage to her.

The whip struck again and again and Obi-Wan counted. Three, four, five... up into twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two... thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty. The whip stopped and hung still.

Obi-Wan rushed forward to catch Malaya as they released her from the pole before she could fall to the floor.

"Take her back to her cell," Klaa ordered.

"No," Obi-Wan said. "I’m taking her to quarters."

"I will not give her special quarters," Klaa said.

"Then I’ll take her to mine," Obi-Wan replied. When Klaa nodded, Obi-Wan picked Malaya up and carried her barely conscious form behind the guard.

They finally reached the room and were let in. It was small. Almost too small for the two beds that stood in it. Obi-Wan lay Malaya face down in the bed nearest the door and headed through the door between the beds. It was, thankfully, a small wash room. Obi-Wan grabbed a rag and filled a small dish with water before returning to Malaya’s side. Anakin was already on her other side, carefully pulling the torn strips of her shirt from the wounds made by the whip.

"This could have been a lot worse," Obi-Wan said as he wet the rag and began to clean the wounds between the strips of cloth.

After a minute, he heard her speak into the pillow. "This is NOT going to work," she said then leaned up as much as the pain in her back would allow and slid the shirt off of her shoulders. She winced in pain, but it made the wounds easier to get at to clean.

"Do you need anything?" Anakin asked.

"Not right now," Malaya said as she settled back into the bed.

"Go ask the guards if you can get the rest of her clothes," Obi-Wan ordered.

Anakin complied as Obi-Wan turned back to his work. Malaya moaned. "You’ll be OK," Obi-Wan murmured. "I’ll try to get them to give custody of the child to me."

Malaya laughed a bit through her pain. "I don’t think you could feed him very well," she said.

"I’m confused," Obi-Wan said.

"I’ll explain later," Malaya replied then winced at he pulled a sheet up over her body.

"Just rest," he said with a hand on her head. She closed her eyes and went into a healing trance that would have her wounds almost healed enough by morning to leave. "I’ll take care of everything."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Klaa had insisted beginning the treaty negotiations that night, so Obi-Wan was gone until all hours. When he got back, Anakin was curled up in the other bed while Malaya sat on hers dressed in her vest and with her robe wrapped around her. Obi-Wan noticed that she hadn’t bothered to put her torn and bloody tunic back on.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly as he pulled his robe off and hung it on the hook in the corner.

"Better," she replied as she opened her eyes. "I’ll be ready to go when the negotiations are finished."

"I think you should go back to Coruscant now," he said. "Take the boy with you. Now before they change their minds."

Malaya knew he was talking about the child she had brought with her. "I can’t," she replied. "I was dropped off. I told them to leave and go on to their next destination. That I’d be alright."

"But you weren’t...," he began but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "What now," he murmured as he turned to open the door.

There was a woman standing in the doorway with a guard behind her. "You are to come with me."

"Why?"

"Klaa Dgo is giving care of the child over to you."

Malaya stood up like a shot. "I’m coming with you," she said.

Obi-Wan turned to look at Anakin, who had woken up and was silently watching the exchange. "I’ll be OK by myself," he said.

Obi-Wan nodded and looked back at the woman. "Is this alright?"

The woman nodded and turned to lead them down the hall. "The treaty is signed tomorrow. All have agreed to the terms of the honored Jedi," she said. "The negotiations are over."

Malaya looked questioningly at Obi-Wan. He nodded an affirmative. Malaya breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaff hadn’t jeopardized things.

The woman led them into a room that Obi-Wan was surprised to find was a nursery. Malaya Went to the cradle and picked up the bundle from there with ease. She held it in her arms and hugged it as Obi-Wan looked on in surprise.

"Malaya?" he asked questioningly.

Malaya turned to him with a smile. "Obi-Wan, this is my son," she said. "I named him after his father."

He didn’t even have to ask. He just knew. He smiled and turned so that she could lead the way back to the room they shared with Anakin.

~~~~~~~~~~

Malaya was sitting on the floor breast feeding the baby when Obi-Wan and Anakin returned from the Treaty signing ceremony that Klaa had insisted on. "Whoa!" he exclaimed and turned to shield his eyes.

Malaya grabbed a blanket and covered herself so that her son could finish his meal. "You can look now," she said.

Anakin peeked through the door as Obi-Wan look between his fingers to see that it was safe. Malaya grinned up at them. "Obi-Wan you are such a prude," she said. "Did all go well?"

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but chuckle. "I just thought that you might be one," he said as Anakin squeezed past him to start packing. "And it went fine."

"As soon as the little one finishes his meal, we will be ready to go," she said.

"Good," Obi-Wan replied. "Where are you headed next?"

"Back to Gladden," she replied.

"I thought you decided to come back to the land of the Jedi," Obi-Wan said. "So to speak."

"I live there but keep in touch with the council and such," Malaya replied as her baby finished feeding. She arranged herself before going on. "I just don’t think I could ever live on Coruscant again."

"I’m sorry," Obi-Wan said. "I’m ready if you are."

"Are we going to go to where you live?" Anakin asked Malaya.

She nodded as she rubbed the baby’s back to induce a burp. "You’ll probably just drop me off," she said. "I’ll probably get there just in time for the celebrations."

"For what?" Anakin asked.

"The harvest," Malaya replied as she wrapped the baby up and handed him to Obi-Wan. She pulled herself off the floor and pulled on her robe before she took him back and nodded her thanks to her friend. "If you ask nicely, maybe you can talk Obi-Wan into joining us for the celebration. Maybe the next day, he can teach you to swim in the swamp."

"Learn to swim in a swamp?" Anakin said with his nose wrinkled. "Wouldn’t that be cold?"

Obi-Wan took the bags and led the three from the room and out to the landing pad. "Not at all," Malaya said. "The swamps go down deep in the planet to the core which is very hot. That heats the water, but it doesn’t get so hot as to burn."

"Unless of course, there is a swamp fire," Obi-Wan said as he climbed up the ramp to the ship with them close behind.

"Last time was a farce," Malaya said. "It doesn’t happen very often."

"Does it get very hot there?" Anakin asked as he watched Obi-Wan stow the cases.

"Not very," Malaya replied. "At least not at this time of year."

"How fast do you think I will learn to swim?"

"You sure are full of questions," Malaya said.

"How do you learn if you don’t ask questions?"

"Now that’s a good question," Obi-Wan said.

"Then there’s the lighting," Malaya said. "The light fish mate at night and call their mates with the color of their light."

"Sounds wizard," Anakin said.

"It is," Malaya said as she settled into her seat for takeoff.