Author note: Star Wars, The Clone Wars season 4 episode, "Deception" precedes this. I owe the majority of this fanfic to direct quotes from the next episode, "Friends and Enemies". I own NONE of this. And I guarantee the story will never be abandoned, because it's already been written in its entirety. I will probably publish a chapter every few days. Enjoy, and please review!

Star Wars: Deception

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Obi-Wan Kenobi has recently been dispatched on a top-secret mission to fake his own death and infiltrate a separatist plot against Chancellor Palpatine. Impersonating the famed bounty hunter Rako Hardin, who is supposedly the same man who killed him, he gains some trust with the plot's mastermind, Moralo Eval, and travels with him and Cad Bane to the planet Serenno to receive orders from Count Dooku. Even Obi-Wan's closest friends know nothing of the fact that Obi-Wan is still alive, hence the title, "Deception"…

Chapter 1

The swampy atmosphere of Nal-Hutta, home planet of all Hutts, was fast approaching as Obi-Wan Kenobi flew the bounty hunters' ship toward the surface.

"We're comin' in fast, Hardin. Are ya tryin' to kill us?" Cad Bane growled, creeping up on Obi-Wan from the back of the ship.

"They'll be waiting for us in every spaceport. We have to ditch the ship!" Obi-Wan explained impatiently, continuing his reckless flight pattern. It was funny how he no longer felt much concern for the safety of the group, now that the group he was with was composed of two ruthless bounty hunters. He was used to reprimanding Anakin for flying the same way he was now.

But, there was no time for reflection. Only continuing to think in correspondence with the mask he'd donned. Rako Hardin was a hardened criminal. Obi-Wan had been all over the galaxy and fought in many battles, but he still suspected he hadn't had nearly the experience his alias had, and didn't necessarily want to.

Bane, with his odd-looking blue head uncovered for once, sulked in the back of the bouncing ship. "You'll be thinking that same way when the ship crashes into the swamp," he said sarcastically.

"Yeah. That is exactly what I'm gonna do," Obi-Wan replied, continuing the sarcasm.

"He's right," Moralo Eval said grimly. "We have no choice." His face, which was covered in a hard shell out of which his yellow eyes gleamed, still managed to reveal his nervousness. Moralo Eval was in a hurry. Obi-Wan wished he knew why.

"Get ready for a fast exit," he warned.

They flew almost impossibly close to the planet's greenish, hazy surface. Large chunks of driftwood raced past below them, jutting out closer and closer to the bottom of the ship. Huge bat-like creatures swarmed overhead as he struggled to see through the mist.

Obi-Wan braced for impact as the first piece of driftwood smashed into the port side. The ship thudded along the ground and the group inside was thrown forward.

It continued to travel, bouncing and crashing, tipping end-over-end until finally, it came to a stop with a loud splash!

The swamp. Of course.

Maybe I should take ship-crashing lessons from Anakin when I get back…

At least they were all alive.

Obi-Wan wasted no time in getting up from the cockpit and heading toward the nearest hole in the side of the ship. Cad Bane followed closely behind him, wincing painfully and obviously less than thrilled about their landing experience. Moralo followed as well, still looking worried.

Obi-Wan reached up through an opening in the top and hoisted himself out up onto the surface of the ship. "Nobody can trace us here," he reminded the group. "The swamp will swallow up the ship."

"So we leave no trace of our crash," Moralo muttered, sounding a bit more pleased. He raised an eyebrow at Bane. "Moralo Eval likes a man who plans ahead." He headed over to the edge and jumped into the swamp, which wasn't deep.

He turned to Obi-Wan as they reached the sandy shore. "You do have a plan?" he questioned, with an edge in his voice.

"Yeah," he answered carefully. "I know Nal-Hutta. We can get a new ship in Nalsa Bazaar. But this time," he raised an eyebrow at Moralo, "we BUY one. Otherwise, we'll have the authorities back on our tail."

Bane stopped him midstride. "Not so fast," he said. "We need to ditch these prison fatigues."

Obi-Wan felt a little disappointed. "What were you thinking?" he told himself, "That they would just walk into the Chancellor's office with their bright orange prison uniforms on?

"We'll have a bounty on our heads for escaping," Bane continued, "And I don't like to stand out."

Obi-Wan couldn't blame him.

After about half an hour, they had reached the nearest settlement on foot. "Basically a hole in the wet ground," Obi-Wan thought. A few lit signs warmed the otherwise murky street, and the tips of several security electrostaffs.

"Local security," Bane sounded displeased. "Keep low."

They lowered their heads and hurried past while one security guard was busy stabbing a shoplifter with his staff.

Bane led them through the village and toward a large, dingy hut that was built up above the rest of the town.

"We'll get some new gear and equipment," he said. "Pablo's pawnshop has everything a bounty hunter needs—and more."

Inside, the pawnshop was dark, but it was neat and well-organized. A middle-aged Twi'lek woman was arranging the ceramics on their shelves.

It was a remarkably short time before they had selected clothes for themselves, but Bane continued to linger, even with Moralo Eval trying to direct them all toward the door. "Now all I need is a new hat," Obi-Wan heard him mutter. The blue-headed alien tried on a wide-brimmed one that was hanging off the corner of the shelf.

"If you're trying to blend in, your hat sure makes you stand out," Obi-Wan commented curtly, adjusting his sleeves. Not that he was complaining.

He noticed a Mandalorian-style helmet sitting on the next shelf and picked it up. Obi-Wan liked Mandalorian style. It always reminded him of Satine, and the time he'd spent on Mandalore, protecting her, all those years ago.

She would be mourning him as dead. It was not a pleasant thought.

"I don't like to hide behind a helmet," Bane sneered.

Of course, there were many unpleasant things to think about at that moment.

Pablo, a Rodian in a purple jacket and with an anxious-to-please, worried smile on his face, approached Bane cautiously from the side. "Is—is there anything else you desire?" he said in a remarkably smooth accent. "Perhaps—a new ship?

Bane stared down at him. "Your choice of weapons is lousy, Pablo," he growled, batting him aside. "Where can I get some quality blasters?"

"I—would not be too picky, being on the run as you are," Pablo stuttered with a smile.

Bane had him flat up against the wall in a split second, the sharp end of his toothpick under his green snout, making him gag. "I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you, Pablo," he threatened. "I'll find weapons elsewhere."

Then, letting the Rodian drop, he turned to leave. "Thanks for the hat."

Pablo gasped and gagged, trying to recover his breath and nerves after the close encounter. The Twi'lek woman, probably the wife, ran up to Pablo and began exclaiming over him worriedly in another tongue.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at Bane, then turned to Pablo and the Twi'lek. "Here," he said gruffly, holding out a small credit package, "For your trouble."

The woman slapped it away with a scorning look and turned back to Pablo.

It stung Obi-Wan in a way he hadn't expected. It was impossible to be a good guy when he went around with bad company.

Outside, Obi-Wan ran to catch up with Bane. "Those traders call worse threats than yours, Bane," he accused. "We might as well call the Hutts right now, seein' what kind of bounty there is on us."

Moralo Eval looked back and forth from him to Bane, concerned about the friction between them. Obi-Wan knew that if Moralo had to choose only one of them to take to Serenno, it would be Bane, without question.

Then he noticed a gathering of Gamorrean Hutt guards just ahead of them.

Bane slapped his shoulder. "Relax. In this mudhole, everyone's an outlaw. Besides, they're looking for three of us, so we're splitting up. Go find a ship," he told Obi-Wan. "We'll go get weapons."

"Not so fast," Obi-Wan stopped him. "If it's all the same to you, I'll get the weapons."

"It's not the same to me," Bane growled. He pointed at Obi-Wan's chest. "You crashed the ship. You get us a new one."

Obi-Wan shrugged as he left. So much for that plan.

Moralo Eval shrugged as well. "It does seem fair," he said, before following Bane.

Obi-Wan settled on his helmet and set off toward the shipyards.

"No, that's my final offer," Obi-Wan firmly stated. The Loraa salesman started to protest, but when he didn't respond, the salesman appeared to give up.

When he wasn't looking, Obi-Wan reached up and carefully planted a tracking device on the hull of the ship he was attempting to buy.

As he stepped out from underneath, the salesman walked up, talking in the strange, groaning, clucking language of Loram. He had learned to understand it fairly well during his travels with Qui-Gon years ago. "Alright then, it's a deal," he told him.

Just then, Moralo Eval and Bane walked up.

"Hey, good timing," he greeted them. "Soon as you pay for the ship we can get moving."

"With pleasure," Moralo Eval stated, moving forward.

Obi-Wan noticed Bane was only carrying two blasters. "Hey, where's my weapon?"

"Won't need it," Bane replied, looking as close to gleeful as Obi-Wan had ever seen him. "You're not coming."

"Says who?" Obi-Wan barked.

"He doesn't want to split his fee for breaking me out of prison," Moralo Eval said, avoiding Obi-Wan's face as he and Bane climbed up the gangplank. "And also—" he faced him with a shrug, "he despises you."

"I'm not going anywhere without my reward!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, trying not to panic. The Republic had poured so much into this mission—he couldn't just let them leave!

"I'm sorry, this is between you two," Moralo Eval gestured with his thumb between him and Bane before disappearing into the ship.

"What's it gonna be, Bane?" Obi-Wan seethed.

Then he noticed the traders from earlier, Pablo and his wife, coming toward them with a horde of Hutt guards. The woman was screeching to them as she affectionately caressed her husband's face. And the guards came straight toward them.

"Here's your reward," Bane growled, giving Obi-Wan a shove. "I'm not killing you!" Some kind of spray shot out of Bane's wristguards, hitting Obi-Wan right in the eyes.

"Ahh!" It stung horribly and almost blinded him, then Bane kicked him in the stomach and he tumbled down the gangplank onto the marshy ground, still unable to see.

Vaguely, he made out the shape of the ship he'd just bought blasting off into the atmosphere, a collection of guards and police surrounding him, and one raising an electropole over his head…