THE FORCE THAT BINDS Episode I - Knightshift: Chapter 1

A Star Wars fan fiction by Spirit Girl

Author's note: Dialogue in this story that is the English translation of alien language (such as Huttese) is written "Like this. "

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"Obi-Wan, are you there?" asked the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn over the young Padawan's comlink.

Obi-Wan quickly stepped to the side of the crowded Coruscant street he'd been walking down and lifted the small device to his mouth. "Yes, Master."

"Have you found anything?"

"No, Master," He said solemnly. "There's no sign of the girl. I've been showing her hologram around but it seems no one recognizes her." He reflected on some of the unsavory characters he'd been in contact with that night in the course of searching. "I have a feeling most of them wouldn't tell me if they did."

"Be patient, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon advised. "Use the Force. Let it guide you."

"I will, Master." He answered obediently. "What about you? Any leads?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Obi-Wan could hear the concern in Qui-Gon's voice. "But," Qui-Gon added, "I feel certain we will find Senator Fantui's daughter."

"I hope so, Master." Obi-Wan answered.

After a moment, he placed the comlink back on his belt next to his lightsaber. He surveyed the passing crowds before closing his eyes - concentrating, reaching out to them through the Force. He didn't worry about some low life sneaking up on him, trying to make a prize of a Jedi Padawan. He felt certain that the Force would somehow protect him, and he would be warned of any such attempt on his life. He reached out further with the Force, feeling the lives bustling all around him. Such a strange mix of innocents and deviants were here in the depths of Coruscant.

Suddenly a vision hit him. Fuzzy as it was, it gave him a cold chill. A woman with brown hair was lying in a bed - her dark brown eyes open. He could see a hand reach over to gently close her lids. She was dead. His own eyes jolted open, and as suddenly as the vision came it was gone again. 'Who was she?' he wondered, somewhat shocked. 'Was that a vision of the present, or the future?' He looked around, searching for the source of the vision. He was certain she must be near. He could sense that she was alive... at least for now. His eyes focused on the entrance to a nightclub across the street. Patrons of various species and lot in life entered the club in streams, while those who exited did so far less quickly and in a much more erratic, fumbling, drunken pace.

'She's in there.' The young Padawan found himself inexplicably drawn to the woman. He wondered: Was the Force telling him to seek her out or was it just his own youthful curiosity? 'I'm on a mission right now; I shouldn't stray from my search. But... what if she's in danger?' It occurred to him also that perhaps the Force was telling him to find her, because she had a connection to his mission. Or was it just a random vision of a bleak future that belonged to many of the residents of lower Coruscant? Either way, he found her presence hard to ignore.

Two very drunk human patrons stumbled out of the club. Their arms were around each other but it wasn't immediately clear to Obi-Wan who was holding up whom. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow slightly as he overheard them boisterously singing a tune about the ample assets of an apparently rather accommodating lady of Coruscant. He eyed the opening of the nightclub a moment longer considering his options. 'Well,' he sighed apprehensively, 'Master Qui-Gon did say that I should let the Force guide me.'

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"Coona tee-tocky malia?!" A green skinned Rodian asked angrily as he snatched his drink from the young waitress at his table.

The waitress was a pretty brunette in a short black dress. Her youth and inexperience showed as she was visibly rattled by the demanding customer's ire. "I'm sorry." She responded in Huttese. "The bartender is really busy over there, he's making up drinks as quickly as he can."

The Rodian barely sipped the drink when he spit it back out onto the floor - just missing the girl's high heeled boots. "Mee dwanna go stuppa!"

"That's not your order?" She picked up the tall elegant glass and examined the purple liquid inside, "You asked for Caloma Ale, didn't you?"

"Nobata! Jee oto ta Tahomo!" He hollered at her as he pointed at the drink she had brought. "Ees hoppoda nopa!"

"Of course not." She said nervously, hoping he wouldn't complain to management. "It's the wrong drink, you won't have to pay for it. I'm so sorry..."She quickly set the glass back on her round serving tray and headed back towards the bar."I'll be right back!"

"Koochu!" He said sourly. He briefly thought about shooting her if she came back with the wrong drink again. He fingered the pistol under his cloak fondly for a moment, in anticipation. Yes. He thought. That would certainly ensure no more bad service.

Obi-Wan entered the club and surveyed the strange new surroundings. Nightclubs were, after all, not a usual hang out for young Jedi - especially not this one.

The club had a circular shape, with the bar in the middle. Loud music filled the room as exotic looking dancers of different species gyrated on a crowded dance floor towards the back. A crimson toned Twi'lek woman swung her head back and forth to the rhythm as she attended her deejay console.

Two young ladies took notice of Obi-Wan as he made his way around the club. One was a petite human dressed scantily in purple and gold. The other was just as underdressed, to the point that her breasts nearly popped out of her green dress - making them far more noticeable than the pair of long antennae at the top of her head. The two quickly noticed the lightsaber hanging from his belt and whispered to each other. After sharing a giggle, they began to make their way over to the unsuspecting new arrival.

"Hellooo, handsome..." The woman with antennae purred at Obi-Wan.

"Uh...hello." Obi-Wan replied with his usual congenial smile.

The two ladies crept closer and closer to Obi-Wan. The human girl slowly ran her hands along his chest - feeling the fabric of his robe. "Nice material... Don't you think, Rewana?" She shot her friend a telling grin as she continued to run her hand along Obi-Wan's chest and slowly down lower.

"Mmmhm..." Rewana came closer to Obi-Wan as well. She quietly placed her hand on his back and began to run her hand downward as well. "Very nice material."

"T-thank you." To Obi-Wan's shock, their touch got a little too low for his comfort and he jumped back a bit. "Oh!" He blushed a bit, and swallowed hard.

"My friend thinks you are a Jedi Knight." Rewana said as she and her friend continued to close in on Obi-Wan. "Is she right?"

"N-no, actually," He answered, awkwardly stepping backward with each step they took forward. "I'm not a Knight. I'm only a Padawan Learner."

"Padawan learner, huh?" Rewana raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "I bet Sanshi and I could teach you a few things."

"Oh, well... I..." Obi-Wan definitely had a bad feeling about this. "I... already have a Master."

"Yes," Sanshi reached in between his robe to caress the chest hair peeping out the opening of his shirt, "but do you have a mistress?"

"I... uh..." He stammered, continuing to back away. Suddenly he bumped into the young waitress from behind. She let out a loud yelp as the drink she was about to serve her Rodian customer went flying - drenching the already testy creature in red liquid and smashing the glass to bits on the floor.

She gasped, then covered her mouth in shock and surprise before saying. "I am SO sorry."

The Rodian just sat there silently - his anger mounting. His funnel like lips twitched and his black eyes bulged. He reached down towards the pistol under his cloak.

To the two ladies disappointment, Obi-Wan immediately turned away from them to the waitress and her now very wet, very angry customer. "No, I'm sorry, I-" He stopped as he realized this was the same woman he'd seen in the vision.

"I am SO sorry, sir." She repeated in Huttese - not seeming to notice Obi-Wan's presence beside her.

"I am sorry as well." Obi-Wan interjected. "It was my fault. Not hers."

The Rodian's only sound was a low snarl in the bottom of this throat as he took a napkin and wiped off his face. Rewana and Sanshi, sensing trouble, decided to find companionship elsewhere. Obi-Wan and the waitress just stood there waiting for the Rodian to say, or do something. He could feel his pistol under his cloak, and slowly unsheathed it from its holster. He took a deep breath as if about to say something when he noticed that the young man he was about to shoot along with the waitress was carrying a lightsaber. He sighed, frustrated with the situation. Jedi were not ones to be trifled with, never mind shot at. He placed the pistol back in its holster, and attempting to sound polite over his seething anger, he asked for another drink.

Before Obi-Wan could get her attention to speak with her, the girl hurried back to the bar for a fresh drink. Behind the bar, a spike crowned Nikto scowled at her as she explained what had happened to the customer. He scolded her loudly as he handed her a fresh drink. She rushed back, not even bothering to balance the glass on her tray. She apologized again as she carefully handed the drink to her Rodian customer, who only nodded slightly and shot some annoyed glances at Obi-Wan.

"Pardon me..." Obi-Wan said softly in an attempt to get her attention. She didn't hear him above the loud music and her continued apologies to the customer. He tried again, this time a bit louder but just as effective. "Miss?"

She continued to be absorbed in her tasks as she picked up what was left of the spilt drink with a rag and leaned down to brush the broken glass on the floor onto her tray. When she stood back up she jumped a bit, nearly dropping the tray, as she found Obi-Wan directly in her path.

"Hello." He said, pleased by the fact that he'd finally gotten her attention.

"Yes?" She asked. "Did you want a drink or something?"

He suddenly noticed what beautiful and vibrant dark brown eyes the girl had and found himself lost, contemplating them for a moment before he came back to his senses. "What?"

"Did you want a drink?" She asked, slightly impatient and tired at this point.

"Oh, no." He shook his head. "I was the one who bumped into you and made you spill that drink."

"Oh," This, she already realized. "Were you planning on making a night of it?" She asked anxiously. Seeing he didn't immediately get her meaning she glanced quickly at her tray and raised it slightly above her shoulder.

"Oh!" Obi-Wan said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "No... not at all. I just wanted to apologize to you. That was entirely my fault."

"It's all right." She smiled back, still anxious and now noticing over Obi-Wan's shoulder that the Nikto bartender was scowling at her again. "Excuse me." She attempted to step around Obi-Wan to return to the bar.

"I'm a Jedi." He stepped aside to prevent her from leaving. "My name is Obi-Wan."

"A Jedi?" She laughed. She'd heard about this from the other waitresses. Males would from time to time come into the club pretending to be Jedi in order to impress ladies. "Well, Jedi," She said with a note of sarcasm in her voice. "In case you haven't deduced this from this tray I'm lugging from table to table, I'm a waitress in this fine establishment. And-"

"NAHLIA!!!" screamed the bartender.

"That," she sighed, "would be my name." Before he could say any more she quickly made her way around him and navigated through the crowd and back to the bar.

TO BE CONTINUED...