disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Pre-ROTS during the Clone Wars

"Ahem?" It was all the female bounty hunter could come up with that might halt the bickering of the two Jedi and return their attentions to her. Her patience was wearing thin.

Anakin was about to fire another verbal salvo at his once master but closed his mouth before a single word exited. His steely blue eyes trained slowly back towards their 'guest' as an inquisitive brow raised.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin then the bounty hunter then returned to Anakin again. "Did I miss something?"

"Apparently we both did." Anakin replied. He knew first-hand what it was like to face a woman scorned, but it was something he'd likely not share with his comrade anytime soon.

"Yes, as I was saying...I came seeking your assistance."

"And your name is?" Anakin asked again. He knew full well that the question had already arose earlier, but he couldn't resist the teasing potential. The feminine being standing before him reminded him of Padme perhaps so much so that he slipped into his 'Padme-teasing persona' without even being aware of it.

"Feh'ler. There are you satisfied Mr. Jedi?"

"And you're from?" Anakin continued.

"I'm a BOUNTY HUNTER. It doesn't matter where I'm from!" Feh'ler replied, her patience wearing ever thinner. Were these two really the living Jedi legends Kenobi and Skywalker!? "Aren't you Jedi supposed to be able to read minds or something? If you can, then you already know all these answers."

"Anakin is slow sometimes Ms. Bounty Hunter Feh'ler." Obi-Wan jested.

At that very split second and with the speed of a starship in hyperspace, Anakin twumped Obi-Wan on the backside of the head with his mechanical hand. "Was that slow enough for you Master?"

Sporting a newfound headache and rubbing the developing nob under his hair, Obi-Wan gave Anakin a stern look before calmly replying. "You had it coming."

"So did you. I was merely asking the lady some questions. Is that such a problem that you have to take cheap shots at me?"

"AHEM!"

"Ah yes, we are sidetracked again aren't we? Terribly sorry Ms. Feh'ler." Obi-Wan replied with a slight bow then yet another stern look back at his once Padawan.

Anakin rolled his eyes then returned his attention back to the bounty hunter. In actuality, their little immature ploy was to root out any possibility that this bounty hunter was simply there to assissinate them or set a trap rather than seek their help. Bounty hunters had very little time or desire for antics and stupidities. Time was money. Jedi knew this very well and played upon it.

"So what is it you need our assistance with and what's in it for you?" Anakin asked matter-of-factly. Having been a child slave on Tatooine taught him a thing or two about one-sided negotiations such as this.

"Free my world from the Separatist droid army led by its hideous, hacking leader."

"GRIEVOUS?!" Obi-Wan and Anakin shouted in excited unison. So they were on the wrong track afterall and by a strange twist of fate, a bounty hunter may set them upon the right track.

"I see I struck a chord with you two eh? Well then I'll answer the next question you may have...why you two? Because I know no other Jedi who can stand up to that fiend. What's in it for me? My world back...family, friends, and my homebase. I may be a bounty hunter, but even bounty hunters have lives outside of their jobs."

"We need to go through proper channels...the Jedi Council---"Obi-Wan mentioned as he rubbed the beard upon his chin.

"There's no time to go through proper channels! I would've done so if that was possible! Grievous will slaughter the people on my planet, blow up every bit of it into charred rubble, then go hide his white tin ass somewhere else and do the same to whatever helpless beings are there!" Feh'ler interrupted. She noted that if Anakin weren't human,but rather a being with ears atop his head they would be in full erect alert state. His eyes showed excited interest and he was extremely attentive, a trait he was usually lacking. Apparently her reports of him were true...the young Jedi Knight enjoyed an adventurous, nearly impossible challenge...or was it that he was a rare Jedi who thrived on lust for battle and mayhem? But he still seemed to bow to rank. His head was now turned towards Obi-Wan, awaiting the decision from the Jedi Master and General of one of the finest divisions of clone troopers.

"What viable proof do you have to make us believe this is true and not some ruse to trap us for a large payment in our capture or death?" Obi-Wan responded.

"Master, this present mission is all but in the bag. In fact, we could even call in a single mid-rank padawan to complete it. We now know Grievous is not here. We have the excess resources to---"

Obi-Wan abruptly cut Anakin off. "I will not put troops or resources, which includes ourselves in harm's way without viable proof of cause." Then turning back to Feh'ler, he continued. "And another thing, how is it you slipped by all the enemy ships, landed on this planet unnoticed, and found us?"

Anakin was suddenly taken aback! He hadn't considered that. But then again, he could've cared less. He could've done the same if he really wanted to, but he loved action and fighting too much to not pass up an opportunity to blast a few more Separatists or droids into oblivion.

"I have proof, holonet recordings. And as for me getting here to you, while I'd love to say it's a bounty hunter's secret, it is also what I have to offer you in exchange for your services. My ship has an invisibility cloaking device. Stealth concept fellas...the latest and greatest. It's yours if you liberate my planet. I'm sure your side could use any advantage it can get in this war correct?"

Anakin's jaw nearly dropped to the ground with drool following closely behind. The ex-podracer simply enjoyed all things latest, greatest, and upgradable in regards to machinery, especially if it had to do with flying machinery.

Still, Obi-Wan seemed unconvinced. "And how did you get your hands on such a sought after and rare device?"

"I stole it. I'm a bounty hunter remember?"

"From whom did you steal it?"

"Not really your business."

"We Jedi don't deal in stolen goods."

Off to the side Anakin seemed to be in some sort of stunned shock--like a child who had just been stripped of his favorite toy for no apparent reason at all.

"Don't worry, its previous owner is dead now. His grimy ass wasn't any use to the galaxy anyway and definitely wasn't on your side of this war. You might say I did the Republic a service by getting rid of him. Another bounty hunter though...by the name of Fett has been dogging me for this device for several months now. I'd rather it be in more protective hands such as yours, Jedi."

"Fett!?" Obi-Wan said with an unusual air of emotion for his usually calm demeanor.

"Did I strike another chord with you two? I must be on a roll today. I only know him by that name and that strange ship of his and his armor...Mandalorian for sure. I assume he's related to the now dead Jango Fett and it is Jango's ship he uses, but that's about all I know of him."

"Midi-chlorian?" Anakin asked. Okay, maybe he wasn't as attentive as previuosly thought.

"MANDALORIAN YOU NERF!" Feh'ler shot back before Obi-Wan could do the honors.

Obi-Wan smiled. "I dare say you read my mind Ms. Feh'ler. I was about to say something like that. Are you sure you haven't had any Jedi training?"

"I'm not a nerf." Anakin replied quietly with a tone of hurt humor to his voice.

"Keep letting that hair grow on your head and you'll pass for a skinny, underfed one." Obi-Wan added.

Anakin shrugged it off. He was more interested in the cloaking device. He already imagined his starfighter with one and him shocking the living hell out of any foe he might encounter. Heck, he could shock the heck out of friendlies too! A device like that would work wonders for the greatest pilot in the known galaxy! "May we see your ship and this device in action as proof of your conditions?"

"Now hold on Anakin, I'm in charge of---" Obi-Wan shot in, but was interrupted again.

"The mission. I know. I got it. Point taken. But, you said we need verfications correct? We also need a HoloNet projector for that other proof anyway. So, what better than to see her ship and all proofs in one shot?"

"And you need to fix your ship that was hit with one shot. Any more wise ideas?"

Now it was Feh'ler's turn to become curious. "Anakin Skywalker, the greatest pilot of all...has a broken ship!?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Sure you do Anakin." Obi-Wan chided.

"No, I don't."

"Not even about the tri-fighter that shot off your winglet causing your hydraulic sys---" Obi-Wan pressed.

"I SAID I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!"

"Touchy, touchy." Obi-Wan responded before changing the subject. "Now, here's my plan of action." Obi-Wan continued when he was assurred his once-Padawan, now pouting Jedi Knight would remain silent as he discussed the plan he had formulated.

Anakin grumbled and groaned and whined to himself all the way back to his ship. He would not get to see the neato cloaking device. He would not get to see the HoloNet info, but would be briefed on it later. He would not even get to help coordinate the initial plan of action. All he could do was fix his ship as ordered. It was punishment for his actions earlier, that he was sure. He knew Obi-Wan all too well and remembered his punishments during his days as his Padawan. Granted his ship had to be fixed, but it was beside the point. As the only other Jedi involved, he thought it was vital he knew all the same information as his partner.

Artoo beeped a welcome to his human friend.

"Not now Artoo. We have to fix this thing." Anakin grumbled as he stroked his mechancial hand over the wounded metal of the starfighter. With a groan of disgust at himself, Anakin reached into the utility compartment and pulled out his tool kit then began to open the fighter's damaged paneling to reveal the wiring he'd have to fix and burned parts he'd have to resodder, rewire, and reconnect.

After a couple of hours passed and he'd completed much of the wiring, Anakin began to wonder about his partner. "Artoo, has Obi-Wan reported in yet?"

Artoo beeped a negative.

"Hmm, not like him to not check in." Anakin muttered as he grabbed the comm from his utility belt. He was about call Obi-Wan himself when a ship shuddered just above him from out of nowhere. Anakin hit the ground and drew his lightsaber, muttering a curse word or two about how he hated surprises, especially ones with blasters attached.

But the ship didn't fire. Instead, it yawed to his right and gently settled to a graceful landing. Obi-Wan emerged followed by Feh'ler.

"You said you wanted to see it in action and I needed a lift back here so Feh'ler obliged. " Obi-Wan spoke, surpressing a chuckle at his friend's unamused state of defense, but was actually failing to remain composed.

"I oughta shove this up your----" Anakin replied as he got to his knees with his lightsaber still activated and now pointing threateningly at the elder Jedi. Upon seeing Feh'ler, he deactivated it and thought better of his words.

"Wow, who taught you how to fly?" Feh'ler teased Anakin as she looked over his banged up starfighter.

"He's an ex-podracer." Obi-Wan answered.

"That says it all then." Feh'ler replied. She found that she could get along quite well with these two Jedi. Maybe the space rumor mill was wrong about the usually stuffy, composed, dull, boring, nerdish Jedi Order. Perhaps there was hope that a few of them had personalities of their own...a rare few at that, but still enough for hope.

Anakin growled and shot an evil glare at both of them as he stood and returned to his job of repairing his starfighter. He was being insulted from all fronts and he wasn't enjoying it in the least.

"The sooner you fix that thing, the sooner we get this new mission in play." Obi-Wan jested then had to use the Force to stop a wrench from smacking him in the head. "Turnabout is fair play my friend!" Obi-Wan shot back as he casually walked over and placed the wrench back in Anakin's tool kit. Usually the situation was reversed and it was Obi-Wan's fighter that was banged up. And usually, it was Anakin doing all the teasing about it. This was a rare reversal indeed and Obi-Wan was not about to squander it and teach this young Jedi Knight yet another unlearned lesson--if you can dish it, you'd better be able to take it as well.

Feh'ler's larger ship had supplies and parts that she willingly gave up in assistance to the legendary Jedi Knight named Skywalker. She was a damn good mechanic herself, but knew better than to offer assistance to a mechanic who was even better than she. So as Anakin continued the repairs, she and Obi-Wan sat upon a flattened rock outcropping and looked over maps and details of her planet.

to be continued...