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

Pre-ROTS during the Clone Wars

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Real life and the fact it is SUMMER here in the USA causes these occasional delays in my works, especially this time of year, I'm outdoors and active rather than indoors around my computer. Therefore, my fic writing and site updating slow down drastically. But without further adieu, here's part 3.

Within a few hours, one dirty, oil-smeared Jedi Hero emerged from surgery of his ship's inner confines. He casually strolled over to his two idling companions, wiping his real hand with a rag and regloving his mechanical one.

"There's a bug on you Master." Anakin spoke as he flicked an oil smeared finger across Obi-Wan's forehead, leaving a purposely left oil smear.

"I can get my own bugs thank you."

"If you have your own bugs, then please remind me to keep my distance from you. I do not wish to have any bugs of my own." Anakin retorted.

Feh'ler stifled a giggle. The famed Jedi Master fell right into that one so quickly that she began to wonder exactly who was the brains of this pair.

"You need a bath Anakin. You smell and look like Bantha poodoo."

"Is that so? Care to join me?" Anakin replied with a seductive raised brow to his once mentor. Feh'ler immediately wondered what kind of Order the Jedi really were. In truth though, it was merely Anakin's way of trying to humiliate his former master into embarrassment.

With a stern clearing of his throat, Obi-Wan changed the subject. "So is that contraption you call a starfighter going to fly?"

"She may be a bit broken, but I guarantee she can still fly rings around your heap, Master."

"Then lets be on our way. And if yours breaks down, it's solely your problem. Got it?"

"Yes, oil-streaked one." Anakin replied with a mocking salute that he slid a hand in front of his own forehead without touching it.

"You streaked me didn't you."

"It took you this long to realize it? You're slipping in your old age Master."

"One of these days, Anakin...one of these days."

"But not today...and probably not tomorrow either. And definitely wasn't yesterday." Anakin counted as he joined the other two walking back to their respective ships. Feh'ler rather enjoyed the friendly comraderie the two Jedi had. In her own mind, she wished bounty hunters were the same.

Anakin's ship didn't protest as it became airborne. It almost seemed normal aside from its slight instability due to the missing panel on one of its wings. He remained behind and slightly starboard to Obi-Wan's own ship as they followed Feh'ler out of atmosphere and into space once again.

"We'll need to do a jump." Feh'ler commented.

"Right. We need to alter trajectory to acquire our hyperspace rings." Obi-Wan replied.

"Ahh yes, I forgot your ships aren't equipped with hyperdrive systems. I'll wait here." Feh'ler responded as she slowed her ship and assumed a stationary position while Obi-Wan and Anakin peeled off in a port arc.

"I think she likes you Master." Anakin shot in as they approached their rings.

"I think you're thinking un-Jedi-like thoughts again. A Jedi cannot---"

"Oh don't start that one again. I was merely teasing! You're rather dull at times, you know that Master?"

"And if I named everything you are, we'd still be here tomorrow."

"No need to. I already know I'm handsome, charming, intelligent, courageous, heroic, sexy as..."

"Bantha poodoo." Obi-Wan interrupted with a chuckle. Anakin did not get that chance to clean up prior to their departure and it was perfect opportunity for Obi-Wan to remind him of such.

"HEY!" Anakin shot back then both quieted as they concentrated on mating their starfighters to the hyperdrive rings before angling back towards Feh'ler's waiting ship.

Once Feh'ler confirmed that all were ready, she sent the two Jedi the coordinates for the hyperspace jump and the trio of ships left nothing in their wake.

What seemed like moments later, the trio emerged out of hyperspace into another star system. Almost immediately the starfighters' warning claxons sounded.

"By the stars!" Obi-Wan exclaimed as he quickly dodged a laser barrage. His hyperspace ring, however, wasn't so lucky. It blew up around him.

Anakin dislodged his own ring and slipped beneath Obi-Wan, barely averting the other's unexpected maneuver and the explosion. Once clear of Obi-Wan's ship, Anakin immediately shot his ship in the direction of the laser fire. The wounded ship didn't quite respond as beautifully as it usually did, but it managed to bolt and weave as needed due to the extraordinary skills of its pilot and astromech droid.

"I have visual. Over." Anakin called professionally.

"Identify." Obi-Wan replied.

"You're never gonna believe this." Anakin replied then continued. " I think your old friend has returned to play."

"My old friend?!"

"It's the Slave I."

Over the comm Anakin could hear Feh'ler gasp and Obi-Wan sigh. But he had no time to reply. Laser fire was aimed directly at him and the nimble ship once owned by Jango Fett matched every jink and jerk Anakin could use. The pilot was damn good...Anakin gave him that much. Anakin swore under his breath as he wished his own ship was 100%, but it wasn't. He'd have to make due with what he had. At least he had Fett's complete attention and kept it off his two companions. Looking around, Anakin sought anything that could assist and turning the tide. His starfighter would dance and slink indefinitely. The temporary repairs Anakin had made weren't meant for hostile combat maneuvers and there was no telling when they would give under the extreme moves Anakin was currently making. Before he could spot an opportunity, laser fire spat in from behind him, nearly grazing his own ship.

"Obi-Wan! You're not helping here!" Anakin shot over the comm.

"Oh? And you being fried bits of goo is something you planned for today?"

"Well no but--"

"Return to Feh'ler. I have this."

"Now waitaminute...I'm the ---"

"THAT IS AN ORDER ANAKIN!"

"Yes, master." Anakin replied softly as he peeled his ship away from the action.

As Anakin approached Feh'ler's position, he suddenly realize she wasn't there. Was she using the stealth system or was she in on this attack? Anakin's pondering was cut short when yet another warning sound followed by several warning lights animated the cockpit.

"Artoo, can we fix that!?"

The droid beeped a worried negative. Anakin swore then grinned. Leave it to old Obi-Wan to save his ass! If this had happened while in the midst of the engagement, Anakin would probably be dead by now.

"Artoo, give me landing coordinates. We can't stay like this." Anakin replied to his trusty droid before switching frequencies. He found Obi-Wan's private channel. "Master, I must make an emergency landing. Sending coordinates now." He said and didn't expect a reply. Obi-Wan had his hands full as is.

With the little starfighter shuddering and jolting in protest, Anakin limped his ship into the gravitational pull of the nearest planet. Clearing the cloudline, he suddenly realized he had even less control of the ship in atmosphere. The fighter's speed increased and the vibrations did so exponentially. Anakin's vision was blurred by all the shaking and his real hand throbbed in pain from the strength it had to maintain on the control yoke. He couldn't even speak to his droid. He words would shake into unrecognizable jibberish. Trusting his guts, he saw blue and tried to aim his ship between it and the beige land beside it.

The starfighter screeched as it skirted the water in a controlled slide towards the shore. The friction slowed the fighter down somewhat, but not before its forked nose dug deeply into soft shoreline. The fighter flipped tail over nose and came to a rest upside down...and buried in sand. The impact knocked Anakin unconscious and damaged Artoo, who popped out of his socket in the wing and thunked headfirst into the ground below.

Meanwhile back in space...

"Ugghhhh, this is WHY I HATE FLYING!" Obi-Wan muttered for the umpteenth time as he juked and jinked in and out of laser fire. He couldn't get the image of Jango Fett out of his mind as the pilot of the Slave I's skills matched his own. But it couldn't be Jango flying. Jango was dead. Feh'ler's words then resounded. This was a Fett and the only Fett Obi-Wan remembered other than Jango was his unaltered clone son, Boba. Quick math told him Boba was a teen now. Could it be possible Boba had already matched his father's skills at such a young age!? There was a reason why Jango was selected as the 'father' of the clone troopers. Perhaps Boba was a bit of a prodigy for bounty hunters in a similar way Anakin was to the Jedi? Suddenly Obi-Wan's mind drifted to his former padawan. The last he'd heard from him was the comm about an emergency landing an the beeping of Arfour stating receipt of the landing coordinates. Seeking Anakin's telltale signature within the Force, Obi-Wan only found void. This momentary second of shock was enough for a well aimed laser blast to contact Obi-Wan's fighter. Sent spinning, Obi-Wan's ship lurched planetward and was suddenly grasped by the planet's gravitational pull. He was going in for a landing whether he was ready for one or not.

"Arfour, adjust trajectory! We're going in too hot! The atmosphere will blow us to bits!"

The red astromech droid beeped a response and began to correct the ship's angle. The beeps almost sounded sarcastic.

"You're hanging around Artoo too much Arfour." Obi-Wan muttered as he began making adjustments within the cockpit. The laser blast had knocked out his primary physical navigational systems. Arfour was compensating by using some of the ship's other maneuvering systems, but it was like steering a raging rancor with two reeks upon it. In more simplistic terms, Kenobi was falling out of the sky like a doomed meteor.

While trying to deal with the situation at hand, Arfour beeped again. This time a bit more cheery. He'd been scanning for the other Jedi fighter while trying the keep Kenobi's fighter flying.

"You found it!?"

An affirmative beep.

"Can we land anywhere near it?"

Arfour gave a sarcastic whistle.

"Okay, then can we CRASH anywhere near it?"

Arfour didn't respond but Obi-Wan did feel the adjustments to the ship as Arfour activated several breaking thrusters. Then there was silence aside from the screeching whistle of the ship slicing through the atmosphere. Arfour had cut the engines. They were now gliding. Obi-Wan said nothing and could feel the ship being maneuvered by his little droid. Emergency air braking flaps, more auxilliary thrusters, and a rise of the fighter's nose. The astromech droid was slowing the ship by using the friction of air and allowing it to glide at the same time. It was a dead-stick landing...something every pilot except perhaps Anakin, feared. But Obi-Wan didn't exactly fear it. He didn't really fear anything. He had faith and trust in his astromech droid's abilities to fly the ship. But nonetheless, he still hated flying.

As they sunk and the ground loomed ever nearer, Obi-Wan could make out a faint, small smoke trail lifting into the air in the distance. He assumed it was the location of Anakin's starfighter.

In a similar manner as Anakin's landing, Arfour utilized the relative softness of the water to ease and slow the ship's careening and inevitable crash. But unlike Anakin, Arfour remained in the water as long as possible only shifting the ship at the last moments, into the shoreline and dry land. Obi-Wan's ship dragged to a halt just beyond the crashing waves of the shoreline.

"Nice job Arfour." Obi-Wan commented as he popped the canopy open and lept out. "Stay with the ship until I say otherwise." he commanded his droid as he scanned the area. The little trickle of smoke was still evident and very close by. He immediately broke into a run in its direction and could see the familiar shape of the Jedi fighter in the not-so-far distance. He squinted in the sunlight to get a better view. He couldn't tell if the ship was upright or upside down. The Eta-2's design was such that top and bottom looked nearly identical. Once close enough, Obi-Wan's eyes went wide as he noticed the only tell tale sign of the ship's position...its engines...and they weren't facing the bottom like they should be. This meant there was no way Anakin could release the canopy since the ship was upside down!

Scrambling to the fighter, Obi-Wan used the Force to slide Artoo sideways away from the ship. Then, concentrating in the Force deeply and raising both his hands gradually, Obi-Wan lifted Anakin's starfighter and rolled it in midair. He then gently set it back down onto the ground in its proper upright position. Finding the manual panel outside the ship, Obi-Wan pulled on a lever that released the canopy from the outside. Anakin was still strapped in and unconscious.

"Hey...Anakin? Can you hear me? Anakin? Wake up!" a concerned Obi-Wan asked as he gently tapped on the younger Jedi's cheek. On Anakin's face a trickle of blood ran from his forehead down his other cheek and a nasty lumpy bruise was forming from its origin just beneath the hairline. Obi-Wan became concerned about a concussion and had renewed urgency to awaken his friend.

"C'mon Anakin, you HAVE to wake up!" Obi-Wan shouted as he now shook the young Knight's chest and shoulder area. He was careful not to shake too harsly in case of internal injuries, but he had to find a way to stir his comrade out of the sleep he was currently in.

Waiting a few moments, Obi-Wan glanced over at the waves slamming the shore in a frothy surf. He tore a piece of cloth from his own robe and ran towards it. Soaking the cloth in the cool water, he then returned to Anakin and beaded it over the young man's face. When Anakin suddenly gave a slight stir, Obi-Wan grabbed a smelling saltz from his utility belt, snapped it open, and hovered it just under Anakin's nose. The pungent smelling chemical did its job. Anakin's nose wrinked then all his senses shot into consciousness. He groaned and shoved Obi-Wan's arm away from his face.

"Good. You're not dead yet." Obi-Wan replied through a sigh of relief.

Anakin's dazed blue eyes tried to focus on his comrade, but squinted instead. "That STANK!" Then Anakin groaned again. "My head really hurts."

"Must mean you really do have something in there. Otherwise, it probably wouldn't. And that 'stank' isn't as bad as yourself." Obi-Wan joked trying to keep Anakin awake and alert. "You may have a concussion so don't try to---" Obi-Wan started, but had to stop as Anakin popped the safety harness and tried to stand. He flopped out of the fighter and face first into the type of surface he hated most---sand.

"Hey!" Obi-Wan protested as he tried to grab his friend to prevent the fall, but the unexpected awkwardness of the move sent him off-balance too. Both were now seated in the sand. Anakin groaned and rolled sideways into an almost fetal position.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Anakin moaned.

"It's the bump on your head causing it. What I didn't finish saying was don't try to stand or move. But no, you had to be a stupid nerf and go and do it."

After a few moments of silence, Anakin spoke again. "Obi-Wan?"

"Yes?"

"I'm in sand aren't I? I HATE sand!"

"I tried to tell you to stay in the cockpit." Obi-Wan stated with a motherly tone.

"But I'm in SAND!"

Anakin groaned and whined some more. Obi-Wan figured the young man was healing faster than expected.

Elsewhere...

Feh'ler's ship remained cloaked as the Slave I patrolled the airspace around the planet. It had shot to pieces the remaining hyperspace ring of the other Jedi starfighter. Now, neither Jedi, if still alive could exit via hyperspace. She had witnessed both Jedi starfighters entering the planet's atmosphere and neither fighter seemed to be in a relaxed entrance. With both Jedi Knights assumed out-of-commission, Feh'ler was on the defensive. She had to bide her time and play the scene carefully. Remaining cloaked, she slinked her ship towards the dark side of the planet, away from the fallen Jedi.

to be continued...