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

Pre-ROTS during the Clone Wars

Author's Notes: I should have mentioned this back in Chapter 1 but I forgot, so I'm doing it now. When I refer to the inhabitants or property of Naboo, I use the term "Naboonian" rather than "Nubian" which is often used by Star Wars writers. This is due to the fact that I also write fics in another series in an ancient Egyptian setting and there actually was a race of people called "Nubians." So, to prevent confusion on my part and in respect to the actual race of humans, I changed the term though a fic or two of mine may use "Nubian" as it is indeed easier to say and write. But still...I'm trying not to forget my own principles on the matter. Now onto the was-delayed-as-expected chapter 4.

Planetside...

Kenobi and Skywalker camped a night at Anakin's crash site so Anakin could recover from his minor injuries.

"I feel as though I was stomped on by a Bantha."

"Your astromech looks as though it was. I thought you treated R2 as if he were your child." Obi-Wan joked.

"Well yours is no worse for wear. You abandoned yours." Anakin shot back sarcastically.

"I didn't abandon it, I merely left it with the ship so I could save your sorry behind. What's the score now? I think I'm catching up."

Anakin said nothing. His response was the gob of sand sent into Obi-Wan's direction.

"Oh, now we're back throwing things again in a little temper tantrum. Must I remind you of the lecture that a Jedi knows not anger?"

"Must I remind you of what I said I'd do if you gave me yet another lecture about that?"

"You never learned it, Anakin.Your hot-headed tantrums and angst are going to get the better of you if you don't master them soon." Obi-Wan replied as he returned to his cooking. "Here, it's breakfast." he said as he handed Anakin a cup of the steaming broth.

Anakin, always a willing participant when it came to food took a gulp...then made a face. "A lesson you never learned Master--how to cook."

"I can't sing either, but does that stop me from trying?"

"I wish it would." Anakin shot back then turned for another look back at his ship. "Hopefully there's a parts shop somewhere on this planet."

"You and me both. My ship isn't in the best of shape now either." Obi-Wan replied solemnly.

"Do you think it was Feh'ler? Both of us crashed on-planet yet she is still up there somewhere." Anakin inquired.

"No sense in assuming anything Anakin. Slave I was also in the vicinity. Feh'ler said the Fett ship was her enemy too."

"Bounty hunters sometimes work together for a common prize." Anakin stated matter-of-factly.

"Good hunter bad hunter?"

"Perhaps."

"Regardless Anakin, our first task is to deal with our present situation. Our fighters are damaged and the hyperspace rings destroyed. Is your comm intact shipside? Mine was destroyed on impact."

"No. Guess it's another suggestion I'll have for the engineers of the Eta-2 upon return to Coruscant. Nose impacts short out the comm units too quickly. They need to relocate comm wirings more aft, perhaps behind the pilot's chair."

"If you weren't a Jedi, I think you'd be some high-ranked, high-paid engineering nerf."

"Ah, but engineers don't get the good looking girls."

"Neither do Jedi."

"But at least we get to use all the fun tricks of the trade." Anakin said as he took another sip of broth and winced. "This goes down harder than an oversize bantha in a rancor's mouth."

"Then dinner is your turn."

Back in orbit...

Feh'ler remained cloaked, allowing her ship to drift within high orbit of the planet. She'd witnessed both Jedi ships go planetside in great peril. Slave I was still within her vicinity. She could do nothing but allow the other bounty hunter to make the first move. Then something flashed across her comm screen:

[Suggest surrender if you're smart. Know you're out there. Fett.]

She typed a response back.

{You'll get my ship when I have your naughty little behind over my knee whelp.}

She smirked at her own response. The kid was bold, but he was also youthfully reckless. It was the only thing that kept the device out of his hands for this long. With neither Jedi available to her now, all she had left was her own wits. She watched the Slave I move about erractically then begin firing lasers into random areas. Foolish. Feh'ler grinned deviously. Fett might be an up and coming bounty hunter, but he had yet to learn that even cloaked vessels still have protective shields. Suddenly a laser bolt bounced off her ship's very shields.

[See you now!] came a typed response. Feh'ler's grin dropped. Okay, maybe the boy wasn't so stupid. The rebound of laser fire also could indicate a hidden ship. Slave I had immediately altered trajectory and was fast speeding in her ships direction.

*You Jedi had better have survived those impacts!* Feh'ler thought as she dove her cloaked ship planetside and fired all thrusters.

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

Obi-Wan and Anakin were busy in conversation and taking inventory of what they had and what they didn't when they heard the faint scream of a ship rushing in from above.

"That would be Feh'ler." Obi-Wan stated matter-of-factly.

"There's another ship in pursuit by the sounds. Guess that would be Fett." Anakin replied. "Any plan?"

"Patience."

"And why?" Anakin inquired with a teasing raised brow.

"Because this whole situation is probably coming to us. Why waste energy."

"You're getting lazy in your old age Master."

"Old? That's something you'll never see if you continue along your present course."

"Couldn't imagine myself with grey hairs anyway Master." Anakin replied as he stood and unhooked his lightsaber from its belt clip and dropped his cloak.

Obi-Wan merely shook his head as he did the same.

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

Boba had no idea exactly where the ship was, but its heat output was a very obvious trail to follow. He grinned when he noticed the life form reading on another scanner. The two Jedi had survived their crashes. That was good. Live Jedi fetched higher pay outputs than dead ones, especially when they were Kenobi and Skywalker. Though inwardly, Boba had a personal grudge against these two Knights. They had led to his father's demise afterall. But, a bounty hunter with a mission had to set aside personal reasons and focus on successful completion of said mission. Besides, he could always kill one and leave the other alive. Therefore, both his boss and his own self could be satisfied.

Feh'ler had also noted the two defensive Jedi life forms on her scanner. Unsure if she should draw them in or lead Fett away, she opted for the former. They were legends Kenobi and Skywalker...they could handle anything!

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

"I STILL have a headache." Anakin muttered.

"And you're still in sand. Any more observations oh mighty hero?" Obi-Wan teased.

"Fett's lasers will fire upon you first. How's that?"

"What makes you think---" Obi-Wan replied but was cut short when he had to immediately lunge towards the ground below. Anakin had already ignited his lightsaber and took refuge behind a large jutting boulder. Obi-Wan sputtered out the mouthful of sand and scrambled to another nearby boulder. He didn't bother to ask his former Padawan how he managed to get that correct. He already knew.

"Feh'ler's overshot us! She's leading him somewhere."

"Back at us likely. That was just a heads up warning for us that she was being pursued."

"It was obvious. She didn't need to do that."

"She's not a Jedi, Anakin. She was assuring herself, not us."

"Fett really doesn't like you does he Master?"

"That obvious?"

"Perhaps you could negotiate a truce? At least until my headache subsides? Hard to concentrate when I'm seeing double and an entire bantha herd is stampeding within my head."

"And why should everything convenience you?"

"Because I'm SPECIAL." Anakin laughed. "Ouch. Don't make me laugh. Hurts more."

Obi-Wan was about to speak, but both silenced as they heard the whine of engines once again.

"They're coming around." Anakin stated.

"Feh'ler's still cloaked. Fett must be following heat signatures. He's dropped back a bit by the sounds."

Anakin didn't respond. He was already climbing a tree. Obi-Wan stared in amused curiousity. What was Skywalker up to now!? When he couldn't quite guess the plan, he had to inquire.

"What are you doing Anakin? Hiding?"

"Preparing." came a voice from high above. Leaves rustled and branches squeaked as the Jedi Knight climbed higher still.

"For what?" Obi-Wan shouted.

"Just...wait...right...there!"

Suddenly it hit Obi-Wan...he was BAIT yet again!

The faint whoosh and air wafted by Feh'ler's cloaked ship tousled Obi-Wan's hair as it zoomed by unseen. He had full view of the Slave I however. It was coming directly at him. Its trajectory would take it skimming right over...

The telltale sound of a lightsaber activating and slicing metal resounded over Feh'ler's diminishing engines. One of the Slave I's atmospheric wing panels shot downward with and landed just meters away from Kenobi's standing form with a solid thunk. As the Slave I buzzed by without a shot, Obi-Wan noticed that its pilot was likely too busy trying to keep his ship from careening into the ground, having been destablilzed by Skywalker's well placed saber strike.

Moments later and not far away, a loud splash was heard. Slave I had crashed somewhere along the same beachfront the two Jedi had.

Anakin Force-lept down from the tree. A large grin of satisfaction upon his lips.

"You enjoyed that didn't you?" Obi-Wan asked with a small grin of his own.

"Had good bait." Anakin laughed back.

"And what's next on your agenda, Hero?"

"That's for you to decide. You're the Master. I'm just a Knight."

"Glad to see you decided to include my voluntary input this time."

"I included you last time. You were BAIT."

"You didn't ask me to be bait did you, Anakin?"

"Well, no but..."

"I did not volunteer to be bait did I?"

"Well, no but...you do it so well!"

Obi-Wan shot his partner a stern finger. It was time for less jokes, more action. Anakin promptly followed without a word. Action was his speciality anyway. He ordered R2 to remain hidden near the ship as he and Kenobi sped down the beachside in the direction of Fett's downed ship.

Skyward, Feh'ler saw the Slave I drop from her sensory screens. She didn't see how, but the Jedi must have managed some sort of distraction. Slowing her speed, she cautiously arced her ship back towards the two Knights and remained on alert for Fett. The young Mandalorian bounty hunter wouldn't give up his quarry so easily. Anything could happen at any given moment.

And within the now waterlogged Slave I...

Boba looked about increduously. He had miscalculated the tactics of the Jedi. Obsessed with a chance at destroying Kenobi, he had lost track of Skywalker. And it was Skywalker who had brought his precious ship down. That Jedi Knight would pay for such an act! But first and foremost, he had to keep his ship from sinking further into the sand-mucked surf. The tide was rising and if the ship wasn't safely moved before high tide, it would go under completely and become nothing more than salvageable parts. Boba swore and kicked a stubborn piece of paneling. There was no way he was going to be marooned on a planet with those two Jedi! With time against him, the young bounty hunter quickly pried panels and wiring away and wasted no time in making emergency repairs.

to be continued...