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"Why don't you go over there and kiss the girl?" asked his friend.
"She's a woman, Garen, not a girl," replied Obi-Wan drily. "Former Queen, now Senator."
"Details, details my pompous friend. Look, she's just sitting there across the way. Go over there," goaded Garen, gesturing to the Senator in question, who was currently conversing with Bail Organa, Riyo Chuchi, Onaconda Farr and Mon Mothma.
"And what will that achieve?" questioned Obi-Wan, slightly irked.
Garen rolled his eyes and gave out an exasperated sigh. "I know you want her. Look at her - you know you do too. It's possible she wants you too, there's just one way to ask her," he said with that oh-so-annoying but oh-so-endearing cheeky smile of his.
"I haven't seen her in eight years. It's possible that she doesn't remember me,” said Obi-Wan.
"Oh please, you've been eyeing up each other all night, flirting furiously across the room..."
"Don't be so dramatic Garen, I have done no such thing."
"My point exactly! Get over there and turn on that famous Kenobi charm. She'll definitely fall for it. And then you can slip away and..."
"As Jedi we are above common attachments, including romantic ties..."
Garen rolled his eyes. "I'm just talking about kissing, not matrimony. Although if I were to hazard a guess, you've fantasised about both. Perhaps more."
That shut his friend up, ignoring his statement, neither wanting to confirm nor deny it. Garen grinned in triumph.
"I don't see why the Jedi have to be at this...gathering," said Obi-Wan after a while, wrinkling his nose slightly in disgust. The room was filled with political dignitaries who, being filled with intoxicating drink, had lost a lot of their dignities. The fact that it was a masked ball did not help either. It was like chaperoning drunken underaged adolescents instead of the guarding the brightest political minds of the Galaxy. To say that this was raucous was an understatement.
"You're just sour because Siri plus half the Temple have come down with Felucian influenza and you got stuck replacing her,” teased Garen.
"I'm very glad that Anakin is not here to witness this…debacle. He is at a most impressionable age,” commented Obi-Wan while his friend laughed at his grumpiness.
"Which is why I'm saying take the opportunity now my friend,” said Garen with a wink.
"Are back on that subject again?” sighed Obi-Wan.
"Persistence is one of my endearing qualities,” smiled Garen.
"And stubbornness is apparently one of mine,” countered Obi-Wan.
"Ah, but I'm one of the few people in the Galaxy who can wear you down.”
"In your dreams Muln."
"Actually we're talking about your dreams Kenobi," teased Garen. "You dream about holding her in your arms..."
"Be quiet Garen..."
"...and caressing her cheek..."
"Enough Garen..."
"...and unbraiding her bound up hair..."
"Not now Garen..."
"...and tasting those luscious full lips of hers..."
"Shut up Garen! She's walking over to us!"
Garen promptly stopped speaking. A vision of loveliness stood in front of them, and for once, both men were rendered speechless.
"Excuse me for disturbing you but I was informed that Master Kenobi was over here,” enquired Senator Amidala.
She doesn't remember me after all, thought Obi-Wan sadly. He then remembered that perhaps she didn't recognise him with his beard. And possibly she may be having difficulty distinguishing him from Garen, who bore a striking resemblance to him, though instead of a beard, he had chosen to grow his hair shoulder length after his knighthood.
Garen recovered just ahead of his friend, greatly amused that the famous Kenobi unflappability was being compromised by a pretty lady.
"Well you've come to the right place..." began Garen with the widest smirk.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Senator Amidala," said Obi-Wan, bowing in reverence far lower than required. He then took her proffered hand and shook it.
They exchanged pleasantries, although they were rudely interrupted by the Senator of Ryloth who complained bitterly about the lack of a buffet spread. They listened politely, before Senator Amidala demurely suggested that Senator Orn take up his issue with the catering droids. Excited by the prospect of more free food, Senator Orn strongholded Garen to make sure they understood his point and to negotiate quantity. Garen faithfully complied to give his friend at least the opportunity to do something.
“I need to make a sweep of the perimeter - care to join me for a walk out to the balcony milady?” asked Obi-Wan.
Senator Amidala gladly took up his offer and walked out with Obi-Wan, enjoying the refreshing change in company amongst the fresh night air.
Garen caught up with Obi-Wan some time later. He couldn’t tell what had happened due to his friend's impressively strong shields except that he had a general aura of happiness.
"So?"
"What?"
"What happened?"
"A gentleman never tells. And a Jedi never reveals."
"C'mon, just tell me now! Saves me asking Bant for information later on."
"Bant would never betray my confidence.”
"Yeah, well Reeft might, if the food bribe is large enough.”
"Garen, just accept that I'm now somewhat grateful for Siri bringing Felucian influenza to infect the Jedi Temple, Anakin and half the Jedi Council,” stated Obi-Wan in a somewhat contented manner.
Garen’s eyebrows raised. “So my friend, now for the details…”
Obi-Wan interrupted him before he got started again. "I'll tell you what - I'll tell what happened between Senator Amidala and I -"
"Yes!"
"...if you tell me what happened on that mission with the Mabari Princess. "
Garen gritted his teeth. "Trust you to negotiate! I swore never to tell anyone."
"Well you'll just have to decide if it's worth it," said Obi-Wan sassily.
Garen thought for a moment and considered the offer on the table. His friend certainly did seem immensely happy and he would wager something happened out there on the balcony.
"Okay Kenobi, you win..." relented Garen, going on to tell the whole sordid sorry mission on Zolan when they went off course from the Kessel Run, back in his Padawan days. It was a truly mortifying event that he would never live down.
"Now your turn,” demanded Garen, eager to turn the tables on his friend.
"Well we had a drink on the balcony. I asked her about the rest of her term as Queen and she asked about training Anakin. We chatted about current events, the state of the political lawlessness of the Outer Rim, her family and my collection of rare Sundarian poetry.
"You didn't kiss her?"
"On the contrary, I kissed her on the back of her hand when we parted,” beamed Obi-Wan.
"THAT'S IT? I gave up my ... story for that?" howled an appalled Garen, earning him a stern look from Master Windu from across the room.
"I'm sorry, I missed out the part where I touched her body. That’s right - I touched her elbow when she tripped slightly. Had she been of the Zeltron species it would have been highly erotic," grinned Obi-Wan in full triumph.
"You swindled me Kenobi," whimpered Garen, in a rather pathetic fashion.
"I'm afraid I'm the loser really. I owe Reeft dinner at Dex’s. And you know what Reeft’s appetite is like. He correctly guessed that the princess was in fact a changeling. I just thought that you had mistranslated something that caused a civil war amongst the warrior clan. Or some other faux pas. But…the truth is much worse than I even imagined.”
Obi-Wan patted Garen on the back. “There, there friend, we’ve all been in similar situations.”
Garen steered back to the topic at hand. “Well at least you’ve made first contact. I’m sure you’ll see her again at the next event, or if you’re in luck, perhaps you’ll find yourself on a mission with her again.”
“And if I do, you won’t be there,” said Obi-Wan.
“C’mon Kenobi, admit I make an excellent wingman,” nudged Garen.
“I prefer to fly solo Muln,” said Obi-Wan.
“I’m not surprised the way Anakin pilots,” muttered Garen. “Glad you haven’t given up on flying entirely."
And so the banter went back and forth during the rest of the night as it had done since the days that they were crèchemates. Two friends, two Jedi brothers with an unbreakable friendship based on trust and teasing.