Opposites Attract [Complete]

The sun had set on the Jedi Temple by the time Meleana had finally made it back to her ship. She had spent the time it had taken to repair her ship sparring with Master Windu. She and Ketana had been ordered to continue pursuing the slavers. It was Ketana’s job to protect the few they had in custody while Meleana followed the trail of information they had given planetary security. Meleana wasted no time getting the ship into hyperspace. She wanted nothing more than to get her tired muscles into warm water.
After a long relaxing shower she headed for bed. Her room had obviously been repaired. The outer wall looked fine, but there were scorch marks on the dresser up against it. She wondered why anyone would bother cutting their way through the outer hull when her door had been unlocked. She finished drying her hair and set her wet towel on top of the damaged piece of furniture. She scanned the room for any other signs of a break in. The droids had done an excellent job of cleaning up. Though it was obvious her plant had been repotted. She looked it over and stroked its leaves gently. Her Master had given it to her as a gift when she completed the ship. It required very little water and almost no sunlight. It hadn’t grown much over the years. Meleana frowned at the idea of someone breaking into her ship and bullying her little green plant. She pat the plant gently as if to reassure it and lay down on her bed.
A small pink flower on her nightstand caught her attention as she reached over to shut off the lights. The flower looked oddly familiar. She got out of bed and, with the flower, hurried into the control room. She checked the holonet to confirm her hunch. The flower was from her home world, and not one popular enough to export to Coruscant. She turned to the holo-transmitter and keyed in Obi-Wan’s code.
“Did you give me a flower?” She asked as soon as he had answered in a harsher tone than she had meant.
“If I had, I certainly wouldn’t admit to it now.”
“So you didn’t give me a flower?” she said in a hurried tone.
“No and now that I know they offend you so much I never will.”
Meleana stood up and locked the control room door, now feeling very paranoid. “I think the bounty hunter broke into my ship last night.”
“Do you want me to come down?”
“No I’m in hyperspace.” Meleana glanced back towards the door. “Master Windu was here for hours with a team of droids. If there’d been anyone here he would have sensed them… right?”
“Of course.”
Meleana paused. “Unless I just happened to catch him while he was here and there were nothing but droids in my ship all day.”
“I’m sure the droids would have noticed him.”
Meleana stitched her brow. “I have a very low opinion of droids.”
“You’ll be fine. If you’re that concerned come back to the temple and I’ll help you search the ship.”
Meleana exhaled sharply. “No, thank you, I’ll be fine. Sorry for interrupting you.”
“You may interrupt me whenever you like.”
“Good,” Meleana said, a slight smile spread across her lips. “I will anyway.”
Obi-Wan smiled at her. “May the force be with you.”
She broke off the communication and looked back at the door. Had she not been so stiff she may have spent the duration of the journey in the control room, but she wanted her bed. Meleana picked up the flower and walked purposefully back into her room. She plunged the small pink petals into the dirt around her plant. She took great satisfaction in the idea that her plant would eventually eat the flower.
She shut off the lights and sat down in the center of her bed to begin her meditation, hoping it would clear her mind and give her some insight on her coming mission.
Meleana once again found herself lying in sweet smelling foliage. Even over her labored breathing she could here water gently hitting the shore near by. Her vision was clouded by the blood trickling through her eyes. She could just make out the black structure in front of her. She could feel something mocking her, daring her to try to save herself.
Meleana opened her eyes wrenching herself from her meditation. She was certain that this vision had nothing to do with her current mission and, while troubling, it wasn’t terribly helpful. She took a moment to clear her head before diving back in again.

Ketana was usually as calm and centered as any Jedi in the temple. She’d spent her entire life playing by the rules, striving to be the perfect Jedi, and lecturing Meleana on her recklessness. Now she found herself wishing she’d broken a few rules in the past, it would make what she was doing now much easier. She didn’t know how to lie to a Jedi Master, she didn’t want to, but she felt compelled to protect her sister. She was supposed to be turned over to the Coruscant authorities, along with the other slavers, but how could she do that to her own sister? Crissida wanted to be redeemed, sending her to prison would only cement her fate to live a life of crime.
As she approached the prison, she was sure she’d made the right decision. She would need to find a more permanent solution, for now she’d dressed her twin sister in Jedi tunics and told her to stay out of sight. She’d left her in her quarters and instructed her not to go out again until she’d returned.
Still, she couldn’t help but worry about her sister and the repercussions if the council found out she was hiding her. Meleana was the only person she felt she could talk to, that she’d trust, and rather than ask for her advice, she’d insulted her.
“You’re a little late,” The prison guard, a sullustan male, said. He sighed at the look of bewilderment the Jedi gave him. “The prisoners we had requested the Jedi take custody of were poisoned. Two of them are in critical condition. The others aren’t in any condition.”
Ketana didn’t know what to say, she was late, she should have been at the prison hours ago. Her concern for her sister had already ruined the mission. Meleana is going to kill me, she thought to herself, Never mind her, the council is going to kill me.
“Where are they now?” She asked trying to keep some amount of confidence in her voice.
“The prison’s medical facility, it’ll be a miracle if they wake up at all. Hope you weren’t planning on getting any more information out of them.”
Ketana tried to hide the worry in her eyes as she thought of what she would say to the council when they asked her why she hadn’t gone straight to the prison. “Take me to them.” she said.

Meleana practically hopped off her ship on to the surface of Ando. For once she knew where she was going, and she’d gotten there in once piece- so far. The alleged slavers Republic head quarters were hidden deep in the oceans of Ando. She’d already arranged for transport to the oceans depths and, though she hadn’t been able to get a read on her mission, she was determined to stay positive.
It wasn’t difficult to spot the lone Aqualish standing on the rock faced surface of the small deserted island. Meleana approached him and bowed, not knowing any Aqualish she left it at that as he ushered her into the small submarine. Meleana hoped it had been explained to him that he wasn’t to wait for her. An Ando security team was on its way to bring back any prisoners, and they would be retrieving her from the underwater compound. They had agreed to hold off on storming the compound to allow the Jedi time to recover information.
Meleana watched the passing sea turn from blue to black as they sunk deeper into the oceans depths. The submarine couldn’t dock in the underwater base; it would call attention to itself. She was wearing a wetsuit that along with the force would help her cope with the pressure for a limited amount of time. Assuming the intelligence they had was correct she’d be able to gain access to the base through a small service port into one of the pressurized loading bays. If she was fast enough, which she’d have to be if she wanted to stay alive, she’d be able to get in before the sensors noticed the breach.
The submarine slowed as it neared the base. The Aqualish captain turned to her and said something. Meleana peered out the view port, she couldn’t see anything. She looked over at the navcomputer, they were at the designated coordinates. Meleana nodded to the Aqualish and moved into the submarines pressurization chamber. She stuck her aquatabreather into her mouth and focused on immersing herself in the force.

The prisons medical facilities were cramped and outdated. There was little room for Ketana to review the security holos between the two critical patients. She set the computer to work separating footage of the documented workers from the rest of it, while she worked on healing the two critical patients.
By the time the computer signaled it had completed its task she felt completely drained. She sat down with a heavy sigh. She started with the prisoners. She watched them go about their daily activities at an accelerated speed, looking for anything out of the ordinary, anyone they’d had contact with. She sorted the prisons full security recordings further, leaving only beings who’d had contact with the prisoners in the last ten hours. She sighed in frustration. The only people who’d had any contact with the prisoners that day had been the prison workers. That left her to sort through the much longer section of recordings.

Even with the aid of the computer Ketana spent hours going over the security recordings. She’d nearly given up when a familiar face caught her eye. The bounty hunter that had attacked her on Roon had entered the building just minutes before the prisoners were poisoned. She watched the recording again, not believing her eyes. He’d just walked right in, in street clothing, without any identification. He smiled and waved at the prison employees, he shot a droid, and they smiled and waved him through.
It occurred to Ketana that she hadn’t mentioned the bounty hunter that had so easily taken her down to Meleana. They’d been debriefed on their mission separately, and it hadn’t occurred to her that the information would be relevant after that. Ketana stared at the looping footage. She was dead, her career as a Jedi was over before it had even began. Twenty-one years of playing by the book, being the perfect example of a fledgling Jedi, was ruined in less than a week. She’d lied to the council, harbored a criminal, and the people she was supposed to have been protecting were dead or dying. What could she possibly say to the council, to Meleana, to make any of this seem reasonable?
Ketana pulled herself together, while she was still a Jedi Padawan she could at least try to pick up the pieces. She ran the bounty hunters image, trying to find a name, a ship, something she could use to track him.
No records found.
Ketana frowned at the computer. She didn’t have any connections that would help her identify a bounty hunter, certainly not one that was good enough to erase himself. She already knew Crissida knew nothing about him.
Ketana winced as she pulled out her comlink, knowing she needed help, knowing she’d be in trouble even Meleana would make a face at. With a heavy sigh she contacted the temple.

Meleana spent several minutes lying on the floor of the base, hoping no security teams were on their way. She was a Jedi, but she was also a human, and the pressure had literally gotten to her. Just as she pulled herself to her feet an alarm began to sound in the bay she’d snuck into. Meleana looked to the pressure sensitive doors in front of her and behind her, one set was closing, the other opening, and not in the order she liked. She dove through the doors to the main section of the base and looked around the tight hall. She could hear foot steps coming closer to her and darted in the opposite direction.
She heard the doors slide back open minutes later.
“I trust you have good news this time?” A male voice, likely human, said.
“The prisoners won’t be giving the authorities anymore information.”
The second male voice sent a chill down Meleana’s spine. The bounty hunter, Genesis, seemed to be unavoidable as of late.
“So they’re dead?”
Genesis paused, “Mostly. The ones who survived won’t recover. They are as much of a threat to you as a muja fruit.”
“Even muja fruits can do damage if you throw them hard enough.”
“Their brains are jelly,” Genesis said, frustration slipping through his voice. He didn’t like having his methods questioned by his clients, even when they were the types to get their hands dirty.
“And the girl?”
“She’s being kept in the Jedi temple. I can retrieve her, but their will be a considerable increase in my fee.”
“You already cost double the normal rate.”
Genesis let out an audible sigh. “Then I’m sure you’ll find someone else capable of infiltrating the Jedi temple.” He paused. “I didn’t think so. Shall we have a drink while we discuss pricing?”
Part of Meleana wanted to lunge down the hall and grab the bounty hunter by the hair. How dare he even think of breaking into her home? She was reminded of the little girl kicking and screaming in the arms of the Jedi Master who had brought her to the temple. Thankfully she had better control of her emotions now than she’d had then.
Meleana followed the distant sound of footsteps. There was no polite conversation between the bounty hunter and the slaver. Obviously each saw the other as a necessary evil. Meleana wondered, as she made her way silently down the hall, if the man Genesis was talking to was in fact in charge. If he wasn’t trailing the bounty hunter wouldn’t do much good. Personally she would like nothing more than to see him brought to justice, but her mission was to gather evidence against the slavers, and Genesis was not one of the slavers. She quietly hoped Genesis would ask for enough money that the head honcho would have to approve the amount.
The two men walked into an office, still oblivious to the Jedi. It intrigued Meleana that the bounty hunter couldn’t sense her. Twice now she’d seen him while he’d been completely unaware of her presence, but he’d found her through the force before. Meleana grinned, force sensitive he may be, but not sensitive enough.
Meleana entered an office next to the one the two men were occupying. She moved a chair next to the rooms air vent and stood on top of it. She moved the small audio recording device she’d planted on herself up in between the metal slats.
“How much are we talking?” The slaver asked pouring them each a drink.
“I prefer brandy,” Genesis said snidely.
The man ignored his comment. “I need a number.”
“To get into the Jedi temple? Ten million.” Genesis said as though he were asking the slaver for spare change.
“You think one girl is worth ten million?” The slaver laughed.
“You’ve seen my resume. I’m sure you can find some amateur who’ll say they can do it for a tenth of what I’m charging. Then when he fails, and you have to call me, you’ll be out eleven million.” Genesis watched the slaver closely and sipped his drink. “To do a job this size requires more than one person. Everyone involved needs to have a certain skill set. These are not people who come cheep. Perhaps we’re above your pay grade.”
“And what assurance do I have that the Jedi won’t come after us?”
Genesis chuckled. “The Jedi are already after you, they have been since before you hired me. You can’t expect to get away with conducting this sort of business in the core. If the Jedi weren’t after you in droves there would be a public out cry.”
“And how much to you charge to retain your services for on going security?”
“Typically I don’t work as a body guard, and since you scoffed at ten million, I am fairly confident you can’t afford me.”
“We can’t deal with the Jedi on our own… How much?”
“That depends on how many Jedi I have to kill.”
The slaver sighed. “I’ll have to check the books, after this ten mill… how long do you think it will take them to find us?”
Genesis smiled broadly at the slaver. “They’re already here.”
“What?” He asked in horror.
“You didn’t notice the wet foot prints leading out of the docking station I arrived in? At this depth only a Jedi could have gotten in here without a ship of some kind.
“Where is he now?”
“She, the foot prints were too small to be male. I’d say she’s human, medium height, and I’m sure she followed us. Wouldn’t you?”
“Kill her!” The slaver sounded like a frightened child shouting at an unwanted pest.
Genesis waved his hand calmly. “In a minute, first there are documents to be drawn out and signed. I’ll take a million for every Jedi dealt with, and an additional one point five for a kill.”
The slaver ground his teeth furiously. “How do you know she won’t storm in here and kill us both!”
“She hasn’t yet. She already knew I was here, and Jedi are always aware of danger long before it comes. Really we have time… or you could just transfer eleven million now, and I could go deal with her.”
The slaver began typing away on his personal computer. “There,” he said turning the screen towards Genesis. “It’s done.”
Genesis smiled. “It’s been a pleasure as usual.”

Meleana was waiting for him in the hall, her purple blade active and held at the ready. As soon as Genesis stepped out of the office his expression changed. He no longer looked like a man handling business, he was happy.
“Hello my love,” he said in Meleana’s native tongue.
Meleana responded with a string of insults in Biernan.
“And here I’d hoped to impress you by learning your language.” He frowned theatrically at her. “Did you get my gift princess?”
“You mean the flowers? I fed them to my plant.”
Genesis kept his distance as he mulled over the potential end to this confrontation. “You have help coming I presume?”
Meleana nodded.
“Hmm… that does complicate things… I was so hoping to take you back to my love nest.”
“Love nest? Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more pathetic.”
“Speaking of pathetic; how is your little boyfriend?”
Had anyone else asked that question Meleana would have rolled her eyes and corrected them, but she wanted to piss Genesis off. “He’s amazing and enjoying every part of me you’ll never get to see. He wanted to thank you for shooting him. He got a wonderful night out of it.”
“I’m sure. The same way your Master enjoyed you before I killed him.”
“Is that supposed to get a rise out of me? I don’t respect you enough to care about your opinion. Come to think of it, I don’t respect you at all.”
“But you’re afraid of me, aren’t you pet?”
“We have mantras for that. There is no fear only…. Oh… peace? Maybe that’s the one for emotion… I was never much good at the mantra. The point is there is no fear!”
He held a hand up defensively, “I’m not challenging that. I know how you Jedi types enjoy your mantras.”
“As long as we’re clear on that,” Meleana said tapping her foot.
“What sort of a Jedi doesn’t know the code?” Genesis asked, genuinely interested. “Are you just stalling me?”
“No, what reason could I possibly have to stall you?” Meleana was in fact buying time. She’d planted a device on the computer console in the office she’d hid in and wanted to be sure it had time to send all of the slavers data to Coruscant.
“There’s the security team for one.”
“Well I’m sure the slavers have security. Why would I want to stand here and wait for them? You’re not exactly good company.”
“Then why not attack me?”
“Jedi rarely strike first unless provoked. You haven’t even drawn your blade. What sort of Jedi would I be if I attacked you?”
“Couldn’t you conveniently forget that rule along with the rest of the code?”
“I’m not an anarchist.”
Genesis examined her, wondering what it was she was trying to hide. “I’d think you’d be a little perturbed that you were discovered before you had a chance to retrieve any evidence.”
“Jedi are also not quick to anger.” Meleana narrowed her eyes at the bounty hunter. “Given the pitch you just gave that slaver on your intimate knowledge of the Jedi, I’d expect you to know that.”
“Whatever you’re reasoning, I’m not being paid to chat with you.”
“Then please, try and kill me.”
“I was just paid to deal with you. I have no desire to kill you.”
Meleana narrowed her eyes at him, wondering why he still hadn’t attacked, “Whatever it is you’re going to do, please hurry up and do it.”
“Not yet,” he said after a brief pause.
Meleana arched her brow, “I’ve got work to do. If you’re not going to get in my way, then please step aside and let me do my work.” Meleana attempted to walk down the hall. He took a step to the side to prevent her from passing.
“I do intend to get in your way. I just need to time it correctly so we don’t kill each other.”
Meleana’s violet eyes locked onto his. “Touch me and I will kill you.”
He smiled and took a step towards her, his hand resting on the hilt of his vibroblade. “Is that a promise princess?”
An alarm began to sound on the base notifying its inhabitants of an incoming craft. Meleana watched Genesis carefully, expecting him to run, he drew his blade. She jumped back and raised her lightsaber defensively.
“I thought you didn’t want to kill me?” She yelled over the alarm as she ducked an attack.
He smiled at her as their blades clashed. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hurt you.” He narrowly dodged a lightsaber to the head as he spoke. “Your skills have improved.” He lowered his weapon, recognizing the bloodthirsty look on his opponents face. “If you want to kill me do it.”
Meleana lowered her weapon to her side. She wanted to kill him, and had it not been for all her years of Jedi training she would have, she couldn’t think of one reason the man standing in front of her should live.
“What a good little Jedi you are. I’m sure your Master would be proud.” He was carried down the hall by a wave of the force before he had a chance to strike at her. “Did I hit a nerve princess?” He asked getting to his feet. He focused his mind on Meleana as he walked back towards her.
As Genesis approached his features began to change, his black hair turned brown, the hard curves of his face softened. Finally as he reached her and swung his blade towards her Meleana saw her purple blade clash with another green lightsaber. She shut her eyes, refusing to allow Genesis’ illusion to affect her. She shouldn’t need her vision to fight him, but she found her ability to feel the force clouded. Despite that Meleana kept her eyes shut, whatever he was doing, she was sure he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long, and the security team would be arriving soon. She moved her lightsaber to block an attack to her left and screamed as his blade sliced through her back to the right. She stumbled forwards and opened her eyes. She tossed him into the nearest wall with the force and held him there.
Genesis could here the security team getting closer. “Help!” He screamed, allowing Meleana’s perception of him to return to normal. “Someone please help me!”
Meleana stitched her brow in confusion. It was hardly like him to cry out for help at all, much less against an injured opponent. “What are you doing?” She demanded through grit teeth.
He didn’t have time to answer before the security team reached them, there blasters drawn and pointed at both the bounty hunter and the Jedi.
“Please help me,” Genesis said in a pitiful voice. He was curled into a ball against the wall Meleana had tossed him into. A few of the security officers stepped towards them. He took a moment to focus on the mind of all of the officers in the tight hall. He sat up and thrust his blade through the heart of the nearest officer, immediately every blaster began to fire.
Had Meleana’s lightsaber not been drawn the shots pelting down on her would surely have killed her. She’d watched Genesis kill the officer, and now the remaining members of the security team were attacking her.
“I’m a Jedi!” Meleana yelled, still deflecting fire. A shot grazed her shoulder and the officers stopped firing and started shouting at her, there blasters still aimed towards her.
“Weapon,” One of them finally said in basic.
Meleana glared over at Genesis and reluctantly deactivated her blade. The Aqualish placed electrocuffs on both of the humans.

“Do you think you’re going to get away with this? There’s bound to be a security recording of what actually happened.” Meleana said when she and Genesis had been secured in the back of one of the armored submarines.
“There are over a dozen witnesses to your crime,” he answered with a smile. “The Aqualish aren’t exactly known for their kindness, or for their hospitality to foreigners. I doubt the security officers will second guess what they all saw with their own eyes for the sake of proving your innocence.”
“The Jedi aren’t just going to let them keep me.”
“They may not have a choice, and if they believe you committed a crime… well it wouldn’t exactly help relations here if the Jedi pull their little princess out of jail now would it? But don’t worry, it’ll give you wrinkles, and I’ll be back for you.”
“Haven’t you noticed you’re in the same cuffs I am?”
Genesis raised his thin black brow. “Once I explain to them that I was just an innocent maintenance worker, bludgeoned nearly to death by a Jedi gone mad, I’m sure they’ll release me.” He smirked at the angry look in her eyes. “Are you going to kick me to death? That will hardly help you prove your innocence.”
Meleana sighed. “Do you still get paid if your employers are incarcerated?”
He nodded. “A good deal of my clientele are, facing life in prison tends to bring out the worst in people.”
“How did the slavers acquire trade federation droids?” If Meleana had to talk to him she may as well try and get something useful out of him.
“With money.” Genesis looked at the blood pooling on the durasteel bench Meleana was seated on. “I wonder if they’ll treat your wounds.” His tone was a mixture of amusement and concern.
“I can use the force to heal myself.”
“If I were you I’d get started. I’m sure they’ll put you on some sort of force inhibitor. I’ll see to that.” He shook his head. “We can’t have you escaping.”
“I won’t need to escape. I’m innocent.”
“Keep telling yourself that princess.”

Several weeks passed during which time most of the injured slavers died, those that didn’t were too frightened to say any more than they already had. Ketana had avoided prying information out of her sister, concerned it would do more harm than good. She thought it odd that Meleana had not returned, and when she’d asked if Meleana would be returning soon, had been told that the law enforcement on Ando had requested the Jedi stay until they had determined whether or not all of the slavers had been taken into custody.
A number of the slavers had already been transferred to Coruscant for questioning, and from what Ketana could tell, the entire operation had been shut down. One had confessed to having another “office” in the outerrim, but in that region slavery wasn’t illegal. It seemed Ketana had done all she could do, but until Meleana returned and confirmed that, she would be unable to take on another mission.
It seemed Ketana would finally have the time to deal with her sister. She would no longer be in danger if all of the slavers had in fact been arrested. It was about time, she wasn’t sure how she’d managed to hide her within the temple for so long without being discovered.

“You’re kicking me out?” Crissida said, a mixture of fear and anger in her voice.
Ketana shook her head. She’d thought her sister would be happy to get out of her small room in the temple. “No… I just, well it seems like things have settled down and you know you can’t stay here forever.”
“Right because I’m not a Jedi, I just look like one. Besides, even if they aren’t worried about me talking, they’ll still kill me out of spite. Worse if they find out my sister is a Jedi, they’ll assume this whole thing was my fault, then I’ll just wish they’d killed me.”
Ketana frowned, her sister had a point. “I’ll check around and see if anyone is looking for you. If so,” Ketana paused and took a deep breath. “Then you can stay here. If not we’ll find you some place nearby, so I’ll be close enough incase anything does happen.”
Crissida nodded slowly. She didn’t talk much with her sister, despite sharing a small room with her for the past month. The truth was she resented her, hated her even, but at the moment she was her only shot at staying out of prison. She was using her, she didn’t feel good about it, but every time she thought about turning herself in she reminded herself of the years of resentment she’d had for this woman, her twin. Growing up she could never be good enough, it didn’t give her any reason to try to be. She knew she’d made mistakes, but if she hadn’t lived in Ketana’s shadow her entire life, maybe she would’ve had the support system she needed to keep her on the right path.
“You don’t seem to understand, it’s not a question of if people are looking for me. They are, and when they find me… it won’t be pretty.” Crissida said somberly.
“Well we’re going to have to figure something out. You can’t stay here forever, eventually someone is going to discover you.”
“I’d rather deal with the Jedi than the bounty hunters.”
“Well I’m not going to put up a sign with your name and address. We can get you a place under a different name. Whatever we end up doing I will make sure you’re not in any immediate danger.”