Title: RAJ: Ghosts
Author: Darth Patches
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
Main Characters: Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Obi-One, Ziggy, and Patches. And eventually Mace Windu. (Just to clarify, the Patches in the story is NOT me.)
Feedback: Please? Just like a plant and water, I need it to grow and flourish and... oops, sorry, got a little carried away, there. <g>
Archive: Heck yeah
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, and Ziggy owns Rent-a-Jedi, but I did get permission from her to play there for a while. <eg> Patches is my character.

**************

Prologue

Patches sat out on the patio of the restaurant, sipping her glass of wine and gazing out at the lights of Coruscant. Distracted, she didn’t notice the lithe figure sneaking up behind her until he leaned over and softly kissed her neck.

The touch startled her, and she turned to look at her “assailant”. “Obi-One!” she growled. “Don’t DO that!”

Grinning at her, he replied, “Fine then, I’ll do this.” He leaned over and kissed her passionately, leaving her breathless. “Mmm, you taste like wine.”

She smiled at him. “Maybe that’s because I’ve been drinking it, silly. And so do you, for the same reason. So, did you find out what’s taking dinner so long?”

He slid into his seat across from her. “Yes. Apparently one of the cooks had an accident and ruined our meal, so they have to redo it. But the head chef is taking care of it personally now, so it should be worth the wait.”

“You didn’t.”

“Well,…” He grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

“Obi…” She sighed.

“I know, I know. But if you’re done pretending to be irritated with me, while we’re waiting for dinner, I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a surprise, you’ll have to open it to find out.” Obi-One pulled a slim, rectangular, black velvet box out of his pocket and handed it to her. She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand and said, “Don’t argue, just open it. And don’t tell me I shouldn’t have, either.”

Patches carefully lifted the lid of the box and gasped at its sparkling contents. “Oh, Obi, it’s beautiful! You sh“ she stopped short at his stern look, and then laughed. “I love it. But how did you know that I love this stone?” She lifted the gift out of the box, a shining silver bracelet with teardrop-shaped obsidian charms dangling from it all the way around.

“I noticed how much you love those earrings, which lucky for me you happened to wear tonight, so I bought the bracelet to match.”

“Thank you, Obi-One.” She stood and went around to his side of the table, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him soundly. Eventually letting him up for air, she sat down lightly in his lap and held out the bracelet. “Will you put it on for me, please?” she asked.

“I would be delighted to,” he replied dramatically, and they both laughed. He wrapped it gently around her wrist, making sure the latch held well.

“So, what’s the occasion?” she asked, making no move to get off his lap. “I didn’t forget something important, did I? It’s not my birthday….”

“No, you didn’t forget anything. We’ve been seeing each other for about eight months, and I just wanted to do something special for you, that’s all.”

“Well, that was sweet, and I know you said not to say it, but you really didn’t have to“

Obi-One placed a finger over her lips. “Stop. I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. I know I can be a brat and a terrible flirt, but *you*,”-- he placed his finger on her nose for emphasis-- “mean a lot to me.” His expression grew more serious. “Patches, I care about you a lot. I’m not very good at this sentimental stuff, but I wanted you to know that. We’ve got a good thing here, and I’d like to keep it going. I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like, but I think it’s very possible that I’m falling in love with you. I know I’ve definitely fallen for you.” He paused, and then grinned. “But shh, don’t tell anyone; it would ruin my reputation,” he whispered.

Patches giggled. “You’re better at this sentimental stuff than you think. But I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way about you; I care about you deeply. The only difference is, in my case, I know I’m starting to fall in love with you. But then, I think it would be impossible not to. I’ll admit, sometimes it’s hard for me, knowing what you do at Rent-a-Jedi, but it makes it easier knowing that you always come back to me. And I know, I’m getting all sappy here, but you seem to have that effect on me.”

Obi-One said nothing, but leaned down and kissed her tenderly. Neither of them noticed when the waitress brought their food, so they were surprised to see it when they separated.

“I suppose we should eat now that the food’s here,” Patches said, sounding somewhat reluctant.

“I’m really not that hungry anymore,” Obi replied. “Are you?”

“Not really.”

“Why don’t we just have them wrap it up and we’ll take it back to your apartment for later?”

She looked up at him, her silver eyes sparkling with mischief, and a different type of hunger. “Do we really want to wait for them to wrap up the food?” she asked.

“Good point. Let’s just go,” he returned, responding to the look in her eyes. They called the waiter over and paid for the meal, hurried out of the restaurant, and caught a taxi to her place.

*****

Three weeks later…

Obi-One sat on a couch in the Rent-a-Jedi complex, gazing at a holo of Patches. A few days before, he had finally told her that he loved her, and she told him the same, and things were better than ever between them. He was looking forward to their date later that day; he was going to meet her for an early dinner, and then they were going to go dancing. He was so caught up in daydreaming about their date that he didn’t notice Qui-Gon enter room until he heard a strangled gasp.

“What?” Obi-One search the Force to see if it was a disturbance of some source, but found nothing. “What’s wrong?”

“Who is that?” Qui-Gon asked, pointing at the figure in the holo.

Obi relaxed immediately. “Isn’t she beautiful? That’s my girlfriend, Patches.” At the surprised look on Qui’s face, he said, “I know, me with a steady girlfriend, scary thought, isn’t it? But I’m in love, so I guess I have a good excuse.” When that didn’t get the response he was looking for, he asked Qui, “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine. She just looks very much like someone I used to know. But…forgive me, it was my mistake.” He quickly left the room.

“I wonder what that was all about,” Obi-One said quietly to the empty room.

********************

Part 1


Obi-One and Patches walked into the Rent-a-Jedi complex, giggling quietly.

“Wait here,” Obi told her.  “I’ll be right back.”

Patches did as she was asked, and watched his cute rear bounce up the
stairs.  The bottoms of his trousers were streaked with grease, and he was
going to go change them.  She leaned against a nearby wall to wait.

A few moments later, Ziggy walked into the room.  “Umm, Is there something
I can help you with?”

“No, I’m just waiting for someone.”

“Who?  And who are you?”

“I’m sorry,” Patches said, walking over to Ziggy and extending her
hand.  “I thought you might remember me from the gala, but you were pretty
upset when I walked in on you in the kitchen.  I’m Patches.”

Ziggy shook her hand.  “Oh, yeah, I remember now.  You tried to escape into
the kitchen.”

Patches smiled.  “Yep.  And you made me go right back out.”

“So, you didn’t say who you were waiting for.”

“Oh, I’m waiting for Obi-One.  We had dinner and were going to go dancing,
but the cab we caught had grease all over the side and it got all over
Obi’s pants, so we came back here so he could change them.”

Ziggy was about to say something when Obi-Wan wandered into the room.

“Who’s this?” he asked, eyeing Patches.  “Wait, don’t tell me: you’re
Obi-One’s girlfriend, aren’t you?”  Patches nodded, smiling.  “That’s
right, he showed me a holo of you the other day.  What’s your name?”

“Patches.”  She tried very hard not to stare at Obi-Wan; she had never met
him, and while she knew her Obi was a clone, it was still amazing.  “And
you’re Obi-Wan.”

Obi-One came back downstairs then.

“Got clean pants now.  Hey, looks like you’ve all met Patches.”  He put an
arm around her.  He looked at Obi-Wan.  “So, where’s your partner?  I
should introduce him, too.”

Obi opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a deep voice from the
top of the stairs.

“Ziggy,” Qui-Gon said, “you really should stop buying these cheap
disposable razors.”  He was bare-chested, wearing only his trousers.  His
long hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and he had a bit of
shaving cream still on his jaw.

“Well, Qui, if you’d stop using my razors, it wouldn’t be a problem for
you, now would it?”

All three downstairs heard the small whimper, and turned towards
Patches.  Qui-Gon noticed her then for the first time.  Then he saw the
locket.  He froze, and all the color left his face.  He didn’t even feel
the razor drop from his hand onto the stairs.

“Darling, what’s wrong?” Obi-One asked Patches.  She couldn’t speak.  Her
mind was reeling as she stared at Qui-Gon, all the blood drained from her
face.  /It can’t be,/ she thought.  /It’s just not possible…/  “No,” she
whispered.  It was all she could manage.  The shock was just too much for
her to handle, so she did the only sensible thing: she fainted.  It caught
everyone by surprise, and Obi-One didn’t react fast enough before she hit
the floor with a thud.

Everyone turned questioning eyes on Qui-Gon, who stood pale and frozen on
the stairs.  Then his Jedi training overcame his shock, and he rushed down
the rest of the steps to the small knot of people.  “Come on,” he said, his
natural leadership abilities kicking in, “let’s get her to a couch.  Ziggy,
your office is closest.”

He bent down to pick up her tiny frame, but Obi-One beat him to it.  The
rest of the group followed him to the office.  Obi-Wan held the door open,
and Obi-One laid her gently on the couch while everyone else filed into the
room.  He knelt down next to her on the floor, and once again, all eyes
turned to Qui-Gon.

“What is going on?” Obi-One asked quietly.

“She looked like she saw a ghost,” Ziggy commented, glancing at Patches.

Qui-Gon seemed extremely uncomfortable.  “She probably thinks she has,” he
muttered.

“What’re you talking about?” Obi-One asked.

“You know her,” Obi-Wan put in.  It was a statement, not a question, but
Qui-Gon answered anyway.

“Yes, I do, or rather I used to.  Something is very wrong.”

“What do you mean?  How do you know her?”  Obi-One asked hotly, beginning
to get angry.

Ziggy piped up then.  “Yes, Qui, please tell us.  Who is she?”

After a long pause, Qui-Gon finally answered.

“She’s my wife.”

**********

Part 2


“YOUR WHAT!?!?!?” three voices shouted at once.

Qui held his hands up.  “Please, let me explain“

“Explain what, that you’re married?  That you've been lying to me all this
time?  What is there to explain?” cried Ziggy angrily.  She bolted out the
door, followed quickly by Obi-Wan, who shot Qui-Gon an unreadable look
before he exited.

Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Obi-One, who was practically glaring at him.  He felt
torn: should he stay with Shanna, or should he go after Ziggy?  After some
debate, he picked Ziggy.  Shanna seemed to be in capable hands with
Obi-One, who didn't seem to really want him around.  Ziggy would be fine
with Obi-Wan, but he still felt he needed to talk to her, needed to explain
and let her know that he didn't know what was going on either, that he was
as confused as the rest of them.

“I'll, be back,” he said to Obi-One.  He didn't answer.  Qui left the
office and headed to their quarters, where he could feel Ziggy and Obi-Wan
were.

We tried to open the door, but it was locked.  So he knocked.

“Go away,” he heard Ziggy’s teary voice from inside.

“Selah, I need to talk to you,” he called through the door.

“No!  Go away!  I don't want to talk to you.”

“Selah, please, you have to let me explain.  This isn't the way you think,”
he pleaded.

“Leave me ALONE!  Just leave me alone…”  He could hear her dissolving into
tears, and his heart ached for her.

“Selah, please!”  The door opened, and he started to feel relieved  she was
going to give him a chance!  but the person standing there was Obi-Wan, and
he did not looked pleased.

“Master,” he said quietly, “I think it would be best for you to go.”

Qui-Gon looked down at his apprenticed, and from the look in his eyes, knew
that Obi-Wan was not going to back down.  “For now,” was his only reply,
and he turned and headed back up the hall.

Obi-Wan shut the door and locked it again, and returned to the forlorn
figure curled up on the bed.

*****

Obi crawled back into bed and wrapped his arms around Ziggy.  Her tears had
finally tapered off again, and she was just lying there, curled in a ball
and sniffing.  She snuggled into Obi’s warmth and strength, almost as if
she were trying to disappear into his chest.  She almost wished she
could.  Obi-Wan just held her, somehow knowing that was what she needed,
not saying or asking anything, just offering comfort.

She broke the silence first.  "Why? Why did this have to happen...why now,
why with him? Everything was going so well..."

“I honestly don't know, love.  I know about a much about what’s going on as
you do.  He never mentioned this…”

Ziggy could feel that he was hurt too.  He was closer to Qui-Gon than
anyone, even her, and the fact that Qui had kept a secret from him,
especially such a big secret, was painful.  And the fact that despite all
that, he was trying to console her, made her love him even more, if that
was possible.

“I can't believe he’s married,” she said quietly after another long silence.

“Maybe there is an explanation for this.  Maybe we should give him a
chance…” Obi said.

Ziggy sighed.  She had calmed down considerably, nestled in Obi-Wan’s
gentle embrace.  “Maybe,” she replied, snuggling closer.  “But not right
now.  He can stew for a bit.”

Obi-Wan chuckled softly in agreement.  “I love my Master, but this time
he’s gone more than a bit too far.  Perhaps it would do him some good to
'stew for a bit.’”

They stayed where they were for a long time, comforting each other just by
their presence.

*****

*****
Part 3


Back in Ziggy’s office, Patches started to come around. Obi-One was 
instantly helping her as she tried to sit up. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Looking around and blinking, she finally caught of Obi-One’s anxious 
face. “I think so,” she replied shakily. “It was so strange. What happened?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing. You passed out in the other 
room. So what did happen?” He was trying not to be angry. He loved her, 
and he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but it was 
difficult. He took a deep breath and let his anger bleed away into the Force.

She took a long time in answering. “I thought… I thought I saw “ She 
broke off abruptly, paling again, eyes widening, as Qui-Gon walked back 
into the office.

“Hello, Shanna.”

Her eyes took on a panicked look. “No. This is not possible. You’re 
dead. Vrin saw it! I felt it! You’re dead!” She was on the verge of 
hysteria, practically screaming, and Obi-One tried to calm her down. In 
her confusion, she dropped her shields, and the force of her emotions 
slammed into Qui-Gon and Obi-One, and Obi-Wan as well, who had been keeping 
a discreet “eye” on his Master. Everyone slammed their own shields up as 
quickly as they could; everyone but Qui-Gon was amazed at the young woman’s 
strength. Even Ziggy had felt something, through her currently active 
connection with Obi-Wan. Patches threw her own shields back up almost 
immediately as she realized her mistake. She touched the Force, trying to 
calm herself, but she was having difficulties.

/She’s a JEDI?/ Obi-One and Obi-Wan thought at about the same time.

Obi-One couldn’t say anything, he just kept looking between Qui and Patches 
in shock. Finally, his head cleared enough for him to speak. “I think you 
need to go right now,” he said to Qui with icy intensity. “You’re just 
upsetting her.” He looked him up and down. “Why don’t you go find a 
shirt, for starters?”

Qui-Gon said nothing, but he did go. Obi-One watched him go, and then 
gently touched the mind of his original.

/What is it?/ Obi-Wan asked.

/You need to talk to Qui-Gon, find out what is going on. I can’t do 
it. He’s scaring Patches, and if I have to talk to him right now…/ He 
didn’t need to finish the statement. Obi-Wan got the idea.

/Let me make sure Ziggy’s okay, and then I’ll talk to him. If I can, I’ll 
have her come with me. She needs to hear it too./

/Thanks./

Obi-One turned back to Patches. “You know I love you, and I’m sorry that 
this is upsetting you, but I think I deserve an explanation,” he said 
quietly. She nodded, and began her story.

*****

Obi-Wan shifted on the bed so he could look at Ziggy. “It’s time to go 
talk to Qui-Gon,” he told her.

“Can’t we just stay here?” she asked, burying her face in his chest. “I 
don’t want to talk to him.”

“We have to. Or at least I have to. We have to find out what’s going 
on. For all our sakes,” he added.

Ziggy sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I have to face him sooner or 
later…may as well be sooner.”

“One thing first,” Obi said with a grin.

“What?”

He leaned down and kissed her soundly, driving the breath from her lungs 
and all other thoughts from her mind. When he finally let her up for air, 
he whispered, “just a little something to keep you going.”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she told him with a grin. “Now I really 
want to stay here.”

“Nope. We have to go. Just think of it as something to look forward to 
when this has all been figured out. The sooner we get through this…” he 
trailed off.

Ziggy quickly clambered out of bed and smiled at him. “So what’s taking 
you so long?”

*****

They ran into Qui-Gon in the hall outside their room, headed in their 
direction. No words were exchanged, but they all walked back into the 
room. Obi and Ziggy sat on the bed, while Qui went to the closet and 
grabbed a shirt. Pulling it on, he sat down in a chair facing the other 
two. Everyone sat awkwardly for a few moments. It was Obi-Wan who finally 
broke the silence.

“Master, what…” The pain was clear in his voice, and he couldn’t finish 
the question.

Qui-Gon finished it for him. “…is going on? That’s a very good question, 
Obi-Wan. I wish I knew the answer.”

Ziggy finally gathered the courage to speak. “What do you mean? You 
obviously know her, you said she was your “ She paused and swallowed hard. 
“ wife…” She couldn’t continue; she was having too much trouble trying to 
keep from breaking into tears again.

“She was my wife,” Qui-Gon replied in a quiet voice. “Almost forty years ago.”

The pair sitting on the bed stared at him in shock and disbelief. Ziggy 
recovered first.

“That’s impossible! She can’t be much older than I am!”

“Obi-One told me that she’s twenty-three,” Obi-Wan added.

“That is the part I don’t have the answer for. When we were wed, she was 
twenty…and I was twenty-two.”

That earned him more shocked stares. “Start talking,” Ziggy said.

“Do you want the long version or the short?”

“Let’s start with the short version for now,” Obi replied.

*****


Part 4

“We met when my best friend, Vrin, set us up on a blind date,” Patches
explained to Obi-One.  “We fell in love the same night, and were married
about a year later.  Some time after that, he left for a mission and didn’t
come back.  Vrin was also on the mission, and she saw him and several other
Jedi Knights die.”  Her eyes took on a far-away look.”  I left after that; I
didn’t take his death well, and I couldn’t handle being there, around
everything that still held so much of him.  So I left, and I went into
hiding so they couldn’t make me go back.  I even left Coruscant for a couple
of years.”

“Wait a minute,” Obi-One said.  “Back…to the Jedi Temple?  What I felt
before, when Qui-Gon was in here, I didn’t imagine that, did I?” he asked
flatly.  “You *are* a Jedi!”  There was anger and hurt in his eyes, and
Patches cringed.

She hung her head.  “I’m sorry, Obi, that I kept that from you.  Yes, I am a
Jedi Knight.  I left the Temple almost three years ago, less than a
fortnight after becoming a Knight.”

“That’s not possible.”

“What?”

“You couldn’t have been at the Temple three years ago.  Obi-Wan was there,
and he would remember you and so was Qui-Gon, and he most certainly would
have recognized you, just like he did tonight.”

“You have a point.  But yet, I was there.”  She paused.  “Answer one
question for me please, Obi-One.”  The look on her face was thoughtful and a
bit confused.

“Go ahead.”

“How old is Qui-Gon?”

/Shouldn’t she know this?/ Obi-One thought to himself.  But he answered her.
“Early sixties.  Why?”

“Because when I left the Temple, three years ago, he was twenty-three years
old.”

*****

“…and the crevice opened up directly beneath us,” Qui-Gon said.  “Most fell
all the way down and perished, but I hit a ledge several meters down, and
was only unconscious for a few minutes.  I woke up and climbed out of there,
but all the ships had left except for one.  I found out why when I reached
it: she was an older craft and had been having some engine trouble.  We made
it off the planet just in time, but the ship was slow, and it made a stop on
the way.  I was unaware of the stop until we had moved on, because I spent
most of the trip in a healing trance, so I couldn’t send a message to the
Temple.

“It was a week before I made it back to Coruscant, and Shanna was gone by
the time I got to the Jedi Temple.  Vrin told me how everyone had thought me
dead, and how badly Shanna had taken it.  No one could find her, not even
Master Yoda.  She’s strong, you know, stronger than even he is.

“I kept trying, but eventually there was no point anymore.  She was gone,
and I had duties that I could not neglect.  We always agreed that being Jedi
came first, even before each other.  So I attempted to move on, and
eventually, I did.  For a long time, there was nothing, only my duty, and
the Force.”

He looked over at Obi-Wan.  “Then you came along, and filled part of the
void.”  He turned then to Ziggy.

“And then we found you, and you filled the rest of it.”


Part 5

Ziggy took a moment to let the warm glow of the compliment sink in, and then
shook herself.  She wasn't going to let him sweet-talk his way out of this
one.

"That still doesn't explain why almost forty years have passed, and she's
only aged two."

"I don't know."

"Time is a little strange around Rent-a-Jedi anyway.  Maybe that's it,"
Obi-Wan suggested.  "I mean, look at the employees.  Most of them never
occupied the same timeline, until Rent-a-Jedi."

"That's true, padawan, but I don't believe that's the case this time.  I
sense the reason is something different.  I just don't know what," Qui-Gon
replied.

"Well," Ziggy said hesitantly, "maybe we should talk to her, and see if we
can find out.  Even if she doesn't know, maybe we can get a clue."  She
really didn't want to talk to her.  She wanted to get her as far away from
there - and Qui-Gon - as possible.  She wanted this to not be happening.
But they had to find out what was going on.  She couldn't believe she was
being so calm about this.

Qui-Gon agreed.  "Yes, we should speak to her."

"Let's go, then," Ziggy said.  /Before I lose my nerve./

*****

"How is that possible?" Obi-One asked Patches.

"I don't know," she replied with a sigh.  "I'm really confused."

"That makes at least four of us," he stated wryly.  "The only one who seems
fairly calm about all this is Qui-Gon."

"So," he continued after a bit of silence, "what he called you earlier,
Shanna, that's your real name."  It was more a statement than a question,
but she answered anyway.

"Not really, not anymore.  I mean, it used to be, but I haven't used it in
so long.  Shanna is a different person.  She's strong, confident, has a
purpose.  She's a Jedi, and I left her behind when I left the Temple.
Patches is a drifter who manages barely to support herself and her three
felinx, and keep a roof over their heads, barely uses her Force abilities,
keeps her lightsaber in a box in the back of the closet, and keeps her
shields so tight that she's effectively closed off from the world as she
used to know it."

"Hey, now, it's not that bad," Obi-One said softly.

"Not anymore."  She looked up with a small smile.  "I found you."

He smiled back, but his expression was troubled.  "What's wrong?" she asked
him.

"It's just all coming so fast, you know?  I mean, you never told me anything
about your past, and now I find out that not only are you a Jedi, you're
married, too!"

"WAS married, Obi-One.  I've been a widow for three years.  At least, I
thought I was."

"You still never said anything, never told me."

"One, you never asked, and two, it was in the past, and I had since moved
on.  I didn't think it mattered, and I certainly didn't think that my dead
husband was going to turn up in my life again!"

Obi-One sighed, and there was a long, awkward silence.

"I still can't believe it.  This is all so strange.  Not only is the man I
thought was dead not dead, he's almost forty years older.  It doesn't make
sense."

"That's why we're hoping you can shed some light on the subject," came
another voice.

*****

~ tbc ~

Last updated 4/22/01