Tripping On Air

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Embeth sat on the couch, a clutter of durasheets and datapads adorning the sofa table before her as she leaned forward to examine the information at a closer view. She'd been doing just this for the past two days, bringing work home with her. Sure, Corsec frowned on files and data leaving the security of the building, but sometimes one just had to circumvent the rules and look at things in a differing light other than the confines of a crowded and noisy office.

"Well Dax, I'm still coming up with nothing, or should I say nothing major," she sighed tiredly before shoving another spoonful of iced cream into her mouth, sucking idly on the utensil while the feline seemed to look at her curiously from his vantagepoint on the cushion beside her.

A loud meow was the feline's response, making his owner nod her head in agreement. "You said it, this Durra is as elusive as a shadow in a back alley in the bowels of Coruscant's lower levels. I've got to be missing some connection that will pull the pieces together. But what?"

Dax stretched lazily, as felines tend to do, then slinked over to Embeth's lap, eyeing the nearly empty carton of iced cream she held in one hand before swatting it in recognition. Without hesitation, brewed of many times before, the dark-haired woman placed the small carton on the floor. In moments, the gray and white animal had leaped to the floor and was head deep licking the contents clean.

The sound of the door buzzer going off at this late evening made the dark-haired woman jump as the durasheet she'd been engrossed in fell to the floor. Eyeing the door critically, wondering who would be outside in the hall at this late hour, she unfolded herself off the couch and went to find out.

"What the..." Embeth mumbled, staring at Jedi Kenobi's form as he stood outside her door, his hands full of differing items.

Palming the security lock, the door opened soundlessly to reveal Obi-Wan grinning rather nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't have a clue as to the time. I just returned to the Temple and I know you haven't had any major leads on Durra as of yet, but I just wanted to touch base and fill you in on a few things I uncovered on my trip to Kalesh."

Embeth glanced down at her appearance, oversized shirt, leggings, her hair going ever which way and only shrugged. "Uh, sure, come on in," she welcomed, waving the Jedi inside.

"Hope you don't mind, I picked up some food as well," he remarked, heading straight to the cluttered breakfast bar at the edge of the kitchen.

"Well, no," she mused, following the Jedi across the room then stepping into the small kitchen and retrieving two glasses before standing before the chiller and looking inside while sighing. "What would you like to drink? I have two offering...okay three. Muja juice, muja juice, and water, what would you like?"

Obi-Wan shook his head and chuckled. "Muja juice would be fine," he answered, pulling out various take-out boxes and setting them before him then carefully sliding a folder of durasheets to the side.

"Muja juice it is," Embeth exclaimed, pouring them both a glass and setting it to the breakfast bar where Obi-Wan now sat. "One question before we begin..." the auburn-haired Jedi raked a hand through his hair and nodded his agreement.


"Just how did you find where I live?"

His grin was near contagious but there was also a bashfulness to his reply. "I'm a Jedi. We may not be allowed to have sex-according to some in the galaxy, so we have to occupy our time somehow. So, there is a great data system back at the Temple...I looked you up," he explained with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

Embeth couldn't help but blush at the earlier reminder of her misinformation and utter foolishness. "I see, well good thing you have something to occupy your time or you'd get mighty bored," she retorted with a nervous laugh.

"I hope you don't mind?"

Looking slightly panicked since she was taken a little off-guard as her thoughts returned once more to the dredges of lower Coruscant and the idea of a sexual fantasy with a Jedi, the dark-haired woman blew a strand of hair from her cheek and looked trapped. "Mind what?" She asked, her voice rising nervously.

Obi-Wan motioned for her to sit down and then handed her a take-out carton and fork. "That I just invited myself and took the liberty of tracking you down. I've got to admit, I've spoken with a few people of late and they sing your praises. Not to mention the information you gave me helped lead me one step closer to Durra."

Flopping down on the chair, settling herself on the stool with one leg planted casually beneath her while the other lazily swung back and forth, her interest was peaked. At that moment, she could care less about how he found her, his showing up at her doorstep, and even sex...okay, well sort of.

Embeth listened closer as Obi-Wan filled her in on his time off world and the new information he'd uncovered about Durra. Not only was the man a professional criminal whose usual bantering on the darker side of the law was theft, and now branching out to extortion and kidnapping...but it looked as if Corbin Durra was not all he seemed and then some.

"I can't believe it," Embeth exclaimed, sucking in a noodle while looking over the durasheet she'd just been handed. "Are you sure?"

"I don't have the proof, but I have heard too much to convince me otherwise," Obi-Wan replied, taking a sip of muja juice before pointing to a specific line on the durasheet. "Right there...some how Durra is tied into the Separatist movement or some such faction that seems to be gaining ground throughout the galaxy."

Nodding her head in agreement, Embeth placed the durasheet to the counter top and then took another bite of food. "Really? I've heard of such but have honestly brushed it aside. I mean the Republic is a great power, what could possibly destroy such? That's ludicrous."

Obi-Wan pushed his empty carton of food aside and sighed heavily. "Embeth Novara, there are many things in this universe that you know nothing about that are more powerful than you dare imagine. Do not blindly disregard anything, for all is possible."

The shock on her face was clearly evident and Obi-Wan momentarily felt bad about saying such, but he felt it was in her own best interest to open her eyes to the bigger picture of what was occurring around her, especially with the position she now held in Corsec.

"Okay, I'll give you that. But what is it about this vote coming up in a few days that would have the Separatists drooling to shoot it down? If I recall from what you gave me the other day, it's a simple vote on assigning an increase in senatorial delegates from the shipbuilding guild."

Obi-Wan admired her tenacity and the way she took in what he had said without a blink of an eye and still thought through the situation. "I don't know...not yet."

Embeth tapped the durasheet in thought before abruptly leaving Obi-Wan sitting at the breakfast bar alone as she sank to her knees on the floor beside the cluttered, sofa table.

Downing the last of his muja juice, Obi-Wan then followed her to the den, sitting on the couch beside the lazing feline. "What is it?"

"Maybe the connection between this vote. Who Durra is really working for, and just what the hell is going on is right here before us in this...mess," she announced, waving her arms to the overflowing table and floor.

"I thought Corsec frowned on security data leaving the building?" Obi-Wan grinned, picking up a datapad and glancing at the information.

A dark brow raised and eyed the Jedi. "What they don't know, won't hurt them," Embeth remarked with a mischievous grin as she went back to searching.

"Any idea as to what we're looking for?" The Jedi quizzed. "I'm thinking the tie might be with the shipbuilding guild and Durra...possibly he's working in tandem with the Separatists."

Smiling brightly, Embeth winked at the handsome man. "I like how you think, Jedi."

"I could say the same for you," Obi-Wan replied, just as Embeth dropped the datapad she'd been looking over to the table with a muffled thump upon hearing his words.

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tbc