The Negotiator and the Fire Fang

The Deserter

Cordelia pulled away from Kenobi, leaving cool impressions on his skin of where her arms and legs had been. She slid out of the booth and was next to Sykes in three long strides. She unhooked her cloak brusquely. It rippled to the ground near her feet. The Gray ignited her orange lightsaber and pointed it at the traitor.

"Hello Biron." she greeted sweetly, like she wasn't about to arrest or kill him. All of this had happened before Kenobi even got out of the booth.

Sykes laughed as he moved his vision up from his hands. He looked at the Ashla Adept over her blade, flicking his hood off his horns.

"Lightsaber!" One panicked patron yelled. The room tensed before everyone exited the cantina at an alarming pace.

It was a rush of arms, legs, flying drinks, and nearly getting trampled. Obi-Wan shook his head in amusement.

"Subtle Cordelia. Very subtle." he said as he stepped behind her. That was a very Anakin-like thing to do.

"Cordelia?" he questioned with a slight tilt of his head. "Interesting. Well, I knew it would be only a matter of time until you found me." he stated, voice dripping with blasé. He reached out his arm and Cordelia flew across the room. She hit the wall next to the door and collapsed to the floor.

Kenobi ignited his lightsaber and flew at Sykes. The Separatist contact slipped under the table and made his way out of the cantina as the two began to spar.

Kenobi cut at Biron's left side. The dark-sided Gray parried with one end of his yellow lightsaber. The blades crashed together, creating a flash of green light.

Sykes jumped over a booth and made a break for the door as he Force-pushed a table at the Republic General. It hit Kenobi like a wall. He was thrown onto the floor, taking a hard gasp of air as he stared up at the ceiling of Solari's.

Obi-Wan slowly rolled on his side. He caught sight of Cordelia, who was on her hands and knees. She grunted in irritation as Sykes ran past her. She scrambled to her feet and disappeared out the door. The Jedi pushed himself stiffly to a standing position.

Kenobi came to a halt as he pushed through the doors. Sykes was disarmed with his hands up at blaster point. Surrounded by Cody and the rest of the clones, he sneered at them. For someone that had just gotten captured, he didn't seem overly grumpy about it.

"So you work for the Jedi now, Fire Fang?" he spat.

"You have no right to call me that." she snapped. "I am working with the Jedi to hunt down your slimy carcass, traitor." she replied vehemently. Cody held Biron's lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other. "You are betraying everything we believe in!" she shouted. Her grip tightened on the hilts of her sabers. Biron gave her a cocky look.

"I'm betraying what you believe in, Fire Fang. I was born to be a Sith." he stated. She rolled her eyes.

"So you want nothing but pain and betrayal?" she countered. "You know as well as I that that is the way of the Sith. The hunger you feel will never be satisfied." Sykes chuckled arrogantly.

"Better than having my abilities wasted in the Gray Order, like you, Sah-" he cut off. He grabbed at the front of his throat, his eyes wide. His mouth opened, but no breath escaped. Kenobi looked to the Gray. Her expression was venomous, her eyes were wild. Dangerous. Unpredictable.

"Finish that sentence and I crush your throat." Cordelia threatened, her hand lifted in a choking motion. He clawed at the invisible force clasped around his trachea. He was touching the ground by only his toes.

"Cordelia." Kenobi spoke cautiously, his hand reaching out to her. The Gray met his eyes. An unspoken conversation passed between them. She sighed out her nose.