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There's a wave of relief at that, as well as some chagrin at having doubted Ben. (He's getting used to that concept, it seems--it's hard not to, with the man next to him and his presence in the Force a familiar comfort, even if the image is utterly wrong. Fascinatingly so.) So he smiles gratefully, nodding.
He squints up at the other man as he falters over R2's name, and his eyebrows raise. "You did know him!" he says, a trifle indignant, though in the grand scheme of things it's a lesser lie than others Kenobi fostered. It's one part of the mystery he's never pried from R2's memory banks--why the droid had said he'd been owned by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
He squints up at the other man as he falters over R2's name, and his eyebrows raise. "You did know him!" he says, a trifle indignant, though in the grand scheme of things it's a lesser lie than others Kenobi fostered. It's one part of the mystery he's never pried from R2's memory banks--why the droid had said he'd been owned by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The 'sir' really does amuse him, but Obi-Wan simply shakes his head as he sits in a chair at the table, turned to face the boy. Young man, honestly, but Obi-Wan has felt positively ancient for years now, so anyone under forty automatically gets downgraded to 'boy'.
"While I appreciate the politeness, I'm-- you can call me Ben." Best not to go throwing around the name of a decorated war general, the Negotiator, even if this lad would have no idea who he was. "As for being on your way, I'm not sure you're aware, but your..." he hesitates briefly, "ship, as far as I could tell, is in no condition to fly - it's half-buried in sand at the moment, and even if you could dig it out, I'm sure it would need repairs, and I can guarantee you won't be able to find parts for it in town."
"You're not troubling me, other than giving me the momentary fright of thinking I'd been too late to help." He jokingly pats his russet hair. "I'll be white before I know it, at this rate."
"While I appreciate the politeness, I'm-- you can call me Ben." Best not to go throwing around the name of a decorated war general, the Negotiator, even if this lad would have no idea who he was. "As for being on your way, I'm not sure you're aware, but your..." he hesitates briefly, "ship, as far as I could tell, is in no condition to fly - it's half-buried in sand at the moment, and even if you could dig it out, I'm sure it would need repairs, and I can guarantee you won't be able to find parts for it in town."
"You're not troubling me, other than giving me the momentary fright of thinking I'd been too late to help." He jokingly pats his russet hair. "I'll be white before I know it, at this rate."
Luke's emphasis again surprises him, before Obi-Wan's shoulders sag slightly and he offers a small, bittersweet smile. "If you didn't know that, then you probably aren't aware that he originally belonged to your mother. I was there during the altercation he survived, when several of his contemporaries did not, and the queen deemed him exemplary."
His reminiscence, and the familiarity he's already starting to feel with Luke, just from the other man's behavior and feelings toward him, have made Obi-Wan's tongue looser than typical. He glances at Luke and wonders just how much he told him, in the future-past. What truths did he obfuscate, or outright hide from him?
Trying to divert the conversation - at least until he has more time to consider what, if anything, he will tell Luke if the boy asks after certain subjects (he should have had at least a decade's more time to think on that before he'd needed to know) - Obi-Wan nods toward the small dome of his house, closer than it appears due to its sunken architecture. "Here we are."
His reminiscence, and the familiarity he's already starting to feel with Luke, just from the other man's behavior and feelings toward him, have made Obi-Wan's tongue looser than typical. He glances at Luke and wonders just how much he told him, in the future-past. What truths did he obfuscate, or outright hide from him?
Trying to divert the conversation - at least until he has more time to consider what, if anything, he will tell Luke if the boy asks after certain subjects (he should have had at least a decade's more time to think on that before he'd needed to know) - Obi-Wan nods toward the small dome of his house, closer than it appears due to its sunken architecture. "Here we are."
"If I really wanted to run you over, Master, I think I'd use a speeder instead of myself. It'd be a lot more efficient."
They've been through this type of game before. The back and forth banter. It's just what they did and somehow ended up being completely natural though strangers might think they were actually fighting.
They've been through this type of game before. The back and forth banter. It's just what they did and somehow ended up being completely natural though strangers might think they were actually fighting.
Luke has so many questions. His eyes widen at the mention of his mother, something of a lost little boy rising to the surface. Who was his mother? What queen? How did R2 go from whoever she was to Leia to Ben to him? What did it mean, and how much more did Obi-Wan know that he hadn't told Luke?
He's opened his mouth to spill forth about eighty different variations on those questions when Kenobi forestalls him by gesturing to his hut, and Luke is forced to follow his gaze out of politeness as well as curiosity. It looks the same, slightly less weathered, perhaps, but things aged quickly in the desert.
He wonders how long Ben's been here.
"Thank you," he says, meaning for the whole thing--whatever's going on here, he could've ended up with worse company, even if this is company which makes no logical sense. "If it's like I remember, I'm sure it's cozy."
He's opened his mouth to spill forth about eighty different variations on those questions when Kenobi forestalls him by gesturing to his hut, and Luke is forced to follow his gaze out of politeness as well as curiosity. It looks the same, slightly less weathered, perhaps, but things aged quickly in the desert.
He wonders how long Ben's been here.
"Thank you," he says, meaning for the whole thing--whatever's going on here, he could've ended up with worse company, even if this is company which makes no logical sense. "If it's like I remember, I'm sure it's cozy."
“Ben,” Jacen echoes, looking both confused and amused at the coincidences he’s just realized. He remembers being told that they’re on Tatooine, his Uncle Luke’s homeworld. And now here’s a man named Ben, who shares the same name as his Uncle Luke’s son. Maybe the Force is trying to tell him something?
He gives Obi-Wan a smile, which quickly turns sheepish. “I’m Jacen Solo. Nice to meet you. Um. Sorry again, for crashing into your backyard.” He hesitates for a moment, but he has to ask, so he does. “Did you notice anyone else in the crash site? And did you maybe see... some sort of device, cylindrical, this big?” (He could’ve really just asked if Ben had seen a lightsaber, but how was he to know his rescuer’s a Jedi?)
He gives Obi-Wan a smile, which quickly turns sheepish. “I’m Jacen Solo. Nice to meet you. Um. Sorry again, for crashing into your backyard.” He hesitates for a moment, but he has to ask, so he does. “Did you notice anyone else in the crash site? And did you maybe see... some sort of device, cylindrical, this big?” (He could’ve really just asked if Ben had seen a lightsaber, but how was he to know his rescuer’s a Jedi?)
That draws a startled laugh from Obi-Wan. "If by 'cozy' you mean ramshackle and covered in sand and dust, then yes, it's extremely cozy."
He does his best to keep the place clean, but even though he has water to spare in his reservoir, he's not going to waste it wiping down every surface constantly. He has a new appreciation for Anakin constantly complaining any time they were on a dry world, though.
Ah, there it is; that sharp pang of grief he tries to keep tucked away, whenever he thinks of his friend, his brother.
After helping Luke hobble over to a softly lined davenport, Obi-Wan stands and just looks at him for a moment. "You look like your father," he murmurs, unable to stop the words, or the sadness that creeps into his eyes.
"Tell me something. Anything, about your life. Something inconsequential, that it won't matter if I know."
He does his best to keep the place clean, but even though he has water to spare in his reservoir, he's not going to waste it wiping down every surface constantly. He has a new appreciation for Anakin constantly complaining any time they were on a dry world, though.
Ah, there it is; that sharp pang of grief he tries to keep tucked away, whenever he thinks of his friend, his brother.
After helping Luke hobble over to a softly lined davenport, Obi-Wan stands and just looks at him for a moment. "You look like your father," he murmurs, unable to stop the words, or the sadness that creeps into his eyes.
"Tell me something. Anything, about your life. Something inconsequential, that it won't matter if I know."
"The Jundland Wastes are hardly what I'd call a 'backyard,'" Obi-Wan says with a rueful twist of his mouth.
Jacen's description of the object he's missing makes Obi-Wan frown... before it registers that it's a broad, but fitting, description of a lightsaber hilt. "Made of metal, fits nicely in the palm of your hand?" he asks tonelessly, staring at Jacen. "No, I'm afraid I didn't. And where did you get such a thing?"
His voice has grown cold, because while Jacen might be strong in the Force, and clearly has had some training... "All the wielders of that weapon are dead." Not precisely true, but close enough. "So either you found it, or you took it, and I'd like to know which it is."
Jacen's description of the object he's missing makes Obi-Wan frown... before it registers that it's a broad, but fitting, description of a lightsaber hilt. "Made of metal, fits nicely in the palm of your hand?" he asks tonelessly, staring at Jacen. "No, I'm afraid I didn't. And where did you get such a thing?"
His voice has grown cold, because while Jacen might be strong in the Force, and clearly has had some training... "All the wielders of that weapon are dead." Not precisely true, but close enough. "So either you found it, or you took it, and I'd like to know which it is."
Much as Luke had always wanted to leave Tatooine--and as many times as he'd been dragged back--there's a strange sort of nostalgia, being here. He's been back, but only after Ben was gone, everything fallen into the sort of disused dustiness that makes its current state seem pristine.
He glances up sharply at the observation, barely heard over the distraction of his leg, and his eyes widen with an almost childlike loss mixed with the same sort of gratitude he'd felt when first hearing his father was a Jedi Knight. He's never much thought about it, knowing he'd never have the chance to know what Anakin was like. Must be something about this room, he thinks, and swallows back all the things he wants to tell Obi-Wan.
He wants to say I met my sister. He wants to say Anakin's still in there, even now, and I will reach him, and you will be avenged that way. He wants to say so many things that this man probably shouldn't hear, given that they don't know why this is happening or what might affect the future. His past? Whatever this is. But what will matter to Ben, that won't alter his actions? Or reveal more about Ben's own end? Luke's life, of late, has been a string of consequential events.
"I finally tasted ice cream," he says suddenly, without thinking. "Just last year, actually." He smiles. "It was amazing."
He glances up sharply at the observation, barely heard over the distraction of his leg, and his eyes widen with an almost childlike loss mixed with the same sort of gratitude he'd felt when first hearing his father was a Jedi Knight. He's never much thought about it, knowing he'd never have the chance to know what Anakin was like. Must be something about this room, he thinks, and swallows back all the things he wants to tell Obi-Wan.
He wants to say I met my sister. He wants to say Anakin's still in there, even now, and I will reach him, and you will be avenged that way. He wants to say so many things that this man probably shouldn't hear, given that they don't know why this is happening or what might affect the future. His past? Whatever this is. But what will matter to Ben, that won't alter his actions? Or reveal more about Ben's own end? Luke's life, of late, has been a string of consequential events.
"I finally tasted ice cream," he says suddenly, without thinking. "Just last year, actually." He smiles. "It was amazing."
Jacen is a little alarmed at how fast Obi-Wan’s mood shifts after he asks if the other had seen a lightsaber. He didn’t even say the word lightsaber, but Ben knew that’s what he’d meant, anyway.
That alarm turns to dread, however, when he’s essentially told that the Jedi are dead. He slumps back against the chair like he’d been struck in the gut. So they’ve lost? Tatooine doesn’t look to have been reformed by the Yuuzhan Vong, but—
“It’s mine,” he quickly answers, with no second thoughts whatsover, when he’s asked where he’d gotten his weapon. “I made it, during my training at the Jedi Praxeum.”
That alarm turns to dread, however, when he’s essentially told that the Jedi are dead. He slumps back against the chair like he’d been struck in the gut. So they’ve lost? Tatooine doesn’t look to have been reformed by the Yuuzhan Vong, but—
“It’s mine,” he quickly answers, with no second thoughts whatsover, when he’s asked where he’d gotten his weapon. “I made it, during my training at the Jedi Praxeum.”
"It was only a punishment for me. Meant to teach me patience. It only partly succeeded," he says with amusement.
Listening solemnly to her confession, he nods, looking away for a moment. "I don't know what I would have done, had things been different. Had I been put in the middle."
Obi-Wan doesn't ask how Anakin felt about her decision; one thing he's learned over the past couple decades dealing with all variations of cultures and beings - the mother-figure is the one you respect above all else. He also doesn't say he wouldn't have been hurt, because if things had been different - if he hadn't already been broken and raw from learning of Anakin's betrayal - he very well might have felt betrayed when he figured out whose children she carried. That he'd been lied to, by both of them.
It doesn't matter now, though. None of it does, because that world is well and truly gone. They have nowhere to go but forward, into unknown territory.
Listening solemnly to her confession, he nods, looking away for a moment. "I don't know what I would have done, had things been different. Had I been put in the middle."
Obi-Wan doesn't ask how Anakin felt about her decision; one thing he's learned over the past couple decades dealing with all variations of cultures and beings - the mother-figure is the one you respect above all else. He also doesn't say he wouldn't have been hurt, because if things had been different - if he hadn't already been broken and raw from learning of Anakin's betrayal - he very well might have felt betrayed when he figured out whose children she carried. That he'd been lied to, by both of them.
It doesn't matter now, though. None of it does, because that world is well and truly gone. They have nowhere to go but forward, into unknown territory.
"Yes, but think of the mess you'd be leaving for others to clean up. Not to mention the mess on the speeder. Not very courteous."
Obi-Wan places a companionable hand on Anakin's shoulder. Obi-Wan enjoys this teasing banter they have, that they're comfortable enough to have it. He rarely did such with Qui-Gon, always looking up to him too much as a Padawan and worried the Master would take offense at something he said. And he'd never gotten the chance to cultivate a friendship as equals afterward...
Giving Anakin's shoulder a small jostle, he asked, "Besides, if I were gone, who would be your comic foil?"
Obi-Wan places a companionable hand on Anakin's shoulder. Obi-Wan enjoys this teasing banter they have, that they're comfortable enough to have it. He rarely did such with Qui-Gon, always looking up to him too much as a Padawan and worried the Master would take offense at something he said. And he'd never gotten the chance to cultivate a friendship as equals afterward...
Giving Anakin's shoulder a small jostle, he asked, "Besides, if I were gone, who would be your comic foil?"
The lingering melancholy he's still feeling, that prompted his question looking for a distraction, is pushed roughly aside at Luke's words, and Obi-Wan starts laughing. And laughing. Because yes, that is something foreign to Tatooine, and even if the observation reminds him of Anakin as well, it's a good memory.
"Yes, most ice cream is amazing. Y-- Some people speculate there are more flavors than stars in the galaxy." He stops himself from saying those 'people' was actually Luke's father. He needs to start divorcing Luke from the idea of being Anakin's son; he is his own person, with a lifetime of experiences. He's possibly almost as old as Obi-Wan's former friend. It's hard though, because Luke looks so much like him, and even some of his facial expressions and mannerisms, things commonly thought to be learned from parents, not inherited, are so similar.
No, no, stop that.
Still. He thinks Luke's forced convalescence in his home will help. To that end, Obi-Wan moves to get Luke some water, before heading out to fetch R2-D2.
"Yes, most ice cream is amazing. Y-- Some people speculate there are more flavors than stars in the galaxy." He stops himself from saying those 'people' was actually Luke's father. He needs to start divorcing Luke from the idea of being Anakin's son; he is his own person, with a lifetime of experiences. He's possibly almost as old as Obi-Wan's former friend. It's hard though, because Luke looks so much like him, and even some of his facial expressions and mannerisms, things commonly thought to be learned from parents, not inherited, are so similar.
No, no, stop that.
Still. He thinks Luke's forced convalescence in his home will help. To that end, Obi-Wan moves to get Luke some water, before heading out to fetch R2-D2.
The answer isn't at all what Obi-Wan is expecting, and it does take a little of the wind out of his sails - but it also bring up more questions. "Jedi Praxeum?" He's familiar with the word, but all the Praxeums were destroyed during Order 66, he'd checked after he'd found the younglings' bodies.
"I'll go look for your lightsaber," he tells Jacen, "but I suggest you hide it, and not speak of it with anyone else. Don't tell them you're a Jedi, don't even use the Force around others, unless you're certain you can sufficiently cloud their mind. The Empire hasn't made its presence known this far in the Outer Rim just yet, but I'm sure they will soon enough."
It was still unclear if Palpatine would leave Tatooine alone, so as not to unhinge the already unstable Darth Vader, or if he would use Tatooine as an example to the other Outer Rim worlds. Obi-Wan hoped there was still enough of a glimmer of Anakin inside the Sith that he would continue to want nothing to do with the backwater planet.
"I'll go look for your lightsaber," he tells Jacen, "but I suggest you hide it, and not speak of it with anyone else. Don't tell them you're a Jedi, don't even use the Force around others, unless you're certain you can sufficiently cloud their mind. The Empire hasn't made its presence known this far in the Outer Rim just yet, but I'm sure they will soon enough."
It was still unclear if Palpatine would leave Tatooine alone, so as not to unhinge the already unstable Darth Vader, or if he would use Tatooine as an example to the other Outer Rim worlds. Obi-Wan hoped there was still enough of a glimmer of Anakin inside the Sith that he would continue to want nothing to do with the backwater planet.
And all of a sudden this Ben starts spouting off terms that Jacen hadn't been sure he'd know -- Jedi, the Force, clouding other people's mind. But one particular phrase makes him blink. "The Empire?" He sits up, looking bewildered. "Do you mean the Imperial Remnant?"
This was all getting incredibly confusing by the minute. The Empire had been overthrown a long time ago, a few years before he'd been born. Tatooine was many, many light-years away from Coruscant. And while the Yuuzhan Vong hunted the Jedi as ferociously as the Empire did, the new order didn't have to go into hiding with the same desperation Obi-Wan was displaying.
Then something occurs to him, and he stares at the older man. Tatooine. The Empire. Ben.
Could it be?
This was all getting incredibly confusing by the minute. The Empire had been overthrown a long time ago, a few years before he'd been born. Tatooine was many, many light-years away from Coruscant. And while the Yuuzhan Vong hunted the Jedi as ferociously as the Empire did, the new order didn't have to go into hiding with the same desperation Obi-Wan was displaying.
Then something occurs to him, and he stares at the older man. Tatooine. The Empire. Ben.
Could it be?
"Still. You'll see it when they are less new, they're so wonderful, even when you are exhausted, surprise and joy when they manage something new, like rolling over or walking. Learning words. You'll love them." Of that part of their future, she was sure.
"I don't either. It's not your fault, it's not. I just can't bear the thought of them being so far away from me. " It wasn't true, not really, not even mostly. But she could soften the blow by making it about her failings. "But I am so glad you will be here with me, with us. I can't think of a better man for them have as an uncle." And that was entirely sincere and even relieved, that Obi-Wan would be part of her children's lives.
For a moment, Obi-Wan just stares at Jacen; not in confusion, although he's certainly confused, but more just trying to figure out what exactly is going on. Imperial Remnant? "No," Obi-Wan says slowly, "I mean the newly formed Galactic Empire."
On a hunch, he adds, "Formed by the self-titled Emperor Palpatine, formerly Supreme Chancellor."
On a hunch, he adds, "Formed by the self-titled Emperor Palpatine, formerly Supreme Chancellor."
Jacen's eyes widen; he obviously recognizes the name. But his jaw simultaneously tightens, and he shakes his head. "Palpatine was killed during the Battle of Endor." He purses his lips together for a moment, because his next thought sounds so weird even without saying it out loud.
He exhales slowly. "... Endor was five years before I was born."
He exhales slowly. "... Endor was five years before I was born."
His earlier hunch to mention Palpatine, to expand on what the current political climate is, has become a growing suspicion that is merely confirmed when Jacen explains that for him, Palpatine was killed five years prior to his birth.
Reclining on his chair, Obi-Wan crosses an arm over his stomach, supporting the opposite elbow while that hand reaches up to tug absently at his beard. For anyone familiar with him, it's his classic calculating pose, considering all the possibilities and outcomes of any given actions. How had this happened? That it had happened was clear - Jacen is proof that... well, somewhere, there is, or had been, a temporal anomaly. It had always merely been conjecture, as far as Obi-Wan is aware; a mind experiment, batted around by the philosophy and physics students and scholars.
And yet.
Well. Nothing for it now. It is always best, when one is unsure how a situation will ultimately play out, to move forward one step at a time, staying attuned with the Force and waiting for guidance. To that end, Obi-Wan drops both hands to hit his knees with finality, before pushing up out of the chair. "I'll go look for your lightsaber."
He pushes the still mostly-full glass of water toward Jacen. "Drink. Slowly, but finish it. You may not feel it yet, and your healing trance surely helped, but I guarantee you're still dehydrated. I have plenty more, don't worry about quantity."
Reclining on his chair, Obi-Wan crosses an arm over his stomach, supporting the opposite elbow while that hand reaches up to tug absently at his beard. For anyone familiar with him, it's his classic calculating pose, considering all the possibilities and outcomes of any given actions. How had this happened? That it had happened was clear - Jacen is proof that... well, somewhere, there is, or had been, a temporal anomaly. It had always merely been conjecture, as far as Obi-Wan is aware; a mind experiment, batted around by the philosophy and physics students and scholars.
And yet.
Well. Nothing for it now. It is always best, when one is unsure how a situation will ultimately play out, to move forward one step at a time, staying attuned with the Force and waiting for guidance. To that end, Obi-Wan drops both hands to hit his knees with finality, before pushing up out of the chair. "I'll go look for your lightsaber."
He pushes the still mostly-full glass of water toward Jacen. "Drink. Slowly, but finish it. You may not feel it yet, and your healing trance surely helped, but I guarantee you're still dehydrated. I have plenty more, don't worry about quantity."
Well. Doesn't that clear up things. But Jacen just nods, because there really isn't much he can do about it. This man, whoever he really was -- if he's who Jacen suspects him to be -- might just be as stumped about the whole... time travel thing.
"Thank you," he says again. It would be a comfort to have his lightsaber back, if anything. And if he's stuck in the middle of the Empire's glory days... having a lightsaber lying around would be a very bad idea.
Following Obi-Wan's instructions, he settles back into the chair with the glass of water, drinking from it as he thinks about the peculiar situation he's found himself in. He tries to recall what he's been told about Tatooine: that it was his grandfather's homeworld, that it was where his uncle was hidden away during the days of Palpatine's rule, that it would be where his uncle and father would eventually meet...
"Thank you," he says again. It would be a comfort to have his lightsaber back, if anything. And if he's stuck in the middle of the Empire's glory days... having a lightsaber lying around would be a very bad idea.
Following Obi-Wan's instructions, he settles back into the chair with the glass of water, drinking from it as he thinks about the peculiar situation he's found himself in. He tries to recall what he's been told about Tatooine: that it was his grandfather's homeworld, that it was where his uncle was hidden away during the days of Palpatine's rule, that it would be where his uncle and father would eventually meet...
After a brief pause, Obi-Wan reaches out and pats Jacen's shoulder as he passes him. "We'll figure this out," he promises, before leaving the hut.
The first sun has set, and without an incapacitated companion, Ben makes good time back to the crash site. No signs of scavengers yet; the Sandpeople are a highly superstitious lot, and don't much like change, so the earthquake the crash created will probably keep them away for a day or longer, at least, and even more before their wariness is overcome by curiosity. And since the ship doesn't look like metal, the Jawas would have little interest in it for a while, at least.
Still, it never hurts to be prepared. Carefully, Ben begins shifting the sand with the Force in certain strategic places that are the most likely entrance points for scavengers, creating sinkholes that won't kill them (hopefully), but will certainly detain and deter them.
It takes effort, and time, and heavy concentration to shift the sand in such a way to create pockets of air without the whole thing collapsing, and by the time he's finished, Ben is sweating, despite being in relative shade.
Closing his eyes, he focuses on the sense he'd gotten from Jacen during his healing trance. There's nothing at first, but Obi-Wan is patient, the quiet noises of the crepuscular creatures becoming active, and the feel of small life signatures in the Force are soothing to him.
Eventually, he senses it; a tiny pinprick of an echo of Jacen's signature, shining brightly not too far from him. Keeping it firmly in the front of his mind's eye, Ben unhurriedly gets up and moves toward it. It's just inside a tear in the ship's hull, presumably how Jacen got out.
As soon as Obi-Wan picks up the lightsaber, he almost has to bite his lip at the swell of emotion that overtakes him. If Jacen is correct, if he is from the future, no matter how distant, then here is proof that the Jedi are not extinct. There is a small glimmer of hope with Luke, with Leia, but this is definitive, and it is something Obi-Wan hadn't realized he'd needed so desperately until he's confronted with it.
Returning to his humble dwelling, Ben holds out his lightsaber to Jacen almost reverently. "It's fine craftsmanship," he tells him sincerely.
The first sun has set, and without an incapacitated companion, Ben makes good time back to the crash site. No signs of scavengers yet; the Sandpeople are a highly superstitious lot, and don't much like change, so the earthquake the crash created will probably keep them away for a day or longer, at least, and even more before their wariness is overcome by curiosity. And since the ship doesn't look like metal, the Jawas would have little interest in it for a while, at least.
Still, it never hurts to be prepared. Carefully, Ben begins shifting the sand with the Force in certain strategic places that are the most likely entrance points for scavengers, creating sinkholes that won't kill them (hopefully), but will certainly detain and deter them.
It takes effort, and time, and heavy concentration to shift the sand in such a way to create pockets of air without the whole thing collapsing, and by the time he's finished, Ben is sweating, despite being in relative shade.
Closing his eyes, he focuses on the sense he'd gotten from Jacen during his healing trance. There's nothing at first, but Obi-Wan is patient, the quiet noises of the crepuscular creatures becoming active, and the feel of small life signatures in the Force are soothing to him.
Eventually, he senses it; a tiny pinprick of an echo of Jacen's signature, shining brightly not too far from him. Keeping it firmly in the front of his mind's eye, Ben unhurriedly gets up and moves toward it. It's just inside a tear in the ship's hull, presumably how Jacen got out.
As soon as Obi-Wan picks up the lightsaber, he almost has to bite his lip at the swell of emotion that overtakes him. If Jacen is correct, if he is from the future, no matter how distant, then here is proof that the Jedi are not extinct. There is a small glimmer of hope with Luke, with Leia, but this is definitive, and it is something Obi-Wan hadn't realized he'd needed so desperately until he's confronted with it.
Returning to his humble dwelling, Ben holds out his lightsaber to Jacen almost reverently. "It's fine craftsmanship," he tells him sincerely.
Jacen dutifully complies with Ben’s instructions to drink all the water, then eases himself into a meditative trance. The older man had warned him about using the Force around others, but that didn’t include him, did it?
He surfaces when he senses the other coming back into the hut, and this time he’s strong enough to be able to stand to meet him. He’s tall for his age, nearly the Jedi Master’s height, although he’s unhealthily thin.
He carefully takes the lightsaber, his expression clearly pleased, then he returns Obi-Wan’s reverent gesture with a deep bow. “Thank you.”
Then he grins, unable to stop himself. “You must be Master Kenobi, aren’t you, sir?”
He surfaces when he senses the other coming back into the hut, and this time he’s strong enough to be able to stand to meet him. He’s tall for his age, nearly the Jedi Master’s height, although he’s unhealthily thin.
He carefully takes the lightsaber, his expression clearly pleased, then he returns Obi-Wan’s reverent gesture with a deep bow. “Thank you.”
Then he grins, unable to stop himself. “You must be Master Kenobi, aren’t you, sir?”
Luke tries to remember if he'd ever seen Ben laugh. Chuckle is the best he can do, so he watches in wonder as the man outright laughs. At something Luke has said, which he'll admit himself is ridiculous. It had been the only thing to come to mind that isn't going to upset the man, and maybe it's the heat got him thinking about cool desserts. But there's something about making Obi-Wan's face crease into mirth that is oddly satisfying. And humanizing--he needs to start seeing this man as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight in exile, not the old hermit he'd lost on the Death Star.
He drinks the water down gratefully, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand after draining the glass, and then sets to examining his leg as Obi-Wan fetches R2. It doesn't seem to be broken, but he sprain is pretty intense, as is the swelling.
Luke finally lies back, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, trying to figure out how he got here. He'll have to check the flight recorder, but as far as he can tell, it hadn't been an instrument malfunction--but something had definitely happened to throw them off. And he'd, apparently, traveled through time. He wonders if there's any precedent for this. And how one would go about even finding that out. And that leads to another thought, and another--if this is real, what will his presence do to history?
And if he's here now, does that mean he was here when he himself was a boy?
It's all giving him a headache by the time Obi-Wan gets back, frowning with furrowed brow up at the ceiling and lost in thought.
He drinks the water down gratefully, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand after draining the glass, and then sets to examining his leg as Obi-Wan fetches R2. It doesn't seem to be broken, but he sprain is pretty intense, as is the swelling.
Luke finally lies back, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, trying to figure out how he got here. He'll have to check the flight recorder, but as far as he can tell, it hadn't been an instrument malfunction--but something had definitely happened to throw them off. And he'd, apparently, traveled through time. He wonders if there's any precedent for this. And how one would go about even finding that out. And that leads to another thought, and another--if this is real, what will his presence do to history?
And if he's here now, does that mean he was here when he himself was a boy?
It's all giving him a headache by the time Obi-Wan gets back, frowning with furrowed brow up at the ceiling and lost in thought.
Obi-Wan finds himself of two minds now, having been with the twins and their mother since their birth, having helped shoulder even part of the responsibility of taking care of them. He understands why the younglings were taken from their families as infants to be raised by the Order, has seen - is living - the consequences of trying to train someone who's already formed emotional attachments to caregivers, friends and places.
And it's not as if the younglings aren't cared for, aren't nurtured until they're old enough to start the Force games that are the foundation for learning to be a Jedi. But it's true, no one caregiver puts a single child above the others; he'd never felt the unconditional love from any of them that he sees in Padmé, even now when they're away from the babies.
Even as a trained Jedi Master, he would find it extremely difficult to give the twins up to the creche, and they aren't even his children.
... if the creche were still there. If Anakin hadn't--
"Uncle Obi-Wan," he murmurs, chuckling softly at the idea. But that gets him thinking about when they're older, but not old enough yet to understand how to keep things secret. "No. Perhaps it should be 'Uncle Ben.' Obi-Wan... I think Obi-Wan should be laid to rest. With the other ghosts of the past. When the younglings were learning to talk, they often called me Ben as a nickname. I wouldn't mind becoming Ben full-time."
It's not exactly a new start, but he feels good about the idea. A small weight, but a weight nonetheless, lifted off his shoulders. He's not a Jedi Master anymore; the Jedi are dead. Now he's just the honorary uncle to two small children who need him, and companion to their mother, whom he needs as much as she might need him.
And it's not as if the younglings aren't cared for, aren't nurtured until they're old enough to start the Force games that are the foundation for learning to be a Jedi. But it's true, no one caregiver puts a single child above the others; he'd never felt the unconditional love from any of them that he sees in Padmé, even now when they're away from the babies.
Even as a trained Jedi Master, he would find it extremely difficult to give the twins up to the creche, and they aren't even his children.
... if the creche were still there. If Anakin hadn't--
"Uncle Obi-Wan," he murmurs, chuckling softly at the idea. But that gets him thinking about when they're older, but not old enough yet to understand how to keep things secret. "No. Perhaps it should be 'Uncle Ben.' Obi-Wan... I think Obi-Wan should be laid to rest. With the other ghosts of the past. When the younglings were learning to talk, they often called me Ben as a nickname. I wouldn't mind becoming Ben full-time."
It's not exactly a new start, but he feels good about the idea. A small weight, but a weight nonetheless, lifted off his shoulders. He's not a Jedi Master anymore; the Jedi are dead. Now he's just the honorary uncle to two small children who need him, and companion to their mother, whom he needs as much as she might need him.
Unconditionally love is such a small phrase. Anakin had used it once, to describe how he saw compassion. Had used it to describe his love for her. It was too small a phrase for burning passion of the man. It was too small a phrase to describe the deep well overflowing with emotions Padmè felt for the two tiny babies.
"Uncle Ben." It's so simply settled for Padmè, the change in name. Tsabin to Sabè. Obi-Wan to Ben. "Amidala must vanish too. And the Naberrie Clan is small but not unknown. I don't believe Anakin's stepfather would mind my use of his last name. When they are old enough to understand, we can explain." She can't save her beloved Republic ( but the Rebellion against Palpatine bears her Goddess' crest and Mon Montha and Bail Organa live). She can't save Anakin ( not yet her heart insists ). She can't protect her people by being on Naboo ( Sachè and Eritè and Rabè and Montè well lead in her stead and in her name ). She can't save three of the things she loves the most. But she can two of the others.
Padmè Lars and Ben Kenobi, Coruscanti refugees. Luke and Leia Lars, born in hyperspace and without a home system. This is the face they will wear. She can get travel papers from people. Sabè will be her shadow, she knows. She won't need to ask. They are tiny and isolated right now but they are not alone. The thought isn't comforting, it's fortifying and she grips Ben's upper arm in her hand, looks him level in the eyes. Her face may still be putty and speckled with red from pregnancy and childbirth. She might still be splotchy and eyes rimmed red with exhaustion and tears. But there is strength to her jaw and will in her countenance.
It's the face she's written in public for over a decade now. "It's going to be difficult, possibly the worse ordeal we've faced. We met under invasion and peril, and now find ourselves in worse. But this is not the end of our lives nor all we've worked for. These children are a blessing in a time in darkness. Life will always reign triumphant over chaos. We just have to work together."
She needs a break from newborn care. But Padmè will never truly stop working - and they both need a goal she thinks.
"Uncle Ben." It's so simply settled for Padmè, the change in name. Tsabin to Sabè. Obi-Wan to Ben. "Amidala must vanish too. And the Naberrie Clan is small but not unknown. I don't believe Anakin's stepfather would mind my use of his last name. When they are old enough to understand, we can explain." She can't save her beloved Republic ( but the Rebellion against Palpatine bears her Goddess' crest and Mon Montha and Bail Organa live). She can't save Anakin ( not yet her heart insists ). She can't protect her people by being on Naboo ( Sachè and Eritè and Rabè and Montè well lead in her stead and in her name ). She can't save three of the things she loves the most. But she can two of the others.
Padmè Lars and Ben Kenobi, Coruscanti refugees. Luke and Leia Lars, born in hyperspace and without a home system. This is the face they will wear. She can get travel papers from people. Sabè will be her shadow, she knows. She won't need to ask. They are tiny and isolated right now but they are not alone. The thought isn't comforting, it's fortifying and she grips Ben's upper arm in her hand, looks him level in the eyes. Her face may still be putty and speckled with red from pregnancy and childbirth. She might still be splotchy and eyes rimmed red with exhaustion and tears. But there is strength to her jaw and will in her countenance.
It's the face she's written in public for over a decade now. "It's going to be difficult, possibly the worse ordeal we've faced. We met under invasion and peril, and now find ourselves in worse. But this is not the end of our lives nor all we've worked for. These children are a blessing in a time in darkness. Life will always reign triumphant over chaos. We just have to work together."
She needs a break from newborn care. But Padmè will never truly stop working - and they both need a goal she thinks.
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