Obi-Wan went to the temple and knelt on the sobering floor. He prayed, lost in the beauty of the world and the way it seemed to hold him softly in warmth and peace. How he enjoyed these trips to Sargia, where the land was so luxuriantly blooming. After he had finished, he opened his eyes, surprised at the sinking sun before him. The whole day had passed.
He rose on his shaky legs and let the force encircle him once more, loosening his muscles and releasing the tenseness in his arms. He touched his stomach, realizing his human need for food and headed for the Larieke for a bite to eat.
The fruit at the Larieke was always exquisite, ripe and juicy, even out of season. He bit into a Sargarian Apple, its bittersweet flavor flowing onto his dry tongue. He was at peace, but was cautiously aware of a change in the force. Though not a large change, it was a nondescript ripple, barely there but undeniably present all the same. There was no darkness in the feeling, but it was strange to him, a feeling he'd never encountered in the force before.
He noticed Master Yoda walking down the garden path with Rakiem and a stranger whom Obi-Wan had never seen previously. He moved closer, unseen in the bushes, listening intently to their conversation.
"Very fortunate you are that master Qui-Gon found you, my young Oriah."
Master Yoda smiled at her and she looked at her hands, "Yes, and I am very thankful."
"It is a good heart in you, Oriah, and it will one day save you." mused Yoda, sitting down on a nearby bench. "You may come over to us, young Obi-Wan. There is no reason for watching us in secret." he said, looking directly at the young jedi.
Obi-Wan rose from his hiding place, "Hello, master Yoda. I am sorry, but I did not want to interrupt." he glanced at Oriah, quickly returning his gaze to Yoda. She was very beautiful, and Yoda would know if he was thinking of her.
"Oriah Dupai , Obi-Wan Kenobi this is, Qui-Gon's new Padawan."
She looked at his tired white garment and smiled, his knees were brown from prayer and his heart seemed to shine through his eyes. Smiling, he took her hand and put his lips to it. It was as perfect a fit as had ever been made by a tailor.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Oriah. What brings you to this place?"
She took her hand away, back to her lonely side, her eyes leaving his in humiliation.
"Freed from her slave-trader, she was," said Yoda. "By your master, Qui-Gon."
Obi-Wan's heartbeat sped. This was too good to be true! She was also a slave? With this sudden news, he felt love for her over-take his heart, feeling as if their slavery could somehow have linked their souls in a moment.
Her hands had no where to go but together, the feelings of anxiety growing in her chest.
"Why is he silent? Does it repulse him that I am a slave? Have I been tarnished?" she thought, her heart dropping at the thought. She forced her eyes to look at him. He was smiling broadly. "Leave you for a moment, I shall." said Yoda, claiming that he had important matters to attend to, and calling Rakiem to his side.
"Show her the grounds, you will, Obi-Wan?"
"Of course." he answered as they headed toward the Dalacei, the most beautiful place he could think of in the universe. "Dalacei means, `Mirrors' and this hall's mirrors can show you anything your heart desires, but only once. So use your wish wisely."
In her heart she wished of seeing her mother and father again, far away from her in her old home. The mirror's delicate detail and craftsmanship awed her, glowing without a light to reflect. The glass seemed to give way, and everything around her disappeared. She was in a dark, empty room, with the mirror shining before her. She looked deep into it and saw the image of her father, working in the field. He was sweating what he did not have in him to sweat, and his stomach had not been fed in days. His face was thin and bony, stuck in a tired frown. She then noticed her mother, not far away, doing laundry, her once rosy cheeks now pale and gaunt. Suddenly, a bright light exploded on the horizon, knocking them back onto the ground. After the light had passed, Oriah waited. She waited for hours for them to wake, but they never moved. She began to weep uncontrollably, her heart stinging with the blow.
She was suddenly pulled from the darkness, and entered back into the Dalacei,
Obi-Wan at her side. Her body lost all it's strength and fell into his arms.
He lifted her weak body and took her to his room, laying her on the bed. He placed a soft blanket over her frail body, moving a strand of hair away from her face. She was so beautiful, so unearthly. He reached over her to turn on the lamp beside her, his body touching hers. He paused for a moment, his face inches from hers. Her eyes slowly opened, staring deep into his own, and they moved closer....
"Obi-Wan," a voice escaped the door behind him. "have I come at a bad time?"
It was Qui-Gon. He was standing in the open doorway, looking sharply at Obi-Wan.
"Oh, no Master, I was just...we were just....I mean.....I was turning on the lamp...."
Obi-Wan struggled, unable to lie to his master easily.
"Oriah, could you please excuse us for a moment?" Qui-Gon asked, taking Obi-Wan's arm violently and pulling him out of the room and next door to his own quarters.
Shutting the door and pushing Obi-Wan against the wall, Qui-Gon's eyes burned with jealousy. "What is going on? What was Oriah doing in your quarters?"
Obi-Wan stugged for an answer, but he was so taken back with Qui-Gon's sudden anger that no words would come to him. "I...I am sorry Master...I...."
Qui-Gon lifted his arm, ready to strike, but before he moved, he realized his anger and let go of Obi-Wan, who's tears were falling down his face. "I am sorry Master!" he cried, as Qui-Gon held him tightly in his arms, using the force disable his padawan's legs. He spoke softly into Obi-Wan's ear, "I apologize. I should not have let that happen. I do not know why I could not control the anger inside of me...I....." he let the young jedi free and he fell off onto the mattress on the floor, weakened from the whole ordeal.
"Master...I.." Qui-Gon held a hand over Obi-Wan's mouth. "Obi-Wan, you are young. I should have expected this. I just thought you enjoyed our time together." He bored into Obi-Wan's eyes, the poor Padawan frozen in his place.
"I am sorry, Qui-Gon...I... I am sorry."
Qui-Gon rose from his seat, and moved towards the door, signaling for Obi-Wan to leave.
"I am disappointed, my Padawan, very disappointed..." with that he closed the door and Obi-Wan was left outside in the cool darkness of night, with only one place to go.......
He rose on his shaky legs and let the force encircle him once more, loosening his muscles and releasing the tenseness in his arms. He touched his stomach, realizing his human need for food and headed for the Larieke for a bite to eat.
The fruit at the Larieke was always exquisite, ripe and juicy, even out of season. He bit into a Sargarian Apple, its bittersweet flavor flowing onto his dry tongue. He was at peace, but was cautiously aware of a change in the force. Though not a large change, it was a nondescript ripple, barely there but undeniably present all the same. There was no darkness in the feeling, but it was strange to him, a feeling he'd never encountered in the force before.
He noticed Master Yoda walking down the garden path with Rakiem and a stranger whom Obi-Wan had never seen previously. He moved closer, unseen in the bushes, listening intently to their conversation.
"Very fortunate you are that master Qui-Gon found you, my young Oriah."
Master Yoda smiled at her and she looked at her hands, "Yes, and I am very thankful."
"It is a good heart in you, Oriah, and it will one day save you." mused Yoda, sitting down on a nearby bench. "You may come over to us, young Obi-Wan. There is no reason for watching us in secret." he said, looking directly at the young jedi.
Obi-Wan rose from his hiding place, "Hello, master Yoda. I am sorry, but I did not want to interrupt." he glanced at Oriah, quickly returning his gaze to Yoda. She was very beautiful, and Yoda would know if he was thinking of her.
"Oriah Dupai , Obi-Wan Kenobi this is, Qui-Gon's new Padawan."
She looked at his tired white garment and smiled, his knees were brown from prayer and his heart seemed to shine through his eyes. Smiling, he took her hand and put his lips to it. It was as perfect a fit as had ever been made by a tailor.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Oriah. What brings you to this place?"
She took her hand away, back to her lonely side, her eyes leaving his in humiliation.
"Freed from her slave-trader, she was," said Yoda. "By your master, Qui-Gon."
Obi-Wan's heartbeat sped. This was too good to be true! She was also a slave? With this sudden news, he felt love for her over-take his heart, feeling as if their slavery could somehow have linked their souls in a moment.
Her hands had no where to go but together, the feelings of anxiety growing in her chest.
"Why is he silent? Does it repulse him that I am a slave? Have I been tarnished?" she thought, her heart dropping at the thought. She forced her eyes to look at him. He was smiling broadly. "Leave you for a moment, I shall." said Yoda, claiming that he had important matters to attend to, and calling Rakiem to his side.
"Show her the grounds, you will, Obi-Wan?"
"Of course." he answered as they headed toward the Dalacei, the most beautiful place he could think of in the universe. "Dalacei means, `Mirrors' and this hall's mirrors can show you anything your heart desires, but only once. So use your wish wisely."
In her heart she wished of seeing her mother and father again, far away from her in her old home. The mirror's delicate detail and craftsmanship awed her, glowing without a light to reflect. The glass seemed to give way, and everything around her disappeared. She was in a dark, empty room, with the mirror shining before her. She looked deep into it and saw the image of her father, working in the field. He was sweating what he did not have in him to sweat, and his stomach had not been fed in days. His face was thin and bony, stuck in a tired frown. She then noticed her mother, not far away, doing laundry, her once rosy cheeks now pale and gaunt. Suddenly, a bright light exploded on the horizon, knocking them back onto the ground. After the light had passed, Oriah waited. She waited for hours for them to wake, but they never moved. She began to weep uncontrollably, her heart stinging with the blow.
She was suddenly pulled from the darkness, and entered back into the Dalacei,
Obi-Wan at her side. Her body lost all it's strength and fell into his arms.
He lifted her weak body and took her to his room, laying her on the bed. He placed a soft blanket over her frail body, moving a strand of hair away from her face. She was so beautiful, so unearthly. He reached over her to turn on the lamp beside her, his body touching hers. He paused for a moment, his face inches from hers. Her eyes slowly opened, staring deep into his own, and they moved closer....
"Obi-Wan," a voice escaped the door behind him. "have I come at a bad time?"
It was Qui-Gon. He was standing in the open doorway, looking sharply at Obi-Wan.
"Oh, no Master, I was just...we were just....I mean.....I was turning on the lamp...."
Obi-Wan struggled, unable to lie to his master easily.
"Oriah, could you please excuse us for a moment?" Qui-Gon asked, taking Obi-Wan's arm violently and pulling him out of the room and next door to his own quarters.
Shutting the door and pushing Obi-Wan against the wall, Qui-Gon's eyes burned with jealousy. "What is going on? What was Oriah doing in your quarters?"
Obi-Wan stugged for an answer, but he was so taken back with Qui-Gon's sudden anger that no words would come to him. "I...I am sorry Master...I...."
Qui-Gon lifted his arm, ready to strike, but before he moved, he realized his anger and let go of Obi-Wan, who's tears were falling down his face. "I am sorry Master!" he cried, as Qui-Gon held him tightly in his arms, using the force disable his padawan's legs. He spoke softly into Obi-Wan's ear, "I apologize. I should not have let that happen. I do not know why I could not control the anger inside of me...I....." he let the young jedi free and he fell off onto the mattress on the floor, weakened from the whole ordeal.
"Master...I.." Qui-Gon held a hand over Obi-Wan's mouth. "Obi-Wan, you are young. I should have expected this. I just thought you enjoyed our time together." He bored into Obi-Wan's eyes, the poor Padawan frozen in his place.
"I am sorry, Qui-Gon...I... I am sorry."
Qui-Gon rose from his seat, and moved towards the door, signaling for Obi-Wan to leave.
"I am disappointed, my Padawan, very disappointed..." with that he closed the door and Obi-Wan was left outside in the cool darkness of night, with only one place to go.......