'Obi Wan Kenobi has been traumatized by his duel with Anakin. He had to watch his best friend and apprentice being burned alive. A broken man whose past haunts him and nightmares keep him awake at night, he goes to Tatooine to look after Anakin's son. But a fateful encounter with a young woman, Nara, will shake his entire life and make him question all of his beliefs.'


STAR WARS

Flower of the Desert

Chapter 1 - A New Beginning

"Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart." - Haruki Murakami

A sigh. That was the only sound that could be heard in the endless track of desert that was Tatooine. The one sighing was a bearded man in his thirties. His long brown robe was that of a Jedi Master, but he was a Master without a pupil. He was a relic of another era; there was no Jedi Order anymore. The ancient order of 'space wizards', as the common people called them, had extinguished. Their fall was a surprisingly quiet and fast affair. It took only a few days. He, Ben Kenobi his name, was one of the few who survived.

Ben could still remember the fountains at the Jedi Temple in Coruscant. He used to meditate there, listening to the trickling sound of water. Now the water had fallen still. The room of a thousand fountains lied empty; it was a graveyard. A graveyard dedicated not to a man, but rather to the spirit of the Jedi Order, which had died. The technological might of the Clone troopers had prevailed over the spirituality of the ancient Jedi; Order 66 demonstrated this fact.

The twin suns of the planet beat down on Ben and there was not even a wisp of cloud to soften the harsh rays. Each of his steps sunk into the searing sand. The air was thick and hazy. The stiff, dry desert breeze blew sand into his eyes. Ben was no stranger to hardship; he had fought on countless battlefields during the Clone Wars. Yet, he had to admit that this journey through the Tatooine desert was an exhausting one.

Ben couldn't help but look back to the past and think about it. Even if he wanted to forget it, even if he wanted not to think about it, his mind wouldn't let his memories fade into irrelevance; indeed, as time passed, Ben found himself thinking more and more about the past, remembering past memories, past friendships. He had questions that needed to be answered. Why did the Order fall so easily? Why was his pupil corrupted by the dark side? Had Anakin failed the Jedi Order or had the Order failed Anakin?

When he was in Mustafar and in the first days after that duel, he was content with easy explanations. His friend was the victim of the schemes of Palpatine, who twisted and corrupted him. The Order fell due the betrayal of the Clones. Yet, now that he was in Tatooine, those answered did not satisfy him anymore. Were the Jedi right to ban emotions? Was making an Order of peacemakers head of soldiers the correct thing to do? Did the teachings of the Order needed reevaluation?

Ben kept walking across the endless waves of sand dunes. Heat rained down on him like the breath of hell. The arid heat burnt at his lung. After a few hours, the twin suns began to set. The desert at twilight was a vast undulating sea and the sand dunes looked like waves. Heat gave its way to chilling coldness. The temperature was below freezing because once the suns were down, the sand began releasing heat. His blood ran cold through his veins and his bones were chilled. His teeth chattered.

"The village must be nearby...", he said, trying to reassure himself. If he was to look after his apprentice's son, he had to stay somewhere. The desert was not the best place for one to stay, so Ben was heading towards a village that was near enough to allow him to monitor Luke but far enough to ensure that he was not seen.

Suddenly, behind a sand hill, he could finally see the shape of buildings. He rushed forward towards the village. As it was night, Ben was the only person outside. Having reached his destination, he allowed himself to smile and relax. He gazed at the millions of bright stars and the silver glow of the twin moons on the dark sky. The stars looked like fireflies, illuminating the atramentous curtain of sky. It was a beauty which could only be seen in such a place. In Coruscant, with the thousand of speeders and tall skyscrapers, it was not possible to witness such a sight. Ben walked inside an inn, which was crude and simple to the extreme, with earthen walls and mud floors. The owner, a grizzly old man with a red nose, was sitting on a chair and smoking a pipe. He was half-asleep.

"Excuse me", Ben said, "are you the owner of this inn?"

The old man immediately woke up, got up and smiled. "Of course!", he replied. "Name is John. John Haldon. If you are searching for a room, this is the right place! My prices are low and the quality of the inn is the best you will find!"

Ben wasn't very convinced about that last claim, but he had to stay here. He did not mind much the simplicity of the inn and he was sure that there was no other inn in such a small village. "I want to rent a room. I plan to stay here for a few days at the very least."

Hearing this, John grinned. Ben was sure that owner had not seen a costumer for a long time for him to be so enthusiastic and happy. Considering the remoteness of the village, this did not surprise much Ben. He then asked, "Since you are a local and know the goings on of this place, do you know where I can find a job here?"

"This isn't a place with many opportunities for finding a job, but you are lucky. Jolee has been getting on with the years and wants to hire an assistant for his emporium. You look like the right sort of man for this job."

John then led Ben to his room. He lied on the bed. As time passed, his eyes felt heavier and heavier. He finally closed his eyes and fell into sleep. But even in his dreams he could not find peace. He dreamed about Anakin and their duel on Mustafar. He relived their entire duel, the moment when he crippled Anakin and let him burn. He could remember the agony in Anakin's face as his entire body was engulfed in fire. Ben woke up and breathed heavily. He sighed.

"Can't I find peace even in such a remote place?", he wondered.

Next morning, the yellow shining suns started rising from the ground. They filled the sky with mighty colors of red. As streaks of sunlight penetrated the room's windows, Ben woke up. He left his room and headed to Jolee's emporium. Jolee was an old man with white beard and hair and a wrinkled face. As soon as Ben walked into his shop, Jolee welcomed him with a smile on his face.

"Hello costumer", he said, "how may I be of help?"

"I have been told that I can find a job here."

Jolee grinned. "John told you, didn't he? I am indeed looking for an assistant. But, before I hire you, I must ask you some questions. Who are you and where you come from?"

"My name is Ben. I...I come from Coruscant."

Jolee could understand that Ben did not want to reveal too much about himself. He guessed that Ben wanted to make a new start and leave behind his old life for some reason. But while he did not know much about him, he could tell that he looked like a fine and upright man. "I will hire you.", Jolee said. "Since you are foreigner here, I can give you a place to stay and food instead of cash."

"That sounds good to me", Ben said. It would cost him far less than having to pay rent to John. "When do I begin the work?"

"Right now, I would say.", Jolee replied. "Unless you need some time to take care of stuff."

"No, I can begin work right away."

"Good, because I've got a job to take care of."

As Ben was waiting for costumers, his mind took him away. He remembered when he and Anakin had come to Tatooine for a mission during the Clone Wars. They were looking for a wanted military officer who had been supplying the Confederates with military secrets. During their encounter with him, he threw a rocket at them. Ben was wounded; his shoulder was bleeding profoundly and he had collapsed on the ground. If it wasn't for his student, he would have been killed. Anakin braced the rockets and blaster shots of the enemy and managed to kill him and save his Master. Alas, all this had changed.

"Hello."

Ben was brought back to reality. A young man had entered the shop. His face was delicate and handsome, with short black hair, aquiline nose and green eyes. From his dress, a long black robe, Ben could tell that the man was not a local.

"How may I be of help?", Ben politely said.

"I want a medic kit."

Ben froze. He could feel that the Force was strong in that man; it was uncultivated but powerful. It was raw force. As he went to bring the medic kit, he asked; "If you do not mind me asking that question, what is your name?"

"James.", the man nonchalantly replied.

Ben brought the medic kit and handed it over to James. "It is ten credits."

James gave the money to Ben. "You are not local, are you?", Ben asked.

"No. Why the sudden interest in me?"

Ben grinned. "Forgive my curiosity. You just reminded me of an old friend of mine.", he said. Of course, this was just a lie. Ben was not sure if he wanted to talk to James about his prowess in the Force. 'Maybe it is better if he does not know. I cannot teach him and even if I did, it would draw attention. Not to say that with the Empire hunting down Jedi, he would become a target.', he thought.

"Is your friend's name Max?", James asked.

"What?"

"You said that I look like a friend of yours."

"Ah yes!", Ben said and awkwardly smiled. "No, that is not his name."

At that moment, Jolee returned to the shop. He said, "Are you searching for someone named Max?"

"Yes.", James replied. "Max Kraat. Have you heard of him?"

"I have. And who you may be?"

"His son."

Jolee's face became ashen white and he gaped with astonishment. "You are his son?"

"Yes, although I've never met him. My mother told me his name when she died. Since then, I've been searching for him. It is one year since I began this quest."

Jolee sighed. "Max never spoke much about his past… Unfortunately, he left this place just a month ago. He should be in Dantooine."

Ben handed James forty credits. "Its not much, but it should help you for your journey. I wish I could be of more help."

"I am thankful for your assistance.", James said. "I hope one day I can repay your favor to me."

"Good luck.", Ben said. 'And may the Force be with you...', he thought.

James rushed out of the shop. Jolee, smiling, said, "It seems I was right when I guessed that you are an upright person. You did well to help that kid."

"I do not deserve such praise. I believe it is what everyone would do."

At that moment, a young woman walked into the shop. She had brown hair, hazel eyes, and light skin. "Uncle!", she said. "I..."

She paused when she saw Ben. "Hi.", she said. "You are…?"

"He is Ben.", Jolee said. "He is my new employee."

He then turned to Ben and said, "She is Nara, my niece."

"Glad to meet you.", Ben said and awkwardly smiled.

"Uncle, I need a power converter."

Jolee motioned Ben and he brought a power converter and handed it over to Nara.

"Thanks.", she said and smiled. Her smile was warm, genuinely sweet but also shy. Ben felt an unexpected warmth rushing through him. That smile had a soothing effect on him, he felt calm for the first time in weeks.

As Nara left the shop, Ben could a feel a spark of the Force in her. It surprised him. 'Is she really Force sensitive?', he wondered. 'Bah, it must be my imagination.'