4: Tatooine, 9 BBY, month 5, day 11
"What are you doing here?" he asked, instinctively touching the counter behind him for support. She hardly looked older, wearing the same elegant robes she used to in the Senate all those years ago, but Obi-Wan was suddenly very aware of his own aging brought on by the stress and the harsh environment.
"I came to see you," she said, smiling easily, and he was tempted to smile back but knew this wasn't true. If she was here, there was a reason; otherwise, she would have come before now.
"No you didn't," he said, trying to imply he was all right with this, but her smile faded nonetheless. He was disappointed that he'd caused that.
"No," she admitted. "I'm here on behalf of a mutual friend."
His brow furrowed in suspicion. "Most of our mutual friends are dead." As he said it, it stung anew, as if it had happened yesterday. She was transporting him back into the past faster than his meditations even could. She looked startled by his statement, and he could see memories haunting her too. He stopped resisting looking directly into her eyes and felt the same hopeless feeling as he had when they were younger. Her dark brown eyes seemed to look right through him, and he saw great sadness there he wished he could wipe away.
"Breha sent me," she finally said, and Obi-Wan's mind returned to the present with a jolt. Of course, he wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it; after all, he'd just been worried about Organa's message. This must have something to do with Leia. "She needs your help."
"Is this about Leia?" he asked carefully, unsure of how much she knew. Vera nodded.
"Yes. She wouldn't say what exactly, but I have my suspicions," she said. "I didn't press the issue. She didn't seem eager to tell me."
"But you came anyway," he said, again careful. Why had she come? Didn't she remember their last meeting the same way?
"Yes," she said, her expression softening. "I wanted to see you. That part was true."
Obi-Wan forced himself not to smile and sighed. "Vera…" And hearing her name, it affected him too; like a shock to his system after so long refusing to think of her.
"I know, I know. But still," she said, and smiled again, looking much less free-spirited than before. She looked around at his house and added, "I'd been wondering what you were doing ever since I found out you'd survived." She turned her eyes back to him and said, "It seems lonely."
"It is," he admitted, and found himself suddenly wondering if she was lonely. He suppressed the thought and said, "But I have responsibilities here."
"Breha told me," she said. "She also told me you'd likely be difficult to convince to leave."
"Leave?" Obi-Wan asked, startled. As he said it, he thought it was hardly surprising that helping would entail leaving Tatooine, but he truly hadn't even thought of it. He hadn't left in so long.
"She wants you to come to Alderaan," Vera told him.
"I can't go to Alderaan," Obi-Wan said, "I have—"
"Responsibilities, yes," Vera said. "She thought you'd say that. She asked me to remind you that you have responsibilities there as well, that your promise includes them too."
Obi-Wan sighed, starting to become irritated. "I expect sending you is supposed to sway me as well. She couldn't have simply sent a palace steward?" He realized how it sounded and added quickly, "Not that I'm saying I'm not happy to see you…"
Vera waved him off. "I know… but to answer your question, well, yes, probably. But have you ever known Breha to do something halfway?"
He had to acknowledge that, but it didn't change his circumstances. "I have someone here I must protect."
"She's sent one of Bail's military officers with me to keep your watch in your absence, a Captain Antilles," she said. "He's waiting on the ship."
This was getting harder to refuse, and still Obi-Wan tried to reason with her. "What am I supposed to do, present myself in court? I'm in exile out of necessity. I can't go to a heavily populated Core World."
"Not as yourself," she said. "You'll have an alias and you won't be there long."
Obi-Wan still hesitated. He didn't appreciate being kept in the dark. "What's going on, Vera? Why didn't Bail tell me you were coming?"
She shrugged and shook her head. "I know about as much as you do."
Obi-Wan sighed. This situation was far from ideal; he worried about Luke, despite what Lars had said, and he didn't trust this Antilles person. And he was hardly letting go of his past when a very important part of it was standing in front of him. But Breha was right, he had a responsibility to Leia as well. Finally, he said, "All right, I'll go."
Vera smiled and he immediately doubted his decision. "Let's go." He looked around the room and realized there was really nothing to take with him—all he really had was his lightsaber and a lot of old volumes on the Order. Slightly embarrassed, he followed her out of the door. A young man he figured must be Captain Antilles saluted him when he approached the ship, and he nodded at him briefly.
"Captain Antilles?"
"Yes, sir. An honor to meet you, General Kenobi," he said.
"I'm no general anymore," he said, and the captain let himself relax somewhat, though he still looked very nervous. Obi-Wan looked at Vera, still unsure if she knew about Luke, and was hesitant to speak to Antilles in front of her. She entered the ship then, obviously understanding this, and he said, "Luke Skywalker must be protected, but his family mustn't know you are watching over him. They aren't exactly open to my help."
"I understand, sir. The queen has told me what I need to know."
"Well, then, thank you," Obi-Wan said. He was instantly suspicious when he said 'the queen'; he was Bail's officer, surely he'd received instructions from him? This entire situation was making him uneasy. "I hope I'll see you soon, then."
"Safe travels, sir," he said, and Obi-Wan ascended the ramp into the ship, leaving the captain to his mission. He found Vera in the cockpit, sitting in the pilot's chair, and was surprised.
"You fly this yourself?" he asked.
"Not usually, but I can," she replied. "Antilles flew us here." Since when could she fly? He was beginning to realize just how long it had been, how much she must have changed. While he had hardly changed at all. As Obi-Wan sat in the copilot chair, she flew up to the edge of the atmosphere. The first dawn was just breaking and Obi-Wan looked down pensively on the vast expanses of the desert planet, cautiously glad to be rid of it for the time being. He thought of Luke, probably still sleeping on the Lars farm, and felt even more uneasy about their departure. Vera entered the coordinates for Alderaan and the ship sped away into hyperspace. "It'll take us about two days," she told him, and he nodded, trying not to show any emotions about the idea of travelling alone with her for so long. "I can have some food brought if you'd like, there's a protocol droid here somewhere."
She looked hopeful and Obi-Wan sensed that her circumstances had changed since they'd last spoken. Perhaps she was lonely. But he knew if he said yes he'd be thrown off too much to think clearly. He needed to retreat, to focus his mind. "No, thank you. I need to meditate."
"The guest quarters are at the end of the hall," she said, her face falling just a little, probably not noticeable to anyone who didn't know her like he did. She laughed and added, "Don't disappear for the whole trip like that time going to Felucia."
"I'll meet you for supper," he told her, unsure of why he said that; it was probably a terrible idea, but now he'd promised.
"Then I'll see you then," she said, her expression ambiguous, even to him. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaving the cockpit and finding his quarters. It was a small room, though the bunk was very clean and made him feel even more coated with sand and dust than he'd already felt. He saw a refresher door and eagerly turned on the shower. There was water, a real water shower, and he could have stayed under the water forever; it had been years of unsettling sonic waves forcing the dirt off his skin, out in the deserts where water showers were an indefensible indulgence. Feeling cleaner than he'd felt in years, he settled on the bunk afterwards and let his thoughts drift. He was worried about Leia, of course, but he still worried about Luke, he always having been his more immediate concern. Leia remained in his mind a vague image of a small girl, surrounded by royal luxury, unlikely to encounter any hardship. But he knew that wasn't entirely true; her adoptive parents' positions probably put her at greater proximity to danger than Luke, at least in theory. But despite these concerns, it was the woman in the cockpit that dominated his thoughts. He could sense her presence, a warm and temperamental glow that drew him in, always, and at the same time made him feel unsettled and on edge; he'd forgotten what she had felt like through the Force. He sat on the floor, centering himself, determined to ease his mind before he saw her again. He had to remind himself of when he'd been younger, what he'd learned from their time together. He'd resisted before, he could resist now. At least that's what he wanted to believe.
—
Eriadu, 33 BBY
"I have to say I don't believe I truly need this protection," the governor said. "My council insisted, however, so I welcome you to my service." Obi-Wan looked around at the grandiose, but somewhat overdone, foyer of the mansion they were standing in and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. On the contrary, it seemed the old man thought quite a lot of himself. It looked as though his home had become a challenge to anyone who might think he wasn't the wealthiest man in the capital city. Obi-Wan did not want to be here, and had made that clear, but Qui-Gon had ignored his requests to remain at the Temple. He'd argued he wanted to study for the Trials, but his master had told him he needed his assistance. Obi-Wan doubted that; but he understood, the Council had given them an order. Though why this was one of the orders Qui-Gon had decided to follow he couldn't fathom.
"We're happy to offer our help, Governor Piyerce," Qui-Gon said. "The Republic has decided that the leaders of all the planets on the Hydian way be given personal protection in light of recent events."
"The Republic also decided to arm the damn Federation in the first place," Piyerce chuckled. "The Republic doesn't seem to agree with itself about much." Obi-Wan hated that he agreed with the old man, at least in part. "But I guess I'm glad that slimy Viceroy won't be able to try to undermine my authority. Have you seen what he's done with Lothal?"
"That blockade was troubling," Qui-Gon agreed, nodding slowly. "Though I suppose his assertions about terrorist threats must be believed without evidence to the contrary."
"The man's a tyrant," he said. "Damn Nemoidians." Oh, wonderful. So he was racist as well. Obi-Wan stared at the ceiling, wishing to be anywhere else. "And you know, with this little insurgency annoyance on the north side I'm doubly grateful." They'd been briefed on the rebellion of part of the planet; they were highly skilled and had great numbers behind them, something that made Obi-Wan doubt the governor's dismissal. "Anyway, you are welcome here, Master Qui-Gon. And, er… the boy?"
Obi-Wan's irritation at the assumption of his age surfaced and he frowned; the entire galaxy seemed to think every Padawan was a teenager. He was 23, for gods' sake.
"This is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon said. The old man extended a long, powdered hand from his long, blue robes and Obi-Wan shook it awkwardly. "I assure you he is highly capable as well."
"Good, good. He could protect my son, then. He's always going out, immersed in his studies at the university," Piyerce told them. Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon hesitantly, who nodded.
"I'd be happy to, sir," Obi-Wan said politely, and Piyerce clapped his hands.
"Good. My steward will take you to him. Now, Master Qui-Gon, I would like to ask some questions about the Republic's dealings with the Federation…"
"If you'll follow me?" A young woman in a crisp black uniform gestured to the door to their right and Obi-Wan followed her down a hall and up an impressive flight of stairs to the third floor, where she indicated the door at the end of the hall. "Master Ben is in his room, just there," she said.
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said quietly, and the steward was gone as quick as she'd come.
He knocked lightly on the door when he reached it and heard a rather young voice say, "Come in." When he entered, he saw a tall, thin man, probably a few years younger than him, sitting at a desk near the opposite wall leaned over a holopad. He stood up when he saw Obi-Wan, and notably turned the pad off immediately. "Hello?"
"Ben Piyerce? I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Council sent me," he said, and Ben nodded.
"Yeah, I can… see that. Why are you here, though?"
"My master and I were sent to protect your father. He asked me to guard you," he told him, and the man slumped back down into his chair and swore. "I'm sorry…?"
"Blast him," he muttered. "He doesn't want you to protect me, he wants you to spy on me."
"Spy on you?" Obi-Wan asked carefully. This was only just now beginning to get interesting. "Are you sure…"
"Yes, I'm sure," Ben said. "He thinks I'm going to run away or something. Which is insane, I'm 21, you know? He doesn't like that I don't just… bow down and listen to every word that comes out of his mouth."
"If you'd like me to tell them you don't want protection…" Obi-Wan said, and Ben shook his head.
"No, no, you're all right. Whatever. If it gets him to leave me alone…" He sighed. "He's really awful, you know that? I know he's my father, and I'm not supposed to… to dislike him, or something, but… he uses tax money to pay for this stupidly gaudy mansion. And then he sends his national guard out to beat the people who are mad about it. No wonder they want him gone. Tell you the truth, I do too." Obi-Wan was beginning to like him. But Ben suddenly looked wary. "Hold on—if you're with the Temple, you're with the Republic. Does that mean they've declared for him?" He groaned. "That's just great."
"No," Obi-Wan told him, "we have diplomats on both sides, the Republic is still remaining neutral. We're only here to protect him because every leader on this trade route is receiving protection. Because of the Trade Federation's arms operations. They sent us because the Jedi are neutral." Ben snorted and Obi-Wan started to like him a little less. "What?"
"Sorry, I just… you actually believe you're neutral? The Jedi have always been centrists."
"That's not true," Obi-Wan argued. "They've constantly fought fascism throughout the centuries…"
"In the service of a governing body that controls the entire galaxy," Ben replied.
"To protect the citizens," Obi-Wan countered. "The Republic ensures democracy and freedom of peoples while maintaining a respectful distance from traditional governing systems."
"See? You aren't neutral," Ben said.
"Well, of course not completely, no one can be neutral with important things, like slavery—which the Republic forced out of the galaxy years ago, with the help of the Jedi," he added. "And before you say, I know there's still some in the Outer Rim, and Hutt space, but it's being fought against, and that's what's important."
"At what cost?" Ben asked. "Are you comfortable with how easily that government could devolve into fascism? All you need is a conflict, and a demagogue, and all your speeches about democracy won't matter because the system is only built on words. It could fall into tyranny any time someone decides not to care about those words anymore."
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Of course there might be a fine line, but letting chaos rule in the name of staying as far away from the line as possible isn't rational. And the Jedi exist to be a check on that possibility, by the way."
"But you're not accountable to anyone," Ben said. "How is that democracy?"
"They aren't subject to the same scrutiny because they've devoted their lives to living in balance," Obi-Wan said. "They don't need it, they police themselves."
"Okay, sure, but… you're saying 'they', not 'we'. You can't convince me you're a total true believer," Ben said. Obi-Wan hadn't even noticed. Ben smiled a little. "And your views on this probably aren't the same as the Jedi high-ups. At least from what I can tell."
"I'm… sorry, I shouldn't be arguing with you about this," Obi-Wan said. He had no idea how to respond to him, so he tried to extricate himself.
"It's okay. I like debating. My dad doesn't let me live on campus so I miss out." Ben rolled his eyes. "I have a club meeting tonight."
"I'll go with you," Obi-Wan said.
"No," Ben said, a little too quickly, and added, "Uh, they don't really like Jedi. Kind of… what I said before, but they're more radical than me most of the time. I'll be fine, I've been going for months without issues."
"…I can stand at a distance. Watch from across the street, maybe," Obi-Wan said.
Ben still looked jumpy but eventually agreed. "Yeah… yeah okay." During Ben's meeting, Obi-Wan sat in a cafe avoiding the pouring rain as he thought about what he'd said. Since when did he think about the Council as 'they'? Did it really mean anything? Had it just been a mistake? The more he thought about what he'd said, the more he convinced himself he really did believe what he'd said… but was Ben right about the Council not seeing it that way? Obi-Wan realized he was probably more in tune with Qui-Gon than with anyone else, and Qui-Gon argued with the Council all the time. Was it truly not right that they didn't answer to anyone? Did he really believe they were beyond reproach? He'd always had mixed feelings about them, but he'd never doubted their intentions. Maybe he'd been wrong.
He looked down to see his comm beeping and pressed it eagerly, anxious to speak with Qui-Gon after the night he'd had. "Master?"
"Obi-Wan, is Ben with you?" he asked. He sounded tense.
"Uh…" Obi-Wan looked at the clock on the wall of the cafe and groaned internally when he saw it was long past when the meeting was supposed to be over. "He told me to wait outside of his…"
"No, then," Qui-Gon sighed. "It's probably too late. Governor Piyerce received a hologram from Ben telling him he'd joined the insurgency."
"What?" Obi-Wan exclaimed. The rest of the cafe was looking at him, but he was already scrambling to his feet and pulling his cloak back on. "I'm going to find him."
"Obi-Wan, come back to the palace. We can discuss what to do next."
"It's my mission, Master, I'm the one who lost him. I can get him back," Obi-Wan said firmly. He needed to find him; this was ridiculous and it was honestly just embarrassing. He couldn't let Qui-Gon fix this for him—it would only prove he wasn't ready to be a Knight. "Trust me. I can handle this." He was already halfway down the street, looking for a public transport to get to the Northern border fifty or so miles away.
The comm was silent for a moment before Qui-Gon said, "All right." Obi-Wan got onto the next shuttle to the border and settled into a seat by himself, leaving his hood up to discourage conversation. He was seriously going to be angry with Ben for this when he found him—on the first day? Really? Realistically he knew he'd probably been planning this for a while but it still annoyed him. Just before the shuttle left, a group of five young-looking humans hopped on and one sat right next to him. Obi-Wan tried not to show his irritation at this and stared out the window silently as the shuttle started moving. After a moment or so, he could feel the girl's eyes on him and sighed. "Yes?"
"Are you a Jedi?" she asked, looking fascinated and staring at his braid. He turned to look at her and was suddenly struck by her; her eyes were boring into his and he felt as though she was seeing right through him. Everything about her, her ivory skin, dark red hair, and especially the deep dark brown eyes looking at him curiously stunned him and he was shocked that he was feeling this way—he hadn't had such a reaction to meeting someone since… "Hello?"
"Yes," he said, and immediately regretted revealing that; why had he told her? He was supposed to be keeping a low profile. But she just smiled.
"Wow. I've never met a Jedi. Well, you're just a Padawan, aren't you?" There was something patronizing in her tone and he sat up a little straighter.
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry. Just, I thought Padawans were younger."
"Who are you?" he asked, trying hard to stay annoyed. If she annoyed him maybe he could forget she was affecting him.
"Vera Tolani," she said cheerfully. "I'm with the Galactic Peace Group." Obi-Wan had to suppress his disappointment. She was a Republic diplomat; he would have to try very hard not to reveal they had a similar goal and he had just undermined it by getting so distracted that the governor's son had escaped his notice for two full hours. "Well, I gave you my name."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said, or rather blurted out, before he could think to possibly use a pseudonym. He had no idea what kind of information she'd been given about the current persons working on Eriadu for the Republic. Thankfully, she didn't seem to know who he was.
"Nice to meet you," she said. "Are you going to talk to the rebel leaders too?"
"Sort of," he said, and turned back to the window, hoping to discourage her. He was starting to think about her eyes too much.
"What are you here for?" she asked.
"It's… confidential," he said eventually, and she shrugged.
"All right. Sorry." She paused and then asked, "So what's it like, being a Jedi?"
He looked at her warily. "Why?"
"Well, we're going to be here a while, might as well get to know each other," she said. "Why won't you talk to me?"
"Um…" he felt trapped. "Sorry. I just… don't have a lot of opportunities to talk to… people my own age."
"Well, here's one," she said pointedly, and he couldn't help looking at her again. Looking directly at her was a bit like looking at a sun; it was blinding him to anything else. His resolve was breaking and he sighed. It didn't matter, he wouldn't see her again.
"All right."