Chapter 8: On Tatooine

Some time later, after Anakin had circled the planet a few times and found a suitably remote hiding place among some tall dunes and in a trench, the ship's small crew prepared to go their separate ways. Padmé had outfitted Anakin with a set of dark, ominous robes, where she had found these Obi-Wan had little idea, and the two of them had decided to investigate Aislinn Raghnailt under the guise of a pair of bounty hunters looking to collect the Jedi's head. Obi-Wan opted against any strange attire; he was going to need comfort and reliability over stealth in order to catch the Sith; and besides, he was rather convinced that he wouldn't be able to pull of a ludicrous bounty hunter costume without looking like a fool.

The group moved towards the hatch and Obi-Wan pressed the release. All at once, a rush of sweaty, stagnant air seeped into through the opening, and all three of them staggered as it washed over them in a thick, hot wave.

"I think we might be overdressed," quipped Anakin as he fanned himself with the neck of his robe.

Obi-Wan allowed himself to adjust for a moment and decided to weather the climate in his Jedi Robes. He had no idea what the natives of this planet looked for in a Jedi, but a large, hooded cloak could usually pass unnoticed in a crowd of vermin. An unpleasant feeling spread through his stomach. He was suddenly certain that he should go with Padmé and Anakin. This would bring them to the Sith as well as Aislinn. He turned back to Anakin and Padmé, who were adjusting their disguises to be more comfortable in the raging heat.

"I will join you. I sense that the Sith is on her way to Aislinn's location if not already there," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin adjusted his shirt and nodded.

Padmé met his eyes for a moment before relenting and inclining her head towards him; their quarrel over. With a final breath of the cool cabin air, they stepped from the ship. The air was thick; almost liquid, and they had to make a very conscious and desperate attempt to move as little as possible in order to keep from overheating. The withering floor was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. Sand covered every spare inch of ground.

They set off on the bearing they had calculated from the Sith's last known position. Soon Obi-Wan called for a pause so that he could seek the Sith through the Force, which would prove difficult on such a teeming planet. He reached out slowly and calmly with his mind, careful not to overexert himself or use too much strain; he wasn't sure how much energy he would need for whatever lay between them and their goal.

Sorting though the crushing mass of life was confusing, like trying to place the melody of a song by the feel of a vibration. The heat pressed in on all sides like a thick blanket, attempting to separate himself from the dampness, from the claustrophobic noise of the Living Force crowding in from all directions.

At last he found something, a dark whisper some distance away. It was as if she was calling to him, luring him closer, and egging him on. His better judgment warned him that it was a trap, but his sense of duty reminded him that unfortunately, he had no other choice but to follow her lead.