Chapter 10

BitterSweet

Obi-Wan awoke the next morning in a sort of daze. He was leaning up against a wall and his first thought was that he was in a prison of some kind and was waking up from being knocked out. As he slowly opened his eyes he realized that this was not the case. In fact the room he was in was quite nice and vaguely familiar. He came further to his senses and realized that Andra was lying in his lap and that they were in her home. She was still fast asleep and he gazed lovingly at her. For a moment he thought he was having another dream.

He remembered what had happened last night and smiled a little knowing that she had come to him for comfort. She looked so beautiful lying there, fast asleep, he thought. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face and caressed her cheek. She didn't move. Her skin was soft. A little afraid, he put his face close to hers and breathed deeply. The perfume of her skin was intoxicating and he let in totally envelop him. The touch of a hand on his neck drew him back into reality and his heart began to race. Andra was awake now and looking up at him with trusting eyes. She gave a soft smile and he smiled back at her.

Obi-Wan lifted himself away from her to give her room to get up herself. She gave a little stretch and turned her neck.

"Good morning," she yawned.

"Good morning," Obi-Wan replied.

Andra looked around until she found a clock. Instantly, she jumped up and ran for the bedroom.

"Oh no!" she cried as she bolted, "I've over slept! I'm so late for work! I'll never make the transport!"

A little stunned, Obi-Wan stood up and cautiously walked over to the bedroom door. He'd never seen her bedroom, and now wasn't an ideal time to see it as Andra was frantically flinging clothes across it and dashing from one area to another.

"I'm so sorry, Ben! I must be keeping you too!" she turned and looked him in the eyes, "Thank you so much for staying with me though. I want you to know that I really do appreciate it, but I'm so late…"

"Andra," Obi-Wan interrupted her as an idea had entered his thoughts, "Call into work and take the day off."

It had suddenly occurred to Obi-Wan that Andra had not taken a single day of leave since he had known her and judged from her personality that she hadn't taken one any time before that.

She looked at him incredulously.

"What..?" she stammered. She looked like he had just asked her jump out the window.

"Call in and stay home," he replied firmly, "You work hard and deserve this time to relax. Spend the day with me."

Andra relaxed a little and looked at him questioningly before answering.

"Alright," she said and gave a little smile. Obi-Wan smiled at her as she walked over to her communicator and called her office to let them know that she would not be coming into work.

After a few minutes, she walked back to Obi-Wan with a large grin on her face.

"So what'd you have in mind, Jedi?"

Obi-Wan and Andra began their day together with a walk through the city. They looked in all the shop windows and laughed at various sights they saw along the way. The weather in the city was nice for a change. At the level where they were walking, they could see the sky and the sunlight. It was a clear and warm day. Around lunchtime, they agreed to go to Dax's diner and have something light.

"Thank you for this, Ben" Andra said as she picked at her food, "It's so nice to just relax and the company is exceptional."

She smiled and reached her hand across the table to touch Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled back at her.

"Anything for you, Andra."

Andra blushed slightly and Obi-Wan, no, Ben flashed her a mischievous smile.

"I have somewhere special I'd like to take you," he said as he gently grasped her hand on the table.

Ben walked Andra through the city streets. She persistently asked him where they were going. Giggles and laughter often erupted out of her as he replied with witty remarks.

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise and we couldn't go!"

"Come on, Ben! How secret does it have to be?" she laughed.

Finally they arrived in front of a large building that Andra did not recognize. Ben stared up at the doors and then at her. Andra gazed at the large building curiously.

"What is this, Ben?" she asked sincerely, still staring at the massive stucture.

"It's the Jedi Temple," he replied, still smiling.

Andra's smile faded and she looked frightened.

"Are we going in?"

"Of course," Ben replied. He drew her gaze to his, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You're going to love what I have to show you."

Andra looked reassured and Ben took her hand as they climbed the steps up to the entry-way.

"Come this way," Ben told her as they walked inside.

Andra looked around, unsure of her surroundings. She took note of the shiny floors and the dizzyingly high ceiling. Within the walls were busts of important looking people, some of whom she recognized from her childhood history courses. The building was quiet and she rarely saw another person. Ben took her through a few turns until they stood in front of another set of ornate and intimidating doors.

"This," Ben said quietly as he put his hand on one of the door handles, "Is the library. It literally holds the history of the galaxy."

Andra gave him a weak smile as he guided her into the room. All around them were shelves and screens. The room was giant. There were a few other Jedi in the room doing research, but they paid Ben and Andra no attention.

Ben guided Andra through the room and showed her the various forms of data the order held. There were many rooms of the electronic information. Each subject had its own data pad and holographic images. In another room, Ben showed her the tactical relics of the ancient days. This impressed Andra the most. Ben showed her ancient Jedi swords, something used before the invention of lightsaber technology. There were scrolls of parchment and weathered books all written by the most famous names in galactic history. There were even the orbs of the long gone Chularian civilization that still held advanced technological information that was yet to be deciphered.

"We should go now," Ben whispered as she reached for one of the orbs that was severely protected by glass and lasers. Andra nodded as she pulled her hand away and smiled at her friend. He was beaming as he led her back out into the hallway and led her down a different corridor.

"I want to show you one more room before it gets too late in the evening," he said to her. Andra, by now, was fully captivated by Ben's words as he explained their next destination.

"I used to come here as a boy often. It's a sanctuary of sorts for me. Some say that there is a specially balance of the Force within this room because it has been the favorite of many great Jedi Knights," Be explained as they reached another door.

This door was different from that of the library. It wasn't large or ornate; in fact, it was very plain. If she had been wandering around the temple on her own, she wouldn't have thought it was anything more than a utility closet. Until, that is, Ben opened the door.

To Andra's amazement, the room held a large and lush garden. There were fountains and waterfall as far as the eye could see. Plants of all different species and origin were growing side by side off of every surface. And from the ceiling, pure sunlight streamed in from a giant sky light revealing the bluest sky she had ever seen.

Andra gasped at the sight before her.

"It's called the Room of a Thousand Fountains," Ben whispered to her as they walked into the garden.