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Rose of Naboo

Chapter Ten: "Neighbors"

(o)-,-'—

A second late-night chat with the Force ghost of his Master hadn't helped Obi-Wan solve the mystery of who Leira actually was. The only thing they agreed on was that her description of the man who scared her matched the Emperor who was also known as Darth Sidious. Padme had known the man long before her death and had seen him following his dark side mutation. She could easily recognize the disfigured face.

As far as the white-skin female with blue eyes, neither he nor Qui-Gon had any idea who that was. There were many species in the galaxy who fit that description. Without more specific details, they couldn't identify her.

Essentially, he was back to square one, although his Master did mention one possibility. Perhaps this was indeed Padme Amidala saved from death, who had been kept prisoner while her mind had been wiped clean of all memories and identity. It was possible. Why he himself had been kidnapped as a Padawan and attempted to be brainwashed. It was a memory trigger of what he loved most that had saved him, and that was his love of being a Jedi.

Maybe that's what Leira needed – something which would provoke her mind and help her remember who she was. What had Padme loved more than her own children? Even though her life has slipped away shortly following their birth, carrying them for nine months had to have created a bond. Surely, seeing Luke with her own eyes would be enough of a spark to help her remember. If not, then no harm done. They would simply be visiting the neighbors – the closest ones he had.

Obi-Wan waited until the following morning to share the idea of visiting the Lars family, and at first, Leira seemed put off. He was worried she was going to refuse to go until he convinced her the trip wasn't that far and they wouldn't be staying for long. In fact, it was close enough to walk, he'd told her. She finally agreed, though a bit reluctantly.

They left before it got too hot, seeing she didn't have any shoes, and stayed within the shadows of the canyon for as long as possible.

"Exactly who are these people?" she asked, stepping carefully over a jagged stone.

"Friends of mine. They recently had an addition to their family and I was thinking you might enjoy seeing him." It wasn't a lie.

"A baby?" she said excitedly. "I've always wanted to hold a baby."

Obi-Wan stopped to look at her expression. She was grinning due to the opportunity, he supposed. "You have?"

"Of course! I've never held one before. At least I don't think I have."

Obi-Wan recalled a time following her funeral when he delivered the infant into the arms of Beru Lars for safekeeping. Being the son of a Sith Lord and Force-sensitive, the child had to be hidden away and kept a secret until he was grown. Obi-Wan had been given the task of watching over Luke and had performed his task diligently until Leira had shown up.

If this woman really was Padme, it would make a huge impact on everyone's lives; especially Beru. He honestly felt sorry for her. She wouldn't see this coming. Nobody did.

As they walked, Leira complained about the heat, the sand, and the double suns; about whether he was walking too slow or too fast, and often asked how much further they had to go. He, on the other hand, pointed out the names of several landmarks, explained how ancient wars had littered the desert with debris, and identified a variety of sandworms.

After an hour, they shared a drink of water from his flask and took a respite from the sun, sitting in the shadow of a large boulder. It wasn't long before -

"How much..."

"Less than a kilometer," he assured her before allowing her to finish the question.

"You've said that before," she argued back. "How do I know you're telling the truth this time?"

"I always tell the truth," Obi-Wan replied, leaning forward onto his knees. He realized he often left out details but never intentionally lied. In his experience, the truth had versions and what he chose to share was always dependent upon the receiver.

Leira obviously didn't agree and she expressed an extended raspberry of disbelief.

"That's a lie right there!" she pointed out. "Nobody is that honest."

She was awfully cynical for the ripe old age of twenty-nine, and she apparently loved to argue. He was more than willing to accommodate her. "And I suppose you've met everyone."

"Let me put it this way: Everyone I've met so far has been less than truthful," she declared, digging her toes into the sand.

"Including me?"

"Especially you!" she boldly told him, looking at him squarely. "You think that withholding information is honest? You won't tell me who you used to be, why you're here exactly, and who you talk to every night."

"I tell you what you need to know," Obi-Wan replied, "and nothing more. That's not considered lying."

"The whole truth is the truth. Despite what you seem to believe, there are no versions of it. You're either honest or you're not. Simple as that."

He disagreed, but it was getting too hot to continue with this debate. There are always three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the actual truth. Neither participant ever believes they're lying. It always depends upon their point of view. At the moment, he didn't feel like explaining his opinion on the matter any further. They needed to get moving.

"Ready to go? The sun's almost at the midpoint and the sand is just going to get hotter."

"Sure," she replied, rising to her feet. "Less than a kilometer, huh?"

"That's right," Obi-Wan insisted.

They reached the Lars farm within the hour and greeted Owen near one of the evaporators.

"Owen Lars, this is Leira; a friend of mine who's staying with me for a while."

The familiarity didn't escape the young man and he stared at Obi-Wan for a while before acknowledging his guest. "It's nice to meet you, Leira," he told her, forcing a smile. "What brings you to Tatooine?"

"The King of Alderaan," she answered truthfully, trying to prove her point, Obi-Wan imagined.

Owen looked confused, as one usually does when given irrelevant information, but decided to brush it off apparently before insisting they all go inside. Once they'd entered the home, the young man went to retrieve his wife. When Beru stepped into the room, her expression was far less welcoming than her husband's.

"Obi-Wan? May I speak with you privately for a moment?" she asked kindly.

Beru Lars was a soft-spoken, quiet young woman, but once they were alone, she really opened up. "Who is that? She looks like Luke's mother. Is she? Well? Is she?"

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan honestly told her. "That's what we're here to find out."

"You should've warned us! Is she here to take Luke away from us?"

"No," Obi-Wan reassured her with a sympathetic grin. "But I would like to see how she interacts with him. If indeed, she is Padme Amidala, I'm hoping she will remember giving birth to him. If she's not, then we'll be on our way."

"I won't let her take him away. He's our son, Obi-Wan! We've been taking care of him for over a year!" Her eyes welled up with tears, the sight of them causing him to feel quite guilty. He didn't have a choice, did he? If Leira was actually Padme, then she had a right to have him, didn't she?

"Just let her see him and then we'll decide what needs to happen. I'm not here to tear him away from you. I just need some answers."

Sweet Beru was adamant as she returned to face her visitor. "She's not taking him, Obi-Wan. I won't allow it."

What would he do if Leira did recognize the boy? He actually hadn't thought this through. Would he insist upon the Lars giving up the child? Of course, he would. Luke belonged with his real mother. There was a chance he was about to break this couple's hearts. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

When they had rejoined the others, Owen had already fetched the boy and placed him on the ground. The blond-headed toddler waddled for a few steps before plopping down on the hard-packed floor. That's where Leira joined him. There were several types of wooden toys scattered about the room, and she picked up some blocks and stacked them.

"Hi! Aren't you a handsome little fellow?"

Luke regarded her with a slobbery grin, his chubby arms reaching for her. Leira stood and picked him up, bouncing him on her hip. She then looked at the apprehensive adoptive parents. "He's adorable! What's his name?"

"Luke," Beru answered, reaching for the boy, who responded to her eagerly.

"I like that name," Leira told the woman. "Are you planning on having any more? I think you should. You two make the cutest younglings."

Obi-Wan couldn't decide whether he was disappointed or relieved. Apparently, the child had no impact on her loss of memory. Leira acted as though she had never seen him before. Beru was holding him as any true mother should, with a fierceness that told him she wasn't letting him go without a fight. He lay a hand on her shoulder and smiled in an effort to show Beru there was no need to worry. She sighed shakily with relief.

"Let's go have a seat in the kitchen," the young woman suggested. "It's as hot as dragon breath out there and I'm sure you two are parched."

They gathered around a small rectangular table and accepted generous glasses of bantha's milk.

"This is good," Leira pointed out while the blue liquid collected on her upper lip.

"You have something right...there," Obi-Wan pointed to his own mouth.

Leira laughed and dabbed at her lip with the back of her hand. "Sorry. All Obi-Wan ever has to offer is water. This is so much better."

"I don't have the facilities or the room for bantha farming," Obi-Wan informed her. "And if I did, are you going to milk it?"

"Sure, why not?" Leira played along. "I'm always willing to try new things."

Both Beru and Owen were looking at them curiously as they picked on one another.

"How long are you planning on staying with Obi-Wan?" Owen asked her.

"Uhm," Leira paused, seemingly unable to answer. "Until he tosses me out, I guess. I was attacked in town and Obi-Wan's been taking care of me. When he thinks I'm ready to be on my own again, I suppose he'll let me know and then I'll be on my way."

The couple gazed at one another as if they knew something nobody else did. The little boy in Beru's arms began to doze. "Before that happens, I have something to say," Beru spoke quietly to them both before turning her eyes upon Obi-Wan. "Why is this beautiful woman walking around Tatooine in nothing but an under-tunic? She has no shoes! Obi-Wan! What's the matter with you?"

"I...I meant to..." he tried defending himself, although it was a lost cause. He had no excuse other than being more focused on her health than her attire.

"I don't want to hear it. Here's what you're going to do," she kindly spoke but with an authority that made him look to Owen for assistance. All her husband did was shrug his shoulders like Obi-Wan was on his own and he wasn't getting involved.

"You're going to go into Anchorhead and buy her some decent boots for walking. I have some clothing she can have, so that's already taken care of. While you're gone, we'll visit and get to know one another."

But he didn't want to go to Anchorhead! He was just there!

"No arguments. Get going," she insisted with a jab of her finger.

His glance switched from Beru to Owen, and finally to Leira. Obviously, he was outnumbered and was forced to give in. He rose from the table and took his leave.

"Bye!" Leira announced with a smile, seemingly quite pleased with herself as she took another drink of the blue milk.