Chapter 2: The Search
"First, one thing was apparent to us from almost the very beginning. Ben is special. He is very force sensitive, but not just. He is a part of a Dyad in the Force. This means he has a partner, and together, they will be even stronger. Now, I promised you I'd not interfere in Ben's life, but I made no such promise for my grandson's Force bonded mate. And given the power potential, there was no way I was going to leave it up to chance that she'd end up safe and her power unabused. But finding her was the hard part," Anakin's mind lapsed into a memory as he told Han and Leia this.
"I searched the planets one by one, starting with the core worlds, and going out from there," Anakin started his story.
"That's no for Cona." Anakin said to himself as he crossed another world off his list. "Yoda, where is Obi-Wan?" Anakin shouted as he ran through an open field in the other relm.
"Where you expect him to be, he is," answered the old, green Jedi, while he bent his body in another pose. Surrounding him were a group of former Jedi all attempting to copy his pose. "Called Downward Dog the next one is," he told the group.
Of course, Obi-Wan would be found in his usual place. Anakin turned and headed for the beach. As he approached a cabana he saw Obi-Wan Kanobi laying out on a lounge chair, sipping a cocktail. "Still ignoring all the fun things about the after-life, are you?"
"You enjoy the afterlife your way, let me enjoy it my own." Obi-Wan took another sip, while Anakin sighed. "Still searching for the other one, I presume?"
"Yeah, got Jakku, Pasaana, Regmar Five, and Tatooine, left, of the inhabited worlds."
"Um hmm. Am I sensing a theme, or did you leave the desert worlds last."
"I hate sand!" Anakin scratched himself.
"You're a ghost. You don't have to walk in it."
"But I'll still know it's there. Anyway, that's not why I've come. Luke needs your advice again. He's got to talk to Ben about the, uh, the Bulabirds and the Hrelan Bees."
Obi-Wan looked confused.
"The Tench Doves and the Bizikian Hornets." Anakin still didn't see any recognition from Obi-Wan. "The Talk. He cought them padawans playing a little game of spin the lightsaber, thinks now's a good time to have it."
"Ooh, the talk." Obi-Wan opened his eyes wide when it dawned on him. "I'm no good at that stuff. Why does he want my advice?"
"Well, you gave the talk to me," Anakin pointed out.
"Exactly."
"And look how good at it I was." Anakin turned to whoever was nearby and mouthed "TWINS."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "I guess I can use you as an example." He moved to get off his cabana, then turned back to Anakin. "And, to save time, you can probably put Jakku at the end of your list. It's a junkyard. No parent I know of would bring a kid to that place."
"You're right," said Anakin as he crossed Jakku off his list. "Thanks, Obi-Wan."
In the present Anakin continued to explain. "By the time I found the girl, her parents had already sold her. They were being chased by something dark, I felt. Still, the child's owner was a junk boss, the type who would have abused the situation if he were aware of the child's power. I had to do something…"
Anakin had just returned from our relm, where he had done something desperate, only to be greeted by a crowd of angry former Jedi.
"That was not the Jedi way, Anakin." Obi-Wan stood, arms crossed. The other Jedi around him glared at Anakin.
"B-But… I was protecting the girl. That Crolute was hurting her."
"And now what are you going to do. You're dead, Anakin. Now she has no guardian, and don't even pretend you thought this through." Anakin sounded cross.
"Well… No. I haven't thought of that part yet." Anakin rubbed his hands in his hair, nervously.
"If I may," The Auctor interrupted. He was being unusually lighthearted, having so many Jedi in his workshop. "If the child needs a guardian, why not create one?"
Anakin and the other Jedi looked on confused.
"Reality is a book, and all you need is the proper ink." The Auctor pulled out a shelf on wheels, stacked high with bottles of light blue and inky black liquids. "I'd suggest using only light side components to the soul. It will mean limited free-will for the progeny, but it will make a decent child's guardian." The Auctor began to scan through the bottles as he spoke. "This one." He pulled out a vial. It only had a touch of blue drops in the bottom.
"Is that enough?" Anakin questioned.
"Yes, now all we need is my pen." The Auctor began frantically searching in a desk that stood against the wall. It was cluttered with scraps of paper and other items. "Oh, here it is."
The Auctor walked over to the book, still open on a stand. He dipped his pen carefully in the blue liquid, then knelt down to study the book from a side angle.
Anakin thought it was an odd angle for someone to write at. "So what do we write," he said to speed things along.
"Careful, or your progeny will end up in a broken body." The Auctor continued his examination. In a few seconds he jumped up and pulled the pen from the ink. He carefully made a round circle of ink on the open page. "There you go. You have your guardian." Before he finished speaking, the ink mark disappeared from the book.
"Are you sure? It's gone!" anakin exclaimed.
"Nope, still there. Changes to reality are hardly noticed by reality dwellers."
Anakin moved to look back down into the world of the living. When he saw what was added to it he looked up with indignation at the Auctor. "Just what did you do!"
"You're familiar with him, are you not? He's strong enough to defend the child if need be, and with the memories he had in life, he'll know what he's protecting her from. A good choice, I think so." The Auctor patted himself on the back, despite the annoyed looks from all in the room. "He will still need your guidance to find his ward."