Chapter XV:
Obi Wan made his way through the hot sand on the planet of Tatooine, he followed his companions to a tiny homestead. He looked at Roje Lars, and figured that his mother must've remarried. 'What happened to my father?' Of course deep in his heart, he really didn't care. Roje was a tall man, almost as tall as Qui Gon; he had to duck, to enter the homestead.
"Owen, get our guest some water." Roje commanded his son, as they entered the home, Owen reluctantly went to the kitchen.
Obi Wan looked around the house, he noticed holopics of the family, and he smiled a sad smile to himself. 'Gods, how my life would be different if I lived here.' Roje slipped behind a curtain that separated the rooms, and told Obi Wan to make himself at home. Obi Wan sat on the couch, and waited for some company, it came in the form of Owen, who shoved the glass of water in Obi Wan's face.
"Thank you." Obi Wan said politely.
"So, what's the deal with you?" Owen asked, sitting in a chair across from Obi Wan.
"I'm sorry?"
"You're a Jedi right?"
"Well I will be someday." Obi Wan took a sip of the cool liquid.
"How did they know you were a Jedi?" Owen asked, very curious.
"They can sense that I'm force sensitive, because of the midi clorians."
"Midi clorians?" Owen looked confused.
"Don't worry about it, it's hard to explain." Obi Wan took another sip.
"So you think I won't understand or something." Owen became defensive.
"No, I didn't say that."
"But that's what you meant. You think you're better than me, just because you are a Jedi?" Anger became apparent in Owen's voice.
"No, brother I would never think that." Obi Wan was trying to avoid a fistfight.
"Don't call me brother! Since when have you been apart of this family?"
"It wasn't my choice to leave Owen!" Now Obi Wan became defensive.
"You've had everything given to you, you don't understand what I've been through, what she's been through...what you put her through." Tears streamed down Owen's cheeks.
"Owen, believe me you don't want to compare suffering right now."
"Oh so now you think you've suffered more than us, just because you are a Jedi!"
Obi Wan was ready to smack this boy for what he was saying, but he knew that wouldn't solve anything. He used his training, and calmed himself.
"She's always loved you more! And you were never even here!" Owen was still ranting.
Obi Wan opened his eyes. 'Gods, that's what this is about.' He put a hand on Owen's shoulder. "I'm sorry that you feel you need to be jealous. I didn't know that I even had a family Owen, please forgive my rudeness."
They were interrupted by another presence in the room; Roje cleared his throat.
"Obi Wan? She's ready to see you."
Obi Wan swallowed hard, he didn't know what to expect. He made his way to the curtain. Before entering the room, he called upon the force for help, and then entered. He found himself in a dimly lit room, with a large bed in the center. Under a mountain of blankets, he saw a frail looking woman, who was staring at her visitor in disbelief. Obi Wan jumped when her coughing broke the silence.
"Mother?" He spoke in a very soft tone.
"Obi Wan? My son?" She spoke in a weak tone. "Could it be?"
"Yes mother, it's me." He looked at the woman, she looked just like the woman who took him from the temple, and this made him nervous. "How are you feeling?" He asked lamely, due to lack of anything else to say.
"I'm dying little one." She said as she coughed again.
Obi Wan felt tears coming to his eyes, he didn't understand why, because he didn't know this woman; and yet, he shared a bond with her. "No." He said like a lost child.
She reached out her hand to him, he took it. "My gods, you are so beautiful." She said, beaming with pride. She coughed again, Obi Wan could see the blood spots on her pillowcase, and this broke his heart into a million pieces. "I'm so sorry my son, I wasn't strong enough to protect you from him."
Obi Wan stroked her hair. "Shhhh."
"I prayed that someone would rescue you, and then that Jedi burst through the door." She coughed again. "But when you were gone, I hated him for taking you."
"Mother please, don't hate Qui Gon, he's been my father for many years now."
Nynal shook her head. "I'm not angry at him for saving you...I just wish that I could've seen you grow up." She put a hand on his cheek. "You're almost a man now, and a Jedi at that. I'm so proud to be your mother."
Tears escaped from Obi Wan's eyes. "I love you mom." He leaned his head on her shoulder and cried.
"You have no idea how much I longed to hear those words uttered from you." She said as she stroked his hair. "I love you so much, my Ben."
Obi Wan kissed her cheek, and moved some hair out of her face. They sat in silence for a long moment, and then she fell asleep.
Obi Wan walked out of the room, and found Roje sitting on the couch. Obi Wan sat next to him. "What's wrong with her?" He asked, whipping a stray tear.
"She has problems with her lungs, due to the sand on this planet." Roje's words were choked with pain. "It's my fault, because I brought her here."
Obi Wan put a reassuring hand on the older man's shoulder. "Blaming yourself will not solve anything."
Owen came back into the room, and sat in his chair. "Will you be leaving us now?" Roje asked Obi Wan.
"Yes, I have to get back to the temple." Obi Wan answered.
"You're leaving us?" Owen asked, almost in a hurt tone.
"Yes Owen, my destiny lies on another path."
"So now that you come to see her, you're just going to leave her like that." Owen began to get angry.
"Owen, there's nothing I can do for her." Obi Wan insisted. "I really wish there was."
"You Jedi are worthless, you know that?" With that Owen ran out of the room.
Roje turned to Obi Wan. "I'm sorry about that, he's taking this really hard."
Obi Wan nodded. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here."
Obi Wan made his way through the hot sand on the planet of Tatooine, he followed his companions to a tiny homestead. He looked at Roje Lars, and figured that his mother must've remarried. 'What happened to my father?' Of course deep in his heart, he really didn't care. Roje was a tall man, almost as tall as Qui Gon; he had to duck, to enter the homestead.
"Owen, get our guest some water." Roje commanded his son, as they entered the home, Owen reluctantly went to the kitchen.
Obi Wan looked around the house, he noticed holopics of the family, and he smiled a sad smile to himself. 'Gods, how my life would be different if I lived here.' Roje slipped behind a curtain that separated the rooms, and told Obi Wan to make himself at home. Obi Wan sat on the couch, and waited for some company, it came in the form of Owen, who shoved the glass of water in Obi Wan's face.
"Thank you." Obi Wan said politely.
"So, what's the deal with you?" Owen asked, sitting in a chair across from Obi Wan.
"I'm sorry?"
"You're a Jedi right?"
"Well I will be someday." Obi Wan took a sip of the cool liquid.
"How did they know you were a Jedi?" Owen asked, very curious.
"They can sense that I'm force sensitive, because of the midi clorians."
"Midi clorians?" Owen looked confused.
"Don't worry about it, it's hard to explain." Obi Wan took another sip.
"So you think I won't understand or something." Owen became defensive.
"No, I didn't say that."
"But that's what you meant. You think you're better than me, just because you are a Jedi?" Anger became apparent in Owen's voice.
"No, brother I would never think that." Obi Wan was trying to avoid a fistfight.
"Don't call me brother! Since when have you been apart of this family?"
"It wasn't my choice to leave Owen!" Now Obi Wan became defensive.
"You've had everything given to you, you don't understand what I've been through, what she's been through...what you put her through." Tears streamed down Owen's cheeks.
"Owen, believe me you don't want to compare suffering right now."
"Oh so now you think you've suffered more than us, just because you are a Jedi!"
Obi Wan was ready to smack this boy for what he was saying, but he knew that wouldn't solve anything. He used his training, and calmed himself.
"She's always loved you more! And you were never even here!" Owen was still ranting.
Obi Wan opened his eyes. 'Gods, that's what this is about.' He put a hand on Owen's shoulder. "I'm sorry that you feel you need to be jealous. I didn't know that I even had a family Owen, please forgive my rudeness."
They were interrupted by another presence in the room; Roje cleared his throat.
"Obi Wan? She's ready to see you."
Obi Wan swallowed hard, he didn't know what to expect. He made his way to the curtain. Before entering the room, he called upon the force for help, and then entered. He found himself in a dimly lit room, with a large bed in the center. Under a mountain of blankets, he saw a frail looking woman, who was staring at her visitor in disbelief. Obi Wan jumped when her coughing broke the silence.
"Mother?" He spoke in a very soft tone.
"Obi Wan? My son?" She spoke in a weak tone. "Could it be?"
"Yes mother, it's me." He looked at the woman, she looked just like the woman who took him from the temple, and this made him nervous. "How are you feeling?" He asked lamely, due to lack of anything else to say.
"I'm dying little one." She said as she coughed again.
Obi Wan felt tears coming to his eyes, he didn't understand why, because he didn't know this woman; and yet, he shared a bond with her. "No." He said like a lost child.
She reached out her hand to him, he took it. "My gods, you are so beautiful." She said, beaming with pride. She coughed again, Obi Wan could see the blood spots on her pillowcase, and this broke his heart into a million pieces. "I'm so sorry my son, I wasn't strong enough to protect you from him."
Obi Wan stroked her hair. "Shhhh."
"I prayed that someone would rescue you, and then that Jedi burst through the door." She coughed again. "But when you were gone, I hated him for taking you."
"Mother please, don't hate Qui Gon, he's been my father for many years now."
Nynal shook her head. "I'm not angry at him for saving you...I just wish that I could've seen you grow up." She put a hand on his cheek. "You're almost a man now, and a Jedi at that. I'm so proud to be your mother."
Tears escaped from Obi Wan's eyes. "I love you mom." He leaned his head on her shoulder and cried.
"You have no idea how much I longed to hear those words uttered from you." She said as she stroked his hair. "I love you so much, my Ben."
Obi Wan kissed her cheek, and moved some hair out of her face. They sat in silence for a long moment, and then she fell asleep.
Obi Wan walked out of the room, and found Roje sitting on the couch. Obi Wan sat next to him. "What's wrong with her?" He asked, whipping a stray tear.
"She has problems with her lungs, due to the sand on this planet." Roje's words were choked with pain. "It's my fault, because I brought her here."
Obi Wan put a reassuring hand on the older man's shoulder. "Blaming yourself will not solve anything."
Owen came back into the room, and sat in his chair. "Will you be leaving us now?" Roje asked Obi Wan.
"Yes, I have to get back to the temple." Obi Wan answered.
"You're leaving us?" Owen asked, almost in a hurt tone.
"Yes Owen, my destiny lies on another path."
"So now that you come to see her, you're just going to leave her like that." Owen began to get angry.
"Owen, there's nothing I can do for her." Obi Wan insisted. "I really wish there was."
"You Jedi are worthless, you know that?" With that Owen ran out of the room.
Roje turned to Obi Wan. "I'm sorry about that, he's taking this really hard."
Obi Wan nodded. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here."