In the midst of the beauty, Ben stood in the Alderan throne room. He gave a
polite bow to the king as he gave the room a final glance. Beautiful was an
understatement. Golden, flowing curtains graced the many windows.
Chandeliers, golden with sparkling jewels, hung all around the room.
Everything within the room held golden and jeweled accents. The marble
floor made the room seem more like a ballroom than a throne room.
"Ben, you will be missed greatly. Before you leave us, I just want you to know how deep our gratitude is for you. You risked everything for our little kingdom. My queen and I have thought of you as the noble son we longed to have. If you should ever return, the people shall hold you with such a respect as though you were the prince of Alderan." King Organa stated.
"Thank you, sie." Ben replied.
"You will come back, won't you?" the king asked.
"Of course! I can't tell you when since the Empire loves to send me all over on these diplomatic missions, but I shall return one day. Alderan has become like a home to me..." Ben said, but his voice trailed off a bit as his mind drifted into memories.
It had been so long since he'd had a true home. He left his family when he was quite young to begin his training. Since then, he had been sent all around the galaxy and back again. He stayed on Naboo awhile, but it didn't feel like home. He always felt like Amidala's esteemed guest. However, he risked everything for Alderan and in return, Alderan welcomed him with open arms.
"This will always be a home for you then, and you'll always be treated like our son." the king stated.
Ben forced a smile, yet somehow those words stung. Qui-Gon had been the closest thing to a father he'd had for so long, and it ended in a bitter betrayal. Still, the Organas' feelings were sincere. It was hard for him to believe that, but he still forced a smile. Acceptance of the fact would come in time, he supposed.
Before Ben could speak again, Queen Organa entered the room. Her long, white dress was a gorgeous sight indeed. Long red tresses hung down gracefully to the middle of her back. Her crown was adorned in various jewels. Upon standing next to the king, she made him look rather plain.
"Dearest Ben, we have a gift for you before you go." she stated in her soft- spoken tone.
"But a gift truly isn't necessary." Ben said, feeling a little guilty for receiving something he knew would be just as glorious as everything else on Alderan.
"You risked everything for us. It's the least we can do." the king stated.
"Well, it's still not necessary, but if you really insist-" Ben stated.
"Splendid! Come, let us show you!" the queen said cheerfully.
Ben followed the royal couple throughout the palace. He hated that it would be his last tour through the place for a long time. Still, his gray-blue eyes took in the wonder of it all one last time in order to create a proper memory to hang on to. They walked down the eleborately decorated hallways and spiral, marble staircases until they finally reached the hanger. There were a few royal star ships with limited weapons which the Organas used for their diplomatic missions. However, in the back of the hanger there was a new one - a small tie-fighter painted a dark, shimmering blue. Ben stared in awe. He was used to flying whatever was availible to him, but never before had he had one just for himself.
"We knew you'd be sent on other missions, and we hated to think of you stuck in some little Empire Y-wing. As a Captain, you deserve something much better." King Organa said.
"This is really too much... I've never had a fighter of my own. I've never really owned any sort of flying device." he said.
"Well, there's a first time for everything then, son." the king stated with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"We've had the servants pack your things inside. It's ready to leave whenever you are." the queen said softly.
"Oh, I shall never be ready to leave, but.. I know I must. I will miss you both greatly." he said with another polite bow.
"We'll miss you too, my dear Ben." the queen whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"You best be off then, son." the king said.
"I suppose so," Ben said as he walked toward his ship, "Goodbye, I shall return whenever the Empire permits me to do so. Thank you so much for everything!"
Goodbyes were spoken as Ben boarded his ship and took off into the Alderan sky. Although he was sad to go, there were other things that gave him enough joy to feel like a little boy at Christmas. His new ship was a glorious one, clearly designed with him in mind. Soon, he would be back on Naboo and in the arms of his beautiful queen Amidala. Even though he had to have the jedi-confrontation with the Emperor, nothing could go wrong as long as he was with his beloved Amidala. It had been a year since he'd seen the love of his life. They had talked back-and-forth, whenever time permitted it, but it simply wasn't the same. Days were so long and nights were so cold without his little queen.
His mind was delighted by piloting the ship and thinking about Amidala. Everything was great for Ben Kenobi. For once, Ben was happy with his life. He was a Captain in the Imperial Army with a new home and family on Alderan, a beautiful girlfriend on Naboo, and a glorious new ship. At least he made himself think he was happy. Something was missing; he couldn't deny that. Whenever he clicked on his new lightsabre, that missing something tried to appear, but before it could appear, he would click it off and make it vanish away. But it was never gone. Something lingered in his heart, but he ignored it. Perhaps Obi-Wan wasn't dead after-all, but Ben's heart was too cold to keep Obi-Wan alive all the time. Pity.
Wandering thoughts helped the time pass. Soon he landed his ship in the hanger of the Naboo palace. With a bright smile, he exited the ship and entered the palace. Nothing had really changed inside. He began to wander in search of the queen, but stopped suddenly when his gray-blue eyes spotted her in the middle of a meeting. She was adorned in one of Naboo's intricate costumes and surrounded by her usual group of handmaidens. The appropiate members of her government were seated in a semi-circle in front of her. They stood and shook hands. Apparently the meeting was drawing to a close.
"Your majesty," a handmaiden whispered.
"Yes?" Amidala replied.
"I believe someone else is here to see you," the handmaiden whispered with a bright smile once the governmental members had exited the scene.
Amidala gave the handmaiden a perplexed glance. She didn't have any other meetings scheduled for the day. She turned and suddenly her inner child gave a squeal of delight.
"Ob- Ben! You've come back!" she said cheerfully. She wanted to run to him, but her complex costume wouldn't allow her to do so. Still, it didn't matter, for Ben had rushed to her side the very moment his presence was recognized. He embraced the young queen and lightly brushed his lips against hers.
"Of course," he said, "I promised you I would return."
"Why didn't you tell me? I would've arranged for a parade or something..." she said.
"Because I wanted it to be a surprise, my silly little queen." he said with another bright smile, "I want to hear about everything I've missed. What was that meeting about? It looked serious."
"Oh, um, it was about.. building a new canal. Yes, a canal. The people love the one outside the palace so much that they'd like another." she said.
"Oh? That's lovely then." he said.
Oh but if only he knew what they'd really been discussing. It was quite clear to the Emperor, the Naboo governmental members, and the people of Naboo that the young queen had become quite close to Ben Kenobi. It simply wasn't proper for a queen to engage in a flirtatious relationship for so long without a ring being placed upon her finger. They interrogated her about a proposal. It would only be proper if they were to be married. Still, she couldn't bring up that subject with Ben. He didn't seem to be the marrying sort anyways. Although she wouldn't mind being his sweet, little wife, she wasn't sure how he'd feel about it. He'd be giving up his life to be tied to the royal life of Naboo.
"Thinking about something, dear?" he asked.
"Oh, no.. it's just been a busy day, that's all." she said, forcing a smile for him.
"Then tell me all about it," he said.
[Look, a happy Obi/Ben chapter. Aren't we all amazed? Well, this will be one of the few happy ones. I had to let the boy have one happy chapter. The rest is going to be filled with Obi/Ben angst. Hopefully I'll have the next Qui/Annie chapter up tonite. We shall see. Please review! Thanks!]
"Ben, you will be missed greatly. Before you leave us, I just want you to know how deep our gratitude is for you. You risked everything for our little kingdom. My queen and I have thought of you as the noble son we longed to have. If you should ever return, the people shall hold you with such a respect as though you were the prince of Alderan." King Organa stated.
"Thank you, sie." Ben replied.
"You will come back, won't you?" the king asked.
"Of course! I can't tell you when since the Empire loves to send me all over on these diplomatic missions, but I shall return one day. Alderan has become like a home to me..." Ben said, but his voice trailed off a bit as his mind drifted into memories.
It had been so long since he'd had a true home. He left his family when he was quite young to begin his training. Since then, he had been sent all around the galaxy and back again. He stayed on Naboo awhile, but it didn't feel like home. He always felt like Amidala's esteemed guest. However, he risked everything for Alderan and in return, Alderan welcomed him with open arms.
"This will always be a home for you then, and you'll always be treated like our son." the king stated.
Ben forced a smile, yet somehow those words stung. Qui-Gon had been the closest thing to a father he'd had for so long, and it ended in a bitter betrayal. Still, the Organas' feelings were sincere. It was hard for him to believe that, but he still forced a smile. Acceptance of the fact would come in time, he supposed.
Before Ben could speak again, Queen Organa entered the room. Her long, white dress was a gorgeous sight indeed. Long red tresses hung down gracefully to the middle of her back. Her crown was adorned in various jewels. Upon standing next to the king, she made him look rather plain.
"Dearest Ben, we have a gift for you before you go." she stated in her soft- spoken tone.
"But a gift truly isn't necessary." Ben said, feeling a little guilty for receiving something he knew would be just as glorious as everything else on Alderan.
"You risked everything for us. It's the least we can do." the king stated.
"Well, it's still not necessary, but if you really insist-" Ben stated.
"Splendid! Come, let us show you!" the queen said cheerfully.
Ben followed the royal couple throughout the palace. He hated that it would be his last tour through the place for a long time. Still, his gray-blue eyes took in the wonder of it all one last time in order to create a proper memory to hang on to. They walked down the eleborately decorated hallways and spiral, marble staircases until they finally reached the hanger. There were a few royal star ships with limited weapons which the Organas used for their diplomatic missions. However, in the back of the hanger there was a new one - a small tie-fighter painted a dark, shimmering blue. Ben stared in awe. He was used to flying whatever was availible to him, but never before had he had one just for himself.
"We knew you'd be sent on other missions, and we hated to think of you stuck in some little Empire Y-wing. As a Captain, you deserve something much better." King Organa said.
"This is really too much... I've never had a fighter of my own. I've never really owned any sort of flying device." he said.
"Well, there's a first time for everything then, son." the king stated with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"We've had the servants pack your things inside. It's ready to leave whenever you are." the queen said softly.
"Oh, I shall never be ready to leave, but.. I know I must. I will miss you both greatly." he said with another polite bow.
"We'll miss you too, my dear Ben." the queen whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"You best be off then, son." the king said.
"I suppose so," Ben said as he walked toward his ship, "Goodbye, I shall return whenever the Empire permits me to do so. Thank you so much for everything!"
Goodbyes were spoken as Ben boarded his ship and took off into the Alderan sky. Although he was sad to go, there were other things that gave him enough joy to feel like a little boy at Christmas. His new ship was a glorious one, clearly designed with him in mind. Soon, he would be back on Naboo and in the arms of his beautiful queen Amidala. Even though he had to have the jedi-confrontation with the Emperor, nothing could go wrong as long as he was with his beloved Amidala. It had been a year since he'd seen the love of his life. They had talked back-and-forth, whenever time permitted it, but it simply wasn't the same. Days were so long and nights were so cold without his little queen.
His mind was delighted by piloting the ship and thinking about Amidala. Everything was great for Ben Kenobi. For once, Ben was happy with his life. He was a Captain in the Imperial Army with a new home and family on Alderan, a beautiful girlfriend on Naboo, and a glorious new ship. At least he made himself think he was happy. Something was missing; he couldn't deny that. Whenever he clicked on his new lightsabre, that missing something tried to appear, but before it could appear, he would click it off and make it vanish away. But it was never gone. Something lingered in his heart, but he ignored it. Perhaps Obi-Wan wasn't dead after-all, but Ben's heart was too cold to keep Obi-Wan alive all the time. Pity.
Wandering thoughts helped the time pass. Soon he landed his ship in the hanger of the Naboo palace. With a bright smile, he exited the ship and entered the palace. Nothing had really changed inside. He began to wander in search of the queen, but stopped suddenly when his gray-blue eyes spotted her in the middle of a meeting. She was adorned in one of Naboo's intricate costumes and surrounded by her usual group of handmaidens. The appropiate members of her government were seated in a semi-circle in front of her. They stood and shook hands. Apparently the meeting was drawing to a close.
"Your majesty," a handmaiden whispered.
"Yes?" Amidala replied.
"I believe someone else is here to see you," the handmaiden whispered with a bright smile once the governmental members had exited the scene.
Amidala gave the handmaiden a perplexed glance. She didn't have any other meetings scheduled for the day. She turned and suddenly her inner child gave a squeal of delight.
"Ob- Ben! You've come back!" she said cheerfully. She wanted to run to him, but her complex costume wouldn't allow her to do so. Still, it didn't matter, for Ben had rushed to her side the very moment his presence was recognized. He embraced the young queen and lightly brushed his lips against hers.
"Of course," he said, "I promised you I would return."
"Why didn't you tell me? I would've arranged for a parade or something..." she said.
"Because I wanted it to be a surprise, my silly little queen." he said with another bright smile, "I want to hear about everything I've missed. What was that meeting about? It looked serious."
"Oh, um, it was about.. building a new canal. Yes, a canal. The people love the one outside the palace so much that they'd like another." she said.
"Oh? That's lovely then." he said.
Oh but if only he knew what they'd really been discussing. It was quite clear to the Emperor, the Naboo governmental members, and the people of Naboo that the young queen had become quite close to Ben Kenobi. It simply wasn't proper for a queen to engage in a flirtatious relationship for so long without a ring being placed upon her finger. They interrogated her about a proposal. It would only be proper if they were to be married. Still, she couldn't bring up that subject with Ben. He didn't seem to be the marrying sort anyways. Although she wouldn't mind being his sweet, little wife, she wasn't sure how he'd feel about it. He'd be giving up his life to be tied to the royal life of Naboo.
"Thinking about something, dear?" he asked.
"Oh, no.. it's just been a busy day, that's all." she said, forcing a smile for him.
"Then tell me all about it," he said.
[Look, a happy Obi/Ben chapter. Aren't we all amazed? Well, this will be one of the few happy ones. I had to let the boy have one happy chapter. The rest is going to be filled with Obi/Ben angst. Hopefully I'll have the next Qui/Annie chapter up tonite. We shall see. Please review! Thanks!]
