The field would be ready for cultivation in the next two days. After that, farming, and a steady supply of food.
/Hopefully/.
The cities were slowly being cleaned up, which was a big part of all the dust covering even the few things that /hadn't/ been bombed out. Obi-Wan was surveying the workers as they cleaned up for the day; the red-orange sun was dipping lower on the horizon, and the whole planet seemed exhausted. And inspiring.
He was so deep in his musings that he didn't notice the conversation behind him - or Nield's attempts to involve him in it - until the older man not-so gently shook him. "One of those Jedi things or are you just bored?" Nield half-teased.
Obi-Wan shook his head, trying in vain to remember what was said. His friends took pity on him. "It's Coruscant," one explained. "It's the Republic, you mean," another growled.
He frowned. "What do you mean?" he looked uneasily at each of the grimy faces. "What have they done /now/?"
"They're falling apart." Nield shrugged. "Apparently, it was bound to happen. But way out here, we only get the results." the group fell into a foreboding silence, which only made Obi-Wan's worst suspicions grow.
He sensed Cerasi a moment before her arms wrapped around him in a tense, almost shaky embrace. "Oh Obi-Wan, I'm so sorry," she whispered.
The others carefully avoided his eyes. Cerasi noticed and glared at Nield. "You haven't told him?"
"They did..." Obi-Wan began, but paused, confused. "Seemingly not all of it."
Cerasi glowered at the group a moment longer, before allowing compassion and concern back into her expression as she turned back. "It's the Jedi, Obi-Wan. They've been replaced."
"What?"
Cerasi winced and tried to amend her words. "It began a while ago, when they started to refuse to come back from their missions." at his look, she poured all of her conviction into "Not like you did..." but even from her, it sounded hollow. She scowled at him.
"What?"
"This is /not/ your fault. /Look/ at me." She nodded after she was convinced he would listen to at least some of what she had to say. "No one here can know what they're thinking. There is no reason why they would start doing this because of you, after twelve years."
"How do you replace Jedi?" he asked softly. No one said a word. He desperately looked at the petite red-headed woman in front of him. "All of them...left?"
"No," she assured him, but grudgingly went on, "Except after the Republic cut them out of the picture."
"What now? Where are they?"
"I don't know." Cerasi looked at the others, hoping for an answer.
"Once the new guys came, all Jedi were taken offa Coruscant." Genha mumbled.
"Probably back to their home planets," Cerasi told him, trying to be encouraging. "You told me that's what happened to Pada-Jedis who didn't get teachers." His hand tightened and relaxed, in and out of a fist. "Obi-Wan?"
Nield led his crew away. Cerasi watched as they slipped inside the common-house, a large apartment building they had renovated to keep people sheltered while real houses were being constructed.
The sky darkened from golden red to purple, and the shifting dust hid all but the brightest stars. Obi-Wan had long since stopped searching for the star that Coruscant circled.
Cerasi watched as he lost himself in thought, or maybe in searching for his connection to the Force.
"So Qui-Gon was taken as well." he sounded vague, but she knew him well enough to sense the undercurrents of dismay and fear.
"Probably," she answered as gently as possible. "But he was..." Obi-Wan shook his head and she fell silent again. "What are you going to do?"
"The only thing I can do." His voice was oddly strangled, as if he were determined if the words came out, the tears never would. He met her crystalline green eyes, seeking support. "I'll stay here."