The Bounty Huntress
When Memories Awaken
Children were laughing still and Sim was laughing hardest of all. Obi- Wan raised up quickly gasping. He had been dreaming. Dreaming of Sim and Orion. It was late afternoon now, he could tell that much, but his vision was still bad. A horrible taste in his mouth almost made him retch more. He put his feet on the floor before he remembered and then was relieved to see someone had cleaned his mess for him.
'The bounty hunter.' he thought. 'Never!'
"Why can't I see!" he griped to himself.
The door burst open and Sim came running in with a group of children behind her.
"He's awake. Oh, nayaka tobeelio." she said. "Gatay, gatay." The children ran out. Obi-Wan was startled to realize that it was Sim, could those have been her children?
"Where am I?" Obi-Wan asked. He felt uncertain, off-balance. He could only just make out Sim's figure, but he knew it was her.
"After all these years, no hello, how are you?" she laughed. "Still all business Obi-Wan?" She stood before him, her hands on her hips.
"I can't find my lightsaber." he responded. Sim crossed over to a table and picked it up. She returned to his side and placed it carefully in his hand.
"You're on the planet Malorea, Obi-Wan. I know you can't see well. I want you to eat first. Then we'll visit the village elder. She's been working on an antidote of sorts. Most of the poison is out of your system now. I think you just need a cleansing agent to clear any residue in your blood stream. Allright?" All of this was said softly and Sim had held on to Obi-Wan's hands. He nodded his head.
"The bounty hunter?"
"He's gone."
"Orion?" There was a pause.
"Obi-Wan," Sim said tightening her grip on his hands, "Orion is dead. Please, let's not talk of it now. I want you to eat first."
Obi-Wan absorbed the blow carefully before he nodded his head. But in his mind all he could think was that it seemed impossible, no matter the number of years that had passed. 'Orion, dead? No, no, no!' went on and on in his mind.
"Please Obi-Wan, you've been through so much. Don't think on it now. Just come, eat. Then we'll see Dhalatya."
Obi-Wan didn't think he could eat anything, but he didn't bother saying so.
***** Bail Organa sat silently next to the aged Jedi Master Yoda.
"Alive, he is." stated Yoda.
Bail felt an enormous amount of relief. He did not understand the Force, but he respected it. He knew if Yoda sensed Obi-Wan to be alive-then he believed it.
"Wait for his word, we will." Then he added cryptically. "Soon comes help our way," said the old Master. "Feel it, I do."
Bail did not question, he only hoped it was true.
"Not sure, are you?" croaked Yoda. "Sense this one, I do. Long gone, soon to be back. Help Obi-Wan, help us. Yes, yes. Destiny for this one has come at last."
*****
Sim tried to keep her feelings in check. Obi-Wan had only picked at the food she set before him. Now he held on to her arm as they walked the forest path to the village. Bird-like creatures chirped above them in trees that grew so tall they seemed almost as big as some of the transparisteel buildings of Coruscant. Obi-Wan felt weak and didn't particularly like having Sim guide him. He could only see shadows, but he definately heard the children that giggled about them.
"They think it's funny that I've brought a man that looks like me to our home." Sim said. Obi-Wan felt un-nerved slightly. Sim had always seemed to have that ability to read his thoughts though he knew it was impossible.
"What do they look like?"
"Oh, almost like a Wookie, they just don't smell as bad." Sim laughed. "They have no facial hair so they're really more human like." She paused for a moment. "I've been afraid the Imperial forces would come here, but we've been lucky so far. There's a few landing ports for spaceships on the planet; it's really isolated though. Calm, peaceful. Occasionally you might have a rogue pilot or gangster come along. The people have a way of taking care of them though."
"Is that so?"
"Yes,....., they send them to see me." Sim laughed again, looking up, trying to catch a ray of sunshine. "We should stop and rest for a moment, there's still plenty of light left yet." She pulled Obi-Wan to a stump where they could sit. "So ask me. I know you want too."
Obi-Wan thought for a moment. He did want to ask about Orion, about their life here on Malorea, about the bounty hunter. It seemed difficult to know where to start. He could sense a tension in her.
"What happened to Orion?" he finally asked. Sim bowed her head; she wiped furiously at the tears that began falling.
"What did he tell you when he left the Temple?"
Obi-Wan hadn't anticipated a question in return. The memory of that day came back now. Completely unwanted.
Children were laughing still and Sim was laughing hardest of all. Obi- Wan raised up quickly gasping. He had been dreaming. Dreaming of Sim and Orion. It was late afternoon now, he could tell that much, but his vision was still bad. A horrible taste in his mouth almost made him retch more. He put his feet on the floor before he remembered and then was relieved to see someone had cleaned his mess for him.
'The bounty hunter.' he thought. 'Never!'
"Why can't I see!" he griped to himself.
The door burst open and Sim came running in with a group of children behind her.
"He's awake. Oh, nayaka tobeelio." she said. "Gatay, gatay." The children ran out. Obi-Wan was startled to realize that it was Sim, could those have been her children?
"Where am I?" Obi-Wan asked. He felt uncertain, off-balance. He could only just make out Sim's figure, but he knew it was her.
"After all these years, no hello, how are you?" she laughed. "Still all business Obi-Wan?" She stood before him, her hands on her hips.
"I can't find my lightsaber." he responded. Sim crossed over to a table and picked it up. She returned to his side and placed it carefully in his hand.
"You're on the planet Malorea, Obi-Wan. I know you can't see well. I want you to eat first. Then we'll visit the village elder. She's been working on an antidote of sorts. Most of the poison is out of your system now. I think you just need a cleansing agent to clear any residue in your blood stream. Allright?" All of this was said softly and Sim had held on to Obi-Wan's hands. He nodded his head.
"The bounty hunter?"
"He's gone."
"Orion?" There was a pause.
"Obi-Wan," Sim said tightening her grip on his hands, "Orion is dead. Please, let's not talk of it now. I want you to eat first."
Obi-Wan absorbed the blow carefully before he nodded his head. But in his mind all he could think was that it seemed impossible, no matter the number of years that had passed. 'Orion, dead? No, no, no!' went on and on in his mind.
"Please Obi-Wan, you've been through so much. Don't think on it now. Just come, eat. Then we'll see Dhalatya."
Obi-Wan didn't think he could eat anything, but he didn't bother saying so.
***** Bail Organa sat silently next to the aged Jedi Master Yoda.
"Alive, he is." stated Yoda.
Bail felt an enormous amount of relief. He did not understand the Force, but he respected it. He knew if Yoda sensed Obi-Wan to be alive-then he believed it.
"Wait for his word, we will." Then he added cryptically. "Soon comes help our way," said the old Master. "Feel it, I do."
Bail did not question, he only hoped it was true.
"Not sure, are you?" croaked Yoda. "Sense this one, I do. Long gone, soon to be back. Help Obi-Wan, help us. Yes, yes. Destiny for this one has come at last."
*****
Sim tried to keep her feelings in check. Obi-Wan had only picked at the food she set before him. Now he held on to her arm as they walked the forest path to the village. Bird-like creatures chirped above them in trees that grew so tall they seemed almost as big as some of the transparisteel buildings of Coruscant. Obi-Wan felt weak and didn't particularly like having Sim guide him. He could only see shadows, but he definately heard the children that giggled about them.
"They think it's funny that I've brought a man that looks like me to our home." Sim said. Obi-Wan felt un-nerved slightly. Sim had always seemed to have that ability to read his thoughts though he knew it was impossible.
"What do they look like?"
"Oh, almost like a Wookie, they just don't smell as bad." Sim laughed. "They have no facial hair so they're really more human like." She paused for a moment. "I've been afraid the Imperial forces would come here, but we've been lucky so far. There's a few landing ports for spaceships on the planet; it's really isolated though. Calm, peaceful. Occasionally you might have a rogue pilot or gangster come along. The people have a way of taking care of them though."
"Is that so?"
"Yes,....., they send them to see me." Sim laughed again, looking up, trying to catch a ray of sunshine. "We should stop and rest for a moment, there's still plenty of light left yet." She pulled Obi-Wan to a stump where they could sit. "So ask me. I know you want too."
Obi-Wan thought for a moment. He did want to ask about Orion, about their life here on Malorea, about the bounty hunter. It seemed difficult to know where to start. He could sense a tension in her.
"What happened to Orion?" he finally asked. Sim bowed her head; she wiped furiously at the tears that began falling.
"What did he tell you when he left the Temple?"
Obi-Wan hadn't anticipated a question in return. The memory of that day came back now. Completely unwanted.