Stars in the Darkness - Part Four
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Anakin hunched down, his eyes peering through the thick, dark green foliage to the thicket ahead. On both sides of him he knew the members of the Gowri hunting band were also well hidden behind the trees. For the past two days he, Obi-Wan and the Gowri had been hunting a pack of _manasa_, the fierce, deadly predators of Raggan. The pack had attacked some Gowri females who had been gathering herbs near the village. One of the females had been killed, three others wounded.
The wind, which was thick with the piney scent of the trees was, fortunately, blowing towards Anakin and the hunting band, so the _manasa_ could not smell them. Nigal, chief of the Green River tribe, had warned Obi- Wan and Anakin that the pack that attacked the Gowri women was led by a female they called the Old One. She was aged, but she was also cunning and vicious. The hunting party had finally tracked the Old One and her pack's spoor to Red Top Mountain. Obi-Wan and Nigal had scouted around and discovered a cave hidden behind the copse of trees ahead.
Anakin glanced over at Meeko. Like all Gowri males, he had leathery brown skin and a wide, powerful chest. His flat-featured face was covered with short, dark hair and his long pointed ears twitched eagerly. Over the two weeks Anakin and Obi-Wan had been on Raggan, the young Jedi had become especially close to Meeko. Maybe because, in Gowri age, Meeko was the closest to Anakin's and, like him, was considered something of a novice, an apprentice so to speak, to the older, more experienced hunters.
Meeko grinned at Anakin, his round tawny eyes glittering in the darkness of the tress. His long, gray stone blowpipe was in his hand, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Anakin also carried a blowpipe and, like Meeko, was dressed only in a dark green loincloth. His body had been painted by the Gowri females to help him blend in with the trees. Anakin grinned back at Meeko, then shifted his gaze over to where he could just make out Obi-Wan as he and Nigal moved silently through the trees. Like Anakin, Obi-Wan wore only a loincloth, his body painted in swirling colors of green, black and deep brown. He also carried a stone blowpipe.
When Obi-Wan, once they had departed from Nida on a transport, told Anakin they were going to make a stop at Raggan, Anakin had been surprised. The planet was a remote world located just on the edge of Hutt Space. It had no industry nor large cities. It was a protected world, one of the few the Republic had set aside as forbidden for any kind of industrialization or exploitation, therefore it was lush, wild and dangerous. The Jedi were allowed to visit it and use it for survival training. Obi-Wan had brought Anakin to Raggan when he was ten. The two had spent three weeks here, with Obi-Wan often leaving Anakin alone for days on end so that he could learn to survive on his own. It had been a frightening and exhilarating experience.
Therefore, Anakin had looked forward to returning to Raggan and its inhabitants, the Gowri. Living totally without technology of any kind, the Gowri had fascinated Anakin. Although they had kept pretty much to themselves when Obi-Wan and Anakin were here for his survival training, Anakin knew Obi-Wan had a close relationship with Nigal, leader of the Green River Tribe. Though how or when that relationship had developed, Anakin had no clue. But, he thought, as the wind picked up a bit and dried the sweat on his face, his master knew lots of different kinds of people. Take that so-called chef back on Coruscant, the Besalik Dexter Jettster. Who would have thought someone like Obi-Wan would not only know, but be close friends with such a person. But he was.
As for why Obi-Wan had decided to delay his and Anakin's return to Coruscant by stopping off on Raggan, Anakin had noted that since hearing the news Onara was a Senator, Obi-Wan had become quieter and more withdrawn. Not in a negative way, but in a way that signaled he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Two years ago, Anakin would have been hurt by his master's withdrawal, taking it as a sign he had disappointed him in some way, but since Obi-Wan's return from his retreat on Bestine, he had become more open with Anakin. Therefore, he had respected his master's need to be alone, knowing that if and when Obi-Wan wished to share his thoughts with Anakin, he would.
He then heard the soft, low whistle from Obi-Wan signaling he and his group of Gowri were about to advance. Glancing over at Meeko, who grinned even wider, his sharp yellow teeth seeming to glow in his dark face, the two moved forward, their blowpipes at the ready. At first Anakin had balked at the idea of hunting the _manasa_ with only blowpipes, but Obi-Wan had made it clear the Gowri forbade the use of any kind of technology in their hunts. They didn't consider it, and the edge of Obi-Wan's mouth had quirked up, sporting.
However, once Anakin had used the blowpipe a few times, practicing on pieces of fruit, he had learned to appreciate the skill with which one had to use it. Now, as he and Meeko moved forward he made sure the woven pouch that contained his poisoned darts hung at his waist. He also had to admit it felt pretty good moving through the forest, his feet bare, his body unclothed except for the loincloth. Not that he didn't like his Jedi clothing, especially since he had designed his outfit himself, but he felt closer to the earth this way. Not only did his skin blend in with the trees and brush around him as result of his painted on camouflage, but so did his thoughts. He felt himself sinking into what the Jedi called the Living Force, his mind becoming green and dark and damp like the ground upon which he moved.
As the Force flowed through Anakin, he tried to detect if the _manasa_ were near, but he couldn't tell if they were in the cave or someplace else. He saw Obi-Wan moving closer up on his right. His master's beard was speckled with tiny bits of the golden leaves from the _anica_ tress. The Gowri had approved of Obi-Wan's beard, but had made fun of Anakin for not having one. Obi-Wan later told him they didn't consider Anakin civilized since he was beardless. Now, as Anakin moved closer to the cave, his blowpipe at the ready, he wondered if he should try to grow one.
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, Anakin heard the high-pitched scream of the _manasa_. It sent a chill down his spine for it sounded unnervingly like that of a woman. Looking to his right, he saw a black shape streaking through the trees. Anakin swiftly inserted darts into his blowpipe and blew them at the shape. The _manasa_ screeched as the darts hit its side. It flew past where Obi-Wan and the other Gowri were, crashing into a tree.
Another high-pitched scream followed another, and soon the area around Anakin and the others was filled with _manasa_ The two Jedi and the Gowri were surrounded. But, Anakin knew the Gowri had been hunting the _manasa_ for thousands of years and were not easily cowered, and Anakin and his master, although they were not using their lightsabers, were quite capable of holding their own. As a _manasa_ tumbled next to Anakin, darks quivering in its chest, he happened to glance over and saw a sight that made his mouth go dry.
Obi-Wan, who was helping one of the Gowri who had been wounded, didn't see the _manasa_ slinking along a branch just over his head. Most of the pack were dead, but this one, its fur frosted with white, could only be the Old One, the wily _manasa_ female Chief Nigal had warned them about. As Anakin raced towards his master, the Old One, with a growl, launched herself at Obi-Wan's back.
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Sinja-Bau, dressed in a long, ivory-colored sleep gown, sat on a green meditation cushion, her legs crossed in front of her, her hands resting lightly on her knees. During her long years of madness, she had been too lost in the firestorm that was her insanity to ever find the peace she needed to meditate, but when her sanity, along with her ability to use the Force, was restored to her two years ago, not a night had gone by when she did not take time to meditate before retiring for the night.
As she drifted within the formlessness that was her meditation, a part of her observed that before she had gone mad, her metaphorical conception of the Force had been like that of many; a great river of energy, moving through body and spirit. But, once she was sane again, Sinja-Bau's perception of the Force changed. In her meditation the Force drifted down through her mind like snow, a gentle sifting of millions of tiny flakes until, once she reached the apex of her meditation, her mind was an empty, white field of peace, with no division between earth and sky. Pristine, serene, tranquil.
Now, however, Sinja-Bau felt a disturbance in the Force which troubled her meditation. She immediately reached out to Ben, fearing he was, perhaps, having a nightmare. But, as she gently touched his mind, he was deeply asleep, dreaming, she imagined with a wry smile, of fighting star-dragons and dark lords alongside his hero, Obi-Wan. Pulling away from Ben's mind, she reached out further. Then she sighed heavily. Rising from her cushion, she drew on a light pink satin robe and, sitting in a chair, her white hair flowing across her shoulders, waited for her visitor.
Even before the knock came, Sinja-Bau called out. "Come in, Onara."
The door opened and Onara peeked around it, her dark eyes wide. Sinja-Bau smiled at her and gestured for her to enter.
"Please forgive me, Sinja-Bau," Onara said in a soft voice. "I know it's late but---"
"You could not sleep," Sinja-Bau finished, smiling warmly. "You know you are always welcome to come and see me."
Onara nodded, but Sinja-Bau could see in her eyes she still felt guilty for having disturbed her. Over the past two years, the relationship between the ex-Jedi and the young woman had blossomed until it could only be defined as that of a mother and daughter. Onara, who had never known her mother, she having died soon after giving birth to Onara, and Sinja-Bau never having had a child of her own, had both filled a need in the other. Sinja-Bau had become more than just Ben's nanny and teacher. She was Onara's surrogate mother.
Onara moved further into the room. She was wearing a lavender sleep gown, her black hair somewhat tousled as it tumbled over her slender shoulders. She looked, to Sinja-Bau, like some fairy-tale princess who had just awoken from a centuries-long sleep. Except, no princess in a story would have such haunted eyes. As Onara came towards her, Sinja-Bau expected her to take one of the chairs next to her but, instead, the young woman ran over and, falling to the floor at Sinja-Bau's feet, put her head on the older woman's knees and began to weep. Sinja-Bau put her hand on Onara's hair and stroked it.
"What is it, little one?" she asked gently.
"I...I feel so terrible, Sinja-Bau," Onara sobbed, her face pressed tight against Sinja-Bau's thigh, her tears soaking the robe she was wearing.
"Why do you feel terrible?"
Onara raised her head and looked up at Sinja-Bau, her dark eyes swimming with her tears. "Dalan cried in my arms tonight."
Sinja-Bau nodded, but said nothing, waiting for Onara to go on. The younger woman wiped at her face.
"After we had made love, he began to cry. He hasn't cried since the day we lost the baby. I asked him what was wrong. He said...he said he was afraid. Afraid of losing me."
Again, Sinja-Bau remained silent. She had made it a point not to interfere in Onara's marriage to Dalan, recognizing the political need for it, but she had been concerned about it. No good could come of a marriage where one person loved someone who loved another.
"I tried to reassure him he would not, but I couldn't say the words." Onara bit her lip and looked sorrowfully up at Sinja-Bau. "When I'm with Dalan, I think of Obi-Wan," she confessed, her cheeks coloring. "I know I shouldn't. I know it's wrong and it's not fair to Dalan. He's been so good and so kind, and he's taken Ben to heart as if he were his own son. And there are not many Ahjane men who would have done so. Especially since Ben was conceived during a blessing ceremony. And how do I repay his kindness? By imagining I'm with another man." Onara fiercely shook her head. "No, it's even worse than that. By hoping and praying that when I go to Coruscant, I will see that man. I'm a terrible, selfish person, Sinja-Bau!"
Sinja-Bau cupped Onara's face between her hands, stroking her tear-stained cheeks. "No, you are not. You're just a human being, subject to the same doubts and temptations and failings we all have. You married a man you did not love so that your son would have a father and you could help the people of your world. You let go of the man you did love so that he would remain whole in his spirit. I don't think a selfish person would have done such things. But, you are right, it's not fair to Dalan to treat him so."
Onara nodded. "I know," she whispered, her voice filled with tears. "I've tried so hard to love him. I truly have. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so happy. Not only because I longed for another child, but because I hoped it would make things easier for us. But then we lost the baby. And, I fear, even if she had lived..." and Onara stopped for a moment, swallowing heavily..."it would not have changed my feelings for Obi-Wan. Oh, Sinja- Bau, I love him! I love him so much. And I miss him so. And every time I look at Ben, I see him. And it hurts. It hurts so much!"
"I know it does, dear, I know," Sinja-Bau said soothingly.
Onara wept again, and Sinja-Bau stroked her hair and, through the Force, sent her waves of gentle comfort. Soon, Onara's tears subsided. She lifted her reddened, swollen face to Sinja-Bau.
"After Dalan finished crying," she said softly, "he finally went to sleep. But I couldn't sleep. I just lay there and watched him. And I realized that, no matter why it was done, I willingly married him. And he is my husband and I must be true to him and honor the vows we took."
Sinja-Bau listened quietly as she saw something shift in Onara's dark eyes.
"I'm going to be a good wife to him from now on," she said firmly. "And I'm going to be a good Senator for my people and a good mother to Ben. And those will be the only things in my life. Obi-Wan...Obi-Wan is the past, and I must let go of the past. I must give up my girlish dreams and become a woman now. Dalan is my husband and, although he is not Ben's father by blood, he's the only father he's known. I will, someday, tell Ben about Obi- Wan, but for now, I must...I must forget him."
Sinja-Bau stroked Onara's cheek. "That's going to be a little hard, don't you think, being on Coruscant. Obi-Wan may be away from the Temple now, but at some point he will return."
"I know, but I don't see how our paths will cross, do you? Coruscant is a big planet, filled with billions of people."
Sinja-Bau sighed. "You must do what you think best, Onara," was all she said in reply. "But, remember, the heart is a stubborn, yet fragile organ. Try to make it go in a direction it does not wish and it could break."
Onara nodded, then rose from the floor. "I understand. But, I have made my decision, and it is what is best. For all concerned. Upon the oath I took when I became Senator that I would faithfully serve my people, I now swear I will be as equally faithful to my husband."
Then Onara smiled softly, though there were still tears on her face. She leaned over and kissed the older woman on her cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for staying with us. I don't know what I would have done without you."
Sinja-Bau reached up and gave Onara a hug. "And thank you for giving me a home."
Onara pulled away. Sinja-Bau patted her arm. "Now, go to bed and get some rest. You'll be leaving early in the morning."
"Yes, Mother," Onara said teasingly, but her eyes were sparkling. Sinja- Bau's heart warmed at the word.
Onara gave her another quick kiss, then turned and left the room. Once the door had closed, Sinja-Bau released a heavy breath. It had taken all her willpower not to tell Onara of her vision. The one she'd had just before her sanity was restored to her. It was of Onara and Obi-Wan, their arms about each other as they walked through wide golden fields on a planet Sinja-Bau hadn't recognized. She had kept that vision secret for the past two years, and she would continue to do so, for as Master Yoda had intoned often enough that Sinja-Bau, when she was at the Temple, had thought of it as the old Jedi's mantra, always in motion was the future.
The destiny that lay before Onara and Obi-Wan was as twisted and as convoluted as a knot, and what paths would lead them to Sinja-Bau's vision or take them from it, she did not know. She only knew that it was going to very hard for Onara to hold to the vow she had just sworn to be faithful to Dalan, and Sinja-Bau feared what the consequences would be when the time came Onara broke that vow.
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Anakin inwardly groaned as still another Gowri female walked over to him where he sat with the Gowri hunters and Obi-Wan around the village fire. A wooden bowl full of _manasa_ meat was in her hands. She bowed to him, then placed the bowl next to the dozen other bowls that surrounded him. He nodded to her, smiling, but trying not to get sick from the now overpowering smell of the cooked meat.
He looked over to where Obi-Wan was sitting next to Nigal and noted the laughing light in his master's eyes. It was all right for him to think it funny, Anakin grumbled to himself. He wasn't being feted like a potentate because he had killed some mangy old creature. Then he saw Obi-Wan lean over and whisper something in Nigal's pointed ear. The chief nodded and raised his arms.
"You have honored Swift Shadow enough for the killing of the Old One. He asks that any more meat be shared among the tribe," the Gowri chieftain cried out.
Howls and ululations of delight rose from the tribe at Nigal's words. Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan and threw his master a silent thank you with his eyes. Obi-Wan nodded, smiling. Then he whispered something else in Nigal's ear.
The chief nodded. "Bright Blade says that his learner would like to also share the meat he has earned for killing the Old One. The young ones will go first."
Anakin watched as the Gowri children, shyly and hesitatingly, approached him. Trying not to bend too far over, for the scratches in his sides still stung, Anakin passed them some of the bowls of steaming meat. The children took the bowls from his hand, making noises that Anakin assumed was laughter. He smiled at them. Once the children had departed, there were only a few bowls left. Those were soon passed around until only one remained. Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan. The Jedi gestured with his hand and mouth that Anakin eat the meat.
The younger Jedi sighed. He didn't relish eating the flesh of a creature he'd killed, but he knew the Gowri expected it. He reached over and gingerly picked up a piece of the meat. He put it in his mouth. The meat was pungent, but not bad. He picked up some more pieces and popped them into his mouth. Soon the bowl was empty. One of the females gave him a bowl of cold, spring water. Drinking thirstily, Anakin washed down the meal. Then, setting the empty water bowl down, he thought to himself that it was better the Old One was inside his stomach instead of him being inside hers.
When the Old One had launched herself at Obi-Wan's unsuspecting back, Anakin had reacted purely on instinct. He had seen only that his master was in danger and that was all that had registered in his mind. The fact that he was out of darts, the fact that he did not have his lightsaber, and the fact that the _manasa_ outweighed him by 100 pounds had not mattered. All that had concerned him was that his master was about to be killed. So, using the Force to speed him across the thick undergrowth of the forest, he slammed into the Old One, pushing both the creature and himself past Obi- Wan who, Anakin saw out of the corner of his eye, had dropped and was protecting the wounded Gowri with his body when he sensed the Old One's attack.
However, once Anakin saw Obi-Wan was out of danger, he now found himself with an armful of scratching, biting, snarling, stinking _manasa_. Dimly, Anakin heard the shouts and cries of the Gowri as they ran towards him, but he knew he didn't have much time. The creature, although she was old, was fierce and struggled terribly in his arms, her sharp claws deeply scratching his chest and sides. Concentrating as hard as he could, despite the wild pounding of his heart, Anakin reached out with the Force and wrapped it around the _manasa's_ heart. Then, with a hard grunt, he mentally squeezed and, with a low, shuddering growl, the creature died.
Anakin had released his concentration and, with the creature lying heavily on him, had just lain on the ground, starring up at the blue pieces of sky that peeked through the tall tops of the trees. At first, both Obi-Wan and the Gowri had thought him dead, for he not moved nor stirred when they called his name as they rolled the Old One off him. Obi-Wan, in particular, had knelt down and, cradling Anakin's head in his arms, had called out his name in a voice that was so filled with loss and pain, it had almost made Anakin cry. Then, when Anakin had weakly answered Obi-Wan, he had been surprised and greatly touched to see tears in those blue-gray eyes.
The Gowri had quickly built a stretcher, while Obi-Wan, with the help of Nigal, used some of the herbs the Gowri carried to stop Anakin's bleeding. He had then been carried back to the tribe's village, along with the dead _manasa_ and the carcass of the Old One and, as he recovered in the hut he shared with Obi-Wan, had learned that not only had the Gowri been greatly impressed with his bare-handed killing of the Old One, they had decided that, despite the fact he was beardless, he was now one of the People and had even given him a name. Swift Shadow.
Now, as the feast honoring him, Obi-Wan and the other hunters was finally winding down, Anakin again nodded and smiled at each Gowri who passed him and bowed as they made their way to their huts. Soon, only Anakin, Obi-Wan and Nigal remained by the fire. For awhile, the only sounds was the popping and crackling of the fire and the low voices of the Gowri in their huts as they settled down to sleep. Obi-Wan, who had been staring into the fire, looked over at Anakin.
"Are you ready for bed?" he asked gently.
Anakin, although most of his wounds had healed as a result of his master's Force healing and the ministrations of the Gowri, still needed a little help walking for the pain in his sides was still sharp.
"I'd like to stay up for a bit, Master," Anakin said. He looked around at the velvet darkness of the trees surrounding them and the star-sparkled sky. "It's a beautiful night."
Obi-Wan looked up and smiled. "Yes, it is. All right, but when you're ready, let me know."
"I will, Master."
Anakin settled back on the cushions that the Gowri had given him to lay on, making himself comfortable. Then, crossing his arms over his chest, he closed his eyes. He wasn't going to sleep; he just wanted to bask in the stillness and the peace. It wasn't often he and his master got to enjoy such moments of tranquility.
For the past year and a half, since Anakin had been returned to Obi-Wan, the two Jedi had seemed to have been on mission after mission, for not only were the resources of the Jedi Order being stretched to its limits, there was more unrest and strife in the Republic. As a result, the Jedi were being called upon more and more by the Senate, and Obi-Wan and Anakin were hard pressed to find anytime where they could just relax. Then the corner of Anakin's mouth quirked up. Well, going one on one with a _manasa_ wasn't exactly restful, but it had been exhilarating.
Then he heard Obi-Wan and Nigal talking softly. At first their voices seemed to merge with the sounds of the forests that surrounded them; the soughing of the wind through the trees, the chirping and trilling of the night creatures who scuttled through the underbrush or settled in the branches of the trees, the sleepy voices of the Gowri as they drifted off to sleep. Anakin himself was dozing, but when he heard Nigal ask Obi-Wan something, although Anakin kept his eyes closed, he woke right up.
"What troubles you, Bright Blade?"
Bright Blade was the Gowri name for Obi-Wan. The name, as far as Anakin could discern, had been given to Obi-Wan long before he had ever known Anakin though, again, how or under what circumstances his master had acquired the name, he did not know. He heard Obi-Wan release a deep shuddering breath.
"It is my heart," Obi-Wan said.
"Ah," the Gowri chief said in his deep, gravely voice. "It is a female, is it not?"
Anakin was tempted to open his eyes so that he could see Obi-Wan's expression, but decided not to. But, he did hear Obi-Wan laugh softly.
"What makes you think that? I'm a Jedi Knight, remember."
Nigal snorted. "We have had this conversation before, Bright Blade. I still do not understand how your Jedi tribe can survive without mating with females so that you can bring forth younglings."
"And, as I told you before, we find children who are Force sensitive and bring them to the Temple to train."
Anakin could almost hear Nigal shaking his hairy head. "Pah! Male and female are meant to be as one so that life will come forth. The gods we worship tell us this." Then Anakin heard a pounding, as if a fist were being struck against the ground.
"The world is our Father, strong and eternal," Nigal intoned in a deep, solemn voice. "The sky is our Mother, protective and never-ending, holding all that lives in her arms, including our Father, the world. Our Mother lies atop our Father and brings forth life. That is the way it has always been and that is the way it will always be."
"Yes, that is the Gowri way," Obi-Wan agreed. "But it is not the Jedi way."
"Yet, if it is not the Jedi way," Nigal said, his voice wily, "why is your heart sad, Bright Blade?"
Obi-Wan didn't answer at first, then Anakin listened as Obi-Wan told Nigal all that had happened two years ago; meeting Onara, the blessing ceremony they had participated in, the birth of his son, and his eventual parting from Ben and Onara. After Obi-Wan was finished, for a moment, there was only silence. Then Anakin heard Nigal.
"That is very sad, Bright Blade. To have loved a female, have her bless you with a male youngling, then give her over to another, so that not only does he lie with your female, but raises your son. I do not think I could do this."
Obi-Wan didn't reply to that. Again, Anakin was tempted to open his eyes and look at his master, but he didn't need to. He could sense the pain his master was feeling.
"That is not all, Nigal," Obi-Wan finally said. "She has become a leader of her people. Soon she will go to live on the world that is my home."
"Alone?" Nigal said.
"I don't know. Perhaps."
"And you would like to see her?"
"More than that," Obi-Wan confessed, his voice tight.
Nigal sighed. Anakin heard a stick being moved through the fire and it's subsequent flaring up.
"What will you do?" the Gowri chief asked.
"I will...avoid her. I will not go to her, though I long to."
"Is that what you want, Bright Blade?"
"It is what I must do," Obi-Wan replied, but Anakin heard the heaviness in his master's voice. "I have chosen my path, as she has chosen hers."
"But you have a youngling together. That is a path that, as long as your son lives, you will always have to travel together."
"Ben does not know that I am his father."
Anakin heard Nigal sucking air through his teeth. "Oh, this I truly do not understand, Bright Blade. A youngling is a rare and precious gift."
"Yes, they are," Obi-Wan agreed.
Silence descended upon the Jedi and the Gowri. Then Anakin heard Nigal.
"You must do what you think is right, Bright Blade. That is the gift, terrible as it is, that the gods give us. To choose our own paths, no matter where they might lead us."
"It is the gift the Force gives us also," Obi-Wan said.
"I have known you a long time, my friend. You and Swift Shadow will always be welcome here. You are part of the People. I wish there was more I could do to ease this pain in your heart, but---"
"You listened," Obi-Wan said quickly. "And I thank you for that."
Anakin, who was still lying against the cushions, his eyes closed, was beginning to feel guilty for having eavesdropped on his master's conversation with Nigal, thought it had hurt him to know Obi-Wan still yearned for Onara and Ben. Since his master had returned from his retreat on Bestine, he had not spoken of them once in Anakin's presence.
He opened his eyes so that he could apologize for having listened in but, when he did, he was surprised to see Obi-Wan looking over at him, those startling blue-gray eyes gazing deep into his, and he knew that his master had known all along he'd been awake. Obi-Wan stared at him for a moment. Then he smiled, though his eyes remained sad.
To be continued...
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Anakin hunched down, his eyes peering through the thick, dark green foliage to the thicket ahead. On both sides of him he knew the members of the Gowri hunting band were also well hidden behind the trees. For the past two days he, Obi-Wan and the Gowri had been hunting a pack of _manasa_, the fierce, deadly predators of Raggan. The pack had attacked some Gowri females who had been gathering herbs near the village. One of the females had been killed, three others wounded.
The wind, which was thick with the piney scent of the trees was, fortunately, blowing towards Anakin and the hunting band, so the _manasa_ could not smell them. Nigal, chief of the Green River tribe, had warned Obi- Wan and Anakin that the pack that attacked the Gowri women was led by a female they called the Old One. She was aged, but she was also cunning and vicious. The hunting party had finally tracked the Old One and her pack's spoor to Red Top Mountain. Obi-Wan and Nigal had scouted around and discovered a cave hidden behind the copse of trees ahead.
Anakin glanced over at Meeko. Like all Gowri males, he had leathery brown skin and a wide, powerful chest. His flat-featured face was covered with short, dark hair and his long pointed ears twitched eagerly. Over the two weeks Anakin and Obi-Wan had been on Raggan, the young Jedi had become especially close to Meeko. Maybe because, in Gowri age, Meeko was the closest to Anakin's and, like him, was considered something of a novice, an apprentice so to speak, to the older, more experienced hunters.
Meeko grinned at Anakin, his round tawny eyes glittering in the darkness of the tress. His long, gray stone blowpipe was in his hand, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Anakin also carried a blowpipe and, like Meeko, was dressed only in a dark green loincloth. His body had been painted by the Gowri females to help him blend in with the trees. Anakin grinned back at Meeko, then shifted his gaze over to where he could just make out Obi-Wan as he and Nigal moved silently through the trees. Like Anakin, Obi-Wan wore only a loincloth, his body painted in swirling colors of green, black and deep brown. He also carried a stone blowpipe.
When Obi-Wan, once they had departed from Nida on a transport, told Anakin they were going to make a stop at Raggan, Anakin had been surprised. The planet was a remote world located just on the edge of Hutt Space. It had no industry nor large cities. It was a protected world, one of the few the Republic had set aside as forbidden for any kind of industrialization or exploitation, therefore it was lush, wild and dangerous. The Jedi were allowed to visit it and use it for survival training. Obi-Wan had brought Anakin to Raggan when he was ten. The two had spent three weeks here, with Obi-Wan often leaving Anakin alone for days on end so that he could learn to survive on his own. It had been a frightening and exhilarating experience.
Therefore, Anakin had looked forward to returning to Raggan and its inhabitants, the Gowri. Living totally without technology of any kind, the Gowri had fascinated Anakin. Although they had kept pretty much to themselves when Obi-Wan and Anakin were here for his survival training, Anakin knew Obi-Wan had a close relationship with Nigal, leader of the Green River Tribe. Though how or when that relationship had developed, Anakin had no clue. But, he thought, as the wind picked up a bit and dried the sweat on his face, his master knew lots of different kinds of people. Take that so-called chef back on Coruscant, the Besalik Dexter Jettster. Who would have thought someone like Obi-Wan would not only know, but be close friends with such a person. But he was.
As for why Obi-Wan had decided to delay his and Anakin's return to Coruscant by stopping off on Raggan, Anakin had noted that since hearing the news Onara was a Senator, Obi-Wan had become quieter and more withdrawn. Not in a negative way, but in a way that signaled he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Two years ago, Anakin would have been hurt by his master's withdrawal, taking it as a sign he had disappointed him in some way, but since Obi-Wan's return from his retreat on Bestine, he had become more open with Anakin. Therefore, he had respected his master's need to be alone, knowing that if and when Obi-Wan wished to share his thoughts with Anakin, he would.
He then heard the soft, low whistle from Obi-Wan signaling he and his group of Gowri were about to advance. Glancing over at Meeko, who grinned even wider, his sharp yellow teeth seeming to glow in his dark face, the two moved forward, their blowpipes at the ready. At first Anakin had balked at the idea of hunting the _manasa_ with only blowpipes, but Obi-Wan had made it clear the Gowri forbade the use of any kind of technology in their hunts. They didn't consider it, and the edge of Obi-Wan's mouth had quirked up, sporting.
However, once Anakin had used the blowpipe a few times, practicing on pieces of fruit, he had learned to appreciate the skill with which one had to use it. Now, as he and Meeko moved forward he made sure the woven pouch that contained his poisoned darts hung at his waist. He also had to admit it felt pretty good moving through the forest, his feet bare, his body unclothed except for the loincloth. Not that he didn't like his Jedi clothing, especially since he had designed his outfit himself, but he felt closer to the earth this way. Not only did his skin blend in with the trees and brush around him as result of his painted on camouflage, but so did his thoughts. He felt himself sinking into what the Jedi called the Living Force, his mind becoming green and dark and damp like the ground upon which he moved.
As the Force flowed through Anakin, he tried to detect if the _manasa_ were near, but he couldn't tell if they were in the cave or someplace else. He saw Obi-Wan moving closer up on his right. His master's beard was speckled with tiny bits of the golden leaves from the _anica_ tress. The Gowri had approved of Obi-Wan's beard, but had made fun of Anakin for not having one. Obi-Wan later told him they didn't consider Anakin civilized since he was beardless. Now, as Anakin moved closer to the cave, his blowpipe at the ready, he wondered if he should try to grow one.
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, Anakin heard the high-pitched scream of the _manasa_. It sent a chill down his spine for it sounded unnervingly like that of a woman. Looking to his right, he saw a black shape streaking through the trees. Anakin swiftly inserted darts into his blowpipe and blew them at the shape. The _manasa_ screeched as the darts hit its side. It flew past where Obi-Wan and the other Gowri were, crashing into a tree.
Another high-pitched scream followed another, and soon the area around Anakin and the others was filled with _manasa_ The two Jedi and the Gowri were surrounded. But, Anakin knew the Gowri had been hunting the _manasa_ for thousands of years and were not easily cowered, and Anakin and his master, although they were not using their lightsabers, were quite capable of holding their own. As a _manasa_ tumbled next to Anakin, darks quivering in its chest, he happened to glance over and saw a sight that made his mouth go dry.
Obi-Wan, who was helping one of the Gowri who had been wounded, didn't see the _manasa_ slinking along a branch just over his head. Most of the pack were dead, but this one, its fur frosted with white, could only be the Old One, the wily _manasa_ female Chief Nigal had warned them about. As Anakin raced towards his master, the Old One, with a growl, launched herself at Obi-Wan's back.
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Sinja-Bau, dressed in a long, ivory-colored sleep gown, sat on a green meditation cushion, her legs crossed in front of her, her hands resting lightly on her knees. During her long years of madness, she had been too lost in the firestorm that was her insanity to ever find the peace she needed to meditate, but when her sanity, along with her ability to use the Force, was restored to her two years ago, not a night had gone by when she did not take time to meditate before retiring for the night.
As she drifted within the formlessness that was her meditation, a part of her observed that before she had gone mad, her metaphorical conception of the Force had been like that of many; a great river of energy, moving through body and spirit. But, once she was sane again, Sinja-Bau's perception of the Force changed. In her meditation the Force drifted down through her mind like snow, a gentle sifting of millions of tiny flakes until, once she reached the apex of her meditation, her mind was an empty, white field of peace, with no division between earth and sky. Pristine, serene, tranquil.
Now, however, Sinja-Bau felt a disturbance in the Force which troubled her meditation. She immediately reached out to Ben, fearing he was, perhaps, having a nightmare. But, as she gently touched his mind, he was deeply asleep, dreaming, she imagined with a wry smile, of fighting star-dragons and dark lords alongside his hero, Obi-Wan. Pulling away from Ben's mind, she reached out further. Then she sighed heavily. Rising from her cushion, she drew on a light pink satin robe and, sitting in a chair, her white hair flowing across her shoulders, waited for her visitor.
Even before the knock came, Sinja-Bau called out. "Come in, Onara."
The door opened and Onara peeked around it, her dark eyes wide. Sinja-Bau smiled at her and gestured for her to enter.
"Please forgive me, Sinja-Bau," Onara said in a soft voice. "I know it's late but---"
"You could not sleep," Sinja-Bau finished, smiling warmly. "You know you are always welcome to come and see me."
Onara nodded, but Sinja-Bau could see in her eyes she still felt guilty for having disturbed her. Over the past two years, the relationship between the ex-Jedi and the young woman had blossomed until it could only be defined as that of a mother and daughter. Onara, who had never known her mother, she having died soon after giving birth to Onara, and Sinja-Bau never having had a child of her own, had both filled a need in the other. Sinja-Bau had become more than just Ben's nanny and teacher. She was Onara's surrogate mother.
Onara moved further into the room. She was wearing a lavender sleep gown, her black hair somewhat tousled as it tumbled over her slender shoulders. She looked, to Sinja-Bau, like some fairy-tale princess who had just awoken from a centuries-long sleep. Except, no princess in a story would have such haunted eyes. As Onara came towards her, Sinja-Bau expected her to take one of the chairs next to her but, instead, the young woman ran over and, falling to the floor at Sinja-Bau's feet, put her head on the older woman's knees and began to weep. Sinja-Bau put her hand on Onara's hair and stroked it.
"What is it, little one?" she asked gently.
"I...I feel so terrible, Sinja-Bau," Onara sobbed, her face pressed tight against Sinja-Bau's thigh, her tears soaking the robe she was wearing.
"Why do you feel terrible?"
Onara raised her head and looked up at Sinja-Bau, her dark eyes swimming with her tears. "Dalan cried in my arms tonight."
Sinja-Bau nodded, but said nothing, waiting for Onara to go on. The younger woman wiped at her face.
"After we had made love, he began to cry. He hasn't cried since the day we lost the baby. I asked him what was wrong. He said...he said he was afraid. Afraid of losing me."
Again, Sinja-Bau remained silent. She had made it a point not to interfere in Onara's marriage to Dalan, recognizing the political need for it, but she had been concerned about it. No good could come of a marriage where one person loved someone who loved another.
"I tried to reassure him he would not, but I couldn't say the words." Onara bit her lip and looked sorrowfully up at Sinja-Bau. "When I'm with Dalan, I think of Obi-Wan," she confessed, her cheeks coloring. "I know I shouldn't. I know it's wrong and it's not fair to Dalan. He's been so good and so kind, and he's taken Ben to heart as if he were his own son. And there are not many Ahjane men who would have done so. Especially since Ben was conceived during a blessing ceremony. And how do I repay his kindness? By imagining I'm with another man." Onara fiercely shook her head. "No, it's even worse than that. By hoping and praying that when I go to Coruscant, I will see that man. I'm a terrible, selfish person, Sinja-Bau!"
Sinja-Bau cupped Onara's face between her hands, stroking her tear-stained cheeks. "No, you are not. You're just a human being, subject to the same doubts and temptations and failings we all have. You married a man you did not love so that your son would have a father and you could help the people of your world. You let go of the man you did love so that he would remain whole in his spirit. I don't think a selfish person would have done such things. But, you are right, it's not fair to Dalan to treat him so."
Onara nodded. "I know," she whispered, her voice filled with tears. "I've tried so hard to love him. I truly have. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so happy. Not only because I longed for another child, but because I hoped it would make things easier for us. But then we lost the baby. And, I fear, even if she had lived..." and Onara stopped for a moment, swallowing heavily..."it would not have changed my feelings for Obi-Wan. Oh, Sinja- Bau, I love him! I love him so much. And I miss him so. And every time I look at Ben, I see him. And it hurts. It hurts so much!"
"I know it does, dear, I know," Sinja-Bau said soothingly.
Onara wept again, and Sinja-Bau stroked her hair and, through the Force, sent her waves of gentle comfort. Soon, Onara's tears subsided. She lifted her reddened, swollen face to Sinja-Bau.
"After Dalan finished crying," she said softly, "he finally went to sleep. But I couldn't sleep. I just lay there and watched him. And I realized that, no matter why it was done, I willingly married him. And he is my husband and I must be true to him and honor the vows we took."
Sinja-Bau listened quietly as she saw something shift in Onara's dark eyes.
"I'm going to be a good wife to him from now on," she said firmly. "And I'm going to be a good Senator for my people and a good mother to Ben. And those will be the only things in my life. Obi-Wan...Obi-Wan is the past, and I must let go of the past. I must give up my girlish dreams and become a woman now. Dalan is my husband and, although he is not Ben's father by blood, he's the only father he's known. I will, someday, tell Ben about Obi- Wan, but for now, I must...I must forget him."
Sinja-Bau stroked Onara's cheek. "That's going to be a little hard, don't you think, being on Coruscant. Obi-Wan may be away from the Temple now, but at some point he will return."
"I know, but I don't see how our paths will cross, do you? Coruscant is a big planet, filled with billions of people."
Sinja-Bau sighed. "You must do what you think best, Onara," was all she said in reply. "But, remember, the heart is a stubborn, yet fragile organ. Try to make it go in a direction it does not wish and it could break."
Onara nodded, then rose from the floor. "I understand. But, I have made my decision, and it is what is best. For all concerned. Upon the oath I took when I became Senator that I would faithfully serve my people, I now swear I will be as equally faithful to my husband."
Then Onara smiled softly, though there were still tears on her face. She leaned over and kissed the older woman on her cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for staying with us. I don't know what I would have done without you."
Sinja-Bau reached up and gave Onara a hug. "And thank you for giving me a home."
Onara pulled away. Sinja-Bau patted her arm. "Now, go to bed and get some rest. You'll be leaving early in the morning."
"Yes, Mother," Onara said teasingly, but her eyes were sparkling. Sinja- Bau's heart warmed at the word.
Onara gave her another quick kiss, then turned and left the room. Once the door had closed, Sinja-Bau released a heavy breath. It had taken all her willpower not to tell Onara of her vision. The one she'd had just before her sanity was restored to her. It was of Onara and Obi-Wan, their arms about each other as they walked through wide golden fields on a planet Sinja-Bau hadn't recognized. She had kept that vision secret for the past two years, and she would continue to do so, for as Master Yoda had intoned often enough that Sinja-Bau, when she was at the Temple, had thought of it as the old Jedi's mantra, always in motion was the future.
The destiny that lay before Onara and Obi-Wan was as twisted and as convoluted as a knot, and what paths would lead them to Sinja-Bau's vision or take them from it, she did not know. She only knew that it was going to very hard for Onara to hold to the vow she had just sworn to be faithful to Dalan, and Sinja-Bau feared what the consequences would be when the time came Onara broke that vow.
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Anakin inwardly groaned as still another Gowri female walked over to him where he sat with the Gowri hunters and Obi-Wan around the village fire. A wooden bowl full of _manasa_ meat was in her hands. She bowed to him, then placed the bowl next to the dozen other bowls that surrounded him. He nodded to her, smiling, but trying not to get sick from the now overpowering smell of the cooked meat.
He looked over to where Obi-Wan was sitting next to Nigal and noted the laughing light in his master's eyes. It was all right for him to think it funny, Anakin grumbled to himself. He wasn't being feted like a potentate because he had killed some mangy old creature. Then he saw Obi-Wan lean over and whisper something in Nigal's pointed ear. The chief nodded and raised his arms.
"You have honored Swift Shadow enough for the killing of the Old One. He asks that any more meat be shared among the tribe," the Gowri chieftain cried out.
Howls and ululations of delight rose from the tribe at Nigal's words. Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan and threw his master a silent thank you with his eyes. Obi-Wan nodded, smiling. Then he whispered something else in Nigal's ear.
The chief nodded. "Bright Blade says that his learner would like to also share the meat he has earned for killing the Old One. The young ones will go first."
Anakin watched as the Gowri children, shyly and hesitatingly, approached him. Trying not to bend too far over, for the scratches in his sides still stung, Anakin passed them some of the bowls of steaming meat. The children took the bowls from his hand, making noises that Anakin assumed was laughter. He smiled at them. Once the children had departed, there were only a few bowls left. Those were soon passed around until only one remained. Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan. The Jedi gestured with his hand and mouth that Anakin eat the meat.
The younger Jedi sighed. He didn't relish eating the flesh of a creature he'd killed, but he knew the Gowri expected it. He reached over and gingerly picked up a piece of the meat. He put it in his mouth. The meat was pungent, but not bad. He picked up some more pieces and popped them into his mouth. Soon the bowl was empty. One of the females gave him a bowl of cold, spring water. Drinking thirstily, Anakin washed down the meal. Then, setting the empty water bowl down, he thought to himself that it was better the Old One was inside his stomach instead of him being inside hers.
When the Old One had launched herself at Obi-Wan's unsuspecting back, Anakin had reacted purely on instinct. He had seen only that his master was in danger and that was all that had registered in his mind. The fact that he was out of darts, the fact that he did not have his lightsaber, and the fact that the _manasa_ outweighed him by 100 pounds had not mattered. All that had concerned him was that his master was about to be killed. So, using the Force to speed him across the thick undergrowth of the forest, he slammed into the Old One, pushing both the creature and himself past Obi- Wan who, Anakin saw out of the corner of his eye, had dropped and was protecting the wounded Gowri with his body when he sensed the Old One's attack.
However, once Anakin saw Obi-Wan was out of danger, he now found himself with an armful of scratching, biting, snarling, stinking _manasa_. Dimly, Anakin heard the shouts and cries of the Gowri as they ran towards him, but he knew he didn't have much time. The creature, although she was old, was fierce and struggled terribly in his arms, her sharp claws deeply scratching his chest and sides. Concentrating as hard as he could, despite the wild pounding of his heart, Anakin reached out with the Force and wrapped it around the _manasa's_ heart. Then, with a hard grunt, he mentally squeezed and, with a low, shuddering growl, the creature died.
Anakin had released his concentration and, with the creature lying heavily on him, had just lain on the ground, starring up at the blue pieces of sky that peeked through the tall tops of the trees. At first, both Obi-Wan and the Gowri had thought him dead, for he not moved nor stirred when they called his name as they rolled the Old One off him. Obi-Wan, in particular, had knelt down and, cradling Anakin's head in his arms, had called out his name in a voice that was so filled with loss and pain, it had almost made Anakin cry. Then, when Anakin had weakly answered Obi-Wan, he had been surprised and greatly touched to see tears in those blue-gray eyes.
The Gowri had quickly built a stretcher, while Obi-Wan, with the help of Nigal, used some of the herbs the Gowri carried to stop Anakin's bleeding. He had then been carried back to the tribe's village, along with the dead _manasa_ and the carcass of the Old One and, as he recovered in the hut he shared with Obi-Wan, had learned that not only had the Gowri been greatly impressed with his bare-handed killing of the Old One, they had decided that, despite the fact he was beardless, he was now one of the People and had even given him a name. Swift Shadow.
Now, as the feast honoring him, Obi-Wan and the other hunters was finally winding down, Anakin again nodded and smiled at each Gowri who passed him and bowed as they made their way to their huts. Soon, only Anakin, Obi-Wan and Nigal remained by the fire. For awhile, the only sounds was the popping and crackling of the fire and the low voices of the Gowri in their huts as they settled down to sleep. Obi-Wan, who had been staring into the fire, looked over at Anakin.
"Are you ready for bed?" he asked gently.
Anakin, although most of his wounds had healed as a result of his master's Force healing and the ministrations of the Gowri, still needed a little help walking for the pain in his sides was still sharp.
"I'd like to stay up for a bit, Master," Anakin said. He looked around at the velvet darkness of the trees surrounding them and the star-sparkled sky. "It's a beautiful night."
Obi-Wan looked up and smiled. "Yes, it is. All right, but when you're ready, let me know."
"I will, Master."
Anakin settled back on the cushions that the Gowri had given him to lay on, making himself comfortable. Then, crossing his arms over his chest, he closed his eyes. He wasn't going to sleep; he just wanted to bask in the stillness and the peace. It wasn't often he and his master got to enjoy such moments of tranquility.
For the past year and a half, since Anakin had been returned to Obi-Wan, the two Jedi had seemed to have been on mission after mission, for not only were the resources of the Jedi Order being stretched to its limits, there was more unrest and strife in the Republic. As a result, the Jedi were being called upon more and more by the Senate, and Obi-Wan and Anakin were hard pressed to find anytime where they could just relax. Then the corner of Anakin's mouth quirked up. Well, going one on one with a _manasa_ wasn't exactly restful, but it had been exhilarating.
Then he heard Obi-Wan and Nigal talking softly. At first their voices seemed to merge with the sounds of the forests that surrounded them; the soughing of the wind through the trees, the chirping and trilling of the night creatures who scuttled through the underbrush or settled in the branches of the trees, the sleepy voices of the Gowri as they drifted off to sleep. Anakin himself was dozing, but when he heard Nigal ask Obi-Wan something, although Anakin kept his eyes closed, he woke right up.
"What troubles you, Bright Blade?"
Bright Blade was the Gowri name for Obi-Wan. The name, as far as Anakin could discern, had been given to Obi-Wan long before he had ever known Anakin though, again, how or under what circumstances his master had acquired the name, he did not know. He heard Obi-Wan release a deep shuddering breath.
"It is my heart," Obi-Wan said.
"Ah," the Gowri chief said in his deep, gravely voice. "It is a female, is it not?"
Anakin was tempted to open his eyes so that he could see Obi-Wan's expression, but decided not to. But, he did hear Obi-Wan laugh softly.
"What makes you think that? I'm a Jedi Knight, remember."
Nigal snorted. "We have had this conversation before, Bright Blade. I still do not understand how your Jedi tribe can survive without mating with females so that you can bring forth younglings."
"And, as I told you before, we find children who are Force sensitive and bring them to the Temple to train."
Anakin could almost hear Nigal shaking his hairy head. "Pah! Male and female are meant to be as one so that life will come forth. The gods we worship tell us this." Then Anakin heard a pounding, as if a fist were being struck against the ground.
"The world is our Father, strong and eternal," Nigal intoned in a deep, solemn voice. "The sky is our Mother, protective and never-ending, holding all that lives in her arms, including our Father, the world. Our Mother lies atop our Father and brings forth life. That is the way it has always been and that is the way it will always be."
"Yes, that is the Gowri way," Obi-Wan agreed. "But it is not the Jedi way."
"Yet, if it is not the Jedi way," Nigal said, his voice wily, "why is your heart sad, Bright Blade?"
Obi-Wan didn't answer at first, then Anakin listened as Obi-Wan told Nigal all that had happened two years ago; meeting Onara, the blessing ceremony they had participated in, the birth of his son, and his eventual parting from Ben and Onara. After Obi-Wan was finished, for a moment, there was only silence. Then Anakin heard Nigal.
"That is very sad, Bright Blade. To have loved a female, have her bless you with a male youngling, then give her over to another, so that not only does he lie with your female, but raises your son. I do not think I could do this."
Obi-Wan didn't reply to that. Again, Anakin was tempted to open his eyes and look at his master, but he didn't need to. He could sense the pain his master was feeling.
"That is not all, Nigal," Obi-Wan finally said. "She has become a leader of her people. Soon she will go to live on the world that is my home."
"Alone?" Nigal said.
"I don't know. Perhaps."
"And you would like to see her?"
"More than that," Obi-Wan confessed, his voice tight.
Nigal sighed. Anakin heard a stick being moved through the fire and it's subsequent flaring up.
"What will you do?" the Gowri chief asked.
"I will...avoid her. I will not go to her, though I long to."
"Is that what you want, Bright Blade?"
"It is what I must do," Obi-Wan replied, but Anakin heard the heaviness in his master's voice. "I have chosen my path, as she has chosen hers."
"But you have a youngling together. That is a path that, as long as your son lives, you will always have to travel together."
"Ben does not know that I am his father."
Anakin heard Nigal sucking air through his teeth. "Oh, this I truly do not understand, Bright Blade. A youngling is a rare and precious gift."
"Yes, they are," Obi-Wan agreed.
Silence descended upon the Jedi and the Gowri. Then Anakin heard Nigal.
"You must do what you think is right, Bright Blade. That is the gift, terrible as it is, that the gods give us. To choose our own paths, no matter where they might lead us."
"It is the gift the Force gives us also," Obi-Wan said.
"I have known you a long time, my friend. You and Swift Shadow will always be welcome here. You are part of the People. I wish there was more I could do to ease this pain in your heart, but---"
"You listened," Obi-Wan said quickly. "And I thank you for that."
Anakin, who was still lying against the cushions, his eyes closed, was beginning to feel guilty for having eavesdropped on his master's conversation with Nigal, thought it had hurt him to know Obi-Wan still yearned for Onara and Ben. Since his master had returned from his retreat on Bestine, he had not spoken of them once in Anakin's presence.
He opened his eyes so that he could apologize for having listened in but, when he did, he was surprised to see Obi-Wan looking over at him, those startling blue-gray eyes gazing deep into his, and he knew that his master had known all along he'd been awake. Obi-Wan stared at him for a moment. Then he smiled, though his eyes remained sad.
To be continued...