Stars in the Darkness - Part Twenty
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Anakin Skywalker, his long legs carrying him quickly through the corridors of the Temple, was on his way to Obi-Wan's quarters. But his thoughts were not on his master. They were, as they had been for the last few days, on Padmé. The day before yesterday Anakin had spent some time with her. Not much, just an hour or so because, as usual, she'd been very busy.
They'd met at a cafetorium, during the rush hour, of course, when it had been filled with workers trying to grab a quick bite before returning for their afternoon shifts. Anakin suspected Padmé had picked the cafetorium at just that time for just that reason. With all the hustle and bustle of the customers and the serving droids, it was probably the most unromantic spot imaginable.
Ever since returning to Coruscant, Anakin had sent Padmé repeated messages asking to meet with her. She'd finally said yes, but after they had ordered their food and pushed their way through the crowd to a tiny table near the kitchen Anakin had discovered why Padmé had finally agreed to meet with him.
She had been so incredibly subtle with her questions Anakin now recalled with a deep frown as he turned a corner, his dark robe sweeping behind him, his boots ringing on the polished floors of the Temple. She'd batted those long dark lashes and looked up at him with those alluring dark eyes and then, after inquiring politely about him and Master Obi-Wan, had shifted the conversation to Onara.
At first, Anakin had been so thrilled at finally being in her company, even if it was in a crowded, noisy cafetorium, surrounded by hundreds of chattering people, the smell of burnt pilla-bread thick and cloying in the air, he had happily answered her questions regarding Onara and his and Obi- Wan's mission to Ahjane four years ago.
However, he had not been so distracted by her beauty and charm that he hadn't noted, finally, where Padmé had been leading the conversation. And that was when he had put down the glass of jawa juice he'd been drinking and glared at her, telling her he had no idea what she was talking about. Dalan was Ben's father and that was that.
A corner of Anakin's mouth turned up as he deftly dodged a courier droid skittering across the floor. He could still see the look of utter surprise on Padmé's face. She had thought he was so smitten with her that she could easily weasel any information out of him. And, Anakin now admitted soberly to himself, the truth was she almost had for he was quite smitten with her.
But even Padmé, as much as Anakin adored and worshiped her, would not get him to betray Obi-Wan's trust. If Padmé suspected his master was Ben's father, she'd just have to go on suspecting it, for he would never confirm it. If she happened to learn the truth from someone else there was nothing Anakin could do about that. But she definitely wouldn't learn it from him.
He turned another corner which led to the area of the Temple where the living quarters were located. Arriving at Obi-Wan's door he was about to activate the sensor-bell when he heard the sound of laughter from behind the door. Leaning closer, Anakin discerned it was two people laughing, a man and what sounded like a child, though Anakin couldn't tell of it was a boy or girl. But the heavier, older laughter was definitely Obi-Wan's. Then Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice.
"That's very good, Ben. But you must learn to control the angle of descent."
"Like this, Master Kenobi?"
"Yes, like that. Well done, Ben. Well done."
As Anakin stared at the closed door, he felt a twinge of jealously whipping through him, like a maggot wriggling into his heart. In all the years he'd been Master Obi-Wan's apprentice, he had never heard the Jedi speak to him with such warmth and affection in his voice.
But why should he have, Anakin suddenly thought, shamed to feel tears stinging his eyes. Ben was Obi-Wan's son. Anakin was not, because Anakin had no father and never would have. He was about to turn away, but an image of Ben, the one-month old baby whom Anakin had rescued from Lady Tsara and her Red Tide assassins sprang to his mind. He activated the sensor.
"Come in," Obi-Wan called, the door opening.
Anakin walked in and for a moment was totally flabbergasted. Obi-Wan, who was probably the neatest person Anakin had ever known, his quarters always so orderly and tidy, was sitting on the floor with Ben. The two were surrounded by books, cups, datapads and a dozen other things. One of those things, a tray upon which sat what looked like a ball of fur, was floating between the two.
Ben, who Anakin recognized from the portrait Onara had shown him some months ago, was staring at the tray, but when Anakin walked in, he was distracted and the tray wobbled, the creature on it about to fall onto the floor. Obi-Wan, who had been smiling at Anakin in greeting, turned his head and, raising his hand, guided the tray to the floor. The furry creature ruffled its fur, walked off the tray and over to Ben, crawling into his lap. Ben laughed and began stroking the thing.
"Sorry, Obi-Wan," he said. "I almost dropped you."
Anakin raised an eyebrow as he walked further into the room. Obi-Wan? That thing was named Obi-Wan? He looked over at his master and bowed slightly to him.
"Master," he said, but his voice was low and neutral.
Once again Anakin felt jealousy worming into his heart. Now that Ben was older, the resemblance between him and Obi-Wan was almost uncanny. Except for the blackness of Ben's hair, as opposed to Obi-Wan's red-gold hair, he looked exactly as Anakin imagined a young Obi-Wan would have looked like.
Obi-Wan, noting the tone of Anakin's voice and the expression on his face, frowned slightly at him, his eyes moving back and forth between his apprentice and his son. Ben, however, was staring hard at Anakin, a deep frown creasing his small forehead. Then a light broke through in his blue- gray eyes, and laughing happily, he pointed at Anakin.
"The womp rat and the desert mouse Agreed to have a race To see who was the fastest In that hot god-awful place.
The Jawas and the Tuskens They all laid down their bets To see which of the rodents Would prove to be the best."
As Ben continued singing the rest of the song Anakin had sang to him after he had rescued him from Lady Tsara and the two had taken refuge in a speeder while they waited for help, both shock and pleasure rippled through him. Shock because Ben had only been a month old when Anakin sang that song to him and pleasure that he had, somehow, remembered it.
And, despite himself, Anakin found himself singing along with Ben, both their voices rising together for the last, resounding chorus. Ben clapped his hands when they finished. Obi-Wan, however, was staring at his son, apparently just as surprised as Anakin that Ben remembered the song. Anakin took off his robe and laid it on a chair, then moved over and sat next to Ben, smiling widely at him.
"Hey, you," he said softly. "I'm Anakin."
"Hi. My name is Ben."
"I know. But where did you learn that song?"
"You sang it to me. After you took me away from that scary lady."
"You remember her?"
Ben nodded. "I asked Mama about her once. She said she was a very bad lady, but that she was dead and could never take me away from her again and that I shouldn't be afraid of her. And I'm not."
"That's good that you're not afraid. Because your mother is right. She'll never take you away again."
Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan. He was still staring at Ben, but he had every right to be mystified. There was no way Ben should have had any memory of what happened that night when Lady Tsara kidnapped him, but apparently he did.
"You're Master Kenobi's apprentice, aren't you?" Ben asked.
Anakin nodded.
"Mama told me about you. She said that you were very brave and that you saved me and protected her."
Anakin shrugged, but he was grinning. "Just all in a day's work."
Ben peered around and looked at Anakin's lightsaber. Noting where Ben was looking, Anakin unhooked it from his belt and showed it to him.
"It's not the same," Ben said.
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.
"It's not the same as Master Kenobi's."
Anakin cleared his throat, glancing uncomfortably over at Obi-Wan. Usually, as a sign of respect, Padawans built their lightsabers to resemble those of their Masters. Obi-Wan's lightsaber, for example, resembled that of his former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. But Anakin had constructed his lightsaber while in a trance and when he came out of it, discovered he had built a lightsaber whose design was like no other and emphasized maximum power and strength.
"No, it's not," he admitted.
Anakin handed it to Ben, but it was too heavy for him to hold, so Anakin took it back. Ben smiled up at him.
"Someday I'm going to have a lightsaber of my very own."
Anakin smiled as he hooked his lightsaber back on his belt. "Well, you have to train very hard to earn the right to construct your own lightsaber."
"I can do it. Bau-Bau says I'm a good learner."
Anakin frowned. "Bau-Bau?"
"Sinja-Bau," Obi-Wan explained quickly. "That's what Ben calls her."
Anakin nodded, now recalling the ex-Jedi whom Obi-Wan had rescued from Toola. He'd forgotten she had elected to stay on in Onara's household.
"Is that who you came to the Temple with?"
"Yes. She's with Master Yoda."
"And where is your mother? Did she come too?"
Ben's eyes, which had been shining, suddenly darkened. He glanced over at Obi-Wan, then lowered his head, his fingers tangling nervously through the fur of his pet.
"No," he said in a low, soft voice. "She couldn't come. She didn't feel good. She and Papa...she and Papa were yelling at each other last night. I heard them."
Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan and saw distress in his master's face as he gazed at his son. Reaching over, Obi-Wan put his hand underneath Ben's chin and lifted his face up.
"Don't be sad," he said gently. "Sometimes mothers and fathers yell at each other. But it doesn't mean they don't love each other."
"I know," Ben replied. "But...but.." He looked down again.
"But what?" Obi-Wan said.
Ben raised his head and looked over at Obi-Wan, his eyes full. "But Papa said Mama killed my baby sister," he whispered.
If Ben had suddenly stood up and knocked Anakin over with a brick, he couldn't have been more shocked.
"I'm sure you misheard him, Ben," Obi-Wan said quickly.
Ben shook his head. "No, Master Kenobi. They thought I was sleeping, but I wasn't. I couldn't sleep. I was too excited about coming to the Temple. And I heard Papa say that Mama killed my baby sister. Mama was preg...pregnant. And my baby sister was in her belly. But she died. And Papa yelled at Mama and said she killed her. Because Mama doesn't love him."
Anakin's eyes were now so wide they were starting to dry out and he and Obi- Wan exchanged worried glances. Then the comlink on Obi-Wan's belt beeped. He unhooked it.
"Yes?"
"Sinja-Bau the Temple is ready to leave," Yoda's gravely voice said from the comlink's speaker. "Bring young Master Lenor to the Temple entrance."
"Right away, Master."
Obi-Wan hooked the comlink back on his belt. Then he leaned over and put his hands on Ben's shoulders, squeezing them gently.
"Don't let it trouble you, Ben. I know it's difficult to understand, but sometimes the problems of grownups are much more complicated than they may appear. Whatever your father..." and Anakin clearly heard the catch in Obi- Wan's voice, "...said to your mother I know he didn't mean it."
Ben tilted his head and gazed solemnly up at Obi-Wan. "Mama cried when Papa said she killed my baby sister. I heard her. I don't like it when Mama cries."
Obi-Wan reached over and pulled Ben into his lap and Ben, without hesitation, put his arms around Obi-Wan's neck, but Obi-Wan's eyes were on Anakin and, rising from the floor, he nodded, understanding that his master wanted to be alone with Ben before taking him back to Sinja-Bau.
"Bye, Ben," Anakin said.
Ben, who had nestled his head in Obi-Wan's neck, turned and looked up at him. Anakin wasn't surprised to see tears on his round cheeks.
"Bye-bye, Anakin," he said in a sad voice. "Will I see you again?"
"You bet you will," Anakin said, giving him a wide smile.
Ben returned his smile, wiping his face with his hand. "Obi-Wan says bye too."
For a moment Anakin thought Ben was referring to his master, then he remembered Ben's pet, the furball that was now sitting on the floor, his bright eyes peering up at Anakin.
"Bye, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, waving at the creature.
He turned and left the quarters, the door sliding shut behind him. Then he released a breath as he stood in the hallway, wondering what his master was going to do in light of what Ben had just told him about Onara. The Council had sent Obi-Wan away six months ago in order to get his mind off her, but Anakin had a feeling that with this visit from Ben and now this news about problems in her marriage, his master was going to have his mind on Onara even more. And that, Anakin knew as he walked down the hall, was the last thing the Council wanted.
To be continued....
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Anakin Skywalker, his long legs carrying him quickly through the corridors of the Temple, was on his way to Obi-Wan's quarters. But his thoughts were not on his master. They were, as they had been for the last few days, on Padmé. The day before yesterday Anakin had spent some time with her. Not much, just an hour or so because, as usual, she'd been very busy.
They'd met at a cafetorium, during the rush hour, of course, when it had been filled with workers trying to grab a quick bite before returning for their afternoon shifts. Anakin suspected Padmé had picked the cafetorium at just that time for just that reason. With all the hustle and bustle of the customers and the serving droids, it was probably the most unromantic spot imaginable.
Ever since returning to Coruscant, Anakin had sent Padmé repeated messages asking to meet with her. She'd finally said yes, but after they had ordered their food and pushed their way through the crowd to a tiny table near the kitchen Anakin had discovered why Padmé had finally agreed to meet with him.
She had been so incredibly subtle with her questions Anakin now recalled with a deep frown as he turned a corner, his dark robe sweeping behind him, his boots ringing on the polished floors of the Temple. She'd batted those long dark lashes and looked up at him with those alluring dark eyes and then, after inquiring politely about him and Master Obi-Wan, had shifted the conversation to Onara.
At first, Anakin had been so thrilled at finally being in her company, even if it was in a crowded, noisy cafetorium, surrounded by hundreds of chattering people, the smell of burnt pilla-bread thick and cloying in the air, he had happily answered her questions regarding Onara and his and Obi- Wan's mission to Ahjane four years ago.
However, he had not been so distracted by her beauty and charm that he hadn't noted, finally, where Padmé had been leading the conversation. And that was when he had put down the glass of jawa juice he'd been drinking and glared at her, telling her he had no idea what she was talking about. Dalan was Ben's father and that was that.
A corner of Anakin's mouth turned up as he deftly dodged a courier droid skittering across the floor. He could still see the look of utter surprise on Padmé's face. She had thought he was so smitten with her that she could easily weasel any information out of him. And, Anakin now admitted soberly to himself, the truth was she almost had for he was quite smitten with her.
But even Padmé, as much as Anakin adored and worshiped her, would not get him to betray Obi-Wan's trust. If Padmé suspected his master was Ben's father, she'd just have to go on suspecting it, for he would never confirm it. If she happened to learn the truth from someone else there was nothing Anakin could do about that. But she definitely wouldn't learn it from him.
He turned another corner which led to the area of the Temple where the living quarters were located. Arriving at Obi-Wan's door he was about to activate the sensor-bell when he heard the sound of laughter from behind the door. Leaning closer, Anakin discerned it was two people laughing, a man and what sounded like a child, though Anakin couldn't tell of it was a boy or girl. But the heavier, older laughter was definitely Obi-Wan's. Then Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice.
"That's very good, Ben. But you must learn to control the angle of descent."
"Like this, Master Kenobi?"
"Yes, like that. Well done, Ben. Well done."
As Anakin stared at the closed door, he felt a twinge of jealously whipping through him, like a maggot wriggling into his heart. In all the years he'd been Master Obi-Wan's apprentice, he had never heard the Jedi speak to him with such warmth and affection in his voice.
But why should he have, Anakin suddenly thought, shamed to feel tears stinging his eyes. Ben was Obi-Wan's son. Anakin was not, because Anakin had no father and never would have. He was about to turn away, but an image of Ben, the one-month old baby whom Anakin had rescued from Lady Tsara and her Red Tide assassins sprang to his mind. He activated the sensor.
"Come in," Obi-Wan called, the door opening.
Anakin walked in and for a moment was totally flabbergasted. Obi-Wan, who was probably the neatest person Anakin had ever known, his quarters always so orderly and tidy, was sitting on the floor with Ben. The two were surrounded by books, cups, datapads and a dozen other things. One of those things, a tray upon which sat what looked like a ball of fur, was floating between the two.
Ben, who Anakin recognized from the portrait Onara had shown him some months ago, was staring at the tray, but when Anakin walked in, he was distracted and the tray wobbled, the creature on it about to fall onto the floor. Obi-Wan, who had been smiling at Anakin in greeting, turned his head and, raising his hand, guided the tray to the floor. The furry creature ruffled its fur, walked off the tray and over to Ben, crawling into his lap. Ben laughed and began stroking the thing.
"Sorry, Obi-Wan," he said. "I almost dropped you."
Anakin raised an eyebrow as he walked further into the room. Obi-Wan? That thing was named Obi-Wan? He looked over at his master and bowed slightly to him.
"Master," he said, but his voice was low and neutral.
Once again Anakin felt jealousy worming into his heart. Now that Ben was older, the resemblance between him and Obi-Wan was almost uncanny. Except for the blackness of Ben's hair, as opposed to Obi-Wan's red-gold hair, he looked exactly as Anakin imagined a young Obi-Wan would have looked like.
Obi-Wan, noting the tone of Anakin's voice and the expression on his face, frowned slightly at him, his eyes moving back and forth between his apprentice and his son. Ben, however, was staring hard at Anakin, a deep frown creasing his small forehead. Then a light broke through in his blue- gray eyes, and laughing happily, he pointed at Anakin.
"The womp rat and the desert mouse Agreed to have a race To see who was the fastest In that hot god-awful place.
The Jawas and the Tuskens They all laid down their bets To see which of the rodents Would prove to be the best."
As Ben continued singing the rest of the song Anakin had sang to him after he had rescued him from Lady Tsara and the two had taken refuge in a speeder while they waited for help, both shock and pleasure rippled through him. Shock because Ben had only been a month old when Anakin sang that song to him and pleasure that he had, somehow, remembered it.
And, despite himself, Anakin found himself singing along with Ben, both their voices rising together for the last, resounding chorus. Ben clapped his hands when they finished. Obi-Wan, however, was staring at his son, apparently just as surprised as Anakin that Ben remembered the song. Anakin took off his robe and laid it on a chair, then moved over and sat next to Ben, smiling widely at him.
"Hey, you," he said softly. "I'm Anakin."
"Hi. My name is Ben."
"I know. But where did you learn that song?"
"You sang it to me. After you took me away from that scary lady."
"You remember her?"
Ben nodded. "I asked Mama about her once. She said she was a very bad lady, but that she was dead and could never take me away from her again and that I shouldn't be afraid of her. And I'm not."
"That's good that you're not afraid. Because your mother is right. She'll never take you away again."
Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan. He was still staring at Ben, but he had every right to be mystified. There was no way Ben should have had any memory of what happened that night when Lady Tsara kidnapped him, but apparently he did.
"You're Master Kenobi's apprentice, aren't you?" Ben asked.
Anakin nodded.
"Mama told me about you. She said that you were very brave and that you saved me and protected her."
Anakin shrugged, but he was grinning. "Just all in a day's work."
Ben peered around and looked at Anakin's lightsaber. Noting where Ben was looking, Anakin unhooked it from his belt and showed it to him.
"It's not the same," Ben said.
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.
"It's not the same as Master Kenobi's."
Anakin cleared his throat, glancing uncomfortably over at Obi-Wan. Usually, as a sign of respect, Padawans built their lightsabers to resemble those of their Masters. Obi-Wan's lightsaber, for example, resembled that of his former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. But Anakin had constructed his lightsaber while in a trance and when he came out of it, discovered he had built a lightsaber whose design was like no other and emphasized maximum power and strength.
"No, it's not," he admitted.
Anakin handed it to Ben, but it was too heavy for him to hold, so Anakin took it back. Ben smiled up at him.
"Someday I'm going to have a lightsaber of my very own."
Anakin smiled as he hooked his lightsaber back on his belt. "Well, you have to train very hard to earn the right to construct your own lightsaber."
"I can do it. Bau-Bau says I'm a good learner."
Anakin frowned. "Bau-Bau?"
"Sinja-Bau," Obi-Wan explained quickly. "That's what Ben calls her."
Anakin nodded, now recalling the ex-Jedi whom Obi-Wan had rescued from Toola. He'd forgotten she had elected to stay on in Onara's household.
"Is that who you came to the Temple with?"
"Yes. She's with Master Yoda."
"And where is your mother? Did she come too?"
Ben's eyes, which had been shining, suddenly darkened. He glanced over at Obi-Wan, then lowered his head, his fingers tangling nervously through the fur of his pet.
"No," he said in a low, soft voice. "She couldn't come. She didn't feel good. She and Papa...she and Papa were yelling at each other last night. I heard them."
Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan and saw distress in his master's face as he gazed at his son. Reaching over, Obi-Wan put his hand underneath Ben's chin and lifted his face up.
"Don't be sad," he said gently. "Sometimes mothers and fathers yell at each other. But it doesn't mean they don't love each other."
"I know," Ben replied. "But...but.." He looked down again.
"But what?" Obi-Wan said.
Ben raised his head and looked over at Obi-Wan, his eyes full. "But Papa said Mama killed my baby sister," he whispered.
If Ben had suddenly stood up and knocked Anakin over with a brick, he couldn't have been more shocked.
"I'm sure you misheard him, Ben," Obi-Wan said quickly.
Ben shook his head. "No, Master Kenobi. They thought I was sleeping, but I wasn't. I couldn't sleep. I was too excited about coming to the Temple. And I heard Papa say that Mama killed my baby sister. Mama was preg...pregnant. And my baby sister was in her belly. But she died. And Papa yelled at Mama and said she killed her. Because Mama doesn't love him."
Anakin's eyes were now so wide they were starting to dry out and he and Obi- Wan exchanged worried glances. Then the comlink on Obi-Wan's belt beeped. He unhooked it.
"Yes?"
"Sinja-Bau the Temple is ready to leave," Yoda's gravely voice said from the comlink's speaker. "Bring young Master Lenor to the Temple entrance."
"Right away, Master."
Obi-Wan hooked the comlink back on his belt. Then he leaned over and put his hands on Ben's shoulders, squeezing them gently.
"Don't let it trouble you, Ben. I know it's difficult to understand, but sometimes the problems of grownups are much more complicated than they may appear. Whatever your father..." and Anakin clearly heard the catch in Obi- Wan's voice, "...said to your mother I know he didn't mean it."
Ben tilted his head and gazed solemnly up at Obi-Wan. "Mama cried when Papa said she killed my baby sister. I heard her. I don't like it when Mama cries."
Obi-Wan reached over and pulled Ben into his lap and Ben, without hesitation, put his arms around Obi-Wan's neck, but Obi-Wan's eyes were on Anakin and, rising from the floor, he nodded, understanding that his master wanted to be alone with Ben before taking him back to Sinja-Bau.
"Bye, Ben," Anakin said.
Ben, who had nestled his head in Obi-Wan's neck, turned and looked up at him. Anakin wasn't surprised to see tears on his round cheeks.
"Bye-bye, Anakin," he said in a sad voice. "Will I see you again?"
"You bet you will," Anakin said, giving him a wide smile.
Ben returned his smile, wiping his face with his hand. "Obi-Wan says bye too."
For a moment Anakin thought Ben was referring to his master, then he remembered Ben's pet, the furball that was now sitting on the floor, his bright eyes peering up at Anakin.
"Bye, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, waving at the creature.
He turned and left the quarters, the door sliding shut behind him. Then he released a breath as he stood in the hallway, wondering what his master was going to do in light of what Ben had just told him about Onara. The Council had sent Obi-Wan away six months ago in order to get his mind off her, but Anakin had a feeling that with this visit from Ben and now this news about problems in her marriage, his master was going to have his mind on Onara even more. And that, Anakin knew as he walked down the hall, was the last thing the Council wanted.
To be continued....