Stars in the Darkness - Part Twenty-One
------------------
"Thank you again, Master Yoda, for showing me the statue of Eo. He was so terribly modest that I think it would have embarrassed him greatly to have been commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, but I am so pleased that the Order sought to honor him so."
Yoda turned his head and looked up at Sinja-Bau who was standing next to him in the great vestibule of the Temple as they waited for Obi-Wan to bring Ben to them. Her blue-green eyes were filled with both gratitude and pain as she gazed back at him.
"Welcome you are, Sinja-Bau, and welcome you will always be at the Temple. Forget that, I hope you do not."
"I won't, Master Yoda. Until today I had thought never to return, but now..."
Sinja-Bau stopped and looked around her and Yoda could see in her eyes and sense in her heart the firestorm of her memories of her long years here.
"Decision you need not make now. Ben is still very young and need you he still does."
Sinja-Bau smiled widely at the mention of her charge. "Yes, he does. But he's growing up so fast."
"As all children do," Yoda remarked.
He turned as he noted Obi-Wan coming down the corridor towards them. Ben was walking next to the Jedi, but Yoda was surprised to see that Obi-Wan was firmly holding the child's hand. The two stopped. Obi-Wan bowed and, a moment behind him, so did Ben, but neither released the other's hand.
"Are you ready to go home, Ben?" Sinja-Bau asked.
Ben turned his head and looked up at Obi-Wan and Yoda saw the hesitation in his face.
"I guess so, Bau-Bau," He turned and looked back at her. "But, couldn't I stay just a little longer?"
Sinja-Bau gently shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Ben. I'm sure Obi-Wan has a lot to do and we've been gone all day. Don't you want to see your mother?"
Ben nodded, but his face was still sad. Obi-Wan, noting it, knelt down and took Ben by the shoulders.
"Don't worry, Ben. We'll see each other again."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Jedi word of honor. And don't forget what I told you."
Ben smiled. "I won't, Master Kenobi. I promise. Jedi word of honor."
"That's a good boy," Obi-Wan said returning his smile.
He stood and, guiding Ben by the shoulders, took him over to Sinja-Bau.
"Thank you for bringing him to see me," Obi-Wan said to her, and Yoda heard the deep and throbbing tiers of emotions in the young Jedi's voice.
"It was my pleasure, Obi-Wan. And it was so good to see you again. I do hope it won't be the last time. Ready, Ben?"
"Yes, Bau-Bau. Goodbye, Master Yoda."
"Goodbye young one. A pleasure to meet you it has been."
"You too, sir." Then Ben turned his large, blue-gray eyes towards Obi-Wan. "Goodbye, Master Kenobi."
"Goodbye, Ben," Obi-Wan said softly. "And goodbye to Obi-Wan," he added, referring to Ben's pet voorpak who was apparently in the boy's jacket pocket for Yoda noted the bulge there.
Sinja-Bau took Ben's hand and, once the large doors to the Temple had slowly swung open, walked through them and back onto into the bright tumult that was the planet-wide city of Coruscant. Neither Obi-Wan or Yoda moved until the doors had closed shut again and even then both continued to stand quietly in the shadowed tranquility that was the Jedi Temple.
"Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan finally said, breaking the silence between them.
"Yes, Obi-Wan?" Yoda responded, peering up at him.
Obi-Wan folded his arms within the sleeves of his robe, but his eyes were fastened on the doors of the Temple through which had walked Sinja-Bau and his son.
"Until this moment I had known only two truly happy days in my life. One was the day Qui-Gon chose me as his Padawan. The second was the night I spent with Onara. Today, however, I have experienced the third happiest day of my life."
Yoda nodded but said nothing as he leaned on his walking stick. He had deliberately thrown Ben and Obi-Wan together to see what would come of it, but he had also never doubted the outcome. Ben was a handsome, bright and gifted child, a son any man would be proud to call his own. As for Obi-Wan, he was not only noble and brave, but gentle and thoughtful. A father any son would be proud of. And, although Ben did not know Obi-Wan was his real father, it was apparent the two now shared a connection that was more than just blood.
"If you will excuse me, Master," Obi-Wan suddenly said, bowing quickly to Yoda, his voice tight with what sounded to Yoda like unshed tears.
Yoda inclined his head, but remained silent and still as he watched Obi-Wan stride away, his dark brown robe billowing out behind him. Once the young Jedi Knight had disappeared from his sight, Yoda finally moved, his walking stick ticking on the polished floor as he made his way slowly down the hall.
_Set in motion all this I have_, he thought gravely. _Now only wait I can to see what unfolds._
-------------
Onara put down the datapad she'd been reading and wearily rubbed the bridge of her nose. She'd been reading over the latest reports from Bail Organa regarding the Ethics Committee's last hearing, but once she discovered she'd read the same line over and over, she knew it was time to take a break. She'd been working all day, ever since Ben and Sinja-Bau had left early that morning to go to the Jedi Temple. Keria had been gone all day also, spending time with Padmé's handmaidens whom she had grown quite close to. As for Dalan, Onara had not seen nor heard from him since he'd left that morning. It was now late afternoon.
Rising from her desk, she walked into the common area of the apartment and through that towards the kitchen. She was about to make herself a pot of tea when she heard the front door whish open. Turning, she hurried back into the common area and watched as Ben and Sinja-Bau entered the room.
"Mama!"
A blur of motion and Ben was in her arms.
"Ben, darling," Onara cried as she lifted him up and held him.
"Did you miss me, Mama?"
"Of course I did, but I'm very happy you got a chance to go to the Temple. Did you have a good time?"
"Yes, Mama, I did. And I met Master Yoda and Master Anakin and there were lots of children there and they all had lightsabers!"
"Did they really?"
Ben nodded eagerly. "And I saw him, Mama!"
Onara's heart skipped a beat. "Who, darling?" but she knew who it was. She could see it in Ben's eyes.
"Obi-Wan! And he showed me where all the Jedi get the parts for their lightsabers, and he took me to a room with lots of pretty fountains in it, and you would like that room too, Mama, you should go there one day, and then Obi-Wan showed me where he had hung my picture on his wall, and then we had lunch and Obi-Wan ate a mouse, but I had a salad and some jawa juice and so did Obi-Wan, I mean the real Obi-Wan, and then he showed me how to use the Force, and Anakin came to see me, and we sang a song together, and then Obi-Wan made me promise to tell you..."
Ben stopped, his eyes widening as he looked over at Sinja-Bau who was watching him with a wide smile.
"He...uh...he told me to tell you something, Mama, but only when it was just you and me," Ben finished, looking uncomfortably over at Sinja-Bau who quickly raised her hands, laughing as she did so.
"Don't mind me," she said as she walked past them to her room in the apartment. "It's time for my meditation anyway."
"Did you have a good time, Sinja-Bau?" Onara asked as the older woman swept past.
Sinja-Bau stopped and looked back, her eyes shining. "Yes, dear. I did. A very nice time. Thank you for asking."
"I'm glad to hear that," Onara said, and she was for she had noted the trepidation in Sinja-Bau's face that morning when Onara asked her to take Ben to the Temple. She had worried all day that she'd placed the woman, who was now her dearest companion, in an uncomfortable situation.
Once Sinja-Bau was gone, Onara carried Ben over to the couch. She sat down and he nestled close to her. Then she felt something moving against her side. She watched, smiling, as Obi-Wan the voorpak crawled out of the pocket of Ben's jacket.
"Oh, Ben, don't tell me you took Obi-Wan with you to the Temple?"
"I did, Mama. I'm sorry. I know I wasn't supposed to."
"Well, as long as he didn't cause any kind of pandemonium. I doubt very much that the Jedi would have appreciated having a voorpak running loose about their halls."
Ben didn't say anything, but Onara noted his face scrunching up the way it did when she would ask him if he'd done something she knew he'd done, but he was reluctant to admit he'd done. The voorpak moved over Ben's lap, across the couch, onto its arm and over to a table next to the couch. It then collapsed its eight legs and blissfully closed its eyes.
"Now, what did you want to tell me?" she asked.
Ben slipped his arms around her waist and dug the side of his face into her side.
"Is Papa here?"
"No, darling. He's not."
"Will he be back?"
Onara hesitated for a moment. Then she sighed. "Yes, he'll be back. But later. However, if he's not back by dinner, we'll eat without him."
Ben nodded, but Onara sensed there was something on his mind. She was about to ask him what it was, but she heard him talking.
"I love you, Mama."
"And I love you, my darling one."
Ben remained silent for a moment and, although Onara was dying to know what it was Obi-Wan had told him to tell her, she made herself wait. Then she felt Ben stirring against her.
"Mama?"
"Yes?"
"I...I heard you and Papa yelling at each other last night."
Onara drew in a sharp breath, her heart kicking against her ribs, but willed herself to remain calm.
"And I told Obi-Wan about it," Ben went on. "Are you mad?"
"Of course not. I'm glad you had someone you could talk to about it. It must have been very frightening for you to...to hear Mama and Papa talking to each other in that way."
Ben nodded. "I don't like to hear you cry, Mama. Promise me you won't cry anymore."
Onara reached over and gently took Ben's chin as she looked deeply into his eyes.
"I wish I could promise you that, darling. I wish no one in this universe ever had to cry again, but remember, sometimes we cry happy tears. However, I promise I will do my best not to cry any more sad tears."
At least, she firmly told herself, not where her son could hear her.
"I cried, Mama. When I was with Obi-Wan. Because I was sad about you and Papa. And Obi-Wan told me not to cry, and he said he would always be my friend, and if I ever needed him, if I was ever sad or afraid, he would come. Just like that." Ben snapped his fingers, or tried to, giggling as he did so.
"Obi-Wan did it better, Mama. But he said he would come. And then he asked me to tell you something. And he made me promise to remember it, and to tell you when it was only you and me."
Onara stroked Ben's cheek, her heart warming with both gratefulness and longing, so glad to know Obi-Wan had been there for Ben when he needed someone to share his feelings with.
"And what did he tell you, darling?"
"To remember what he said after you told him the story about the royal twins."
Onara felt her throat tighten, a wave of remembrance washing over her as she recalled the night of the blessing ceremony. The night she and Obi-Wan conceived the child who now sat next to her, looking up at her with his father's beautiful eyes.
"Did you tell Obi-Wan stories too, Mama?"
Onara smiled softly. "Yes, once."
"But you never told me that story."
"I know, dear. But I will. One day."
"But, Mama, what did Obi-Wan say to you after you told him the story?"
Onara drew in, then slowly released a deep breath. She pulled Ben closer, laying her cheek against the softness of his thick, black hair.
"He told me to never give up hope. That as long as there is life, there is hope."
"Oh." Ben was silent for a moment. "Mama, are you and Obi-Wan friends?"
"Yes, dear, we are."
"I'm glad, Mama. I like him. I like him a lot, and I like him even better then he was in the stories you told me. Obi-Wan said you made up most of those stories about him. But, that's okay, Mama. I still like those stories. I hope I see him again."
Onara held Ben closer, keeping her cheek pressed against his hair as she hugged him and blinked away the tears that were filling her eyes.
_I hope you do too, my darling. As do I._
-----------------
Anakin ducked as the lightsaber swung towards his head. Then, turning fluidly, he quickly parried the next blow. The blades of the two lightsabers, one blue, the other green, crackled and sizzled as they made contact, the sound reverberating in the echoing quiet of the Temple gymnasium. It was early in the morning, a few days after Ben's visit to the Temple. Anakin and Obi-Wan were sparring but Obi-Wan's thoughts were, as they'd been the last few days, elsewhere. And this was most evident when, as a result of his not paying attention, Anakin nearly knocked his lightsaber from his hand.
"Master," Anakin cried as he circled Obi-Wan, his blade high above his head. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were either setting me up for a proper thrashing, or your mind is not on the match. I almost got you there."
"You know better than you imagine, Padawan," Obi-Wan replied with a rueful smile.
He advanced towards Anakin and the two exchanged a dizzying set of blazing thrusts, cuts and parries. If anyone else had been present in the gym, they would have been dazzled by the skill of both the master and the apprentice, but the two were alone.
The sound of their lightsabers, their grunts and heavy breathing, and the skids and slides of their boots across the polished floor were the only sounds in the cavernous room. That is until a sound Obi-Wan was quite dismayed to hear broke through. It was the sound of his lightsaber clattering to the floor. Staring down at his weaponless hand, then at his lightsaber where it lay on the floor, its blade having shut off, Obi-Wan felt a moment of shock.
"Master...I...I'm sorry," Anakin quickly stammered. Shutting off his own lightsaber, he bent to pick up Obi-Wan's, handing it to him.
"Why are you apologizing?" Obi-Wan asked as he took his weapon. "You did nothing wrong."
"But...but I've never disarmed you before, Master."
Obi-Wan smiled at the awe and, he now noted, hint of pride in Anakin's voice and in his eyes.
"There's a first time for everything," he said with a smile.
Anakin shook his head, frowning. "It wasn't a fair fight. Your mind was not on the match."
Obi-Wan shrugged. "It was a fair fight. If my mind was not on the match, that was my mistake. A valuable lesson for us both, I think. But, let's stop. I've had enough for today."
"So have I. And I'm meeting with the Chancellor later this morning."
"Ah," Obi-Wan replied, but said no more.
He did not care for Chancellor Palpatine, and his discomfort with the man had only grown over the years, but Anakin had a great deal of respect for him. Obi-Wan had tried to open his apprentice's eyes regarding what he saw as Palpatine's crafty and manipulative opportunism, but his words of misgiving regarding the Chancellor continued to fall on Anakin's decidedly deaf ears.
"What will you do today, Master?" Anakin went on as the two made their way towards the gym's entrance.
"I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm quite surprised we haven't been given any assignments, especially since the healers finally gave me a clean bill of health."
"You should go see her, Master."
Obi-Wan stopped, forcing Anakin to stop and look back at him.
"See whom?" Obi-Wan asked, frowning.
"Onara. That's why you weren't able to concentrate on our sparring. You were thinking about her. I could see it in your eyes. You were thinking about what Ben told you about her and Dalan."
Obi-Wan released a heavy breath. Anakin was right. Ever since Ben's visit, not only could he not stop thinking about his son, he couldn't stop thinking about Onara and what, apparently, was happening in her marriage. And he also couldn't help thinking it was all his fault. He loved Onara and suspected she still loved him, as deeply and passionately as he loved her, and if that love was making her marriage an unhappy one, then Obi-Wan couldn't help but blame himself.
"It's true," he admitted in a low voice. "I have been thinking about her. About her and Ben."
"I know you have, Master. And you shouldn't feel guilty about it. And don't try to deny you haven't been feeling guilty," Anakin said quickly in response to the look Obi-Wan's face. "I know you too well, Master. Ben is a great kid. Smart as a whip and full of so much light and joy that you'd be crazy not to love him. And Onara..." Anakin smiled warmly. "She's not only beautiful, but a strong and compassionate woman. You shouldn't beat yourself up for loving them both."
Anakin walked over and put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Go and see her, Master," he said gently. "You're not going to feel right until you do."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I can't interfere in her life, Anakin. She belongs to someone else."
"She doesn't belong to anyone. She's her own person and always will be. Granted, she is married to another man, but that doesn't mean she can't need or have a friend. Maybe you can't be with her the way you want to, but you can still be her friend. Can't you, Master?"
Obi-Wan stared at Anakin for a moment, both surprised and, he now realized, strangely saddened with the realization that the tow-headed, nine year-old he'd taken under his wing all those years ago was no longer a boy, but a young man.
"You are a wise man," Obi-Wan said warmly, reaching over and squeezing Anakin's arm.
"I don't know about that," he replied, his bright blue eyes twinkling. "Master Yoda always says," and Anakin pitched his voice to match that of the raspy, throaty voice of the ancient Jedi, "Much to learn have you, young one."
Obi-Wan laughed as he made his way with Anakin to the entrance leading out into the Temple corridors.
"You mustn't take it personally, Anakin. Yoda says that to everyone. I've even heard that he's says it on occasion to Master Dulmak."
"Master Dulmak? But she's at least 500 years old."
"That is true. But, remember, Yoda is 800 years old. To him, everyone is a 'young one'."
Anakin laughed, then he stopped laughing and stared hard at Obi-Wan. "All right, Master. You did a pretty good job of changing the subject, but I still think you should go see---"
"Don't worry, Anakin. I will go and see her," he said as the two walked through the door and out into the hallway which was beginning to fill with Jedi going about their daily business and errands.
"Good," was all Anakin said, but Obi-Wan barely heard him for he was only aware of how wildly his heart was beating and how quickly the blood was surging through his veins at the thought of seeing Onara again.
Turning a corner and heading towards his quarters, he wondered if, in light of the way he was feeling, it would not be a good idea to see her after all, but Anakin was right. Nothing need happen between them. He still loved her, still longed for her in the secret and solitary alcoves of his heart, but he was certain he could put aside such desires and be what he sensed she most needed. A friend.
--------------
Onara shook her head as one of her platoon of assistants handed her still another pile of datadisks.
"No, not any more. I can't look at another datadisk."
"But, Madame, you must. Viceroy Organa sent these over for you to read. The Ethics Committee will be holding hearings later this week."
"I'm aware of that," Onara said, hoping the frustration she felt wasn't evident in her voice.
She still couldn't believe how eager she'd been to serve on the Ethics Committee when she first arrived on Coruscant. She'd been so certain she could make a difference that she jumped at the opportunity to serve on the committee, hoping she could help make the Republic what it once was; a shining example of a government that was truly of and for the people.
Onara's lips twisted bitterly. She'd been so terribly naive. The level of corruption she had witnessed these last months, as report after report streamed through the committee, and hearing after hearing was held, was beyond belief. And what was most disheartening was that, in the ten years since Palpatine had ascended to the office of Chancellor, the corruption within the Senate seemed to have increased, in spite of all Palpatine's speeches and pledges to bring peace, compassion and sanity back to the Republic.
There was still peace in the galaxy, although the growing Separatist movement was sending a chill throughout the Senate as system after system withdrew from the Republic and rallied around Count Dooku's banner, but sanity was something Onara had seen little of during her tenure as senator for her homeworld. As for compassion, that too was nonexistent.
The recent death threats she'd received had only increased her disillusionment for she knew that some of them came from her fellow senators and representatives. The ones she, Bail and the rest of the committee had been investigating. Just the other day she had received another threat, causing her to wonder whether, although it would break her heart to do so, it would be best to send Ben back to Ahjane. Nothing gave her greater joy than to have her son with her, but she would not risk his life merely for her own happiness.
"What do you want me to do with these?"
Onara shook herself out of her reverie as she looked over at her assistant who was still holding the datadisks out to her. Sighing wearily, she gestured at her leather satchel.
"Throw them in there. I'll read them tonight."
"Yes, Madame. Oh, I almost forgot. This came for you."
The assistant handed Onara an envelope. It was unmarked and, for a moment, Onara felt a wave of foreboding. She didn't take it, fearing it was another death threat. Her assistant stared curiously at her as she continued to hesitate.
"Shall I open it for you, Madame?"
"Who brought it?"
"A messenger service."
"No, I'll open it. Thank you."
Her assistant gave her the envelope, bowed and left the office. It was of a thick, ivory-colored paper. There was also a faint, pleasant scent about it that made Onara think of herbs and incense. With shaking fingers, she quickly opened it, taking out a sheet of paper of the same thick texture as the envelope. As she read the note's dark, bold handwriting, her heart began to beat hard and fast, but not from fear.
_Do you remember the night we walked through the gardens of Suheb Province? I shall be there today at 1100, waiting for you. If you choose not to come, I will understand. But never forget, as I told you once before, that if ever you have need of me, I will come. Without hesitation. But, I pray that you will consent to walk me with once more through the gardens and allow me the honor to enjoy, however brief, the pleasure of your company._
The note was unsigned, but Onara knew from whom it had come. She slowly laid it on her desk as she recalled the night of Senator Rhydgon's party at the Crystal Pavilion. That was the night she'd first seen Obi-Wan after nearly two years apart. He had taken her to the holo-arboretum located within the Pavilion. And there, as if by magic, but actually through the science of hologram technology, had created for her one of the lush gardens of Suheb Province on Ahjane.
A frisson of trepidation and yearning moved through Onara. Ever since Ben's return from the Temple, she had longed to see Obi-Wan, but had dared not contact him, hoping, against hope, he would contact her. But he had not and, as the days went by, Onara had finally convinced herself it was for the best he hadn't.
Dalan had returned the day of Ben's trip to the Temple, contrite and tenderly remorseful, begging her forgiveness for the terrible things he'd said. He had even apologized to Ben, having learned that he had heard the two of them arguing. And Ben who, although he was quite advanced for his age, was still innocent regarding the convoluted pathways that were the hearts of men and women, had easily and readily forgiven Dalan, showering on him all the boundless love he felt for the man he thought of as his father.
As for Onara, she had also forgiven Dalan, as much for herself as for Ben's sake because she wanted desperately for her marriage to work, despite her own misgivings and guilt regarding it. With the whole galaxy roiling in turmoil and chaos about her, she needed the stability and the love of her family. And yet....
Onara slowly closed her eyes, taking in and releasing a deep, shuddering breath. And yet, she went on in her heart, she also longed to hear Obi- Wan's warm, lush, charmingly accented voice once more and look into those blue-gray eyes that were both sea and sky, eyes that continued to haunt her most fevered dreams. To be in his presence, if only for a moment, knowing that, as long as he lived, even if the cold, desolate distances of thousands of light-years and the vows they had sworn to others forever separated them, she would fear nothing.
Carefully folding the letter, Onara slid it back into its envelope. She rose from her desk, placing the envelope inside her satchel. Then she glanced over at the wall chrono. It was nearly 1000. She could make it to the Crystal Pavilion just in time if she left now. Leaving her satchel behind, she picked up her blue velvet cape and, swinging it about her shoulders and drawing its hood over her head, left her office.
To be continued....
------------------
"Thank you again, Master Yoda, for showing me the statue of Eo. He was so terribly modest that I think it would have embarrassed him greatly to have been commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, but I am so pleased that the Order sought to honor him so."
Yoda turned his head and looked up at Sinja-Bau who was standing next to him in the great vestibule of the Temple as they waited for Obi-Wan to bring Ben to them. Her blue-green eyes were filled with both gratitude and pain as she gazed back at him.
"Welcome you are, Sinja-Bau, and welcome you will always be at the Temple. Forget that, I hope you do not."
"I won't, Master Yoda. Until today I had thought never to return, but now..."
Sinja-Bau stopped and looked around her and Yoda could see in her eyes and sense in her heart the firestorm of her memories of her long years here.
"Decision you need not make now. Ben is still very young and need you he still does."
Sinja-Bau smiled widely at the mention of her charge. "Yes, he does. But he's growing up so fast."
"As all children do," Yoda remarked.
He turned as he noted Obi-Wan coming down the corridor towards them. Ben was walking next to the Jedi, but Yoda was surprised to see that Obi-Wan was firmly holding the child's hand. The two stopped. Obi-Wan bowed and, a moment behind him, so did Ben, but neither released the other's hand.
"Are you ready to go home, Ben?" Sinja-Bau asked.
Ben turned his head and looked up at Obi-Wan and Yoda saw the hesitation in his face.
"I guess so, Bau-Bau," He turned and looked back at her. "But, couldn't I stay just a little longer?"
Sinja-Bau gently shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Ben. I'm sure Obi-Wan has a lot to do and we've been gone all day. Don't you want to see your mother?"
Ben nodded, but his face was still sad. Obi-Wan, noting it, knelt down and took Ben by the shoulders.
"Don't worry, Ben. We'll see each other again."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Jedi word of honor. And don't forget what I told you."
Ben smiled. "I won't, Master Kenobi. I promise. Jedi word of honor."
"That's a good boy," Obi-Wan said returning his smile.
He stood and, guiding Ben by the shoulders, took him over to Sinja-Bau.
"Thank you for bringing him to see me," Obi-Wan said to her, and Yoda heard the deep and throbbing tiers of emotions in the young Jedi's voice.
"It was my pleasure, Obi-Wan. And it was so good to see you again. I do hope it won't be the last time. Ready, Ben?"
"Yes, Bau-Bau. Goodbye, Master Yoda."
"Goodbye young one. A pleasure to meet you it has been."
"You too, sir." Then Ben turned his large, blue-gray eyes towards Obi-Wan. "Goodbye, Master Kenobi."
"Goodbye, Ben," Obi-Wan said softly. "And goodbye to Obi-Wan," he added, referring to Ben's pet voorpak who was apparently in the boy's jacket pocket for Yoda noted the bulge there.
Sinja-Bau took Ben's hand and, once the large doors to the Temple had slowly swung open, walked through them and back onto into the bright tumult that was the planet-wide city of Coruscant. Neither Obi-Wan or Yoda moved until the doors had closed shut again and even then both continued to stand quietly in the shadowed tranquility that was the Jedi Temple.
"Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan finally said, breaking the silence between them.
"Yes, Obi-Wan?" Yoda responded, peering up at him.
Obi-Wan folded his arms within the sleeves of his robe, but his eyes were fastened on the doors of the Temple through which had walked Sinja-Bau and his son.
"Until this moment I had known only two truly happy days in my life. One was the day Qui-Gon chose me as his Padawan. The second was the night I spent with Onara. Today, however, I have experienced the third happiest day of my life."
Yoda nodded but said nothing as he leaned on his walking stick. He had deliberately thrown Ben and Obi-Wan together to see what would come of it, but he had also never doubted the outcome. Ben was a handsome, bright and gifted child, a son any man would be proud to call his own. As for Obi-Wan, he was not only noble and brave, but gentle and thoughtful. A father any son would be proud of. And, although Ben did not know Obi-Wan was his real father, it was apparent the two now shared a connection that was more than just blood.
"If you will excuse me, Master," Obi-Wan suddenly said, bowing quickly to Yoda, his voice tight with what sounded to Yoda like unshed tears.
Yoda inclined his head, but remained silent and still as he watched Obi-Wan stride away, his dark brown robe billowing out behind him. Once the young Jedi Knight had disappeared from his sight, Yoda finally moved, his walking stick ticking on the polished floor as he made his way slowly down the hall.
_Set in motion all this I have_, he thought gravely. _Now only wait I can to see what unfolds._
-------------
Onara put down the datapad she'd been reading and wearily rubbed the bridge of her nose. She'd been reading over the latest reports from Bail Organa regarding the Ethics Committee's last hearing, but once she discovered she'd read the same line over and over, she knew it was time to take a break. She'd been working all day, ever since Ben and Sinja-Bau had left early that morning to go to the Jedi Temple. Keria had been gone all day also, spending time with Padmé's handmaidens whom she had grown quite close to. As for Dalan, Onara had not seen nor heard from him since he'd left that morning. It was now late afternoon.
Rising from her desk, she walked into the common area of the apartment and through that towards the kitchen. She was about to make herself a pot of tea when she heard the front door whish open. Turning, she hurried back into the common area and watched as Ben and Sinja-Bau entered the room.
"Mama!"
A blur of motion and Ben was in her arms.
"Ben, darling," Onara cried as she lifted him up and held him.
"Did you miss me, Mama?"
"Of course I did, but I'm very happy you got a chance to go to the Temple. Did you have a good time?"
"Yes, Mama, I did. And I met Master Yoda and Master Anakin and there were lots of children there and they all had lightsabers!"
"Did they really?"
Ben nodded eagerly. "And I saw him, Mama!"
Onara's heart skipped a beat. "Who, darling?" but she knew who it was. She could see it in Ben's eyes.
"Obi-Wan! And he showed me where all the Jedi get the parts for their lightsabers, and he took me to a room with lots of pretty fountains in it, and you would like that room too, Mama, you should go there one day, and then Obi-Wan showed me where he had hung my picture on his wall, and then we had lunch and Obi-Wan ate a mouse, but I had a salad and some jawa juice and so did Obi-Wan, I mean the real Obi-Wan, and then he showed me how to use the Force, and Anakin came to see me, and we sang a song together, and then Obi-Wan made me promise to tell you..."
Ben stopped, his eyes widening as he looked over at Sinja-Bau who was watching him with a wide smile.
"He...uh...he told me to tell you something, Mama, but only when it was just you and me," Ben finished, looking uncomfortably over at Sinja-Bau who quickly raised her hands, laughing as she did so.
"Don't mind me," she said as she walked past them to her room in the apartment. "It's time for my meditation anyway."
"Did you have a good time, Sinja-Bau?" Onara asked as the older woman swept past.
Sinja-Bau stopped and looked back, her eyes shining. "Yes, dear. I did. A very nice time. Thank you for asking."
"I'm glad to hear that," Onara said, and she was for she had noted the trepidation in Sinja-Bau's face that morning when Onara asked her to take Ben to the Temple. She had worried all day that she'd placed the woman, who was now her dearest companion, in an uncomfortable situation.
Once Sinja-Bau was gone, Onara carried Ben over to the couch. She sat down and he nestled close to her. Then she felt something moving against her side. She watched, smiling, as Obi-Wan the voorpak crawled out of the pocket of Ben's jacket.
"Oh, Ben, don't tell me you took Obi-Wan with you to the Temple?"
"I did, Mama. I'm sorry. I know I wasn't supposed to."
"Well, as long as he didn't cause any kind of pandemonium. I doubt very much that the Jedi would have appreciated having a voorpak running loose about their halls."
Ben didn't say anything, but Onara noted his face scrunching up the way it did when she would ask him if he'd done something she knew he'd done, but he was reluctant to admit he'd done. The voorpak moved over Ben's lap, across the couch, onto its arm and over to a table next to the couch. It then collapsed its eight legs and blissfully closed its eyes.
"Now, what did you want to tell me?" she asked.
Ben slipped his arms around her waist and dug the side of his face into her side.
"Is Papa here?"
"No, darling. He's not."
"Will he be back?"
Onara hesitated for a moment. Then she sighed. "Yes, he'll be back. But later. However, if he's not back by dinner, we'll eat without him."
Ben nodded, but Onara sensed there was something on his mind. She was about to ask him what it was, but she heard him talking.
"I love you, Mama."
"And I love you, my darling one."
Ben remained silent for a moment and, although Onara was dying to know what it was Obi-Wan had told him to tell her, she made herself wait. Then she felt Ben stirring against her.
"Mama?"
"Yes?"
"I...I heard you and Papa yelling at each other last night."
Onara drew in a sharp breath, her heart kicking against her ribs, but willed herself to remain calm.
"And I told Obi-Wan about it," Ben went on. "Are you mad?"
"Of course not. I'm glad you had someone you could talk to about it. It must have been very frightening for you to...to hear Mama and Papa talking to each other in that way."
Ben nodded. "I don't like to hear you cry, Mama. Promise me you won't cry anymore."
Onara reached over and gently took Ben's chin as she looked deeply into his eyes.
"I wish I could promise you that, darling. I wish no one in this universe ever had to cry again, but remember, sometimes we cry happy tears. However, I promise I will do my best not to cry any more sad tears."
At least, she firmly told herself, not where her son could hear her.
"I cried, Mama. When I was with Obi-Wan. Because I was sad about you and Papa. And Obi-Wan told me not to cry, and he said he would always be my friend, and if I ever needed him, if I was ever sad or afraid, he would come. Just like that." Ben snapped his fingers, or tried to, giggling as he did so.
"Obi-Wan did it better, Mama. But he said he would come. And then he asked me to tell you something. And he made me promise to remember it, and to tell you when it was only you and me."
Onara stroked Ben's cheek, her heart warming with both gratefulness and longing, so glad to know Obi-Wan had been there for Ben when he needed someone to share his feelings with.
"And what did he tell you, darling?"
"To remember what he said after you told him the story about the royal twins."
Onara felt her throat tighten, a wave of remembrance washing over her as she recalled the night of the blessing ceremony. The night she and Obi-Wan conceived the child who now sat next to her, looking up at her with his father's beautiful eyes.
"Did you tell Obi-Wan stories too, Mama?"
Onara smiled softly. "Yes, once."
"But you never told me that story."
"I know, dear. But I will. One day."
"But, Mama, what did Obi-Wan say to you after you told him the story?"
Onara drew in, then slowly released a deep breath. She pulled Ben closer, laying her cheek against the softness of his thick, black hair.
"He told me to never give up hope. That as long as there is life, there is hope."
"Oh." Ben was silent for a moment. "Mama, are you and Obi-Wan friends?"
"Yes, dear, we are."
"I'm glad, Mama. I like him. I like him a lot, and I like him even better then he was in the stories you told me. Obi-Wan said you made up most of those stories about him. But, that's okay, Mama. I still like those stories. I hope I see him again."
Onara held Ben closer, keeping her cheek pressed against his hair as she hugged him and blinked away the tears that were filling her eyes.
_I hope you do too, my darling. As do I._
-----------------
Anakin ducked as the lightsaber swung towards his head. Then, turning fluidly, he quickly parried the next blow. The blades of the two lightsabers, one blue, the other green, crackled and sizzled as they made contact, the sound reverberating in the echoing quiet of the Temple gymnasium. It was early in the morning, a few days after Ben's visit to the Temple. Anakin and Obi-Wan were sparring but Obi-Wan's thoughts were, as they'd been the last few days, elsewhere. And this was most evident when, as a result of his not paying attention, Anakin nearly knocked his lightsaber from his hand.
"Master," Anakin cried as he circled Obi-Wan, his blade high above his head. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were either setting me up for a proper thrashing, or your mind is not on the match. I almost got you there."
"You know better than you imagine, Padawan," Obi-Wan replied with a rueful smile.
He advanced towards Anakin and the two exchanged a dizzying set of blazing thrusts, cuts and parries. If anyone else had been present in the gym, they would have been dazzled by the skill of both the master and the apprentice, but the two were alone.
The sound of their lightsabers, their grunts and heavy breathing, and the skids and slides of their boots across the polished floor were the only sounds in the cavernous room. That is until a sound Obi-Wan was quite dismayed to hear broke through. It was the sound of his lightsaber clattering to the floor. Staring down at his weaponless hand, then at his lightsaber where it lay on the floor, its blade having shut off, Obi-Wan felt a moment of shock.
"Master...I...I'm sorry," Anakin quickly stammered. Shutting off his own lightsaber, he bent to pick up Obi-Wan's, handing it to him.
"Why are you apologizing?" Obi-Wan asked as he took his weapon. "You did nothing wrong."
"But...but I've never disarmed you before, Master."
Obi-Wan smiled at the awe and, he now noted, hint of pride in Anakin's voice and in his eyes.
"There's a first time for everything," he said with a smile.
Anakin shook his head, frowning. "It wasn't a fair fight. Your mind was not on the match."
Obi-Wan shrugged. "It was a fair fight. If my mind was not on the match, that was my mistake. A valuable lesson for us both, I think. But, let's stop. I've had enough for today."
"So have I. And I'm meeting with the Chancellor later this morning."
"Ah," Obi-Wan replied, but said no more.
He did not care for Chancellor Palpatine, and his discomfort with the man had only grown over the years, but Anakin had a great deal of respect for him. Obi-Wan had tried to open his apprentice's eyes regarding what he saw as Palpatine's crafty and manipulative opportunism, but his words of misgiving regarding the Chancellor continued to fall on Anakin's decidedly deaf ears.
"What will you do today, Master?" Anakin went on as the two made their way towards the gym's entrance.
"I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm quite surprised we haven't been given any assignments, especially since the healers finally gave me a clean bill of health."
"You should go see her, Master."
Obi-Wan stopped, forcing Anakin to stop and look back at him.
"See whom?" Obi-Wan asked, frowning.
"Onara. That's why you weren't able to concentrate on our sparring. You were thinking about her. I could see it in your eyes. You were thinking about what Ben told you about her and Dalan."
Obi-Wan released a heavy breath. Anakin was right. Ever since Ben's visit, not only could he not stop thinking about his son, he couldn't stop thinking about Onara and what, apparently, was happening in her marriage. And he also couldn't help thinking it was all his fault. He loved Onara and suspected she still loved him, as deeply and passionately as he loved her, and if that love was making her marriage an unhappy one, then Obi-Wan couldn't help but blame himself.
"It's true," he admitted in a low voice. "I have been thinking about her. About her and Ben."
"I know you have, Master. And you shouldn't feel guilty about it. And don't try to deny you haven't been feeling guilty," Anakin said quickly in response to the look Obi-Wan's face. "I know you too well, Master. Ben is a great kid. Smart as a whip and full of so much light and joy that you'd be crazy not to love him. And Onara..." Anakin smiled warmly. "She's not only beautiful, but a strong and compassionate woman. You shouldn't beat yourself up for loving them both."
Anakin walked over and put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Go and see her, Master," he said gently. "You're not going to feel right until you do."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I can't interfere in her life, Anakin. She belongs to someone else."
"She doesn't belong to anyone. She's her own person and always will be. Granted, she is married to another man, but that doesn't mean she can't need or have a friend. Maybe you can't be with her the way you want to, but you can still be her friend. Can't you, Master?"
Obi-Wan stared at Anakin for a moment, both surprised and, he now realized, strangely saddened with the realization that the tow-headed, nine year-old he'd taken under his wing all those years ago was no longer a boy, but a young man.
"You are a wise man," Obi-Wan said warmly, reaching over and squeezing Anakin's arm.
"I don't know about that," he replied, his bright blue eyes twinkling. "Master Yoda always says," and Anakin pitched his voice to match that of the raspy, throaty voice of the ancient Jedi, "Much to learn have you, young one."
Obi-Wan laughed as he made his way with Anakin to the entrance leading out into the Temple corridors.
"You mustn't take it personally, Anakin. Yoda says that to everyone. I've even heard that he's says it on occasion to Master Dulmak."
"Master Dulmak? But she's at least 500 years old."
"That is true. But, remember, Yoda is 800 years old. To him, everyone is a 'young one'."
Anakin laughed, then he stopped laughing and stared hard at Obi-Wan. "All right, Master. You did a pretty good job of changing the subject, but I still think you should go see---"
"Don't worry, Anakin. I will go and see her," he said as the two walked through the door and out into the hallway which was beginning to fill with Jedi going about their daily business and errands.
"Good," was all Anakin said, but Obi-Wan barely heard him for he was only aware of how wildly his heart was beating and how quickly the blood was surging through his veins at the thought of seeing Onara again.
Turning a corner and heading towards his quarters, he wondered if, in light of the way he was feeling, it would not be a good idea to see her after all, but Anakin was right. Nothing need happen between them. He still loved her, still longed for her in the secret and solitary alcoves of his heart, but he was certain he could put aside such desires and be what he sensed she most needed. A friend.
--------------
Onara shook her head as one of her platoon of assistants handed her still another pile of datadisks.
"No, not any more. I can't look at another datadisk."
"But, Madame, you must. Viceroy Organa sent these over for you to read. The Ethics Committee will be holding hearings later this week."
"I'm aware of that," Onara said, hoping the frustration she felt wasn't evident in her voice.
She still couldn't believe how eager she'd been to serve on the Ethics Committee when she first arrived on Coruscant. She'd been so certain she could make a difference that she jumped at the opportunity to serve on the committee, hoping she could help make the Republic what it once was; a shining example of a government that was truly of and for the people.
Onara's lips twisted bitterly. She'd been so terribly naive. The level of corruption she had witnessed these last months, as report after report streamed through the committee, and hearing after hearing was held, was beyond belief. And what was most disheartening was that, in the ten years since Palpatine had ascended to the office of Chancellor, the corruption within the Senate seemed to have increased, in spite of all Palpatine's speeches and pledges to bring peace, compassion and sanity back to the Republic.
There was still peace in the galaxy, although the growing Separatist movement was sending a chill throughout the Senate as system after system withdrew from the Republic and rallied around Count Dooku's banner, but sanity was something Onara had seen little of during her tenure as senator for her homeworld. As for compassion, that too was nonexistent.
The recent death threats she'd received had only increased her disillusionment for she knew that some of them came from her fellow senators and representatives. The ones she, Bail and the rest of the committee had been investigating. Just the other day she had received another threat, causing her to wonder whether, although it would break her heart to do so, it would be best to send Ben back to Ahjane. Nothing gave her greater joy than to have her son with her, but she would not risk his life merely for her own happiness.
"What do you want me to do with these?"
Onara shook herself out of her reverie as she looked over at her assistant who was still holding the datadisks out to her. Sighing wearily, she gestured at her leather satchel.
"Throw them in there. I'll read them tonight."
"Yes, Madame. Oh, I almost forgot. This came for you."
The assistant handed Onara an envelope. It was unmarked and, for a moment, Onara felt a wave of foreboding. She didn't take it, fearing it was another death threat. Her assistant stared curiously at her as she continued to hesitate.
"Shall I open it for you, Madame?"
"Who brought it?"
"A messenger service."
"No, I'll open it. Thank you."
Her assistant gave her the envelope, bowed and left the office. It was of a thick, ivory-colored paper. There was also a faint, pleasant scent about it that made Onara think of herbs and incense. With shaking fingers, she quickly opened it, taking out a sheet of paper of the same thick texture as the envelope. As she read the note's dark, bold handwriting, her heart began to beat hard and fast, but not from fear.
_Do you remember the night we walked through the gardens of Suheb Province? I shall be there today at 1100, waiting for you. If you choose not to come, I will understand. But never forget, as I told you once before, that if ever you have need of me, I will come. Without hesitation. But, I pray that you will consent to walk me with once more through the gardens and allow me the honor to enjoy, however brief, the pleasure of your company._
The note was unsigned, but Onara knew from whom it had come. She slowly laid it on her desk as she recalled the night of Senator Rhydgon's party at the Crystal Pavilion. That was the night she'd first seen Obi-Wan after nearly two years apart. He had taken her to the holo-arboretum located within the Pavilion. And there, as if by magic, but actually through the science of hologram technology, had created for her one of the lush gardens of Suheb Province on Ahjane.
A frisson of trepidation and yearning moved through Onara. Ever since Ben's return from the Temple, she had longed to see Obi-Wan, but had dared not contact him, hoping, against hope, he would contact her. But he had not and, as the days went by, Onara had finally convinced herself it was for the best he hadn't.
Dalan had returned the day of Ben's trip to the Temple, contrite and tenderly remorseful, begging her forgiveness for the terrible things he'd said. He had even apologized to Ben, having learned that he had heard the two of them arguing. And Ben who, although he was quite advanced for his age, was still innocent regarding the convoluted pathways that were the hearts of men and women, had easily and readily forgiven Dalan, showering on him all the boundless love he felt for the man he thought of as his father.
As for Onara, she had also forgiven Dalan, as much for herself as for Ben's sake because she wanted desperately for her marriage to work, despite her own misgivings and guilt regarding it. With the whole galaxy roiling in turmoil and chaos about her, she needed the stability and the love of her family. And yet....
Onara slowly closed her eyes, taking in and releasing a deep, shuddering breath. And yet, she went on in her heart, she also longed to hear Obi- Wan's warm, lush, charmingly accented voice once more and look into those blue-gray eyes that were both sea and sky, eyes that continued to haunt her most fevered dreams. To be in his presence, if only for a moment, knowing that, as long as he lived, even if the cold, desolate distances of thousands of light-years and the vows they had sworn to others forever separated them, she would fear nothing.
Carefully folding the letter, Onara slid it back into its envelope. She rose from her desk, placing the envelope inside her satchel. Then she glanced over at the wall chrono. It was nearly 1000. She could make it to the Crystal Pavilion just in time if she left now. Leaving her satchel behind, she picked up her blue velvet cape and, swinging it about her shoulders and drawing its hood over her head, left her office.
To be continued....