Nope, haven't given up on this story. I just got a major case of writer's block. But it's gone now (hopefully). Sorry for the long wait, and I'll try not to make you wait so long for the next chapter! Hope you guys enjoy!

This place is so dead, Obi-Wan thought as he trudged behind his Master in the sand. There was no life that was apparent besides the buildings, and even those looked like they were in a state of decomposition. A ghost town, just about. How can people stand to be so far from life?

Obi-Wan quickened his pace to catch up with his Master, though the sand slowed him down. "Master, how long do you think it will take us to get to their home?"

"I'm not sure, Obi-Wan. It all depends on those two behind us."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Of course. Thought I do wish they would stop getting stuck in the sand. It would be nice to get indoors before dark."

Qui-Gon turned his head to look at the pair, just in time to see Tela collapse from sinking into the sand. He sighed. "Yes, it would be nice."

After what felt like forever, the Jedi and the Ikous reached the small abode. Tela grimaced when she saw how small it was, but kept it to herself for once. Qui-Gon brushed off his cloak, then knocked on the door. A few minutes later it was opened by a small woman in an oversized tunic. At first, she stared at Qui-Gon fearfully, but her eyes softened greatly when she turned to Obi-Wan.

"Yes? What do you need?" she asked them, now turning to look at Terra and Tela.

"We were told that we would be able to take shelter in your home until our ship is repaired. We were wondering if that were possible."

The woman looked at them again, then nodded. "My husband won't like it, but I don't want Tusken Raiders to get you." She stepped to the side. "Come in, come in."

Qui-Gon bowed his head to her. "Thank you very much, ma'am." He stepped into the home, followed by Obi-Wan and the Ikous. He looked around, and saw that though it was far too small for anyone to really live in, that there was a small staircase on the other side of the room. The woman shut the door behind them and walked over to it. She took a few steps down, then turned back to the group.

"Follow me." Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged glances, then followed, with the women close behind. Once they got to the foot of the staircase, the home completely opened up. It was about ten times the size of the above-ground portion, and that was only including what they could see from where they stood.

The woman turned as another man stepped into the room. He looked at the small mob, then turned to the woman. "Kena...what is this?"

She lifted her chin up. "These people need a place to stay. This is..." she held her hand out to Qui-Gon.

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn. This is my Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. These are our charges, Terra and Tela Ikuo."

Kena's eyes widened at the sound of the name 'Qui-Gon Jinn' then nearly popped out when she heard 'Obi-Wan Kenobi.' She turned to the youth and studied him. Ginger hair, blue eyes, tall but not overly tall, handsome. Just like my first husband, she thought, her eyes tearing up at the possibility that came into her head.

Her husband Clieg however, didn't catch the significance of what the man had said. He merely nodded. "Clieg Lars. This is my wife, Kena." He turned as a young boy walked into the room. He looked about ten, and also looked very angry. Clieg turned back to the visitors. "Our son, Owen."

Qui-Gon bowed politely to the boy, and his Padawan followed suit. Only Terra and Tela did not show a sign of respect. Owen looked at Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon curiously.

"You Jedi?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "What makes you think that?"

"That," the boy said, pointing to the lightsaber hanging from both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's belt. Kena also looked at them, then back up to the youth's face. She watched as he wiped his face, causing her to notice the patch on his head. She instinctively stepped forward.

"You're hurt." she said, and it wasn't a question.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "It's nothing. I'll be fine."

"No you won't! Not with sand in it! You're lucky if it doesn't get infected!"

Obi-Wan looked toward his Master, obviously embarrassed. But Qui-Gon was looking at the woman with a curious expression. One that Obi-Wan could not decode.

He turned back to the woman. "I'm fine. I can fix it up myself."

"Nonsense. What happened?"

"Our ship crashed. I hit my head. That's all."

Kena turned to Clieg and spoke in a language neither Jedi understood. It did, however, sound vaguely familiar to Obi-Wan. But there was no way that he could translate or even begin to understand.

Clieg looked at Obi-Wan for a moment, then turned back to his wife. He snapped at her, but she did not back down. She continued to talk, motioning at the small group. Finally Clieg seemed to give up. He turned to the group.

"We can let you stay here until your ship is fixed. You have nowhere else to go, and we have extra space. You are welcome to stay as long as you need."

Qui-Gon bowed his head. "We thank you for your help. Though we shouldn't have to stay very long. All we need to do is repair our broken hyperdrive."

"No matter. Clieg can help you repair the hyperdrive as well. Can't you, Clieg?" Kena said, staring at her husband meaningfully. He stared at her for a moment, then sighed.

"Of course. I'll help with what I can. Always happy to help a Jedi." He glanced at his wife once before walking out of the room.

The Jedi watched after him, then turned back to Kena. She sighed. "I'm very sorry. He doesn't share the same passion of helping that I have. I lost my first husband about fifteen years ago, and I've wanted to help others ever since."

Owen, Qui-Gon noticed, was watching the group very closely. His eyes, however, kept straying back to Obi-Wan. The teenager also noticed, and was uncomfortable with all the odd glances he was getting. He shifted his feet and looked back at Kena. She motioned to the group.

"If you would follow me. I'll show you to the rooms you can stay in. It's not much of a house, but it is actually a lot bigger than most of those that you will find around here. My first husband bought this place and fixed it up a good deal, and Clieg has fixed it up even more." She smiled. "We have been lucky so far. Our harvests have been excellent, so we are never wanting for anything."

"Harvest?" Tela asked, wrinkling her nose. "What do you mean? Nothing could possibly grow out here!"

Kena eyed her with eyes that held wisdom beyond her years. "We harvest water. I'd explain the process to you, but it is long and complicated. You wouldn't understand."

Tela balled up her fists. "What exactly are you implying? Are you saying that I'm too dumb to understand? You little-"

"Tela!" Obi-Wan almost shouted, saying his first words since coming into the house. Tela turned to him, only to see the anger in his eyes at her rudeness. She opened her mouth to defend herself, ask him who he thought he was, but the look on his face stopped her. Terra reached forward and grasped her daughter's arm, roughly pulling her back behind her.

Kena had been watching Obi-Wan ever since he startled her by speaking. Something kept pulling her back to him. She could only guess, but she thought she knew what it was. She shook her head and took a step back.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Miss. I was only saying that it would take too long for me to describe what happens. It took me years to fully understand it, although I've grown up on this planet." She turned and walked into a room that was a short ways down the hall.

"This will be your room, Master Jedi. I hope you will find in comfortable." She let him look around for a moment, then exited the room. She went into the room across from it. "This will be the Padawan's room." She looked up at Obi-Wan, who had a confused look on his face. "Something wrong,...Obi-Wan?"

"No, but I usually stay with my Master," he said as he looked around the room, which was slightly larger than his Master's.

"Well, I know how teenagers are. You need your privacy." She turned and walked out of the room. Then she approached the second-to-last door in the hall. "This will be the Ikous' room."

Qui-Gon frowned. "They have to share? What about teenagers needing privacy?"

"Well, I assumed since she is not a Jedi, that this is doing much more to her than your young Padawan. I assumed she would want to stay close to her mother." Kena turned to look and Tela, who nodded.

"I would like to stay with my mother, Master Jedi," she said in a small voice. "There's just been so much that has happened today." She looked at Qui-Gon, who nodded.

"Very well then. I see no problem with the arrangements." He turned to Obi-Wan, who shrugged. "My Padawan has no problems as well."

Kena nodded and smiled. "Very well then. You must be very tired after all that has happened today, but I must ask you to stay awake just a little longer." Tela and Terra's faces fell, which Kena saw. "Unless, of course, you would like to skip supper and go right to bed?" Kena saw the boy's face light up at the mention of supper and smiled. She turned to him. "I think I know what Obi-Wan wants to do."

He blushed and looked down at the rough floor. Qui-Gon smiled. "Yes. I think I might get something to eat as well."

"How can you eat?" Terra asked suddenly and ferociously. "We just got shot down and all you and your Padawan can think of is food! I don't have any appetite at all!"

Kena shook her head. "I understand how you feel. But if you do not eat, you will regret it in the morning."

"I will not eat! I can't!"

Tela nodded. "I feel that if I eat anything, it may just come right back out!"

Kena sighed. "Fine. Go ahead to your room if you like." She turned to the Jedi. "Now, you two, you can come with me. I'll see what I can scrounge up for you." She turned and headed back to the main area of the house. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged glances before following. She stopped in a large room with cooking equipment on one side, and a large table with chairs on the other.

"Make yourselves at home," she said as she began to dig through a refrigeration unit for something to make her honored guests.

Thirty minutes later she had made one of the best meals she ever had. Clieg joined them, though he preferred to sit away from the Jedi. Eventually, however, Qui-Gon's winning personality drug him into a conversation, and he found himself comfortable with the guests.

"So," Clieg said, setting down his fork, "how long have you been a Jedi, Qui-Gon?"

"All of my life. Initiates are given to the Jedi at a young age, and they are raised as Jedi. Once the initiate comes of age, he or she is able to be chosen as a Padawan."

"What if they aren't chosen?" Kena asked.

"Well, they could be sent to the Agricultural Corps, or to one of many other Corps that make use of the initiates skills."

"So they don't just dump them out on the streets of Coruscant?"

"No! We'd never do that. Thought sometimes an initiate may leave the Order for one reason or another."

Kena turned to Obi-Wan, who had barely spoken since he arrived at her home. "So, Obi-Wan, how old are you?"

He looked up at her, his blue eyes making her feel as if he could see through her soul. "I'm sixteen, ma'am."

"Oh. Have you been a Jedi all of your life too?"

"From what I can remember, yes."

She tried to speak again, but her voice caught in her throat. Finally she found it again. "Do you remember your family at all?"

He looked at her curiously. "Not really. Thought sometimes I dream about them." He looked up suddenly at the doorway. The Lars' boy, Owen, was standing there watching them all.

Kena turned and smiled at him. "Would you like something to eat, Owen?" The boy nodded and sat in the seat furthest from everyone. Kena looked at him with concerned eyes. "It's late, Owen. Couldn't you sleep?"

The boy shook his head. "No."

"Did you have those bad dreams again?"

Owen looked up at his mother, then at the Jedi. Why should he answer that in front of these strangers, he wondered. Was his mother trying to embarrass him? Instead of answering, he just glared at her. Kena watched him for a moment as he put small amounts of food on his plate, then turned back to the Jedi.

The rest of the meal went smoothly. Clieg and Qui-Gon talked of galactic news, while both Kena and Obi-Wan remained silent unless spoken to. Owen did a lot of glaring at everyone. When the food was eaten and the dishes cleaned the Jedi excused themselves and went to bed. Kena silently watched as Obi-Wan pulled off his boots before closing the door to his room. She leaned against the wall and sighed. She felt ready to cry. She didn't even realize that Clieg had walked up behind her until he put a hand on her shoulders.

"Are you alright? Do those Jedi bother you?"

"No Clieg, it's not like that." She turned to him, and he saw the tears in her eyes. "The younger one, do you see anything familiar about him?" Clieg shook his head. "Don't you hear anything familiar about his name?" Clieg shook his head again. Kena choked back a sob and turned away from him. "Do you fear him so much that you have pushed him completely out of your mind?"

Clieg grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Kena, what do you mean? Who?"

"Obi-Wan. My Obi-Wan." She looked at the young Jedi's closed door. "He's my son, Clieg. My first son."

Clieg furrowed his eyebrows. "Your Obi-Wan?" Then the truth dawned on him. "From you first husband?"

"The one who died." She pointed to Obi-Wan's door. "And he is the son I gave to the Jedi fifteen years ago!" Her tears spilled down her cheeks. "My son. My first son. He's found his way home!"