Obi-Wan and Allura walked to the side of the house where the speeder was. Obi-Wan got on first, then put his hand out to help Allura on.
"It's not really made for two people," Obi-Wan told her. "Hold on very tight."
Allura wrapped her arms around Obi-Wan's waist, tightly. Obi-Wan started the speeder and they were soon off. Allura kept her tight grip on Obi-Wan and rested her head on his shoulder. Obi-Wan looked back and saw her, smiling. When he looked back at what was in front of him, he couldn't help but smile either.
They soon arrived in Mos Eisly and parked the speeder. Obi-Wan was always taken back when he came here. Though, he never walked into this town when Anakin first joined them, that was Qui-Gon, he was always taken back either way.
"We're going to Morgan's shop," Obi-Wan told Allura. "She's the only one on this planet that knows who I am, she's very loyal."
Obi-Wan led the way through the market place. Morgan's shop was the one of the last shops on the strip. Stares followed Obi-Wan and Allura as they walked. Allura stayed close to Obi-Wan. Through the Force she could sense some uneasiness. But, she was unclear if her own mind was playing tricks on her,
Morgan was the only human who owned a shop here. Allura felt easier knowing se would be dealing with a human. Once they stopped, Obi-Wan stared Allura up and down.
"Yes?" Allura asked.
"Just making sure you've hidden yourself well."
"Master Kenobi, I look like I belong in the Cantina," she replied.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Perfect."
They walked into the shop. People were shopping, looking around. Obi-Wan walked to the counter where Morgan was. She was an older woman, older than Obi-Wan. Her hair was dark, with streaks of gray. She was short and round, and sat on a stool at the counter. When Allura got a better look, she could see that Morgan was missing a leg.
"Ben!" Morgan yelled.
"Hello, Morgan," Obi-Wan replied.
Allura looked at them. Be? Who is Ben? It didn't take Allura long to see what was going on, Obi-Wan had changed his name. The threat of being a Jedi, of being Obi-Wan Kenobi was now clear to Allura. Obi-Wan was a name that meant death. Allura grew sad, a great Jedi was standing before her, but generations to come will know of him as Ben Kenobi. Allura made a promise to herself then and there, she would bring honor back to the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan talked briefly with Morgan. Morgan knew his name wasn't Ben, she knew exactly who he was. Morgan had asked Obi-Wan who the girl was, Obi-Wan told her that Allura was his niece, but Morgan already knew who she was too.
"Remember, Bed, you can have whatever you want," Morgan told him.
"Thank you, Morgan."
"Know her?" Allura asked when Obi-Wan came to her. "You haven't broken any rules, have you?"
"Love her? Did I ever, or do I now. Better yet, did I sleep with her? No, I haven't done that, I never loved her either," Obi-Wan answered. "Here's a lesson for you, love, it's not as bad as the code makes it sound. Now, come, we have to get back."
Allura watched him walk away. Her face stung with shock. Love, not bad? Love was only second to regret on the list of dangerous emotions, with fear right behind it. Love clouded the mind, just like every emotion. Love brought a ton of bad emotions with it. Love was felt strictly between Master and Padawan, and even then that love was never a real love, it was defined as dangerous, love is dangerous. Master and Padawan was a relationship bound by the Force, that love was unconditional, slightly different. Allura snapped out of her dream and ran after Obi-Wan.
"What did you mean by that?" Allura asked him.
"We will continue that lesson another time," he answered. "Ah, Bantha meat."
Allura didn't have high exposure to the food Obi-Wan was picking out. The large beasts were hanging in the back of the store, their meat being carved right off the bone. The animal is so huge that sections of it were hanging at a time. Obi-Wan made his way through the crowd and was given a huge chunk. The meat was wrapped in a paper wrap that kept it from going bad, but the juices dripped all over Obi-Wan.
They next went to a table full of colorful plants, vegetables, and fruits, all imported for other planets. A sign on the table read "From Naboo" over most of the vegetation. Allura thought the colors were beautiful. She ran her hand over what looked like an apple, and it began to roll. People began to stare.
"Static," she replied.
"Can you pick out some things from that table?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Of course, Uncle Ben," Allura replied with a smile.
Allura filled the bags with different colors. She had no idea, really, what it was she was taking. She took most from the Naboo pile, and took more of what she knew. She then brought the bags to Obi-Wan.
"Very funny," Obi-Wan said to her when she came over.
"What? Hey, it's your cover, I'm just playing along," she replied. "Uncle Ben."
Obi-Wan put his arm around his "niece" and they walked on. Obi-Wan gathered a few more things before they reached a barrel full of nutrition pellets. They were a small square of a brownish spongy material that had no real taste. Every nutrient needed was crammed into it. It was easy to get a hold of them, and they were very affordable. Jedi lived off them during missions. Obi-Wan and Allura loaded up on them. No matter how far from the Order, a Jedi will always jump on these pellets.
Obi-Wan and Allura filled many bags. Now they were finished. Obi-Wan told Allura to bring everything to the speeder. There was a large pullout draw in the speeder. Allura began to load it up while Obi-Wan talked with Morgan.
"I can never thank you enough," Obi-Wan told her.
"Consider it my hope that the Republic and the Jedi will one day rule the galaxy," she replied. "Is that the One?"
"The One? No, the One is now the Dark Lord," Obi-Wan replied looking down.
"Yes, tragic. But, there has to be another One, right?" she said. "Well, don't over look what's in front of you, Master Kenobi."
Morgan smiled and went back into her shop. Obi-Wan stood there for a moment. A second One? Well, of course, he knew who that second One was, he just didn't have the access to him. He knew who would be the only one able to take down Darth Vader, and that was his son, Luke. But, Morgan's last words to him haunted him. "Don't over look what's in front of you", perhaps Allura was just as important. Perhaps Allura would be able to rebuild the Jedi Order. He didn't want to think about it.
Obi-Wan turned and watched Allura load the speeder up. Her cover up was draped over the speeder. The light caught her raven black hair and her soft skin just right. He had been taken back, stopped dead in his tracks.
Allura's gaze caught his eyes. The green shown better than any lightsaber crystal, more beautiful that any gem he had ever seen. She smiled at him. His breath got caught in his throat, he nearly choked on it. Allura now didn't look like the Padawan who had arrived at his doorstep only one day ago; she looked like a rare beauty found on an exotic planet.
"All ready," she said.
As quickly as it had hit him, Obi-Wan fell back into step.
"Right, lets go home."
Obi-Wan got onto the speeder. Allura threw her cover up back on and got on behind him. Obi-Wan felt her tight grip on his waste. The speeder took off.
Obi-Wan found himself thinking about the image he had just saw. He felt oddly at peace. He hadn't seen beauty like that before, and he had seen beauty both exotic and classic; but never both in the same person. He had never seen such beauty, that he was still reminded of it afterwards. Women had come and gone in Obi-Wan's life, with no relationships. They had always been attracted to him, always, but never the other way around, not entirely. He had been attracted, but his training had prevented him from feeling anything else. You would look, take in, and move on. Not this time.
Once they arrived back home, Obi-Wan and Allura unloaded everything. It was getting late in the day, no time for cooking, which was good in Obi-Wan's mind, he never really got it down. From the front door, Obi-Wan watched Allura take things from the draw and start to carry them. He stomach turned, he felt nervous.
"You alright?" Allura asked him when she passed him by.
"Fine. I can't make anything for you now, I am sorry. We have plenty of work to do," he told her. "Here, this should hold you over." He tossed her a nutrition pellet. "I'll owe you."
"Fair enough," she replied. "I won't forget it."
"I will finish putting this away, you change and then we'll get started," Obi-Wan said. "I can't have Cantina dancers now."
"Yes, Master, sir," Allura said with a smile, then disappeared.
Allura closed the door of her room and changed her clothes. Under her robes she wore a skin tight shirt that hung just above her belly button, and a pair of pants that were just as tight. Her Master had given them to her for physical training, but proved to have a use in everyday work. They were very dear to her, and she always wore them. A chip was implanted in both the shirt and the pants to regulate body temperature and heart rate.
Once finished putting everything away, Obi-Wan waited for Allura outside. His nerves were shaking, he wished he had one of those nerve sticks the Clone Troopers used to have. He paced back and forth, wearing out a path. He was worried not only about this training, but about his inability to shake Allura's image from the market from his head. He stopped, took a deep breath, and meditated for a moment, and the image floated away. He took another deep breath, feeling better that they had finally left him. He now only had the training to worry about.
Standing there, Obi-Wan began to wish his Master would have came to him, spoken to him, help him. He hadn't spoken to him in five years, and needed him now more than ever. He needed Qui-Gon to tell him everything was going to be ok, that this was the right thing to be doing, a step in the right direction. He needed to know that this would be a way to create a new Council, a better one, a Council with toleration. Qui-Gon had talked about such a Council to him before, but that was a long time ago, Obi-Wan was simply a Padawan, a Padawan who had been through, and done a lot, a Padawan who finally found direction. During the times when Qui-Gon would talk freely with Obi-Wan about this very thing, Obi-Wan would simply nod his head out of respect, and secretly think his Master was crazy. He now saw what it was that Qui-Gon really meant.
Allura walked outside to meet Obi-Wan. She saw him pacing, deep in thought. She slowly walked to him. She stood on the worn out path he had created. Obi-Wan turned, and Allura was right there.
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said. "Ready?"
"Yes, Master Kenobi," she answered.
"Alright, here's what we're going to do," Obi-Wan began. "I really don't know what you're capable of, I don't know who your Master was, and what it is he had you do. I want to see what you can do. I want to test you, physically and mentally. I do know this, I know that you have this high aptitude for the Force, I want to see how high. I want to know that what happened yesterday with the sandstorm wasn't luck, but actual ability. That will be our first test, a Force test. I've seen Jedi and Padawans do very extraordinary things under desperation, I want to know that what you did wasn't that. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master Kenobi," Allura responded.
"My Master did this test to me and I did it to my Padawan. You are going to sit right there, blindfolded. See these rocks, I am going to heave them at your blindfolded head. If you're Force adaptation is high, I won't have to watch you sleep at night with a medpac in my hand. Got it?"
Allura looked at him, and then at the rocks. "This was done to you?"
"Oh, yes, I have a scar on the back of my head," Obi-Wan answered with a smile. "Don't worry, though, you should be alright." He put the blind fold on Allura. "No Fore barriers."