One Day Remains
By Rhi
Hey everyone. This is my first Star Wars fic, but definitely not my first ever fic. One Day Remains will be the first story in a two-story series about a very AU version of how Obi-Wan came to the Jedi Order. The second part will be based on a plot bunny I adopted from the Plot Bunny board at TF.N.
Feedback is very much appreciated.
And last but not least, I don't own the SW characters, only the figments of my imagination. The title belongs Alter Bridge, from their CD of the same name.
Enjoy.
As your will is bent and broken
And every vision has been cast into the wind
As your courage crashes down before your eyes
Don't lay down and die
One Day Remains – Alter Bridge
-----
He was dreaming again.
He knew it was a dream, because it was the same as it had always been. Moments stilled in time flashed through his mind one after the other. A tall, golden-skinned woman. A huge, imposing building. A dark-haired youth. A feeling of nervousness. A small, green creature with pointy ears and sleepy eyes. A voice echoing through his mind – "Far to come, far to go it is. Cold and warm it is. Seek what you are looking for you will. Find it here you shall. Listen."
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the dream faded into black, and the stirrings of awakening filled the young boy's mind as his body clock informed him that it was morning and time to wake up.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, get your butt out here right now!" a high-pitched screeching voice filled the room, causing 5-year-old Obi-Wan to awake with a start.
Immediately, Obi-Wan was torn from the pleasantness of his dreams to the harsh reality of his life. Taking one look at the bright light from the sun streaming through the uncovered window, he knew he was late, so he quickly slipped off the small sleep couch, and rushed out of his sleeping quarters and into the living area of the house. His mother, Cada, was standing there waiting for him, an impatient look on her face.
"Come on boy, your father wanted inventory started immediately at sunrise. What in the name of Corellia were you doing sleeping? Get your butt out to the shop and start counting before he gets really mad."
"Yes, mother." Obi-Wan said dutifully, taking off for the shop as fast as his little legs could take him.
The shop was attached to the end of the house, where his father, Kovi, stored and sold his wares, typical of a usual salesman. The only difference was that his father was one of Corellia's most prominent black-market salesmen. He had connections all over the galaxy, so he could get his hands on basically any black-market item you desired. Because of this, the house had received a lot of attention from CorSec, the Corellian Security Force, so Kovi had taken to stocking more legit items in order to provide a front for his black-market operation.
Obi-Wan pushed through the door that separated the store from the house, and cringed inwardly when he saw the look on his father's face.
"Boy, get over here." Kovi growled.
Obi-Wan pushed past his older brother, Owen, who grinned nastily at the 5-year-old as he did so. "Somebody's in trouble." He said in a singsong voice.
Obi-Wan resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at his brother, instead he picked his was over the littered shop floor to where his father was standing by the filthy counter.
"I thought I told you that I wanted inventory started at sunrise." Kovi said, shoving some papers into the small boy's hands. "Get started now, and you might be finished in time for evening meal." He then gave the boy a slight push in the opposite direction to get him moving.
"Yes, father." Obi-Wan muttered quietly, and made his way over to the shelves to begin the stocktake. It wasn't like the job needed doing. Kovi only made him do this because he enjoyed treating Obi-Wan like a slave. He'd been doing this job ever since last year, when his father had discovered that the boy could read. So, deciding to take advantage of that, he immediately put the boy to work in the shop, giving him the menial jobs that he wouldn't touch with a 5-metre vibro-blade. He didn't know who had taught Obi-Wan to read, and he didn't care why, he only cared that it made things easier for him, and that's the way it was going to stay.
Obi-Wan checked over the handwritten list, to see what items he was checking today. About halfway down the list was an item that always sent shivers down his spine – Force Suppressors. He didn't know why that particular item should have such an effect on him, he didn't even know what it was used for, but the name always held an ominous quality for him. Shaking off the chills, he flicked back to the start of the list, and began checking.
As Obi-Wan was in the shop throughout the whole day, he was exposed to the many kinds of lowlifes that stopped by. Some were regulars, some new customers, and some were once-only visitors who valued their anonymity and would probably never be seen again. Obi-Wan dealt with these customers in two ways – 1. Knowing when to speak, and 2. Knowing when to shut up. He couldn't count the amount of times there'd been an 'incident' because he'd said some kind of smartass comment that enraged a customer, leaving Kovi to clean up the aftermath. He'd soon come to realise how much he could get away with, and frequently walked that fine line, in typical Corellian fashion.
It wasn't until late in the afternoon that Obi-Wan finished checking all the items. He dropped the completed papers on the counter, then made his way out through the door, colliding with Owen, who was on the way in.
"Watch it, bantha-breath." Owen snapped, shoving Obi-Wan to the side of the doorframe, so he could get through. "Where are you going, anyway?"
"Out." Obi-Wan simply replied, turning his back on his brother and walking off in the opposite direction of the house.
"Whatever, nerf-herder." Owen shouted after him.
Physically, Obi-Wan and Owen could pass as twins. With only two years between them, there was little difference in size, except for Obi-Wan's undernourishment. Both boys had sandy hair with copper tones, and striking blue eyes. However, personality-wise they couldn't be more different. Owen took after Kovi, with his irritable, rancor-like personality, and disregard for the law. Obi-Wan wasn't like either of his parents, with his more tenacious, passionate nature.
Obi-Wan broke into a run, his short legs taking him further and further from the house on a path that he travelled often, through the less desirable area of Coronet, the capital city of Corellia.
He stopped running once he reached a familiar house. It was small, and rather run down, but the occupants had tried to liven up the place a bit, by planting flowers and trees in the largish garden. As he stopped outside the entrance to the property, a red head popped up from behind a bush.
"Obi-Wan!" the girl said excitedly as she stood up from where she was playing. She ran over to Obi-Wan, her long red hair flying out behind her, as she crashed full speed into the young boy, with the intent of knocking him over onto the ground.
Obi-Wan, however, was prepared for the onslaught and braced himself for the impact, twisting his body so that they would go into a roll. The two kids rolled until they crashed into a tree.
"Ha. I win. Better luck next time, Laini." Obi-Wan said, grinning cheekily, as he had found himself on top of her.
Never one to take losing gracefully, Laini pushed at Obi-Wan, rolling him back so that she was on top. "I think not." She said sweetly. "You should know by now, Obi, that I always win."
"Okay, okay." Obi-Wan grumbled good-naturedly, letting her have the victory. "Now let me up."
The two five-year-olds jumped to their feet and dusted themselves off.
"Where were you today? You said you were coming." Laini said, pouting slightly, as she had been without a playmate all day.
"I had to do inventory at home for father." Obi-Wan said, shrugging slightly. "I woke up late so he made me do more. I only just finished and I came right here."
"And what are you two cheeky ferbils doing?" Another familiar voice cut into the conversation.
"Hi, Sarini." Obi-Wan greeted Laini's grandmother with a wave.
"Come inside, I've just made some fresh cinna bread for you both." Sarini said, ushering the two kids inside the house.
The inside of the house was done up as brightly as the garden outside. Splashes of colour from various items filled up the otherwise drab house, giving it interest and a touch of happiness.
Obi-Wan and Laini took seats at the low table in the kitchen, while Sarini prepared slices of cinna bread for the two. She set a plate with a slice of still-hot cinna bread in front of each child, before taking her own and joining them at the table.
Sarini did this every day that Obi-Wan came over, having guessed some time ago that his family life was not as it should be. He was a skinny little thing for a boy of his age, and always ate hungrily whenever she served him with food.
The two kids finished off the cinna bread quickly, and were soon chasing each other around the small house, leaving a trail of disaster behind them.
Sarini, however, was used to this, so with well-practiced ease, she snagged each kid by the collar as they raced past her, and deposited them unceremoniously on a large cushion placed on the floor. "Stay." She said, giving the kids a fake threatening look. She wagged her finger at them for good measure. She then turned her back to the two kids and searched the bookshelf in front of her for the book she wanted. She tried to do this every time Obi-Wan came to visit. She knew that the boy would not be getting any education from his parents, so she took it upon herself to teach the boy the basics.
Laini giggled and poked Obi-Wan in the ribs, hoping to start up another confrontation, but was sadly disappointed when Obi-Wan merely swatted her hand away. He was always eager for a good story.
Sarini turned around, clutching an old leather-bound book in her hand. "I believe it's your turn today, Obi-Wan." She said, handing the book over to the young boy.
Obi-Wan received the book gratefully and flipped it open to a marked page, taking the time to notice the scent of the pages and the leather binding. He began reading from the place they last left off.
Princess Kita paced the small cell impatiently, pausing every so often by the heavy durasteel door, listening for footsteps heading in her direction. She placed every hope, every prayer on being rescued, because she knew the impending implications if she was not. A terrible war would break out, and that was the last thing this planetary system needed. A tentative peace had been reached, and she knew how important it was for the future of the system. She did not fear death, but she feared how her father would retaliate if she were killed.
She paused her pacing by the filthy sleepcouch that was bolted to the wall, and sunk down onto the grimy blankets, resting her head in her hands.
No sooner had she done that, she heard noises in the hallway outside her cell. She leapt to her feet and raced to the door. "Help! I'm in here!" she cried, hoping that she was heard through the thick door.
There was a pause.
"Stand back from the door." The muffled reply came through to her.
Quickly obeying, Kita stepped back from the door just in time, as the door was kicked in from the outside. She barely had time to step forward, when her two rescuers burst in through the open doorway.
They were two men, one older, one younger. Both dressed in tan-coloured robes, both emitting an aura of power. Relief flooded the young girl.
The younger one spoke first. "Princess Kita, I presume." He said, in a rich, cultured voice.
"Yes." Kita replied, "And may I request the names of my rescuers?"
"Certainly." The younger man said, his grin containing a hint of mischief. "My name is Jedi Padawan Kin Cetaph, and this is my Master, Tuss Orld."
The older man chose that moment to cut in. "Come, Padawan, Princess, we must be leaving now. I sense a disturbance coming this way."
At that, the two Jedi and the Princess took off together down the long duracrete hallway, leaving the Princess's dismal cell long behind them, all three off to save the planet, and to define the future of the troubled planetary system.
Obi-Wan finished the section and inserted the page marker into the book before closing it. He placed the book on the floor beside him and leapt to his feet, grabbing a long wooden spoon from the cooking area. He waved it around the air as he pretended it was a lightsaber. He jabbed it in the direction of Laini.
"I'm gonna be a Jedi Knight someday." He stated. "I'm gonna rescue princesses, and I'm gonna save the whole universe from evil!" He swung the dirty wooden spoon around, flicking bits of uncooked cinna bread from it. "I'm gonna be the greatest Jedi Knight that ever lived!"
...Rhi