The trip to Tatooine was long at least it seemed long as she spent the whole time worrying about Leia. She stowed the ship in a Mos Eisley hangar and rented a speeder for the drive out to Obi-Wan's place.
Her journey across the Jundland wastes was uneventful and she arrived at the house without incident. He was however, not home. She parked the speeder out of sight and unloaded her pack. His door was not locked so she went inside to wait for him.
It was well after dark when he returned. As tired as he was he had not sensed someone was in his house until he entered. He drew his lightsaber igniting it quickly. To his astonishment his uninvited houseguest also ignited a lightsaber and just as quickly.
Amira stood before him cloaked in a robe; she held her weapon high. He extinguished his lightsaber first, "Amira, what in the Force are you doing here?" She clicked her weapon off and relaxed her stance, "Do you always greet your guests this way." He smiled, "The uninvited ones."
She walked up to him and grinned, "I don't have a standing invitation? Ben, I'm hurt." He smiled, "You are always welcome." He pulled her into his arms, "It's good to see you. I missed you very much." She whispered next to his ear, "I missed you too."
He continued to hold her, "Why have you come?" She stepped away from him and said, "Leia is very sick; some kind of illness found in Force sensitive children." He nodded sadly, "Luke has it too. I just came from there." Her eyes widened, "Luke has it too? Were you able to do anything?"
He removed his robe and tossed it over a chair, "I have no experience with it. When this happened in the Temple there were always healers around to take care of it. I was able to calm him and reduce the fever some but that is limit of my healing abilities."
She removed her own robe and asked, "What happens to children who were never identified as Force sensitive and never had access to a healer?" He shook his head sadly, "Sometimes they survived, but many times they did not."
She was shocked, "What? You mean to tell me that children all over the galaxy just died. That makes no sense." He replied, "It was always theorized that it kept children unidentified by the Jedi from falling into the wrong hands."
Amira could not disguise her disgust, "I find that barbaric." He nodded, "That is why the Jedi have always worked very hard and tried to be very thorough in identifying children with Force sensitivity."
She sat down at his table and said, "I will not let Luke and Leia die. I am going Coruscant to see if anything remains in the Jedi Archives." She looked up at him, "I need your help." He turned and walked away from her, "The Temple was destroyed."
She rose and followed him, "No, not completely." She touched his arm. "Ben, I know you have painful memories. I know you were there that night. I am not asking you to go with me. I just need you to tell me how to access the archive."
He turned and looked at her, "No, I will go with you. I don't know how much of the archive is still in tact. We'll leave first thing tomorrow." His arm went around her shoulders and they stood side by side in the doorway staring out at the Tatooine night.
Amira slept very little. She could not quell the nervousness that going back to Coruscant stirred in her. It was still several hours until dawn and there was no light in the tiny house. She made her way to the door and slipped outside. She was only alone for a few moments before his presence washed over her like a warm breeze. She asked, "Can't sleep Ben?"
He walked up behind her, "You should not be outside alone." She smiled, "I think if Sand people showed up now I might have a few surprises for them." He laughed, "Oh really?"
She nodded, "I spent some time with an old friend of yours. Master Yoda sends his regards."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him, "You went to Dagobah?" She laughed and smiled, "I spent the last year there. I was knighted just days ago."
He grinned from ear to ear, "You are a Jedi?" She nodded. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, "Jade would be proud of you…I am proud of you." She relished the feeling of being in his arms. She looked up into his face, "I owe it to you; you were myinspiration."
He pulled away but held her at arms length, "I worried about you. I had no idea how you were recovering. Everyday for the last three years I watched the suns set and wondered how you were, how you had coped with everything…if you had forgiven me."
She gently touched his face, "Forgiven you? For what?" His hands slid up her arms and back down almost nervously, "Where do I start? I refused to help you when you first arrived here. Then I sent you off alone and partially trained. You were arrested, tortured…"
Her fingers touched his lips and silenced him, "No. No more guilt." Her smile was beautiful, her eyes shown brightly, "I am stronger now; Master Yoda taught me so much." He looked at her. She was strong and beautiful. If he hadn't ever noticed her beauty before he saw it now; it radiated from the inside out.
He pulled her forward and kissed her; it was an impulse. Tender and gentle just a whisper of his lips on hers. Her heart stood still. After the kiss his face hovered just above hers; he searched her eyes as he waited for her reaction. When she did not pull away he took her tightly in his arms and kissed her thoroughly.
Her body swam in all the wonderful sensations. She could feel his heart beat; his passion flowed into her and danced with her own. She felt the warmth of his skin beneath the thin material of his shirt, the pressure of his arms around her body. Nothing in her experience had ever felt this good.
They parted breathless. The Jedi in him felt guilty and he cleared his throat, "I shouldn't have…" She interrupted him by placing her fingers on his moistened lips, "Yes, you should have." She took his hand and led him back inside the house.
When they stopped they were standing next to his bed. She continued to hold his hand. Slowly she brought it up and pressed it to her heart, "Can you feel it?" He took a deep breath and whispered, "Yes." She closed the distance between them his hand remained over her heart, "Take it; it already belongs to you."
Their lovemaking consumed the last of the night and they lay silently in each other's arms just before daybreak. He gently kissed the top of her head, "We have to go soon." She pressed her body closer and placed feathery kisses across his chest, "I know." He rolled, pinning her beneath him and kissed her hungrily.
Disguised once again as refugees, They traveled aboard a transport to Coruscant. The trip from the Outer Rim would take awhile. She was curled up next to him as they sat among containers of cargo, "What do you think we will find?" He replied, "I know the fires burned for some time, but the central computer was kept below the archives in an underground vault. It could have survived."
The ship was chilly she snuggled closer to him, "Did Anakin know about the central computer?" He was quiet for a moment and then he said, "No, he was never a full fledged member of the council. Only the council members were given that information." She nodded, "That's good."
His arms closed around her, "Are you ok with going back there?" She nodded, "Yes, There is no choice this is the only hope for the children…Are you?" He replied, "It's nearly five years ago now. I still feel the loss. Being there and seeing it all again will be difficult."
She sat up and turned to face him, "You can still tell me where to go and what to do. You can direct me from somewhere else. I am not asking you to go back there." He shook his head, "No, Jedi or not, you will need my help. I am going with you."
A smile spread across her face, "Have I told you how much I missed you?" He laughed, "I'm surprised with Master Yoda as your teacher you had time to breathe let alone think of me." She replied, "Everyday without fail you were on my mind."
He reached out and touched her face, "I thought of you to. When you left Tatooine the first time, I missed you. When I said goodbye to you on Alderaan I knew I loved you." His eyes mirrored his words and he drew her to him in a soft kiss.
She melted into him letting the kiss deepen. Her arms twined around his neck and her body pressed into his. He groaned and kissed her hungrily plunging his hands into her long silky brown hair.
She was breathless when she drew away for a moment. Her forehead pressed up against his she whispered, "I love you." He pulled her back into another lingering kiss. Unable to carry on the passion out in the open of the transport ship they reluctantly drew apart. With a several hours left to go they held each other and slept.