He'd never thought he'd be wandering the streets of Mos Eisely again. Of course there were many things that Obi-Wan Kenobi thought he'd never be doing anymore. Just as long as Master Qui-Gon is safe from Vader's twisted schemes, then I will endure this as well... It was late at night, the air chilly, but the streets were not as empty as one would have thought they would be. Most of the cantinas were still open; and Obi-Wan was feeling the first stirrings of hunger he'd had in three years. Not that the cantinas ever really offered anything much more edible than nuts to go with the drinks, but it was still something.
He had arrived earlier in the day, in a small, sleek ship that Vader had provided him. Vader had given him back his old lightsaber; he'd kept it as a trophy after killing him three years ago. The credit card that Vader had also given him sat in his pocket. Obi-Wan frowned at the thought of it; Vader had specifically told him to "spare no expense" getting to Luke Skywalker. This was not the way he'd done things in the past; the Jedi had taken a vow of poverty when they became Knights. He wasn't used to spending money.
As he drifted into the very same cantina he'd gone to the last time he'd been trying to get passage off Tatooine, three years ago, Obi-Wan shivered. The same bartender served, but the place seemed even more crowded than it had been that fateful day, when he'd come here with Luke Skywalker and those two droids that the Empire had been so desperate to find. Obi-Wan quietly sat down at the circular bar, waiting for the bartender to notice him. A rough crowd of swoopbikers slowly surrounded him. One of the nearest was dressed in leather and tattoos and smelled as gamey as a Jawa. The bartender turned and saw them, and scowled at Obi-Wan. He shrugged helplessly, trying not to gag.
"Don't think that beard fools us! Coloring your hair won't hide you from us, either. You're dead, Skywalker..." the leathered, tattooed fellow grunted in his ear.
Obi-Wan's eyes flew open. Why did this fellow think he was Luke? His hand automatically fell on his lightsaber. Of course, Obi-Wan realized quickly; this moron had seen it and thought of Luke. "Are you going to try and kill me just by smelling like you do?" Obi-Wan asked half-seriously. In Obi-Wan's experience, there was nothing better than a nasty comment to get things on a roll.
His stinky adversary reached for Obi-Wan's face, trying to knock him off his barstool. Almost instantly, Obi-Wan leaped up over their heads and grabbed onto a beam on the cieling. From there, he kicked one man's blaster out of his hands and caught another one's head with his feet and twisted, breaking the man's neck. Then he dropped back down, igniting the lightsaber immediately which made the rest of the swoopbikers back off. "Perhaps you'd care to take this outside?" Obi-Wan offered.
"Put those blasters away now! I don't want trouble in here, stranger!" the bartender yelled at Obi-Wan. The other bikers, various species and sizes, but none under two meters tall, closed ranks and ignored the bartender. Obi-Wan had rather hoped that the other innocent patrons had enough sense to leave, but they seemed transfixed.
His bright blue lightsaber hummed ominously as he planted his feet on the cantina floor and held the Jedi weapon at the ready. The bikers were armed with chains, clubs, and of course, blasters. Not to mention there were about twenty of them. One of them began to swing his chain, and Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow, smiling grimly.
As soon as the goon let the chain fly, Obi-Wan dropped to the ground and began rolling, slicing with the lightsaber. Any foot, tail or lower leg in his path was soon severed from its respective owner. He spun there as panicky blaster shots rained down, dodging each one. Soon, the screams of each injured biker began to fill the cantina. Obi-Wan rolled back onto his feet, but remained in a crouching position, as if bowing after doing his deadly dance.
One of the few uninjured bikers took the chain and flung it at Obi-Wan's eyes. He grit his teeth, caught the chain in midair, and looped the slack around the biker's wrists in one movement so swift that no one except Obi-Wan himself knew he'd done it. He pulled the biker toward him, and impaled him on the lightsaber.
This move seemed to make the others come to their senses, and decide that this job, however big the bounty was, wasn't worth the price. Some of them ran out of the cantina outright, others were a little slower about it, trying to save face. Obi-Wan's eyes fixed on a straggler, a (somewhat) smaller T'wilek on all fours, trying to crawl out. The Jedi caught up with him before he was able to make it out the front door. "Who put the contract out on Skywalker?" Obi-Wan demanded in a low voice, ignoring poeple passing them on the way in and out.
"I don't know! I swear, I don't! Jabba the Hutt had heard that you were a 'person of interest.' There are bounties out for you dead, and bounties out for you to be delivered alive, and everything in between! Jabba thought that a bounty to collect on you dead would be easier."
"Surely Jabba the Hutt has some ideas about who is offering these bounties. I'm sure he told you something..." Obi-Wan said slowly, waving his fingers before the T'wilek's frightened face.
The mind trick did it's work. "Jabba had a meeting with someone on Coruscant recently. Prince Xizor. He spoke about you. And everyone knows who he is..." the young T'wilek biker whined.
"Let's just assume I'm really stupid and don't know who Prince Xizor is. Tell me," Obi-Wan commanded.
"He runs a huge shipping empire, but it's just a front. He's the head boss of Black Sun. Any idiot knows that!"
"Perhaps, though if I were you, I wouldn't be calling anyone else an idiot unless you're prepared to call yourself one, since I'm not Luke Skywalker anyway," Obi-Wan informed him.
"No, you certainly aren't," a voice said coolly from behind him. Obi-Wan gasped when he felt what surely was a blaster barrel pushed against his back. Seeing his chance, the T'wilek scurried off. "Don't make any sudden moves, or you're going to get your entire chest vaporized," the person behind him threatened. Obi-Wan slowly raised his hands, but despite his situation, he had a smile on his face.
"Young Luke, your skills have improved dramatically since I last saw you. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you again," Obi-Wan said emphatically.
"That's a rather odd thing to say, since you're not even looking at me." The blaster was lowered, and Obi-Wan turned around. Indeed, it was Luke Skywalker who had caught him off guard. "You seem familiar, but I'm sure I've never seen you before," Luke remarked.
Obi-Wan nodded absently, since he was expecting that Luke wouldn't know him. Obi-Wan was restored to looking like he did during the Clone Wars, not like crazy old Ben Kenobi. Should he just tell Luke the whole story? The Force would guide him, Obi-Wan decided. Speaking of which... "Luke, where is your lightsaber?" he asked reproachfully.
"In case you haven't noticed, this particular bartender doesn't like to see lightsabers hanging around. Makes him nervous," Luke muttered. Obi-Wan's expression didn't change, but he noted, wryly, that Luke was getting rather good at giving non-answers, one of the many Jedi skills they didn't teach you at the Temple. "Now, if you'd tell me who you are, and why you had to start something in here just as soon as I turned around to go to the refresher, I'd be grateful."
"As far as starting something, these people were here to kill you. I do apologize for not leaving any for you," Obi-Wan quipped.
They left the cantina, but Luke still had the blaster in hand. "I'll let it slide this time. You still haven't told me who you are."
Obi-Wan stared into Luke's eyes. "Luke, nearly four years have passed since we've been face to face, but you have seen me. In fact, you've just seen me on Dagobah..."
Luke could not hide his startled look. "I never saw you on Dagobah. I would have remembered you. There was only one human on that entire planet: me!"
"Luke, please, listen to me. You did see me on Dagobah. You saw me on Hoth, as well. You've heard my voice in your mind many times during the past few years. I was there when you destroyed the Death Star. I was there during the Battle of Hoth, and I was there while Yoda trained you. I've been watching over you for many years, Young Luke. It's just that, now, you see me differently. You don't see me as an old hermit in the Jundland Wastes. You don't see me as a ghost either, not now."
To Obi-Wan's dismay, Luke held the blaster back up again. "This isn't even remotely funny, you know. There is no way you could be who you're claiming you are! Did Darth Vader send you?" Luke hissed.
Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably, and admitted, "Actually, your father did send me. He seized me from the netherworld of the Force to help you complete your training, Luke." Luke dropped the blaster because his shock at the words coming from this man's mouth were too close, too impossible. His father, Darth Vader! Somehow, now that the words came from this man's mouth, Luke needed to allow it into his consciousness. He couldn't keep fooling around, denying the truth. Darth Vader was his father!
And now, if this man was to be believed, his father had brought his old Jedi Master back from the dead! "It can't be..." Luke stammered, shaking his head. "How can he do such a thing?" He had to sit down on the edge of a landspeeder to keep from falling further. "Obi-Wan?" Luke breathed.
Obi-Wan bowed his head in acknowledgement. Luke thought wildly through his shock that there must be some way to prove to himself that this person before him was the real deal. If he could ask him some questions, things that only Ben Kenobi would have known...
"It's just that, ever since that time that Jansen and I had taken up that dare to go and touch the side of your house," Luke started, waiting to see this man's reaction.
"Jansen? I don't recall you having a childhood friend named Jansen. However, I do remember Biggs Darklighter very clearly, especially his backside as he ran off, leaving you in my terrifying clutches," Obi-Wan corrected him dryly.
Luke felt the hope rising in his heart, but he didn't tip his hand just yet. "I remember Uncle Owen's face when you pulled up at the farm with me that day."
"But Luke, I never had a landspeeder. It was your Uncle Owen who took his landspeeder all the way out to the Jundland Wastes after I called him to pick you up," he smirked.
With that, Luke knew that Obi-Wan knew what he was up to. "The Force is truly with us; you're back! This is the most wonderful thing that has happened since... I can't even say!"
Obi-Wan sighed sadly, which surprised Luke greatly. "Is it truly wonderful, Luke? Is this really the will of the Force?"
Luke gave him a sharp glare. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, this galaxy needs the Jedi Order more desperately than it ever has. We have never needed you more than right now! I need you now, and thought it's weird beyond belief that my...my father...has done this miraclous thing, I know that it is the will of the Force. Yoda will be thrilled too!"
"I'm not so certain of that, young Luke! Oh, Luke, none of this was ever your fault. You are innocent in this, but what your father has done to me is nothing short of an abomination!" With that, Obi-Wan began to feel weak. "Damn, I forgot to eat. I didn't get a chance in there..."
Luke grabbed Obi-Wan by the shoulders and led him to the landspeeder he'd been leaning on, pushing Obi-Wan into the passenger side seat. "Come on, let me help you out. You mean you haven't eaten since..."
"I haven't eaten, slept, or done any other life processes in at least three years. And I'm beginning to feel it, as well!" Obi-Wan grumbled, slumping in the seat as Luke hopped into the driver's seat and took off. Luke pulled into one of the many drive-thru fast food places that were starting to pop up all over Tatooine. Obi-Wan refused to eat any meat, but fortunately, there were other things on the menu that Luke could and did order, despite the Jedi's protests. After that, Luke started heading for the Jundland Wastes.
It was a fairly long trip from Mos Eisley, so he and Obi-Wan had plenty of time to talk. "I hope you don't mind that I've been hanging out at your old house since I've gotten back here, Obi-Wan," Luke said.
"Not at all! I was hoping that the old place was still standing," Obi-Wan answered. "How did you find it's condition?"
"Not bad. The Sandpeople were still afraid that you'd come back, so they steered clear of the place, I assume. We've got the place stocked up with food and stuff. Right now, it's just me and Artoo. But since Han Solo--you remember him right? Since he was given over to Boba Fett, who's going to bring him to Jabba the Hutt, we've been on and off Tatooine. At one point, it was me, Leia, Chewie--I think you might remember him too--and Han's old gambling pal, Lando Calrissian. And of course, Artoo and Threepio! But everybody's off world again, and I'm left abandoned yet again!"
"I suppose there's not a chance that you would consider going back to Dagobah?" Obi-Wan asked.
Luke was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I want to go back to Yoda, really I do. It's just that I can't concentrate on my training while Han is in trouble. He's been a good friend to me. I think I should try to return the favor."
This is why Vader is having me train Luke, Obi-Wan thought grimly. He was more portable than Yoda, always was. And Luke, like his father, was always on the move. "What about after Han Solo is recovered?" Obi-Wan pressed.
"I can understand if you want to get back to Yoda. You don't think--does my father know about Yoda?" Luke suddenly asked fearfully.
"Yes, and I can't guarantee that he won't try to find Yoda. I don't think he knows precisely where Yoda is, but don't worry, Luke. Yoda is capable of handling Vader. And I think your father might be too busy to drop everything to go and find him right now anyway. He's much more interested in keeping you out of danger. And from what I saw tonight, I can understand why."
"What, you mean those thugs in the Mos Eisley cantina? Yeah, I've been getting a bit of that lately. Well, maybe not just a bit. A lot. But still, my father shouldn't have bothered you just to babysit me," Luke frowned. He was getting the impression that Obi-Wan was not at all happy about being alive again.
"Luke, I'm not here to babysit you. While we're here on Tatooine, I can teach you. I'm sure that no good purpose will come from trying to chase this bounty hunter all over the galaxy to get Solo back." Obi-Wan settled back in the seat while Luke drove. He was feeling sleepy, and was grateful that he didn't have to drive himself. He was getting an unpleasant feeling though, at the same time. He might just need to use the refresher. Oh, the joys of living!
Luke glanced at Obi-Wan shifting around in his seat. "You alright? Oh, let me guess, you need the refresher, right? Don't worry, it's not too much longer. Just remember to wash your hands afterwards," Luke quipped, then added, "Sorry!" when he saw Obi-Wan's sour expression.
"Wonderful! It appears that you've inherited your father's ability to speak wiseass. Do you know what he said to me, before I left to go find you? He said that I need to remember that I can't walk through walls anymore." Luke suppressed a smile, though it was difficult. He couldn't imagine Darth Vader ever cracking a joke. "He certainly knows how to dig the lightsaber in deeply!" Obi-Wan cried.
"Oh, boy! Was it really that great, being dead?" Luke asked.
"Luke! It wasn't like being dead! It was the most tremendous sense of freedom! I was so aware, even if I could not sense things with normal human living senses! There was no pain, no sense of constriction like you have in a body. This body to me is a great terrible trap!"
Luke couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment. For the rest of the ride, he remained quiet, and Obi-Wan fell silent as well, brooding, no doubt. At least Obi-Wan was glad to see his small house again. Artoo already had some lights on inside, so it appeared even more welcoming.
When they got inside the house, Luke noticed that his holo comlink was blinking. "Hmm... Who could this have been? Oh, it's Lando," he murmured. He turned on the comlink, and Lando's tiny hologram appeared.
"Luke, we've got a message from Chewie. Leia's mission on Coruscant hit a big time snag! He says she's being held captive by Prince Xizor. Naturally, he's beside himself. We're going to pick you up on Tatooine, Luke, and we've got to come up with a plan for rescuing her. We'll see you as soon as we get to Mos Eisely." And with that, Lando dissolved.
Luke smacked his forehead, and just then, Obi-Wan emerged. "What is it? Who was that?"
"That was Lando Calrissian. You're going to get to meet him soon; he's on his way to Tatooine with the Falcon. Princess Leia got herself in trouble, and it's all my fault, of course. You expect me to go to Dagobah? I don't have a dull minute anymore. I almost long for the days when I was bored to death working on vaporators!" Luke snapped.
"Please, Luke, tell that to someone who doesn't know you as well as I do! And how is Leia's getting herself into trouble your fault?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Okay, here's the deal. A few months ago, we've been starting to notice an increased number of attempts on my life. You know, more than the usual from the Empire. Now, I know for a fact that my father has bounties out on me also, but they are for me being alive and in perfect health. Most bounty hunters are lazy and just want whatever money they can get, and if its easier for them to get a bounty with me dead..."
"Then they'll kill you. Like they tried to do tonight. But Luke, one of them told me that Jabba the Hutt had sent them," Obi-Wan told him.
"Jabba doesn't want me for himself, Obi-Wan. He's much more interested in getting Han Solo. If Jabba wants me dead, it's only to collect the bounty on me dead. But we've been having trouble finding out who's been putting forth these bounties. So Princess Leia gets this wild hair up her...sorry, Obi-Wan. Anyway, she gets this idea to try and enlist Black Sun's spy network to find out who these people are..." Luke shook his head with helplessness.
"Luke, Black Sun is the one putting out these bounties for your death!" Obi-Wan told him. "The biker I'd been questioning earlier said that Jabba had met with Prince Xizor a few months ago. He must have known you'd be on Tatooine, and so dangled the bait in front of Jabba, just in case he managed to get anyone worthy of capturing and killing a Jedi Padawan!"
Upon hearing the word Padawan, Luke's face lit up, and all his concerns seemed to disappear. "Yoda told me about Padawans, Jedi Learners. Is that what I'm going to be now? I'm going to be your Padawan! And that would be perfect; Yoda told me Padawans trained out in the field with their Jedi Masters! You and I could team up and rescue Princess Leia, and do stuff for the Alliance, and all the while, I'll be learning the ways of the Force!"
For all of Obi-Wan's forbodings about training Luke, he had to admit that Luke's enthusiasm was infectious. For the first time all that long day, Obi-Wan began to feel some lightness in his heart. Oh, if Luke would become a Jedi Knight, the wheels would be set in motion. The Jedi Order could return! That seemed to be all Luke ever wanted to accomplish in this life. He smiled, and Luke absolutely beamed. "Luke, are you really certain of this? Once you truly start down the path of a Jedi, going back is very difficult. Your life is going to be changed forever. And you will be in constant danger; that is why I will not have you adopt the official markings of the Jedi Padawan, namely, the braid. I don't think it would be the best idea to flaunt your training in front of the Emperor like that."
Luke was not even the least bit upset by this. "What do I have to do?"
"First of all, where is your lightsaber?" Obi-Wan asked for the second time that day.
"It's here! I've made a brand new one since I got here. I lost my father's old one at Bespin. See?" Luke opened up a secret compartment on Artoo and produced the new lightsaber. He ignited it, and Obi-Wan's heart lightened even more. It was green. Just like Qui-Gon's.
"Well, I'm impressed! It takes an advanced Padawan to build his own lightsaber, Luke. You are not much farther along before you could call yourself a Knight. However, you must hand it to me, if we are to do this thing properly." Luke eagerly pressed the lightsaber into Obi-Wan's hand. "Now, stand here, facing me. Alright then," Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He never thought he'd be doing anything like this ever again, but the die has been cast. "Luke Skywalker, I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, take you on as my Padawan Learner." He handed Luke his lightsaber back. "May the Force be with us both." It was done, very simple, but profound, at least to Luke anyway, who looked as though his face shouldn't be able to hole a smile that big. Obi-Wan had to wonder if his own face looked like that when Qui-Gon took him on?
It probably did.