The Homecoming

Seven months after the thwarted invasion of Naboo staged by the New Trade Alliance, Obi-Wan travels with Zak to Belarid, Zak's homeworld, to fulfill the new mandate added to the Jedi Code so that Zak can meet his family.

Chapter 1 Unwelcome Visitors

Zak stared out the cockpit window as the ship made its final approach. His master, Obi-Wan, sat next to him in the pilot's chair.

"It will be alright, Padawan." Obi-Wan said.

Zak did not answer; his stomach was tied in knots as he thought about the impending meeting. It was not that he was afraid, but he was certainly not looking forward to it.

"Zak, I promise, if things do not go well, you and I will turn right around and go home." Obi-Wan continued.

"I really don't want to do this at all, Master." Zak replied.

"I know, but Master Yoda does; he is very wise and he usually knows what's best." Obi-Wan answered.

"Then maybe he forgot what it was like for me before." Zak said.

"I don't think so, Padawan; he thinks this is something you have to face for your own good." Obi-Wan told him.

"I know, Master; I just…I just can't do it." Zak stammered.

"I'll be right there with you, Zak; I won't let anything happen." Obi-Wan assured him as he expertly glided the ship into place on the landing pad. "And just remember, you aren't doing this, we are."

Zak nodded and unbuckled his harness while Obi-Wan shut the engines down and unstrapped himself.

They gathered their rucksacks and Obi-Wan lowered the boarding ramp. He could feel Zak's tension increasing and he put a steadying hand on his shoulder; sending him Force strength and the deep resonating love that he and Anakin had discovered together. Zak's tension eased and by the time the ramp had hit the ground, Obi-Wan's Padawan was ready to face the meeting he so dreaded. Obi-Wan patted him lightly on the back, Zak looked up at him trustingly and together they walked down.

Obi-Wan was taken by surprise when he did not spot the party they were to meet. Instead, only a dour looking man waited for them at the foot of the ramp.

Obi-Wan and Zak both bowed politely to him.

"I'm sorry; I'm afraid I don't know who you are." Obi-Wan said.

"No, you wouldn't; they couldn't be here, they were too busy…working." The man told them. "I'm to take you to them…in the fields."

"That was not the arrangement that was agreed upon before we left Coruscant." Obi-Wan replied.

"I know nothing about any arrangement. All I know is that I am to bring you to the field." The man answered.

Zak remained silent during this brief exchange, but Obi-Wan could feel the boy's anxiety rising once again.

"Zak, I think we have to go there to meet them." Obi-Wan said.

"Yes, Master." Zak answered quietly.

"I told you, Padawan; it will be alright." Obi-Wan reassured him before they followed their guide to a waiting wheeled vehicle.

"You're probably wondering why we don't use more…modern equipment here." The guide said.

"No, we did some research before we came here, so we understand that some technological advances go against custom." Obi-Wan answered, knowledgeably.

"Oh, well, yes; you're right. We also aren't too keen on your types either." The man replied.

"Yes, we are also aware of that; and we have no intention of staying any longer than we have to." Obi-Wan said. "The Jedi do not interfere in local affairs unless invited, this mission is of a personal nature and we will only be here a short time."

This seemed to satisfy their guide, who climbed into the vehicle and waited for the Jedi to settle before heading off along a dirt road near the landing pad.

After about half and hour, the guide turned the vehicle off the dirt road into a large field filled with strangely colored plants. He maneuvered the vehicle along a small trench along one side until he reached the middle of the field.

"Well, this is it; they're in there." He announced as he waited for them to get out before turning back toward the dirt road.

"Wait a minute; where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I was asked to bring you here and drop you off. No one said anything to me about staying." The man answered as he continued toward the road.

"Master, what do we do now?" Zak asked.

"Well, first we take care of the business at hand and then we'll just have to walk back." Obi-Wan answered.

They plunged into the field, Obi-Wan taking the lead and Zak following in his wake. Obi-Wan carefully picked his way through the plants so as not damage them. Several minutes later, they came upon three people working the field, a man, a teenage boy and a woman. The boy looked up from what he was doing, eyeing them both warily and Zak stepped back in surprise. The boy looked like him. The woman glanced up for a moment, shot Zak a nasty look and went back to her work. The man stood up and came forward.

"This was not part of the agreement when they took the boy. We did not want to see him again, ever." He said. "You should not have brought him here."

"Well, that part of the Jedi Code has changed. Zak is required now to meet you; we will not stay long, but you must understand, this is necessary." Obi-Wan answered. "You were told this by Master Yoda several weeks ago; arrangements were made."

"I never agreed to anything; you're lucky I even sent someone to bring you out here. Now since you're here, and since we have work to do, I suggest you help. That is unless you think this work is beneath you." The man said.

Zak swallowed hard; he had somehow known it would come to this. Why had Master Yoda sent him here?

"I don't know what the customs around here are, but on Coruscant it's polite to introduce oneself. I am Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and, of course, this is your son, Zak." Obi-Wan said calmly.

"I am Servus Perrin, my wife Sala and my son Terak." The man answered. "Now, we've done what that little thing wanted, what more do you want?"

Leaving sounded like a very good idea to Zak; however, he knew that Master Obi-Wan was not quite ready yet.

"Well, I would think you'd want to know what your son has been up to…" Obi-Wan started.

"My son has been here with us; this boy is a freak, an abomination." Servus replied, cutting the Master off.

Zak took several steps back; he had not been more than four when the Jedi had brought him to Coruscant, but he remembered those words very well.

"Zak is a very talented Jedi; strong in the Force; he is neither a freak nor an abomination. He has done many things you should be proud of." Obi-Wan replied as he put a reassuring hand on Zak's shoulder.

"We begged them to take him; if they had not, he would have been shunned and turned out. He should be dead….to us, he has been dead for a very long time." Servus answered. "Look, I don't have time to stand around and talk pleasantries with you; we have to work around here. So if you want to stick around, you have to work too."

Zak looked up at Obi-Wan, pleading.

"It's a long way back to the ship, Padawan; why don't we stay a little longer." Obi-Wan asked.

Zak nodded, his stomach was doing flip-flops and his mouth was so dry he could not speak.

"It will be alright, Zak; I promise." Obi-Wan assured him.

Zak worked alongside his brother; he could sense the hostility in the older boy and the longer they worked together, the more unbearable the feeling became. Finally, just before dark, Servus called it a day.

"I suppose since you worked so hard, we could probably feed you." He said.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want to impose." Obi-Wan replied hastily. "Zak and I should really be heading back."

"Nonsense, it's much too far; it'll be dark before long and you don't want to be wandering around in the dark." Servus told him.

"Servus, I don't want that boy…" Sala began.

"Hush, woman; it's only for one meal; what harm can he do in that short of time." Servus answered.

"Mother's right, I don't think he should…" Terak started to agree.

Obi-Wan, hearing the direction the conversation was going, glanced over at Zak, standing miserably off to one side well within hearing range.

"Come on, Padawan." He said as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and started to walk toward the dirt track. "I should not have brought you here."

"It's alright; at least it's over with." Zak answered.

"Well, if we move quickly enough, it shouldn't be too dark when we get back to the ship." Obi-Wan replied.

"…my better judgment, but I suppose it wouldn't be safe to let them go off into the dark like that." Sala relented.

"Then you'd better catch them, because they've just gone down the lane." Terak said. "Although I don't see why it should matter; they're both just a couple of…"

But Servus was no longer listening; he had set off at a stiff jog after the pair.

"Jedi, Hey Jedi; I really think it would be wiser for you and the boy to stay with us until morning. You don't know what comes out after dark here." He said as he caught up to them.

"No, I don't think so. It's pretty clear that Zak is not welcome." Obi-Wan answered. "I should have known better than to think he would be."

"Look, I have to admit, the boy's a…well he's different. That's not accepted around here by anyone, including me. But you're here now and it would be better if you stayed the night with us." Servus said.

Obi-Wan looked at Zak; the last thing he wanted to do was to make Zak more miserable than he already was, but he was concerned about the dangers Servus had spoken of, he could not take the chance of endangering the boy's life.

"Alright, we'll be gone by morning." Obi-Wan finally conceded as he felt Zak's spirit sink. "It's going to be fine, Zak."

The walk to the Perrin house was uncomfortably silent. Terak continued to eye Zak with suspicion and something bordering on hate. Obi-Wan could feel it, and if he could then he knew Zak could too. He could sense Zak retreating within himself and reached out to him…"It's all right, Zak; together remember? We're doing this together."

The tense uncomfortable silence persisted through dinner and afterwards, Zak and Obi-Wan retreated away from the family. They were not welcome and they could sense it. For Zak, it was particularly difficult. He had vague memories of these people, and from what Obi-Wan could get from his Padawan, they had not been happy ones. For reasons Obi-Wan could not understand, Zak was told to sleep with his estranged brother. When Obi-Wan questioned this decision, he was told it was not his place to decide where guests would stay. Obi-Wan slept on the floor near the far wall.

"You're a freak, you know that?" Terak said as Zak settled into the bed.

"I'm sorry you feel that way; I thought you were my brother." Zak answered sadly.

"You're a freak; you should have died when you were a baby. They should have killed you." Terak went on.

Zak ignored him; it no longer mattered to him what these people thought. They didn't want him, but the Jedi did. Master Obi-Wan was more like his father than the one who had given him life. Perhaps, he thought, Master Yoda was right in sending him here after all.

Near morning, Zak awoke with a start as he landed on the floor; Terak has pushed him out of bed. Rather than get back in, he dressed quietly and slipped out into the common area, Master Obi-Wan was still sleeping soundly so he silently left the house. The sun was just peaking up over the horizon and the air was still a little cool. Zak began to walk; he let his feet and the Force guide him until he came to a rocky overlook. He looked over the edge to the ground about fifteen meters below him. Strewn with rocks, it looked a forbidding place. He sat down to meditate.

Terak turned over to find he was alone. Curious, he dressed, thinking that the freak had merely left the room. But he was not in the common room either. That would mean only one thing; he was not in the house. He put on a light jacket and slipped outside. Zak's footprints were clearly visible in the morning dew and Terak had merely to follow them in order to find Zak.

When Obi-Wan awoke, he sensed instantly that his apprentice was not in the house. He pulled his boots on and was nearly to the door when Servus came out of the room he shared with his wife. The man did not look at him; it was as if Obi-Wan was not even there. Finally, Obi-Wan decided it was time.

"I haven't seen Zak, have you?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"No, why should I care where that boy goes. We gave him away, and it's lucky for him that you took him in. Do you know what we do with abominations here?" Servus told him.

"Zak is not an abomination, he is extremely Force sensitive. He's gifted, and you should have thanked the maker for having been given such a child." Obi-Wan replied.

"He, and all of you, for that matter, are mistakes, mutations. We don't allow that kind of thing here; when he was three, he spilled his food dish without touching it. When he was three and a half, he lifted Terak up off the ground. It was then that we knew he was not right." Servus explained.

"Not right? Did he hurt Terak when he levitated him? Did spilling food on the floor do any permanent harm to anything?" Obi-Wan asked, wondering why Master Yoda would ever have considered bringing Zak to this place.

"It doesn't matter; he wasn't normal, he had to go." Servus answered. "The usual way of dealing with this kind of thing is to just kill it. But Sala, even though she didn't want him, couldn't have him killed. Someone from the government suggested the alternative as a possibility if he passed certain tests.

"When they came, we were told we would never have to see him again if he was suitable. He was, and we said good riddance." He finished. "At first, they thought maybe he was too old, apparently they take infants, but I think they understood that he would be put down if they didn't take him."

"Put down? He was a little child." Obi-Wan replied, appalled.

"No, he was a freak." Servus corrected.

Obi-Wan turned away, trying to push down the negative feeling of disgust that was rising up. Without another word, he picked up his rucksack and then went into the other room to get Zak's. They would not stay here any longer. He was halfway to the door when he sensed that his apprentice was in trouble.

"Where's Terak?" He demanded.

"What? How dare you talk to…" Servus began.

"Where is he?" Obi-Wan demanded again.

"I don't know; probably outside. Maybe he went with the boy." Servus answered.

"If he's done anything to Zak…" Obi-Wan threatened as he left the house, slamming the door behind him.