A/N: Hope you like the new chappi. I'm trying to make this story a little more thrilling. Well, OK, it is a romance in the first place, so don't expect too much. But I know why you read this stuff anyways: You want Obidala ! Yeah ! Now Njoy !

PS: I'm so sorry for the poor explanation for the "Ben"-thing, but I could not think of anything else... I feel soooo stupid about it :-( Hope you still like the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars...

The Searcher

A few weeks had passed since their arrival on Tattooine. In the meantime, Padmé had made a great job in decorating their homestead. It was still not the Theed Palace, but it was now much more comfortable. The small, lonely cabin in the mountains had become a very nice place to stay, even Obi-Wan had to admit that.

It was very early in the morning when they both sat in the kitchen having breakfast. They did not say much, but in fact, they did not have to say anything to understand each other. They just enjoyed not be alone and that this was almost an everyday life, without any dramas, tragedies or adventures.

"I need to go to Mos Espa today. We have no more logs and not much food left." Obi-Wan mentioned.

"That's OK. I'm going to stay here then." she returned and raised the coffee cup to her lips.

"That is what I was about to suggest. You know, the weather looks instable. I sense a sandstorm coming up, so I'd better hurry up." he said and got up his chair. Padmé followed him quickly to the bedroom.

"You have to leave already ?" she asked while he was putting on his robe.

"I'm afraid, yes. I want to be back before the storm is gathering." he answered and hurried to the front door.

"So be careful then…" Padmé said worriedly. Obi-Wan gently touched her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." he reassured her and opened the door to leave. She stood there watching him for a few seconds, praying silently that he would be back in time.

"Ben !" she suddenly called out his new given name. He turned around once more and met her eyes. She had given him the name in her dreams and when she had woken up, she had looked at him and called him Ben. Since then, he had been known as Ben Kenobi, wherever he had gone. He loved the name because she had given it to him. And besides, it was much safer not to go by your real name when you were a Jedi these times, although the Empire paid very little attention to Tattooine.

"May the Force be with you !" she shouted, then she went back into the house and closed the door.

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"Thank you, Mai Lae, you definitely sell the best wood all over Mos Espa." the Jedi said to the creature behind the counter of the little shop. Mai Lae looked pretty much like an elephant that was walking upright on two legs. She had a little store in the center of the community where one could get almost all kinds of wood. This raw material was very rare on Tattooine because there was actually no forest so she had to import it. She was a nice old lady and whenever Obi-Wan went to buy more wood, they had a little conversation.

"Ya welcome, Ben. Always a pleasure to have ya here." Mai Lae returned while she helped Obi-Wan carry the wood to his speeder.

"I'll see you next week, Mai." he said and left.

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She was standing behind the store and waited, covering her face with the hood of the robe she was wearing. When she thought that it would be alright, she stepped into the light and entered Mai Lae's store.

"Exucse me ?" she said.

"What's da matter, honey ?" Mai Lae wanted to know.

"The man who's just left this shop… Do you know him ?" the mysterious female voice asked.

"That depends on who's asking, ya know ?" the elephant lady returned sharply.

"I'm a friend… a searcher… You know, I'm searchin' for someone who is very important to me. He might be… family. And it could possibly be the man that has just left your store." she answered and revealed her face smiling. She was a very beautiful girl at the age of seventeen. Her hair was coloured in a weird mixture of black, blue and green and furthermore, it was pretty long on the left and rather short on the right side. Her eyes were from the deepest blue and the darkest black that Mai Lae had ever seen in her life. There was moreover a tribal tattoo covering a part of her face. It ran from the left side of her forehead to the eye, and then down her cheek. She seemed mysterious but harmless. She was just a girl.

"Hmm. Nah that looks a hell of a lot betta. But I'm afraid, I dunno so much about him. His name's Ben and he's comin' here once a week to get some stuff, ya know." Mai told her.

"Well, that's more than nothing. Thank you very much." she replied and disappeared as quick as she had come.

Outside the shop, she recovered her head and tried to find the Jedi again. But there were so many people around her that she could not make him out anywhere.

"Dammit, I lost him." she cursed with an annoyed face expression.

"Just because you can't see him anymore that doesn't mean you lost him" a wise voice answered in her head.

"Yeah… And what am I gonna do now ? I mean… All I know is a name… Ben. And who knows if that lady spoke the truth. Maybe she was lying to me."

"Focus on your feelings." the voice once more spoke to her.

"Oh, I shoulda known you start that again. maybe he was not even a Jedi, what the hell should I focus on ? Please, gimme something' I can work with, Master." she kept on complaining.

"Still a lot to learn out there, my very young padawan. Search your feelings, focus on them. Focus on the Force, it will lead you." the voice said.

"What if the Force is lazy today and leads me nowhere ?" she questioned. But there was no answer.

"Master ? Damn, I hate it when you do that." she said, well knowing that he was still listening.

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Padmé's Force abilities had grown since she was meditating every day. She sat on the carpet in the living room hat was lightened by a few candles. Her eyes closed, she breathed regularly in and out, focussed on her feelings and let go of everything around her. Then she felt the Force all over her, talking to her in riddles which she even able to understand sometimes. The Force itself confronted her with the past and gave her solutions how to deal with it, and every now and then, she had visions, mostly when she thought of Obi-Wan. She was not always sure if these visions were about the past, present or future but she somehow knew that they crossed her mind because of the bond between her and the Jedi.

Padmé thought that she would never be what she called 'a typical Jedi' like Obi-Wan. She would never be a great fighter, could not imagine herself holding a lightsaber in her hands. She would use her Force powers in a more passive way. She would meditate on certain things, find answers and solutions in the Force.

Just as she was thinking about that, strange pictures ran through her head like a movie.

The desert. Obi-Wan. A storm. Darkness.

Ben ! she yelled through the Force, her body shaking with fear.

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Ben ! he heard Padmé's voice echoing in his mind as he was trying to open his eyes. But whenever he tried, he felt a fistful of sand blowing into his face, so he decided to keep them closed and let the Force lead him home. He was in the middle of the heavy sandstorm he had foreseen. It was hard to take a step forward while the wind was blowing incessantly into all directions, even with the speeder. He breathed heavily and every single bone in his body was aching. Although he tried to save as much energy as possible, he could not say how much longer he could go on. But he just had to keep going. Because of Padmé, who was probably sitting at home and worried to death, but also because he sensed someone else's presence. Someone was following him since he had left the community. And he did not know if that was good or bad for him. Once more he heard Padmé call out his name. With all of his strength he focussed on her and told her that he was alright. Then hetried to move on…

To Be Continued...