Obi-Wan watched Anakin run off to join Eraan. Normally he would have taken his padawan aside to talk to him after a display like that, but Declan was probably right. Tensions were high and a run might help even out the boys' tempers. Besides, he wasn't really feeling up to dealing with Anakin now, knowing that surely a discussion would entail going around in frustrating circles over who started what.
"Should we get these to storage?" He asked Declan, indicating the forgotten bins on the ground.
Declan waved his hand impatiently. "Nah." He called toward two Jedi coming toward them down a path. "Kenji and Tika, can you give us a hand with these? We need them in archive storage."
Having seen the equipment into safe custody, Declan clapped his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Cup of tea?"
"Sounds fantastic,"Obi-Wan agreed.
Declan led his friend to the administration building nearby. Like many of the buildings on the compound, it was hundreds of years old and made of a dark stone, giving it the appearance of a kind of ancient fortress. But large open windows along all sides made it look much more inviting than it might have otherwise.
They climbed the wide staircase that led up to Declan's office, a room which might have looked foreboding if the stone walls had not been lined with tapestries and some old, mismatched paintings. A cushy bantha run covered most of the floor, and a large wooden desk took up about a third of the room.
"Thought we could keep a better eye on them up here," Declan said, glancing out the window. Down on the grass below, the boys sprinted past.
"Looks like they're having a race now," Obi-Wan said
"Good." Declan was reaching for a bottle and some glasses that sat on one of his wooden shelves. "They'll get tired quicker. Pull up a seat."
Obi-Wan sat down in a patched up but comfortable seat that did not go with anything else in the room. He'd never really thought about it, but the decor in Declan's office was positively hideous. It had always been like this, though, and it felt as warm and inviting to Obi-Wan now as it did when he was younger.
"That doesn't look like tea," he said as Declan handed him a glass half full of an amber brown liquid.
"It isn't. Thought you could use something a little stronger."
"Who am I to turn down hospitality?" Obi-Wan said, smiling. He took a sip, surprised at how smooth it was.
"Careful, it's strong," Declan said. "It's good, but I reckon it will be better in a couple years."
"You make this here?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It's a bit of a pet project of mine. We started the distillery after the Council cut our budget a few seasons ago. Hoping to get a few extra credits selling to the casinos and such. Tourists, maybe."
"I'm sorry to hear about the cuts," Obi-Wan said sincerely. "Unfortunately, the Order is stretched very thin these days. We're all feeling it, even in the Temple."
Declan looked thoughtful. "Yeah. The budget cuts I can live with. We may have bigger problems soon, though. We're a bit worried here that Helia is going to break away from the Republic, sooner or later."
"Secede?" Obi-Wan said. "Do you really think so?"
Declan shrugged. "It's already happened to a couple other systems in the same sector, along the same hyperspace route. Plus, I think more than a few of the crooks in charge here would love to get out of paying Republic taxes."
"What about the tourism from Republic worlds?" Obi-Wan asked. "The main space lines would be cut off."
"Most of what goes on here is still agriculture. And I expect Separatists need vacations too," Declan said. "Pains me to think about what would happen to this place though. We'd have to leave, there's no doubt about that. We may just be farmers, but we still represent the Republic."
"There's been a Jedi presence on this world for almost a thousand years. I hope it doesn't come to that," Obi-Wan said. "Though I will share your concerns with the Council. We must be watchful."
"Just promise me you won't let our archives fall into the hands of that traitor." Declan slugged back the rest of his drink. "Excuse me."
The sounds of two youthful voices had been escalating outside for about half a minute. Declan rose from his chair stalked to the window, sticking his head out. "Gentlemen! Who said you could stop and have a chat? Let's MOVE."
He shook his head to himself, walking back to his seat and pouring himself another splash of whiskey.
"Your little one has quite a chip on his shoulder," Obi-Wan remarked.
"You don't need to tell me," Delcan said, smiling a little. "He is a sharp one though. He can do almost any job on this farm. Works hard when he's not busy being a thorn in my side."
"He's very strong with the Force?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Oh yes," Declan said. "Very tuned into the Living Force especially. Probably more than any of us here."
"How long has he been here?"
"Almost two years. He wasn't yet twelve."
"So young!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.
"Yeah, it didn't used to be so common to send them out so early, but they're trying to free up resources at the Temple. Weeding out the ones they don't think will make good knights so they can give more attention to the others and get them ready for apprenticeships."
Obi-Wan pondered this. He'd been so busy the last few years with Anakin he hadn't given much thought to Temple younglings and their training.
"Plus, they think sending them out younger will get them more settled," Declan continued. "There were some issues on other settlements with older kids running away as soon as they were sent there, joining the circus or nonsense like that. Temple found it embarrassing. I told them I'd take the young kids, but also told them straight up that I'm not running a reform school for troubled Jedi youth here, and asked them not to pawn their problem kids off on me. That's not why we're here."
"No," Obi-Wan agreed.
Declan sat back in his chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I do wonder what would have happened if they'd have given Eraan more of a chance. They told me when they sent him here that he preferred the company of animals to people, which was true. But kids grow out of stuff like that. Give them time and patience."
"Very true," Obi-Wan said. "For how much we speak about patience, we don't always apply it practically, especially with the young."
He knew he was as guilty as anyone when it came to impatience with a youngster. He'd been trying to be better with that lately, but Anakin could be especially trying at times these days, even to the point of deliberately provoking Obi-Wan to anger.
"No matter what kind of work he's meant for, Eraan is just one of those kids that really needs a master," Declan sighed. "I've tried to be that for him. It's hard though. Like you said, we're all stretched thin these days. I'm hoping he can take my place someday, if he wants that. That is, if I don't wring his scrawny neck first." He was quiet for a moment. "It does seem like something of a waste though."
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked. His glass was empty now, but when Declan tried to refill it he shook his head. It was strong.
"He's so strong with the Force, and we're just farmers."
"Don't sell yourself short," Obi-Wan admonished. "You are Jedi. Qui-Gon always spoke of the power and history of this place. You should be proud."
Declan smiled fondly. "Yeah, he was our number one fan. Used to go on about how the Jedi here were so close to the Living Force, they could call down rain storms out of a cloudless sky. Hundreds of years ago, he said, when the Force was balanced."
"He did love stories like that," Obi-Wan said.
Balance.
He got up and went to the window, looking down at the boys still running their laps, slower now. The air was still hot and still, and they must be covered in sweat.
"Shall we have them stop now and get cleaned up before dinner?" Obi-Wan asked. "I rather think you've made your point, don't you?"
"I suppose so," Declan said, setting his glass down. "You haven't even been shown your rooms yet, have you?"
"No," Obi-Wan said. "Coral was taking me, but then I felt...a disturbance. So we turned around." He smiled ruefully.
Declan pushed the button on a small comm unit on the desk. A woman's voice answered. "Coral? Can you come to the admin building. Our guests are ready to be shown to their rooms, now."
They made their way to the building's entrance and stopped the boys as they were making another lap around.
"All right, that's enough," Declan said. "Eraan, I'd like a word with you, please." He turned to Obi-Wan. "See you two tonight."
"Thanks for the drink," Obi-Wan said.
"You were drinking?" Anakin asked after Declan and Eraan had disappeared inside.
Obi-Wan put his arm around Anakin's shoulders, declining to answer the question. "Are you feeling calmer now?"
"I didn't start the fight," Anakin grumbled.
"That is not what I asked you, but I can sense that the answer is 'no," Obi-Wan said.
"I am calm!" Anakin insisted, glaring.
Obi-Wan was about to make a reply to this, but was stopped by the approach of Coral walking up the path toward them, looking cheerful as always. He would discuss this incident with his padawan, and thoroughly, but it would have to wait until later.