Hello! I will be gone for a whole week! I will be in a place with no cell service or internet, so there will be no update this week or the beginning of next week possibly! Thank you so much to those of you that have decided to favorite and/or follow this sad excuse of a fic. I never told you but I know next to nothing about writing a star wars fic, so what you see is me gaining knowledge from fics, Tumblr blogs, and things that I've read whether they be legends or canon. So yes, I know this is a mess and I know things probably don't make sense, but seriously, thank you so much for sticking with it!

Edit: 5/17/2020 dialogue tags fixed

One would think that with the months that passed, the topic of the fall of the Republic and the utter decimation of the Jedi would be put to rest. Unfortunately, not everyone was like Ben in that thought or hope.

No, it seemed as though the fall of the Republic and the Jedi were still at the forefront of everyone's minds.

It made going out difficult for the Jedi.

Owen didn't understand why Ben had tried so very hard to get Owen to leave him be.

"I would just rather stay here with Luke." That's what he told Owen, but Owen was hearing none of it.

"You've gotta get out sometime, Ben."

Reluctantly, Ben had allowed himself to be forced out of the dwelling, into a speeder and onwards to Mos Eisley. Specifically, the Cantina that resided there.

Of course, that's where a lot of the gossip started. That was somewhere Ben tried to avoid.

"It's still a shame, don't you think?"

The question catches Ben's ears, and he tries desperately to let the question glide past him. With fingers tight on the glass holding the drink Owen bought him, he tried to force his mind away from whatever conversation was going on next to him. Nothing could sway his mind.

"What?" A voice, gruffer than the first questioned back.

"That business with the Jedi."

Ben's heart stops and he pleads with himself to pass the conversation by. It's to no avail as his heart pounds in his ears. The second man snorts and Ben can see him take a sip of whatever concoction he has in his hand.

"They were traitors. They deserved what they got."

The ringing in Ben's ears does nothing to drown out the conversation.

"You really think that? Even with this Empire? You don't think for one second that they were set up?"

Ben really wants to know the rest of this man's thoughts on the subject (he has a softer, kinder voice and Ben thinks that maybe that's why he wants to hear more), but the second man laughs at the question.

"How would they have been set up? They're men shot at them. The Emperor declared them traitors!" His voice is rising, and Ben's heartbeat rises with it.

"Think what you will, but I saw them in action. I met one!" The second man scoffs, but this first man doesn't stop his defense on the Jedi. "I met this one Jedi on my home planet. You see those holos of their light swords swinging around, but it's nothing like seeing it in person. This guy, his was moving faster than anything I had ever seen. He deflected blaster bolt after blaster bolt. You know why? He was defending the people. There was a group of us huddled together. I thought we were all gonna die, then this Jedi comes barreling in. He blocked every single blast right back at the Seppies." The man pauses and so does Ben's heart. "When it was done, he turned around to look at us. He had this soft smile that deflected from the fact that he was obviously exhausted. He looked at us with that smile and asked each and every one of us if we were alright. He helped us find our families, and he did what he had to do to make sure we were safe."

"I'll never forget his face. His hair wasn't really red, but it wasn't not red, y'know? And his eyes," a whistle breaks apart the sentence and Ben's face heats up. "They were the most fascinating color. I couldn't tell if they were blue or green, but they changed every time I looked at them. The clone that came to help the Jedi called him General Kenobi. I'll never forget him."

"Ben?"

Ben jolts at the sound of Owen's voice. He turns to face the man and gives him a tremulous smile. Owen's face is full of concern.

"I heard what they were talking about."

"It's strange to think that it's still something that's talked about." His voice is soft and his mind is far away. His body betrays him once more as a hand rests on his shoulder. It's not Owen's hand. Ben turns his head around to follow that arm up to the face that gazes at him.

"You're him." The man's face is pale as he takes in Ben. Ben swallows and gives him a faint nod. The man shifts in his spot and gives him a soft smile. "Thank you." The silence that passes between them isn't awkward, and Ben's thankful for that. "I'm so sorry about all that's happened. Your people didn't deserve that."

Ben lets out a shaky breath and smiles. He can't trust himself to do anything more than that, and it seems the man understands.

"I'm also sorry about my friend, but you should know that a lot of people feel for you. You're not alone. I hope you know that."

Tears spill from Ben's eyes and the man gathers him in a quick hug, and just like that, another piece of Ben's heart is stitched back together.