Ben carefully watches Jango as he sits against the stone wall, his knees pulled into his chest, and his head leaning against the smooth rock. Ben crosses his arms, leaning back against it as well, looking at the giant open hall of the temple, his eye's straying to the people still walking about, even as the last rays of light are disappearing over the horizon.
"What was that?" Fett asks, looking forward, his fists clenching, then relaxing. Ben looks down at him, a look of pity in his eyes.
"That was you," He says, nodding at the doors, "This place… It can show you what you feel, your fears, your hopes, and your dreams. But it can also show you warnings, it gives you messages, and it can help… If you let it," Ben says softly, sliding down the wall, and sitting next to him.
"I've had to go through similar visions before, many times," He says, shaking his head with a sigh, "There not pleasant," He says quietly, putting an arm on his knee, and looking at Jango.
"I saw my father, die," He says, a hollow exspressoin on his face, "I saw Boba, as old as we are now," He whispers, finally looking at Obi-Wan, his body tense as he thinks about it.
"Balance," Ben whispers, nodding, looking at the doors of the temple, "The Force has always worked in balance, the nature of life and death," He says carefully.
"What did it mean though?" Fett asks with a growl, clenching a fist in, his eyes narrowing. Ben doesn't say anything for a second, his head leaning back against the cool stone.
"I believe that is something only you can answer Jango," Ben says, his eye's straying back to the doors, he could feel something, a presence, one that he hasn't felt in a long time.
"Are you a father?" A voice asks, in the place of Jango's. Ben looks back at the Mandalorian, but he's gone.
Sitting in his place is his Padawan, Anakin, as he was when he was a child. Ben stills, the Force screaming at him that it's Jango sitting there. Your eyes betray you Kenobi, don't trust them, he thinks to himself.
He closes his eyes prodding at the image, the mirage… the Force? Another vision it seems, one that's much more real than many others from before. He looks down at the sand, unable to look at the boy, even though he knows it's not real.
"Right," Anakin says, "Jet'ii, you don't have kids," He says with a sigh. Ben looks at him, in the corner of his eye, a frown marring his face.
"Jedi don't have children, but we have those we love, students, teachers, and friends," Ben says slowly, rubbing his arm. He could sense the curiosity, and the disbelief coming from him, however minor it may be at the moment.
"I thought Jet'ii weren't allowed to have emotions," Anakin says, looking at him with that wonderful curiosity. Ben takes a breath, slowly inhaling, taking his emotions, then letting them out into the Force.
"Jedi have emotions like everyone else, it's our duty to control it, to have the ability to master ourselves and the Force," He says, calling a rock from the ground, letting it float gently above his palm.
"We can do so many things, hurt so many people if we're not careful," Ben says softly squeezing his hand tight, crushing the small rock into dust, "We can't risk losing ourselves to the dark," He says quietly, a darkness in his gaze as he lets the dust fall back into the sand.
Ben looks over at Anakin, and… he's changed. No longer a child, but the man he'd known, his brother, the one he fought with in the Clone Wars. He can't help the slight tears, but he coughs, looking away and gently wiping them before Anakin could see.
"How do you do you control it?" Anakin asks, just as quietly, biting his tongue softly as he looks at Ben. The wind barely passes through them, in this giant, empty hall, only them to fill it, and Ben can't help the little gasp of emotion that he lets out, the sound bouncing off these empty walls.
Ben doesn't answer, biting his lip as he leans forward, pulling his leg into his chest. He closes his eyes, trying his best to let these cruel emotions into the Force, to let them go. With each breath he lets out, he lets a little more go, but it's hard, harder than it should be.
His eye's shut tighter, his breathing becoming heavier, blood rushing in his ears, but he feels a heavy hand fall onto his shoulder. Shakily, he looks back and sees his Padawan gone, leaving Jango in his place.
"You saw something," The Mandalore says stone-faced, "and you can't control it can you?" He asks softly, squeezing his shoulder, trying his best to give comfort. Ben shakes his head, giving a silent answer.
"Why?" Jango asks simply, grounding him back to the here and now with his sturdy tone, and his firm hand. Ben shakily breathes out, his eyes still closed as he gradually releases more of it.
"I…I've recently been through an experience…it's made my reactions to certain things a little harder to control at times," Ben tries to say gesturing uselessly as he leans back against the wall, finally feeling the wave of hurt passing by.
"I'm sorry Jango, I didn't mean to…" He says trailing off, looking at him, frowning. Jango shakes his head though, still, stone-faced as he lets his hand drop back to his side.
"You said these visions are meant to help us… Try and teach us something?" Jango asks after a moment.
"What did it teach you?" He asks looking at the Jet'ii for some sort of mystical answer. Ben sighs though, looking up to the stars.
"I think it was the same as you," He says leaning forward, taking a breath before standing up. He holds out a hand for Jango, smiling at him gingerly.
"We need to move on," He whispers, his voice breaking just slightly. Jango looks at his hand for just a moment, thinking, before he reaches up clasping his arm. He grunts in thanks, before walking down the giant cavern of a hall, Ben walking beside him.
They each pull their hood back up, and just before they get onto the roads, their heads bent forward to avoid any curious eyes. Ben takes the lead, gracefully walking past the dwindling people, and heading back to the ship.
"What's the next lesson?" Fett asks with a grunt, finally breaking the heavy silence, sliding past a giant Lorrdian, mimicking Kenobi. Ben looks back at him for a second, thinking about it.
"That depends on where we go next," Ben says, walking down an alley, getting away from the rush of the crowd finally. He quickly gets to the end of it, and turns the corner, heading towards a gate of the city.
"And it depends on you," Ben says pulling his hood off as he heads past the last few people. Jango follows quickly, pulling his own hood down.
"For now though, think about what you saw, meditate on it if you can," Ben says smiling back at him, wondering if he could teach the Mandalorian Jedi meditation. With that thought, he turns back to the distance, seeing the ship, sitting on the cliffs, a few clicks away.
"Isn't that a part of Jet'ii sorcery?" Fett asks with a frown, very much against the idea, clearly shown by the way his eyes narrow.
"Yes and no, Jedi meditate as a way to connect with the Force, to find wisdom, and peace with ourselves," Ben says, dipping his head to the side a bit, thinking about it.
"Ones who don't use the Force can still meditate though. They look inside themselves, by themselves, they don't have any guidance," He says with a small gesture with his hand.
"It's a good way to keep calm, and it can certainly be used to take time and think," Ben says looking back at Jango, "It's helped me quite a bit when I lose my connection when I'm being held captive, or some such," He says sighing, his eyes moving back to the ship.
"Does that happen often?" Fett asks with a quirked brow. Ben shakes his head though, laughing a little, remembering all the times it did happen.
"No… well… I've gotten a lot better about escaping," He says.
With Fett's questions answered, they both walk in silence listening to the sparse wildlife of the planet fill the air. The chill of the wind makes Ben pull his cloak tighter around himself as they walk.
With a hiss the ramp slowly lowers, a wave of comforting warmth pouring over them, saving them from the cold. Ben rubbing his hands together quickly walks up, Jango following a second after, stone-faced.
"They're probably asleep," Ben whispers, looking down the hall as the ramp closes behind them. Jango grunts, walking past him and into the kitchen, thumping down onto a chair, his eyes closed.
"We have some rations left if you'd like," Ben says walking over to the containers and pulling them open. Jango nods his head, quietly thanking the Jet'ii as he opens the package, and quickly eats.
Ben sits opposite of him, eating as well, with a hum of contentment.
"Ben? Is that you," Satine's voice calls from the hall, making Ben smile, looking over.
"In here my lady," He softly says, sensing Boba's light sleep in his cot. Satine walks in, her arms crossed, as she comes in, sitting next to Ben, though not too close, not while Jango is there.
"How was your trip into the city?" She asks the two, looking sleepy. Jango looks at Ben, then takes another bite of his meal, clearly done talking for the day.
"Meditative," Ben says smiling, his hand gently grazing her knee under the table, "We have much to think about, and much more to plan tomorrow," He says.
"We need to head back to Mandalore," Satine says softly, her hand laying on top of his. Ben nods his head, agreeing with a hum.
"Yes we do," He says closing his eyes, as tired as her, "for now though, we need to rest," He says standing, nodding to Jango, who nods back with barely a look.
"I'll be heading to bed my lady, I recommend you do the same, tomorrow will be a busy day," He says turning, "Goodnight," He says with a smile, leaving the two Mandalorians by themselves. He quietly walks to his room, pulls his cloak off, and folds it, laying it down on his small metal desk.
Gently, he sits on his bed, leaning forwards, his arms resting on his knees and his eyes shut.
Are you a father?
"Not in this lifetime, no," He whispers, his hand running through his short ragged hair, razing along his braid. He sits back on the bed, crossing his legs, his hands resting on his knees. He takes a deep breath.
Obi-Wan, he hears, the voice taunting him still from the darkness.
I loved you, he hears his old voice, barely a whisper as he lets out his breath, his chest rising and falling. A few tears gather in his eyes, though the pain that used to accompany them… it feels distant like they're being muffled.
"You were my brother," He whispers.
You were my son, he thinks, finishing the unspoken words.
His mind flashes to Tatooine, the sand, the heat, and the little boy that's there right now, being held by his mother. His eyes snap open, a giant breath leaving him.
Anakin is on Tatooine, at this very moment, a slave. Gently, he lays back on his cot, his hands resting on his stomach as he closes his eyes once more.
Are you here to free us? That little boy asks, his voice ringing in his head as his head rests on his pillow.
Yes, I'll be there soon, he thinks, letting his body drift off to sleep.
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