THE SIX RECEIVING (4BBY)
During the following seven years, life went on as usual for Naritha and Obi-Wan.
Both of them were in perfect health and had settled well in their existence on Tatooine. Their life was simple but decent, thanks to the money Bail Organa kept on sending them using trusted couriers.
Their physical appearance had changed along the years, but not too much, for they both belonged to long living species. Naritha's waist long auburn hair became streaked with grey, while a few more lines appeared on his face, but they felt as young as ever.
Obi-Wan retained all his speed and ability with the lightsabre, as meetings with the Tusken Raiders demonstrated.
A large group of Sandpeople had attacked the Lars homestead while they had been there for a visit, and Obi-Wan had to resort to violence to prevent them from attacking the family and Naritha. In the fight that ensued, fourteen of the twenty raiders of the group returned home wounded or dead.
It was the first time Obi-Wan had been engaged in combat since Mustafar and the experience left him shaken.
Living on Tatooine, where time seemed to pass more slowly, where the desert seemed to never change, and where much of his time was spent meditating or training with Qui-Gon, it had been easy to forget he had been a warrior. But it was not so. Obi-Wan was still a Jedi, still a guardian of peace and one day he would have to fight again.
To tell the truth, Obi-Wan had never forgotten where his duty lay.
Once or twice a month, he and Naritha travelled to Mos Eisley, to buy their provisions but also to listen to keep in touch with what was happening in the galaxy.
They watched the holonet at home, of course, but the news it broadcasted was heavily censored or manipulated. Thus, the best way to be informed was to visit the cantinas and listen to the space captains and workers stopping there for a drink and a chat.
More often than not, the news would bring more sadness to Obi-Wan and Naritha, but sometimes they would hear something that would cause them to smile.
The Rebel Alliance, in which they knew Bail Organa was heavily involved, had begun to score some victories. It was nothing major but enough to show to several scared systems it was possible to stand against the Empire.
Sometimes, when she heard about the Rebel Alliance's feats, Naritha was afraid Obi-Wan might decide to join their ranks, but her bondmate always reassure her that his place was on Tatooine, at her side and watching over Luke until the moment he would be ready to learn the will of the Force.
To be honest, Obi-Wan had considered Luke ready by the time the boy had turned four, but Owen Lars had kept on postponing the moment.
The farmer thought Luke's powers would go away if he was left untutored. More importantly, he did not want to risk Obi-Wan taking the boy away from them as Qui-Gon had taken Anakin away from his mother. Shmi Skywalker had evidently told her family about her meeting with the Jedi, but Owen had misunderstood her words.
Obi-Wan had tried more then once to make him realize Shmi had been happy Anakin was offered a better life, and that he had no intention to take Luke away, but the other man had refused to listen.
He had forbidden Obi-Wan to teach or try to contact the boy outside the farm, but he had still allowed him to come to visit, for Beru loved Naritha's company, and he never let his bondmate cross the Jundland Wastes alone.
However the relationship between Owen Lars and "Ben" Kenobi – as he was know in the area – became more and more strained, until the day something happened to make the Jedi and his mate no longer welcome at the Lars homestead.
That day Obi-Wan and Naritha had arrived at the moisture farm while Owen was in Mos Eisley to buy some spare parts he needed to repair a broken water condenser.
As Naritha and Beru sat in the kitchen chatting about womanly things, Obi-Wan had gone to visit Luke in his room, taking advantage of the chance to be able to observe and talk to the boy without having Owen breathing down his neck.
He was about to enter the bedroom when a sudden noise came from the open door.
"Is something wrong, young Luke?" he said to the fourteen years old boy, soon joined by Beru and Naritha.
"Yes! I can't make this damned droid work!" Luke answered, before throwing said droid against the wall.
Obi-Wan was appalled by such behaviour and by the anger he felt in the boy, afraid he had inherited Anakin's inability to control his emotions. He shared a brief, concerned glance with Naritha, who stood just outside the door, then returned to concentrate on Luke.
"That certainly won't help to make it work," Obi-Wan finally commented.
"I know. It's just that I am so frustrated. It should be working, but it doesn't. And I don't have the slightest idea of where the problem might be." The boy looked angrily at the heap of metal lying near the wall.
Obi-Wan crossed the room and picked up the droid. "This is a nicely assembled machine. Did you build it yourself?"
"Yes. It is my project for the "Advanced Technology" class at school. I must deliver it tomorrow, but it does not work and I have no time to dissemble it and check for the problem." Luke looked down at his feet, clearly upset.
"I see." Obi-Wan stroked his beard, then said. "Why don't you try to guess where the trouble can be?"
"Guess?"
"Yes. Use your intuition, let your instinct guide you."
Luke looked at him very sceptically and Obi-Wan commanded gently. "Come here near me."
The boy obeyed and the older man wrapped both his hands in his larger ones. "Close you eyes, Luke, and take a deep breath. Free your mind from your worries about the class. Let go of your frustration. Focus on the droid instead. Picture it in your mind. Think about its parts and how you assembled them." Obi-Wan instructed with a soft, calm, persuasive voice.
"What is he doing?" Beru whispered into Naritha's ear.
"He is teaching him to meditate," she answered, softly, wishing not to break the boy and Obi-Wan's concentration. "The Jedi meditate a lot; it helps them to find peace and to listen to the Force."
Naritha did not even notice she had used the present tense until a harsh voice intruded into her thoughts.
"There are no more Jedi. They are all dead."
Owen's brusque arrival broke the serene atmosphere of the house and Luke's concentration.
"You are back, Uncle! Ben was teaching me how to use my instinct to discover why my droid does not work. Pretty amazing, huh?"
Owen looked at the boy, stone-faced. "Did it work?"
"No…"
"Then I don't see anything "amazing" in it."
"But we had just begun-" Luke never completed the line, because his uncle's voice interrupted him.
"Let go of the boy's hands, Kenobi, and follow me outside. It is time you and I talk again."
Naritha saw Obi-Wan sigh, before he released Luke's hands and moved to follow Owen. He was about to leave the bedroom when he turned around and looking at the droid said, "Check the battery Luke, one of the wires is disconnected."
Naritha and Beru stayed inside the house and the two men walked outdoors and watched as Luke started working on his droid.
The two women heard Owen speak in a heated tone, while Obi-Wan's calmer voice was almost silenced by the wind blowing outside
After a while, Obi-Wan returned inside and bowed to Beru. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I am afraid we have to go." He turned to face his bondmate and added. "I will wait outside"
Naritha took her leave from Beru and Luke, then joined Obi-Wan in the courtyard. Owen was nowhere in sight.
"What happened?"
"We are no longer welcome in this house. Owen has threatened to report me to the authorities if I even come close to Luke."
"But why?"
"Owen has always been scared by the Force, but now he believes the Jedi caused Anakin's death and the rise of the Empire."
"What are you going to do?" Naritha asked.
"I am not going to fight Owen and risk endangering you and myself." Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "It saddens me not to be able to spend time with Luke but I am confident that when the time is right, the Force will make us meet again. Until that moment, I will stay away. I will watch from afar and wait. If there is something I don't lack, that is patience."
Obi-Wan tilted his head and Naritha laughed softly as they headed toward their home.
§
Their Sixth Receiving arrived a few weeks after and brought them an unexpected gift.
The mental energy emanated during their fever-induced joining, tied Obi-Wan and Naritha even more tightly to each other, transforming their life-bond into a soul-bond.
The change meant that if one of them died, the other would follow soon, sparing him or her the pain of a life without the other half of his or her soul. But more importantly, it meant they would remain together even when they would become one with the Force.
It was Qui-Gon who announced the change to them, his words making Obi-Wan and Naritha forget the embarrassment they had felt when the Jedi Master had appeared in their bedroom, surprising them as they rested, completely naked, atop the sheets.
The realization they were now soul-bonded blew them away.
Naritha had never heard about a soul-bond between the Angarians, while Obi-Wan had thought it was just a legend belonging to the ancient times when Jedi were allowed to marry.
Instead it was true. Amazingly, wonderfully true.
They were destined to be together.
Forever.