I have finals this week, so bless your lucky stars, of which if they are the kind found before wars, I don't own, you're getting a chapter at all.

Chapter 7. In which Ben Finally Finds a Girlfriend

She was looking at him, the customer. Ben was pretending he wasn't looking back. She had come in twice before, although he was pretty sure she had actually only needed something the first time. The moment he had looked up from the counter to see her, he had been struck by her, and she had clearly been struck by him.

She was tall, about his height, which for a human man of twenty was quite average. Her hair so blonde it was almost white. She had pale blue eyes, and very thin features to match her willowy figure. She wore the clothes of a spacer, although not very well, as if they were still new to her frame, and she lacked callouses on her hands. From the moment their eyes had met she had entranced Ben, and he could feel her desire for him through the force. She'd told him her name was Satine. He wondered why she hadn't simply asked Watto how much he was yet. Perhaps she didn't have the money, although that didn't appear to be the case. He was looking forward to when she finally did ask.

As Satine lingered after her purchase, both of them leaning over the counter to flirt it suddenly occurred to him that she was waiting for him to ask her. He was disgusted with himself, he was thinking like a slave. Why on earth should his only pleasure come with payment? It's not like a cent of that went to him. Watto came in at that moment, grumbling down from his afternoon nap, interrupting Ben's train of thought.

"Get back to work Ben." Then turning to Satine in basic."Girl,stop distracting my slave. If you're not buying, get out." Satine rolled her eyes at Watto but did as he asked.

"Bye Ben." Satine spoke, giving Ben a quick smile as she headed for the door. Ben's stomach dropped, and before he knew what he was doing his mouth opened.

"Wait! Satine I'll be done at eight." Her smile at his words was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen.

"I'll be waiting." And with that she was gone. Ben felt a matching smile, spreading across his own face. Until Watto hit him over the head with a dirty paw,

"Owww, Master what was that for?"

"She likes you. Can't see why. Don't screw it up, and don't be late or neglectful in the morning, or I won't let you see her again. I thought humans were supposed to have grown out of this by now."

"You know us Master, always in heat." Watto glared at him, pointing to the work sitting unfinished on the counter before hitting him upside the head again and drifting away grumbling.

Satine was waiting outside when he was done. Wrapped in a nice leather jacket, a blaster at her hip, the way she lounged against the wall set Ben on fire.

"I thought you said you were a pacifist?" He spoke pointing to the blaster at her hip.

"Now that is an interesting discussion. I am a pacifist but I'm also not stupid, although I used to be. Why don't you carry any weapons?"

"Firstly I don't need any, secondly it's too expensive to mess with a slave. Watto would kill any one who touched me. And we're not changing the topic here. Come on," he took her hand, he had used precious water to clean his own hands thoroughly, "you can explain your interesting philosophical choices over dinner."

They ate at the only restaurant in the slave quarter, if one could call it a restaurant. It was several cobbled together long benches and tables, set under an awning strung with small salvaged lights. It was just at the edge of the slave quarter, its front entrance was a brothel and a cantina during the day. It was run by the oldest slave in Mos Espa, who did only a little weaving during the day, and so ran the make shift meeting place the night before rest day, and opened it to worshippers the next morning. Although few actually believed, everyone went to the shaman Jira's service. It was short, and afterwards everyone got to see each other.

They did indeed discuss Satine's philosophical choices over dinner. She explained to Ben how at eighteen there had been much political unrest on her planet of Mandalore. Her party had advocated peace, refusing to even touch weapons, denying their heritage as fierce warriors. They had been forced out of office, and their planet had continued to be at war. Sacrificing national pride, Satine had asked the Jedi, the Mandalorian traditional enemies, for help, but it had failed, and she and many of her compatriots had been forced to flee. They had managed to bring their battle to the senate where it was currently going through the courts, and looked to be going in their favor.

The problem then lay in getting the current head of state to leave. He had declared himself King, which as Satine explained to Ben was perfectly ridiculous as they had a Duchess, democratically elected thank you very much. Satine herself had been traveling from Courscant where the courts were, to various outposts of displaced Mandaloreans. She was part messenger and part leader from what Ben could tell, and clearly more powerful then she was saying. He didn't mind her fibbing, after all he was doing the same.

"I am curious though, why did you say you didn't need a weapon?" Satine spoke, sucking the marrow from her bone, after she had finished her own story.

"Finish that and I'll show you. You have had martial arts training right?"

"Most of my life, ironically enough. Like I said Madaloreans are proud warriors."

"Well then you won't object to a little spar?"

"Of course not,"

"Well then let me pay, and we can go."

"Wait, I have more let me pay."

"That's not the way it works. Let me show you." And Ben did, putting his name on the list of favors. "Next time I come into something good, I'll give it to Jira. I can't eat here again until my names off the list."

"Clever."

"Isn't it? Now I promised you a spar." And he offered his hand, and a courtly bow, and they made their exit. The whole dinner would have the slave quarter bustling by the next morning, with the news that Shmi's elder son was courting a spacer.

It was getting late, the second sun had set by the time Ben led Satine up to an open roof, on which were set out several reed mats. However the amazing carpet of stars above provided enough light.

There were several bins off to the side filled with what looked like long reed poles. Satine realized they were crude home made practice weapons. Ben pulled one out, and motioned to Satine to chose her own. She did picking a long staff.

"Need to warm up?" Satine shook her head no, and the two faced each other in opening stances. Balanced low, forward on the balls of their feet, they began to prowl around each other.

It is Satine who strikes first, bringing her staff low in sweeping movements. She didn't even have a chance, Ben moved so fast her eye almost can't see. Satine barely manages to last a minute, before her staff goes clattering away.

"How did you learn to do that?" She replied amazed, retrieving the staff from where it had rolled.

"I didn't become a slave until I was thirteen, before that I was from a warrior culture much like Mandalore. I've been practicing almost constantly since then, trying not to forget anything. My mother and my little brother practice with me as well. Care to try your luck at hand to hand?"

"You bet." She lasts much longer there, and although Ben eventually wins he is panting by the time they're done. Flopping down on the reed mats, he gazes up at the stars.

"Impressive, as well." Satine speaks, flopping down beside him. They sit for a while watching the stars. They are both soaked with sweat, and eventually a cool breeze springs up, which means they of course find themselves tucked in each others arms, for warmth obviously.

That is until Ben gently began nuzzling at Satine's neck, gently blowing on it. For some one in her early twenties she really had no control, Ben thought absently to himself, as she literally jumped him. Then again he had been keeping her at bay for the better part of a week, and after that cognizant thought was beyond him.

Luckily for them they had enough presence of mind not to sleep outside, not only would it have been cold, but some one would have undoubtedly found them in the morning. They got dressed quickly in the cold, although reluctantly, occasionally pausing to steal a kiss, and Ben walked Satine back to her ship. Apparently she didn't travel alone, although she hadn't mentioned that fact, there were two other life forms on her ship, both of whom were friendly.

"Come when you can?" Ben asked, hopefully. His bright eyes crinkling in a half smile, captivating Satine.

"Always." Satine replied. And then Ben kissed her on the boarding ramp to her ship, before slipping away into the night.

His mother woke him the next morning to go to work, her arms crossed, her face stern.

"Really Ben? A spacer?"

"Yes a spacer." He yawned back, fishing around for a shirt. "Her name is Satine, she's a Mandalorean refugee. No I don't know if or when she's coming back. But she is brave, strong, and good in a fight. Reminds me of you Mother." And with that ultimate compliment, Shmi was too shocked to ply much more into her son's personal life, and Ben skipped off scot free to breakfast.

Satine did come back, many times in fact, but only every couple of months. Her cause was deteriorating and each time she came back she was more and more frustrated. The trials were taking too long, and each week they lost ground.

One night, just after about two years together, she had come practically flying in to the shop, received a negative, to her inquiry if Watto was around, and simply flung herself into Ben's arms.

"Satine, Love. What's happened?"

"We lost. They gave the planet to that traitor, that King!" here she paused to spit. "It was the trade federation, all along. When the trial started going wrong, they were providing the funding." And the whole story spilled out. How she was actually the Duchess, and had been forced from the throne she had been elected to for life. How she had been travelling around investigating, and had finally discovered why the trial wasn't going well, but it had been too late. All decisions made by such high courts were final.

"Ben, the republic is no longer working." She was now pacing in the back room, where the two of them had sequestered themselves. Anakin at seven had easily taken over Ben's work for the day. "The Jedi have failed me, and then the courts and now the senate. There is no truth, no justice anymore, at least not in the republic. Everything is so corrupt I practically feel safer out here, at least the hutts are open about their corruption."

"What are you going to do now."

"I don't know Ben. I think I understand now how my ancestors felt when they took up the armor. They were proud of their abilities because they were protecting our home. I will do what I have to I think."

"Even if it means betraying your values?"

Satine rubbed her hands over her face in frustration before replying.

"I'm not sure what my values are any more, Ben. I carry a weapon, I lie to the man who loves me. Now I think I'm going to go lead my people into battle. I might not come back. Can you forgive me Ben?"

"Satine there is nothing to forgive, you were protecting your people, just as I protect my family, and you must go to them now. If there is one thing you and I understand it's duty, and I love you for it."

"Thank you Ben." Satine replied pulling him into a hug. Ben wrapped his arms around her even tighter, resting his forehead against hers. Pausing for a moment to savor her presence.

"Things are changing, Satine, I've been feeling it for a while now. I do not think I will be a slave for much longer." Satine drew back to look into Ben's deadly serious face. Taking his face in her hands.

"What do you mean Ben?"

"Do you remember how I told you before I became a slave I belonged to a warrior culture."

"Yes although, I assumed you did not wish to speak of it."

"I don't, but I must. Satine that culture was the Jedi. Before I was chosen to be an apprentice I began having dreams, visions really about Anakin burning. No one would listen to me, not the man who was supposed to lead me to knight hood, nor the head of our order. So I left, I went to go find Anakin, and the longer I am away the more I see how utterly blind the Jedi are, how they are refusing to see. Things are happening, and Satine they are not good. So you should go. Go and protect your people, do as much as you can to shield them from the storm that's coming. I will find you if I can."

"You put your self into slavery for your family?"

"It was an accident actually, but yes."

"I love you Ben."

"You gave away your life at eighteen to lead your people to peace. I love you Satine." And they held each other not moving for as long as they could. Trying to make the moment last as long as possible. That night they held each other even longer in the bunk in her ship.

They parted early the next morning, promising as always to come when they could. They did not see each other for some time. The day after she left, Ben began gathering the parts for three lightsabers, as he'd said, things were coming, and it was best to be prepared.

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