Far From Home

Chapter 7

In the morning, Ben woke up and found himself at the Lar's farm and feeling a little disoriented. He raised his hand to rub his head and stopped and started at his limbs. They weren't old and wrinkled like they were supposed to be, but instead they were smooth and young. He then touched his face and felt that he didn't have a beard. He had a few whiskers peeking through, but he was pretty much fresh faced and new. Ben quickly threw off his covers and headed towards the refresher and saw in the mirror that he was really young again. He turned his head from side to side and bared his teeth and then looked down at his form. His upper half was unclothed and he was wearing a pair of sleep-pants. He noticed that all his scars and old injuries were gone as well. It was a miracle.

Ben was afraid that everything yesterday had been a dream. That he had just imagined the whole thing, but this—this was astounding. Quickly, the Knight then returned to his room and changed into his Jedi robes. He then entered the small kitchen and saw Thrice was cooking breakfast and hadn't noticed that he had entered. Ben smiled and came up behind the lady-captain and gave her a surprise kiss on the cheek.

"Oh! My goodness. I'm glad you're finally up, Ben. This breakfast is yours. The others have already had theirs. They woke up early to do their morning exercises."

Ben smiled and sat down as Thrice set down his plate. "Ah, so the children are out of the house. Perhaps, I should exercise as well. I'd like to know what this new body can do."

"Oh, I'm sure your new body can do lots of things, Sir Knight," said Thrice flirtatiously.

The Knight laughed and took the lady's hand from across the table and gave it a kiss. "I've never felt more alive than I do right now, Milady, and it's all thanks to you."

Blushing, Thrice lowered her head and smiled. "I know exactly how you feel, Ben."

Obi-Wan beamed and was about to lean forward and give her a more passionate kiss when suddenly Scorn marched in. He was in a bad mood and kicked over a chair before finding a corner on the floor and sat himself down with his arms crossed over his chest with his head down. He was obviously brooding and Ben had no doubt that it had something to do with Kiya.

Ben sighed. He was not in the mood for dealing with a bad tempered teen, but he then felt Thrice send him calming waves through the Force and it settled him down. He gave her a loving glance and it amazed him just how fortunate he had been in meeting her. And with renewed confidence, Ben rose from the table and lifted up the turned over chair and sat down in front of the young Sith.

"What's wrong, Scorn?"

Hotly, Scorn snarled and said, "I don't understand her! Why doesn't she love me? Doesn't she understand what I've given up to be with her? My Master will never forgive me."

Puzzled, Obi-Wan said, "You mean Vader doesn't know you're here? Nobody knows you've left?"

Scorn looked up at Obi-Wan and made a face. "Do you think I'm stupid or something? Of course I didn't tell anyone where I was going. Vader told me that Kiya would never love me because she's supposed to be related to you. That she's my born enemy. I knew Vader wouldn't even give me a chance to see here again, but I thought if I were able to bring her back or if I killed her than that would be the end of it."

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was surprised at Scorn's answer. He assumed that since he looked like Anakin that he would automatically think like him too. Obviously, Scorn was his own person. "You recognize me?"

Scorn shrugged and said, "Sure I do. There are young images of you posted around the Empire for your capture. I know what you look like Obi-Wan. And besides that's a Vara ship parked outside and their specialty is cloning. It wasn't like rocket science to figure out what happened."

Ben had no idea that someone like Scorn would recognize Thrice's ship. He wondered were the young man was from. It must be from somewhere beyond the Outer Rim. Though, he was still shocked to learn that Vader had an apprentice. He didn't think the Emperor would approve of such a thing. Yet, Obi-Wan was dying to know what Scorn would do if Kiya continued to give him the cold shoulder.

"Scorn, what if Kiya never returns your affections?"

Suddenly, the young Sith exploded and rose to his feet and roared, "Impossible! I'll never except defeat. You don't know what it's like. I can't seem to do anything, but think and sleep Kiya. I hate it that I can't stop thinking about her. It's like she's infected me. I didn't want to disobey my Master. A man who is like my father, but I can't help it."

Obi-Wan frowned. "A man like your father?"

"Well, I don't have parents. Darth Vader is the one who raised me. But—Oh gods, now I have nothing. I don't have Kiya's love and now I don't even have my Master."

Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed his face. He had no idea that Scorn had so much on his mind. He felt sympathetic for the young Sith. He was obviously not completely tainted by the Darkness, but he wasn't sure what kind of advice he should give him.

Then, Thrice approached them and said, "I think you're trying too hard."

"What?" exclaimed the two at the same time.

The lady-captain groaned and explained, "Oh, come on. You can't just throw yourself at the girl and expect her to just automatically fall in love with you in an instant. You're going to have to earn her love. And it doesn't help that you just fought her yesterday. Give her time, you foolish child. And as to your other problems I have only one piece of advice to give you. Do all you can to follow your heart and you will live a life of contentment and happiness. For if you continued to live by the sword than you will ultimately die by it as well."

Ben added, "Thrice is right. Vader was once my Padawan. Since joining the Dark Side his life hasn't exactly improved. Though, I'm sure Vader as been telling you how I betrayed him, but unfortunately that isn't the truth. He has been terribly mislead."

Scorn shook his head and began to pace. "No, I don't harbor any vendetta towards you on my Master's behalf, Obi-Wan."

"Really? I was sure that Vader would insist that you do."

Scorn laughed and said, "Don't think it was for a lack of trying. No, I just don't care about all that. I only care about what would please him. I'm not a complicated person, Obi-Wan. I was a slave and I'm used to having small ambitions. I don't want to rule the world or this sad excuse for a galaxy. It's a rotten place and full of sorrow. No, all I want is to make the one who saved me glad that he took the time to take me in. I want to make him proud. And as for everyone else, I couldn't careless if they lived or died."

Ben leaned forward and replied. "You can't afford to be so indifferent any longer, Scorn. You are going to have to decide. Are you our friend or our enemy?"

-0-0-0-

Meanwhile, out in the sands, Kiya gazed out across the dunes and felt a wave of sadness consume her. She tried closing her eyes and dispelling her feelings into the Force, but like her mother she was normally a creature wild with passions. Usually, Kiya couldn't contain her emotions and liked to work through them with physical activity. She liked to spar when she felt depressed or worried till she was too tired to care, but today she had enough of fighting. She had enough of feeling irritated, disappointed and lonely and so instead she danced.

She strode off towards the empty desert and away from Luke instructing Leia on self-defense and drew her metal sword and began to dance. And with practiced movement and rhythm, the young warrior swayed with harmony and grace while churning the natural flow of the Force around her. She moved with such fluidity that currents of sand began to follow her tempo like a mist.

Though, unknown to the warrior Luke and Leia had stopped what they were doing and just stared at her in disbelief. Even Thrice, Ben and Scorn came from the house to see her dancing. There was such harmony in her movements and beat that Scorn couldn't help falling even more in love with the lady-Jedi. Yet, unlike the rest Thrice was not amazed. She'd seen a dance like that before. She knew that dance well—that was a dance of the Clan.

Thrice swiftly marched across the dunes and raised her hand to disrupt Kiya's manipulation of the Force like child's play and moved to grab her tightly by the arm and away from the raining sands. The Captain hauled her back towards the house and then released her in front of Ben.

Thrice then pointed at the lady-Jedi while steeling her fiery eyes on the Knight and exclaimed, "Who is she? Why do you have a member of the Clan in your company? What exactly is her relationship to you, Ben?"

Obi-Wan sighed and said, "It's not my story to tell, Milady, but I can assure you that Kiya can be trusted. I give you my word, love."

"The Clan is not a light matter, Ben. A thousand years of war make very strong enemies, but I will take your word because I trust you. Don't make me regret it."

Ben smiled and said, "I would never break my word with you, Milady. Though, I wonder how long we can go on like this on Tatooine since Scorn was able to locate us so easily. Anyway, how did you find us?"

Scorn replied, "It was easy enough once we drugged the information out of the space-pirate and the Wookie."

"What!" shouted Leia. "What do you mean space-pirate? You mean you captured Han and Chewy?"

The young Sith frowned and said, "I don't see why it would matter to you, Princess. I'm the only one who knows were you all are. I was in charge of their interrogation. The Emperor personally assigned me to the task since Vader keeps overreacting and killing our prisoners."

Leia then flew into a rage and started to lunge at Scorn with her nails and feet, but she was held back by Luke. Leia couldn't stand having this Sith around. He didn't deserve to live for hurting Han and Chewy.

Yet, Kiya came forward and said to Scorn, "Can you help us free Han and Chewy?"

Scorn shook his head and crossed his arms. "No, that would displease my Master. It's one thing to go after a woman and another if I turn traitor and free the enemy. The Emperor would label me a betrayer and I will be wanted as well."

Kiya paused for a moment, but then said, "Yes, but you can fool them. You can present to your Master the body of Obi-Wan Kenobi and allow Han and Chewy to escape. They would never suspect your betrayal."

Ben narrowed his brow and asked, "What do you mean present my body?"

"I mean your old body. The body that Vader knows you as. He will think you're dead and that Scorn killed you. It will insure in Vader's mind that Scorn has not folded to our side and he will be able to free our friends. With luck Vader will be so enraged by Scorn's betrayal he will try and hunt him down. It will enable us to lure him away while the Rebel fleet prepares to make their stand."

Ben nodded. "A clever plan, Kiya, but a great deal of it relays on Scorn's corporation. We've yet to know if he can be trusted."

"Then, I will go as well."

"What are you saying?" asked Luke.

"I'm saying that I will pretend to be Scorn's woman and go back with him to the Imperial ship. This way we will have a guarantee that Han and Chewy will have someone trying to save them and if necessary I will take all the blame for Scorn's deception."

"No!" cried the Sith. "I won't have to do something like that for me. Not when you don't even like me. It doesn't even make any sense."

Annoyed, Kiya shouted, "It's the noble thing to do! And don't underestimate me. I am a warrior, not a maiden."

Luke said, "It still sounds too risky to me, Kiya. What will happen to you if you get caught?"

Kiya frowned. "Don't be naïve, Luke. I'll die, of course."

The young Jedi was amazed. "How can you just say that like its nothing? Don't you care if you die?"

The lady-Jedi then turned to face Luke and glazed at him with her steel blue-eyes and replied, "I don't fear death, Luke. My people were born for war. It runs in my veins. And as a Jedi Knight you must realize that there is no death, there is only the Force. For I am a servant of the People. It is the greater good that I serve and I am lead by my heart."

Ben then placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled. It had been a long time since he heard such conviction. It touched him deeply that she was so determined and resolved. For this was the shining girl he had first met on Eve-9. She wasn't just an angel or a warrior—no she was a true knight who was both reckless and brave.

"Spoken like a true servant of the Light, Miss Kiya. But, I agree with Luke. We should find a better way."

Though, unexpectedly Kiya shook her head and looked at Ben sadly and said, "I wish Jinn were here, Obi-Wan."

Started, Ben asked, "Jinn? Do you mean Master Qui-Gon?"

"No, I mean my brother Jinn. Whenever I'm with him I know everything will be ok, but now—alone in this world. I'm not so sure anymore. What if I never see my family again? What if being here is my destiny?"

"You're not alone, Kiya," said Scorn. "I promise that I will never leave you. I want you to count on me. I want you to need me like I need you. In fact, I'll help you even if you don't ask me to. I want to. I volunteer. All that I ask in return for my betrayal is that you allow me to deal with Vader alone."

"No!" shouted Luke. "I have to face Vader too. He's my father and I have to try and save him from the Dark Side."

Scorn then gave Luke a critical look and said, "Are you really my Master's son?"

Luke cautiously stepped towards the Sith and nodded his head. "Yes, I am Vader's son. I am the son of Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight."

In answer, Scorn laughed at Luke's seriousness and said, "Force! So, I'm not the only one who's been a traitor. Dear gods, Vader and I are too much the same. It's no wonder he likes me. I'm practically his younger self. Well, I won't make the same mistakes twice. I'll never harm Kiya. I'd rather die than let my Angel get in harms way. And if you want to confront Lord Vader than so be it. I won't stop you, Jedi."

-0-0-0-

TBC

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eldest fangirl - Thank you for writing me a review and as to your question about changing the future I'm guessing you mean in "Another Time." That story is set in a parallel dimension. It isn't in their reality, but in another reality. This story is also in another dimension. Also if you see the term "AU" it means alternate universe which means it diveriates from the actual plotline or the original story. I guess the closest example I can give is that my story is like the tv show "Fringe". I hope this info. helps.

Bekah - Hello! Yeah, Scorn is definitly going to be sticking to Kiya like glue. He's got it bad that a little thing like dimension hopping wouldn't stop him. I also like your idea of having Jinn or Ben meeting Scorn. I don't think either of them would be too happy about her dating a Sith. I'll try and work in a meeting like that soon. I think that would be great. And yes, this Ben/Thrice pairing is by far my most lovey-dovey. Though, I think chapter works more about building Scorn's character.

Please keep reading and reviewing. Thank you.