Chapter Five
Tosche Station
The Kenobi family sat around the breakfast table, quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Obi-Wan looked at Mayli and Zella, feeling a sudden wave of love move over him, causing him to smile. He remembered arriving on Tatooine in utter despair, came close to becoming lost several times. Then Mayli happened, and a few years later Zella. Sometimes his past life as a Jedi seemed to belong to someone else.
His mind drifted to Anakin, wondering what he thought, if he ever considered the events on Mustafar nineteen years before. Or did Anakin even exist anymore, Darth Vader taking over completely? In the beginning, when he'd first arrived on Tatooine, Obi-Wan went through all the what ifs, but time moved on, and Obi-Wan built a new life for himself, one he didn't regret but loved.
But he also felt this existence would soon end. Like Mayli said the night before, something was going to happen.
Looking at his two women (goodness, when had Zella grown up?), he cleared his throat. "So, what is on the agenda today?"
Mayli sighed. "Heading to Mos Eisley, meeting with some pilots to get rid of those final contracts. Hope to find some reliable people for my clients, maybe try to connect with some of the younger pilots, help them build a business."
"The Ithorian clay I ordered for my new project should be in at the general store at Tosche Station," said Zella, looking at her dad with her big blue eyes. She blinked lovingly at him. Uh, oh, she wants something. "Can I borrow the landspeeder? You're just working on that holocron, right dad?"
Obi-Wan smiled. He and Mayli finally allowed Zella to do short adventures on her own the previous month after she convinced them that with her Jedi training, she was probably one of the most dangerous things on Tatooine. He shared a glance with Mayli, and they made a silent decision.
"Yes. Just bring your lightsaber, keep it hidden, and avoid those stormtroopers," he said.
Leaping up, Zella quickly kissed each of her parents on the cheek and was off without further word.
Mayli left soon after, the Nebula Flame zooming across the desert toward Mos Eisley. Obi-Wan rarely left the homestead anymore, the Imperial presence everywhere. Most people, except those that knew him with Mayli years ago, would even connect him with either woman, as he was associated with no one legally. Mayli kept her address at Tosche Station, the same building as it was when the town had been called Water years ago.
Obi-Wan descended into their cellar, retrieving the holocron he'd been preparing for Luke. While Mayli knew the true nature of his work, Zella only thought he created the cube to preserve the history of the Jedi.
Preparing to record a lesson on lightsaber creation, he wondered again at the necessity of creating the device. If Luke were lucky, he might spend the rest of his days working on the Lars moisture farm, most likely inheriting the place, lost from the Empire, from the eyes of his father. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan felt he needed to do something, as he never got the chance to train the boy. Nodding to nobody in particular, he gathered the Force around himself and the cube and began his lesson.
Zella walked happily down the dusty streets of Tosche Station, glad to be out and about after yesterday's work on the homestead. Leaving the landspeeder with a few others on the edge of town, she intended to stop by most of the businesses, simply to see what was going on.
"Zella!" came a cheerful voice from behind, and she turned to see Luke Skywalker trotting toward her, his warm smile and bright eyes, along with his messy blonde hair, lightening her mood more.
"Hey Luke, what's…"
"Did you see the yacht?" he asked excitedly.
"Yacht?"
"Yeah. Other side of town. Beautiful luxury ship. Don't usually see those around here," he said. "Follow me."
Zella jogged alongside Luke until they came to the other side of Tosche Station. Sure enough, a gorgeous yacht sat parked in the sand, shining under the late morning sun. Three Jawas walked around the ship, chattering away. Zella giggled.
"Whoever owns that better watch out for those scavengers," Zella said.
Luke stood beside her, looking longingly at the ship. He sighed heavily. "I wish I could just hop in there and fly away from this place."
"That would be ill advised, Skywalker," Zella said teasingly. "Whoever owns that has money and would have your farm. And maybe your head. Might be a member of Black Sun."
But Luke didn't seem to hear her comment.
"You're lucky, you know, Zella," he said quietly, still looking at the ship. "You've been away, around the galaxy with your mom."
Zella laughed, trying to lighten the mood, having rarely seen Luke like this. "Not everywhere. Mostly to see my grandparents and…"
"But you've left Tatooine!" he said, now looking at her. "I've never been anywhere."
Zella found herself studying Luke, wishing she could help him somehow. But then she watched his face shift back into his usual cheerful self.
"Sorry, Zella. Just sometimes wish I could fly away, like some of my friends. Maybe join the Rebellion." He shook his head. "So, what are you in town for?"
"Picking up clay. You?"
"Power convertors. Clay, huh? What are you making?"
The two walked back into the heart of town before parting ways at the general store. After that stop, Zella carried the ten pound bag of Ithorian clay, walking back toward her landspeeder, but stopped outside the tapcaf. The board out front advertised a sweetened iced caf, and Zella, with a few credits left in her pocket, decided to treat herself.
The tapcaf remained nearly empty, only two chatting farmwives in the corner. Zella sat and brought out her data pad and stylus, working on a sketch of what she wanted to create with her clay, taking a sip of the delicious drink from time to time. The door opened, bringing a gust of heat into the cooled space, and she rose her eyes to see who entered. A young man, about her age, with dark hair, light eyes, and a handsome chiseled face. His paler, nearly flawless skin, along with his elegant, richly colored robes, informed her he was definitely not a Tatooine native. His eyes roamed the establishment before stopping to rest on her.
Zella almost gasped aloud. She knew this boy! Yet, she didn't. He seemed familiar, but she didn't know from where. No, the more she looked, the more she knew she never met him before.
Blushing because she realized she'd been staring, she refocused on her drawing and drink. The swish of robes told her the boy entered the tapcaf and approached the counter. His deep, pleasant, polite voice ordered the same drink as her.
Zella suddenly became self-conscious of her clothing, and she looked down to see she'd worn her favorite pink tunic and cream pants. Not terrible, she thought. And her hair didn't appear too windswept, as she'd worn a head covering while driving the landspeeder. Hesitantly, she dared another glance at the boy, who'd found a seat at a table across from hers. He had his data pad out as well, reading something, but he suddenly looked up at her.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey."
He tilted his head and furrowed his brow, as if thinking. "Do I know you?"
Zella laughed. "I was actually thinking the same thing."
He smiled too. "Um...mind if I join you?"
She gestured him over, and he sat directly across from her. Her heart rate quickened a bit. He was handsome and owned a confident air. His eyes shifted to the bag of clay at her feet.
"Artist?"
"Yes. Starting a new project, although I'm not sure of what yet."
He nodded. "So…let's figure out where we've met before. Coruscant?"
"Never been," she admitted. "I'm a Tatooine girl."
"Hmmm…spent most of my life in the capital. First time here," he glanced around the tapcaf. "I stick out like a Wookie at a Chadra Fan retreat."
Zella laughed. "I'm guessing you belong to the yacht outside town."
The boy rolled his eyes. "Dad's. His pride and joy. Honestly, it's a monstrosity. We're here looking for someone."
"Who? Perhaps I can help."
"He goes by Ben or…kriff!" the boy cursed, having spilt some of his drink down his front. "Sure enough, sit next to a pretty girl, make a complete fool of yourself, Sam."
"I'll grab some napkins," Zella said, rising and heading to the counter, unable to keep the smile from her face. Pretty girl? She returned, handing him the stack. "Here…"
He took them, and in that moment, his hand fell over hers. His entire face changed from embarrassment to utter astonishment. He dropped her hand and scoot back his chair.
"Jedi," he whispered.
Zella felt her insides freeze, and she gaped at the boy, this Sam.
"Who…what…no, what do you mean Jedi?" she stammered.
"Sam?" came a loud voice, and both Zella and the boy turned to see an elegantly dressed older man at the entrance to the tap caf.
Zella took the opportunity to leave. Grabbing the clay, she dashed for the door, brushing by the newcomer. Walking quickly down the street, her heart racing, Zella felt panic rise in her chest, and she accessed the Force to calm herself.
How did he know? She kept her lightsaber well-hidden, the hilt strapped to her leg under her trousers. She needed to get away. Now.
Throwing the clay into the backseat of the landspeeder, she jumped in and sped off into the desert toward home.
Sam watched in a state of befuddlement as the girl raced through the door. His father smiled broadly after the girl, then approached Sam, taking the seat the girl just vacated.
"Nice job, Sammy my boy," his father said, grabbing Sam's drink and taking a long sip. He smacked his lips loudly as he put the cup down. "Damn, that's excellent."
Sam still looked at the door the girl ran out of with her clay. Upon entering the tapcaf, he'd felt drawn to her and mustering all the courage he had, actually spoke to her. He'd felt quite proud of seeming so confident, something his father always exhibited with such a casual demeanor, and then his stupid hands ruined everything.
But then he considered the things he saw when his skin brushed over hers. Another sensitive to the Force, taught under the Code of the Jedi. He saw images of her training with a golden and orange lightsaber bow staff, fighting against a bearded man who often stopped to laugh with her. He saw the girl talking animatedly with a beautiful older woman, zooming through hyperspace in the cockpit of a freighter. Other images appeared, more vague, of creatures in a pen, nuzzling the girl, this time a lot younger. Eopies, yes. He saw a few in town. Another image showed a little green, long-eared creature in a swamp. What could this mean?
But the Force…yes, the Force flowed through this girl like a forest stream, clear and cleansing. Mostly the Light. He knew the Force, his mother a former Jedi, his father a Sith scientist. But of course the Force flowed with him differently, more like a rainbow, the spectrum continually moving from Dark to Light.
Sam rose his eyes up at his dad, who had a smug, knowing look on his face. "Yes, dad. I finally talked to a pretty girl. But you had to ruin it and…"
"That is the daughter of the very man we are looking for!" said Jac gleefully.
"It is? How do you know?"
His dad pointed to his forehead. "Seen her in visions before." He rose quickly, grabbed the caf drink, and drained the cup. "Off to the ship. We need to follow her." And without another word, he moved quickly out the door, his son on his heels.
Sam knew his father well, had worked with him in the Emperor's lab for years, learning the strange secrets of the Force. And while ethics didn't seem too much of a concern to Jac or even Sam most of the time, the younger man felt a bit sick following this girl. As they neared the yacht, he grabbed his dad by the shoulder.
"We can't follow her. She's good…kind…and…"
"Oh my dear boy, we are not going to hurt her. Or her father. Or her mother. On the contrary, they are going to help us. I told you. Ben Kenobi…Obi-Wan Kenobi…he's our only hope in my ultimate revenge against Sheev," Jac said, whose face darkened. "That wrinkle-assed bastard who…"
"Okay dad," Sam said, feeling the grief over his mother's recent death return. Amazingly, during the time he interacted with the girl, he'd briefly forgotten, became just a teenage boy again. Such a strange emotion, grief. He suddenly longed to see this girl again, craving the lightness, the happiness he felt with her for those few brief moments.
Approaching the ship, he watched as his father shooed away a group of small hooded sentients, then pause and turn toward a group of young men standing around, looking at the ship. Sam followed his dad's gaze to one in particular, a sandy-haired man dressed in white.
"You know him too?" asked Sam.
"No…but his presence feels familiar…hmmm…" Sam watched realization dawn on Jac's face. "Ah ha! Interesting. Well, none of my concern. Off to the Kenobis."
The duo entered the yacht, soon taking to the air, heading toward the open desert.
Zella parked the landspeeder and leaped out, running full tilt toward the house, screaming for her father. He emerged, confusion on his face.
"Darling, what is…"
Zella began talking rapidly but soon stopped, her eyes turning toward the desert, the area of Tosche Station. A dot in the sky indicated a ship, getting bigger by the moment. Zella glanced at the suns, for a moment hoping this to be a TIE, one of the usual patrols. But the time was off.
"Oh no…I led him right to us! I…oh dad, what have I done?!" Zella cried.
The ship took form now, moving close to the ground, and finally landing in the sand at the bottom of the hill on which the Kenobi homestead sat.
She felt her father tense through the Force, and he ran quickly into the house, returning with his lightsaber.
"That is the yacht belonging to the Sith Scholars," he said.
Zella watched as the ramp came down, and the man she'd seen in the tapcaf, along with the boy she flirted with, Sam, emerged. The man looked up at the hill, shielding his eyes from the suns, then smiled and waved at both Zella and her father. Both men moved toward the path to the Kenobi home.
Zella looked desperately at her father, who ignited his lightsaber.
Author's Note: In the next chapter, Mayli connects with a new pilot in Mos Eisley, and Jac and Obi-Wan are reunited.
This chapter is dedicated to my husband, who wanted me to make sure Luke got his power convertors at some point in this story.
Thank you for reading!