Chapter Title: Finding Obi-Wan

Series Title: Unlikely Brothers

Author: Obi the Kid

POV: Dashen (Tannerlin is 10, Dashen is 16)

Summary: A series of non-chronological stories taking place in the world of my OC's Dashen and Tannerlin.

Chapter Summary: A job takes the boys to Tatooine where they find a surprising ally.

Rating: PG

Characters: Dashen Lesedi, Tannerlin Vai (Jedi) and Obi-Wan Kenobi


'Damn it, Dash!'

That was it, my first thought as I came around. Here I was…coming around…

Ever have a brick whack you in the head? No? Consider yourself lucky. I have, so I know what it feels like. It feels a pain that penetrates your brain, runs down your spinal cord and into every last nerve ending on your body. That's what I felt like right about now as I tried for sight. My eyes worked to open and eventually succeeded, but at a cost. This time, I hadn't been nailed by a brick, but by a spectacular landspeeder crash. Not even sure what we crashed into. A barge? A bantha? A giant pile of sand? Who knew? Who cared? All I know is that one minute I could see miles in front of me, the next minute I couldn't see my hands on the controls. Damn sand storms.

I knew coming here was a bad idea. I hate the desert. I hate sand unless it's me lounging on a beach, which is an activity I've only done once in my life. I certainly don't enjoy a planet full of the stuff. Sand, wind, heat. Tattooine was a crap load of nasty. But the money was too good to pass up. I didn't often take off-planet jobs. The whole lack of transportation and money part of things often did me in, but this one paid enough so that I could start paying Colton back for the cost of my brother's schooling. And it seemed simple enough. Of course those are famous last words that many have uttered in the past. Someone should ban them from ever being said again.

The job? Go to dusty planet, find some robe-wearing hermit, and lift from him a cylindrical silver object that glows green…a bit cryptic, but I've solved many a puzzle before, I could figure this out. The job was doable. So, I packed a small bag, piled it and my brother, Tannerlin into the next interplanetary shuttle from home and bam! We were here.

From the start Tanner felt something odd about the job. Well, maybe not odd, but off. He'd been learning the trade – I was a runner (I loved it, he hated it) - with me for the last year, between going to school and his other hobby – Force exercises. Despite the Jedi Order being all but wiped out a year and a half ago, and Tanner suffering a great personal loss at that time, he'd made a point to continue to practice what his now-dead master had taught him. The kid's only ten, but has a determination and dedication about him that's damn impressive. And I know he doesn't want to be a runner – aka thief – as his life's work, but it does bring in money and its semi-legit…most of the time.

He'd been studying me and working to learn and understand the methods behind being a good runner. Basically if you were fast and could think on your feet, you'd do well enough.

Anyway, because he was a Jedi – or used to be – I didn't feel safe leaving him home for this job, with me being so far away. The Empire was still conducting random Jedi checks here and there, and if there was any chance of them roaming our home town back on Terra with massive weapons of death, I wanted the kid here with me. I'd adopted him, sorta. Not officially. That would draw attention – and legally I wasn't old enough to adopt him. Not that it mattered. In every way except blood, Tanner had become my little brother. And I was thankful to have his company.

Thinking of him though, between sharp pains shooting through my head, got my attention. It wasn't his face I saw when I finally got my eyes to open. It was some older guy. Chestnut hair, aged face and blue-green eyes that had seen far too many terrible things. I put him at about 40ish in human years, although he seemed older. And there was something else there…something…no. No. First, I had to find my brother.

My eyes were slit from my horizontal position and I looked at where he sat nearby. His attention focused on me when he saw me coming around.

I cleared my throat and said, "Who the hell are you?" Nothing like a friendly greeting to get a relationship flowing, right? But this guy didn't seem perturbed by either the tone or the question.

"Ben. How is your head?"

"Hurts like a…wait, where the hell am I?" See how I just soothe right in? I had a way with people, I really did.

"Tattooine."

Yes, thank you, Mr. Obvious. "No, I mean, I know that. Where am I?"

"You are in my home. I pulled you from the wreck. Your speeder exploded. I hope you didn't pay much for it."

Funny. He was a funny guy. I wasn't in the mood. "Rental. Too bad for them." Then…"Wait. Exploded?" Oh, no, no, no, no. Tanner. "Did you get my brother out? Did you see him?"

Ben stepped closer and knelt next to wherever I was lying. "Small and thin. Brown hair?"

"Yes, that's him. Where is he?"

"I don't know. Someone else pulled him out before the fire. I lost track trying to keep you from burning to ashes."

This was bad. Very, very bad. Tanner was probably hurt and of course he was on a strange planet where anyone could prod at him enough until he spilled his secret about being Jedi. And…I had to find him. I tried to get up. Bad idea. Ben pushed me back down.

"You'll do no good trying to move at the moment. You can't travel anywhere right now anyway. Sandstorms are crossing over. It'll be ugly outside for the next several hours. If your brother is safe, he'll be okay."

Not good enough, Benny boy. I tried to get up again while the guy had crossed to the other side of the room. This time I was pushed back down, not by his hands, but by some unseen power. Power that I knew and that I'd felt before…from Tannerlin.

Oh no, not another one.

I landed softly back on my pillow and groaned.

"Problem?"

"What am I, a magnet for you people? Damn it!"

"You people?"

"Yeah, Force-boy. Don't think I didn't notice. I know why you seem different. And not to be ungrateful or anything, but I don't really enjoy being the guinea pig for Force users."

His eyebrows raised and he eyed me carefully. Obviously he felt no threat, or he would have disposed of me by tossing me out into the bazillion degree heat and ninety mile per hour winds and watching me burn to a crisp and fly away. I appreciated him not going that route.

There was quiet for a long minute before he said anything else. "You know another?"

"I do and he's missing."

Ben nodded in immediate understanding. "I see. Not your brother then."

"Not by blood, but…we're family, trust me. No one else volunteered to look after him these last eighteen months."

Yes, eighteen months since the slaughter. The older Jedi reflected almost instantly. I could suddenly see a life of losses in his eyes. Heartbreak. Betrayal. And just about every other human emotion one could imagine.

"Your friend is fortunate," he finally said. "I can claim no family, of blood or non blood. Not any longer."

Slowly this time, I sat up. He didn't push me back. "I figure you lost about what he did. But at least you had age and experience on your side."

Retreating to the window to watch the sand storming across the area, Ben said, "We will need to find him then. Your friend…brother. What's his name?"

"Tannerlin Vai."

A shake of the head. No memories of that name. He hadn't known Tanner. I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing at the moment, it just was what it was.

"You'll rest another couple hours and then we'll go."

"What about the storms?"

"Cloaks will help protect us. We cannot allow him to be discovered for what he is. Substantial rewards are still being offered for Jedi, dead or alive. It's not safe for any of us, much less one so young. Lie back and rest."

"But…" I tried to protest as he put a hand to my forehead and just like that, I went down for the count.

I woke up a little less groggy, still with pain in my head, but more tolerable. Ben was nowhere to be found, until I found him. The back room of his hovel, he fumbled with purpose through a box of various items. Two of them - cylindrical sliver objects – ah, light sabers. I should have known. How much did you want to gamble that one of them had a green blade? If I owned a farm, I'd have bet it. I never knew that Jedi carried two of them though.

"You keep two. Does one of them…glow green by any chance?"

He looked up at me with the strangest of expressions. A quirky smile that I hadn't expected and strangely enough, his blue-green eyes smiled. Memories of the past perhaps? Good ones, I hoped. The green blade hummed to magnificent life. The hilt was scarred and battered, but it was clear that it held a meaning deeper than just a simple weapon.

"This belonged to my master, Qui-Gon Jinn." And therein lay the object I'd been sent here to steal for such a large price. "He was slain by a Sith Lord over fifteen years ago. He died in my arms. He was my family." Well, so much for the stealing idea. Money isn't all that it's cracked up to be anyway, right? "I don't often carry a light saber with me any longer for fear of being discovered, but on occasion, it is helpful as back up."

"So, this Jinn guy…"

"Qui-Gon."

"Right. He was important to you."

"He was."

"How old were you when he died?"

"Twenty-Five. But I had trained with him since I was thirteen. To lose someone after such a time…"

I held up a hand to stop him. Been there done that. "I know what it's like. I've had my own family death issues, so I can do without the story right now. I can't lose the kid though."

"No," Ben said as he retrieved another cloak – dark blue to his brown - from a nearby clothes trunk. "It's a bit long, but this will work for you. Keep the hood pulled up and over your face. Don't talk to anyone. I can see how your mouth operates. I wasn't much unlike you when I was younger. A smart-ass. It often got me into trouble."

Okay. I didn't know how to reply to that one. A complete stranger had just told me I had a snarky, big mouth and called me a smart-ass. He was right, but still. I stood and put the cloak on. My body ached. My head hurt. Remember that brick? It was better, but still there.

We wandered out into the storm. Sand pelted us from every direction. Was it possible for sand to fly straight up? If it was, it did. I pulled the hood down until I couldn't see in front of me, but it kept the sand from stinging my skin. Blindly, my hand reached out to grasp Ben's robe. I could handle a stinging hand, but I needed my face in one piece.

Ben didn't turn around when he said, "Follow close and don't stray."

Sometimes my brain knew when to not argue. This was one of those times. My nerves were ramped up and my stomach felt sick because of it. It wasn't the storms causing any of it – it was the fact that I had no idea if my brother was even alive.

"Your friend – brother - he's alive."

Huh? What? Get outta my head, Jedi boy!

"I can feel it in the Force. He is definitely among the living."

We trod through the wind and sand for what seemed like hours. In reality, a little less than one hour had passed. There was a large rusted metal and wheeled contraption ahead. Outside the thing were about six or eight small dark-robbed figures scurrying around the vehicle. Ben walked right up to them and started gesturing with his hands that he was looking for a small boy, this high and this old and this color hair and all of that. The creatures were evidently called Jawa and they spoke in some sort of gibberish. No idea if Ben actually understood them or vice versa, but he managed to get his point across. Not that it mattered. As guilty as the diminutive beings appeared, they determinedly kept the Jedi away from the entrance to their giant transport.

That all changed however when the transport started sinking into the sand. The Jawa dove into a jabbering panic and wouldn't you know, within seconds their defiant tone had changed. A signal to wait was given to Ben, as several of the creatures hurried inside and then back out, dragging a human boy with them.

As much as I wanted to run to Tanner and get him away and out of the flying, stinging sand, I obeyed Ben's continued insistence that I stay put. Actually I tried not to obey, but he had me stationary. A tiny little flick of his hand and my forward motion stopped. Damn Jedi and their Force tricks! Finally though, they handed Tanner to Ben. Ben took him into his arms while un-sinking the transport at the same time and lifting his power away from me. My legs moved now and I hurried alongside of the pair as we backed away into the direction of his home.

"Your brother is alive," Ben assured me. "Walk quickly before they change their minds."

Ben carefully settled Tanner onto the same bed where I'd been not long before. His face was bruised from the wreck and small red welts from the sand seemed to be everywhere, but I didn't feel anything broken. A healer I wasn't, but Ben felt the same. I lifted his tunic to see a lot of discoloration on his chest. Not unlike what I had on my own body – from the frontal impact of the crash. Bruises would heal. As long as he was alive and breathing…

Ben stared at him for several long minutes. I didn't know for certain, but I suspected he was longing for the past while at the same time relieved to see another of his own kind.

Tanner opened his eyes. Mine was the first face he saw, and he managed a painful smile.

"Dash."

"Right here, Mouse." I sat as close as I could and put my hand on top of his. "You look a mess."

"Feel a mess. Where are we?"

I could have gone with the obvious, and the same thing Ben pulled on me, and said Tatooine, but Tanner probably wasn't up for my joking just yet. "This guy pulled me out

of the speeder and he helped me get you back from those Jawa things."

My brother scrunched his face in confusion and said, "Is that what they were? They were creepy with those big yellow eyes and that weird babbling. I think they wanted to dissect me."

From nearby, came a quiet laugh as Ben finally approached. "Not likely. But they probably would have sold you. Jawa love a good monetary score. And children are valuable slave commodities on Tatooine. Hello Tannerlin. My name is Ben. It's good to meet you." There was an expression on his face that I couldn't identify and then Ben closed his eyes and took one long deep breath. Eyes opened. Even in the prone horizontal position he was in, Tanner's own eyes went huge and there came another smile; an honest, genuine and eager smile. He knew what Ben was; knew what they shared.

"Ben. You survived too?"

"I did, with help of course."

"How did you…um…did others…do you know of any others?"

"Only Master Yoda. I was with him during our escape. We agreed to separate and each hide in our own space. Other than that, I can't say. I would suspect there are a few of us scattered and hidden. I'm glad to have found another."

Talk about hitting it off from the start! These two were already like two creepy Force users in a pod. Damn Jedi. And I guess I should have been jealous that the kid I'd been raising all these months had latched so quickly to a complete stranger…but I wasn't. Honestly, I think I was more comforted than anything. Comforted, yes. That sounded like the right emotion; knowing that Tanner wasn't the only one of his kind. It's something I could never identify with no matter how much he told or shared with me, but I will say that there was something in this for me. I mean, if I could count this Ben as an ally if we ever got stuck in Tatooine again, that worked too. Good allies aren't easy to find and keep alive. Seems we had ourselves one now. Go team!

Ben excused himself for a moment and wandered into another room as Tannerlin decided that horizontal wasn't his thing anymore. I helped and he moaned in pain until he was vertical. Well, more like vertical-ish.

"Just lean, Tanner." I put an arm around him and held him upright. "Don't push too fast. We're leaving here without our posh prize, but that doesn't mean we don't need to be prepared to move quickly. We…"

"Wait, what do you mean without our prize? The silver green glowy thingy is worth a lot of money. You said it could pay for my school for the next year."

"Change of plans. Forget the job ever happened. And, come on, a silver green glowy thingy?"

"You called it that first. What else should I call it when I don't know what it is?"

I sighed and told him. He should know anyway. "The object we are supposed to lift is here. It's a light saber and belonged to Ben's old master. I saw it. There's no way I can take that, even if I could get it out of here." Pulling Tanner a bit closer, I gave him one of my famous half-hugs, knowing he'd understand immediately. He'd understand, because he hid the same thing. Back home on the outskirts of the town called Kaolin, on the planet of Terra, he kept items from his former life - several trinkets and two light sabers -his own and that of his own dead master. They both radiated a spectacular humming blue. I'm no connoisseur of colors, but it was possibly the most beautiful blue one could ever imagine. And the way Tanner had looked at them when they were lit…no, no, that's not right. He didn't look at them, he got lost in them. And when he did, it was both a moment of power and heartbreak. No, this job – this run - would end empty for my client awaiting his prize on the other end. Ben's piece of his past would remain a secret outside these sandy walls, just as Tanner's remained the same at home.

There wasn't a verbal reaction to my confession about the light saber; the impact of the statement and the significance behind it was immediate. Without a doubt, I knew that it forced agonizing memories of his own personal loss to surface. Tanner remained silent as let his head fall to lean a bit more heavily against me. I set my hand against the side of his face and brought his head to my shoulder. Here was a kid who never hurt a thing in his life and at ten years old he housed enough haunting memories to last a lifetime. It was a damned shame.

He didn't try and move from my hold as his muffled voice vocalized around the sudden sadness. "Dash, I miss Master Ayden. I miss him every single day."

"I know you do, Mouse. I still miss my brother - I still miss Kossi every day too. Sometimes you never get over the one closest to you."

Another voice entered our misery. Ben was suddenly kneeling in front of us, concerned. "If it means anything, my master died just over fifteen years ago. I still miss him and even though I…well, I miss him."

That pause and the even though, there was something else there. Something he wasn't telling us concerning this Qui-Gon Jinn person. That should bother me, right? He was holding back a Jedi secret that…no, no, it shouldn't. We've known this guy for all of how many hours? Whatever secrets he may have, whatever past or present he holds, it really wasn't any of our business. Right now, he was trying to comfort a fellow Jedi still haunted by the nightmare of not even two years ago. For his help…I was grateful.

Tanner lifted his eyes to meet Ben's. "You do? You miss your master?"

"I do. His counsel and guidance made me who I am. He was a teacher and father to me. What did you say your master's name was?"

Head lifted from my shoulder, but Tanner didn't move from my grasp. "Ayden Yen."

Ben thought a moment. An overly-long moment. I'd started to think he'd zoned out on us, when he finally replied, "I had class with Master Ayden when I was fifteen or so. He taught Field Negotiation. Yes, a semester I was in his class. One of my very favorite classes." I supposed Ben was telling the truth, I hoped he was, because he now had Tanner's full and undivided attention. "I can tell you why it was a favorite too, because Ayden had a sense of humor to his teaching. Taught us how to handle those real problem political types, you know the ones that bore you out of your socks? Never once did he teach a dull class that I recall and even though he commanded your complete attention and focus, he wasn't afraid to see the humor in being a Jedi. I remember too how much he liked to laugh." Tanner nodded briskly. "You didn't see that often in Jedi Masters. So many of them were as stiff as boards, but Ayden was a good man, Tannerlin. I can imagine how much he loved teaching you."

"Did…did you have any other classes with him after that?"

"No, just that one. I saw him from time to time around the Temple. He'd say hello always. That memory of his, he never did forget the face of a former student."

The slight shoulders I still held, relaxed and Tanner smiled again. "Thank you for telling me, Ben. I'm glad he's remembered."

"As am I. Here," Ben held out two bowls that he'd carried over a few minutes ago. "Soup. Eat. I don't have much in the way of culinary skills, but soup I can do."

We both accepted the bowls and slurped it up. We had seconds too, during which I started trying to plan our way home. Neither of us were in pristine physical shape, but if we arrived back to my client covered in bruises, it would help sell my story as to why we hadn't been able to retrieve the object he'd wanted. The speeder wreck would be truth. The rest of my narrative was going to be bald-faced lie from top to bottom.

"Hey, Ben, can you give us a lift back to port? We need to head home soon. I've a client that I need to lie to and well…"

The Jedi grinned. "And the bruised look goes a long way, right?"

"It does."

"I am sorry that I cannot help you with what you were sent here for. But you do know I showed it to you for that reason?"

Crap. He'd known what I was after? How? Did I look that stupid when he took the saber out of the box? Perhaps I'd been drooling at the time? Drooling will always give you away.

"I saw your face when I showed you the saber. That was the look of money, immediately before it changed to a look of bitter disappointment. I do wish I had one to spare for your hunt, but…"

"I didn't even know it was here until you held it. In reality, I didn't even know what I was looking for until then either. I only had a description to go by. But, as empty as it will leave my pockets, I can honestly say I'll be glad to come up empty on this one. The money was good… okay, wait…the money was great, but this…" I glanced to my side at Tanner and then back to Ben…"This is worth a hell of a lot more." I paused for a brief moment before asking, "So, about that ride now?"

"At least wait until morning. The ports are less dangerous then. The bounty hunters tend to gather in the afternoon. Morning is safer."

We didn't leave the next morning. Sand storms again; nastier than before. We didn't leave the day after either. It was three more days in fact that we were stuck here. Tanner wasn't stuck. He was in his element and loving it. I on the other hand was bored out of my skull. I tried to enjoy my brother's sudden finding. After all, the Jedi was all he'd known until he was nine. Finding Ben for him was like finding a long lost friend. Those several days were spent with Ben teaching Tannerlin all he could about the Force and how to use it correctly and subtly as to not attract the attention of the unwanted kind.

Now, I have to admit, some of the tricks he was learning would come in handy, but that didn't stop it from being mind-numbingly boring for me. I kept quiet though. Tanner deserved this. He deserved finding another like himself and being able to share memories of what once was. I suppose I mentioned before, I really should have felt a bit of jealously in all of this, what with the kid's rapid attachment to this forty-something stranger, this Jedi-in-hiding . But I didn't. I wasn't foolish enough to really believe that they were strangers. I mean, they were, but at the same time, they weren't.

It was a Jedi thing.

The third night, I left for a local tavern so that my brain didn't explode from boredom. I found some strangers of my own to shoot the breeze with. Every bit of everything that each of us said was a bald-faced lie, but it made for good stories and it's what happens when you drink too much and the ale seeps into your common sense. And of course I lost track of time – by hours. I wandered back to Ben's hovel in the bright early morning suns. Were two suns really necessary? I guess if one burned out, sure, but for hangovers? Two was much more blinding light than one hung over sixteen year old needed. I wasn't drunk anymore, but spending eight hours in a dark shady bar wasn't good for the eyes when you finally found your sea legs again and wandered outside. At least I didn't spontaneously combust in the heat.

The hovel was in the distance and when I approached, I was greeted a small thundering thud against my chest and arms that immediately surrounded me. Tanner.

"Oooof! Come on, kid, what the…"

"Where have you been?" Tanner released me from his hug. "I thought something happened! You said you were going to a tavern and you didn't come back! You didn't take your communicator and Ben wouldn't let me go look for you because it's too dangerous at night, but you were out there and…"

Okay, so I hadn't given that any thought. I'll blame the ale. I hurried to answer though, before the kid started interrogating me further. At least I'd gotten a hug before being yelled at.

"Please stop yelling. I'm sorry. I am. I lost track of time while I was refueling at the tavern. A little too much on tap and I lost track of myself. At least the sand storms let up, huh?"

Tanner punched me in the arm. "Don't change the subject and…," he hit me a second time, "That's for scaring me to death!"

"I deserve it. And I think we need to go home. I know you're enjoying your time learning from Ben but I was due back with the loot yesterday. And since I have no loot to provide to my client, I need to make sure my lies are in order. Being a late returning and returning empty handed is not the way to keep a client happy. And I can't afford to lose this guy. He pays well and will continue to, assuming he rehires me after he finds out I didn't bring back the cylindrical silver object that glows green or as you like to say, the silver green glowy thingy. Come on." I set a hand on his shoulder and we walked into the hovel. Ben had packed two small bags for us. Seems he already knew our plans. Creepy Jedi.

"A few snacks for the flight home. It's still early. You should get to the spaceport soon. I have a ride for you." Motioning for us to go back outside, Ben made a sharp whistle sound. A minute later, a large tan eopie appeared. "This is Sam. He's a friend and he'll get you safely to the port, right Sam?"

The beast grunted and nudged Ben with his long snout. Ben responded by fishing a treat out of his tunic pocket. "He'll take good care of you."

Already saddled and ready to go, Sam was set. It was up to us now. I put a friendly hand out to Ben. He took it and wrapped his other around it. "Thank you for your help," I stole a glance at Tanner who was taking his turn with feeding snacks to Sam, "…for everything. As surprising as this all was, it's meant a lot to him."

"I can say the same. It lessens the feeling of aloneness to know that he and possibly others are alive. You've done well by him, Dashen. Keep him close, but keep yourself wary. He'll never be completely safe as long as he practices our ways."

"He's a determined kid, Ben, but…he's my brother. I'll keep him safe."

Tanner finished feeding Sam and rubbing the beast's head, when he wrapped his arms around Ben in a tight hug and before backing away a few seconds later. "I'm glad we found you, Ben…Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan? What the hell was an Obi-Wan? The kid kept going. "I figured it out. You said who your master was and that he was killed by a Sith. It was part of our learning in the crèche. Master Qui-Gon was a hero as was his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You killed the Sith and saved us all."

The smile on Ben's face faded as the past returned; an agonizing past from the looks of it. He may have saved the Jedi then, but obviously something went wrong after the fact. Not that I needed the details, and honestly I didn't want anything to do with the details. His face showed enough. Tanner hugged Ben again; tighter this time as if trying to comfort him from the memories of the truth.

"You're correct, Tannerlin. And no one has called me Obi-Wan…," a slight pause as if there was something else he wanted to say and then decided against it…"…in quite a long time. I do miss it. I wish I could have saved us from what came after."

The hug ended and Tanner wiped at his eyes. "You'll be lonely out here, won't you?"

"I'll survive. The Force has decided that this is my future just as it has decided that your future is with Dashen – your brother. I had a brother once – at least I thought he was my brother…" Pain and regret ached across Ben's face. "He fell and I couldn't save him." Heartbreak. "Keep your brother close, Tannerlin. He'll keep you from losing yourself if things get too difficult. And Dashen," Ben stared at me andthen into me. "Don't lose him…even if he falls."

Obviously there was a story in all of that and we didn't understand it, but I could take an educated guess and say that it was probably the most painful thing Ben had ever suffered through. And I also knew he meant every word he said (and all those he didn't) about Tanner and I keeping each other safe. I had no plans to do anything other than just that.

"I promise I won't lose him, Ben."

Eye contact broken, Ben leaned forward and pressed his temple against Tanner's. Something unspoken passed between them. I left it alone. Another one of those creepy Jedi things. I legged my tall self up onto Sam's back and was about to pull Tanner up behind me when he began levitating off the ground. Ben raised and lowered a hand and gently set Tanner down behind me on the eopie.

Okay, creepy Jedi or not, that was cool! Tanner really had to learn that trick. So far he could only toss rocks around the apartment…and his aim left a lot to be desired.

"Neat trick, Ben. Can you teach that to the kid?"

"Already have. It's up to him now to practice until it becomes second nature. It will. You might want to leave the room when it happens though, Dashen. Ten year old Jedi aren't really known for control and accuracy." Ben smiled at me again, but this time it was way too sneaky. Glancing back at Tanner, his face held the same grin. Great, just what I needed - to be the launching pad of my brother's new found Jedi tricks as he hurls me across the apartment or bashes me into the ceiling. We were certain to have a long talk about this once we got home.

"Stop smiling. Both of you. It's creepy. Weirdo Jedi." They laughed then, but at least it wasn't a creepy laugh. "Later, Desert-boy. Thanks again."

"May the Force be with you, Dashen, and with you, Tannerlin. Always."

"Bye, Ben…Obi-Wan. May the Force be with you."

"Safe journey to you both."

I waved a hand and encouraged Sam forward. He knew the way. I left him alone to take us to the port. I also left alone that last scene with Tanner and Ben. That whole 'may the Force be with you' crap. I didn't get it. I wasn't supposed to get it. It confused me and I'm sure that was supposed to happen too. Maybe my brother would spill the beans about that weirdo farewell mumbo jumbo on our trip home. Or maybe he wouldn't.

That confused me, but I was a bit less perplexed by something else – I was almost certain now that we'd been destined to find Ben…Obi-Wan. We'd been brought here for a reason. It was the whole why that I didn't quite grasp.

And all this thinking was making my hung over brain more and more clouded. I turned and took a last look at the tired man standing outside the small hovel in the middle of the sand. He appeared to be speaking aloud to someone. But who? I certainly couldn't see anyone. Eh, probably just my brain still feeling the effects of the previous night. No doubt there was a lot more to Ben than Tanner or I would ever know. And I suppose it was destined to always remain that way.

But finding him had been a good thing…for all of us.


The End.