Chapter Eleven:
Solitude of The Jedi
Tatooine.
A sparsely populated planet in the Outer Rim, many merchants and dealers traveled there, either setting up shop or taking the time to buy the items they sought out. Long ago, it was full of life and beauty. Eventually, a disaster struck and Tatooine would become nothing more than a desert with twin suns with instances of civilization and life.
Following the Clone Wars' chaotic conclusion, the planet and its inhabitants were mostly ignored by the Empire's forces, despite the occasional Imperial visit. And due to being very remote within the Outer Rim, Tatooine was the ideal place for fugitives to hide.
In fact, one could say it was the perfect world for Jedi who'd survived the Purge to hide from the Empire.
Beneath the scorching suns of Tatoo I and Tatoo II, within the near-endless sea of sand known as the Dune Sea, a robed figure sat alone, deep within meditation. Beneath the hood lay the face of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the former Jedi Master who'd commanded a legion of Clones in the battles against the droid armies in the war.
Once, he was the apprentice to the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, then he became the mentor, and a brother, to a powerful Jedi known as Anakin Skywalker. He was a Knight, and a Master, within the ranks of the Jedi Order.
And in the fields of war, he was a General, leading rows of Clone Troopers valiantly against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, fighting for the Republic, and fighting to restore galactic peace.
Now, he was just a hermit, only known as Ben, living alone in the harsh lands of Tatooine, haunted by the nightmare that was the fall of the Jedi and the rise of a brutal regime. And all he had left, his only mission, was to protect the Jedi's last remaining hope, a young boy born from a forbidden love.
The boy, Luke Skywalker, lived with moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars, who resided far from where Obi-Wan was currently located, far from the eyes of the Sith and the Empire and anyone else.
Obi-Wan remained secluded, hidden, with his abilities in the Force growing limited the less he used it as time passed. Even with the suns bearing down on him, the former Jedi kept his focus in his meditation, despite the rising memories of his battle with Anakin on the volcanic surface of Mustafar.
As he meditated onward, Obi-Wan felt the glimmer of a dark presence in The Force, a familiar presence that he hadn't felt since the height of the Clone Wars, a presence he knew too well.
Maul was still at large.
Even with his iron grasp over Mandalore broken, the former Sith Lord was still at large, and he still held onto whatever semblance of power he could find. In a large galaxy being swallowed by Palpatine's shadow, it was hard to imagine how one like Darth Maul could go on for so long without being detected by Imperial forces.
In these moments, Obi-Wan was hardly worried about the rogue Force user. As far as he knew, Maul believed the Jedi to be dead, and the one focus on his mind was taking down Palpatine. The Zabrak was too busy to make his way to Tatooine, and he posed no threat to Luke.
But, despite that, Maul was still a threat to the galaxy in some form. Just a few days before, during a trip to Mos Eisley, Obi-Wan heard on the Holo-Net that two Imperial ships had crashed into Chandrilla. It was certainly a terrorist attack, but the exiled Jedi knew there was more to the incident that met the eye.
He could sense someone reveling in the destruction through the Force, and Obi-Wan knew it had to be Maul. Luckily for him, Maul didn't seem to know that his old nemesis still had life in him.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes, and stood slowly. He began making his trek through the desert, heading to the cave where he called home on the planet. It was time to get some humid air, then he would meditate a little more later.
Just then, he heard a battle howl in the distance. He turned, recognizing the cry of Tusken Raiders. A group of Sand People were approaching, and they weren't far off.
The sun-stroked exile of a Jedi picked up the gaffe stick, preparing himself for battle. One use of the Force, or the light of a lightsaber, would be reported by someone. He could not be detected, and he needed to be in shape. Obi-Wan stepped forward. and the Tuskens came, ten of them. And he was ready.
Without a word, Ben Kenobi and the Sand People met in battle, and dust flew while the suns blazed slowly across the sky, continuing to scorch the desert plains with a wave of blistering heat that made people seek shelter for a time...