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As I gather up my belongings from the cave that had been my home for the past nine years, an unfamiliar feeling builds in my chest. It takes me a moment to realize that the feeling is hope, something that has been missing from my life for longer than I care to admit. There is a tingling in the Force that speaks of anticipation, as if something that has been previously out of my reach is sitting on the edge of discovery.
Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I mount my eopie and make my way to the Lars Homestead. As I speak with Owen, I find my attention drawn to Luke who is playing a few meters away. Looking so much like his father had when we’d first met all those years ago, I’m shocked to feel the difference in Luke’s latent Force presence. Unlike the Force nova that had whirled around nine-year-old Anakin, Luke’s Force presence is calmer and more subdued, as if it is lying in wait for when it will be needed.
When I finish reassuring Owen that I’ll keep my distance, I walk back to Rooh. Before I can mount, I hear Owen’s voice calling out. “Ben?” I turn back, shocked to hear Owen say, “Do you want to meet him?”
Happiness fills me as I grab the T-16 skyhopper toy that I purchased from the jawas and restored and walk over to Luke. “Hello there,” I greet him, the smile he flashes me creating a matching smile on my face. I ask him a few questions about the things he likes to do and then hand him the ship. His face lights up, making me glad that I’d decided to bring the toy with me.
Thanking Owen for his kindness, I return to Rooh and go on my way. I look back at the homestead as the eopie clomps forward until the homestead fades completely from view. Turning around, I’m surprised to find that Rooh has traveled away from the moisture farms of the Great Chott salt flats and into the sands of the Jundland Wastes. Looking into the Force for corroboration, I found only assurance so I continued to let Rooh choose our path.
After we’d travelled about fifty kilometers, the Ja-Mero ridges come into view in the distance. Again, the Force is quiet, so I continue on. Only a few meters from the entrance to the canyon separating the ridges, a shimmer of blue catches my eye. As I watch, the blue shimmer materializes into a beloved form that is easily recognizable, even from the back. “Master Qui-Gon,” I call out.
The glowing figured turns around, hands on his hips and a half smile on his lips. “Well, took you long enough.”
The sarcasm oozing off the rough brogue leaves no doubt to the identity of the ethereal form. “Beginning to think you’d never come,” I reply, my attempt at acrimony totally obliterated by my overwhelming joy.
“I was always here, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon replies, both his tone and his posture softening. “You just were not ready to see.”
I contemplate that for a moment, feeling no small amount of guilt that closing myself off from the Force may have been what has been impeding me from connecting with Qui-Gon. Before I can wallow too much, his voice reaches me again.
“Come on. We’ve got a ways to go,” he states as his image fades a bit.
“To where?” I call out into the overheated desert air.
“If you don’t know where we’re going, Padawan, I think we may have a problem.” That familiar brogue echoes from behind me.
Although only a wisp of the hazy blue form is visible, the feel of arms wrapping around my waist confirm the presence that is now pressed against my back. “I honestly don’t have any idea where I’m going. The Force prodded me to head out into the dunes so I’m just letting Rooh lead the way.”
A flash of amusement fills the air as Qui-Gon speaks. “Always needs a well-drawn plan Kenobi working from the saddle of his eopie. Wonders never cease.”
I bark a laugh, this one less rusty than the one that Leia had drawn out of me. Just as it had yesterday from Leia’s teasing, Qui-Gon’s teasing fills me with a feeling of absolute joy and I wonder how I’d survived through all those joyless years with my sanity intact.
For a long while, I remain silent, just immersing myself in the comfort of Qui-Gon’s Force presence. Finally, I find the courage to ask the question that I’ve been holding in since his spirit first shimmered into view before me. “How long have you been with me?”
“I’m really not sure,” Qui-Gon explains. “Time passes differently within the confines of the Force. When my spirit first separated from my body on Naboo, my consciousness floated inside the reactor room for a time. I watched as you held my cooling body, heartbroken that I was unable to offer you any comfort or support. When the solidity of the reactor room finally vanished, I felt my consciousness slip into the Netherworld of the Force “
A tear slips down my cheek, the mention of that calamitous event filling me with renewed grief. The insubstantial arms seemed to tighten slightly where they held me as my master continued.
“It took an unknown amount of time for my consciousness to complete the transition and settle into the depth of the Force. As soon as that occurred, I sought to put what I had learned from the Guardian of the Whills into practice. Even using my intimate familiarity with your Force aura as my focus, I could only see glimpses or fragments of things that were occurring on the physical plane. The images were chaotic and undefined, making it impossible to distinguish places or people in those images.”
With that last sentence, Qui-Gon’s voice flags and strength of his Force presence starts to ebb. “Qui-Gon, what’s happening?”
I shift to look behind me and catch sight of the last wisps of Qui-Gon’s ethereal form fading. A soft-spoken promise of “I’ll return” floats in the air before even the smallest trace of my master’s Force presence disappears. Struggling to shunt away the feelings of panic rising within me, I focus on Qui-Gon’s parting words and continue on my way.
Keeping a portion of my awareness on my surroundings, I settle into light meditation. Rooh continues on through the never-ending sand, seeming to follow a path only he can see. Kilometer after kilometer we travel, the only variation from the endless dunes are the occasional rock formations that sprout from the sand. We’d travelled an additional ninety kilometers when we come upon a lone hut sitting atop one of the shorter cliffs. As I draw closer, the piles of drifted sand that surround the stone building tell me it’s most likely been abandoned for many years.
Looking around, I notice a worn path at the eastern end of the cliff. Dismounting from Rooh’s saddle, I start up the path, holding the eopie’s reins to keep him from straying. It’s slow going, as I move carefully through the rocks and crevices aware that any injury to myself or Rooh may be fatal to both of us.
Tatooine’s first sun is just beginning to set when I reach the junk-filled courtyard of the hut. “You made it,” echoes in the air as Qui-Gon slowly materializes against the hut’s entrance.
“Unlike some people, I had to actually travel the one hundred and thirty-five kilometers across the Western Dune Sea, not just poof myself from one place to another.” The smile I can’t quite hide spoils the sarcasm imbued in my words.
“I don’t poof, Master Kenobi,” Qui-Gon retorts. “I materialize with the grace and dignity of a Force infused Jedi spirit of my experience and station.”
“My apologies, oh so blue and shiny Master Jinn. I mean no disrespect to your experience and station.” I actually manage a haughty tone before I burst out laughing. I can see Qui-Gon fighting a smile and I feel a warmth within me that I never thought I would feel again.
“Apology accepted,” Qui-Gon quips, before sweeping out a blue tinged hand towards the door of the hut. “Shall we see what the Force has provided for you?”
After reaching out with the Force to confirm the hut is indeed unoccupied, I tie Rooh’s reins to a stone pillar and walk past Qui-Gon to the door. Using the Force to override the lock, I push the door open. “After you, my Master.”
I gasp as I enter the stone dwelling, the interior a mélange of broken furniture, decaying fabric and sand. “At least my cave was clean,” I mutter, before squaring my shoulders and making my way further inside.
The structure is a standard Tatooine dwelling, one large living space, with only the refresher separated by walls and a door. An oval outcropping along one wall of the common room appears to be the sleep alcove and a cooling box and stove set amid a row of scratched cabinets denote the kitchen area. A trap door sits at one end, most likely leading to a cellar.
Qui-Gon stands with his arms crossed as I slowly inspect the walls and the ceiling. I’m relieved to find that they are still structurally sound, only finding some surface cracks that are easily fixed. “No comments, Master?” I ask when I finish my inspection.
“You lived in a cave for ten years, Padawan. Anything will be an improvement,” Qui-Gon said with a smile. At Obi-Wan’s glare, he relented. “It’ll take some work but I’m sure you’re up to the task.”
“Well, I have enough water and food for a couple of tens, so I guess it’s worth a shot,” I reply. “But right now, I need food and sleep.” I walk back out to where I secured Rooh and grab the backpack that I had tethered to his saddle. I fill two metal bowls with water and food for him and take the rest of the supplies inside.
I place the supplies on the counter and lift the trap door. To my surprise, the ladder leading down is made of metal and is still solid. I climb down, the light from the open trapdoor and Qui-Gon’s soft blue glow the only illumination in the dark space. I create a ball of light with the Force and look around. The space is actually a cave, a bit larger than the structure above it. A disassembled moisture vaporator sits on one side and a generator sit on the other, with a large pile of anthracite on the ground beside it. Between the two is a metal table covered with soil filled planting pots with grow lights above it. “Looks like I’ll be practicing my agricorps skills after all, Master,” I scoff.
“You will if you want to eat anything more than quick packs, nutrient paste, ration bars or sand whale meat,” Qui-Gon teases.
“If I never see another slab of sand whale meat, it will be too soon,” I jeer, before looking at Qui-Gon intently. “You think there’s any chance the generator still works. I would love some tea.”
“You’ll never know unless you try,” he replied, fading a bit.
After going back upstairs to grab my tools and a flint, I work through the ignition box, scraping the sand and grit from every tiny piece before reassembling it. When I finish, I ignite the pilot light with the flint, fill the fuel box with anthracite and press the switch. It takes five tries but finally the motor turns and the lights above the planting table start to glow. “Shall we make tea, Qui-Gon?” I turned to grin at my master but he had faded almost completely.
“It will have to wait until later,” echoes around the cave as his presence again disappears.
Quelling my disappointment, I grab my tools, turn off the grow-lights and return upstairs. I check the cupboards for a kettle but end up using the a very battered pot to heat the water. I search my backpack for the only luxury I allowed myself on Tatooine, pulling out the small tin of sapir tea leaves and my tea ball. When the water comes to a boil, I remove the pot from the burner and drop the tea ball into it.
The smell of sapir fills the air as I pull my cup, a ration bar and a quick pack of stew from my supplies. Pouring the tea in my mug, I empty the stew pack into the pan, add a little water and set it back on the burner to reconstitute and heat.
While its cooking, I head over to the sleep alcove and inspect the mattress. The fabric covering it is worn through in multiple places and the stuffing is thin, but after sleeping on the rock floor of my cave for ten years, it’s definitely a step up. I open a drawer in the dresser and find a worn sheet that is still mostly intact and throw it over the mattress. With my blanket it will be fine.
I head back to the kitchen, grabbing my stew and tea and sitting down in the one chair that’s still intact. I treat myself to a second cup of tea after I eat and feel my eyes getting heavy. I try to wait for Qui-Gon’s return but I’m just so tired. Remembering Leia’s instruction that what I need is sleep, I clean the dishes and head over to my simple bed. Stripping down to my small clothes, I unroll my blanket and lay down.
Getting restful sleep has been challenge during my years on Tatooine, but tonight something’s different. I feel relaxed and safe, a feeling I’ve not experienced since my days as Qui-Gon’s padawan. As my eyes drift closed, I catch a glimpse of a blue-tinged arm wrapping around my waist and Qui-Gon’s familiar Force presence encompasses me. As I feel sleep beginning to overtake me, the warmth of Qui-Gon’s voice whispers in my ear. “Sleep, Padawan. I will guard your dreams and will be here when you wake.”
Enjoy this gorgeous image that the lovely GavImp created for the end of this fic
