"...are there no tears in the desert?" -- sequel to "ITSOTQ" (and "Cold&quo

Just found this today. So far so good. I enjoy a good cry.

 

Thanks for reading, everybody!
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The boy started crying again, and the mood was destroyed. Sabé jumped and shook herself, feeling like she had just awoken from a dream.
Beru left the room again to get his bottle and Owen stood up and started walking about the room, rocking the boy back and forth.

As Beru returned, Sabé arose and said, almost hesitantly, "May I feed him?" Beru looked at her with surprise.

"Do you know how?"

Sabé thought of the many hours she had held Leia and fed her from her bottle. "Yes," she said
simply, "I know how."

The boy's face was achingly familiar to her. His sobbing ceased as he began to suck at the bottle and a peaceful look came into his eyes. Sabé gently stroked his cheek and sighed. This was
another memory to store away in her mind, carefully kept, undisturbed for as long as she
kept it. And as long as she would have any memories.

When she was done feeding him, Sabé returned him to Beru and thanked her. "The queen was very grateful to you," she told the couple,just barely controlling her tears. "We all are indebted to you."

Beru shook her head and said nothing. Owen put his hand on his wife's shoulder and said, with a strange intensity, "This boy will never be in danger, as long as we have him. That I promise
you."

"I believe you," Sabé replied. She then added, almost nervously, "And you will obey her last
request? You won't tell him until he's ready?"

Beru nodded, but her husband's face darkened. For a moment Sabé was worried he would not agree, but that was not the reason for his scowl.

"I wouldn't tell Luke for anything,? Owen said, his face suddenly turning fierce again. ?He's already been through enough, and he's not yet one year old. He'll never hear the nightmare truth from my lips! I can't say the same about Ben, though." An angry light flashed in his eyes. "No telling what he'd do with Luke, if he had him."

"Ben?" Sabé repeated.

"The Jedi," Beru explained. "He's living out past the Dune Sea. He --"

"Obi-Wan is here?" Sabé interrupted. She looked down, her expression inscrutable. "I didn't know he was so close."

"Too close," Owen said. "When I think of what might have happened if he hadn't given Luke to us, if he had tried to raise him himself..."

Sabé was beginning to get an angry look in her eyes herself. "What do you mean by that? Obi-Wan is a great man!"

Owen's look pierced her, as did the words that followed. "Obi-Wan caused the fall of Luke's
father."

"No! That's not how it happened." Sabé's face was red with fury.

"He tried to teach him, and he failed," Owen said firmly. "I'm not about to let him do the same to Luke."

Sabé stared at him, suddenly unable to give a retort. Owen stood before her, arms folded firmly across his chest, solid as a rock. Somewhere in Sabé's mind a voice said 'He's right, you know...' She fought it back, but she could not deny it. Deep inside, she could not disagree with Owen. She could not agree with him either, but suddenly she understood him.

"I don't want Luke to go through that either," she said finally. "I'll need to find Obi-Wan and
tell him about the queen's wish. I thank you for your welcome, and thank you a hundredfold for your
kindness in taking care of Luke." She hoped they could sense the sincerity in her words.

This time it was Owen who nodded and his wife who protested. "Find Obi-Wan! But that's in the middle of the desert. It's far too dangerous for you to travel alone. And even we don't know
exactly where to find him."

Sabé shook her head. "I'm not concerned. I have a speeder, and --" she drew out her blaster from the folds of her cloak -- "this. And as far as finding him -- I'll manage." To her relief, Beru did not protest further.

She started for the door, then turned around to face the couple one last time. "Take care of
him," she said, finding nothing else to say. Beru frowned, but nodded and cradled Luke even more closely to her. Owen, his head down, put his arm around

 

Time for the reunion....

Oh, but it's so sad! The characters, the situation...it's all so well done that it's absolutely heartbreaking. I don't know how I'm going to survive Episode III...

 

So very COOL! MORE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hah hah, I was right! So she *is* taking her little side trip off to see him...

I hope he doesn't do anything that got her killed! =( =o

 

Thanks for reading! Here's a post I'm sure you've all been waiting for...

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Chapter 3: Ambushed

Sabé traveled for several hours, taking the speeder in the general direction of the Dune Sea
which was already programmed into its computer. She kept the sensors open for any unusual
landscapes, which could be man-made rather than natural formations. She wasn't picking anything
up, however. Sighing, she turned off the engines and climbed out of the speeder, shading her eyes
from the hideous light of the suns and trying to peer ahead at the horizon. What she wouldn't give
for a good pair of macrobinoculars! But she'd just have to make do.

At that moment her sharp ears picked up a noise behind her. Slowly, almost imperceptibly,
her hand moved to the blaster at her side. Then, in an instant, she whirled about and faced whatever it was.

She had never seen a creature like this before, but judging from the stories the queen had told
her, this must be a Tusken Raider. Its entire body, including its face, was swathed with cloth of various types, probably obtained much like she had gotten her own filthy cloak. What her eyes
focused on, however, was the weapon it carried -- a formidable looking stick with a large blade at
one end. It was some distance away and could not yet attack her. But it was approaching fast, and
even as it came closer others emerged from the rock formations nearby.

"Sandpeople!" Sabé muttered with contempt. Undoubtably this was the work of that double-
crossing alien, who had promised to help her, only to have her followed and attacked. That would explain why none of the Raiders had shot her, though some carried blasters. They wanted her alive. It was disgusting to her that anyone would make a bargain with such creatures. More important at the moment, however, was taking care of them.

A few precise blaster shots put an end to the three closest Sandpeople, and the others, surprised at prey that fought back, grew more cautious. They could decide to wound her from a distance, Sabé realized. She wasn't safe yet.

Taking cover behind her speeder as blaster shots began to rain down near her, Sabé attempted a few shots of her own. To her satisfaction, one more Raider fell, but there were still five or six more. Cursing the fate that had led her to bargain with that treacherous alien, she withdrew
her arm for a moment and massaged her aching hand. "It'll be a miracle if I get out of this one," she said to herself.

"Could I assist in bringing about that miracle?" Sabé jumped and turned around. She was staring into a face she knew well.

"Obi-Wan!" Scarcely believing her eyes, she looked with relief at the Jedi crouched beside her. She restrained the urge to throw her arms about his neck. "Before I ask you how in the name
of the Force you got here, at just the right time, why don't we take care of these -- nuisances?" She nudged her head towards the Raiders on the other side of the speeder.

"Right." His familiar smile made her own face lighten. There was a crackle, and then the hum
of a lightsaber -- a sound she hadn't heard for a long time. He stood up from behind the speeder and began deflecting blaster shots with the blade, experting propelling them back to their senders. Sabé actually laughed as the Sandpeople yelped and began to turn tail. A woman with a blaster was shocking enough; a man with a laser sword was simply too much for their cowardly minds. And, quite likely, they had encountered him before and learned to regret attacking him.

Obi-Wan watched them disappear over the hills with a look of grim satisfaction. Then he
flicked the button on his saber and returned it to his belt. "So," he asked Sabé with an ironic grin, "what brings you here?"

"How did you find me?" Sabé asked him a question instead of answering his. "I've been searching for you for hours, but you weren't even looking for me!"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I am a Jedi, you know," he commented, as though that weren't obvious.

 

Ooooh, that was very nice! I do hope she and Obi-Wan can comfort each other before she has to leave...at least give her a few good memories for the years ahead.

 

Obi-Wan, the miracle man. <Sigh>

 

Obi-Wan saves the day..again. (another sigh)

 

Aie! I was afraid that *was* the intro to the epilogue, Cinde....now see what you're doing, making me all paranoid here.

Nice meeting. Obi as the Knight in shining armor, very fitting. =)

 

Yes, of course, who wouldn't want to be rescued by Obi-Wan?
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Chapter 4: Another Point of View

With Obi-Wan piloting the speeder, Sabé was able to sit back and rest, worn out from her brief battle with the Sandpeople. She took the chance to watch the Jedi. It had been so long...

Gazing at him as he skillfully piloted the small craft, she could remember other times, when his talent and ability had saved lives. The vision of him with a lightsaber, still fresh in her mind,
brought back other times when he handled the weapon with such ease it seemed to be a part of him. The sight of his face brought back all the times she had looked into it, when he had looked into her hers, the very few quiet, solitary moments they had together. It seemed their lot in life to be separated from each other. And now? She had no answer.

They reached his home after just a few minutes -- "I had really almost found it!" Sabé exclaimed with annoyance -- and Obi-Wan stopped the speeder at the door. With a quirky grin, he walked to the other side of the speeder and offered to help Sabé down.

She looked at him with mock disapproval. "I do not need your help, Mr. Jedi, sir!"

"But you're going to get it," he replied, and pulled her down with an unexpected strength. Sabé landed on the ground sharply, lost her balance, and fell into her arms.

Her face inches away from his, she told him accusingly, "You did that on purpose!"

"Yes, I did," he said, not the least bit sorry. Then he planted a kiss on her nose. "I just
couldn't resist."

Sabé wanted to stay right there in his embrace, warm and safe. But there were other things she had to worry about. "Let's get inside," she said, sobering. "I'm sure there's still some Sandpeople lurking around."

"Not around here," Obi-Wan said, but he led her to the doorway and took her inside.

Sabé blinked in the dim light, a comfortable contrast to the glaring suns. Her eyes widened
as they grew accustomed to the darkness and began to take in the surroundings. It was like an oasis
in the middle of the desert. Obi-Wan had built himself a home, somehow, amongst all the sand and
heat and desolation. It was small, no doubt, but clean and even cozy.

"I'm impressed," she said, walking around the tiny dwelling with interest. "Did you use your
Jedi powers to construct this?" She was only joking, but Obi-Wan smiled.

"Actually, yes. But not in the way you might think." Sabé looked at him curiously. "It's more
mind than might," he tried to explain. "Like this -- I can use my weapons against the Sandpeople, but that really can't last forever. If there are enough of them, they can defeat me. It's simply a matter of numbers." Sabé opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her. "There are other ways, however. Listen -- I've been working on this." Cupping his hands around
his mouth, he formed his lips in a peculiar position. Suddenly the room filled with a dreadful moaning, and Sabé whirled about, her hand on her blaster.

"What's that?" She pointed her blaster to various corners of the room, searching for the
source of the noise. "Something's in here."

To her surprise, Obi-Wan laughed. She turned to face him, incredulous. "Was that you? Did you make that noise?"

"You see? If I could even fool you, then the simple-minded Sandpeople would be terrified. Of course," he went on thoughtfully, "it still needs some perfecting. Problems with amplification and
so forth -- but," he finished, "it's a start."

Sabé stared at him for a moment, and slowly understanding came on her face. "I think I see
what you mean. There are -- alternatives to fighting."

"That is the ultimate goal of the Jedi," Obi-Wan told her. "To become so attuned to the Force that physical things no longer matter."

"Much as I'd like to hold a discourse on Jedi philsophies," Sabé smiled, "there are other things
we have to discuss."

"All right," Obi-Wan smiled back. "Sit down."

 

*blushing at the self-promotion* Up!

And maybe while I'm at it I'll advertise my other story, "A droid's lot in life" *blushing again* I'm really shameless, aren't I?

 

Not many replies yet?!? COME ON people!!! You HAVE to reply to such a great story!
So, give us more!!! That was great! I loved how Sabe fell into Obi-Wan's arms! *sigh*

 

I like the Obi/Sabe interaction here, Cinde. You do them very well. Good dialogue, too! I like your combination of Old Ben and the young Obi-Wan.

I'm hoping for more soon...but I really hope that Obi didnt cause Sabe's death! Eek! I'm going to start jumping at everything in this story now. =)

 

Bravo, Cinde! Want more, want more... Please, please let them at least *really* kiss. *sigh* I'm such an Obi-Wan fan (and general SW, too)! It can be sad, too, but let them have a moment of happiness...please (down on knees begging)! After all, how much more bittersweet than to give them that, then have them part for all time? *sniff, sniff*

 

Oh, yes! Let them kiss! Surely Obi-wan can't be so attuned to the force that he couldn't use a good kiss!!!!

 

*Laughing* Good one Queenie!!! I don't doubt that he could use a good kiss. On with the story!!!

 

Hmmm...I hope you like what I have in store for these two next. I can tell you this much, Obi-Wan does NOT cause Sabé's death, so you can stop worrying about that. I don't know what you'll think of what's coming, though...I did warn you that it would be a sad story -- with occasional happy parts. And kissing.

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He motioned her to a chair in the corner of the room and pulled up another chair across from her. When they were both comfortably settled, he
looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

But Sabé did not know what to say. She had spent the whole journey from Alderaan preparing herself to meet two total strangers, to tell them the queen's wish and then to leave as fast as possible. She had never imagined meeting Obi-Wan. In fact, until Owen's mention of him, she had resigned herself to never seeing him again. And now here she was, in his house in the middle of the desert, face to face with him, staring into his eyes -- and she didn't know what to say. Obi-Wan had known the queen. He had known all of them -- all of them. It would not be as easy as talking to Owen and Beru. No, talking to him was harder than anything else.

"The queen is gone, isn't she?" Obi-Wan was watching her closely.

She let out an enormous sigh. "Yes. Yes, she died three months ago." Looking up at the Jedi, she wondered, "Is it that obvious? Are my feelings that clear?"

He shook his head. "I've had lots of practice. You know that." His face clouded. "Sabé, I'm
so sorry."

She broke down at last. Tears that had been welling up behind her eyes came pouring out, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Obi-Wan put his arms around her and held her, rocking her gently back and forth until the crying subsided. He said nothing, only stroking her hair gently and keeping
her close to him.

"I've been all alone for two months," Sabé told him when she had caught her breath. "I never knew loneliness until I lost everyone. Even you," she added, her eyes glistening. "But then," she realized, frowning, "you've been even more alone."

"Sometimes solitude is a blessing," he said significantly, and Sabé understood. He needed to be alone, to come to terms with himself after -- after what had happened.

He turned Sabé's face to his. "So you came here. And I'm glad you did. Sometimes solitude
is a curse."

Sabé suddenly remembered her purpose in coming. "Obi-Wan, that reminds me. I came here
to tell you ? Amidala?s final wish."

He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

She wondered how to continue. "The queen ? she asked that her son be ? protected.?

"He is provided for, I assure you," Obi-Wan put in. "He will be safe, if that is what you
mean."

"That's not all I mean," Sabé went on. "She ? she felt that knowing who he was ? who his
father was ? would be too great a burden for a small boy."

"True," Obi-Wan agreed, but he was frowning.

"So she wanted the truth to be kept from him ? until was ready," Sabé finished. "Until he was
ready for that burden."

"But when is that?" Obi-Wan asked, his brow furrowed. "I don't know if I feel right about this. What is he to be told until then? Wouldn't it be better if he knew the truth from the start?"

Sabé was frowning now herself. "I've done a great deal of thinking about this, Obi-Wan ?
believe me, I have. I don?t ? I don?t know if the queen made the right choice. Would it be better another way? I don't know. Will this cause problems? I don't know. But ? there is no choice, really. Obi-Wan," she said desperately, "you weren't there. You didn't see the look in her eyes when she spoke of her son." She pulled away from him and stood up, pacing about. "The only things that kept her going for so long were Leia, and the thought of Luke. They were her only joy. She couldn't bear thinking that her little boy ? no, I can't bear it either." Sabé looked at the Jedi with a fierce light in her eyes. "I don't want to see Luke carry the same burden his mother did. It broke her, it killed her!" She was crying again, r

 

Awww... *sniff*

 

Sure was a tear-drenching bit. =( Very well written, though...I'm beginning to understand the reasoning that went into Owen and Beru's philosophy. Though I still think it would've been better to just tell him....the way they did it, the knowledge almost killed him when he understood the impact, instead of just being something he had to live with.

Obi doesn't cause Sabe's death? Phew. This story's sad enough without adding *that* little aspect.

Will be anxiously awaiting more!

 

UP!!!

 

Okay -- this one might be something of a shock, but I also hope that it eventually proves happy...
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"I met him," Sabé said quietly. Obi-Wan looked at her with surprise. "Yes," she explained, "I went to them first, Owen and Beru, to tell them the queen's wish. I didn't even know you were
nearby."

"I have to be," Obi-Wan said. "Owen is good man, but ?? He shrugged. "We disagree on a few issues."

"On everything!" Sabé corrected. "It is a good thing you're near Luke. As long as he's with
Owen, he's in no danger of learning the truth. He's only in danger of never learning it at all."

"And that's why I'm near," Obi-Wan finished. But his face was drooping.

?What is it?? Sabé asked him, gently touching his arm.

He let out a sigh. ?I don't know. I don't know ?? he paused, uncertain. ?I don't know if I
should train him."

Sabé was astounded. "What do you mean by that? Of course you should!" Her face hardened. "It's not a matter of choice; it's a matter of necessity! You're the only one left. You're the
only hope.?

?Things have gotten pretty bad," Obi-Wan said grimly, "if I'm the only hope.?

?What?s that supposed to mean?? Sabé said sharply. ?Do you mean you think you can't do it? I think you can. You've proven yourself before; you can do it again.?

?I've also proven to be a failure," Obi-Wan snapped back, ?and I don't want to risk being one
all over again.?

Sabé sat down hard on the chair and glared up at him. ?Do you know what you are? Selfish, that's what. Selfish and scared. If you're going to hide here forever and never show Luke what course to take, just because you're afraid of failure, well, there goes all the hope for the galaxy! Don't you see? It all depends on you. No on else is going to step forward and train Luke and direct him. No one else is going to pass on the tradition of the Jedi. There is no one else!?

Obi-Wan said nothing. His brow was wrinkled with thought.

Sabé sighed. ?And I'm not going to say any more, because I'm tired of arguing. I'm just plain
tired.?

He looked at her sympathetically. ?Don't leave for a while, then. You need to rest, you've
had a long day.?

?I've had a long year,? she murmured.

He sat down again across from her. ?You came all the way from Alderaan by yourself??

She nodded numbly, thinking of the lonely trip on the freighter.

?What about the others? The other handmaidens, I mean," he said. "Couldn't any others come along??

She lifted her tear-stained face and gave him a long look. She did not need to speak. He knew.

?They're gone too?? Hesitantly, he put his hand on hers. Words only seemed to make things worse, so he said nothing more. Yet somehow he managed to send a feeling of peace to her, and she
clasped his hand tightly.

?It was the same sickness Amidala had," she said at last. ?It only affected people from our
planet. And they never found a cure.?

Obi-Wan's face began to fill with dread. ?Sabé ? you didn't...?? He could not finish. He did
not need to. Sabé's face was an answer enough.

?I was the last one to catch it,? she told him. ?But I knew it would come eventually. What
could I do? I had to help take care of the queen. And the girl.? She thought fondly of Leia. ?Who was safe from the sickness, because of ? her father.?

?And the others??

Sabé knew what he was asking. ?They were all gone within a week after her. I don't know why I lasted so much longer. I received a treatment just before I left for Tatooine, and I've felt much better since then. But it won't last long.? Her face was expressionless, she was tired of thinking about it.

?When??

?Six months, a year.? She shrugged.

Obi-Wan stayed silent for a few moments. Finally he looked up and gazed into her eyes. ?Sabé ??

?I don't want to talk about it," she told him. "The less I think about it, the better. To think about it, about the future ?? she shuddered. "I don't want to talk about it."

?Will you marry me??

Her head sh

 

OH MY FORCE! OMF, OMF, OMF....

I can't believe you did that! Sabe's dying?! =O =*( =*O

That had to be the most heartbreaking marriage proposal I have ever read. Oh, it's so SAD!! ::starts bawling::

You weren't joking when you said this was terribly sad! ::goes off to cry in a corner::

 

I have tears running down my face, yet I am laughing! I am SO sad she's gonna die, but
VERY happy they are going to get married!!! That is SO cool!!! And It's funny that Obi-Wan is gonna marry them!
I did not expect this twist AT ALL!!!
PLEASE POST SOON!!!
But don't end it TOO soon! I don't want her to die for a LONG time! I want to see them
happy together for as long as possible!!!!!

 

Oh, poor Sabe....

Your warnings of this being a sad story have been correct, it seems.

Sabe was meant to suffer...it's her lot in life (it appears to be the lot in life for every person in the prequels) Obi-Wan had better make all that suffering worth it. Make her happy Obi -- Come on!!!