Saga - OT [DDC 2019] Written in Sand

Scribble 27: The Sacred Place

I don't know what they did there or how they honoured their sacred place, but I was fairly determined to find out how their place looked like. I assume curiosity is nourished by solitude. I didn't really keep watch but I stayed by my cabin to such an extent that I had the chance to see the Tuskens leave - unless they for some reason chose to stay by their sacred place. Well, at least I got the chance to practice the meditation techniques Qui-Gon had taught me before he vanished to wherever he is when he's not visible. Obviously I'm not advanced enough yet to be told where that is.

Two days later the Tuskens returned, walking through the entrance of the canyon in a long row. I waited one day more for good measure but then I assumed they'd all left. I chose to leave Emphie behind and walk by foot. I went further into the canyon than I'd ever done before even past the Krayt Valley and saw it widen considerably. After coming through the narrow canyon the open air was almost refreshing, despite the higher temperatures in the open landscape.

I stopped and had a look. The ground was covered with grass. Real grass, though admittedly not very green and rather sparse. I assumed that this sign of humidity might have been enough for claiming the place sacred but I had a feeling that this wasn't the reason for deeming this place sacred after all. There had to be something else.

It didn't take me long to see it. Actually I would have seen it once I came out of the canyon, if I hadn't been so mesmerised by the grass. It was there, almost in the middle of the open space, partly buried in the soil but yet with a dull metallic shine to it. A small spaceship, or by a closer look at it, more like some kind of an advanced escape pod. Definitely larger than the ones we used to have on board the "Negotiator" but still quite small in terms of space travelling.

I approached carefully. The only trace I could see from the Tuskens was that the grass was flat, pressed down by numerous feet. They didn't seem to have entered the ship at all, just moved around it.

I went closer. The metallic surface was dull and worn by numerous sandstorms over the years. It seemed to be ancient. I could see the welding of the plates that formed the hull of the ship being definitely more visible and rough than in any new ship. Whomever made this ship had done a thorough job because despite it seemed to have crashed into the ground it was surprisingly intact.

A hatch could be seen on one side of it, close to the ground but not more so than a small being could have managed to get out. But who? And when? I kneeled down and touched something that seemed to be a handle on the outside and pulled. I had never for a moment expected it to open up, but it did. And in that moment I felt a pang of something…familiar. Something like a memory from very long ago which reminded me of laughter and comfort and friendship. And just as that, the feeling disappeared and something else came instead. It was like a maelstrom of fear, confusion and sadness. Oh, the sadness was so overwhelming that it almost brought tears to my own eyes for a moment. Then it was gone, and I peeked in.

The cabin inside was small, not surprisingly so. After all it was a small ship. In the rear end I could see a cylinder, open on one side. It seemed almost like a safety container for a living being. If this ship was as old as I thought, maybe the one travelling in it would need some extra protection or oxygen or something else?

I had no idea, but one thing was certain. The pilot or rather inhabitant of the small ship had vanished years, or rather centuries, ago. The cylinder was definitely empty and I felt strangely grateful that the being inside had been able to get out.

I closed the hatch carefully again and stood up. Obviously this place, and this ship, had some meaning to the Tusken, but I had no idea what. Maybe they had considered the ship as something sent from the gods? Maybe the being inside had done something to then that they valued? I could only guess, but there was no way I would ever find out. If I ever came across the basic speaking tusken again, this was really the one thing I didn't want to ask about.

Somehow I had a feeling that they wouldn't appreciate my presence on their sacred ground.

Quietly I returned the same way I'd come.

 

A very intriguing find, but naturally there are still unknowables.

 

You give the Tusken honour, culture and history. Thanks for that!

 

Ha! I caught you, CaraJinn! I see that subtle tie in to Prophecies! Thought you could sneak it by me, didn't you?

 

Actually not, if someone reads both stories they will see it immediately. If someone reads just one, they will get curious.

 

Scribble 28: The Surprise

I left the Tuskens' sacred place in deep thoughts. I could rely to the thought that their ancestors had considered some ancient space traveller some kind of a deity, but I would it more difficult to believe that todays's Tuskens didn't know better. I was also contemplating my own weird feelings for the place. The feeling of something familiar had been so overwhelming and I was quite certain that if Qui-Gon had visited the place he would have told me by now.

I was, to say the least, confused.

However, I didn't reach back home before a new surprise appeared. Just before I was began to climb the stairs to my cabin, a sleek ship flew low over the mountainsides. A Lancer Class ship if I was not mistaken. Whatever that meant, I was pretty sure it was no good news, so I decided to not try to get home. If that 'someone' was of the less friendly kind I didn't want him to get any clues about where I lived.

I was right in doing so. When I emerged from the canyon I crouched down behind a couple of large boulders just in time to see the ship land. Kriff it by all the nine Sith hells and back again… I really wasn't in the mood for visitors.

In particular not that visitor.

Never had I wanted to see Ventress again. Not here. Not anywhere. And yet, here she was. Arrogant and cold as ever. And just as unpleasant. Still, if I had had a choice I would leave her be, even after our…not so pleasant encounter at her castle on Rattatak, but there was no way I could let her go now when she'd recognised me. Master Qui-Gon always told me that I had multiple choices, but in this case I really couldn't see any good alternatives.

She was the first one to draw her 'sabers. I followed suit.

 

Definitely a "surprise", and not a pleasant one, because apparently Ventress has been following Obi-Wan's trail without any difficulty.

 

Scribble 29: Nemesis

The fight was short and intense, and I was, after all, glad I had practiced my katas intensively for the last few weeks. Ventress had always been a formidable opponent and she still was. For some really long moments she had the upper hand while I tried to keep her at bay with my Soresu ('try, there is no try?') then I realised that 'trying' wasn't good enough. Keeping at bay wasn't good enough. As much as I resented the thought of killing, there had surely been too much of that already, I had to get her off my tail permanently. I simply couldn't risk that she found out about the twins. She was too clever, too angry, too sly, too…everything. Nor could I risk her defeating me and bringing me back to that hellhole of hers on Rattatak. It may make me a poor Jedi, but I couldn't stand the thought of being captured in that torture chamber again.

I had to kill her. It was my only option.

So I did. For a moment I managed to manoeuvre her into a position where she was blinded by the suns and that was enough. My lightsaber pierced her. I missed her heart by millimeters so she lived for a couple of minutes before she died in my arms there in the sand. Somehow it felt right, and…by the Force, I think she felt it too. At least, at this last moment of her life, she wasn't alone.

Somehow it made me feel lonely. There had been some kind of bond between us for many years. It was definitely not fed by any kind of love, but still it was there. She had been my tormentor through those hellish months at Rattatak, but still I could see the little girl within her, losing her parents at a too young age, and then losing Ky Narec years later. Her life had been a life of losses and bad choices, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that the Order somehow had let her down.

I will never cease to wonder what she could have been if the Order had found her right after Ky's death.

But that was all in the past and so was she. The only thing I could do for her now was to bury her properly so I took her ship and flew into the mountains and somewhere near the Valley of the krayts I lit her funeral pyre. Somehow it felt right to give her a Jedi funeral, not to honour what she was, but what she could have been.

I watched the last embers die, then I hid the ship in one of the caves and left the place by foot.

I had lost an old acquaintance (another one) and won myself a ship. Hopefully the krayts wouldn't see it as some kind of rival and 'kill' it. It might come in handy one day.

 

Very poignant insight about a life full of losses and poor choices So absolutely lovable of Obi-Wan to give her a proper funeral in honor of what she could have been.

 

Yes, Ventress and Obi-Wan seemed to have some kind of bond so it felt right that he should give her a proper funeral.

 

Scribble 30: Timing

By all the stars and moons in the galaxy, Force ghosts really have a lousy sense of time. I came home early in the morning, cleaned up a bit and went directly to sleep. After being away for weeks Qui-Gon found it appropriate to turn up after what felt like 2 minutes of sleep. I later realised it was more like four hours but still too little after two days with very little sleep it still was sleep deprived. How I managed to function during the Clone Wars with merely minutes of sleep at a time is beyond my imagination now.

But there he was, safe and sound, though a little less visible in clear daylight, and with a smug grin. Even when I was a padawan he enjoyed making me get up early….

The grin disappeared quickly enough when I recapitulated the events from the last days.

"Padawan, are you hurt?"

This time it was my turn to grin, albeit not too merrily: "No, not physically at least. But killing Ventress was… not a good feeling at all."

"As it should be," Qui-Gon agreed, "A life taken is a life lost, though I understand why you had to do it."

I could see from his face that he was in deep thoughts.

"I'm a bit curious about the old ship you found. I remember Tahl once mentioning that she'd seen something like that on one of her missions. She talked about a ship on a desert planet, being surprisingly well preserved. She never mentioned which planet though, but it might have been here."

I sighed.

"That may explain why I got a feeling of something familiar when I touched it. Tahl had a strong Force signature so maybe some of it was lingering. I'm more concerned about the new ship though. Ventress' ship. Now I have the means to get off this planet if needed be."

"Or if you simply want to," Qui-Gon said dryly.

"Well, yes… I know I'm supposed to stay here and watch Luke, but everything is quiet here for the moment and I cannot hang around the Lars' homestead too much. I do not want to draw attraction to the place. And I have this nagging feeling that there are other Jedi out there. I just don't know where."

"You want to go looking for them?"

It wasn't as much of a question than a statement really and I nodded slowly.

"I think so. Yes. I just don't know where I should start looking."

Qui-Gon stroke his bearded chin. "Where would be the most reasonable place to go for anyone being nearly killed by the clone troopers?"

"The Temple, of course. I set up a warning, but if someone were on their way before I changed the message, they may very well have been in hyperspace and not noticing the change of the recording. But that wouldn't help much. The Tempe is a pile of ruins, right now. Parts of it were still standing when I was there but, I assume the Emperor have had it demolished even more."

Our debate continued for a while and I realised that there was actually a chance that someone would have been able to reach the Temple and if they had, they might be in dire trouble now. The Temple, or the remaining parts of it, would be carefully surveilled by the Empire, that much was certain.

And for the same reason I couldn't go there myself. I had let Anakin be 'The Poster Boy' of the team but still my face, or rather General Kenobi's face, was too well known on Coruscant for my likings. I had to find a workaround. There was no way that I could go there directly, ship or not. And, for what I knew, Ventress' ship was likely well known by the Empire too. After all she had been Dooku's acolyte for several years during the war. It simply wasn't safe enough.

For once I decided to heed Qui-Gon's teachings quite literally. The ship would be good for now and I could allow myself some time to think about how (and where) I possibly could approach Coruscant and the Temple.

 

Tickled by Obi-Wan's comments about being sleep-deprived.

Nice discussion about options and searches.
You can tell he's eager to go looking for any survivors but there's the need for caution.

 

Scribble 31: Corellian Brandy

It took me a while to make up my mind, but here I am. I spent a couple of weeks trying to negotiate an agreement with myself, and somehow I won. Or lost. Depending of one's point of view, I guess.

At last the decision was made and I headed for the only friend I'm sure I have left in this galaxy, or rather hoped I have left. Things change so rapidly nowadays.

I headed for Alderaan.

Going directly to Coruscant wouldn't have been wise at all. I assume that must be the most guarded spaceport in the galaxy. Instead I chose a hyperspace route to Nar Shaddaa, assuming that not even Sidious or the Empire can manage to keep a complete overview over that place. I was right. After numerous changes of coordinates (did I ever mention how I hate flying?) I managed to land there without drawing any attention to my humble self. Or, apparently not so humble. I did my best to appear as a self confident smuggler who needed a place to park his ship while spending some of his…ah…recent earnings. After a generous bribe I was shown a docking in the outskirt of the spaceport where I could dock the ship.

It took me a day or so before I managed to get transport further to Alderaan. I snuck on board a Corellian freighter and I must admit that I had to mind trick the pilot to accept me on board. In former days Qui-Gon would have kicked my sorry butt and let me run three perimeters around the Temple for such frivolous use of the Force but under the circumstances he might have done the same. No, actually, I'm sure he would have.

Finding Bail and Breha's castle was easy enough, getting in unnoticed demanded a bit more effort, but only a bit. Force enhanced leaps have shown useful before, and so they were now as well. I got over the fence easily enough and approached the castle through the gardens.

I decided to make a direct approach when I saw a woman sitting there bottle-feeding a baby which I surely recognised in the Force as Leia. How she has grown. Leia, that is, not Queen Breha.

The Queen was just mildly confused by my appearance and I introduced myself by my right name, and only minutes later Bail came down to greet me. I have hardly seen anyone as astonished as him when I appeared.

I was offered a room to sleep in and a decent bath. Force how good it felt to be clean. It's the first time I have felt clean since Mustafar. They even managed to clean my clothes in no time. Thank the Force for modern facilities.

After dinner we withdrew to the lounge and then I was the one who was shocked.

I had expected that Bail would try to organise some resistance towards the Empire together with what remains of decent senators in the Senate. After all some of those who signed 'The Petition of the 2000' were left, though they had been forced to pledge their loyalty to the Empire.

What I did not expect was that he simultaneously had begun planning an armed rebellion as well. I was stunned. Haven't this galaxy had enough of war for a lifetime, or more? Slowly he managed to make me see his point, and I must to my regret admit he has a valid one. This Empire, being led by a Sith Lord, is not likely to abandon it's power voluntarily. Nor is it likely that they will make the galaxy a better place for it's inhabitants. If I've learned anything through my life, it is that tyrants don't leave power behind of their own free will, and a Sith is the ultimate tyrant.

I couldn't, wouldn't, accept a position as a General in his rebellion-to-be, at least not openly. My duty is to protect Luke and, when he becomes old enough, teach him in the ways of the Jedi. Thus I cannot openly appear alive.

Bail must be a better diplomat and negotiator than I thought (and maybe the Corellian brandy helped a bit too) because when the evening was over and I went to bed (and what a wonderful bed it is) I had promised to help him as much as I could without revealing myself in the open.

I must be the galaxy's greatest fool, but…could I do otherwise?

 

Terrific for Obi-Wan to meet with Bail and Breha, find out what forms the Rebellion is taking, and I am not surprised he agreed to help while not sacrificing his primary objective regarding Luke.

 

Scribble 32: Coruscant

I never thought I would be back again. Ever. Even though a Jedi should not know attachments and even though I've seen more than my fair share of other worlds throughout the years I've always considered Coruscant to be my homeworld despite the fact that I was born on Stewjon. It should have been a pleasure returning, but it wasn't. Coruscant used to be a planet full of lights and life (even though the lights mostly were artificial) but now it feels dead. It wasn't perfect, far from it, and the lifeforms in the lower levels of the city was not leading pleasant lives at all. Yet, it was very different from the Coruscant I met today.

It's like a dark veil has covered the entire city planet and people seem somber and…scared. There is hardly any life and laughter left to see. They try to appear as normal but I can feel the pain in the air.

So much does one single Sith influence an entire city.

It's horrific and utterly uncivilised.

Good thing about it for me is that it has strengthened my faith in doing the right thing when I promised to help Bail's growing resistance as much as I can.

I followed Bail in his personal ship when he returned to his duties in the Senate. As we entered orbit and came close enough to see the Temple I was mildly shocked of how it appeared from above. When I left I was to concerned about what I would find on Mustafar to even look back but from above - Force help me…. Where one previously saw the serene bright walls and shining spires there now were only ruins left. The walls were charred and partly collapsed and the south spire was just a crumbled mess of stones. The east spire didn't fare much better. Somehow the central spire had survived the attack and gleamed as it used to do.

That single glimpse of light gave me a tiny hope.

What had been done here couldn't be undone, but there is always a little hope that things can be better again. Right?

I chose to believe it for now.

We will all need to have faith if we're going to re-establish the republic and create a better world.

….

Upon arrival I hid in the aft compartment and let Bail and the members of his staff leave without me. It took me a while but after some thinking I managed to create a diversion and soon after I was on my way out of the spaceport.

I headed for the second place in this world where I possibly would be safe. I headed for Dex' taverna. Dexter Jettster and I go way back. He was originally one of Master Qui-Gon's acquaintances but he soon became my friend too. And obviously Bail's as well, as I had been advised to go to his place.

He seemed to be as pleased to see me as I was to see him and I was offered a bed for the night (and an emergency exit if a razzia should appear). I could sense that something was going on. When I arrived in the late hours he was busy packing some crates in his storage area. I didn't ask. Some things are better unspoken nowadays.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

 

Great reflections on the changes and the undercurrents brought about on Coruscant and how it doesn't feel like home anymore. Good that this strengthens his resolve to work with the Resistance/Rebellion.

 

Scribble 33: The Bendu Temple

My senses didn't betray me. Something was going on, but I'd never expect exactly what would be happening. I had a nights sleep at Dex's place (no razzia disturbances, though) and I had to spend the following day there as well. I used the time well to catch up on some of my meditations while Dex was working as usual.

The surprises came in the night.

As darkness had fallen I was led out into the backyard where a young Iktotchi asked me to follow him. I did not sense any danger, so I followed him without hesitation but kept my 'saber in a position where it would be easy to get in case something should happen.

The youngling led me through a maze of walkways and lanes, deeper into Coruscant's lower levels than I'd ever been before. Not even when I had to drag Anakin out of those Sithly illegal vent shaft diving races of his did I come this far down. It was a weird feeling. The underlevels of Coruscant is a dangerous place but as we proceeded (and my young companion surely knew where to go) the lanes became less and less crowded. At last there were nobody around, and I actually noticed sloping ground under my boots.

It was a surprise indeed.

The artificial levels on Coruscant hardly ever slope. There are stairs and hoover lifts but no slopes. I got an increasing feeling that we actually were down on the ground levels of the city. I've lived most of my life on this planet and never touched the real planet surface before. It was an intriguing but also vaguely worrisome feeling. We didn't touch ground for a very long time though. Soon we stopped and my companion began lifting a huge flat slab, obviously using the Force. I thereby concluded that there was at least one more Force sensitive left in the Galaxy but myself and Master Yoda.

We proceeded through numerous shafts on various levels before we came to a pile of Iktotchi became very quiet and I sensed that he was using his species' extreme skills in telepathy to communicate with someone else inside the pile. And a huge stone rose from the pile. We entered the opening quickly and were met by two Jedi, one of them (the Iktotchi) was undoubtedly Master Jaa, while the other (a Devaronian) was unknown to me.

The two men took over the lead and we continued into a huge room with mosaic decorations, and suddenly I realised where we were. The old sagas about the Jedi Temple's origin said it was built upon the remaining of an old Bendu Temple. I had never been so deep into the Temple myself but I realised that this had to be it.

It was mosaic showed a landscape with sloping hills, green forests and clean water, gradually shifting between the seasons of the year. The natural seasons, I must add, as Coruscant has had artificial climate control for the last centuries. It was breathtaking.

I didn't get too much time to enjoy the view though, because all too soon I heard determined steps in a corridor. A tall, dark being appeared and I lost my ability to speak completely (something which Master Qui-Gon would have enjoyed immensely had he been present).

"Obi-Wan," the deep voice of Master Windu greeted me, "it's a pleasure to see you again."

 

Oh, how wonderful to find survivors! I am sure that is a welcome discovery.

 

Scribble 34: Old Friends

Never in a million years had I believed that I would see Mace Windu again. At least not until the Sith rose from their graves and took over the galaxy. Which, of course, might have explained him standing right in front of me in the old Bendu Temple and looking just as alive as I.

Well, being as alive as I, actually.

I was, once again, speechless.

I had expected him to be as dead as most other Jedi, but here he was alive and apparently well, except for one prosthetic arm. It was nothing more than a miracle. I didn't expect more miracles to happen but when Ahsoka, my old grandpadawan, appeared it almost brought tears to my eyes.

She had been Anakin's Padawan for sure, but since we often shared missions she became a bit mine too. I had missed her after her leaving the Temple behind. I'll never admit it in public but this was the happiest day I'd had since Order 66 was executed. And it became even happier.

After Mace and Ahsoka had informed me of how they'd survived through the last months we all went to bed. Ahsoka was adamant that I should borrow her bed while she curled up in a heap of blankets on the floor. Hadn't I been so happy to see her I'd almost been insulted. I'm not that much of a fossile yet, thank you very much.

The next morning I rose to muffled voices out in what appeared to be the common dining hall. The sparse population consisting of 54 initiates and 11 masters silenced when I entered the room and I could hear the whispering, recognising the word "Kenobi" from multiple small voices. I felt, frankly, quite embarrassed and I could feel the heat flush my face. Even with my now rather tanned skin the blush could easily be seen.

And in a moment it was all forgotten when I saw an oh so familiar face near the end of the table. Bant was alive. My childhood friend and 'little sister' from the creche. The one who always had my back when no-one else did, and the one who always were there to comfort me when things had been going wrong.

She had survived. This time at least one tear managed to escape, and blast it to all the nine Sith hells with the 'no attachment' rule. It doesn't count anymore, does it? Not when one learn that parts of ones family still are alive and the galaxy is shattered to very tiny pieces? Bant's hug was as strong as always and I could smell the salty scent that always followed her species - this time admittedly mixed with some dust. It's hard to keep a millennium old sub terrestrial living space free of dust.

In that moment I was as close to being happy as I've been for, well, years.

 

Delightful meeting Ahsoka again!

 

Darn you, there you go making me cry. But at least it's happy tears. Dunno why, but it seems like even when you are well aware that Bant and Obi-Wan have been pretty darn good friends for basically their entire lives, it takes reading something like yours before you realize that they're like, totally BFFs.

 

A bit too close between updates now but since I'm on vacation and posting possibilities may be a bit limited for the remaining part of the month: here it comes.

 

Scribble 35: In the Shadows

Qui-Gon sometimes told me that I had some affinity for trouble, and the older I get the more I think he may have had a valid point there. When I decided to go back to Coruscant looking for other survivors I'd never seen myself attending a rebellion, nor had I seen myself entering the vaults of the Temple to get funding for rescuing young initiates and supporting the aforementioned rebellion.

Now I've done both. With Mace's help we were able to enter the vault and get out some of the more valuable and easy to sell (and carry) treasures inside. A Jedi shouldn't possess anything but for the Order - well that's another matter indeed. Throughout the millennia riches had been gathered.

We had a plan for evacuating the Temple if we were able to acquire a ship. We had a place for the surviving Jedi to stay. A place far enough out that the Empire wouldn't be too troublesome. We just had to get the ship.

And I had a nagging feeling that there was one more thing for me to do before leaving the Temple forever. I simply needed to go back to my (our) old quarters. The Force was somehow calling me there, and even though my more sensible self told me it was a bad idea, I couldn't resist. I had to go.

….

The Jedi Temple has been my home for as long as I can remember. The last time I saw it before heading for Mustafar it was still home, even though it was bloodstained and charred. Now it bore an eerie feeling with it. Where the halls previously had been lit by brilliant electric light or by soft lanterns it was now dark and where young and elder voices alike previously could be heard there was now none. Which was good for me. Voices would have meant people and people would likely have meant clones, or rather stormtroopers as they obviously were named now. I knew almost every nook and cranny of the mid-levels by heart but yet it was a rather challenging task finding the section of the east wing where Qui-Gon and I, and later Anakin and I had lived. I found it at last and with some moderate frivolous use of the Force I managed to open the door.

The feeling of entering the apartment was bittersweet indeed. It bore so much of my story in it. First the years with Qui-Gon with it's pleasures and troubles alike and me as the revering Padawan, and then the years with Anakin, with me as an uncertain and to some extent unwilling Master. Being the Master of Anakin had been a pleasure indeed, but also one of the most challenging tasks I've taken upon me in my entire life. Now in hindsight I cannot fathom how the Council could grant me that title, young, inexperienced and griefstricken as I was at that time. But they did, and the rest is (unfortunately) history.

My own sleep chamber was approximately as I'd left it last time I was here. In reality it's barely a year now, but it surely feels like a centennial. The east wing actually was quite intact and not as demolished as the more central parts of the Temple. Yet, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing here or what I was looking for so I settled down on the closest (dusty) meditation cushion and closed my eyes, intending to let the Force guide me.

 

Barely a year?! Talk about a lot of life-changing events packed into a small interval! I can well imagine coming back 'home' was bittersweet.