DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
The next morning when she woke, Obi-Wan had food ready. He served her some hot soup he'd prepared earlier, along with some dry bread and yellow-green hubba gourds.
He ate with her, sitting in a chair across from where she perched on the edge of the bed. They breakfasted in silence. Obi-Wan watched her, noting how deliberately and expertly she split the tough outer hide of the gourd with her fingers, shunning the dull knife he'd allowed her. She sectioned the orange insides and popped the pieces into her mouth, licking her fingers. Behind her, the long- absent morning sunlight slanted through his bedroom window shutters, painting strips of orange light onto her neck and shoulders.
She looked even younger than before, he amazed. Was it so with all her people? Underneath their heavy robes and nightmare masks, did her brothers and sisters conceal the faces of youths?
He was also surprised she'd chosen to remain helmetless in his presence. He certainly hoped it didn't mean she'd have to try and kill him later because he'd seen her face.
He decided he'd ruminated long enough. "Is the food all right?"
She nodded. "Thank you."
"Of course. If you want more, please, take what you wish." That reminded him. "Which reminds me. What were you coming here to take? You never answered me."
The look she gave him was exasperated. But she finally answered. "Your weapon."
His eyebrows rose. "My weapon? Do you mean my lightsaber? You wanted to steal it?"
"Yes."
"Well, you can't have it."
"I know."
Obi-Wan couldn't suppress a small laugh at that. At least she was honest.
Despite the strangeness and danger of their situation, he was beginning to enjoy it. If he found her candour odd, then he also found it amusing. He liked her company-- it was considerably preferable to that of lizards and suspicious old men. And, he admitted to himself, he enjoyed feeling useful. Having someone to take care of.
She leaned back against the propped-up pillows of his bed and gazed at him with amusement. "More questions?"
He laughed out loud. "Very perceptive of you. I have many questions. But you mustn't feel you have to answer, of course. You don't owe me anything."
"No I do not. Ask. See if I answer."
He was pleased. "All right. You say you take care of yourself, but you do have a family? A tribe, perhaps? How many of you are there?"
"A tribe, yes."
Obi-Wan noticed she didn't elaborate on their numbers. "And your home is far from here. But do your people consider this your land? Am I trespassing?"
"Land is everyone's." Her sandy gaze was direct. "Not ours, not yours."
"Very well." It was nearly the truth. This land had belonged to her people long before colonization, after all. "Then where is your village, your city?"
"Where there is water, we live."
"A water source? An oasis?"
"Yes."
"Fascinating." But he wouldn't pry further. He understood if she didn't want to divulge the location of her home. "I'd like to know a little more about your people, your ways. Have they lived in this area long?"
"Many seasons."
"What about the colonists? Have they dealt with them much?"
She sneered. "Some. Hutts and humans."
"Do you ever mix with them? Trade?"
"No. My people hate them. Hate everyone."
"But you yourself appear to be friendly. Are you not representative of your tribe?"
"No." She stared at Obi-Wan for a long moment, as if searching him for something. Finally she appeared to reach a decision based on what she saw. "Not all like me, either. I have human blood. Half."
"What?" Obi-Wan was shocked, partly at the revelation, and partly that she'd made it to him. But he couldn't ignore the implications it presented. "That's incredible! So there have been relations between your people and the settlers." Intermarriage, even. Unless... "Where was your mother from?"
"From my tribe." Her eyes narrowed at him. "My father was human, outlander."
"Oh," Obi-Wan began, "I--"
She cut him off with a swipe of her hand. She looked angry. "I know your thoughts. You think, what, mother stolen? Savage natives took her?"
"No!" He hadn't meant it that way. He'd just assumed... He realized it was foolish now. He had to repair the situation. "I just didn't know--"
"No," she interrupted again. "They don't want your women. Or children," she sneered.
"I know," he said. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry you thought so." He ran a hand through his hair like he always did when agitated. "I'm sorry," he repeated.
She crossed her arms and pouted in a purely feminine gesture. "All right. I forgive."
Obi-Wan said nothing.
She stared at the ceiling for a bit. "Tribe found my father. A boy," she finally offered. "Took in. Dead now."
"Oh. I'm sorry. But thank you for telling me," he replied. He decided he'd grilled her enough. It was time to be generous. "Are there any questions you'd like to ask me?"
Her eyes sparkled with interest at that. She leaned in and uncrossed her arms, reaching out to caress his bearded chin. "Yes. Why so much hair?"
Obi-Wan was surprised by the strange question, but he didn't pull away. The skin on her slim fingers was rough, but her touch was gentle. "Why? Don't any of the men or women in your tribe grow facial hair?" he teased.
She tugged on it a little. "No. Will not grow. Not practical." She raised her eyes to her own short, dark hair. "Cut mine."
Ah. A bit of micro-evolution? "Does it bother you?"
She smiled and leaned back, pulling her hand away with reluctance. "No. I like it."
Was she flirting with him? He gave her wry grin in return. "I wasn't allowed to have a beard when I was young. I swore when I became a-- well, when I got older, I'd grow one. And never cut it."
"I can tell. You grew all over."
"What?" He stretched out an arm in mock horror. He pulled up his sleeve and pretended to examine his tanned and lightly-haired arm. "No. You must mean my head, of course." He reached up to run a hand through his mussed, shoulder-length hair. He caught it in a tangle. "Ouch."
She laughed out loud at that. "You need to bathe." She looked down at herself in disgust. "I need to."
Obi-Wan immediately turned solicitous. "I have plenty of water. I'll bring you some. Then you can be alone for a while. I need to go outside and do some things anyway."
She gave him a look that was almost coy. "You can stay."
She was flirting with him. Obi-Wan almost didn't know what to say. He hadn't enjoyed the attentions of a woman since...Could it have been that long? Nah. And the attention from her particularly surprised him.
He came to a sudden realization. She probably felt beholden to him. The thought sobered him at once, and he stood. "No, thank you," he mumbled. "I'll be right back with water. And then I'll leave."
"Your choice," she muttered at his retreating back, her raspy voice sounding almost disappointed.
She asked a disturbing question as they ate dinner later that night.
"Why you stay alone?"
Obi-Wan looked up from his plate of vegetables to find her eyes focused upon him intently. They looked almost black in the low evening light of his living area. He wondered how long she'd been staring at him without eating.
When he didn't answer immediately, she continued. "You do not like it."
She couldn't know that. She barely knew him. "Why do you say that?"
She ignored him. "Who are you?"
Now that was a loaded question if Obi-Wan had ever heard one. How much could he tell her? He didn't want to lie to her. She had relieved the tedium of his lonely existence with her presence. He liked her.
That thought surprised him. He realized he did like her. She was diverting. She was attractive.
She impressed him. She was an outsider, somewhat mistrusted by her own people because of her ancestry, but she'd managed to find a life among them in one of the harshest environments in the galaxy. And she'd even managed to marry and outlive a husband.
Perhaps that was it, why she was so perceptive. She was somewhat alone as well, in her way. Perhaps her own situation had given her some intuition, some empathy, that allowed her to sense the same in another person. Even an outsider.
"I'm Ben. Just Ben. A simple man."
She crossed her arms, a sign he recognized as meaning she was displeased with his answer. "Not always. You have power."
"Power?" He was stunned. "What makes you say that?"
She snorted at him. "Told you, not stupid. I-- my people watch you."
Oh. The skirmish with her tribesmen. He'd almost forgotten about that, over the last few days. But it reminded him of something. His purpose.
"You're right, Merel. I wasn't always simple." He debated for a moment what to say. What to reveal. She'd been very forthcoming with him. Had her people heard of the Jedi? He hoped not. He didn't want to bring them up in any case. "I used to be a sort of...diplomat. An ambassador."
"Yes." She leaned back in her chair and uncrossed her arms, appearing somewhat more satisfied now that he'd answered her question. "A kind man. Man of peace. But you fight," she added.
"Only when necessary. I live here, now, on Tatooine, and I don't want to fight anymore. I would rather help people."
"Like me."
"Yes."
She considered him for a moment. "You must do something, still. Prove yourself. Redeem."
"Um." He wasn't quite sure how to reply to her statement. It had hit pretty close to home. "No, not really--"
She cut him off. The arms crossed again. "Yes. Liar. I know. I lose husband, I lose bantha, I must prove myself," she informed him with a touch of anger. "You, too. I can tell."
He was tired of being defensive. "Were you trying to prove yourself by coming here in the middle of a sandstorm?"
"Yes. Why you think I did that? For fun? No," she looked away. "It was needed."
He was beginning to finally understand the whole. "You needed to come here, and steal something from the "powerful" stranger," he emphasized, "to prove your worth to your people?"
"Yes," she mumbled. She wouldn't meet his eyes.
He felt like he'd gained control of the conversation at last. But now he wanted to lighten the tension that had insinuated itself between them like a physical wall. He wanted her to trust him.
Perhaps the Force had led her to him, for a purpose. He spoke carefully. "I...suppose I have things I could still accomplish, as well. And you could...help me."
She shot him a suspicious look from under her dark brows but didn't speak, only waited to hear what he had to say.
"You know I value peace, right?"
She nodded.
"How would you feel about peace between your people, and the colonists?" he asked. "I could talk to your tribe, if you helped me. I could promote discourse, even trade--"
She grunted, interrupting him. "No. Told you, foolish."
"Why?" He leaned forward. "It could only be beneficial to everyone involved."
"No," she reiterated unequivocally. "My people hate outsiders."
"Well, perhaps they wouldn't if they knew them better." His intent blue gaze was pleading. "You and I have dealt together peacefully. Your own father was human," he added for emphasis. "So your people must know that not all outsiders are troublesome."
She didn't reply.
"If the colonists understood you better, the violence would end. We could stop the raiding, we could stop the killing..." He let that thought sink in.
"No."
"Why not try it, just once? This could be an opportunity for you to prove yourself, as well. Please..."
"No!" She flew from her chair in a sudden movement and stalked to the window. "I do not owe you this."
Obi-Wan felt as though he'd been slapped. Did she think he was trying to exact some sort of payment from her? The thought that she might be doing exactly that hurt him. Once again, he realized the true width of the gulf between her people and himself. "No, you don't. I'm sorry," he replied softly.
She stood in the window, her slender form silhouetted black by the blue-tinged moonlight. She spoke in a quiet voice without turning once to look at him. "I am healed. Thank you. I will leave."
Obi-Wan felt terrible for driving her away with his uncaring words. He'd miscalculated again, even worse than he had before with the others. Could he salvage the situation? He didn't know if that were possible at this point.
But he couldn't just let her leave. The desert at night was dangerous. He didn't want her wandering alone because of him. "Will you at least stay until morning? Please?" he asked.
She nodded, still not speaking.
He slept on the couch.