Title: ~The Protectors~
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Jade awoke gently as the sound of occasional snapping brought her to awareness to the time of day. It was early morning, and the first sun was already fully risen. The second sun in the Tattoo system would soon be up as well. Rolling over, she threw an arm over Obi-Wan’s naked side, patting his hard belly to stop his soft snores. “Time to get up. Are you up?” Silence. Then, “At this unholy hour? No. No, I’m not.” “It’s your turn to cook breakfast, you know.” Obi-Wan turned, wiping a sleepy eye. “Sure?” The redhead pouted then nodded at a very serious situation. In a corner of the room, a high-pitched snuffling noise alerted both people to the other who shared their home. There was a rustling then the sound of two strong legs finding their feet. A blonde head poked over the crib top, the child’s large blue eyes unable to see over the blanket that was thrown over the soft wood. Ten little, pink finger came into view, and the diligent child levered herself up to see her parents. Spying them, the girl giggled gleefully. “Good morning,” Jade sang, then cringed when the toddler fell from her perch and cooed in good nature. “I think she may be accident prone.” Without thinking, Jade slapped her husband’s chest before she rolled over to get up. “Shouldn’t you be cooking?” “Yes, mam!” Obi-Wan stood as well, briefs hanging low on his hips. He walked to the little one and looked into the crib where she was sitting down, rolling an empty bottle back and forth over a blanket. “And you? Are you hungry, too?” Jade grinned. She loved seeing him with his daughter, loved hearing him speak so softly to her. Pulling on clothes, she quickly pinned her hair back into a ponytail and turned back to see Obi-Wan kissing the little birthmark on her child’s neck then walk out with his girl on his hip. The woman snorted and looked down at her slightly rounded belly. “They wouldn’t leave without us, would they?” The little one, a boy child, seem to understand his mother was paying attention to him and rolled once. Jade patted her belly, imagining him stretching and curling back up, tiny fists and wrinkly skin. She hoped he would look like Obi-Wan, just like him. Little Nova, named after a Jedi Master at the Temple, whom she remembered lovingly, seemed to favor neither parent, yet, when Jade looked at her child, all she could see was Obi and herself. Children had been a delightful surprise for the couple. Yes, they felt safe here but not safe enough to bring a child to this place. But the Force had other plans, and Jade had become pregnant, not just once, but twice. They had talked about sending them away as Luke and Leia had been sent away… But the subject was too painful to pursue. It was inevitable, they knew, but they stopped talking about it after a while. The days went by and their lives became a normal, healthy existence that billions and billions of other sentients across the galaxy were fortunate enough to have as well. “Come on,” Jade chirped, breaking out of the bittersweet reverie, “let’s go see what daddy has for us.” * * * * * In the modest kitchen, Obi-Wan was cooking up the local excuse for eggs and nerf strips, the jellies and bread they had made themselves already on the table with the plates. Nova was waddling through the main room, enamored with her own ability to walk. Coming up behind him, Jade snaked her arms across his chest and let them to rest on his shoulders. She smiled when he kissed her fingers. “You are so brave,” she murmured. “Oh?” “Cooking strips while half-naked.” Obi-Wan smirked. “That’s not brave; it’s just plain foolish.” Jade took a playful bite at his shoulder blade and heard someone giggle at her left just before the girl wrapped herself around her mother’s leg. The woman chuckled and cooed to her daughter, stopping in mid conversation when Obi-Wan stiffened, alarm bleeding through the Force. “What? What is it?” He backed up, the females moving back, Nova and Jade no longer smiling. “Someone is here. Luke’s in danger.” Chills ran up Jade’s back, the sensitivity of the Force heightened by a nearby phenomenon. A dangerous one but one which they used to their advantage… They used it to cover their Force trail and to have a tighter connection with Luke who lived so far away. The information was not from him but from someone near him… Like wolves circling a lamb. ”I sense a group. Four? Six? Maybe more… do you—” “Yes. I feel them. We have to get to him.” Obi-Wan nodded, running off for his cloths and the weapon’s cache. Jade turned off the stove and went to the closet where a TDL-46 droid was in shut down mode. It was a newer model of the protector-nanny droids and was used whenever they had to leave their child behind. “What are you doing?” Jade frowned as she flicked on the droid’s power switch. “Getting her ready. You don’t want to take Nova, do you? She’s alittle young for bolt slinging.” “I don’t want you going, Jade.” “Let’s not start this, Obi-Wan. We need to get to Luke before whoever is out there does.” A staring contest ensued. Obi-Wan seemed to get more and more protective as time when by. And with good reason. Vader knew Anakin had a son and was no doubt making some type of attempt trying to find him, or worse, the Emperor himself. This had only happened once before since they had been here and, that time, it had only been a roving outcast from the Sand People. But everyday, every night was a new chance for change. Nova interrupted them by gurgling at the droid, it’s syntha-flesh arms patting the baby’s head. “I’m coming,” Jade stated. Knowing it was futile to argue, Obi-Wan nodded, walking out to get their transportation ready. Jade kissed her daughter goodbye and locked up the homestead, rushing out to the speeder before her husband could drive away. * * * * * “Right there. See them?” Obi-Wan asked, handing her the binoculars. “Yes,” she hissed, looking at the yellow, slim ship that tried almost successfully to blend in with the sand all around them. “Looks like bounty hunter scum if ever I saw any. Why would they come out this far? Do you think they know who Luke is?” The male didn’t say anything. Owen’s home was only an hour’s travel from here, and the desert was no place for a gathering unless it was for no good. “Too much to hope not?” He nodded. “We wouldn’t have felt it so keenly. I don’t know how they found him, but we have to stop them from getting to him or alerting others to his presence.” “I count seven- no… wait. Eight. Hey,” she breathed out with a grin. “Four for you and four for me.” Obi-Wan glanced over, shooting her a relaxed smile, catching sight of a red lock spilling out of her sand-colored hood. “Love the odds.” Then, “What are you getting?” All joking aside, Jade inclined her head and touched their minds ever so gently. First one then another… then another and next was the leader, his mind distracted by planning. Jade saw the image of a tow-headed boy, and she seemed to sag. “They’re after Luke alright. I feel like the leader thinks this is a stroke of luck.” “Found him by accident then? Good. That explains the how they knew he was here.” “They didn’t. They blundered onto him.” “Yes… bad for everyone.” Jade nodded. “Let’s take them out.” * * * * * “Ranjo, come here!” The stout human dressed in dusty black clothes stepped down the ramp to the caller who was stationed at the port side of their little ship. “What?” “You feel like we’re being watched?” Ranjo looked around at the dunes, at the sand, at the sky. “Yessa, angels, they are,” he cooed. Then in an annoyed voice as he turned away and went back up the ramp into the ship, “Get back to work, idiot.” The other male sighed and stiffened when he heard the sound of air being cut. Looking behind him, he frowned and tightened his grip on his weapon. “Ranjo?” A long leg with a big boot snapped out of the ship hatch, catching the younger male in the face, knocking him back. A head of shaggy red hair poked out to look at his handy work. Jade’s head was next as she reached out to grab his feet and drag him in. “Hey, suppose he could have been a Jedi? He did know he was being watched.” Obi-Wan snorted. “Sure… Bounty hunters and Jedi have always been great together.” Three down, five to go. Unfortunately, two of them had already set off for the home of Owen and Beru. Jade pulled out her blaster, having both given up their sabers when the Jedi perished. “Fast or slow?” “Fast.” Both sprang out of the ship, headed in opposite directions, strong legs eating up the ground. One woman was struck senseless by a deep force shove. Another was clipped in the jaw by Jade’s fist, and Obi took out the third with a roundhouse kick. Not a single shot was fired. They used precious moments to plant suggestions in the minds of the hunters. It was better to have them go about their business, thinking they had found nothing than to have eight individuals disappear in the desert. They were trying to keep a low profile and something told the couple that these men would be missed. Their hurts would be explained away by whatever they could think up. “Done,” Jade stated, stepping quickly to Obi-Wan who had suggested to one of the men what a boring, fruitless, annoying planet Tattooine was and that the only good thing about this place was leaving it. Obi-Wan nodded. “Let’s get those other two.” * * * * * “How close are they?” Obi-Wan shouted over the wind blowing at them. It was wind created by their own speed. The intruders were wasting no time in sneaking up on the homestead. That meant they didn’t care about any surprising or identification. No doubt they had planned to take out both Owen and Beru to get at Luke. Jade didn’t answer but gritted her teeth and poured on the speed. “We’ll catch them.” Just as she said those words, they flung up on a land speeder kicking up dust just ahead off them. The land began to grow flat here, and they were less liable to lose sight of them now… but that also meant the enemy could see them as well. In answer to that thought, a high-powered bolt issued from the vehicle ahead of them. The blast snapped on the corner of their speeder, and Jade used every muscle she had to keep from spinning out of control. She kicked up the speed, and Obi-Wan readied his own blaster, popping off shots which were effective enough to slow down the bounty hunters. “Too close!” she shouted. Indeed, they could see the shimmering ghost image of the Lars’s homestead. “Knock them out, Obi!” Obi-Wan’s body tensed, and he pushed out a hand, the force at his beckon call. It erupted from everywhere and slammed the speeder back, flipping it over twice before crashing to the ground. The two bounty hunters did not emerge. Jade stopped their speeder by the accident victims, and they both jumped out. “Still alive,” Obi-Wan stated evenly after he had checked the two unconscious men. Wife and husband looked at one another, shaking their heads. One got tired of turning the other cheek after a while. * * * * * “We can’t thank you enough,” the man said to Jade, rubbing his bruised head as he got out of their speeder. “Damned if I know how we crashed.” Obi-Wan smiled at the bounty hunter. “Strange things happen in this desert.” The man, Ranjo, gave a laugh as he and another unhooked the crashed speeder from the back of the Kenobi’s land speeder. “Weird? Heavens, I hate this place. I’m beginning to believe the only good thing about Tattooine is leaving it.” The others of their group laughed good-naturedly. “No offense,” he said quickly, beefy hand held up. Jade grinned. “None taken.” The married couple got back into their speeder and drove back they way they had come, going out slow enough to keep an eye on the hunters. Moments later, their yellowish ship took to the air and disappeared, leaving behind the emotions of eight annoyed and tired people. “I don’t think they enjoyed Tattooine, honey.” Obi-Wan grinned big. “You think?” Jade laughed and, since she wasn’t driving this time, cuddled up next to her husband. “Shouldn’t we be turning back?” His shoulder shrugged. “I just… wanted to…” “Check up on him?” “Yes.” The ride felt longer this time, but when they got to the point before where they could be seen, they got out and walked the rest of the way, cloaking themselves against the sands. They stopped at a vaporator close to the house. Lucky for them Luke was in the yard now, standing with his uncle as he worked on a bum engine. Obi-Wan stared openly, joy in his heart at seeing how strong Luke looked. Owen got up and walked toward the house, as though there was no one with him. Little Luke walked dutifully behind him, a child-sized utility belt hanging low around his slim waist, small boots leaving tiny dips in the sand. Jade’s hand came to rest on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Seen enough?” “Yes…” he answered with a sad smile. “Let’s go home.” * * * * * “Oh, my god! Obi-Wan—” “Jade, wait!” Leaping out of the still moving speeder, Jade tore through the sand to the crashed-in front door of their little home. The first room was in ruins, destroyed furniture, turned over shelves and things obviously missing. No doubt the work of roaming sand people instead of the other riff-raff that usually happened this way. “Nova?! Nova?!” Obi-Wan came in behind her, his weapon drawn, a cold heat rushing over his body. He sensed no one in the house… No one. No intruder and not his child. He watched Jade rush from one small room to another, her emotions erratic. He followed her to the kitchen and saw the TDL droid smashed to bits, the synthaflesh arms torn to ragged strips. “Where is she? Where is she, Obi?” Jade cried, lifting over turned shelves. “I can’t—” “I can’t feel her either…” Jade halted. “She’s gone? They took her? Sand people?” “I don’t know—” “Where?!” “I don’t know!” he shouted back. Trembling hands combed through his hair, his mind going out over the distance, and there, many miles from here, was the group. Obi-Wan turned to leave about the same time he heard the little noise. The same noise the mother heard. Jade jumped forward and ripped open the floor cabinet. Inside was a red faced little girl, sobbing silently, body wet with sweat. The conditioning was out of the house and she was getting cooked in the metal cabinet where she had hidden. Once she recognized her parents, her force-presence sprung forth like a light switching on. Jade grabbed her and held on, letting Obi-Wan hold her and their two children close to his heart. * * * * * Nova slept deeply in her crib, which was taped sturdily together after having been bashed against the sidewall. Jade worked in the kitchen and Obi-Wan worked in the front room. Disposing of broken things, salvaging what they could, and taking stock of what survived. They should not have been shocked that this had happened. The sand people were growing steadily more violent as time went by, retaliating as more settlers moved into their lands. The TDL droid seemed to have gotten off several blaster shots but the house must have been swarming with the creatures and spelled the droid’s doom. Obi-Wan was proud of his daughter. He had shown her good places to hide, but he had never taught her to hide her force presence. When he asked her to do it again, she blinked like she didn’t understand. No doubt, she had to be afraid to do something like that again. “We should send them away, you know.” Obi-Wan stood from the broken chair he was working on. “What?” “The children. They need to be sent away.” “Jade, my love, you are just distraught over—” “No. We told Padme that giving up Luke was the best thing for her to do to protect him. We promised her we would look after him. He will be in danger all his days… for as long as the Emperor and Vader are out there. “Are we better than her? Can we protect three children from everything that can occur?” “No one can—” “But we are putting them in danger! This is not a normal family, Obi-Wan, no matter how much we want it to be. Vader may not know that you and I are here or that Luke is here… but if he ever does… It will be me dying with you and Luke being taken. It will also mean we will watch our children die… or worse, taken by the emperor and used as he pleases. “They are both so strong in the force,” she said lowly. “The disturbance is already overtaxed with three force users being in the vicinity. Nova will only get stronger in the force… and so will Ben,” she said, holding her rounded belly. “Will it protect us with two more? We would be like a shining beacon for the emperor and any of his force-sensitive lackeys to find.” Obi-Wan nodded. “I know. I know…” Jade swallowed, tears brimming her eyes. Now that she had said all she needed to say, the emotion began to sink in with it. “I knew we knew this day would come, but I didn’t know it would be so soon... She said it would. And where will they go?” “I know of a good couple on Corellia. They already have two daughters. He’s a good man, and his wife would be a loving mother. But you know that, Jade.” At the thought of another being that ‘loving mother’ she herself was, Jade sat on the unleveled couch and cried. Obi-Wan was there instantly, his arms around her. They had a special window to the future where the saw how well their daughter would grow… but it did not make this any easier. “We can’t back down. We have to do what’s right. We are their protectors,” he stated, his voice husky. He was crying. His big heart breaking to pieces even though he felt a clean sense of relief. It was as though the Force was telling them this was the right thing to do. They knew that to keep the children here would doom them all. The happenings of the day were just a warning. A warning that they had taken their leisure with their first child as far as it would go. There would be peace here, mixed with the longing, and a bittersweet world of memories and occasional updates of their babies to fill their days. No, they would not be able to watch Nova and Ben grow into adults… But a destiny awaited them both, a destiny that gave Jade and Obi-Wan these healthy children and, in turn, meant that they had to give them back to that same enigma. They had laid down the foundation for their daughter’s life, as they would do for their son, and with that strong foundation, those children would surely help shape the future of the galaxy to come. The End
~JADE BLOOD~
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