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. The character of Ardeth Fey is from the movie "The Mummy" which belongs to Universal Pictures. 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.
You adjust your tunic. Still in uniform, you wait for Jinn just inside the Temple Gardens on Yavin 3. Long nights and short days were spent wondering what went wrong. Desperate messages and wistful coms sent to the Temple on Coruscant finally achieved their goal. You reached the Master. Reluctantly he agreed to see you once more. He laid out his time constraints immediately, even then he said he could promise you nothing. You agreed.
Without hesitation after your last shift, you hopped a transport to the Yavin moon. Now you wait on a stone bench for him to arrive. A hooded figure approaches. Your hopes rise but then fall as you recognize Ardeth.
"Where is he?" You look around the man who stood as tall as Jinn.
"Sgt. Kenobi," He bows slightly with persed lips, "Jinn sends you this message-- Friendship only and best wishes."
Your conscience leaps out your body. Not wanting to hear it, you know it has to be true.
//Over?// Your eyes are glassy.
"Did he say anything else?" The quivering voice must be coming from you.
"No." Ardeth answers coldly and walks away.
The realization of his rejection overwhelms your system. The plants in the garden wave in a unexpected breeze. You hunch over and tightly shut your eyes as your hurt is magnified ten fold. Clutching your chest, you desperately try to block the pain of emptiness and rejection.
Sobbing freely into your palms, you wished your life was over. "Shhh..."
An arm pulls you tight to a strong chest. You embrace it. And cry even harder.
"Shhh." Ardeth strokes your hair. "Release your sorrow into the Force. It will heal you."
Delectable morsels of steaming meat and fresh vegetables sit on your plate uneaten.
"You must keep your strength up." Ardeth offers pushing your plate closer.
You can barely see it through your sensory haze.
"No. Thank you." You reply quietly staring at the food. //Why did he not want me? Perhaps I am not good enough.//
Ardeth sighs and places his fork down. "Chana some times we cannot second guess our own thoughts to discover a reason for another's actions."
"I am right though," You say knowing he can read your feelings and thoughts. Your attention wanders to the intricately designed white table cloth, "a person's best friend often sees what they cannot. You hated me from the beginning. And umm...it just took a little time for him to realize why."
You choke on those last words and run out the restaurant.
The next morning, you sit on the same bench in the Temple Gardens. You know he will not come. No one will be here but you decide to stay here one last time. With each sigh, the plants around you move making you feel a little bit better.
"I must go." Ardeth says next to you. Of course you didn't hear his arrival. "I wish you well in your endeavors. May the Force Be With You."
You nod and lick your lips. Your gaze is glassy.
"I did not hate you from the beginning." He says.
You notice he has a Titanese accent.
"Don't worry about it Knight Fey. It is-- inconsequential."
Ardeth sighs, "I feel I have wronged you."
"Nope." A strangled sigh escapes your lips, "It's just one of those things. Well I know you have to go so..." You turn to him and smile weakly. In his mahogany eyes you find the gaze of a different man.
"You tracked down your entire family?" You munch on a green crunchy vegetable as the stalwart knight across from you regally drinks tea.
"Yes." He says replacing the porcelain cup.
"Is that where you learned to speak the language?" You ask in Titanese.
He grins broadly, "Yes. I have always been a quick study of languages."
"Unlike me," You continue in his native tongue, "you don't speak it with an accent."
"I tried harder to lose mine. My mastery of my native tongue has affected my usage of others but the trade was well worth it." You two smile at each other.
"I bet you made your parents proud." You grin slyly.
He blushes, "Yes I did."
You mouth a blade of grass as Ardeth escorts you back to the hotel.
"You were born in wild space?" He says with a hint of disbelief.
"Yes. My father was a trader for the republic. He had a sense of adventure and a very loyal companion in my mother. They were bonded for at least twenty years when they had me. It was then they decided to settle down near the core of the republic."
"Are they still alive?"
"No. My dad died first and then mother a few years later. The family dissipated after that. I have two sisters--whom I barely know and one brother. They are scattered really." You gesture skyward. "We haven't kept in touch much. They like to travel a lot."
You wince checking the bandages around your midsection. Cracked ribs are more painful than you remembered. Slowly you lower yourself on a stool next to Garr's cot. He and the room smell like the bacta that's been stuffed into the many gashes you have.
"Shit." He grits as a nurse sticks another needle in him. "Okay Kenobi spill it."
"What?"
"The clusterfuck that is your love life." He jostles around in the cot moving the various tubes going in and out of him. "Right now my life is looking a lot like shit and your screwed up antics are the only thing that entertains me. So spill it. Did you see him again?"
"Which one."
"The one with the temper."
"Ardeth is a Jedi. He does not have a temper."
"The way you describe him he does."
"No he doesn't. A Jedi with a temper is a Sith. And Ardeth is no Sith. And yes we see each other regularly or whenever we can. Same thing."
Garr chuckles weakly.
"What?"
"I still can't believe you're seeing Jinn's best friend."
"So? This is a free galaxy. We can do whatever we want."
"There are several things you learn not to do in life: talk to a politician, take money from a Hutt and never get involved with best friends. You just don't do it." He coughs and winces.
"It shouldn't matter I haven't talked to Qui in months."
"Just because you haven't talked to him doesn't mean he isn't through with the matter."
"I think the pain killers have distorted your judgment."
"They haven't kicked in yet. You're heading for a blow-up and a whole bunch of people will get hurt. Get out now while you can."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Cause I love him." You say softly.
Garr groans and falls asleep.