Nomad [open]

[jedimindtrick]

WHO: Ben Kenobi & YOU!
WHERE: Districts of Bajikan
WHEN: Following arrival and throughout the fleet's stay.
WHAT: Ben Kenobi explores the districts while attempt to cope with this unwelcome change in his hermetic lifestyle.
WARNINGS: Potentially sensitive topics may come up in the narrative. Opt-in permissions and information about content warnings and Force powers can be found here.


[ Arrival had been exhausting. Terrifying, at times, particularly for a man who had spent already too long living alone with his thoughts. Ben Kenobi hadn't expected this, hadn't planned to face anything for— for a long time, but there really appears to be no way to avoid it. And now he struggles to understand, to cope with the idea that there would be no returning to the desert, no dusty reunion with his sun-baked hovel, to a solitary life he had set forth before himself.

Perhaps it's for the best; he was bound to go crazy living in that desert all by himself.

There are tricks to avoiding the exhaustion, at least — old tricks that lack effectiveness, but work nonetheless. Foods and drinks provide a certain amount of energy, some better than others, and he lingers in that sweet spot there, halfway between exhausted worse, clinging to local remedies instead of drawing on the Force to sap away the heaviness from his entire being. He can't. No, he won't. The ability would never be elude him, but for now he would remain at arm's length with the Force.

As luck would have it, most of the districts are not lacking in amenities, goods, or services, nor do they display of dearth of people willing to give suggestions, some more practical than others.

It will do. For now, it will have to.]


OOC: Ben will be acting as a nomad, moving from district to district. There are starters in the comments, but if you want or need something written custom, feel free to start a scene or PM me at this journal for some plotting. We can totally work something out!

Comments

[democratically]

[There is a moment, a brief flutter, wherein Padmé does think that perhaps she is mistaken, that perhaps it is mere coincidence, and that it is not he. Yet when he does finally turn, and when Padmé does come to a stop before him, she knows that she was not wrong. It is Obi-Wan.

And yet...

Her brow furrows ever so. There is once where she would have thought him to be a cold man, especially after Geonosis, but she has come to know him better. Padmé is not a Force user, has no access to it, but she doesn't need to it read the wrongness. Perhaps she might understand it better, but she can tell that something is the matter. She just doesn't know what- aside from this whole situation, mind.

It is all those little things that are not Obi-Wan at all that has her voice lowering, softening, gently asking.]

What is it? Has something happened? Are you alright?

[jedimindtrick]

[ Ben is, by definition, not the least be all right, but he's alive, which is more than he knows to say of Padmé Amidala. His heart wrenches in his chest as he remembers her gasping out her final words to him: There is good in him. I know there is still...

She had seemed so certain, even after everything that had happened. How he wished he could have been so brave and so loyal to Anakin, who meant so much to them both.

Sensing her concern, he swallows down the uneasiness he feels inside and reaches out to grasp her elbow gently. ]

Yes, I'm all right. Just a— Just feeling a little light-headed, that's all.

[ He shouldn't lie, he knows he shouldn't, but if Padmé were to know the whole story, she'd certainly forgive his small untruth. ]

Had I known you were here...

[ The rest goes unsaid. He would never have guessed he might see her alive again. ]

[democratically]

[There is that lack of understanding in her, and that attempt to try to understand regardless of that fact. There is something missing, although there is no clear sign to say what that something is. She nods lightly though, eyes still scanning his face, but she does trust him, and despite the fact that she did wed Anakin, Obi-Wan has been there for him, and for her.]

Perhaps we can find somewhere to sit down? Or a drink of water?

[Yet her lips quirk ever so, curling up at one side, and her hand reaches out, to squeeze lightly upon his arm. It isn't as if she has known that there is anyone here, and only coming to this planet has Padmé started to realize the greater scope of events around her.]

I've just arrived not that long ago, Obi-Wan, and I can't say I exactly announced my presence.

[jedimindtrick]

[ He nods to her suggestion and makes his way to a nearby bench, easing himself down on one side and leaving plenty of room for Amidala. He can see her occasionally out of the corner of his eye, but there's far too much fear in him to look at her straight on, his addled mind telling him he'll see nothing but her pained expression as he'd seen it at the very end. ]

No, I can't imagine you'd want to do that. It seems there's no use for it when so few, if any, would recognize your name.

[ Initially, he had felt that fortunate. Now that he's seen there are other from his galaxy, he feels less fortunate, as the name Kenobi is certain to stick out to anyone who might actually know him. ]

Are you— [ He hesitates. ] —well?

[democratically]

[The tokens in her pocket are all but forgotten, the different districts all but a backdrop behind them. She does sink gracefully on to the bench beside him, body angled slightly toward his own. From what she can tell, he doesn't seem injured in body, although from experience with her husband, it is sometimes hard to tell.

Something seems to weight upon him though. Arguably Jedi seem to have that aura of mystery around them, perhaps diminished slightly in her own mind since she had wed one, but there is always that veil that is drawn. That they may peek behind it at times, seeing within in, yet Padmé would say that it is there today, thick.

That she does notice his lack of eye contact is hardly surprising. She is a politician, and is trained to pick up on those little things. Yet she remains, hands resting calmly upon her lap, but with a concerned expression on her face.]

It is strange to be somewhere where not even Coruscant is known.

[Padmé isn't surprised over Naboo. It's not a seat of power. It has, for the most part, been steady. A lush planet, it is the Trade Federation that had had eyes turning towards it, and the war has not touched it as deeply as it had some other planets. Yet Coruscant... It is a planet with wealth and power, the centre for the Republic.

His question is considered, as if trying to unravel whatever thought he has with it, although she has no idea why it concerns her so.]

Well enough, or perhaps as well as one can expect. I'm not overly fond at having been taken from my duties, but I accept that at the moment, I will have to make do.

[jedimindtrick]

[ It doesn't pass him over that she seems more pointed in her observations, and that is truly the Padmé he recalls. Even without the Force, without Jedi training, he's come to find politicians are especially aware of the ebb and flow of the emotions around them. ]

Indeed, we will have to make due.

[ But what exactly that will come to mean, he cannot say, nor does he wish to guess. Given the way they are — from different stages in their lives, in their histories — there's no telling what the future might hold.

Ben looks momentarily torn, on the verge of something. When he does finally lift his eyes to meet hers, they're full of regret. ]

Have you seen Anakin?

[democratically]

[For better or for worse, if one wishes to survive as a Senator, such observations are key. Padmé has never been one to abuse the abilities, although she cannot say the same for all others. There are valid reasons as to why some do not like politicians, and she cannot blame them for that sentiment.

She does note how he seems to ponder, to think, before he does finally decide to lift his head. Yet even then, the emotion upon his countenance is enough to make a chill trickle down Padmé's spine, although she cannot explain why.]

Anakin? Yes.

[In another district already, although she has seemingly misplaced her husband at the moment. She knows now that she will meet him on the ship at least, if she does not come across him again. Yet she leans forward, a hand on his arm again, although she does manage to keep her voice fairly level.]

Has something happened?

[jedimindtrick]

[ The warmth of human contact feels so undeserved, particular from this young woman. He can't relieve himself of the sight of her gasping for air just as he can't forget the way he felt her life drain away. It's miraculous and heartbreaking all at once to look into those deep eyes and see true concern.

His own concern echoes plainly on his face but it's quickly replaced by a more steady calm; it's much easier to focus on the moment at hand. ]

Is there a moment where something isn't happening?

[ Rhetorical, almost rueful, but he doesn't think he's wrong, even if he feels awfully evasive at the moment. ]

This place presents more of a challenge than I would have expected. [ And then, as if confessing: ] Anakin and I traded... angry, unfortunate words in the Ira district, I'm afraid.

[democratically]

[There might have been a slight tenseness in her own posture, waiting for his answer while trying not to give too much away. Had something happened to him? Had he been injured? Should she make a casual excuse and go see? Yet that sentence of his does reach her, and she allows a breath out, feeling her shoulders slip down. She mistakes his expression for worry or concern, and puzzles over it when he speaks.]

There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day.

[And there is always something happening. Sleep is often a stranger for Padmé, although she doesn't regret the choices she has made. But there is true surprise on her face with his admission. Ira... She hadn't been in that district, but it is still shocking. She knows that there are times where they might not agree, just as her and Anakin don't, but it is still surprising.]

Ira? I'm not familiar with that particular district. Did- did something happen?

[Or rather, what happened...]

[jedimindtrick]

Anakin was having an altercation.

[ This isn't him throwing Anakin under the bus, mind you, but giving the only real excuse he has. Had it been up to him, he would have avoided Skywalker altogether.

He shifts, not quite uncomfortable, but definitely feeling the scrutiny. Funny, he remembers being a much better actor than he's currently feeling. But, then again, it isn't nearly as simple to hide what he feels when it comes to those closest to him. ]

I interrupted it. It wasn't my intention, of course.

[ Bare, minimal facts. He's not sparing much more at this point. ]

[democratically]

[An altercation? Why in the stars was he having an altercation? Then again, Padmé could think of several reasons why he might. If someone was doing something that he hadn't agreed with, Anakin would not have simply stood by and let them continue.

Yet, is that all?

Padmé would have said that Obi-Wan fit his name of The Negotiator. He was calm and steady, someone that she had grown to admire over the years. Looking at him now, she knows that there is something else there, but what else that might be isn't clear.]

He got angry at you for interrupting? Who or what was he arguing about?

[jedimindtrick]

It wasn't obvious to me what had happened and I didn't think it prudent to pry.

[ Which, let's be real, has always been a bit of a problem. It's one of those things that they'd never fully reconciled, where Skywalker would hope for a little prying — just a little sign to show some concern — and Kenobi would neglect to do so for some inane reason (or even no reason at all). In retrospect, and knowing what he does now, it doesn't feel like a particularly healthy way to go about things. ]

—only because I understand how these districts are meant to work: Any emotions drawn to the surface are certain to be exacerbated.

[ And then, a very slight downturn of the corners of his mouth. ]

It was most certainly my fault things went the way they did. An unfortunate turn of events...

[democratically]

[There is a pause, before Padmé nods lightly. They are brothers, or at is how she would claim them to be. She knows that it is not something so easily put in to words. Once, indeed, Master and Padawan, although these days Obi-Wan and Anakin seem to flow together as they move across the galaxy, defending the Republic.]

Ira district... [Her gaze shifts offward although does inward, mind working that over. She has only been within the one, and even now, the frenzy of want that had overtaken her seems muted, gone, a thing of the past. She could not even explain, as she should have thought many other things in meeting her husband here. Even now, it is fuzzy and jumbled, her mind still not quite turning as it once might have.]

Ire.

[Anger?

It is something that is asked more rhetorically said than asking it of him. It would make sense, in an odd way, given the last district she was in. But she shakes her head, hand squeezing his arm again.]

I do not think you should shoulder the blame, Obi-Wan.