Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Duty

A strong wind blows on the sands. The air is dry. Obi-Wan has been piling up pieces of metal outside the ship for at least one hour. This is his first time on a desert planet, are all of them so hellish? There are only dunes as far as the eye can see. Is this place even inhabited? One almost doubts it, but young Amidala speaks of a city a few hours away.

« Mesa put that here? » Asks Jar Jar Binks.

« Yes, it's perfect. » Replies the teenager, without really looking.

The gungan is visibly uncomfortable. Such dryness must be nightmarish for an amphibious creature. He leaves regularly to immerse himself in one of the bathrooms but it is hopeless: his skin dehydrates in an instant. However, nothing can be done, the guy absolutely wants to make himself useful. A noble intention, but is it really necessary to do so much to get out some mere trash?

« Jar Jar, you didn't have to come and help me for such a small thing. »

« Yousa not to be worried. Mesa not tired! » He offers a beautiful smile, but the pain is evident on his face.

Why did Qui-Gon insist that Obi-Wan gather what's left of the broken droids outside? The Padawan suspects it is a ruse, to give his master time to think. He has locked himself in the infirmary. His condition must be of some concern.

Padmé walks down the ramp and moves away a little bit. She holds a wooden box with two metal handles in her hands. The girl points the thing at the ship and pulls a trigger, then puts it down and removes a gold strip. A holoscope? Obi-Wan had never seen a wooden holoscope before. The device is used to take three-dimensional pictures, revealing the smallest details of the exterior and interior of objects. A machine so precise that it records even the smallest screw. The tool is quite practical, but does not work if its target is covered by a deflector shield.

The girl observes the gold strip in the dark, then puts it in her belt. She grabs the box and returns to the ship. Her eyes are noticeably red. The young man heard her crying a little before he started his work. The girl had locked herself in one of the rooms. May she find comfort in the Force.

The Padawan is mostly concerned about his master. Qui-Gon seemed to be badly hurt. Could they have hoped for anything better? The Jedi has touched enlightenment with his finger and the teenager knows that this kind of « miracle » always costs something, but what? The man comes out at precisely that time and takes a long breath. Is his face more livid than usual? No, Obi-Wan is just imagining things. Padmé follows him like a shadow. The guy turns around, notices the kid and smiles at her. The knight then signals everyone to come closer, then tells them:

« Our ship will never take off again. The engines have failed. »

« What are we going to do, then? » Asks the girl.

« The logical solution would be to find someone to fix them. We could finance it by selling some of the furniture, but I guess you all understand why that's not an option anymore. »

Indeed, no need to explain further. The reason is obvious to everyone. It would take at least two months to get a ship like this back in travel condition. She is not a commercially available model. The parts were custom built. Nothing is standardized. Just taking apart the engines would take a week, assuming the mechanic is really good. The Nubians certainly won't be able to wait that long.

« Our best option is the most drastic. We will sell this ship and buy another. A yacht of this quality, even if severely damaged, is worth a fortune. Every dealer will offer us at least a used one in exchange. »

« I'm not sure I like the idea of selling a royal treasure... but I guess we have no choice, do we? » Padmé reacts.

Qui-Gon did not respond immediately. The queen's voice became mournful. This vehicle is of no importance to her. At best, it was a practical asset. But it is an emblem of Nubian skill and pride. At a time when the Nubian civilization is on the verge of annihilation, selling such a symbol is heavy with meaning. The situation is that bad.

« No, Your Majesty. We have no other way. I am sorry. »

« I am sorry too... » She finishes dryly.

It's terrible how this poor child seems to be on the verge of tears at every moment. Jar Jar puts his hand on her shoulder:

« Yousa don't be afraid! Nubians will rebuild quickly more beautiful, more fast! »

She smiles. Her face expresses a very special kindness. The little one should be angry, but you can't see any resentment in her eyes. Such innocence is beautiful to watch. The teenager collects himself and asks:

« Will you go and negotiate the sale with a merchant in town, master? »

« Unfortunately, I couldn't walk more than a few minutes in this desert. You'll have to do it, Obi-Wan. »

« Me? But... I've never negotiated a sale before, master! »

« There's a first time for everything. This is a wild world, my young padawan, someone has to stay and protect the only wealth we have. I can handle any threat, even in my condition. »

« I could... »

« No, Obi-Wan! That's an order! You comply! »

The young man remains silent. This will be the first time in his life he has to act without someone to guide him. What if he makes a wrong decision?

« I'll go with him. » Adds Padmé.

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« That is not advisable, your highness. You should... »

« With all due respect, Lord knight, I can communicate in twelve languages... including huttese. Does Obi-Wan speak huttese? » She interrupts.

« That's... to be honest... no. » The padawan replies.

« I'm also trained as a diplomat, with a specialty in trade negotiation protocols. Is Obi-Wan trained in trade negotiation? »

« Technically... yes... well... so to speak... » The Padawan stammers again.

« So it's decided. » She finishes.

While he expected Qui-Gon to resist, the latter instead nods his head. The gungan moves forward and proudly exclaims:

« Mesa coming too! »

« No, you stay. » Growls the knight.

« Mesa able to... »

« Do I really need to explain, my dear gungan friend, why walking for hours in a desert is a very bad idea for you? »

Jar Jar Binks freezes. Finally, he answers with a sigh:

« Mesa stay here. »

His embarrassed face is amusing. Padmé giggles. They take half an hour to prepare a bag for each of them. For safety's sake, it's best to take enough to eat, drink and sleep for several days. Just two weeks ago, the girl thought it was no big deal that the landspeeders on the yacht were all going on inspection at the same time. Today, she wishes she had one. This trip would be less dangerous with a vehicle. As the young man finally buckles his pack, Qui-Gon gives him a sharp look:

« Obi-Wan! »

He turns around and is about to answer, but his master continues:

« Your lightsaber! »

The young man approaches, detaches the object from his belt and puts it in the knight's hand. The device levitates and explodes. The pieces move, then reassemble. Finally, the lightsaber drops back into Qui-Gon's palm and he inspects it carefully. He turns it on. The blade roars and twitches, then goes out. The Jedi returns it to his Padawan:

« From now on, this is no longer a lightsaber for training, but a weapon. You must treat it as such. »

« Yes, master. »

« Repeat after me: there is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force. »

Obi-Wan complies without question. He knows the Jedi code by heart. Anyone in the galaxy could recite those few words off the top of their heads without effort. Yet they suddenly carry a different weight.

« Very well, Obi-Wan. Until we return to Coruscant, you are no longer a padawan, but a knight who has taken the oath, is that understood? »

« Yes... master. » He replies, astounded.

« This mission rests on your shoulders. You no longer need to hold back or wait for my permission to use the Force. Now, let's go! »

The girl is ready. She secretly checks her blaster pistol. There is enough gas in the magazine for a few shots. Hopefully the locals won't have a problem with a twelve-year-old girl walking around armed. That said, there's no need to worry about that in Hutt territory. Obi-Wan comes to her side. He tries to hide his anxiety. The two simply wave and set off without a word.

Qui-Gon Jinn watches the duo walk away, while Jar Jar Binks comes and sits beside him:

« They-sa very young. Yousa know what you're doing? »

« Everything will be fine. The Force is with them. »

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