Au: Kid Ibani-Tatooine Era Obi-Wan Kenobi

[last_kallig]

(OOC: Content warning for mention of torture, harm done by and to children, suicidal ideation and quite possibly suicide attempt.)

Ibani is a fourteen year old Sith Acolyte and her life of pain is written in her body for those who can read it. The scars of a slave collar on her neck, the letters and numbers carved under one eye like a bantha brand, those were only the beginning. She's been shocked regularly with force lightning for years as well as being subjected to more primitive methods of torture, and all have left their mark. Scars from teeth, claws and blades mark her skin, the echoes of broken bones still visible if you look the right way in the Force.

She should be dead, and she might be shortly, despite her struggles. She doesn't know how she got HERE, wherever this hot desert is, instead of the cold desert of Korriban. The gravity is wrong, the temperature is wrong, and while the Force shouted just before she landed here it is strangely silent now. (She might be insane, in which case she should put herself down before she harms anyone, but she's waiting for more evidence on that one way or the other.) She's dying by inches of heat and thirst and she can't push her body any further, even with all the Force tricks she knows.

She crawls on her belly under an overhang of rock, collapses. She can enter a trance, reduce her need for water, but that means that without help she will simply fail to ever wake, will slip away into the Force in death. It's a long shot, but she's worth more alive than dead even to the most nefarious of persons. (She knows better than to expect mercy or kindness from strangers.)

Ibani sinks into the Force, awaiting aid or death.

Comments

[last_kallig]

Ibani takes the offered hand and thanks Ben. The Force feels too quiet, it's strange, making the hair stand up on the back of her neck.

"I think that might be best," she agrees. "And I can make sure no one tries to take Dolo somewhere she doesn't want to go."

[acertainpov]

"No one takes Dolo where she doesn't want to go," he says, with a slight smile. "But do try not to let anyone steal my melons."

He nods at them both and, looking around just to check he is leaving them somewhere safe, he heads into the Cantina.

[last_kallig]

Ibani guards the melons while Ben is in the cantina, only needing to startle one would be melon thief into leaving them alone.

She's also pondering the best point to take her leave. When they arrive back at Ben's, maybe? She feels Ben must have secrets, and she's faintly sad she won't have a chance to find out what they might be.

[acertainpov]

There turn out to be a few people Ben knows in the cantina, and he's as charming and friendly as ever, enough to find out that no, no Imperials have shown up in the last day, and no one has heard anything holonet chatter.

He'll have to keep an ear to the ground anyway.

Eventually he returns, a more relaxed smile on his face, and starts to unload the melons from Dolo's back.

"I have a buyer for these," he explains to Ibani, "and then we can fill up the water and get something to eat before heading back."

[last_kallig]

Ibani looks relieved at Ben's more relaxed smile, and she helps with unloading the melons.

"That's good," she replies. "I only had to startle one would be thief while you were gone, but more could show up."

[acertainpov]

Ben tuts in disappointment.

"There's always a chancer," he says. "Thank you for the help."

[last_kallig]

"You're welcome," Ibani replies, smiling. "Who's your buyer?" she asks as they carry the melons to their destination.

And she shouldn't be asking, it's not like she's going to stay. But, she can have this, can't she? Something like a normal life, just for a little longer?

[acertainpov]

Are any lives normal, in this Galaxy?

"A friend of mine called Craya Dubeon," Ben explains, his voice slightly lowered but not so that anyone would necessarily notice. "I usually meet her down here..."

He leads the way down some dirt paths away from the main streets, towards a warehouse in on the edge of the space port region. It's closed up, and from the outside doesn't look like it's in use.

"I hope she's in today. I wasn't planning to come into town today."

[last_kallig]

That's a good question!

Ibani nods, catching Ben's slightly lowered voice. She follows him to the warehouse, not entirely surprised to find that it LOOKS unused.

"I did rather derail your schedule," Ibani replies. She listens to the Force, looking for the life signs of other people, friends or enemies.

[acertainpov]

No one thinks about the need to hide themselves form the Force these days - the warehouse is in fact teaming with people, and radiates with fear, despair and pain to various extents. At the core, though, flows a strong current of hope and love.

The approach is being watched from above. As Ben and Ibani draws close, a sniper on a nearby rooftop focuses the two of them in their sights.

Ben doesn't seem to know about this.

[last_kallig]

Ibani draws close to Ben, feeling as much as seeing the sniper, and she takes hold of his hand to get his attention. "Eyes in the sky," she mouths silently once he's looking at her.

She tugs gently on the Force, prepared to block a shot with a force shield if need be.

She knows that mix of feelings all too well, and the hand that hasn't gone for Ben's rubs at her neck where a slave collar used to be.

[acertainpov]

Ben stops long enough to look at Ibani, to soak in the feelinf of more familiarity than he expected.

He should have predicted this, should have realised the specific way she felt. But they're here now, and it might be even more fortunate.

He offers a faint smile and shakes his head. "They're distrustful. But I'm a friend."

His hand squeezes hers, thumb pressing into her palm. He's not going to let go now.

He lets go of her hand a short distance from the warehouse, and holds up his own to indicate she should stay, before knocking on the door.

"It's Ben," he says.

A hatch in the door slides open, and a pair of eyes set in an orange face peer out at them.

"Were you followed?" The language is Galactic basic, but the accent distinctive to anyone who's met a native Rylothian.

Ben spreads the hand not loaded with melons. "When am I ever?"

[last_kallig]

It feels nice, having Ben hold her hand. And she reminds herself, again, that she shouldn't be getting attached. Or allowing him to get attached to her. It's getting harder to keep her distance.

Ibani waits where Ben indicated, listening for trouble. She knows that accent, she used to have it herself, before Korriban. That was how Ma'Vena, her adopted mother, spoke.

She smiles at Ben's response.

[acertainpov]

The hatch slams shut and after a few seconds the door opens again, about halfway, enough for someone to step out and throw her arms around Ben in a hug, which he returns warmly.

This isn't the same Twi'Lek who spoke before: her skin is teal coloured and her eyes dark blue. She's dressed practically for the desert, in whites and natural coloured fabrics, holes cut into a hood to let her lekku through. She is sporting a blaster on her belt along with a vibroblade.

She breaks the hug and looks over at Ibani with an appraising look, and when she speaks her accent is the same Rylothian as her companion.

"Who's the kid? Is she for us?"

Ben, already unloading the melons into the arms the first Twi'Lek, shakes his head.

"No, she's staying with me for now. Ibani, this is Craya Dubeon, an old friend of mine."

[last_kallig]

"Hello," Ibani says, waving. She hasn't approached closer yet, she hasn't been invited.

Craya's question sheds some light on who these people are, if more were needed. Of course Ben would help them, it seems to be in his nature.

"Do you want help, with the melons?"

[acertainpov]

Craya looks doubtful at Ben's assertion, and glances looks at Ibani again for a second.

"You don't want to come inside," she says. "But we'll take what you've got, thank you."

Ben beckons Ibani over, so she can unload her melons and they can take them inside. "Do you need anything else?" he asks Craya, which makes her laugh shortly.

"When don't we need things? Nothing you can help us with, old man, but if you hear of any bacta going spare...?"

"As ever, my friend."

[last_kallig]

Ibani wonders what bacta is, it hadn't been discovered yet, in her time.

Ibani unloads the melons carefully, but makes no move to go inside and is careful not to move quickly or unexpectedly.

She smiles at Craya, trying to seem friendly.

[acertainpov]

Craya returns that smile, warm and grateful, despite the world weariness at the edge of her eyes.

"How are you likeing Tatooine so far?"

[last_kallig]

"The heat takes some getting used to," Ibani replies, tone desert dry. "But the company so far has been a definite improvement."

Understatement of the century.

[acertainpov]

"It's a hellhole," Craya says cheerfully. "And he's a heartbreaker. And slyer than he looks. You can trust him with your life, but don't try and win against him at Sabacc."

Ben looks at her like she's just mortally wounded him and she laughs, nudging him in the side.

"I'm not going to ask," she adds, looking between them, "but if you need my help, old man, you know where to find me."

Ben nods. But of course, he has no intention of taking it.

[last_kallig]

"I'm used to hellholes," Ibani replies, grinning at Craya. "And I'll keep your advice about Ben and Sabacc in mind."

She's amused at Ben's mortally wounded expression.

Ibani waves goodbye when they're leaving. "I'm glad they have you," she says once they're out of earshot. "It's been more than three years, but I remember what it was like."

[acertainpov]

"It doesn't leave you."

He's not speaking directly from personal experience beyond a few weeks during the war, but he saw it in Anakin, and he sees it in Craya and her team.

"But they've found a channel for it, something to fight for. They don't really need me, but I do have a healthy crop of black melon that grows near my hut, and it's not always easy to pay for water around here.

"Which is our last stop, I think. See if there's any moisture on sale we can take back with us."

[last_kallig]

Ibani nods, feeling that he's seen that it doesn't leave you.

"Purpose is important," Ibani says quietly. She doesn't have one, not here. But that won't matter for much longer.

"Where does the water come from, underground?"

[acertainpov]

"Around here it's imported," Ben says. "But out in the flats it's farmed from the air. The hut I live in was an old moisture farm, but I never had the patience to get it working properly.

"It's heavily monitored though. Which is why people who don't want to attract much notice like Craya and her friends usually rely on plant based sources."

[last_kallig]

"That makes sense," Ibani agrees.

She scowls slightly. "And whoever controls the water has the power, a different kind of chain on people, but a chain all the same."

The area where the moisture is sold is busy, unsurprisingly. Ibani sticks close to Ben, unwilling to risk trouble at the moment.