The Bond Between Us

fifty eight

After Obi-Wan made sure to kiss you goodbye, he headed out and down into the canyon. He had told you that he sensed that someone needed help, what he hadn't told you was that it would be Luke. One part of him was keeping it a secret for your sanity and the other part was to see if you could sense it as well. Unfortunately, you did not sense it so it would be up to him to explain it later.

Obi-Wan followed the Force as he walked along the canyon, a dark Jedi robe over his clothes with his hood over his face. As the Force willed him along, he eventually could see Sandpeople inspecting a speeder in the distance. Coming closer, Obi-Wan howled and moved wildly around effectively scaring off the Sandpeople. He walked up to the scene to see Luke laying unconscious on the ground. Kneeling beside the young man, Obi-Wan gripped Luke's wrist to check for a pulse before putting his hand on Luke's forehead to big to wake him with the Force. Obi-Wan could hear nervous beeping nearby. He took off his hood and looked over to see R2 hiding in the rock.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan greeted. R2 beeped as the droid seemed to be making sure the man before it was who it thought it was. "Come here, old friend. Don't be afraid." R2 came over, beeping happily before turning attention to Luke. "Oh, don't worry. He'll be alright." Obi-Wan looked down to see Luke begin to move, waking up. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, helping him sit up. "Rest easy, son. You've had a busy day. You're fortunate to be all in one piece."

Gaining some more sense, Luke looked up. "Ben?" He questioned. "Ben Kenobi? Boy, am I glad to see you."

"The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly." Obi-Wan stood up, before helping Luke up and then guiding him to sit on a rock. "Tell me, young Luke, what brings you out this far?"

"This little droid." Luke motioned to R2. Obi-Wan glared at the droid as it beeped, knowing from much previous experience that R2 did what he wanted to. "I think he's searching for his former master, but I've never seen such devotion in a droid before." Obi-Wan placed himself on the taller rock beside Luke. He kept in the sassy comment he wanted to make about how R2 was not like normal droids. "He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi." The older Jedi threw another glare the droid's way. "Is he a relative of yours? Do you know who he's talking about? I think my uncle knows him. He said he was dead."

"Oh, he's not dead. Not yet."

"You know him?"

"Well, of course, I know him." He tapped himself in the chest. "He's me."

"Well, then the droid does belong to you."

Obi-Wan's next words to directed to R2. "I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid." Especially one with such a mind of its own. "Very interesting." Growling and howling from nearby Sandpeople echoed through the canyon. "I think we better get indoors." Obi-Wan stood up. "The Sandpeople are easily startled, but they'll soon be back, and in greater numbers."

R2 beeped again, urgently. Luke turned around and realized that he was missing another droid.

"3PO," Luke muttered.

Luke rushed over to where he saw light reflecting from the droid's arm. The arm had been ripped off the droid. Luke picked it up as C3PO sat himself up. Obi-Wan came to help Luke with the golden droid.

"Where am I?" C3PO asked. "I must have taken a bad step."

"Can you stand?" Luke questioned. "We've got to get out of here before the Sandpeople return."

"I don't think I can make it. You go on, Master Luke. There's no sense in you risking yourself on my account. I'm done for."

"No, you're not. What kind of talk is that?"