Star Wars - Kenobi

the floor where the Tusken had been. Let a sarlacc have what was left.
    A total violation of everything she held dear—and on this day, too! Annileen had stepped outside only once, just long enough to see the damage to Old Number One. It was one of Dannar’s last daily presences in her world, and she could tell from twenty meters away that it was damaged beyond repair.
    At least her family was fine, although she could think of better ways of sobering Jabe up than a Tusken attack. All her worries from before felt like a relief now. Disciplining her son—what was wrong with him?—should be a cinch, after all this.
    Ben appeared in the doorway from the garage. “Dr. Mell has left with Bohmer,” he said, wiping his hands on a rag. “He’ll survive.”
    “It’s a miracle,” Annileen said, brightening. “I don’t know what you did, Ben, but I’m glad you were here today.”
    Leelee looked up from her mopping. She pointed at Ben, and then at Annileen. “You. And you . You were here together today?”
    “All day,” Kallie whispered to Leelee, loudly enough so Annileen could hear. “Alone.” Leelee looked back at Annileen and raised an eyebrow.
    “There were also some Tuskens,” Ben said. “I’d better go.” He put the hood back over his head and walked swiftly past the Zeltron woman. Leelee smirked as he passed.
    Annileen gave an exhausted sigh and nodded. She started toward the stack of water containers, leaning but intact. “You should probably get that water you paid for.” She pulled off her gloves and started to walk toward him, but he was already opening the door.
    “Wa-hooo!” came a call from outside.
    Ben paused in the doorway as one landspeeder after another drove past, full of cheering passengers. Annileen trudged toward the door, wearily. If those are fans back from the race, she thought, they’re going to be disappointed.
    But when she joined Ben outside, she saw the garages had emptied of Settlers’ Fund vehicles—all of which were now streaming to the south, crammed with hollering, blaster-wielding settlers, young and old. Mostly young. And Orrin’s USV-5 was far in the lead, carrying several.
    “Oh, dear,” Ben said. “You don’t think—”
    “I do think,” Annileen said, swearing. She ran back toward the garages, calling for her son.
    She found only Zedd, seated and massaging his injured rib cage in a medicated stupor. It took two tries to get him to answer. “They’ve gone after Plug-eye,” he finally said, wincing. “Hanter’s Gorge.”
    “Jabe! Did they take Jabe?”
    “He was the first to go,” the farmhand said, grinning through broken teeth. “I hope he fries a few for me.”
    Furious, Annileen dashed past the injured man into the garage. Twenty seconds later she emerged astride an old speeder bike—one of Gloamer’s less-used rentals. Gunning it around the corner of the store, she saw Ben walking toward his eopie.
    “Jabe’s gone with them,” she said, hovering. “They’re headed for Hanter’s Gorge.”
    Ben looked at her with concern. “I don’t know the place. How bad is it?”
    “Bad enough. There’s no way out of there,” she said. “The Tuskens will have no choice but to fight!”
    Ben’s eyes narrowed. “He’s with Orrin—but that didn’t mean much earlier.”
    “I know.” Annileen gripped the throttle. “He’s sixteen, Ben—and he was drinking. I don’t know what shape he’s in right now.”
    “I’m worried about the shape you’re in. You’re exhausted.” He stepped toward her and took hold of one of the handlebars. Even with the bike in pause mode, her hands were shaking. But her eyes blazed with determination and anger.
    “This is the day I lost Dannar, and I nearly lost his store today. I’m not losing his son today, too!”
    “I’ll go instead,” Ben said, after a moment’s pause. “I’ll look after the boy.”
    “Look after us both, or neither of us,” she said, twisting the throttle and scooting forward on the seat. “Because I’m going!”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
    ANNILEEN’S PULSE HADN’T SLOWED at all as the kilometers sped past, but it felt better to have Ben with her. She felt his arms grip around her stomach as the speeder bike banked. She had chosen to drive; she knew where they were going, and Ben had seemed willing to let her take the lead.
    The afternoon suns beat down on her forehead. She’d left without head wear. What had she said to Ben about the suns and aging? Try having kids, she