Star Wars - Kenobi

rather, I crave them not, as he would have put it. I was going to the store for water, on a day when nobody was supposed to be there. That’s all.
    I thought my tricky moment for the day was running into the little old man from the incident at Anchorhead—he seems to be a regular at the Claim. When he didn’t remember me, I thought I was free.
    Instead, I got into a riot and a range war. And I forgot all about the water. And my eopie.
    Will there be a galactic incident every time I want to get out of the house? Because I can stay home, in that case. Really, it won’t be a problem!
    Then again, it was certainly good I was there, given what happened at the store. I’m not so sure about the second part of the afternoon, though—heading off after Jabe. There wasn’t any stopping what occurred there. It’s so difficult seeing things like that and doing nothing.
    But I guess I’d rather see, and do nothing, than not see at all. I’m missing so much of what’s going on in other places. I can’t live blindfolded. It’s not really the Kenobi way.
    Speaking of what I saw, I’m not so sure I liked the side I saw of Orrin Gault today. He had to save face after the compound was attacked; that much I understand. But he wields an awful lot of power here. These people listen to him—he must know that. There’s responsibility that goes along with that.
    Maybe I’m being too harsh. He acted the way he did because his family and friends were in danger. But we both know where that particular excuse can lead.
    The Tuskens—well, that was another surprise. But maybe it shouldn’t have been. I’d met the man A’Yark knew, long ago, and heard the story about him later on. I’m straining to remember more details about that. Maybe later.
    Then there’s Annileen.
    I was tempted to call her “the Intrepid Annileen” just now—because she seems to be able to deal with whatever horror this planet can imagine. That’s what I need to become: absolutely familiar with all the dangers here. She takes them in stride. Not because she’s fearless, but because she knows she has to go on, to take care of all the people in her life.
    That’s not a bad role model to have. I guess I can become “the Intrepid Kenobi” if I must.
    If I’m going to go on—and we both know I must—I’m going to have to find a way to stop tearing myself up over what happened. There’s pain, yes, but a lot of it lately is self-inflicted.
    Like this. You see what I’m holding here—again. A last remembrance, I’ve told myself. But I’m putting it away now. And I would be a lot better off if I put it away once and for all, and tried to go on.
    Like Annileen has had to do. I can learn something from her, I think.
    And yet, when I think about her, I have to consider …
    … wait.
    Hold on.
    …
    Someone’s here!

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
    “KENOBI.”
    Annileen rubbed her eyes. “What?”
    “Kenobi,” Kallie said, beaming across a cup of blue milk. “That’s his name.”
    “What?” Annileen glowered at her daughter. Annileen had risen at the usual deathly hour, remembering Kallie’s absence from the night before. But the girl was here, now, at the breakfast table in the family quarters. Wide awake—and positively quivering with excitement.
    “It’s his name,” Kallie said.
    “Name? Whose name?”
    “Ben’s name!”
    Annileen stepped forward. “How do you know that?”
    Jabe called from the larder. “She went to his house!”
    Annileen turned toward the counter, where Jabe had thankfully prepared her high-test meltdown caf. She downed a swig and turned back to the table. “Now. What? ”
    “She went to his house,” Jabe repeated, bringing a plate to the table. Bleary-eyed, he looked as if he’d slept in his clothes. “Ben’s house.”
    Annileen gawked. “Before I took him home yesterday?”
    “No.” Kallie dug into her breakfast as if nothing was wrong. “It was after he got back—while he was there. After you left.”
    “Wait. You were there at night ?” Annileen asked.
    “Alone.” Jabe added, drawing a glare from his sister.
    “At night. Alone.” Annileen’s whole body shook. “With Ben ?”
    Kallie smirked. “Calm down, Mom. Your eyes are going all Rodian on me.”
    Annileen fought the urge to go outside and scream. Instead, she refilled her cup and sat down at the table beside a snickering Jabe. “All right,” she said, rubbing the back of her hand against her forehead. “From the beginning.”
    Subdued,