The Kenobi Saga Book One:The Clone Wars

8. Storm of Emotions

Obi-Wan sat up in his bed, trying to focus on the sound of the rain outside instead of the thoughts running through his head. Understandably he'd been thinking about Satine even more than usual and it was not so slowly driving him mad.

A rumble of thunder pulled him from his thoughts. He sighed, pulling himself out of bed to go make a cup of tea. He wandered to the kitchen and started the kettle warming.

He leaned against the counter, waiting. He glanced around the room. Would Satine like this place? What would she say about how he was taking care of Lore-Val? Would she think he wasn't spending enough time with the girl? She'd probably say he was emotionally constipated and needed to learn how to talk to her.

The kettle started to squeal and Obi-Wan threw himself to stop it before the sound could wake Lore-Val. He paused, waiting to see if she'd woken. When he didn't hear anything he went back to making his tea.

. . .

Lore-Val woke up with a jolt. She sat up on her elbows and looked around her darkened room trying to figure out what woke her. A flash of lightning made her jump. The loud roll of thunder answered the question of why she'd woken up.

She got up, her socked feet protecting her against the cold floor. She made her way to the refresher,it was better to go now while she was up then to wake up again in an hour. She paused when she saw a light on in the kitchen.

"Obi-Wan?"

The man stood with a steaming cup in his hand. He looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, uh, the storm."

"Ah." He nodded, "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes please."

Lore-Val hoisted herself onto the counter while her father poured hot water over the tea leaves.

Obi-Wan watched his hands intently as he prepared the tea the way Lore-Val liked it, "Do you like it here?" He asked from seemingly nowhere.

Lore-Val's head snapped up from where she'd been picking at a hangnail, "Sure. I mean, yes. Yes. Why?"

"Well you don't seem so nervous all the time."

Lore-Val flicked her eyes back down to her hands, "You noticed that?"

"It was hard not to," he told her, passing the mug to her.

"Oh," she paused, "It's, uh. It's better now."

"Good," he nodded, taking a sip of his drink.

They were both silent for a few minutes. Avoiding each other's eyes while they drank their tea.

Lore-Val slid down from the countertop preparing to make herself a second cup, "May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why didn't you stay? With mother I mean."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes tight. He'd been waiting for her to ask, but he still didn't have a good answer. He took a deep breath. He was the negotiator, a master on the Jedi council, he should be able to talk to his daughter about this.

"I didn't know she was pregnant."

"I know that. You both told me that much. But I know she loved you. And clearly you love her, or I wouldn't be here," she said gesturing around her to the kitchen, "It just doesn't make sense to me."

He frowned at her, putting his mug down, "Lore-Val, I didn't just take you in because of some sense of duty."

"Sure," she said, stirring cream into her tea, clearly not believing him.

He made a mental note of the anxiety she must feel about the topic before continuing, "Did you know I was three when I was brought to the temple?" He waited for her to look at him, "The idea of staying with Satine, it went against everything I'd ever been taught," he paused, picking his mug back up and staring into it, "I didn't even know if she'd want me to."

Lore-Val let out a short laugh through her nose, "Gar mirsh solus," (your brain cell is lonely) she mumbled remembering the love her mother held in her eyes whenever she spoke of the Jedi, the way she would bring him up casually, as if he was just in another room, not light years away.

Obi-Wan laughed at the insult, "It probably is, but I was young and stupid."

Her cheeks went red, "I...I thought you didn't speak Mando'a."

"I don't. But your mother told me that enough for it to stick," he smiled as he took another sip of his tea.

"Would you tell me about her? From when you were on the run I mean," Lore-Val asked. Her embarrassment had suddenly turned to courage. Things couldn't get worse than telling your father he had a single brain cell after all.

"I suppose that would depend on what she told you."

"She said you dropped her once."

"I did not drop her!" He defended, "I tripped and happened to be carrying her."

Lore-Val laughed, taking a sip of the tea, smiling as her father told his side of what had always been her favorite story.

AN: Holy Cow! We passed 160 readers!! Thank you all for your support of this story. I really hope you're enjoying it. The goal is to put out two chapters this week to celebrate 160 readers, but I still need to edit the next chapter so we'll see what happens.  :)