@auroradicit / that sad kes thing we talked about
One of the first lessons Lothal had thought to teach him—the planet, not its inhabitants—was that of its rain. Though the surface was spotted with many freshwater lakes, they were shallow, scattered, and difficult to reach through all the tall grasses and twisting paths. It made water a precious resource and rain was always a welcome reprieve, even if with it came winds and lightning, both which lasted for days on end. It was just one of the infinite number of ways it differed from Coruscant, where the days were controlled by climate devices out of sight and out of mind. Obi-Wan had never realized how artificial it was until adulthood when he'd been able to attend to more casual missions away from the core, calm enough that he could note all the unimportant things like color of the sky and direction the rivers flowed.
The new temple, even empty and lifeless, was a breath of fresh air and while the Force was silent, it wasn't the cloud of darkness that had blanketed all of Coruscant's upper levels like smog. He hadn't known how suffocated he'd been and though he should have, he hesitated to ask if any of the Clone's had felt that same suffocation as well. And while the temple may have lacked life, it still brimmed with potential and Obi-Wan could practically feel the humming of the Jedi who came before him who approved of revitalizing their forgotten home.
It was difficult to explain to those who couldn't feel it, but it was a terribly sensitive place. The energies of the abandoned temple were fragile and seemed to crack under the slightest hint of negative intent. Meditation helped, group meditation would be better, but the number of Jedi able and willing to help was few; meaning the road ahead was to be a slow process, but he couldn't say he wasn't pleased with the symbolism of building their new home alongside their new lives. Neither would be easy. but he would see both of them through.
Not just for the Order, but the Clones as well. They deserved a place to call their own, but Obi-Wan only possessed the ability to fold them into the Jedi and provide the option of escaping Coruscant and Kamino. A few already called Lothal home (though he knew it was less about the planet itself and more so where Obi-Wan himself was located)—mostly from the 212th and some of the 501st seeking some sense of familiarity—and their presences were good for the surrounding area. They might not have been able to feel the Force, but the Force could feel them and seemed to thrive off the peace they were finding for themselves. Somewhere along the way, he also acquired a feel stragglers, some troopers without names or battalions to call their own, either having lost to death or never having one at all.
Sargent Kes was unfortunately the former. They once had a team, had a Jedi, but they were killed and Obi-Wan did not have the heart to look into how or why. He was not a General anymore and if she wanted him to know then she would tell him herself. Their squad was a unique one, bonded through training designed solely for them and with features that distinguished them from the rest of their siblings. He wouldn't have been able to feel her particular brand of loneliness had he not been able to feel it permeating the air (and unlike a Jedi's sorrow, the temple kindly allowed Kes to feel her sadness without wavering under it).
There weren't good days nor bad days, most were spent floating in the space in between as everyone struggled not to backtrack themselves into a military mindset where every day could have been the last and they needed to watch out for enemies, for wounded squad mates, or bodies hidden by foliage and scattered debris. For the first time in a long time—in ever for most—they were allowed to simply just exist.
It was a tall order to ask of someone who had been created with the express purpose to serve and then die.
The weight of freedom sat heavy with those unused to carrying it and while Obi-Wan tried to give everyone their own room to adjust, sometimes he couldn't let go the urge to step in. Today, his guilt sat with the former Sargent and he'd spent the last hour sitting in the quiet open space of the entry room; Kes resting on the columns high over his head (maybe from habit or maybe from trained instinct to survey the whole room, he wasn't quite sure) and himself on the floor surrounded by data pads of scribbled notes. He hadn't done anything productive in minutes, mostly just soaking in the oppressing silence and wondering if there was a limit the temple would hold under before the Force made its displeasure known. It was with this thought that Obi-Wan finally let himself justify interrupting Kes' brooding session and rose to his feet, joints cracking with the sudden movement.
"I can't tell if the rain actually flares up old aches or if it just reminds me of what is always there. Sarge-Kes." There was no hiding his slip up. "Would you accompany me elsewhere? I'm afraid I've hit my limit with this room and I selfishly don't want to be alone."