Orphan
——
Based on the Jedi’s Apprentice novels. If Xanatos sold Obi-wan into slavery and ended up in Watto’s shop and Shmi’s care. Snippets to a life he might have had outside the Jedi and code. Anakin remains normal about him, of course.
——-
Trade with the Jawas was about as a well kept secret as the senators in Coruscant were in ‘monogamy’. No one spoke about it; keeping their front doors locked and back ways open; as long as someone kept a sharp eye. Though not as hated as the Sand people, the general public tolerated them only for as long as they remained useful for business. It wasn’t even that uncommon for rivaling shops to manipulate the kleptomaniacs to scrap down bigger competitors. Or worse, entrap them with tampered merchandise of varying arrays of unpleasantness. Obi-wan could not have created a better opportunity to imprint his importance in Watto’s business if he tried. Instead of training in lightsabers, Obi-wan found himself honing the force in varies ways inconspicuously; be it for negotiations, competitive dealings like attempted sabotage. Re-altering tapered goods, finding irregularities in varying droids, frisking foreign scrape for trackers, and other equipment had become something of Obi-wan’s specialty. It was a blatant misuse of the force, but Tatoonie had enforced upon Obi-wan a studious practice of engrained wariness. Counteracting Watto’s opportunistic nature with a heavy dose of common sense. It was no surprise, Watto willingly left all dealings with the Jawas to him, showcasing it as if he was doing Obi-wan a great honor in preforming his dirty work. Obi-wan let him believe it.
It’s broken.
Obi-wan bit back a smile as he felt that familiar weight press into the back of his knees. Anakin thrilled aloud with boredom but obediently kept his hands off the merchandise by hanging off of Obi-wan’s pant leg. Communicating freely through their open bond was Anakin’s preference nearly since the moment he was born. Before Anakin could even understand the barest concept of the living force, he was already using as Obi-wan and his mental playground. Getting him to speak normally beyond Anakin’s mother was honestly a challenge. And everyone often mistook Anakin as an obedient and quiet child. Total buff, of course.
Obi!! It’s all broke!
You’ll have to look a little better than that, Anakin.
Obi-wan kept his eyes on the Jawas and the displays, verbally countering their haggling while mentally prodding at his tiny protégé. Even at five, Anakin was quick to catch on to things, even when Obi-wan wasn’t intentionally teaching him. The force came as easily to him as breathing and though Obi-wan had neither the means nor the method to gauge Anakin’s midichlorian level, it reminded him somewhat of Master Yoda. Unlike himself, Obi-wan knew Anakin would have been selected as a Padawan if he only had the chance.
And as much as it hurt to think about, he hated how limited Anakin was with only Obi-wan to guide him.
Still broken.
Anakin huffed aloud, switching from hanging off Obi-wan’s leg, to snatching up the teen’s hand to swing himself back and forth. Obi-wan couldn’t help but give his tiny hand a gentle squeeze, even if he knew from experience that Anakin’s next action would be to snatch something off his tool belt. If only just to steal back Obi-wan’s attention.
Feel for something different, dear one. Something…you feel doesn’t belong.
He felt Anakin’s exasperation and placated him with a gentle nudge, and a brief vision of the ship yard through the force as a later reward. Of which he knew to immediately brace himself at the explosion of Anakin’s excitement; as loud to Obi-wan’s ears as it was through the bond. The same could not be said for the Jawas, who jumped at the normally quiet boy’s sporadic cheers. Quickly, they chattered their annoyance, but Anakin only pretended not to understand, too busy looking over the broken droids and parts with a renewed interest.
Obi-wan distracted them by gesturing wards some pile of plating that probably once belong to a ship only hours ago. He measured his interest and countered their enthusiastic leap on price.
—-
Previous:
💬 0 🔁 7 ❤️ 23 · orphan —- · Based on the Jedi’s Apprentice novels. If Xanatos sold Obi-wan into slavery and ended up in Watto’s shop and
