From: Katrinka Title: Suruma Part One: Learning Sequel to Vaartuslik Author: Katrinka (katrinka@flash.net) Archive: master_apprentice, and my homepage only. Anyone else, just ask. Rating: PG (A/U) (Since Obi-Wan's background is made up) Warnings: Repressive Government Spoilers: None for this part Summary: When taking Maybeus to his parents, Obi-Wan decide that he would like to find out about his parents. Feedback: Feedback is wonderful! I beg and grovel for feedback! :) Really, all feedback is welcome Thanks to: ShannyK for Beta'ing this! Notes on Story: The Male Laws are based on the Talaban of Afganistan. There is no value judgements made about these laws in the story or myself personally. The male tax is based on several cultures. Thousands of girl babies simply 'vanish' every year. Because a family can't afford the dowery on more then one girl. No dowery, no getting rid of the girl. So the child vanishes. India now has more males then females. The use of the word hypospray is a term used by the author to describe a method of injections. If the author can ever find out the real name used by Star Wars cannon, she will change the word in her story. Suruma Part One: Learning Obi-Wan Kenobi walked through the Ahwatukee spaceport with his master. Young Maybeus walked beside Obi-Wan, holding his hand. There was something strange about this place. There where woman of many species milling about, but no men. "Where are the men?" Obi-Wan wondered aloud. "They are here, Padawan." Qui-Gon said. "I can't see them." said Maybeus. Qui-Gon nodded towards a woman who had three people dressed head to foot in indigo, with even their faces covered in the blue cloth. "Those are men." "Why are they wearing those clothes?" the boy asked. Qui-Gon knelt beside the child. He pulled the boy's hood up, so that his face was covered. "It is the tradition of this planet for men to be covered." "Will I have to wear covering all the time?" "You'll be living in the alien zone. You don't have to wear veils in that area." Qui-Gon stood up and smoothed his cowl back into place, so that his face wasn't reveled. "Are you sure you want to go to this place, Obi-Wan?" "Why wouldn't I? We promised to bring Maybeus to his parents." Obi-Wan adjusted his own hood. "From the records, my parents live here." "You do know the laws of this system?" "I studied the place of my birth, which I thought was where my parents lived." "I suppose that means you have no idea." "Yes Master." "The system is a matriarchy. Men have a separate place in society. There are laws defining their behavior." "What do you mean?" "It is illegal for a man to show his face, at all times they must be veiled. A man is not allowed in public without a female. A woman can have three husbands. Oh, and there is the male tax." Obi-Wan couldn't believe his ears. "A male tax?" "For every male child, the parents must pay 500,000 republic credits. If they don't within the first year of the child's life, he is terminated." "Why would the planet's government put that kind of law into practice?" "The system had a population boom. This was a way of controlling it." Qui-Gon paused. "That and the male laws." "I have a question - if this planet doesn't have many males, how can there be three men for every women if none of the women share?" Obi-Wan asked. "For those woman who cannot have husbands, sperm doners are used." Qui-Gon said. "The law states that the child born of doners must be female." Obi-Wan whistled under his breath. "What happens when they see us?" "We are Jedi. I've been assured we don't fall under them." "But my parents are from here." Qui-Gon put his hand on top of Obi-Wan's lips. "They don't know that. If you took my advice, they would never find out." Obi-Wan wanted to argue with his Master, but three more indigo-clad men passed them. "Yes, Master." ***************** "Man, do you not have a female accompanying you?" The woman at customs asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "You must have a female sponsor!" "We are visitors." Obi-Wan said. He had been at the space port for two hours. Two hours too long. He wished his master was here, but the older man had gone to contact Maybeus's parents. Obi-Wan waved his hand. "We are permitted to travel." "Yes, you are permitted to travel with a Female guardian!" The customs official said. "On this planet, we put men in their proper place!" Obi-Wan groaned. Qui-Gon had always made the Jedi Mind trick look so easy. It was the most difficult part of the Force for Obi-Wan to control. He couldn't even change the mind of a customs official. "Name!" the woman ordered. "Obi-Wan Kenobi." The woman typed it into a terminal. "Mother's name!" "I don't know." The woman glared up to Obi-Wan. "You don't know your mothers name?" Maybeus looked up to the woman. "Ma'am, he is a Jedi. He is here with his Master." "A Jedi?" The woman gasped. She picked up her communicator and talked into it. After a few moments, she said. "You will wait here for your Master. When she arrives, you will be given a limited clearance visa." "Thank you." Obi-Wan said. //Master, have you found out when Maybeus will be picked up?// //We will take him to the embassy tomorrow morning.// A few moments passed, and finally Qui-Gon arrived. The customs official groaned. "Your Master is a *MAN*?" "I am honored to be on your planet." Qui-Gon bowed formally. //Why didn't you use the mind trick on her?// //I did! It wouldn't work!// Obi-Wan looked away. //I am sorry, my Master.// //We will practice it later.// Qui-Gon waved his hand. "You will give us authorization to be on this planet." "Jedi are welcome on Ahwatukee." "We could use some permits." Qui-Gon waved his hand again. The woman stamped some flimsies. "These are your permits. You must have them on you at all times. Be careful to stay within the restricted areas." "Thank you very much." Qui-Gon bowed. ************ Obi-Wan looked out to the city, called Tagasi Hoidma. It seemed as if one of the favorite activities of the Ahwatukees was taking evening walks. Time and again, he would see a woman walking by herself, followed by three veiled men. He wondered why it was always three men. This place reminded him of something. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. //Home. It looks like home.// he finally thought. //How long has it been?// His mind went back to when the Jedi had found him. He was almost three when he had been given to the Jedi. He had been so young, that he could only remember images, sounds, feelings. A holo, he could remember a holo of this place. "What are you thinking of?" Qui-Gon came onto the balcony and stood beside him. "It's nothing, Master." "We share a bond. I can tell when something is bothering you." "I can't remember my parents." Obi-Wan confessed. "I have only dreams, but even those aren't clear. I can remember three men being my father." "A trick of the mind." Qui-Gon said. "Do you wish you had met them?" "I get curious sometimes. I wonder if I had brothers and sisters. If my parents wanted to keep me." He turned away from his Master. "Your parents allowed you to go to the Academy because they wanted the best for you." "Other students had holos of their parents. They would get letters from them. I didn't even have that." Obi-Wan said morosely. "Why do you think of this now?" Qui-Gon asked. "Is it because of the boy?" "I find myself wishing I could have met my parents." Obi-Wan asked. "Do you remember your parents?" "I lived with them, before I became a Padawan." "Children aren't allowed to live with parents at the Academy." "My mother was a Jedi Master, my father her Padawan. They still lived at the Academy when I was a child." Qui-Gon explained. "Your parents were Jedi?" Obi-Wan couldn't mask his surprise. Children born of Jedi were very rare. "Sometimes I wish they hadn't been. Any time I had an accomplishment at school, it was always said I was good because of my parents." Qui-Gon paused. "When I became a Padawan, I changed my name. I wanted to be known for what I did, not what they had done." "That's why you never mentioned it to me." "Now that we are bonded, you have a right to know." "We better get inside." the younger man murmured. "Maybeus is really scared to be alone." **************** Obi-Wan helped Maybeus dress in the clothes that the child was forced to wear. The robes, the veil. The clothes made Maybeus seem even smaller than he actually was. "Sir, why must we wear these?" "We must walk to the embassy. If we are caught by the male police, we would be punished." Obi-Wan tried to sound calm about the situation. "Will I have to wear these clothes all the time?" the boy asked. "You can take them off once we get to your parents." Obi-Wan put on his own veils. He could barely see through the dark blue fabric. Obi-Wan hated the fact that they had to walk through four blocks of non-alien territory. There was a tap on the door. Obi-Wan answered it. Qui-Gon stood there, a veil over his face, but not wearing the other prescribed clothing. He put a card on a cord around Obi-Wan's neck. "What's this?" "Your pass. You must wear it when we go to the embassy." Qui-Gon explained. "Let's go." **************** Obi-Wan followed his Master through the streets of Tagasi Hoidma. it wasn't until they started walking that they realized that the embassy wasn't four blocks from the hotel, but fourteen. The air seemed to ooze forbidding trouble. Woman glared at them as they walked by. Maybeus held onto Obi-Wan's hand tightly. "Sir, what is the penalty for being unaccompanied?" 'The same penalty for us wearing our lightsabers in open." Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon's lightsaber. "What?" "Death." Qui-Gon said. A Hover-Car stopped beside them, on the side it said "Male Police". Four female guards got out. //Stay calm!// Qui-Gon ordered. "You men! What are you doing?" the Captain demanded. "We are taking our charge to the Namur embassy." Obi-Wan said. "Where is your escort?" Obi-Wan held up his permit. The woman studied it. "You pass." The second woman looked Qui-Gon up and down. "Why are you not wearing the prescribed clothing?" "I am a Jedi." Qui-Gon said. "Sure you are," The woman snorted, "A male Jedi?" The third woman tried to take Qui-Gon's lightsaber off his belt. Qui-Gon used the Force to send the woman sprawling to the ground. The fourth woman got out her gun. She pointed at Qui-Gon. "You are under arrest!" "What about my friends?" "They are free to go." the Captain said. "Master..." Obi-Wan said. //Go Obi-Wan. I can take care of this.// //But Master--// Obi-Wan began. //Do as I say!// Qui-Gon ordered. //Your job is to take care of Maybeus.// //Master--// he again protested. //If we fight, we all might be arrested. Then they would find out your heritage, and you would be automatically destroyed.// //I didn't think of that.// //As soon as you get away, I will use my powers to escape.// //Yes Master.// He took Maybeus's hand and they walked off. Obi-Wan looked back just in time to see Qui-Gon being shoved into the back of the hovercraft. Then a hypospray was shoved against his Master's neck, and he slumped over, unconscious. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ How has ONElist changed your life? Share your story with us at http://www.onelist.com