Star Wars [Star Wars] A New Hope Will Emerge

[AndrewJTalon]

Because fuck the Disney movies.

- - -


Luke Skywalker had gotten his hand cut off, lost his best friend to a bounty hunter, and he'd learned his dad was the second biggest monster in the galaxy. He’d also lost his X-Wing.


So yeah. Overall, this was a terrible week. It was at least looking a bit better, after his medical droid told him that the rest of Rogue Squadron was coming to see him. Hopefully that meant he could leave the medical frigate in the Rebel Fleet soon. The sterilized recycled air and bland nutrition packs alone were enough to drive a man mad, but his droid’s insistence on making absurd comments had him wishing for his lightsaber. Even getting a private berth wasn’t good, because it just left him more isolated.


He turned his new cyborg hand in front of his face, studying the artificial skin. It was a very good artificial hand, at least: He could tell the mods he would need to make would be minimal.


“I advise against any strenuous activity involving sensitive parts of your anatomy,” the medical droid suggested. Luke flushed.


“What do you think I do with this hand?!” He demanded. The droid stared back, its emotionless gaze giving nothing away. Luke couldn’t help but think it would be smiling though. He sighed, as the first of his squadmates shuffled into the medical bay. Derek “Hobbie” Klivian walked up to the right side of his squadron commander’s bed, while Wedge Antilles took the left. Wes Janson and Tycho Celchu stood at the foot of the bed, Wes already playing with the leftovers of Luke’s lunch.


After the rather tense greetings, it was Hobbie would addressed the Bantha in the room.


“Hey, look on the bright side Skipper. Most people who fought Vader one on one ended up about a foot shorter,” he pointed out. Luke shrugged, unable to keep himself from smiling just a bit. The tension in the room dropped significantly among the pilots at least.


“There's that,” Luke admitted. Wedge nodded, crossing his arms.


“Seriously... That was crazy! I mean, I get that you're like a Jedi and all but your dad didn't do THAT crazy of shit,” Wedge said earnestly. Tycho snorted, as Wedge looked over at him in bewilderment.


“You have read about the Clone Wars, right Wedge?” Tycho asked. “Skywalker and crazy might as well go together!”


Luke nodded, as Wedge rubbed the back of his head. Wedge wasn’t the student of history the former Imperial pilot was. Nor did he have that personal connection Luke had.


“Yeah, my Dad basically grew up doing crazy,” Luke said, staring off into the distance. Those words. Those terrible words. Everything he’d ever known and heard about his father felt twisted in a funhouse mirror.


No… I am your father…


“Ah... Boss? You okay?” Wes snapped his fingers in front of Luke’s eyes. Luke blinked rapidly, and shook his head. His squadmates all stared at him intently. He shut his eyes. That tension from before was still there. It was stronger, and hidden… And not familiar.


“I’m… Fine,” he lied. “I just need some rest.”


“Are you sure, Skipper?” Wes asked plaintively. The older pilots stayed silent, but the same question was on their minds. He didn’t need the Force to tell that. The Force was telling him that there was someone else here though. Someone hidden. Luke nodded again, sucking in a deep breath.


“I need a bit, guys,” he said, with utter finality. “To sort this out.”


His squadron mates slowly filtered out, a few uncertain goodbyes and encouraging words tossed back at him. The droid departed after, off to see to other patients. The hatch to the cabin slid shut behind it with a hiss, and the lights dimmed. Luke focused on staying calm. The Force warned him he wasn’t alone, but the presence wasn’t inherently threatening. Still...


“Who's there?” Luke demanded. A cloaked figure emerged from a maintenance hatch, dropping down and landing with grace on the deck. They stood up and stared at Luke, and he sensed this visitor was strong in the Force. They must have been with how they were probing his mental defenses.


“You sensed me. Impressive,” said the figure in a woman’s voice. Luke narrowed his eyes.


“It's not hard to sense you,” he retorted. The figure was silent for a moment, before she resumed speaking.


“Heard you faced Vader. You gave a report on the encounter to the Alliance High Command. I'm pretty sure you left a few things out.”


Luke was silent, glaring defiantly. The figure continued.


“He tempted you to the Darkside, didn't he?” She asked. Luke slowly nodded.


“He asked me to join him, yes. That was in the report,” he said. The figure nodded.


“He said something else. Something you're not sure of. Something you can't believe, but are afraid that it’s true.”


Luke grimaced, his artificial hand closing into a tight fist. “... Yes,” he responded tightly.


The figure sighed softly.


“He told you... He was your father, didn't he?” She said it almost pityingly.


Luke tensed up. He licked his lips.


“How do you know?” Luke asked, trying to remain neutral but failing in his shuddering tone. The figure pulled off her hood, revealing a beautiful, older Torgruta woman with deep blue eyes.


“Because I was his apprentice. When he was Anakin Skywalker,” she said simply. Luke blinked in disbelief, his jaw dropping.


“You were…?”


“Yes,” the woman said. She sat next to Luke in the visitor’s chair, smiling gently. “You know me as Fulcrum. My real name? Is Ahsoka Tano. It’s nice to meet you at last…”

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Next part.

- - -

For a time there was no sound in the air save the recycling system and the heartbeat monitor. Luke opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say. All he could do was gape in shock at her. She let him get his thoughts together, silent and patient. Luke took a few deep breaths, shook his head, and looked right into her eyes.

"You're a Jedi?!"

"Technically, no," Ahsoka said quietly, "I was a padawan. Then I quit the Order. Because a friend of mine framed me for a terrorist bombing, and I got all the blame. Your dad proved I was innocent, but by that point…" She trailed off and sighed as Luke continued to stare.

Ahsoka shrugged. "The Jedi Order wasn't all nobility and good, kid. For instance, your dad had to hide his marriage to your mom."

Luke blinked, his thoughts tumbling over themselves like stampeding bantha. He shook his head, only one thing coming to mind to speak.

"Ben didn't tell me that," Luke said.

"Well... Ben didn't have a lot of time, did he?" Ahsoka asked, looking sad and frustrated. Luke couldn't blame her as he glowered at his knees.

"No, but he also chose to omit a few important details," Luke sighed. "He even does it now."

"To be fair, he would have probably preferred it if you'd lived your life peacefully. Until you 'needed' to know," Ahsoka said. She sighed and rubbed her montrals with a sad smile.

"That was kind of how he was, back in the old days. Trying to protect people. By keeping things to himself. He cared deeply for your father... And when he turned to the Darkside, he," Ahsoka looked down in sorrow, "I think he blamed himself."

"Yeah, that's what my Uncle Owen got from that," Luke said. He looked directly at Ahsoka, and the older Jedi looked back. "But what I really want to know is-"

"Why haven't I shown up?" Ahsoka cut him off. Luke nodded, his artificial hand squeezing into a fist again.

"Yeah," he said. Ahsoka took another deep breath. She closed her eyes, focusing through the turmoil of emotions he could feel from her in the Force. Ahsoka opened them, and locked her gaze into Luke's eyes. She spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Well... Truth be told, Luke... I was... Afraid," she admitted.

"Afraid of what?" Luke asked, his fear rising in his throat. "That I'd be like… My Dad?"

"Luke, you have to understand," Ahsoka said gently, her eyes still locked on his but her sight far away. "Your father killed everyone in the Jedi Order. Single handedly. He went to the Darkside because he was afraid if he didn't... He would lose your mother, and you too."

She looked aside. Her hands were hidden by her cloak, but Luke was sure they were clenched.

"Forming romantic attachments was forbidden. And it seemed like such a stupid, stupid thing back then. But in hindsight, it was that love that your father had for your mother that drove him to become…" She shuddered. "That. Despite everything he did, he lost her. He destroyed the one thing he wanted to save."

"Well," Luke retorted, "I don't have much of anything to get attached to."

Ahsoka snorted.

"Your smuggler friend. His Wookie buddy. The princess. Rogue Squadron," she listed. Luke nodded slowly.

"Yeah. They're all my friends, and I'd die for them. But fall to the Darkside?"

"I didn't know. I was afraid that you were a time bomb. And I thought that the only time I would meet you... Is if I needed to kill you. I didn't want to get too close." She shook her head. "I guess I screwed that up."

"That's kind of a theme with Jedi, isn't it?" Luke asked bitterly. His thoughts went to Ben, to Yoda; To his father, and to the woman in front of him. Ahsoka nodded, the bitterness reflected in her eyes and her sad, humorless chuckle.

"It is, isn't it? The Sith teach that the weak must be destroyed for the strong to flourish... And I suppose the Jedi Order seemed plenty weak. We forgot ourselves. What it means to be guardians of truth and justice. And the galaxy paid for it."

They sat in a still, dead silence. It was as though Luke could feel the weight of years of grief and regret in the air. He looked down at Ahsoka's lap, where her hands were exposed from under the robes. He could see the faint gleam of a lightsaber at her side. He took a deep breath, and looked into Ahsoka's eyes.

"So, are you going to kill me, now?" Luke asked.

Ahsoka jerked up, and stared at Luke with her jaw dropped. Then she began to shake as she bowed her head. Luke, despite the potential danger, reached out to her.

"Ahsoka? Are-Are you okay-?"

Ahsoka threw her head back and laughed hard. So hard she was crying. Luke pulled back, thoroughly put off and disturbed. Ahsoka saw this, and managed to calm herself. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him in a comforting way.

"Why would I do that?" She asked. Luke blinked.

"Well… You said we'd only meet if you-"

"Originally, yes. I considered it Luke. If I couldn't stop you peacefully," Ahsoka explained. "But... Your dad went through some similar things as you did. Got his arm chopped off. His loved ones in peril. He was the only hope of the galaxy. All that pressure... And he was offered the chance to go to the Darkside, at his weakest... And he said "Yes"." She looked at him intently, her smile much warmer. "What'd you say?"

Luke shrugged, feeling a little more at ease.

"I almost killed myself jumping to get away from him," he said. Ahsoka reached out for his real hand, and squeezed it. Despite the previous awkwardness, Luke squeezed her hand back. He could feel her genuine happiness and relief. The feeling of hope she had.

"You're not your father, Luke," Ahsoka said. Luke smiled back softly.

"Yeah…"

"You can win this thing where we couldn't," Ahsoka said, "and maybe... You can make the Jedi what they're supposed to be. If you want." She sighed. "Besides, Yoda knows a lot more about the Force than I ever will; But your lightsaber technique needs some…" She trailed off, trying to be polite, "work."

"I did well enough against Vader," Luke hummed. Ahsoka scowled, and pinched the skin of his artificial hand, hard. "NNGH! Hey!"

"Yeah. Great," Ahsoka snorted. "Just because you survived doesn't mean sithspit, kid. He wasn't trying to kill you. If he was? You'd be dead. Period."

"Yeah, I know that," Luke grumbled, cradling his new hand. He shook his head, eyes narrowing. "Next time, he won't be trying to either."

The more distance he had from the incident, the more information he had… The less he lingered on the pain and betrayal, the more he saw, he felt that there was something more. Ahsoka shook her head, sensing the direction of his thoughts.

"Luke… He's not your father anymore. He wanted you as a tool against the Emperor, nothing more," she said. Luke scowled.

"You don't think I know that? But I think there was something else," he insisted.

"Oh really?" Ahsoka asked, tone dripping with sarcasm. "Did you sense that before or after he cut off your hand?"

"It was when I let go," Luke said, shaking his head. "I sensed… Fear."

"That's the Darkside for you," Ahsoka replied. Luke's eyes narrowed.

"No, no… I sensed fear from him, but it wasn't that his plans were falling away. It was like... he was watching me die and he felt helpless to stop it." He looked directly into Ahsoka's eyes, defiant. "Just like he probably felt for my mother."

Ahsoka took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself. Luke scowled, still stubborn.

"Luke... I have been where you were," Ahsoka said tiredly. "I tried to reach out to him... And I nearly got killed for it. There is nothing left of Anakin Skywalker in that monster. Darth Vader killed him."

Luke shook his head, both his hands clenched. He knew what he felt, and Ahsoka's information helped put it into context.

"I think that my Father is still in there. It's small and it's wrapped up in all of that mess, but Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi, is still there."

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Ahsoka glared, her calm slipping.

"What makes you think you actually sensed it? You barely know how to handle a lightsaber! I knew him for years! And I couldn't reach him!"

"I sensed it! I know I did!" Luke insisted. Ahsoka again took deep breaths, centering herself. Luke let her do so. Getting angry with her wasn't going to help, with how much this subject hurt her. How much rage and hate she felt over Vader. It didn't feel any better to him, but he had to say it. He wouldn't back down.

"Whatever you think you sensed, Luke," Ahsoka said slowly, "put it out of your mind. Because the only thing he'll see in you... Is a weakness. And I didn't just reveal myself like this so you'd fall to the Darkside like him." She fixed him with a deadly serious glare. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I know," Luke said. Ahsoka nodded, and stood up.

"Good. Come with me," she said tersely. Luke narrowed his eyes.

"But, with all due respect-" he started, but Ahsoka glared back.

"Zip it," she shot back. Luke gritted his teeth, standing up off the medical bed. He was taller than Ahsoka and used every bit of his height to stand up to her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"No!" He growled. "I'm going to tell you right out. I am not my Father. Nor am I going to be the tool you can use for revenge!"

Ahsoka's jaw dropped, and she shrank back.

"I-I am not-!" She stammered, but Luke cut her off this time as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I can sense your anger and hatred," he stated firmly. Ahsoka glanced aside, feeling shame. Luke sucked in a deep breath, calming himself.

"I'll train under you, to be better with the Lightsaber," he said gently. Her eyes rose to meet his, and he tried to be gentle but firm. "But I'm not going to kill him because you couldn't bring yourself to."

They stared at one another in silence. Ahsoka's emotions became unreadable through the Force as she regained her calm. She smiled, looking almost nostalgic.

"All right," she said. "Would you come with me to train… Please?" She added. Luke was confused, but hid it as best he could. He didn't sense any deception, but she wasn't giving anything else away. Still, he nodded back to her.

"Lead the way," he said. Ahsoka turned and headed out the hatch. Luke followed, rubbing his artificial hand again. If Ahsoka noticed this nervous tic, she didn't comment on it.

He supposed there would be time enough for that later.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Part the next.

- - -

They took a shuttle over to Home One, and Luke followed Ahsoka through the corridors. They passed the outer levels and reached the central sections after taking a rather long route. Finally, they reached the cargo bays. Ahsoka stopped at one hatch, and entered a code in the datapad. The hatch opened up, and Luke looked in on numerous crates and containers. Ahsoka walked over to one in particular, and opened it up. She withdrew a box, no bigger than a shoe container, and opened it. She smiled and pulled out a very old, clunky looking lightsaber. She tossed it to Luke, who caught it easily.


“That's a training saber. You can't hurt anyone with it,” Ahsoka said. “My saber has a training mode, so this will be pretty safe.” She raised her hands and closed her eyes. She used the Force and moved the boxes and crates to the bulkheads of the cargo bay, with loud creaks and rattles. This opened up a wide space for them.


Luke found the ignition switch on the training saber, and turned it on. A yellow blade roared to life, as the weapon hummed in the cargo bay. He twirled it around a bit, getting used to the feel of the weapon.


“Now,” Ahsoka said, igniting her own white bladed saber. The two blades hummed in the stillness of the cargo bay, “how much did Yoda cover with you on the Forms?”


“Not much,” Luke admitted with a shrug. “He was more focused on getting in touch with the Force, how to use it, and conditioning. He did teach me a few basic stances but he didn’t have a spare to spar with.”


“All right,” Ahsoka said. She held her blade up and assumed a relatively simple fighting stance. “Let’s see where you are then. Attack me.”


Luke struck hard, thrusting forward. Ahsoka parried the thrust and deflected his next few strikes. She moved carefully, returning the strikes after parrying them and forcing Luke back. Luke was put on the defensive, stepping backwards, but he was able to slowly set the pace and drive her back.


“This is Form 1, Shii-Cho,” Ahsoka explained. “You’re already familiar with the basics from deflection training. This is using the lightsaber like a sword, and is the oldest style we know.”


Luke nodded, taking in her strikes and movements. Every time he shifted the momentum of the fight, she took it back within minutes. Even so, it was obvious she was pushing to keep up with him.


Eventually, she stepped back and raised her lightsaber in an odd salute. She then began to attack with precise, measured thrusts and swings, forcing Luke to move and defend more. He tried striking back, but she was able to avoid his blows or simply parry them as her feet moved her in a sort of graceful dance.



“This is Makashi, Form II. It's a very old style, but good for fighting a single opponent,” she kept up her commentary as she dueled him. “Count Dooku, formally a Jedi Master, used it. It's very formal, made for duelling…”


She feinted, luring Luke into overextending. He took the bait and lost his footing briefly. It was enough for her to get a strike to the back of his head, which buzzed annoying.


“Gah!” He cried. Ahsoka gave him a smile, lifting her lightsaber back up.


“It’s also very good for luring opponents into traps,” she said. Luke nodded, and stepped back. He then swung for her head, quickly. Again, her style changed: She gave ground but never let him past her defenses, her lightsaber barely moving as she deflected and parried every blow he tried to land. It was tightly controlled and focused.


“Soresu... Form III,” Ahsoka explained, as she made him chase her around the cargo bay. “Good for use against ranged weaponry, and for tiring out an opponent.”


“Ben used this one,” Luke realized. Ahsoka nodded with a smile.


“He was considered the master of it,” she said. “The more tired you become, the greater a chance you have of-” She flicked her wrist, and knocked the lightsaber out of his hand. “-making a mistake.”


Luke looked over at the training saber, and then back at Ahsoka. She stood there with her own saber pointed at his throat. He slowly nodded.


“Oh,” he said softly. Luke held out his hand, and summoned the saber again. He reignited it, and nodded to her. “What’s next?”


“Form IV, Ataru,” Ahsoka said. She immediately struck with a fast swing, and Luke barely blocked it. She followed it up with several more quick, fast strikes, before she flipped over his head and tried to flank him. He spun around and parried these strikes a bit more easily, and as they locked blades she breathed deeply.


“This form is aggressive and relies heavily on Force assisted acrobatics and movements to keep your opponent off balance. Every Jedi uses a little of it. Master Yoda especially.”


That explained the diminuitive Jedi Master’s emphasis on speed and agility, Luke thought to himself. He pulled back, and asked the question that had been on his mind from the start.


“What's my father's style?”


Ahsoka stiffened, but slowly nodded in understand.


“Form V. The original was called Shien, but he specialized in the Djem Sho variant. He refined it to an almost insane level.”


Luke nodded. Ahsoka continued, looking sad but focused.


“Aggressive, powerful, and with offense in mind. But also well suited to defense. You’re like a krayt dragon: Taking the hits and returning them to your opponent.”


The image of Vader advancing like an unstoppable juggernaut came instantly to his mind, and Luke nodded again. That wasn’t very surprising, he supposed.


“It's the most physically demanding of all the Lightsaber combat forms,” Ahsoka continued, “and ot works well against multiple opponents, or one. Ready?”


Luke nodded, holding his saber up. “Ready,” he stated.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Have to split my posts up, I'm afraid.

- - -

Ahsoka lifted her blade up high over her head, and she was on him in an instant. Her blows fell on him like a rain of blaster fire. Every attempt at an attack she stopped cold or deflected, and immediately returned in a ferocious counterattack.


It was very much like his Father's style. Mercifully, it was a little slower than his Father's. Even so, every blow shook him as Ahsoka pushed him back.


“Ugh! Nngh!” He grunted, as Ahsoka continued her lecture.


“You bend the Force with your blows! And dominate your opponent!” Luke launched a hard counterblow to her strike, which she parried. The parry transitioned to a heavy counterstrike that nearly took Luke off his feet. He dropped back slightly, and now it was Ahsoka who overextended. While surprised, she was able to turn in time to deflect his follow up slash.


Luke was breathing hard, but he shook his head at the concern in her eyes. “Let’s continue,” he said. Ahsoka nodded, and resumed her strikes in Form V.


It took Luke a bit, but he figured out that the Djem Sho form had a weakness: A lack of mobility compared to the other forms. When her strongest strikes come again, he quickly and perceptively turned her offense against her, causing her to stagger past him. It was as simple as turning his body, or letting her moves flow against his.


“Good, but you’re not gaining an advantage,” Ahsoka commented as they locked blades once again. “Now then… Form VI... Niman.”


Her stance changed: Far more relaxed, she moved with an easy surety as she dodged or gently parried his strikes. Luke realized it didn't seem to have any obvious power attacks or methods... It was simply a generalized fighting form, no advantages or disadvantages.


“This is a good style,” he commented. “ I mean, it's unremarkable, but-”


“This form was made for Jedi Masters,” Ahsoka said, flicking her wrist. Luke tripped over his own feet, and slammed into a cargo container with a grunt. “Because it emphasizes using Force abilities,” she finished. Luke panted for breath, and got back to his feet.


“Haa... haa... of all the things… That I didn’t have a good grasp of,” Luke said.


“I think you’ll do well in it,” Ahsoka said with a smile, “once you’re more experienced. Remember: Niman emphasizes your creativity in combat more than form. Try attacking me again.”


Luke quickly up his hands and used a force push. Ahsoka was blown off her feet by the sheer strength, flipping over and landing on her feet. Luke charged, thrusting his blade for her head. She immediately flung a box at him, which he ducked. She spun herself along the floor, barely evading his slash, and thrust her blade into his belly. He yelped at the shock, and fell back.


Ahsoka stood up, breathing hard with an impressed smile. “You could have gotten me... But you got a little too eager.”


“Sorry,” Luke mumbled. Ahsoka paused for a long moment.


“There's one final form,” she began, “called Form VII. Juyo. I only learned a little of Juyo. It's more than forms and stances, it's channeling your inner passion, through the Force and your movements. And maintaining control over it. It is pure chaos, designed to inflict maximum damage,” Ahsoka explained.


Luke nodded, still catching his breath. Ahsoka sighed.


“Sith use it liberally. But Jedi rarely used it because it was easy to slip to the darkside.”


“A Jedi could purge themselves of the Dark Side with it, though,” Luke pointed out.


“If you could master it,” Ahsoka retorted, a bit on edge. She shook her head. “I won't teach you it-”


“Show me,” Luke insisted. Ahsoka sighed.


“You can barely stand as it is.”


“Vader used it on me. So I want to learn,” Luke said again, eyes narrowed. Ahsoka took a few deep breaths, and nodded. She adopted a more off balance stance… And then moved.


Luke was barely able to withstand her strikes from the right, the left, above, below-! She was like a storm! Every time he tried to counter, she parried and spun away to flank him again!


“Amazing,” Luke gasped. He found himself focusing on what Ahsoka had shown him of Form V, tanking the hits and trying to turn them back against her with counterstrikes. He was able to maintain his ground, even make up some… When she swung wildly and knocked the training saber right out of his hands. In the next instant, Luke was slammed into the nearest bulkhead by the Force. Ahsoka filled his gaze, her hot breath on his face, as she held her buzzing, angry lightsaber against his throat. He stared back at her, shocked.


“Haaaa... Haaa…” She was huffing, staring intently into his eyes as she held him against the bulkhead. Her own eyes were filled with fury… Then regret. A moment more, she let him go and pulled away. She doused her lightsaber, then turned to face the other side of the cargo bay as though it was the most interesting thing in the galaxy.


“Are... Are you all right?” She asked tentatively. Luke rubbed his throat, still warm from the training saber.


“...You really hate my father, don't you?” He said quietly, his throat dry. Ahsoka stiffened again. She shook her head, looking at the deck.


“It's okay if you do,” Luke said gently. “I… I want to hate him too.”


“It's... Complicated,” Ahsoka said tightly. “It’s not really something I want to talk about-”


“That’s something else Jedi do to me, a lot,” Luke snapped, sharper than he intended. He winced at the wounded look on Ahsoka’s face, and quickly tempered his anger. “What I mean is… There’s a lot of lying by omission. A lot of hidden, suppressed things. Things that… That haunt and gnaw at you if you let them stay inside.”


Ahsoka sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. “You might be right,” she said. She slowly turned to face him, but her eyes didn’t meet his. “Some hurts… Just don’t go away,” she admitted. “Some things never get talked about.”


Luke frowned. “Maybe now is the time to talk about them,” he insisted. Ahsoka met his eyes. She heaved a great breath, and smiled at him.


“Yeah.” She slowly nodded again. “We’ll talk… Just…” She took a few more deep breaths, “let’s do it after we’ve had some time to calm down, all right?”


Luke nodded. “Yeah. I understand.”


He paused.


“Also, I think I need to go back to the medbay,” he said. Ahsoka winced.


“Yeah, you probably do,” she said apologetically.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

More.

- - -

The Medical Droid was a bit unhappy over having to treat Luke again so soon. Which was like saying Tattooine was somewhat dry and sandy.

"This reckless disregard for medical treatment and advice is most distressing," the droid said, plunging a needle into Luke's shoulder with more force than necessary. Luke groaned and winced.

"Aren't you supposed to be more gentle with your patients?" Luke grumbled, rubbing his sensitive shoulder. The droid turned back to its rack and devices, servos whining like it was irritated.

"I do the best my programming will allow me," the droid retorted. "I will see to the more cooperative patients. Please do not return here so soon." The droid walked out, the hatch opening to allow it to exit. Slipping in was another familiar face: An irritated Princess Leia. He gave his friend a smile. It was a bit forced but mostly genuine.

"Hey Leia. Nice to see you stop by again," he said. Leia's glared locked onto him with the intensity of a superlaser, but Luke was able to keep his smile from faltering. He was used to it after all.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed again?" She demanded, his attempt at levity falling flat. Luke sighed and rubbed his shaggy hair. He looked back up, determined but as gentle as possible.

"I need to get better. Not just to fight Vader, but to rescue Han, too," he said. "I survived that last fight only because…" He trailed off. Leia glared.

"Because?" She prompted.

"He wanted to turn me to the Darkside," Luke said slowly. It was the truth, after all. Not all of it, but… He didn't know how Leia would respond to him admitting he was the son of the man who had caused her so much pain. Her keen gaze bored into him, but he held his ground.

"... If he knew you at all, he should have known he would fail," Leia said, nodding in satisfaction. She reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "If you're afraid you'd fall, don't be. I know you too well, Luke. He doesn't know you at all."

Luke winced, but managed to squeeze her hand with genuine appreciation. "Thank you," he said softly. He shook his head, looking over at his artificial hand. "But the fact remains, I can't stop getting better. Because it's what I have to do."

"At least let your injuries heal fully?" Leia asked, almost pleading. "We only have one of you, Luke."

"I'm already healed well enough," Luke said, "and the better I get, the less I get hurt."

"Can Fulcrum at least go easier on you?" Leia insisted, not giving up. Luke laughed, almost humorlessly.

"My father didn't go easy on her. How could she do the same?" He asked.

Leia heaved a sigh. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"

Luke smirked, just a bit. It wasn't often he got one over on Leia, but he treasured it.

"I have proven very persuasive so far," he said. Leia cuffed him on the back of his head, making him wince. "Ow!"

"Just keep in mind that there's more to this than fighting, right? This war won't be won if you get yourself killed," she said. "It's hard enough with you being part of Rogue Squadron."

"One, that is harsh. Accurate, but harsh," Luke said. "And second? You? You're telling me this, Princess Workaholic?"

"Pfft," Leia said, rolling her eyes, "do as I say, not as I do. And I'm not flying with Hobbie, am I?"

"All right, fair point," Luke admitted. Leia nodded. She turned and headed off. She paused at the hatch to look back over her shoulder.

"See you at the hanger bay in the morning?" Leia suggested. "Lando and Chewbacca are due back."

Luke nodded eagerly.

"Of course!" He said.

Leia smiled. "Good." She headed off, the hatch sliding shut behind her. Luke sighed, and leaned back on the medical bed. He stared up at the bulkhead, pulling up the blanket. It wasn't the best place to sleep, but it would work for now.

Maybe if Leia was a few hundred kilometers away on another ship, he could stop thinking about not telling her about what Vader told him. What Ahsoka had all but confirmed for him.

Who he would be talking to about that very subject tomorrow.

Despite all this, Luke Skywalker found sleep at last. His dreams were filled with a strange brown haired, brown eyed woman, who looked so kind… And yet so sad.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

And even more.

- - -

Ahsoka and Luke met in the cargo bay on Home One after Luke got acquainted with his new mechanic. Artoo was already waiting for them, silent. Ahsoka sat down with her legs crossed, and gestured to Luke to sit across from her. He did so, holding his spine straight. Ahsoka gave him a small smile, softness in her eyes despite her tension. Artoo rolled up to their sides, uncharacteristically quiet. Luke gave his droid companion a confused expression, before Ahsoka spoke.

"So... Where do we begin?" Ahsoka asked. Luke took a deep breath.

"I'm... Not sure where to begin," Luke admitted. He shook his head. "I suppose of my long list is... Who was my mother?"

Ahsoka nodded. "That's pretty easy." She nodded to Artoo. The astromech droid's holoprojector activated, and an image formed in front of Luke. It resolved into a beautiful young woman with her hair in an elaborate, cone-shaped headdress and a long, elaborate dress. The woman was giving a speech, smiling warmly and yet sadly to an unseen audience. Luke stared, his breath caught in his lungs. He reached out, almost numbly, and his fingers went right through the image. Ahsoka smiled sadly.

"Senator Padme Naberrie, of Naboo," the former Jedi Padawan said. "She used to be the Queen of Naboo. There was an invasion by the Trade Federation of Naboo, and she escaped with two Jedi Knights to Tatooine," Ahsoka recounted. "One of those Jedi Knights was Obi-Wan, there with his mentor and master Qui-Gon Jinn. There, they found your father. He was-"

"A slave?" Luke asked, voice slightly choked. Ahsoka looked at Luke in surprise. The young man shrugged. "Skywalker is a traditional slave name on Tatooine. My uncle told me my grandmother was freed, but my father kept the name."

Ahsoka nodded. "That's right," she confirmed, looking and feeling tense through the Force. She was flooded with so many memories, but Luke couldn't discern any of them through her defenses.

"Your father helped free Naboo, though Qui-Gon Jinn was killed by a Sith assassin. Obi-Wan then took Anakin as his padawan. Your parents didn't see eachother for another ten years," Ahsoka continued, "while your father was trained by Obi-Wan. By then, your mother was a senator and trying to prevent the outbreak of what we would call the Clone Wars."

"Didn't work out I take it," Luke said, a bit more bitter than he intended. At Ahsoka's hurt look, he winced. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, no, I understand," Ahsoka said. She sighed. "To be honest though? I don't think she could have done anything. The entire war was set up and arranged by Palpatine years ago. Like we were all pieces on a game board he directed over time." Ahsoka shook her head. "Anyway... Your mother was being targeted for assassination, so your father was made her bodyguard. They fell in love, and got married in secret. For the next three years, they kept it up."

"What was she like?" Luke asked softly. Ahsoka smiled, genuinely here.

"She was kind. Always believed in the right thing, and in doing it. She never gave up on anything. She would bend, but she would never break. Always with that calm determination, with a look in her eyes that said 'You can't stop me.' She was always so caring, so determined to find a way to solve things without violence. When violence was needed though? She never hesitated and fought to the finish." The former Padawan looked Luke over, reaching out to touch his cheek. "You remind me of her, you know. When you sit, when you think."

Luke flushed, pleased and yet sad at the same time. He closed his hand in the center of the Padme hologram, as though trying to hold his mother. Artoo beeped a few times, and Luke and Ahsoka looked at the droid. Luke's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wait-YOU WERE THERE?!" Luke demanded, anger surging in his chest. The astromech beeped defensively, and Ahsoka rested a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Luke, with how dangerous things were, Artoo couldn't tell anyone," Ahsoka said. "You've been part of the Rebellion for years now: You understand how covert operations work."

"This isn't secure information, this is who I am!" Luke growled, glaring his anger and betrayal at the little droid. Artoo sighed sadly, tilting his head to look down in shame. "My family! Things I need to know! Things I was never told! I... Did you know my father was Darth Vader?!" He whispered the demand. Artoo shook his head, denying it. Ahsoka tightened her grip on Luke's shoulder.

"Luke," Ahsoka said gently, "don't. Please."

Luke took deep breaths, calming himself. He released his fury out into the Force. He looked over at the droid he considered his friend, who looked back. Artoo seemed contrite and apologetic. The droid then elaborated, explaining a few more things.

"He was your mother's gift to your father, when he became a Jedi Knight," Ahsoka said. She smiled. "Your father loved him. I know this. I saw how Anakin would tend to him. He probably thought he was returning the favor by looking after you."

Artoo beeped in confirmation, and further added he wanted to tell Luke everything so many times. So many opportunities. The droid had hoped that maybe when the war was over, he could tell him everything. So much information he had was dangerous: Dangerous if anyone found out, not just Luke.

"I... I guess I can understand that," Luke sighed. He shook his head. "I just can't believe all these things people kept from me." His eyes narrowed. "Especially Ben," he added. Ahsoka smiled.

"He'll probably tell you the whole story if he could. But in the past, he treated us all like kids: Keeping a lot of information to himself because he thought he knew best." She sighed and shook her head, lekku shaking. "He wasn't a bad person, Luke. Far from it! But he wasn't perfect. None of us were." She nibbled her lower lip. "A lot of us thought we were, though. That's part of why the old Order fell."

Luke nodded slowly, and let out a breath. He gave Ahsoka a determined expression. "We can't let this happen again, then," he said firmly. "So please... Tell me everything you can. About my father, my mother... Obi-Wan... And you." He looked over at Artoo. "I want to know what part you played in all this, too."

The droid beeped in the affirmative. Ahsoka slowly nodded, her tension lessening just a little.

"I think we owe you that much," Ahsoka murmured. "It's... A long story."

"Well, while I'm on medical leave," Luke said, holding up his synthetic hand meaningfully, "I've got a lot of time on my hands."

Ahsoka smirked. "Your father would have made a joke like that," she stated.

"Would he?" Luke asked.

"Mainly to try to annoy Obi-Wan," Ahsoka admitted. "Master Kenobi could not keep quiet. He always had to backtalk everyone: Whether it was General Grievous or the Jedi Council..."

- - -

 

[Emperor Tippy]

@AndrewJTalon
Threadmarks man, threadmarks

 

[AndrewJTalon]

@AndrewJTalon
Threadmarks man, threadmarks

Added. Interface is a bit different from what I'm used to I'm afraid.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

It had been two weeks since they began training, and Luke was amazed at how far he'd come. Right now, he was fighting evenly with Ahsoka, who was hopping and spinning around in the air like a furious jubba bird. He stuck with Djem Sho, weathering the blows and letting the Force guide his blocks and deflections as the air was filled with the sounds of superheated plasma clashing together. Ahsoka abruptly landed on his flank, and banished a crate at him with the Force. He caught it with the Force, and turned in a pirouette to bring it around his center. He threw the box back at Ahsoka, and she leaped over it to dive down like a desert falcon, her blades burning bright.

Luke managed to take that blow, feeling the surge of the Force Ahsoka committed and absorbing it. He swung his training saber back around, and drove her back. She struggled to hold her ground, but he had the momentum now: His training saber crashed down on her, as he drove her back.

She stumbled, and fell backwards into the boxes with a yelp and a crash. Luke deactivated his saber, and rushed over to her.

"Ahsoka! Are you all right?! I didn't mean to-GAH!" A Force Push sent him flying back into crates, as Ahsoka rose with a smirk.

"Gotcha," she said with a wink. Luke groaned, glaring up at Ahsoka as she walked to his fallen form. She reached out a hand, and Luke grudgingly took it. "But much better. I had to outright cheat to make you drop your guard there."

Luke yanked on her arm, and sent her tumbling onto him. He immediately regretted the impulse, as the shocked Torgrutan woman was now staring into his eyes, their noses pressed together. She then laughed out loud in his face, and he found himself grinning despite his blush.

"Good lesson," she said, patting his shoulder. Luke nodded back, keeping his mind off the fact his instructor and friend was a very attractive woman. An attractive woman who was sitting in his lap. I thought I was done with puberty by now, he lamented, as Ahsoka got off him and he stood on his feet. Ahsoka rubbed her shoulder, wincing a bit.

"And you're finally giving me injuries," she complimented. Luke nodded, centering himself. He immediately thought of Yoda, as a means of avoiding any sexy thoughts... And it brought his mind to another pressing question. One he felt they might be able to talk about.

"... Did Yoda know?" He asked. Ahsoka paused, and looked at him. Her face fell a bit.

"About your father?" Ahsoka shook her head. "I don't know. Like I said... I left the Order before all that happened." She sighed, her orange hands rubbing over her forearms as though warding off cold. She looked at him, eyes tightening in a grimace.

"It doesn't mean he was lying to you," she said. "Or that Ben was doing the same thing."

"No," Luke muttered, but without rancor. "Still... He hasn't told me anything."

Ahsoka blinked. "Luke... Master Kenobi is dead," she said gently. "You saw him yourself."

Luke looked up, feeling a bit sheepish. He cleared his throat. "I know," he said. "But... The thing is... I can still hear him. And see him, too."

Ahsoka blinked again, and Luke was immediately regretting his admission.

"Have you told anyone else?" Ahsoka asked carefully. Luke sighed. Well, she thought he was crazy. Guess he'd better go the full route through Beggar's Canyon now that he'd started.

"No. I mostly just tell them I hear... Things, through the Force," he said. "But it took the form of Ben. First as a voice, like during the Battle of Yavin or Cymoon-1. Then, I started to see him. He was..." He shrugged, a bit lamely, "a ghost. A... Force Ghost."

Ahsoka stared for a very long moment. She slowly nodded.

"I believe you," she said simply, without a hint of condescension or hidden worry in her face or in the Force. Luke's tension dropped, and he smiled at her in relief.

"You do?" He asked. Ahsoka nodded.

"Sure! There were records of Force ghosts in the Jedi Archives. A strong enough spirit can resist becoming one with the Force."

"When I tried to tell anyone else, they thought I was... You know," Luke twirled a finger around his head. "Or that it was my way of coping with seeing him die. Thinking it was him when it was just the Force."

Ahsoka smiled gently. "To non-Force sensitives... It is pretty strange. And if you weren't as strong in the Force as I've seen you, I'd worry about your sanity too." She took another deep breath. "However, that's not what I'm worried about," she admitted. Luke tilted his head, curiously.

"What is it?"

"The thing is, most Force users who leave ghosts behind? They're Sith," Ahsoka said uncomfortably. "The Darkside involves twisting and bending the Force to your will, trying to make it your slave. Not being in a relationship with it, like Jedi are. So as a result, many Sith have trouble letting go of their conscious form and becoming one with the Force."

"But that can't be right," Luke insisted. "Why would a Sith want me to destroy the Death Star? Or keep me safe from Vader?"

Ahsoka nodded. "I did say most Force Ghosts tended to be Sith, not all. But in most cases when Jedi reported seeing ghosts, they were usually bad news." Her frown deepened, and Luke could guess at the emotion behind her expression.

"And why wouldn't he appear to you?" Luke finished. "Why wouldn't anyone you lost... Appear to you?"

Ahsoka started, and looked over at Luke almost coldly. "You're getting better at that," she said softly. Luke flushed, feeling angry with himself.

"Sorry," he murmured. Ahsoka shook her head, still tense but focused on something else.

"It's... All right," she said. "Now, we should get back to the-"

Her comm unit buzzed. Ahsoka sighed, and pulled it out. She flicked it on, and a small blue hologram of a man with the most impressive muttonchops he'd ever seen appeared in her palm. "Yes Kallus? What is it?" She asked.

Alexsandr Kallus smiled wryly. "I do apologize for interrupting your training, Master Jedi," he said, and Ahsoka grimaced at the term, "but Intel ran across something very interesting on Naboo."

"Interesting in what way?" Ahsoka inquired, one brow rising. The holo switched over to a small screen, showing a section of marketplace on a planet. The architecture was very clean and formal, leading Luke to guess it was Naboo. A few figured walked through the street: Citizens, merchants, children, a few Stormtroopers. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as the footage ran. A small, feminine figure in a cloak appeared in the frame, and walked to a doorway into one of the buildings. The figure looked around furtively, obviously afraid of being followed. The figure's face became visible, and the footage froze. The view zoomed in, until the features of the woman's face came into view. Ahsoka and Luke both sucked in a deep breath.

Curly brown hair, with warm brown eyes. High cheek bones. A pointed chin. There were a few wrinkles around her eyes that weren't there in the previous holos, but otherwise...

"It can't be," Ahsoka breathed. "She's dead. It's got to be a lookalike-She had so many!" She looked over at Artoo, who chirped in the affirmative. The little astromech was more forthcoming now that the krayt dragon was out of the nest, but his answers were still terse when the subject came up. Luke couldn't be bothered though.

Kallus reappeared on the holo, hands behind his back as he nodded. "We thought that too," he said, "or perhaps a relative. Except for a few things. None of the Naberrie family females were involved in this: All have been accounted for, and they weren't at these locations. Second, Thanks to our local contacts, we have learned that someone accessed the Naberrie family accounts. This person did not identify herself, but she was given a great deal of money, no questions asked."

"Have you managed to access the genetic records? Get us a sample?" Ahsoka asked. Kallus shook his head.

"Not as yet."

Ahsoka was silent, deep in thought. Luke's eyes could only see the face of the woman. The woman who looked like his mother.

"Finally, this individual was able to access the Naboo palace via methods that were previously thought to be known only to former and current monarchs," Kallus said, and here more security holocam footage appeared. The same woman was seen in a crypt, standing near a casket shaped to resemble-

"Mother," Luke murmured. Kallus against filled the holoimager, his expression grave.

"The Naboo palace has not made this security breach public. They've kept it quiet, along with everything else. However, there are stirrings though among the populace, rumors of rebellion against the Empire. A rebellion led by a woman the Empire thought dead."

"Does Vader know?" Luke immediately asked urgently. If Kallus was suspicious about the question, he didn't express it. He shook his head.

"Imperial intelligence will already be on this from rumor alone. Whether or not Lord Vader will be called in? I can't be sure."

Luke felt at war with himself. Going to Naboo to check this out... How many other people alive knew who his mother was? Who his father was? What if it was a trap, just like Bespin?

And yet... That face in the holoimager. How sad the person had looked, standing in the crypt.

"I'll check it out," Ahsoka said firmly. She glanced at Luke, and then back at Kallus. "Thank you."

Kallus's face betrayed nothing. He nodded. "I'll inform Alliance Command," he said, and the holo shut off. Ahsoka looked at Luke. Luke slowly nodded. Artoo warbled in warning, shaking his head back and forth. Luke set his teeth, eyes locked onto the dome of the blue astromech.

"You saw her die? Maybe," Luke said, "but what if you were wrong?"

The droid protested. Artoo knew what he'd seen. Luke shook his head.

"I need to know for sure," Luke said stubbornly. "If there's even a chance..." He looked over at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka shook her head, exchanging a look with Artoo. The little droid again beeped in protest, and she nodded.

"He's right. This could be a trap."

"I know," Luke said earnestly, "but... You said it yourself. My mother had a lot of decoys. Isn't it at the very least... Possible? So many people from the Clone Wars survived! People we thought were dead-Why not my mother?"

Ahsoka sucked in a deep breath, and let it out. "Sometimes it's better if the past is dead and buried," she said. Luke narrowed his eyes.

"Is that what the Jedi Order thought?" He returned, almost savagely. Ahsoka's eyes widened. She slumped a bit, looking tired. Luke felt regret, but didn't stop his glare.

"I need to know," he insisted. Ahsoka slowly nodded.

"All right," she said quietly.

Artoo again protested, but the little droid recognized a losing battle when he saw one. He chirped that, at the very least, they did need to investigate. Ahsoka nodded in the affirmative. She looked back at Luke.

"I'll take you with me. But..."

"You have a bad feeling about this?" Luke interrupted. Ahsoka nodded. Luke sighed, his mind filled with the fear in those brown eyes.

"So do I..."

- - -

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

Thanks for bringing this over Andrew, this was a rather fun story and the community driven aspect of it was fun as well. Might actually contribute something this time.

 

[Murica]

The last post looked a little longer than 1000 words-- did the limit get raised?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Thanks for bringing this over Andrew, this was a rather fun story and the community driven aspect of it was fun as well. Might actually contribute something this time.

That would be great! I do have a list of scenes if you need plot bunnies to work off of.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

That would be great! I do have a list of scenes if you need plot bunnies to work off of.

I'll think of that, or I could write something non-canon. Or a crossover, which would also be non-canon.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I'll think of that, or I could write something non-canon. Or a crossover, which would also be non-canon.

Fair enough. I do want to finish this story at some point, because I intend for it to be able to fit into the pre-Disney Star Wars canon flawlessly.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Well, some of the good parts of the Disney canon will be included...

- - -

To say Leia was unhappy about this idea was inaccurate.

"Are you kidding?!"

"Livid" was much more accurate.

Luke couldn't help wincing at the fury in Leia's voice and in her Force presence as she glared at him. Her hands were pressed on the plotting table of the briefing room on Home One, her knuckles white as she gripped at the table. Like she was resisting the urge to strangle him.

Alexandr Kallus stood stoically on the other end of the table, while Ahsoka stood next to Luke. The older Jedi crossed her arms under her breasts, neutral but determined. The former Imperial agent shrugged simply.

"If Padme Naberrie is still alive, she could be a great asset to the Rebellion," Kallus said calmly. "Her experience in the Old Republic, the contacts she made during the Clone Wars-"

"A woman whose funeral was seen by millions? Whose dead body was publicly interred over twenty years ago?" Leia demanded. "How could she have survived? Why now?"

Ahsoka coughed, non-too subtly. Leia's glare didn't lessen.

"That's different!"

"Is it?" Ahsoka asked quietly. "My master was able to keep his marriage with her a secret for years. From the Jedi Order, no less. If anyone could fake their death and hide this long, it would be her."

Leia was still unconvinced, still glaring. Luke took a deep breath and locked gazes with Leia.

"Leia. I know you're worried about me going after her myself," he said. "But..." He grimaced. "I have to know."

"You're still recovering from your fight with Vader," Leia said angrily. "You're not resting enough, you're not healing properly-!"

"There's no time for that, Leia," Luke said insistently. "If the Empire gets to her first-"

"I'll keep him safe. I promise," Ahsoka said earnestly. "Frankly, having him along might make things easier. After all? What could be more convincing than meeting your child?" She looked over at Luke, giving him a small smile. Luke returned it, and looked back at Leia. Leia glared over at Kallus, who nodded.

"It would be more convincing," Kallus said.

"And if it's a trap?" Leia asked, eyes narrowed in anxiety. Luke smiled.

"Then I won't be alone this time," he said. "Besides, Vader is nowhere near the Naboo system. He doesn't know we're going... What could bring him there?"

Leia still didn't look convinced, and frankly Luke didn't blame her. He didn't believe his father wouldn't go to Naboo the moment he learned about this woman. But that made speed all the more vital. What if Vader got his hands on her first? What would he do?

He didn't know... And that scared him. He had to know though. More than anything else, he needed to know. Leia had to know that.

"... All right," Leia said softly, letting out a sigh. Her grip loosened, just a little. "But no storming in like idiots. We do this properly," she looked over at Kallus, who nodded.

"I've already found a refugee freighter heading for Naboo. Commander Skywalker can board it and get there within a day. Master Tano will take a supply ship to a company that is covertly supporting us. Once there," he nodded to Ahsoka, "you will rendezvous with our agent on Naboo and we can start looking for this woman."

"I trust you have someone to look after Luke on this mission?" Leia asked sharply, and Kallus wilted just a bit at her glare. Luke felt pride stirring in his chest.

"I don't need a babysitter," Luke said, annoyed.

"No, but you need someone to watch your back," Leia stated earnestly. Kallus shrugged.

"We... Had a volunteer," he said neutrally. "I thought you'd approve."

"Volunteer?" Luke asked, blinking in confusion. Ahsoka covered her face, hiding a smile. There was a surge in the Force, and Luke instinctively held his arms out as the hatch leading into the room opened with a whoosh.

"HeyLukelongtimenoseeCATCHMEWHEEEE!"

Luke grunted only slightly as he caught about 90 pounds of energetic archaeologist. Doctor Chelli Aphra grinned up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Did you miss me, Sweetheart?"

Luke dumped her, making Aphra squeal as she held on. She pouted up at him as she pressed herself against him without shame.

"Now is that any way to greet your wife?" Aphra asked. Luke's eyes widened, and he immediately looked over at Kallus. The Former Imperial agent smirked and shrugged.

"A newlywed couple driven off a world torn by the strife of the Rebellion," he said. "Perfect cover."

"Don't worry sweetie. Whatever the future holds, we'll be together," Aphra said with complete sincerity. "I even learned how to knit! Do you think we'll have a boy or a girl?"

Luke sighed and glared at Leia, who was trying very hard not to laugh. "You were looking forward to this moment, weren't you?"

"Oh no, I'm still angry," Leia admitted with a nod, "but at least I'll know you'll be safe. So..." She grinned, "you two enjoy your honeymoon."

"I can't go with Ahsoka why?" Luke asked, annoyed. Ahsoka shook her head.

"I'm too well known. Besides, I'm no homewrecker."

"I misjudged you, Master Tano," Aphra simpered, "you can be our godmother!"

Luke held his forehead and groaned.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Darth Vader brooded on the distant stars beyond the viewports of the Executor's bridge. The Super Star Destroyer was at Kuat, undergoing a long delayed refit and refurbishment. The work was long and tedious, but was being performed efficiently. He had ensured it, by limiting his executions to only the most incompetent officers. Yet even he got bored with terrifying his hapless crew members, and so he found himself staring out at the stars in dark, intense contemplation.

The battle at Bespin was still fresh in his mind, like the burns from his fall at Mustafar. If he closed his eyes, he still saw his son... Rejecting him, falling off the platform into the depths below. That look on his face, so full of defiance. So strong. He was growing more and more powerful all the time. Perhaps it wasn't the right time for his fall to the Darkside. Perhaps that was yet to come. Perhaps he simply wasn't... Strong enough.

Yet more than the imagery were the feelings it had incited in him. How was it that he, the Dark Lord of the Sith, had won the battle easily with only superficial injuries... And yet he was the one who walked away feeling crushed?

You lost, Anakin. You never did take that well, an Obi-Wan like voice in his head spoke. Vader glared out at the stars, his bad mood roiling off him in waves.

He lost one duel. It was one loss. He would recover. He just had to find his son again. He would do it the next time. Luke had to see, had to understand...

"My lord?"

An intelligence officer was standing at attention, trying to hide his fear. Vader turned to regard him blandly, getting only the meanest satisfaction from the spike in terror the young officer felt.

"What is it?" He demanded, annoyed. The officer shakily handed over a datapad. Vader didn't bother to take it, still regarding the officer with his inscrutable mask.

"M-My lord, you wished to be alerted about anything regarding Skywalker?" He stammered. Vader's mood immediately shifted, his brooding cast aside.

"You have his location?" Vader asked. The officer shook his head.

"N-No, sir, not exactly... However, our channels picked up a hit from a refugee ship service. It is a close match for an alias used by Doctor Aphra, m-my lord," he stammered. Vader took the datapad and looked through the report quickly.

Female, just over five foot, similar features to Aphra accompanied by young man in black, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes-

"Where was the transport going?" Vader immediately demanded. The intelligence officer gulped.

"Ah... The flight plan has three worlds, all in the Chommell Sector. But their first stop is Naboo."

Vader read over the dates on the data and did the math in his head. "They are already there by now," Vader growled.

"Sorry my lord," the officer squeaked. "The information had to get through some analysis-"

Vader strode off, the officer barreling out of the way and barely avoiding ending up in the pits where the other bridge crew members were working. Vader didn't spare him a second thought: He had a world to get to, immediately.

- - - -
Balmorra

The gangway to the transport ship was tight and difficult to navigate. It was more difficult, Luke found, while Aphra was clinging tightly to him. His clothing for his disguise consisted of plain black robes: Leia's gift to him. Over this he wore a black hooded cloak. Aphra, on the other hand, had pulled on an elaborate blue dress and headdress, along with a large suitcase. Rolling behind them was Artoo, beeping softly to himself.

They came up to the Twi'lek crewmember who was checking off the passengers on his datapad. He turned a bored expression to the pair.

"Names?" He asked blandly.

"Jack and Har Lee Napier, with our droid," Luke said blandly. Aphra giggled and nuzzled him.

"I'm so glad we escaped just as our wedding was finished," she sighed happily, kissing his neck. He blushed deeply as Aphra beamed at the Twi'lek. "Is Naboo really beautiful? Mistah J and I can't wait to see it!

The Twi'lek shrugged. "It's okay," he said with about as much interest as Tatooine had rain. "You've got cabin 43-B. Have a nice flight," he said. "Next!"

"It's not much of a honeymoon," Aphra commented as Luke escorted her through the hatch and down the corridor, "but anywhere I'm with you, I'm happy."

Luke tried very hard not to blush. He found it easier to focus when he picked up two Stormtroopers' minds. They entered the common room of the transport, where the two troopers were standing guard. Aphra continued to cuddle him, not revealing any tension. Luke though was struggling to stay in character.

"Jack? Why are you so cold to me?" Aphra whined. She looked at him directly, and the message was clear: Play along, idiot.

The Stormtroopers were showing them more interest. More and more suspicion. Luke took a deep breath, focused... He had to put aside his feelings and do what needed to be done.

"It's just been so unreal, dear," he admitted. "I feel like I'm in a dream, right here with you." He reached for her chin, and gently gripped it. "The best kind of dream there is," he said as he pulled her into a kiss. His other arm wrapped tightly around her waist, crushing her to his chest. She was warm, and sweet, and the feelings he got through the Force from her were very gratifying: Pleased surprise and genuine affection. As well as some triumph. Luke had to admit, it wasn't bad.

He was, however, much more interested in the Stormtroopers' mental states. Slowly, their interest drifted away from them: He could sense some discomfort and envy from them.

Luke broke the kiss, panting softly. Aphra was red faced, breathing just as hard. Artoo beeped softly, getting their attention. Luke kept his arm wrapped around her waist and they resumed walking down the corridor. She giggled just a bit as they entered the room, Artoo rolling behind them. The cabin was old and bare, with just a few bunks, lockers, a fresher, a desk and a chair. The lights overhead flickered slightly due to a power surge. The hatch slowly shut behind them, sealing tight. Aphra smirked up at him, resting her hands on his shoulders as she looked up at him coyly.

"Well well, Mister Napier," she cooed, "perhaps you can be taught."

"I had to get used to you flirting with me eventually," Luke said, smiling back. He shook his head, and gently pulled away from her. He turned and set their luggage in a locker. "Besides, I'm better at sensing people's intentions and emotions now," he further explained. "And I figured out what you were doing-"

"Right. Public displays of affection make other sapients uncomfortable," Aphra said. Luke frowned, and looked back at her. She was sitting on a nearby bunk, kicking her legs up like an impatient child.

"It's just hard to figure out whether you're using it as a defense or if it's genuine," Luke said. Aphra shrugged, smirking up at him.

"Don't you think you've been around me long enough to tell the difference?" She asked. Luke chuckled.

"What, and call you predictable?" He asked. Aphra shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose that would be bad," she said. She beamed up at him. "So! Naboo's really great, you know. It's idyllic, actually. Waterfalls, forests... More waterfalls. It's like something out of a children's holo book," she said, making a face. Luke nodded.

"I guess that's why you don't care for it?" He asked. Aphra snorted.

"Some worlds keep their filth on the surface. Seems a bit more honest that way," she said. She shrugged. "Though my last visit wasn't for vacation. It was for... Well..."

Her mind went to Vader, obvious through the Force. Luke nodded slowly.

"My father," he said, and the light hearted feeling vanished with those words. Aphra nodded back, settling her hands in her lap. Luke sighed and looked intently at her.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked. Aphra snorted.

"Would you have believed me?"

Luke considered, and shook his head.

"I have trouble believing it myself," he admitted. Aphra nodded.

"Well, there you go," she said. "That's all it is. I lie for a living, after all. Or to keep living."

"You're also holding something back," Luke observed quietly. "And no, I didn't need the Force to know that. It's all over your face," he pointed out. Aphra glanced aside, squeezing her hands together. She was uncharacteristically awkward, despite the fact she was practically throwing herself at him not five minutes ago.

"... Luke, I..." She grimaced. "I suck at this, okay? I'm no good at talking about this poodoo. Especially to someone who can see the truth." She raised her eyebrows. "Can you actually see images or is it just feelings?"

"Chelli," Luke said, gently but firmly, "please."

The rogue archaeologist sucked in a deep breath, and let it all out in a sigh. She looked down at her feet, still kicking in the air. "If I told you he was your father, and you believed me... You would go after him. Try to save him. Like you try to save me," she admitted. She glared at him. "You're a reckless, heroic idiot. And how you ended up after Bespin proves I was right."

"He wouldn't kill me," Luke said, "if he is my father, he couldn't."

"There are worse things than death, Luke," Aphra said earnestly. Luke nodded, conceding the point.

"I didn't fall," he said. Aphra shook her head.

"Not this time," she said. "I was enraptured by him, you know? His power, his sheer presence. He seemed like a god of destruction made real. I couldn't resist him. But when I think of you, and you becoming like that..." She trailed off. Luke blinked.

"... You were worried about me," he discerned.

"I just think you'd try to kill me," she said softly. "Like Vader killed your mother."

Luke started, gaping at her. Aphra shook her head.

"I saw the autopsy, the secret one. Her injuries weren't caused by anything normal. They were caused by an outside force. The Force. Who else would do it?"

"I can't believe that," Luke said, shaking his head. "I refuse to."

"Believe what you want, Luke, but I know him better than you," Aphra pointed out. Luke felt a pang of envy at that, but he nodded.

"Maybe. But I can't believe it until I've seen proof," he said. He looked over at her. "With how everyone in my life has been hiding things from me, I can't be too sure," he stated significantly. Artoo paused, and again the little droid beeped in apology. Aphra stared at the droid in disbelief.

"Wait, you knew his parents?!" Aphra gasped. She was immediately on her knees by Artoo, grinning eagerly. "I need to see this!"

Artoo glanced over at Luke. Luke sighed and sat down next to Aphra. He nodded to his droid, who beeped and began playing holo recordings. There was his father, and his mother, standing on a porch looking over a beautiful lake.

"I don't like sand," Anakin spoke. "It's rough and course, and it gets everywhere." He smiled at her. "Not like you. You're smooth, and soft..."

Aphra's eyebrows rose high, as did Luke's.

"Wow," she said. "He was... Such a dork! Like you!" She giggled. Luke sighed, grumbling softly.

"Jedi training clearly doesn't involve how to flirt," Luke said, a bit defensively. Aphra smirked at him.

"Nah, this is definitely genetic," she said, "you're just as cute as him, too."

"Thanks... I think," Luke managed, feeling a lot of conflicting emotions. It didn't distract him from sensing a Stormtrooper coming up the corridor. He was opening the hatches, checking each one. He looked over at Aphra.

"A trooper's coming," he said, "we need to-Mmph!"

Aphra jumped him, pinning him to the deck and kissing him senselessly. She broke the kiss only briefly, as Artoo shut off the holorecording.

"Rip my clothes off!" She growled. Luke gaped, and found his hands tearing open her dress automatically. "Good! Now grab my breasts!"

"Uh, Chelli-" Luke tried, but she moved his hands to her chest and his mind blanked out. Aphra flung her fancy headdress away, and resumed kissing him just as the hatch opened.

"Security che-Oh!" The Stormtrooper gulped. "I uh, I'm so sorry-"

"Oh it's okay!" Aphra said breathlessly, holding Luke tightly. "You know, in some cultures it's good luck for someone to watch the conception of the first child! Would you care to-?"

"I'mfartoobusythankyougoodbye!" The trooper babbled, quickly shutting the hatch. Luke sighed in relief as the trooper hurried away.

"Well, that's over-APHRA!"

Aphra grinned innocently. "What? I'm still in character!"

"Well get out of it!"

"Wouldn't you prefer I get out of this dress~?"

Luke scrambled away, quickly fixing his clothes. "We're on a mission," he said urgently. "We need to stay focused..."

Aphra pouted after him, and he sensed her hurt. He smiled gently, and reached out to squeeze her hand.

"No matter how much we might want to be... Distracted," he admitted. Aphra sighed, but was mollified.

"Fine... But if our mission requires us to have sex in public, we're doing it. Got it?" She demanded. Luke shook his head.

"That's not possible. I'll make sure of it."

"You really are no fun, Mistah J," she sighed.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Luke was far from the backwater farmboy he'd been when two strange droids had dropped into his lap on Tatooine, but even he couldn't help his awe as he got his first look at Theed on Naboo. The sheer amount of running water, the green across the world, the architecture that flowed like it was carved out of the living rock: He stopped on the disembarkment ramp for the transport at the space port and just took it all in. Birds cried out as they flew in formation above. The valley below stretched on into the distance, green and lush and dotted with little red and golden homes. Aphra stuck close to him, and tried to emulate his awestruck appearance. Yet her performance wasn't very good, for a first.

None of this mattered to the same bored Twi'lek who had taken their tickets, now sitting at the hatch on a cheap stool with an equally cheap datapad in his hands.

"Here are the directions to the refugee processing office," the Twi'lek said, handing them a cheap sheet of flexi with a map on it. "Enjoy your stay," he added blandly. When Luke and Aphra didn't move, he cleared his throat significantly. "Mind getting a move on with your new lives?"

"Oh! Uh, sorry," Luke managed, and he led Aphra down the ramp. Artoo rolled behind them, beeping softly. Aphra cuddled close to him, and sighed.

"Naboo... It's been a while," she admitted. She shook her head. "Not that you could tell. This place never changes."

"It doesn't, huh?" Luke murmured, looking around. He immediately wondered if this is what his mother had woken up to, every day. They entered the stream of people going in and out and around the spaceport, aliens of every description. They let the current take them, soon exiting the spaceport and reaching the public transport pads. Aphra kept her voice down throughout the trip.

"Nope. It's always been so pure and tranquil," she said, making a small face. "It's like a fairy tale, eugh. No wonder your mother wanted to leave."

Luke took a deep breath, and he sensed Aphra's regret. "Not that I mean-" she tried, but Luke shook his head.

"No, it's all right," he said. He frowned as he looked up at a large, dome-shaped building overlooking the cliffs high above. "That's the palace?" He asked. Aphra nodded.

"Yeah. Our contact said they'd meet us there," she said softly. She shrugged. "Vader had maps of the secret tunnels in and out of the palace."

"Doesn't that mean the Stormtroopers will know, too?" Luke asked, quite reasonably. Aphra shook her head.

"He didn't tell the rank and file about them. He had a lot of secrets to keep, too," she said. Luke sighed as they boarded a repulsor bus, which rumbled as it slowly took off.

"That's becoming a theme in my life," Luke said dryly. Aphra shrugged, and snuggled up to him on the bench.

"Hey. Everyone has something to hide, Mister Napier," she pointed out with a smile. She sighed. "Besides, some things can't be talked about."

"Yeah," Luke admitted softly. Artoo was still silent, but the little droid was decidedly not looking in his direction. The young would be Jedi closed his eyes and let the image of his mother flow over his mind's gaze. He couldn't help but wonder if the kind eyes and face he'd seen in the holo images was authentic. After all, if his father was Darth Vader... What kind of woman was his mother? He had seen such kindness and warmth in those eyes, over and over again... Yet he'd seen those things in Anakin's, too.

I guess I'll find out, one way or another, he decided.

- - -

The market of Theed was busy, bustling, and noisy. Travelers from hundreds of worlds mingled, bartered, and debated. Children ran underfoot merchants and diplomats arguing over deals, as the smell of exotic and familiar foods filled the air. Yet even without the Force, the tension was unmistakable as people tried to avoid looking at the Imperial flags waving overhead; Or the Stormtroopers at every corner. It wasn't like Tatooine, where the Empire was just one more set of thugs and threats to the locals: It was a chill in the air, a mute on the life of the community.

Don't pay so much attention to them, Luke thought to himself, as he moved through the marketplace. You're Jack Napier, here to start a new life with your wife and droid. Focus on that... Jack Napier...

"Excuse me, sir, miss," a stormtrooper stated, his helmet's distortion unmistakable. Luke froze, and turned with Aphra to face the trooper. He wasn't with any of his fellow troops, he was alone. It took Luke a moment to place his voice.

"Oh! The trooper from the transport, dear!" Aphra said with a beaming smile. "I'm so sorry about the..." She blushed demurely, "um, incident."

The trooper coughed, and shook his head. "Ah, think nothing of it. It was my fault," he said. "I just wanted to apologize properly, that's all. I'm on my first assignment, see, and I got Naboo-"

"Ooh!" Aphra cooed. "A cushy assignment for your first job?"

The trooper nodded. Luke frowned: The trooper's Force presence felt genuine but something was off. "Yes ma'am," he said. "So uh... I mean, if you could not report this to my superior, or mention it to anyone, I'd be very grateful. I worked really hard to get this assignment, you know?"

"Let's just let it rest," Luke said, reaching out with the Force. "There's no reason to be so worked up, is there?"

The trooper's tension dropped significantly, and he shook his head. "No reason to be so worked up," he repeated. Aphra's eyebrows threatened to shoot off her forehead. Luke stayed calm and focused, looking into the trooper's eyes.

"Just remember you owe us a favor and we'll call it even," Luke said carefully. The trooper nodded again.

"I'll remember I owe you a favor and we'll call it even," he replied. The trooper turned and headed off. Luke felt Aphra's look, and shook his head.

"Later," he said, leading her off towards the palace.

- - -

"Later", in Aphra's estimation, was about ten seconds after they got to cover in an alley adjacent to the palace walls.

"What the... That was a Mind trick, wasn't it!" She said, holding in a squeal. "That was a mind trick! That was so amazing-Hey, there are a few guys after me I could really use your-!"

"Aphra, focus," Luke growled. Aphra sighed, as Luke began to poke at a section of wall.

"Fine, whatever," she said. She reached out and pulled his hand away from the wall. She then tapped a section right below where his hand had rested, and the wall shuddered. The red surface gave way to a secret door, leading into a pitch black tunnel. "You're welcome, by the way," she said with a smirk. Luke managed a small smile back.

"Thanks," he said, as they went in. Artoo rolled behind them, beeping that they were clear. Aphra rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you'd have figured it out without your sexy, amazing wife," she said, patting him on the shoulder. The door shut, and darkness was all they could see before Artoo's lights went to high beam. They followed the corridor, turning right, then left, then right again. Aphra hummed thoughtfully.

"You know, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have at the briefing," she admitted.

"I'm shocked," Luke replied sarcastically. Aphra pouted, and stuck her tongue out at him. "And?" He asked.

"Well, they didn't give us much of a description of our contact," Aphra said with a shrug. "How are we supposed to know him?"

"I'm guessing he'll be the guy in the secret chamber ahead," Luke said, pointing at a durasteel door ahead. Aphra hummed, and walked up to the control panel next to it. She checked the pad and nodded.

"Someone's in here," she said. "Only a few minutes ago, too."

"And I can sense them, too," Luke said quietly. Aphra scoffed.

"When were you going to tell me that, Luke?"

"Probably when you stopped talking for five minutes," Luke replied, "so never?"

Aphra laughed. "Okay, that was pretty good," she said. "So, who can you sense?"

Luke concentrated. It wasn't hard to determine that Ahsoka was in there. She was calm, composed, but keeping her Force presence small. The other... Was a jumble of feelings and thoughts he could barely sort them out.

"Ahsoka, definitely," he said. "And the other-"

The blast doors slid open, hissing softly. On the other end of the door, a tall, gangly being with red and white skin stood. His eyes, mounted on stalks above a broad mouth, scrutinized them closely. In his hands was a blaster. Across his cheek was a scar, old and deep. He wore dark ragged clothes, threadbare versions of garments that might have once been presentable.

"Whoosa you?" The Gungan demanded, training his blaster squarely on the center of Luke's forehead. Luke sensed Aphra going for her blaster, but he shook his head and she paused.

Luke held up his hands, and smiled. "We're friends," he said. "We're not here to hurt you. We're with the Rebellion." He took a deep breath. "My name is-"

"Luke... Skywalker," the being murmured. His eyes went wide, and he grinned with many shiny, white teeth. He dropped the blaster and hugged the surprised Luke tightly. "Little Ani and Padme's boyo! It'sa you! It'sa you!"

Ahsoka stepped up, and smirked wryly. "Glad you could join us," Ahsoka spoke. Aphra was leaning back from the strange creature, making a strained smile.

"Uh, hi. Who's this?" Aphra asked.

"Whosa you?" The being demanded, suddenly suspicious. Luke was trying to breath, due to the tightness of the hug. Aphra shrugged.

"His wife, Chelli Aphra," she said. The being whooped again, and pulled her into the hug. "ACK! No, wait-!"

"And bringin' yer waifu along, just like yer parents! So proud of you, Lukey-boy! So proud!" The Gungan grinned. "Meesa Jar Jar Binks! Meesa knew yer parents! OoH! Needa godfather? Meesa great wit kids, ya know!"

"Heesa gonna be fish fry if heesa don't let me go right this instant," Aphra said in a sing song but deadly voice. Luke just grinned and hugged the strange creature back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jar Jar," he said. "A real pleasure."

Ahsoka sighed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help her smile. It had been a very long time, and despite everything, she'd missed the odd Gungan.

Artoo, naturally used to Jar Jar's antics, had gone to stand by Ahsoka. He didn't need to be any closer to this moment than he had to be. Besides, he got a better recording angle from here.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

They gathered around a desk in the small, aged chamber. Jar-Jar set down a holoprojector, and it flickered to life. The form of the woman from the initial recording slowly appeared, this time from a different angle. She was meeting with a Naboo Security Guard, an young man with dark skin and an eyepatch. He handed over a small package, which the woman accepted. Jar-Jar nodded and hummed in a thoughtful way.

"Dis be Jay Typho," Jar-Jar spoke. "Great-nephew t' Moff Panaka. Panaka knew yer mum n' dad, ya know," Jar-Jar said, nodded over at Luke. Luke frowned.

"I didn't think Panaka had any support for the Rebellion," Luke observed. Ahsoka shook her head, her eyes narrowed.

"He doesn't. He's full in for Palpatine, has been since day one. His nephew, Jay's father, was a different matter. He died a year after the declaration of a New Order," Ahsoka explained. "Jay on the other hand has looked the other way when it's come to this woman."

"So it's possible she was able to prove to him that she's actually my mother? Or at the very least, supporting her?" Luke asked. Aphra crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at the tall Gungan.

"What do you have to say to that, Binks?"

The Gungan hummed thoughtfully again, and shook his head. "Saw yer mum's body at the funeral, Luke," he said, as gently as he could manage. "Not seein' how she still be alive. Where she been all dis time."

"Is it possible she faked her death though?" Luke asked, and at Ahsoka's look he knew he sounded desperate. But the look in the woman's eyes... It was too familiar for him to dismiss his hope.

Artoo whistled, sounding doubtful. The droid explained further what his sensors had detected when Padme had been on the medical table. Luke shook his head.

"Is it possible you made a mistake though, Artoo? Maybe she wasn't... Entirely dead?" Luke tried. "Maybe she just fell into a coma?"

Artoo conceded the point, but had little confidence in it.

"To what end? Who would do it?" Ahsoka asked. Artoo whistled low in speculation. Ahsoka shook her head.

"If Bail Organa did that, why wouldn't he tell me she was still alive?" She asked. "Or if she was in cryo or something similar?"

"Maybe there wasn't any hope for her until now?" Luke tried. "Maybe she was kept in suspension until they could revive her-I mean, how else can we explain that?" He pointed at the hologram. "We have to find out, Ahsoka!"

"Especially since Vader will be after her, real thing or not," Aphra pointed out. "I worked for him, after all: He'd do anything for his wife."

Jar-Jar blinked, and his jaw dropped.

"Waitaminute... Vader issa Ani?!" Jar-Jar blurted out in disbelief. Luke held his hands up.

"That's... It's possible," he allowed in deference to Ahsoka. His Jedi teacher grimaced and shook her head.

"Later," she insisted. Jar-Jar stared at her in shock.

"But-But-!"

"It's a long, complicated story Binks," Aphra said, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder. "But can you really blame us for wanting to hold off on that right now?"

Jar-Jar shook his head. "De ting is though, Vader'll be coming here. If he'sa Ani..." He grimaced. "There ain't no force in de universe dat will keep him from her. I've seen it. Over and over again."

"He's not Anakin Jar-Jar," Ahsoka said softly. "If he was, all that's left is Vader."

Jar-Jar shook his head again, eyes narrowing. "Nuh uh. If anyting survived from Ani... It'll be de anger," he said. "Dat will always be dere."

Luke took a deep breath, focusing and centering himself. "Which means we need to get to her first," Luke said firmly. He looked at Jar-Jar. "So, can we get to her or not?"

Jar-Jar was silent for a moment, getting the measure of him. Luke felt that beneath this creature's outwardly clumsy and goofy exterior, there was a keen mind honed by experience. At last, the Gungan slowly nodded.

"Dere a way. Jay Typho is close t' me." He puffed himself up in a self mocking way. "As de honored retired Senator o' Naboo, I have de benefit of many patrons 'n connections across de galaxy," he said, acting so serious that Aphra couldn't help a giggle. Artoo whistled in warning. Jar-Jar shook his head.

"Hey-Iffen anybody was layin' a trap fer Luke or Ahsoka, dey'd have t' know who his mum 'n dad are," he pointed out. "Not many who know dat."

"It's not like they'd need to know that," Ahsoka countered, "there are plenty of people who would want to get Padme without knowing anything about their relationships." She looked at Luke intently, sensing his annoyance. "I know you need to know, Luke," Ahsoka said, holding up her hand, "but you're conflicted here. The chances of this being a trap are very, very high. And the Force..."

"The Force isn't telling me anything I didn't already know," Luke said intently. He sighed. "I know this could be a trap, very easily. But I just... I have to know."

Aphra squeezed Luke's hand, and smiled at them. "Relax, I'll keep Farm Boy from getting too in deep. Someone's gotta balance out you two crazy Jedi."

Artoo burbled in laughter and mockery. Aphra snorted.

"Hey, I gotta look after my husband don't I?"

Jar-Jar elbowed Luke playfully as the young man blushed hard.

"She's a keeper, ya."

"We're not really married!" Luke insisted. Aphra sniffled and held her hands to her cheeks.

"Already in denial! I understand, but I have to be honest, sweetie: It really hurts!"

- - -

Ahsoka and Jar Jar led the way through the tunnels, Luke and Aphra walking behind as Artoo brought up the rear. The older companions followed the dark corridors like they were in broad daylight, memory guiding them through the maze. Ahsoka caught Luke's eyes, and smiled at him almost cheekily. Like she was remembering a time she was Luke's age.

"You have no idea how many times we had to sneak into this palace," Ahsoka said with a grin. "It began to feel like home, after a while."

"Ya. Was home fer me, for a long, long time," Jar Jar spoke softly, his eyes swiveling on their stalks. "Went with Anie 'n Obie 'n Padme, plenty o' times durin' the war."

"You've lived here most of your life, Jar Jar," Ahsoka said gently. The old Gungan smirked, a trace of sadness in his usually cheery eyes.

"Lived here. Not home fer long time," he said. Ahsoka nodded back, eyes back on the path ahead. Luke sucked in a breath. The Force was... Tensing around him. As though holding its breath. Above him, he could sense the goings of people, back and forth. All unaware of them. All unaware of the torment beneath their feet. The danger...

They reached the end of the corridor, and Jar Jar tapped out a few hidden buttons in the wall. A hatch slowly opened in front of them, exposing the cool night air of the palace. Luke sucked in a deep breath, and pulled his hood up over his head. Aphra and Ahsoka followed suit, and all three were following Jar Jar as he strutted out into the courtyard. A pair of Stormtroopers waited at the entrance to a secured facility, and stood at attention when they saw Jar Jar.

"My Lord," they intoned. Jar Jar waved and grinned, stumbling a bit. He landed in the arms of one of the Stormtroopers, who awkwardly caught him.

"Ah, my lord! Sir!" The poor Stormtrooper said.

"Oh, no, meesa so sorry!" Jar Jar apologized profusely. He righted himself, adjusting his robes before patting the Stormtrooper over. "Yousa all right dere, laddie?"

"Ah, yes sir, I am fine," the trooper said, sounding embarrassed. He gestured to Luke, Aphra and Ahsoka. "Who are these individuals?"

"Oh, ah, justa friends fer dinner," Jar Jar said, waving his hand about. "Will not cause trouble, ya know, ya know!"

The troopers looked at each other, then back at the grinning Jar Jar. They nodded, and stood at attention.

"Of course, sir," they said in unison. Jar Jar nodded, adjusting himself again.

"Well! Let'sa go!" He ordered, walking forward with a bumbling gait in the dark corridors ahead. Luke, Ahsoka and Aphra followed, with Artoo trailing behind. None of them looked at the troopers, and through the Force Luke could sense the troopers saw what everyone else saw: A harmless, eccentric favorite of Palpatine.

They were another corridor ahead before Jar Jar rummaged in his clothing, and pulled out an identity cylinder. He handed out three more just like it to his companions.

"Randomly updated ident cylinders," the Gungan explained, "got his codes too."

"I forgot how handy you were at pickpocketing," Ahsoka admitted. Aphra smirked.

"Gonna teach me that some time?" She asked. Jar Jar shrugged.

"Maybe, iffen yousa be good..."

"How do you define that?" Aphra asked, blinking curiously. Jar Jar smirked.

"Good t' Luke!"

"Oh, that I can do~," Aphra purred, hugging and nuzzling Luke from behind. Luke blushed hard.

"Aphra, not now," he muttered. Aphra sighed.

"We'll just have to work on our relationship even harder, I suppose," she pouted. Luke rolled his eyes.

They arrived at a large, imposing double door. Jar Jar stuck the cylinder into the lock, and it slid open with creaks and squeaks. Jar Jar headed in, the others following. "Dis be de old security center. Still hooked in," the Gungan explained as he headed over to a computer console. He tapped a few keys, and the terminal warmed up. The screens cast light onto the aged Gungan's face, and Luke was startled at the change. Before, he'd seemed wrinkled and withered and tired, even while smiling. Here though... It was like the years were cast off. It was the same look on Ahsoka's face, as she studied the read outs.

Slowly, the screens shifted to images taken from security cameras. All over the city, scanning across Theed, the cameras recorded everything. People in shops, people in bedrooms, people in baths, in the transports, eating meals... Luke sucked in a breath, a deep sense of horror settling in his stomach. Aphra grimaced, taking it all in.

"Someone might have seen us already," Aphra muttered. Jar Jar shook his head.

"Don't be scared, no. Member dat slicing trick ya taught me?" The Gungan pointed out Luke and Aphra's faces on a holo monitor, taken from when they arrived. Their faces were blurred out, distorted just enough to be unrecognizable. "Keepin' Rebels safe, see?"

"Okay, you're definitely teaching me that trick," Aphra grinned. Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"Maybe later. What about our 'Padme', any idea where she is?"

Jar Jar flipped through the scans. He grimaced. "Few hits, nuttin firm," he admitted. "But-Oh, lookie day!" He pointed to a screen. A woman who matched the build of Padme, dressed in a cloak and hood, was entering an alley near the palace. "Recognize dat?"

"The way we came in," Aphra murmured. She checked the time stamp, and her eyes widened. "She just entered!"

"She's here?! Why?" Ahsoka demanded. "Why would she-"

"Where is she now?" Luke demanded, leaning over. Jar Jar flipped through several monitors, showing parts of the palace interior. A woman in a cloak darted past one recorder... And Luke felt a trigger in the Force. His eyes widened. He turned and ran out the doors, running faster than he ever had before. His heart pounded in his ears and he felt fear burn deep inside him. Cold and gripping, like icy fingers. Yet even here, the Force called to him, guided him. He ignored Ahsoka's calls over his comm as he flew through hallway after hallway, until he reached a large open courtyard. Far beyond him, under a separate pavilion, was an ornate mausoleum. He ran, the stars shining high over him as the city of Theed's lights burned in the distance.

He ran across the bridge, so very fast it seemed to happen in less than a blink of the eye. Then he was here. In a place he'd dreamed about. He caught his breath, looking about the interior of the mausoleum. It was all cool marble and stained glass, with small blue lights glowing in the ornate carvings that covered the inside. In the center of the round room was a sarcophagus, smooth and beautifully shaped from stone. He walked over to the head of the carved woman, and stared into her face. His hand rose, shakily. He rested it on the face of Padme, breathing hard. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself and find the Force. Find his center...

"Luke?" a female voice spoke shakily, echoing in the chamber. Luke froze, the chill of familiarity running up his spine. He turned, and stared at the woman. She stood at the entrance to the mausoleum, her pale hands squeezing together. She stepped into the pale blue light, her deep brown eyes gazing at him with unshed tears. Through the Force, everything was sharpened and focused. He took a deep breath.

"Who... Who are you?" He murmured. The woman removed her hood, her curly brown hair bouncing out. She didn't look a day older than she did in the holograms, physically. Yet on her face, and in the Force, he could feel weariness. He could sense relief, love and joy. All genuine, all threatening to burst like a weakened fusion reactor. She reached out a hand to him, shaking as much as his.

"Oh my... Luke... You have grown so much," she sniffled. "I never... I never could imagine seeing you. You're so much like your father..." Her hand reached his face, and cupped his cheek. She closed the distance, and Luke found his arms going around her. He hugged her tightly, the Force singing through her.

"Mother?" He gasped, amazed at the truth of it. She smiled, and hugged him back just as tightly. Her small frame nearly vanished in his arms.

Ahsoka stopped at the entrance, gaping in shock and anger. "Luke, what did you think you were-!"

Padme looked back over her shoulder, and smiled. Ahsoka's words were stolen from her throat, and her eyes bulged. The woman smiled brightly, her tears falling down her dimpled cheeks.

"And Ahsoka... I missed you so much, too," she said.

"Padme?!" Ahsoka gasped. "How...?"

"Something to explain when we're not in the center of Imperial Power, perhaps?" Padme Naberrie, formally Queen of Naboo, said with a smile.

- - -

 

[prinCZess]

Just some bits and bobs on the writing, take them or leave them, and with no offense meant:
-I feel like a little bit more detail on where the characters are at or what they're seeing could be helpful. We get enough to know, but they seem a bit abbreviated or incomplete to me much of the time (as a model and exception, I think the first description of Naboo is pretty good, and better highlights 'dessert farmboy seeing this grandeur for a first time'. In fact, maybe that's more what I'm missing--the characters reaction or personal thoughts on surroundings.

-Might use people trailing off (or trailing off and then apologizing for something they just said) a little bit too often? I feel like it shows up a bit too much--and, somewhat related, it's something that could better show character? Luke doing it makes sense. Aphra (though this is my only knowledge of her character so...grain of salt) maybe less so just because she seems to have a tendency towards saying whatever and thinking about it never.

-Related to characters, Aphra's got a good comedic 'tone' to her that I really like (the scene between her and Luke on the transport is precious) and I don't know if I can express how much I love the 'Binks puts on an idiot facade as a cover' recasting you've made for him without descending into rants about how terrible his character is elsewhere and how that really should've been the presentation from the start. Also--I want to explicitly say the way you presented Vader worked for me. The matter-of-fact tone to his thoughts and description of things even when it's executing people or enjoying someone's fear does great in establishing him.
On a somewhat more negative note...Luke, Leia, and Ahsoka kind've come off a bit similarly? Them all having the same tendency for 'say something and trail off' might just be coloring this in my mind a little, but they all have a bit too much overlap in behavior and 'thought patterns' for lack of a better expression.

That out of the way, the plot's caught my attention--perhaps especially this latest reveal. I was honestly expecting a mistake or subversion that stumbled everyone into a plot of some kind rather than what seems to be the real thing...that seems like it's going to stumble everyone into a plot of some kind.
The prospect of an old firebrand of the Republic who just happens to be an obsession-point for Vader shaking things up for the Empire and Palpatine because of both those counts seems like a promising direction? Intrigued to see how/if Vader's redemption might be affected by it most of all.