Wee! Star Wars. I've been wanting to write a time travel fic for a while now, so here it is!
-CW-
Luke sighed as he flew over the Jedi Temple on Yavin IV. The Empire had finally been defeated but that didn't mean the young Skywalker could take a break. No, he
still had a lot of work to be done. Reestablishing the Jedi Order, coaxing the Jedi in hiding to reveal themselves, building the New Republic, and locating young Force
Sensitives to train. How he was to do this, Luke had absolutely no idea. None.
Luke sighed for what felt, to him, to be the umpteenth time. He was tired, overwhelmed, and exhausted. But he could hardly afford to rest. There was so much to be
done and little time to do it. The Galaxy needed a new system installed before chaos broke out….and Luke would rather not have to worry about another all-out war.
Shaking his head, Luke banished all thoughts from his mind and focused on flying. "Where're we headed, R2?" He asked the astrodroid, who beeped multiple times in
response. "Back to the Temple?" Luke repeated, and R2 dully beeped in reply. "What?" Luke blinked and peered out his window. "How'd it get so late?" He wondered
to himself, curving the X-wing in the direction of the Jedi Temple. Silence reigned as he neared his destination when he was struck by many doubts and questions
cramming his mind.
Could he rebuild the Jedi Order successfully? Would the new System be sufficient enough to take effect? Would they be able to find Force Sensitives to train? Could
he, Luke Skywalker, take full responsibility for this task and accomplish it? Even if he had to do it alone? "I don't know." Luke muttered under his breath. He couldn't
help but feel he wasn't the one for this task. First of all, his training was incomplete, so how was he to teach Force Sensitives skills and concepts that he had yet to
perfect and comprehend? He exhaled deeply and decided not to worry about it.
"Dear Force...What am I to do?" He found himself wondering aloud when suddenly, he sensed a disturbance in the Force. "Something's wrong." He murmured, eyes
roving the landscapes he passed. Something was amiss, and the disturbance was coming from near the Temple. His crystal blue eyes narrowed as he drew nearer. He
could sense several beings in the Temple. But there was one presence Luke sensed above all others. A bright one at that. His eyes widened. "Lariss!" Veering
downwards, Luke increased the speed of his X-wing, focusing on his sister's presence. When had his sister returned from her mission? Han and Leia, he knew, weren't
to return to the Temple for a couple of hours, seeing as they were picking up their twin children from a friend's home. Lariss, however, he wasn't expecting for
another two days.
Of course...Luke rolled his eyes. Lariss was quite overprotective of her siblings, especially Luke, seeing as he was the first of them all to find her. She worried over
their well being, which was probably why she was at the Temple. Lariss knew, seeing as Luke had contacted her earlier, that he would be returning to the Temple to
assess it. Thankfully, Lariss knew when to give them space. She wouldn't stay too long, just enough to ensure they were doing well.
'Lariss,' Luke opened the link to his connection with his sister through the Force. He could feel her respond immediately. 'What's going on?'
'The Temple's been attacked.' Came the breathless response, and Luke could tell his sister was fighting whoever the invaders were.
'Obviously.' Luke accidentally sent through the connection, starting when he felt his sister mentally swat him.
'I don't recognize them, though. And I couldn't sense them until they attacked.' His sister paused for a moment and Luke could feel her recoiling from something, a
flicker of pain flashing through their bond. Worried, Luke tilted his X-Wing in a steep dive, only raising the tip of his tiny ship just before they hit the ground. He
zipped through the maze of trees then over the river before the Temple.
'I'm on my way. Can you hold them off until then?' He asked, concerned when he felt another flash of pain emitting from his Sister's end of the bond.
'Yeah. Just hurry, they're pretty strong. But be careful, Luke. Something about them is...wrong.' That was the last thing he heard before he reached the Jedi Temple,
projecting himself from the X-Wing and using the Force to speed over into the immense building. He traced his sister's Force signature, feeling it pulsing somewhere
nearby. He rushed through many grand rooms, skidding into the one his sister was currently in. He waved a hand in the air, opening the large, dark, doors with the
Force and was immediately greeted by darkness. Luke blinked. There was a mist of darkness seeping out of the room and covering the tiled floor. Glancing up, Luke
caught sight of the familiar, dark blonde hair that belonged to Lariss and charged in, sensing several presences in the room. Igniting his green lightsaber, Luke lunged,
sailing through the air and landing next to his sister. Lariss whipped around, expecting Luke to be another enemy but paused just before she struck him with her
white lightsaber.
"You made it." She gave him a smile, one Luke returned, before refocusing her attention on the suffocating darkness surrounding them. Luke, glancing back at his
sister, assessing her. Relieved that she was not terribly injured, Luke looked to the darkness. "They caught me unawares." His sister scowled, and Luke had to
suppress his amusement at the irritation his sister was projecting. He frowned when his sister turned to him, a confused expression adorning her fair features.
"Something about their leader struck me, though...These creatures...They don't strike me as evil, Luke. In fact, I feel nothing from them at all!" Luke opened himself
to the Force once more and blinked in surprise. His sister was right. There was nothing emanating from these presences surrounding them. Not even the darkness.
"This…" Luke trailed off, unsure of what to make of this. "Did you manage to catch sight of any of them?" He asked his sister, pressing his back against her's, raising
his saber in the hopes of dispersing the darkness with the light. The darkness wasn't at all affected.
"I did." Came the reply. Luke heard the troubled tone lacing each word she spoke. "They're...how do I say this? They're here, but not here, d'you know what I mean?"
Luke blinked in response.
"As in, invisible?"
"No, not invisible…" A huff emitted from her lips as she thought of how to describe these creatures to her brother. "They don't physically attack either. They play with
your emotions and they mess with you mentally. Be sure you're shields are set up." She warned. Luke nodded. A warning pulsed from his right and he reacted in an
instant, repelling the Force wave sent his way. He nearly stumbled from the weight of the wave.
"They can use the Force?" He muttered.
"Apparently." His sister uttered in return. "Oh! That's it! They're like Force Ghosts!" She suddenly exclaimed, snapping her fingers when the term she had been
searching for finally came to mind. "They appear and disappear at will."
"Force Ghosts?" Luke repeated, raising both eyebrows at this. He had heard of them, but it was rare for one to actually come face to face with a Force Ghost.
"They were specifically targeting the Temple, that I know. But they're searching for something. What it is, I have yet to discover. Until then, we need to get out of
here. I sense the big guy's coming."
Luke agreed, taking hold of his sister's wrist and fleeing the room. They couldn't fight with the Darkness. It had been dulling their Force Senses, making it difficult for
them to locate their enemy and have the Force forewarn them of an incoming attack.
"Contact Han and Leia." Luke told her as they ran, sensing the Force Ghosts following close behind. "Tell them that coming to the Temple is out of the question."
"Sure thing." Lariss set to work, but the curse that followed told Luke the transmission mustn't be working. "Transmission's jammed." His sister growled, glancing
over her shoulder to see if the Force Ghosts were following. "Why are they here?"
"I have no idea." Luke frowned deeply, looking back to see the darkness spreading.
"Luke-LOOK OUT!" His sister's cry came too late. The next thing Luke knew, he was being thrown through the air, and once he struck the ground, registered the pain
immobilizing him. "Luke! Luke!" His sister's shout grew fainter and broke as Luke slowly grew unconscious. The sound of a lightsaber being activated and cutting
through something echoing in his mind. He could hear the pounding of her boots against the tiled floor as she rushed over to him, his sister's worried face the last
thing he saw before giving into the darkness waiting for him.
-CW-
Luke groaned as he slowly came to, blinking owlishly as he propped himself up and looked around. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was running
through the Temple with his sister…
His eyes snapped open when he recalled everything that had happened and the young man bolted upright, scanning his surroundings. It was dark outside, telling
Luke that he had been out for at least a couple or so hours. Looking about the grand corridor he was in, Luke found several heavy cloaks lying about. The same
cloaks the 'Force Ghosts' had been wearing.
"Lariss?" He called, cradling his pounding head. He didn't receive an answer. Raising his head, he found that his sister was nowhere to be found. "Lariss!"
Nothing.
Everything was dead silent.
'I just had to say 'dead,' didn't I?' Luke sighed to himself, concerned for the wellbeing of his sister. Had she taken on the Force Ghosts herself? Where was she?
"Force...How am I supposed to do this?" He muttered to himself. Nothing seemed to go right for Luke. He already doubted himself of being a Jedi and being able to
train other Force Sensitives, had absolutely no idea what to do about the New Republic, and there was already someone attacking the Jedi. For some unexplained
reason, Luke felt that this wasn't supposed to be his duty alone. There were supposed to be more. Something had gone wrong long ago, when the Empire existed. "I
don't think I can do this...Not alone." He said aloud, to no one in particular. "I'm not...I'm not responsible enough to do all of this. I can't even protect the Temple, it
seems." He sighed once again, rounding a corner and heading down another corridor, following the trail of cloaks there were. His sister had been here, he could sense
her fading presence. He jolted mid-step, worry spiking through him. Lariss's presence was...fading? He closed his eyes, reaching out to his sister, hoping she would
respond to his call.
There was no response.
Growing even more concerned, Luke hastened his pace, jogging after the faint Force signature he was sensing, clinging to it as he neared where it was. He skidded
into the room he could feel his sister was in, and froze at what he saw.
His sister was lying, motionless, on the ground, her back facing him, her hair splayed all over the floor. There were many singes in her clothing from- Luke raced over.
Were those lightsaber wounds?! "Lariss!" He carefully rolled her onto her back, brushing her hair from her face. She didn't appear to be breathing. "Lariss?" He
whispered, poking her with the Force. He felt it pulse under his touch and felt immensely relieved. She was still alive, only in a deep healing trance.
Vibrant blue eyes opened and locked onto his.
"Luke?"
"How do you feel?" Luke asked his sister. Lariss immediately tried to sit up, only to wince and hiss in pain. Luke gently pushed his sister back down, resting his hand
on her shoulder. "Don't try to move. What happened?"
"Are you alright?" Lariss immediately asked, and Luke suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Of course. Lariss could be dying and she would still worry about her
siblings.
"I'm fine, you clearly aren't." He told her, Lariss huffing.
"I'm fine." Came the stubborn response. He raised an eyebrow.
"You definitely need medical attention. Those wounds shouldn't be taken lightly." That reminded him… "Speaking of which, are those lightsaber wounds?"
"I don't know what else they could be." Lariss absentmindedly answered, searching the room, confusion evident in her eyes.
"What is it?"
"When I was knocked out...I had a vision." Lariss began, her voice reflecting her bewilderment.
"A vision?" Luke leaned back, interested. Ever since he had run into his sister on Bespin, he had learned not to take her visions lightly. It had taken Han a while to
convince that his sister was no longer a Sith, but they soon became a tight family. Leia had bonded with her sister as well, claiming she had rescued her several times
on the Death Star, and the three siblings now could telepathically contact one another as they pleased. He opened his mouth to ask what it was about when he
remembered his sister's wounds. "You can tell me when we reach the med-bay. You really do need to have those wounds checked out."
"They aren't bad, Luke!" Luke would have none of it, however, helping Lariss to stand. Wrapping his arm securely around his sister, who nearly fell a couple of time,
Luke set a slow pace towards the hangar. "Just a concussion, most likely, and a few burns." He incredulously looked to her.
"You call those 'burns!?'" He shook his head.
"I've had worse." Lariss mumbled, averting her eyes when unpleasant memories emerged. Luke inwardly wince, knowing where her mind had wandered. Her time as
a Sith had not been pleasant. When was it ever?
...Well, in a disturbing way, it was. Luke immediately banished that thought.
"You have nothing to worry about now, Lariss." He tried to comfort her, earning a small smile of thanks. He knew she was still feeling guilty and responsible for the
Empire's actions. No matter what Luke or Leia, even Han, tried to tell her, Lariss was adamant in believing that many things were her fault. Nothing they could say
could convince her otherwise. He wished there was something he could do to help her. To appease her pain. He could sense the enormous amount of guilt she still
held. There was a healthy dose of darkness swirling within her that worried Luke. If she continued to hold onto this guilt…
Luke shook his head. He knew his sister would never turn. When they had run into each other, Luke could tell she was reluctant to fight him. She had never turned.
Never accepted her role as a Sith apprentice. But the guilt she clung to was unhealthy for her.
-CW-
It wasn't long after that they reached the med-bay in space. After checking his sister in, Luke followed the doctor to the room they were holding Lariss in.
"Her wounds will heal in time, but she mustn't do anything too strenuous." The doctor was saying as they walked. "Other than that, she is completely healthy. At
least, physically."
"What do you mean?" Luke paused for a moment, giving the doctor a sharp glance. The doctor frowned.
"You will forgive me for being so blunt, but your sister is an emotional wreck. I've dealt with numerous Jedi, back when the Old Republic was still in tact, and, though
she does her best to hide it, I can sense the darkness lingering beneath the surface. She's been through much, the poor child. But for her to hold it inside is…"
"I understand." Luke gravely nodded.
"It could prove disastrous. Keep a close eye on her, kid, and she should be fine."
"I will, thank-you." Luke replied, watching as the doctor walked away. He found himself exhaling once again, slightly exasperated and very, very, exhausted. He was
drained! Pressing the button, the door vanished and he entered his sister's room.
"Luke!" Lariss's irritated voice flowed over to him. "Can we leave now? I hate it here."
"Patience, Lariss." Luke grinned as his sister flew back into her pillows, heaving a large, impatient, sigh. "Come now, it has only been a couple of hours."
"Three!" Lariss raised three fingers as if to emphasize her impatience. "I need out!"
"Calm down, Lariss." Luke rolled his eyes at her antics. She could really be a child sometimes. At least, when it came to having medical attention. His sister had little
to no patience with medical facilities. "Before we go, how about you tell me about this vision you had?" He reminded her, carefully sitting himself on the bed.
There was nothing said for a tense moment.
"Lariss?"
His sister blinked. "Sorry, I was thinking." He narrowed his eyes.
"You've been doing that a lot, lately. And you've been leaving more frequently. Is something wrong? Have you sensed something?"
"Not exactly." Lariss criptly said. "I've just had this feeling that something's not...right. Something just feels wrong." Luke perked up at this. "Everything that's
happened," She gestured to the window. "Everything that's going to happen, I feel shouldn't be. It's confusing."
"Like our reality shouldn't be our reality." Luke murmured and Lariss's eyes flickered to meet his in surprise.
"You've felt it too?"
He nodded. "I've been feeling that something was off. Especially with the Force. It feels troubled."
"Something happened that shouldn't have happened, Luke. But I can't figure out what. I decided to ask the Force for help and then I had the vision."
"What was it?"
"There was a man there…" Her brow furrowed as Lariss continued. "I was stuck. There was debris everywhere...and fire. I was trapped; there was nowhere to run or
to escape. It was heavy and I was suffocating from lack of oxygen. Suddenly, there was a light, and from that light, a man emerged."
"Something about this man struck you." Luke stated more than guessed.
"Yes." Lariss dipped her chin in a curt nod. "He was familiar. I don't know why, since I've never met him before. He found me. But he wasn't alone. There were Clones
with him."
"Clones?" Luke repeated, having not expected that.
"Yes."
'Dear Force! There is a child here!'
Luke started when he heard the familiar voice in his mind and he knew his sister was recalling the vision.
'Cody, I need your men down here!'
'Sir! You heard the General! Move, move!' Luke inwardly flinched when he heard the Clone's voice.
'What are you doing here?' He heard the man wonder before sensing his sister pulling out of the vision. He remained still, mulling over what he had heard. He knew
that voice! He had heard it somewhere…
"I don't understand it."
"Neither do I." Luke distractedly said, still thinking about the man's voice. It kept replaying itself in his mind. "But I know that man." Lariss turned to him.
"You do?"
"I know I do." He stood up and began pacing. "Where have I heard his voice?" Troubled, Luke spent a long while meditating over what he had learned but the Force
would reveal nothing to him. After some time had passed, Luke and Lariss left the medical facility and returned to the Temple, hoping to find some answers there.
First chapter done! Several more to go!
