Debt

A/N- Just a warning, this story has spoilers despite it being AU.

I have found that Lowie is one of the more ignored of the YJK characters in NJO. He also takes a backseat in LOTF. So this one shot came to mind as a sort of AU snippet from Star by Star. I think the description pretty much says it all.

Sorry if this is a little vague, I haven't read SBS in a while.

This takes place right at the moment in SBS when Anakin is about to sacrifice himself.

Enjoy,

-Don Q. =)

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Lowie had felt left behind in the last few years. He hadn't seen much of the Solo twins since they had gone off to fight in the war and he himself wasn't all that free to do as he wished. Lowie let out a low growl as he sensed the tension in the air. As soon as he'd smelled the Yuuzhan Vong with his nostrils, he knew something was about to happen. But Lowie, like his fellow Jedi, couldn't be sure what he was going to do if the Yuuzhan Vong came out of nowhere to attack.

There was always the chance that he'd have to remember why he'd really come along on the mission. As a last promise to his uncle, Lowie had a task to complete. One that he couldn't even tell his closest friends: not Jacen, not Jaina, not Tenel Ka, not Zekk, and most certainly not Anakin Solo.

Lowie's eyes regarded the young Solo as he struggled to stay awake. Even after Tekli's treatment, the youngest Solo brother was fading. Even Lowie, who didn't have a close bond to the brown haired boy, could tell that Anakin was holding on by sheer willpower. A power, that Lowie himself envied since the moment he'd met Anakin. There was something to be said about nobility, it had its benefits and its drawbacks. Anakin Solo certainly had his own flaws within his determination to keep everyone alive.

Lowie smiled to himself, this was another thing he and Anakin Solo had in common: they both wanted to preserve the lives of the members of the team. Only Anakin had a life ahead of him, Lowie only had a promise.

Life for life, blood for blood, kin protect kin. That was the wookiee code. Lowie turned his head as the Yuuzhan Vong began to storm the cave's halls.

He then turned as Anakin leapt to his feet, staggering but promising to rescue his siblings. Lowie saw it, the hesitation in Anakin's eyes, the want to stay with Tahiri but the need to leave to protect his kin.

"Promise me, if you're the one who's left, you have to fulfill it." Chewie's gruff voice echoed in Lowie's mind. He straightened and then barked a warning to Tenel Ka, who nodded.

"Go, Friend Lowie, I shall wait for as long as I can," She hefted her lightsaber and then stood at the ready while Lowie ran off.

Anakin stood on the threshold between leaving behind everything he ever wanted, and everything he ever loved and losing both his brother and his sister. Before he knew it was happening, the detonator was in his hand and as he rolled it around its cool surface stung his hand. A shiver ran down his spine. The warriors swarmed the area, their skeletal faces snarling as they surrounded Anakin. He smiled. There was always the force, even if he couldn't be with Tahiri there, she would know that he was there. She was strong enough to know what to do.

Anakin clicked the detonator as the blows struck him. Then he twisted as the force filled him but then it went out as something threw him aside and into the arms of who he felt was Jacen. A roar echoed through the chambers as the golden light swirled around the chestnut colored wookiee smashing his lightsaber and his fists into the warriors around him.

"Lowie!" Jacen and Jaina cried in unison. Anakin could barely keep his eyes open as he turned to look up as Lowie picked up a Yuuzhan Vong warrior and hurled him into the others. The light ebbed as Lowie's fur became soaked with blood from stab wounds. The poison was starting to sink in.

With a final triumphant roar, Lowie pulled out his own detonator and then smiled once more. I kept my promise, Uncle, no one in the Solo family will die.

Then the cave exploded and the three Solo siblings ran to the ship where the rest of the team was waiting.

Upon arriving on Hapes, Anakin had been taken into intense care and then released to a private room under Tenel Ka's request. He had healed just fine physically since the ship had rushed away from Mykyr faster than the Millennium Falcon could have in that situation.

But the guilt had begun to set in. Anakin was meant to be the one to die, not Lowie. Anakin had been prepared to die, and then Lowie had jumped in. He still couldn't figure out why the wookiee had done that.

The door to the room clacked open to reveal the blonde haired and emerald eyed girl that Anakin had almost forgotten in his rush to save his siblings. "Tenel Ka said you woke up."

He nodded wordlessly. Something felt wrong, for some reason he couldn't figure out why he felt so guilty. Then he noticed Tahiri's face averting away from looking at him and it hit him.

His promise, in his attempt to save his brother and sister he'd given up his promise. Now he really felt guilty. All this time he'd been thinking about how to successfully accomplish the mission and forgotten that he really wanted, deep down, to come back alive.

Anakin shifted himself into an upright position. "I think we both know what I did wrong." He managed. Her lip twitched into a smile.

"Got that right," She said, smiling faintly now, "Do you plan on fixing that or am I going to have to pull it out of you?"

Anakin pushed himself off the bed and half walked; half limped over to where Tahiri was standing. Without any warning Tahiri reached out and wrapped her arms around his and brought his lips onto hers. Anakin responded with fervor before they both pulled back, Anakin's hand on Tahiri's cheek and her hands still on his neck.

"Did I fulfill my promise?" Anakin asked tentatively.

Tahiri shrugged. "More or less."

Anakin stood at the grave of Chewie, his hand clenched around the lightsaber Jacen had managed to rescue from the cave before leaving. Anakin reached out and placed it on the memorial for Chewie, drawing back his hand as the lightsaber sat there.

It would forever mark the life that Lowie had protected and the one he had helped to ensure would continue long afterwards. Lowie had completed what Chewie left behind: he had made sure that the children of Han Solo were able to continue living.

Twelve Years Later

"Daddy, I wanna go home!" The small emerald eyed seven year old said, tugging on the robe of his father, whose ice blue eyes shone brightly in the sunlight of Hape's early morning.

"We will," The father assured his restless son and then gave the woman walking next to the man, a knowing smile.

"Don't look at me, Anakin, impatience is one of your genes, not mine," Her eyes then went to her son, "Lowie, stop tugging on Daddy's robe, you'll tear it."

"Daddy said he was going to show me something neat," The boy huffed, pouting, Anakin gave a sympathetic look at his son before turning to Tahiri.

"I am going to, right, Tahiri?" Anakin questioned with a nod in her direction. She smiled.

"Go on," She gave Lowie a push as the boy stumbled after his father towards the small wooden memorial carving of a wookiee came into view.

"Is that it?" Lowie asked, forgetting once more that he shouldn't tug on his father's robe. "Yes, this is the grave of an old friend."

Anakin smiled in sad but grateful way. Lowie trudged up to the memorial and then placed his hand on it. "Nice to meet you."

Anakin chuckled and then watched his son run back to where Tahiri was. Anakin took a moment to stand in front of the statue before he heard Lowie calling.

Anakin turned to look over to where Tahiri was waiting with their son. He placed his hand on the memorial sculpture. "Thanks, Lowie."

A/N- Fin. Yeah, it's super rough and I plan to add and edit it but I open to suggestions of course. Thanks for reading! =)