Unfillable Footprints
A crossover fic by SD

Disclaimer: Ok the plot of all written works have been totally warped to meet my ideas. But hey, isn't that what writing fan fiction is all about? I do not own anything. All rights and drool credits in this story are the property of George Lucas, Timothy Zahn, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Setting: This fairy-tale is a sequel of sorts to my previous story In Memory Of… Where Luke Skywalker reveals a secret in his past that he thought was gone and buried. That secret being his marriage and then his family's death that came back in a shocking way in the form of his teenaged daughters return to his life. Now years later, while in route to Coruscant, Luke and MaCayla 'Kyia' Skywalker are forced to land due to a mysterious ship malfunction, totally clueless as to where they are. Now what will the members of Middle-Earth do with two Jedi, one a Master and one just beginning to learn, who suddenly find themselves in their mists?

Author's Notes: Ok just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who has worked with me to get this story ready. My first big thanks goes to Sherry. You have been helping me with this story since it was still in the idea stage, and have always been there throughout all of it. How do you put up with me sometimes? Thank you so much! You are a wonderful beta and friend. Second and third thanks go to Deb and Claudia, my LOTR inspirations! You two are great, and have helped me time and time again. And last but not least thank you to everyone else that I have looked to for help, this may have been the fastest story I have ever finished, but it was by far the one I put the most thought into and looked to others the most for help. THANK YOU!

Chapter 1

There was a loud thump and MaCayla Skywalker became instantly awake. She held on tightly to the sides of her bunk, steadying herself as the ship continued to vibrate. The rumbling of the ship lasted an unnatural amount of time, if there was such a thing as a normal amount of time for a ship to shake. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she got out of bed and left her cabin.

"What's going on?" she asked as she entered the bridge, the sleep induced, groggy feeling still clouding her mind.

"Kyia, are you alright?" She could not determine where the voice was coming from, calling her by her nickname, and that did not seem so odd at the time. Her mind was still trying to convince her to go back to sleep, and she was having trouble saying no to that offer.

"I'm fine, dad," she said, stretching deeply. "I was just a bit shaken, getting woke up like that. What happened?"

"I'm not sure," came the muffled reply. She became worried when her brain finally registered the scene in front of her. The control panel was a dizzying array of flashing red lights, and all that could be seen of her father was his feet. He had crawled up under the panel and was working on something there. He continued talking, telling her the details of the ship malfunction, but it all sounded like gibberish to her ears. What she did understand was that it was not fixable while in space, something about the communications being fried, something else about the engines, and that they would have to land. Looking out the viewport, Kyia admitted that even she knew that it was not going to be an easy thing to do.

"Where are we?" she asked, placing the tip of her thumbnail between her teeth. Luke Skywalker pulled himself back out from under the console. He stood, grabbed a cloth from the floor and began wiping off his hands.

"I'm not sure," he said again as he sat in his chair. He reached over, punched a few buttons, and Kyia wished for the millionth time that she were a little more skilled in how to pilot a ship. Enough at least that she could understand more clearly what was going on without having to ask a lot of annoying questions. "But there is a suitable planet nearby," her father continued. "We'll find out where we are when we land."

The ship rocked again as he rotated the nose of the ship around to point in the general direction of the planet. Kyia braced herself against the wall to keep from falling over and tried to watch everything around her.

"You had better buckle in," Luke told her and she complied in a hurry. Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, she secured the restraints around her and planted her bare feet firmly on the cold metal floor. Watching the man beside her, she tried to keep quiet as he worked. Pulling her long blonde ponytail across her shoulder, she picked at one of the many curls that always refused to lay obediently down her back. She absent-mindedly began to twirl the long strand around her finger as she watched the Jedi Master work, giving her something to concentrate on other than her father's quick and precise moves across the controls.

It had been three years since she had found her father. Three years in which her life had been totally turned upside down. Now, her goals of becoming a singing sensation seemed childish. She had not renewed her contract that following year, had given up the world she had known, and had begun to train in the ways of the Force.

It had been a turbulent three years, more hectic than any amount of time spent on the stage. The training was nothing like she thought it would be. Moreover, she had to constantly try and separate herself from who her father was in the eyes of his students. She had talked to him numerous times about the special treatment she had been receiving, but there was not much he could do about it. It bothered her that she stood out so bad. Though she was used to the attention, it made her feel like she had to do that much better, that people expected more from her because of who her father was. The truth was, she was slow at learning the different lessons, and she was so afraid of letting her father down that she was starting to become afraid to try.

"Do you think it's safe?" She suddenly asked as the planet's surface came into view. She needed something to keep her mind occupied, to keep those thoughts at bay. They only lead to more disturbing thoughts.

"I feel no immediate danger," her father informed her, then turned to look at her and smiled. "But we will watch our step. Everything will be fine." He turned back to the controls and Kyia toyed with the idea of going back to her cabin. She would know nothing more by sitting here watching her father. He seemed to sense her thoughts though and began telling her what he was doing. She smiled in appreciation and tried to follow what he was telling her.

"Since we know nothing about the inhabitants of this planet, we need to be extra cautious," he said. "I'll be taking us down on the night side of the planet to try and hide our approach. Steering clear of all towns and settlements."

"Isn't there still a chance that we will be seen?" she asked.

"Yes," Luke answered. "I'm hoping that I'll hide our landing as well as it can be done. There is a patch of forest that feels almost empty. I'm heading in that direction."

Kyia sat in silence once again as she watched the planet surface rush towards them, or at least what she imagined she would see if it had been light out. It was too dark beyond the ship to make out anything. Checking the limited view she could get out the viewport, she scanned the area.

"I see lights," she informed her father. He looked towards where she was indicating and frowned. Where as everything around them was bathed in only the faintest of light from the planet's moon, off in the distance Kyia could clearly make out a point of light. It was too bright to be anything natural.

"A settlement," Luke said. "Though I can sense no one close by."

"Why would they have lights if they were not there?" Kyia asked.

"A very good point," he said smiling once again. "We'll be cautious." An instrument beeped and her father frowned. "Sensors detect no technology whatsoever." He sat watching the settlement as it passed out of their view. Kyia did not like the grave sound in his voice, but she remained quiet, letting him think. Even she knew that a civilization with little technology was no place to land their ship near. She just hoped that they would be able to fix the ship and be gone before any of the locals stumbled upon them.

Kyia sat rigid in her seat as the ship rocked and shifted. Her father was controlling the ship as much as it would allow as he lowered it into a ravine, hoping no mere passerby would catch sight of them. He had explained that the bumps and rocking were a result of what had forced him to land, but beyond that, she did not know what was wrong. He had not said the words, but Kyia had a feeling that they were lucky to have had the ability to land at all. She breathed a loud sigh of relief as their ship settled and the power was shut down.

She unhooked herself from her restraints and ran back to her cabin, throwing on a pair of pants and a shirt and hopping into a pair of her more comfortable shoes. Grabbing her cloak, she exited the ship and followed her father around the ship. He had pulled out the net that would cover the ship and blend it into the ground. She helped him work the cover over the bulk of the ship, pulling it over the edges as best she could, having to literally pick her feet up off the ground and letting her body weight pull the thick material down. She was dripping with sweat by the time they were convinced that the ship was hidden from sight. The ravine was not overly deep, but just enough to keep all but the strongest of breezes off of them. She was grateful when they began to climb out and sat nearby looking at the stars.

Kyia listened intently as her father told her how to use the Force to assist in hiding the ship, finishing the task with a little trick that would stop any passerby from getting curious at what was at the bottom of the crevice. Once done, Kyia sat back and enjoyed the coolness in the air, and took a better look at her surroundings. It looked to be a normal enough planet from what she could see in the dark. The feeling of life was to her the same as anywhere else she had been. The forest they were in was nowhere as dense as on Yavin, but no less beautiful. She found herself relaxing as she looked around.

It was still dark, the sky just beginning to lighten in the distance as the sun made it's first appearance of the day, leaving the ravine in deep shadows below them. Kyia watched as her father shifted where he sat before getting up.

"It's too dark to begin repairs," Luke said, brushing the grass from his clothes. "So I am going to meditate for a while, Kyia."

"I want to stay out here for a while before I return to the ship," she said making no move to get up from her spot. He considered it for a moment and she had the feeling that he wanted to tell her to follow him inside.

"Call me if you need anything," he said, instead. "Just don't stay out here too long. We still have no idea about this place."

"I'll be careful, I promise." She was silent as her father walked down the steep slope without missing a step. Looking up into the sky once again, she let her father's words sink in. Though it looked and felt safe here, neither of them had any idea what they would encounter and needed to be careful. She took one last deep breath of fresh air, not wishing to experience anything unwelcome about this planet while she was alone. She stood, just starting to follow her father down into the ravine when something caught her eye.

She looked back and her breath caught in her throat. She found herself staring straight into the pointed end of an arrow. She gulped and forced her eyes to focus on the person holding the weapon. How had he appeared behind her without her knowing? She wondered. Then the shock of it dawned on her. She could feel nothing from the person now standing in front of her. If she had been blind, she would probably never have known that he was there. Forcing herself to calm down she could do nothing but stare at him.

He was a young man, with blonde hair and gray eyes. The creature looked distinctly human, with just enough differences to make it clear that he was not. The long straight blonde hair, lighter than even hers, was not common among most males that she knew, but it was not so on all planets. He was tall, and his pale face made her wonder just how much time he spent outdoors. All that added with the pointed ears made him distinct in her mind but did nothing to help her determine what race he was. More then likely a local, she figured, not that she should recognize anything that was native to these lands.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice low and threatening. "Speak or I will be forced to impale you."

Kyia took in a sharp breath. It took everything she had to stay calm. She desperately reached out to her father through the Force hoping she was doing it right and that he would understand. Even though she was being trained, Kyia was only able to reach out to her father and even then, she struggled. She felt him coming closer even before she finished. The man standing in front of her raised an eyebrow, waiting. He pulled back on the arrow and she tensed.

"What do you want?" Came the familiar voice from behind her. The strange man moved his aim from her to her father.

"Tis my question," said the blonde. "In the name of the House of Thranduil, I demand to know what business you have here."

"We are merely travelers that have lost our way," Luke said and Kyia suppressed a laugh. No one could tell the truth and yet not give anything away like her father could. "We will be on our way in the morning."

"Lost you say?" He paused, seeming to think about what her father had told him.

"Yes," Luke continued. "We did not realize that we were close enough to anyone to bother them." The younger man stood still, as if struggling to make a decision. Slowly he lowered his bow and regarded them curiously.

"We get very few travelers through these parts. The orcs have frightened travelers from these woods. Tis lucky for you I happened to walk in your direction. I am Maluuln, one of the many Mirkwood guards. Mirkwood Forest is an easy place to become lost in. Perhaps we can offer some aid. If you wish assistance, I offer to lead you to the House of Thranduil. I am sure my Lords would be happy to help you."

"How far away is it?" Luke asked.

"Not far," the other said, a smile lighting up his face. "We would get there in no time."

Kyia threw a worried look at her father. She wondered if he was all right with following this person through an unknown forest to an unknown city. She could not feel anything from this guy. After he had held an arrow to her head and threatened her, she was not really anxious to trust him.

I cannot sense anything from this one, her father sent to her, his brow creasing with the effort. Nor can I feel anyone around, but I feel no danger. Just in case, I would like you to stay with the ship.

She wanted to say no, and opened her mouth to express that thought, but was cut off by her father's voice in her head once again.

Please don't argue Kyia, he sent her, once again easily reading her intentions. She wished that she could communicate with him in the same manner, but had to settle for what she could do. I will come back for you as soon as I think it is safe. Until then, you can keep the sensors on and make sure no one comes near the ship.

Kyia looked back at her father, saw the pleading in his eyes, and reluctantly accepted with a slight nod of her head. He sighed with relief and turned his attention away from her.

"I will take you up on your offer, but I will come alone," Luke said. The young man began to argue and Luke held up his hand. "Trust me, she can take care of herself. Now if you would lead the way."

The man seemed to accept that he was not going to win the argument and turned to head back into the forest. Luke gave one last reassuring look in his daughter's direction then followed behind. Once he was out of sight, Kyia climbed back down the ravine and into the ship, sealing the ramp behind her.

Going to the cockpit, Kyia powered up the sensors, and sat back in the co-pilot's chair focusing her blue eyes at nothing but the wall. This little stop over did not worry her much. She had no idea what was wrong with the ship but she had no doubts that they would be on their way the next day.

It was not, however, like she was in a hurry to reach their destination. Even if it was good to get away from Yavin for a while, the last place she wanted to go was Coruscant. Too many people knew her face there and all she wanted to be was forgotten. She had spent a great deal of time on the planet even before meeting her father. There were many people there that knew her. Though she did have to admit that she missed the friends she once had there, even if she had lost touch with them, she doubted she would even see them this time.

Maybe, she decided, she would track down one of the only friends she knew that still frequented the planet. She rubbed her forehead and pulled the box out from her pocket. Pulling the pendent out of the box, she examined it. Her father had given it to her before they left as her birthday present. It was a nice, small round disk with her name engraved on it, which sparkled when the light fell on it. It was the first of what she knew would be many gifts she would receive.

They were heading for Coruscant for her eighteenth birthday party. Normally she would be excited about the fact that she would be gathering together with all her friends, but this time was not the same. Over the last three years, she had lost touch with most of them. It just went to show you that you never know who your friends are. Most of her friends had snubbed her when she decided to forgo her singing career, so she was left with only the newer people in her life. The guest list for this party was all friends of her father and aunt. People that she had met time and time again over the years, but she knew it would be quite boring. Nothing like the wild parties she had attended in the past.

At least going back to that busy planet was a way to get her mind off of things going on in her life. Three years and she was more frustrated than ever. She had given up her entertainment career, just when she was making it big, to train as a Jedi. It was assumed that her father had talked her into it. In fact, her mother had asked her that exact question. But the truth was that she wanted to do it. She was ready for the change. Life on the stage was hard enough. She did not think, at the time, that she could handle it with Jedi training on top of it. She smiled, realizing how wrong she had been. She was thinking that singing would have been hard with training, but the way she should have thought about it was that her training would be too hard while trying to keep up her singing career. She relaxed in her chair, pushing all the thoughts away and waited for her father to return.