Chapter One:
"And so that is why the Battle of Geonosis was the starting point of the Clone Wars."
Luke Skywalker sighed inwardly when his hundredth glace at the wall-chrono revealed that only five minutes had passed since he last checked. Normally history was a fascinating subject for him... but not today.
All he wanted was for the bell to toll, pick up his sister, and get out to the pick-up area.
"... Luke?"
He jerked, realizing only then that he'd been off in his own world. Luke blushed when the other students around him snickered at his mishap.
"Yes Mrs. Jiisal?" he said sheepishly, doing his best to ignore his classmates.
"I asked you if you knew which Jedi Master led the frontal assault in the Battle of Geonosis," the teacher repeated with a ripple to her fur.
"Oh," Luke pursed his lips. "I believe it was Master Windu in the arena, and then others split up the battle field after the fight left the stadium."
Mrs. Jiisal, a female Bothan with dark fur and a patient disposition, nodded her approval. "That is correct, Mr. Skywalker, but I would ask you to pay more attention to the lecture."
"Yes Ma'am," Luke said penitently. "Sorry."
The teacher in Luke's class seemed satisfied, but even so, Luke found it hard to concentrate. He was therefore immensely relieved when— after the minutes seemed to drip by slower than honey in an uldarian bee-hive— the bell finally sang music to Luke's ears.
The ten-year-old boy leapt to his feet, throwing his gear haphazardly into his backpack and then anxiously making his way to the door.
Almost there...
"Mr. Skywalker, please stay behind."
Luke's shoulders slumped visibly, and he groaned inwardly, once again ignoring the jeering looks: especially from the class bully, Pulin Maytare. After all the other children had filed out, Luke turned back to the teacher and approached her desk.
"Yes Mrs. Jiisal?" he asked in a low voice, not quite meeting her gaze.
"I wanted to know where you were in class this afternoon?" she asked. "Even after the incident earlier, you were hardly with us. So, what had you so distracted?"
Luke felt chagrin flood him to mix with the excitement he'd been bottling up all day while at school.
Looking up at last, he allowed a small smile. "I'm sorry Mrs. Jiisal, but I am just really excited. You see, my Dad is taking me to see the races today, and we've been planning to go for three weeks now! It's so hard for him to get time to spend with me sometimes, what with him being a Jedi Master and all."
Luke lost some of his fervor at that confession. It was true: Anakin Skywalker's duties as a Jedi took him away more and more often, it seemed, though Luke knew the man did everything he could to make sure he spent time with all his family members.
Luke always missed his father terribly when the man had to leave on missions. Luke and his twin sister Leia were not yet Padawan learners. Padmé Naberrie Skywalker, Luke's mother, had insisted that the children get a standard-education like other non-Force-sensitive children until the normal age— thirteen— at which they would become full-time apprentices in the Jedi Order if they wished.
Of course, Anakin had been giving his children basic lessons so that they weren't completely behind, but Luke couldn't wait to get to be trained fully. He wanted to be a Jedi like his father!
But Luke also loved to fly... and he was more than eager to see the swoop race this afternoon.
"I see." His teacher looked down at her desk for a moment, and then smiled softly. "I will let your disruption pass this time, because this is unusual behavior from you."
Luke grinned widely in relief.
"However," Jiisal held up a finger. "I expect no repeats. And do not forget your homework, or I will reconsider this detention slip I waived."
Luke nodded emphatically. "I won't forget!"
She inclined her head. "I don't believe you will. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Luke said over his shoulder as he raced for the door.
"Walk please!" the Bothan called after his retreating form, and Luke obediently slowed... until he was out of her sight.
He sped down the halls, narrowly avoiding running into Leia Skywalker when she rounded the same corner as him. She let out a startled shriek, and Luke thought fast, grabbing and spinning Leia to avoid knocking her down.
"Luke! Where have you been?" Leia demanded when they had stopped. "I was waiting for you in the usual spot, but when you didn't' show I got worried."
"I got held back," Luke puffed as he grabbed Leia's hand and ushered her swiftly to the pick-up area.
"Why were you held back?" Leia sounded aghast.
"I kind of zoned out in class," Luke admitted with a light blush.
"Luke!" Leia gasped.
"It's not my fault!" Luke claimed loudly. "I've been trying to be good all day!"
Leia gave him a look, but chuckled. "You and your races..."
"Hey!" Luke chided her indignantly. "I don't tease you and Winter when you go all 'Senate' on me at home!"
Leia sighed, knowing he was right. She and her best friend Winter, an adoptive daughter of sorts to Senator Bail Organa, loved to pretend they were senators. They both wanted to go into politics, something her father and twin brother both found mind-numbingly boring. But as he'd said, Luke never gave them a hard time about it: at least, not in a mean way. He'd tease them from time to time, but he had always supported Leia in her hobbies.
"I'm sorry, Luke," Leia said contritely. "I just don't see the draw of flying really fast in dangerous obstacle courses. It looks so dangerous! I can't believe you want to fly like that!"
Luke looked at her as they exited the school building at last. "Leia; I love to fly, you know that! I want to pilot a starfighter like Dad! I want to be out among the stars! And it's not dangerous if you know what you're doing."
"What isn't?"
The twins halted at the new voice, and looked up to find Anakin Skywalker standing beside his speeder with arms folded, a brow cocked curiously.
"Dad!" they shouted in happy unison, sprinting forward to engulf him in a simultaneous hug.
Anakin laughed and wrapped his arms about them both in response, kissing their heads. "I'm glad to see you too. Now, what's not dangerous again?"
"I was asking Luke why he wanted to fly riskily like the swoops and fighter pilots do," Leia explained. "It just doesn't seem all that safe, Dad."
Anakin nodded as he listened to her reason. "It is true, Leia, that piloting can be dangerous, especially in a battle." Leia beamed happily that her opinion and concerns had been taken seriously. It showed that her father truly loved her. "However, there are times when we need pilots who can and are willing to fight."
Luke nodded emphatically. "And I will be one of them some day!"
Anakin smiled knowingly at his son. "Your time in the simulators is impressive, but you won't be piloting for a while yet, Son."
Luke pouted at that, but Anakin glanced at his chrono and waved them into the speeder. "Time to go if we're going to drop Leia off and then make it to the race."
Luke whooped for joy and scrambled into the front seat.
00000
"Would you like me to snap that holo for you?" a woman to their right asked as Anakin tried to maneuver the camera while Luke was perched on the seat behind him, trying to see better over the heads of the spectators in front of them.
"Yes, please!" Anakin gushed, happy to hand the contraption over. "Luke, smile!"
Luke obeyed eagerly, wrapping his arms about Anakin with all the love he could muster while their pseudo -photographer snapped a few holos. The boys shifted poses a few times before the lady handed the camera back.
"Thank you!" Luke waved politely at the woman, who smiled back.
"Anytime, young man."
"Dad, this is so wizard!" Luke said breathlessly as the swoop-bike racers all began to file out of the holding area to line up at the starting point.
Anakin chuckled. "'Wizard'?"
"Yeah!"
The elder Skywalker shook his head in amusement at the new word, a slang term his child had no doubt picked up from school. Luke's face was alight with utter bliss as he eyed the swoops.
"I'm rooting for number seven!" Luke exclaimed, pointing to a swoop that was painted a vivid green and black. "He's supposed to be the best one here!"
Anakin surveyed the selection, finally settling on a yellow swoop with a krayt dragon painted on the side. It was their custom to each choose a contestant in any races they attended: whichever Skywalker's racers crossed the finished line last had to buy the other one a treat.
"I think I'll root for number eleven."
Luke found the indicated swoop and nodded. "Loser buys frozen cream after the race?"
Anakin lifted a brow. "Do you have any credits?"
Luke nodded, patting his pocket proudly. "I did a few extra chores for Mom, and earned credits to spend!"
Anakin was surprised, but he knew he shouldn't have been: Luke was surprisingly self-sufficient, and yet he had never lost his kind heart and optimistic outlook on things. Also, Luke loved to help his mother, and never once had the child disrespected her, Anakin's firm warning aside.
"I'm impressed Luke," Anakin admitted with an admiring nod.
Luke's face lit up at the man's praise, and he opened his mouth to reply, but then the loudspeaker came to life.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen!" A cheer rose up from the grandstands. "Racers have taken their marks, and are ready to race! Can I hear a round of applause for our contestants?"
Luke shouted as loudly as his lungs would allow, and Anakin— not one to be outdone— followed suit. The crowd continued to roar over the rest of the announcer's words, and once the race began the mayhem only increased.
Anakin and Luke watched the swoops in action until they disappeared from view, at which point they riveted their gazes to the large viewing screen provided so spectators could observe the whole race.
"Dad, my swoop is winning!" Luke crowed, pointing.
"The race isn't over yet, Luke," Anakin reminded him. "Don't get cocky..."
Just as the words left Anakin's mouth, number eleven shot ahead to take lead, and Anakin pumped a fist into the air.
"See?"
Luke nodded, and he began to shout at the screen. "Come on seven!"
Anakin observed his son for a moment, feeling his heart swell with joy. He loved spending time with Luke, and he regretted that his Jedi duties pulled him away as often as they did. He knew it hurt Luke when their father-son time was either interrupted prematurely or had to be set aside for other things.
But never once had the boy complained, and Anakin knew he wouldn't, no matter how much he ached.
Anakin recalled the day he'd confessed his marriage and newborn children to the Jedi Council. He'd been fully prepared that day for them to expel him. But to his surprise, though they hadn't been pleased that he went behind their backs, they had accepted his position.
Anakin knew that some other Jedi were allowed to marry, but his particular case had been accepted because of his role in disposing of Palpatine. The Jedi Order had also begun implementing new regulations and loosening others already in place, such as the attachment rule. Jedi could fall in love so long as they could remember their duty to the Order.
To Anakin's utter and complete shock, he'd later heard from Obi wan Kenobi that it had been Mace Windu to urge the Council to let Anakin stay in the Order. Not that they were the best of friends, but Anakin had realized then that he'd finally gained Windu's respect and trust.
Indeed, the master himself had pulled Anakin aside later and spoken to him about that fateful day.
"...Dad!" Luke was tugging on his sleeve.
"What?" Anakin snapped back to reality, and saw Luke gesturing at the finish line pointedly.
"Are you okay?" Luke asked worriedly. "The race is almost over!"
"I'm fine, sorry," Anakin muttered, and joined his son in witnessing the finale.
Luke's chosen racer ended up finishing third, while Anakin's took fifth. Luke cheered wildly, dancing in his chair while Anakin extended a hand for a high-five. Luke slapped his hand firmly, making Anakin wince.
"I won! I won!" Luke chanted happily.
Anakin chuckled. "Yes you did." A mischievous light came to Anakin's eyes. "Did you say you wanted to go listen to the Senate debate now?"
Luke turned horrified eyes on him. "NO!"
Anakin placed a finger to his lips. "I distinctly hearing you say, 'loser takes winner to the Senate.'"
"Daaad! Luke groaned, his face contorting in disgust. "Noo! We're going to get frozen cream!"
"But we agreed on it," Anakin goaded, enjoying getting Luke riled up. "The Senate it is!"
Luke folded his arms over his chest and glared at his father. "I hate the Senate, it's so boring! All they ever do is talk and argue for hours, and nothing ever gets done!"
Anakin laughed. "Don't hate them, Son," he rebuked gently. "They do good things: even if their methods are slower."
"I think a granite slug moves faster than the Senate!" Luke agreed with an irreverent grin.
Anakin winced. "Don't let your mother or sister hear you say that..."
They shared a laugh and departed the races, with Anakin piloting them to their favorite frozen-cream parlor. Luke selected a mixed cream of a red and blue color called nebula-swirl. Anakin chose Wookiee-bark, a chocolate cream with nuts and caramels stirred in.
"That was so much fun, Dad!" Luke was saying around a spoonful of his frozen-cream. "Can we go back soon, please?"
Anakin thinned his lips. "I don't know, Luke. Orin and I will be heading out to Issus soon so he can get a lightsaber crystal."
Orin Creel was a Jedi student Anakin had taken under his wing part-time since the boy had lost his master three years prior. He'd been more of a tutor to the boy, but at times it felt as though Orin saw him as a father figure.
Luke's face fell, though he did his best to hide it. Even so, his motion of eating the frozen-cream slowed a touch, and he blinked rapidly, looking down. Finally he nodded silently and finished his dessert.
Anakin's heart clenched. "Luke, I promise we will spend time together when I return. Just us, no distractions; nothing. Okay?"
Luke visibly brightened at that. "You mean it?"
Anakin nodded firmly. "I do."
Luke smiled. "Thanks Dad."
Anakin returned the smile.
"Dad?" Luke murmured softly, giving Anakin a tender look he reserved for his father. "I love you."
Anakin felt his eyes mist, and he reached across the table to draw Luke into as much of an embrace as he could.
"I love you too, Son."