It had been a few weeks since he had left Leia and the Rebellion behind, and he had to admit that he felt more relaxed then he had since, well, ever. Back on Tatooine it had always been the water evaporators needed his constant care and Uncle Owen ragging on him about something, with the Rebellion he had to juggle learning to be a Jedi and the demands of being a Commander, so all his life he had always had something to do, never a long break like this to just unwind and focus on the Force. He felt he was growing better at sensing it in everything from people to animals to plants.
But there was something else it seemed to be leading him to, though whenever he tried to follow the trail, so to speak, in his mind it always dead ended suddenly, as if there was a shield around whatever it was the Force was trying to show him. He knew that he should just go and see where it was leading him, but he wasn't sure if he could make that leap of faith. For what if it was something evil that was hiding from him? The Force wasn't just the light side, so it could be the dark side manipulating it,
But it didn't feel that way. Still he just couldn't quite bring himself to make that leap of faith for some reason. He sighed as he looked out over the swamps of Degobah. He had been drawn to this planet, both from its strength in the Force, but also because it was where his Jedi training had really begun. Yeah Ben had started teaching him on the Falcon, but as far as truly understanding the Force, it hadn't begun until he had come here to learn from Master Yoda.
Ever since he had arrived, Obi-Wan, Yoda and even Anakin had come and trained him. He had some doubts about his father's teaching abilities until he was informed he had a Padawan called Ahsoka at one point in the Clone Wars. But even with their training he still felt, inadequate. Suddenly from beside him came a voice saying, "Why sigh you, young Skywalker?" "Master Yoda, even with the training I have been receiving from you, Obi-Wan and my father, I don't feel like I am even close to being the Jedi I should be."
"Well at least you're not cocky like your father." Obi-Wan said from his other side, where he had suddenly appeared, "It is fine to feel that way Luke, you must understand your training began so much later than most others, even your father's, and he was considered too old to learn when we found him." "Hey I wasn't cocky, just sure of myself." came Anakin's voice, "Son, you are doing amazing, especially considering how old you were when you started, but I can tell there is more. What is it?"
Luke could feel the eyes of his father, Obi-Wan and Yoda on him, causing him to chuckle a little, before he said "Can't hide anything from you, can I?" Then he grew serious and continued, "But you are right. I have felt the Force leading me somewhere, but…" "You're not sure if you can trust it, right?" Obi-Wan finished for him. As Luke nodded, Yoda said, "Trust the Force you must, young one. Guide you wrong, it will not." "I know that here," Luke said as he pointed to his head, "but getting myself to believe and follow that trust through is another thing."
"It is a lesson we all must learn. Usually we learn it with a living Master by our side, one who can help catch us if we fall, but we have faith in you Luke." Obi-Wan said. Anakin nodded and said, "You need to see where this is leading you, for you won't have a moments rest from yourself until you do." Luke nodded and said, "Okay here goes nothing." Concentrating on the feeling, he knew he had to go to another planet, one called Lothal.
XXX
As R2 brought the X-Wing down for a landing, a small crowd gathered to see the Rebellion ship. Not much of the fighting had reached this planet, so to see one was quiet an exciting sight for many of the locals. "Stay with the ship R2. Let them look but if you need to, go ahead and take to the air." R2 replied in a few short beeps and whistles, which caused Luke to laugh and reply, "Yes I will see about getting it refueled before I head off." Before he got out and went to do just that.
As people tried to question him, he held up his hands and said "I'm rather busy, but my droid is willing to answer your questions." After seeing to the refueling, he followed the Force guidance trough the town he had landed in, to a field not far from it. There a small ship, roughly the size of his X-Wing sat with a door opening up from the back wide open. Luke walked up and looked in it, finding it empty. "What are you trying to show me?" Luke muttered to himself. He debated on what to do next before deciding to just wait for whoever owned this small ship to return.
He didn't have long to wait before a man with dark black hair, that when the sunlight hit it almost looked blue, started making his way across the same field Luke had moments earlier. He paused for a moment upon on sighting Luke, but soon continued walking towards him, though now it was with a hint of caution. As soon as he was close enough to be heard when he spoke at a normal level, the man said "Can I help you?" "Honestly I don't know. My name is Luke and I was just following what my feelings were telling me to follow. Curiosity and more caution popped into the man's face before he answered, "Lando Calrissian." As he extended a hand for Ezra to shake.
Luke, trying to keep a smile off his face after the obviously false name was given, took it and said, "Good to meet you Lando." Which was followed by an awkward silence. After some time had passed, Luke spoke again and said, "Look, I'm just going to come out and say it and hope you don't kill me." He could tell "Lando" was immediately on edge, so he rushed to finish what he was saying, "I'm a Jedi and the Force led me to your craft." "Lando" looked at Luke as he debated something in his mind. Finally he said, "Okay I believe you, so I will let you come with me."
"I have my own ship, do you want me to bring it and follow you or actually ride with you?" "Lando" shook his head and said, "You're riding with me. I'm not sure I trust you completely." "Can I bring my droid? I don't think he would like be separated from me for two long, he gets a little anxious." "Lando" considered this for a moment before answering, "Yes you can bring him, but he must be powered down for the journey." "Thank you, I will go fetch him and be right back." Luke replied.
He headed off, gathered R2-D2 and asked the people to take care of his ship for him, before heading back to the ship in the field. As he was about to enter, he heard "Lando" saying, "Tell the others I am bringing a guest." Hanging back, he made sure that Ezra was done with his conversation before entering with R2. Once they were airborne, Luke had R2 power down before taking a seat behind "Lando". Silence filled the craft until the made the jump to lightspeed, at which time, "Lando" turned his seat so he was facing Luke before saying, "You should probably know that Lando isn't my real name."
Luke chuckled and said "I knew that." causing "not Lando" to blush a bit before asking, "It was that obvious?" Luke shook his head and said, "It probably wouldn't have been if I didn't actually know Lando Calrissian." "not Lando" laughed and said, "Boy and I thought it was a better cover then Jabba the Hutt." Luke laughed, replying, "At least with Lando you stuck with human beings instead of an overgrown slug." The man chuckled and said, "True. My real name is Ezra." "Nice to meet you Ezra. Are you going to tell me where we are going?"
Caution once again blanketed Ezra's face, replacing the openness that had been their moments earlier, as he replied, "The name won't mean anything to you, but that much I will give you. We are heading to the planet Edjei." "Edjei?" Luke questioned. Ezra nodded and answered "Yes, home of the Jedi."
Now for anybody who has read my other stories Spark of Hope and With This Blade, yes this is the same planet that I used in them. Its one my brother and I made up, name and all, and was the location we often used for the Jedi to go to just cause it could be anything we wanted it to be and we didn't have to work from memory on its details, etc. We got the name by scrambling the word Jedi and adding an extra e :D
