Chapter Two: The Final Leg

Luke Skywalker, with Galen and Mara, continued their trip around the galaxy by crossing the Seswenna sector. During their voyage from Eriadu to Naboo, Luke found himself thinking less and less about the money and more and more about Mara. To make it through the Maw, the trio relied on runabouts, with Galen piloting for the majority of the time. The final leg from Alderaan to Coruscant would take nine days by a freighter. They'd arrive in the early morning of Sunday, December 19, just in time, unless they had a run in with a very greedy Muun.

You see, Hill had taken a ship to Alderaan, just to ride back on the same freighter Luke and his friends would be using, and he wasn't planning on being friendly.

()()()()()

Luke was talking to Mara that night.

"You're gonna love Coruscant." Luke said with a smile. "Once I pay off all the bills for the orphanage, I'll show you the best time, money can buy! We'll have a dinner; take in a show. Maybe we'll even go dancing."

"It sounds romantic." Mara said with a smile.

"It will be." Luke said as they leaned close to each other when Spock popped up.

"We have a problem!" Galen called out. "A serious one! ... Am I interrupting?"

"Yes, but what's so bad, Galen?" Luke said with a sigh.

"The hypermatter!" Galen called out. "Somebody dumped all the hypermatter off the ship!"

()()()()()

That person was San, he chuckled wickedly as he sat back in an escape pod. That money was all his now.

()()()()()

"DARN IT!" Luke shouted as he punched the console.

"Now we'll never make it." Galen sighed.

"We've gotta!" Luke said. "We've come too far to just give up now! We just need to think of something else we can use as fuel."

"Well the only thing I can think of to utilize is would be to use the Force to pull ourselves to the planet, but we'd need at least three Jedi to help keep the stamina up."

"I'm a Jedi." Mara noted.

"Well we it's worth a try." Luke said. "Let's do it."

()()()()()

The next morning, Luke could see the outline of the sky scrapers from the scanner.

"We're going to make it!" Galen called out.

()()()()()

It took an extra day to Coruscant thanks to the three having less and less stamina. They were a whole day late. When they came home, they looked so dejected that Juno didn't even bother being angry at them for leaving her there.

"We didn't make it." Galen sighed as he sat down.

Luke then walked up and gave Mara all the money he had, five credits.

"Here." Luke said dejectedly. "This'll get you, at least dinner and a show, but you'll just have to go without me. Galen, Juno, I'm afraid the orphanage can't afford to keep you around."

"It can if we're volunteering…" Juno said plainly.

"Right." Galen said. "We're your friends, Luke, and that doesn't cost anything."

"And I like you for you, not your money." Mara said as she gave Jim the money back.

"Thanks guys." Luke sighed.

They then heard bells ringing.

"What's that?" Luke asked.

"The church bells." Mara said. "It is Sunday, you know."

"Sunday?" Luke asked. "But… Of course! We gained a day when we crossed the Seswenna! There's still time!"

Luke rushed off as the three smiled.

()()()()()

At the Reform Club, Hill looked at his chrono with a smirk.

"Looks like he's not going to make it." Hill said unable to hide the smile.

"He's not late yet, Hill." Mothma pointed out.

"Right." Bail agreed. "The boy's still got a shot."

"5… 4… 3… 2…"

Just then, Luke burst in and stood next to the galaxy model.

"Around the galaxy in eighty days!" Luke called out with a smile as Mothma and Bail congratulated him and shook his hands while Hill could only close his chrono, agitated.

()()()()()

So Luke got the inheritance and used it to pay off the bills. He married Mara, and the two of them, Galen, Juno, and the rest of the orphanage lived happily ever after.

"Poe, how many times do I have to tell you to stop drawing on the walls?!" Juno shouted as the rest had a good chuckle.


Well that was fun.