"Hey, kid! You want to come get the door and see who came to see you?"

Ben had been sitting on the floor, playing with the model X-Wing that he had just received for his eighth birthday. At the sound of his father's yell, however, he immediately stood up, practically dropping the toy. He ran from his room, a huge grin spreading across his face. He almost tripped on the new pair of pants he was wearing. They were a little too long for him, but his mother swore he would grow into them. With them, he wore a gray t-shirt and his jacket. It was getting a little too small for him, but still he refused to take it off. There was a tear in the armpit area of his right sleeve, and the stitching around the back was beginning to come loose. It didn't matter. He wouldn't give it up. It seemed some days that his mom had to practically beg him to take the thing off so she could wash it.

"Who's here, dad? Who is it?" Ben cried excitedly, sliding a little as he skid around the corner. He broke out in a sprint as he saw both of his parents standing by the front door, smiling. "Who?"

"Why don't you come see?" his mom invited, her brown eyes gleaming.

He raced up to them. Putting his hand on the doorknob, he looked to both of his parents. His mom nodded, and his dad gestured for him to go ahead. He yanked the door open.

"UNCLE LUKE!" he cried, his whole face lighting up.

"Hey, Ben!" the blond greeted, grinning widely. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too!" Ben shouted, overtaken by excitement. He embraced the Jedi. "Where were you? I haven't seen you for a really long time, I thought you'd gotten eaten by a Sarlacc or something!"

Luke laughed. "I came close once," he admitted, a dimple on his left cheek standing out. "But that was a long time ago. I've just been busy lately."

The raven-haired boy's eyes widened. "Busy?" He thought about this for a second, and then gasped. "Uncle Luke," he leaned forward and conspiratorially whispered, "have you been doing top secret Jedi stuff?"

Ben's uncle shot him a grin that was strangely reminiscent of his brother-in-law. It was easy to tell the two were close friends. "You got me, Ben," he whispered back. "But don't tell, okay?"

He nodded eagerly. "I won't." He turned back to his parents. "He's just been busy," he told them, speaking loudly now. He tried to wink at his uncle, but it turned out looking more like he had something in his eye.

"Whatever you say, kid," his dad smirked, crossing his arms, though there was a twinkle in his smile. "Sounds like he was just busy, Leia. Nothing secret going on there. Definitely nothing related to the Jedi."

"Mm, no, I don't think so," she agreed. "Just normal business, I think."

Luke smiled widely at this, thoroughly amused by their reactions. He put a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "I think we fooled them," he whispered, chuckling.

The little boy nodded, though he knew his parents were just humoring him. But he didn't want to break that to his uncle. The man seemed so happy at the idea that Han and Leia didn't know about his secret Jedi affairs. So Ben shot his parents a look that he hoped let them know that they should keep playing along. Turning back to Luke, he grinned falsely. "Yeah, we did," he responded, nodding confidently.

The Jedi's hand dropped and he laughed again. "Great," he said enthusiastically, looking at Han and Leia with what could only be described as joy. For some reason, it didn't seem to last long. A more somber attitude befell him and he cleared his throat. "Now, Ben, I meant to tell you earlier. I got you something. Sorry it's late, but I was off-world for your birthday party. Don't worry, though. I think it's a pretty good one. I had it ordered just for you. A friend of mine owed me a favor." He reached into the pocket of his brown robes and pulled out a rectangular box, about the length of his forearm. "Here. I hope you like it."

The box was plain, without wrapping paper or any sort of garnish. It was just a brown box. It almost looked like something a jewelry company would use to hold a necklace. A very large necklace. Ben took it cautiously. It was... odd. He held it in his hand for a second, making no move to open it. He stared at it at length, trying to figure out what was within. He was a little baffled. He was really good at guessing his gifts before he even opened them. His mom said he was almost too good at it. He, most times, could look at a box and immediately know the contents. Of course, he had learned as he'd gotten older not to voice this. It tended to upset the gift-givers. They would accuse him of cheating the system. Peeking beforehand, or eavesdropping on a conversation, or something else. He'd made many a well-wishing adult turn red in the face. Now he had just learned to open it and put on his best "surprised face." It was still a pretty cool talent, though. It was like he had x-ray vision or something. He couldn't describe it that way, however, considering that he didn't really see the items. He sensed them. He could just tell what they were, almost like a gut feeling.

For one reason or another, however, this gift was different. He could sense something in the box. It wasn't empty. Whatever was inside just wasn't talking to him. It wouldn't reveal itself. He turned his gaze to his uncle, brow furrowed.

"Why..." he started, his face displaying bemusement, "why can't I tell what it is?"

"You have to open the box, kid," the pilot of the Milennium Falcon advised, eyebrows raised. "Remember?" He leaned over to Leia, and out of the side of his mouth murmured, "He really does take after your side of the family."

She made a face at him. "Be quiet, Han!" she disapproved, punching him in the arm.

"This doesn't make any sense," Ben voiced, still staring at the box with wide blue eyes.

Han looked at Luke, frowning. "There is something inside, right? You didn't just get the kid a box, did you?"

"No, I didn't," the blond responded evenly, not removing his eyes from his nephew. "What's wrong, Ben?" He sounded like he already knew very well what was wrong. There was the slightest hint of a smile on his lips.

"I can't see it. I know that it's there, but I don't kow what it is."

"The box, kid," Ben's father tried again, sounding tired. "Take it out of the box."

Luke laughed. "It's okay, Han. Ben's not crazy." He tilted his head. "But he does take after our side. Ben, you can normally tell what your gifts are before you open them, right? You can always guess, and you don't even know how. You just always know, even though you haven't peeked or anything." He looked to the boy for confirmation, and the raven-haired youth nodded, thoroughly surprised by this turn of events. "You can't tell with this one. You know it's there, but you have no idea what it is."

Shellshocked, the eight year old blinked. "How did you know all of that?"

He chuckled, but made no move to answer the question. "How do you do in school, Ben?" he asked, the change of subject making both of the other adults exchange confused looks.

"Luke, what are you talking about?" Leia's forehead scrunched up in the way that it often did when she didn't understand something. A mild amount of frustration showed in her warm brown eyes. "What does school have to do with any of this? Ben does really well in school."

"Kid gets the highest marks in his class," Han boasted, puffing his chest a little. Pride was clear in his features, which made Ben smile. He loved making his dad proud. "Teachers are always saying he's a quick learner. One of them called him gifted a while back."

"Is that true, Ben?" the Jedi questioned.

Ben couldn't resist grinning a little. "Yeah. I always know the answers to their questions. Sometimes it just jumps into my head, before I even realize I've learned it. I was the only one to ace our history test last week, and I didn't even know I knew some of that stuff."

His uncle's eyes gleamed, their blue strikingly similar to that of Ben's. "That's great. I wouldn't have expected any less." Suddenly, he closed his eyes. Concentration showed itself on his face. Then, he opened his eyes and went right back to talking. "But back to your gift. What is it now?"

The boy didn't understand his uncle. Did the man not get it? Was he confused? They had just discussed this. He couldn't see it. Reluctantly, however, he halfheartedly looked down. The parcel suddenly felt different. It was like a sheet of metal had been removed from in front of it. He could sense it without a problem in the world. He gasped, nearly dropping it in shock. "Uncle Luke..." he couldn't even bring himself to finish his sentence.

"You know what it is?" Luke asked carefully, watching his nephew closely.

"Yes!" he breathed, finally opening the box. "It's a lightsaber!"

Sure enough, he pulled out a gleaming silver hilt. Both of his parents' jaw dropped, twin looks of disbelief on their faces.

"Luke!" Leia scolded scornfully. "You didn't!"

Even Han, who was clearly the more laid-back of the pair, seemed outraged. "What are you, nuts? You want the kid to kill himself. Great idea, genius. Give the eight year old a laser sword. Fantastic. Look, I know that you Jedi don't get out much, but that whole hermit thing has clearly taken you off the deep end."

"I can't keep it?" Ben inquired fearfully, clutching his present to his chest. "But... but... it's mine," a note of anger entered his voice. A strange look entered his eye, and it almost seemed like the boy took a defensive stance.

Luke gaped at him. "Ben, what are you doing?" he asked, shocked.

The boy stopped. "What?" The odd tone had left his voice.

The man hesitated, but shook his head. "Nevermind." He tried to sound jovial, but it just came across as kind of pained, "Don't worry, you two," he addressed his sister and her husband, smiling a little. "Believe it or not, I'm not oblivious. I understand that lightsabers are dangerous for children. That's why I had my friend make me a fake one. It lights up, it makes noises, but it doesn't actually get hot in the way that a kyber crystal does. It actually uses a different type of crystal entirely. With all the features of the real deal, but unable to, oh, say cut off someone's arm. It couldn't actually harm anyone. It can't cut or burn anything." He scratched his chin. "It's kind of the child-friendly version."

Clearly excited that he didn't have to worry about the dangers of it, Ben activated the lightsaber. Its brilliant blue blade blazed into existence. He was mesmerized. "Wow..." he gazed at it, spellbound.

"It's just like the lightsaber I used to use, Ben," Luke explained softly. "And that one will be yours too... when you're old enough."

His eyes lit up, their color just shades away from the saber itself. "Thank you," he whispered.

"That was very nice of you, Luke," his mom sounded genuine, but something else plagued her voice. "Now, Ben, how about you go play with your new toy in your room? Your father and I need to talk to your uncle."

"What?" Ben's face fell. "But—"

His dad grinned at him. "Don't worry about it, squirt. It's just boring adult stuff. Right after we're done, you can come out and we'll have dinner. I figure your uncle will be able to stay until tomorrow, right, Luke?"

"Of course," the man confirmed smoothly. "And after dinner, I'll show you a couple of fighting stances you can practice with that."

Ben perked up, encouraged by the two men he admired most. He nodded, unable to contain his excitement at this prospect. "Okay," he agreed. Switching off the model saber, he ran off to his room.

He reactivated the toy and waved it around. To be honest, it felt awkward in his hand. He tried changing the way he was holding it, but it didn't help. In all honesty, he felt like an idiot. The lightsaber almost felt kind of bulky, he couldn't imagine fighting with it. Nonetheless, he kept brandishing it at the wall. He jumped around, the scenario playing in his head far different from the real one. In his mind, he was fighting bad guys, defending the honor of his family, being a hero.

He could already see himself as a Jedi. Dressed in brown robes just like his uncle, a peaceful smile on his face. Someday, he would help restore peace and justice to the galaxy, just like Luke was trying to do. He understood now that Jedi were more than mere magicians. They were warriors. They were guardians. They protected the galaxy and everyone in it. They maintained balance in the universe. When the evil Intergalactic Empire had risen and taken over, it was a Jedi—more specifically his uncle!—that had come out of hiding to help the rebellion restore freedom to the galaxy's citizens. He had heard the story a thousand times, but he still never tired of it. How incredible was it that his parents had been a part of the rebellion? That his parents had played such a huge role in the fall of the empire? That his parents were actually in history books? His family was a legendary one. He knew he was lucky to be a part of it.

"You have to be crazy!" his dad's voice rang out from the hallway. "We're not going to let you whisk Ben away because you're 'a little worried' about him!"

Ben blinked. He dropped the saber, eyes wide. He walked towards the door. He put his ear to it, his curiosity overwhelming him.

"Han, listen. I've been talking about doing this for a long time. Leia and I have talked about it. We think it's important that more Jedi come to exist," Luke asserted, sounding wary.

"And that's great. Go train more of them. Just leave my son out of this!" Han yelled.

His mother sighed. "Han, I think Luke may have a point. I'm worried about Ben too."

"He's fine! He's a good kid! He doesn't need to go spend his life obsessing over this Force crap!"

"That—"

"No! Look, I get that the Force saved our hides several times on that Death Star. And I know that it's worked for you. But it ruins people! Look at your dad, for god's sake! He wasn't the first to be destroyed by that damn thing, and he won't be the last!"

Ben could hear the frown in his uncle's voice. "Look, Han. Ben has outstanding Force potential. He uses it constantly without even realizing he's doing it. I shielded the saber from him, and he was confused. He's been using the Force to figure out what his presents are, and to pass tests. He doesn't know that's what he's doing, but it is."

"So what? So he has to use it to become a Jedi like you? If this Force thing is really a problem, then teach him how not to use it!"

"The fact that he's using the Force isn't a problem in itself. Though it is rare, it's not entirely unheard of for someone his age to begin to find the Force on their own. But to find the dark side..."

"What?" his father said sharply.

"Leia told me about what happened with the fork. It was concerning, Han. Really concerning. I've never heard of someone so young being able to use the dark side."

"That was two years ago," Han retorted hoarsely. "He hasn't done it since."

"But doesn't it worry you?" Leia inserted. "That's not normal! Han, we need to make sure that if Ben continues to use the Force, he's using it the right way!"

Luke was clearly growing tired of arguing this. "Han, please. Give me until the anniversary of the fall of the empire. Just a couple Galactic Standard months."

"He's eight!" Han began to sound desperate.

"I know. When the Old Republic existed, they taught children as young as four. They would bring them into clans to learn together, up until they were around nine," he said thoughtfully. "But I don't think they need to be that young. I think they need a chance to attend ordinary school, so they can learn to read and write and have a chance to get a normal education. I want them to be old enough to be able to figure out if they want to spend their lives as Jedi. Currently, I'm taking twelve year olds. Ideally, I would wait for Ben to be the right age, but... I think it's important he starts right away. We can't continue to let him contact the dark side."

"It was one time!" Han yelled. "He's not ready for this. Don't you think he'll be behind the other kids?"

"No. On the contrary, I fear he may be ahead."

Leia's voice sounded kind of sad. "Han, please. Give Luke until the anniversary. If we decide we really hate having Ben so far away, and that it's not good for him, we can pull him out."

"Tell me one thing, Luke," Han growled. "Did you see something about my son?"

There was a tense silence. Ben waited with bated breath, his head spinning. He couldn't even process all of this. The dark side? A school for Jedi? He was being invited? What was going on?

"I tried," the blond admitted. "I meditated about it, and tried to catch a glimpse of Ben's future."

"What did you see?" Leia prodded gently.

"That's actually the problem. I didn't see anything. His future was clouded. It was obstructed by something. From my experience, the only thing capable of doing that is the dark side. One way or another, it is in his future. I don't know whether he's going to fight it, face up against it, or give into it—"

"My son is not a villain!"

Ben had never heard his father so protective of him. Normally that was his mother's role, whereas his dad tended to be more relaxed. This was entirely new territory.

"I'm not saying—" Luke stopped suddenly. "Oh no." He sighed heavily. "Ben, come out from there." He didn't raise his voice at all, his tone stayed entirely even.

The boy sheepishly opened the door, fear in blue eyes that looked so similar to his uncle's. "Am I a bad person?" he whispered.

"No," Han asserted. "No, kid, you're not." He shot his brother-in-law a glare.

"Of course not, honey," Leia comforted as well, coming over to hug her son. "That's not what your uncle is saying. He's impressed by what you can do. He wants you to come train with him as a Jedi."

"Really?" Ben's mouth fell open. "I thought I was in trouble," he confessed.

"No, nothing like that!" Luke tried to smile, but it was strained. "You're very talented, Ben. Remember when I told you I'd teach you to use the Force when you were ready? Well, I think you're ready."

"Oh wow!" His face absolutely lit up. "I'm going to be a Jedi! Can I go?" he turned to his parents, absolutely beaming.

Leia turned to her husband. "It is up to you, Han," she sounded mildly reluctant. "But I trust Luke. I think this is what's best for Ben. He'll be one of the next generation of Jedi. It's a good thing. It's not because we think he's bad, it's the opposite. It's because we believe that he's good."

The pilot's arms were crossed, and his expression was borderline furious. He glowered at Luke with steely green eyes. "I don't like this." He turned to Ben and his gaze softened. "Ben, is this really what you want?" he asked.

"I want to be a Jedi, dad," Ben's gaze was pleading. "I want to help people, and I want to learn to use the Force."

Silence once again hung in the air. Finally, Han spoke. "Fine. You have until the anniversary," he grumbled, "after that, we can pull him out if we want to."

"Deal," Luke agreed, holding out his hand.

Begrudgingly, Han shook it.

Ben couldn't believe it. He was going to be a Jedi. He was going to train with his uncle. He was going to learn to use the Force. This was the best thing that had ever happened to him!

He couldn't explain the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

A/U: Sorry this took so long. I haven't had Internet, since I've been moving. Anyways, though, I really hope you like it!