A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for sticking around for Chapter 2! Knowing you all are reading this and your reviews inspire me to write, hence the quick update! I hope you all continue to enjoy Ch'hala's journey! Don't forget to keep those reviews coming! ^_^
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. I own my OC(s)!
Enjoy!
Star Wars: Rise of the Rebels
Chapter 2: The Princess and the Jedi
"This is Aldera Spa-ort Cont-lease identify." The man's voice crackled in over the comm.
"Woah… I've never seen anything like this!" Ch'hala exclaimed, awestruck by the sight of the planet and city below. From afar the planet was this gorgeous mix of blue, green and white and a much appreciated sight after a long travel through the blackness of space. The way the oceans sparkled in the sunlight brought a smile to her face. They were so clear Ch'hala would bet that she could see all the way to the ocean floor if she were closer. "Swimming in those waters would be like heaven, so cool and clean! I can honestly say that I will not miss the swamp waters of Dagobah…" Ch'hala mused entranced by the sight, but her thoughts quickly turned to her Master and her apprehensions about her mission, "But I will miss Master Yoda. I fear that I will not be strong enough to face enemies on my own…"
She shook her head, trying to focus instead on the city coming closer and closer into view. The flowing white architecture of the city seemed in perfect harmony with the nearby ocean and yet a stark contrast to the jagged mountains just beyond the city. The sunlight washed the tall spire like buildings in a warm yellow glow that seemed to draw Ch'hala closer and closer…
"Attention unknown vessel! This is Aldera Spaceport Control. Please identify!" The man's voice rang through over the comm, this time shocking Ch'hala out of her daze. She noticed that she was flying dangerously close to the tops of the city buildings. One particularly tall spire seemed to jut out in front of her spacecraft causing her to jerk the controls towards herself in a daring attempt to bring the craft up,
"Woah that was close…" she sighed turning her attention to the man's voice urgently repeating his commands. Ch'hala hurriedly looked around the control panel for the comm switch, "Ah, there it is!"
"Come in Aldera Spaceport Control. Sorry, I was… experiencing some trouble with my communications system. This is Ch'hala Kenobi. I'm here seeking an audience with Senator Bail Organa. I'm requesting permission to dock."
"You're breaking up. Please repeat."
"This is Ch'hala Kenobi. I'm here seeking an audience with Senator Bail Organa and I need to dock!" Ch'hala repeated half shouting. She knew it wouldn't improve the sound quality, but she subconsciously did it anyway.
"Permission to dock granted. Proceed to docking bay 4."
"Docking bay 4. Got it." Ch'hala confirmed slowly descending into the docking area. "Oof! I don't think this thing was made to bounce…" Ch'hala worried inwardly as she 'landed'. The cockpit depressurized as she lifted the glass covering and stepped out onto the docking platform.
"Ms. Kenobi, welcome to Aldera. I am See Threepio, human-cyborg relations. I am here to take you to Senator Organa. Now if you would follow me this way, please." The bronze humanoid droid made a sweeping motion with his arm, or rather his torso, to indicate which direction to go. Ch'hala nodded in understanding and followed alongside the droid. She had never encountered a droid before and was slightly amused by this droid's prim and proper attitude.
She had subconsciously been tuning out the jabbering droid as they walked. He had this extraordinary ability to talk and even complain about just about everything. His main focus, at the moment, was discussing how he had come to be in the service of the House of Organa. A thrilling tale, Ch'hala was sure, but the beauty of the spaceport and then the Royal Palace distracted her from much of his tale.
Never having met a droid before, Ch'hala wondered if all droids talked this much, or all of them had interesting stories to tell. She figured that if he loved to talk so much it wouldn't hurt to ask him a question, "I've never met a droid before, so excuse me for asking this, but are all droids as refined and friendly as you?"
"Oh no, Ms. Kenobi, I'm afraid not. You see I'm a protocol droid. My primary functions are etiquette and protocol and I am fluent in over six-million forms of communication—"
"I get the feeling he's said this about one hundred times before…" Ch'hala mused.
"Unfortunately not all droids are programmed with these specifications. You will find that many astromechs are much more 'rough around the edges' as one might say." Threepio finished.
"I see. Well I look forward to encountering all kinds of droids from now on."
"Very good Ms. Kenobi. Senator Organa is just through these doors." The droid pushed open the doors to reveal a large foyer. The room was gigantic in size with large dark blue tapestries hanging from the ceiling. The white and gold detailed columns towered over the senator standing in the center of the room.
"Ah! Theeprio, Ms. Kenobi there you are. It's wonderful to meet you," Senator Organa greeted extending his hand. Ch'hala reached out and shook it,
"It great to meet you, as well, Senator. There is much we need to discuss," Ch'hala responded bringing her mind back to her mission.
"Yes, I imagine there is, but first there is something I need to ask you," the senator eagerly began. Ch'hala cocked her head to the side, interested in what he wanted to know so terribly. "Kenobi. That is an interesting name. Is it an alias?"
"What an odd question…" "No… It is not an alias," Ch'hala began, "My name is Ch'hala Kenobi, I am the daughter of Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master." Ch'hala finished bowing slightly at the formal introduction. As she looked back up at the senator she saw a new smile. A truly happy smile, not just polite like before.
"Wonderful!" He exclaimed. "Your father is an old friend of mine. I'm glad to hear he's still alive!"
"Wait a second…" Ch'hala was confused. "You knew my father?" Her father didn't talk much about his life before he met her mother. She almost wished she could ask Senator Organa about her father, but she knew that wouldn't be wise. She could almost hear Master Yoda scolding her attachment to the past, but she sometimes longed for the past. She longed for the days when she would run through the desert with her father. She longed to see her mother again—Senator Organa's voice stirred her from her thoughts.
"He never told you-? Oh, well I suppose he wouldn't, now would he?" he seemed slightly embarrassed at his initial excitement.
"Well, he might have. It's just… I left my father when I was young. I went to Master Yoda to train," Ch'hala explained. "But my father is still alive. I have sensed it."
"Then there is hope…" Senator Organa whispered to himself, but perhaps a bit too loudly,
"Hope?" Ch'hala asked, interested.
"Hope for us all. Hope for the rebellion. With Master Obi Wan, Master Yoda and now you Master Ch'hala we have more hope for bringing this oppressive Empire down." His hopefulness was almost inspiring.
"I am humbled by your notion, Senator, but I am not yet a Jedi Master. Master Yoda has sent me here to complete my training. I'm here to help you in any way I can, that is my mission." Ch'hala hoped her eagerness to start her mission was not portrayed in her voice.
The senator nodded in understanding, "Well, who am I to interfere with Master Yoda's wishes." He smiled warmly at Ch'hala. She noticed his gaze shift over her head, "Leia, my dear come over here. Let me introduce you to our guest." The senator moved to stand beside the young Jedi.
Ch'hala quickly turned around to face this 'Leia'. As Ch'hala looked at the young woman walking towards her she noticed the elegance in her steps and yet the movement of her flowing white dress betrayed her hurried and rougher nature. Her presence suggested a long life of being taught etiquette and poise and yet Ch'hala could sense a fire inside her. Leia was slightly shorter than Ch'hala, but with the same small yet strong frame. Her light brown hair was done up in an elegant, if not impractically intricate braid and Ch'hala wondered if she had ever bothered to cut her hair. Ch'hala's eyes moved to finish their travels and meet her gaze, but Ch'hala barely had enough time to register their particular shade of brown when the grand foyer of the Aldera Royal Palace and Leia all disappeared from her view.
It was but a brief instance. A flash. Unlike her previous Force visions which seemed to last an eternity, this vision was simply an image. It was a face. Not a particularly remarkable face, but yet still handsome. It was a man's face, quite young with shaggy dirty blond hair that fell into his light blue eyes. Youthful eyes that appeared to work in tandem with a quirky smile to try and mask a saddened soul. Ch'hala felt sorry for the man who seemed too burdened for one so young. She felt a familiar feeling, a familiar presence as the face flashed before her. "Could this be that same man that I saw laying in the sand with my father?" She resolved to think on this further, but she could hear the senator begin to speak once more,
"This is Ch'hala Kenobi. She is a Jedi that has come to help the Rebellion. And this," the senator paused, pride evident in his voice, "This is my daughter, Princess Leia Organa, and soon to be the next Alderaan Imperial Senator!"
Ch'hala's vision finally focused on the young princess who now stood in front of her. Leia's small mouth curved up into a smile and her eyes lit up at her father's words, "It's wonderful to meet you Ms. Kenobi! I am always pleased to hear that more people are standing up for the rebel cause, and a Jedi for that matter. I didn't even think they existed anymore."
"Princess Leia… Your Highness…" Ch'hala began. Her unfamiliarity with royal customs clearly evident for all to see.
"Just Leia is fine seeing as we will be working alongside each other soon enough."
"Leia." Ch'hala tested the name out. It felt wrong, disrespectful even. She had had limited contact with others since her time on Tatooine had ended and she found the calling of someone without a title to be a new and somewhat challenging experience. However, she knew being able to adapt to all situations would be a crucial part of her training, so she quickly overcame her trepidations and continued, "Well then call me Ch'hala. I insist." She returned Leia's enthusiastic smile, "I am eager to help you and the Rebellion in any way that I can."
"Oh, Father, I just had a brilliant idea. Why doesn't Ch'hala accompany Captain Antilles and the Tantive IV on the supply run from Taanab to Dantooine tomorrow? I was planning on accompany him myself, but I'm sure Ch'hala's presence would be reassuring for the crew. You know how tense they get on these supply runs." Leia was technically asking permission, but it seemed to Ch'hala as though she had already made up her own mind and her father's mind for him. Ch'hala turned to Senator Organa, but sensed that he was wary of this plan.
He was quiet for some time, but eventually spoke, "I agree that it would be a good idea for Ch'hala to accompany Captain Antilles on the supply run…" Leia's smiling face twisted into, what some would call, and angry pout.
"But…" she dragged, obviously now sensing the same wariness in his voice that Ch'hala did.
"But… I don't think it would be wise for you to accompany them." The senator seemed almost nervous to say those words. Perhaps he feared the fuming princess in front of him.
"I refuse to be excluded from rebellion assignments anymore! You know the rebels need any little bit of help they can get and I believe—"
"I understand where you're coming from, my dear. I know you want to help the Rebellion, but you're needed here right now." Leia looked like she was going to retaliate, but her father continued before she got the chance, "You are to take my place at the next Senate Meeting. There is still much that you need to learn and understand before that day comes. Being a senator is much different than being a princess."
Leia's anger still seemed to radiate off of her, but apparently the senator's words were reasonable enough for her to stop arguing. A tense silence grew between the senator, the princess, and the Jedi. Ch'hala's mind began to drift towards a warm bath and a cozy bed. Or even cold water and a blanket. Either situation would have been more than enough as the exhaustion from her long trip across half the galaxy finally hit her… hard.
Whether it was by clairvoyant means or just that Senator Organa could simply read her exhaustion like it were written on her face, Ch'hala did not care. She was just glad when he broke the silence, "Threepio! Would you please escort Ch'hala to the guest chambers, please?"
Ch'hala quickly turned around. She had totally forgotten about the protocol droid standing off to the side. He had been so quiet that she was sure that he had left the foyer shortly after bringing Ch'hala to the senator. Hearing him enthusiastically respond to the senator's request and how he seemed to jabber on and on in the short span of time it took Leia to offer to take Ch'hala up to the guest quarters herself, the young Jedi wondered how he managed to keep quiet during their entire conversation.
"Follow me Ch'hala," the princess half suggested, half ordered.
Ch'hala nodded before turning to face Senator Organa once more, "Thank you for this opportunity to help the Rebellion. I promise to do all that I can on this mission and many more to come."
"I have no doubt of that. I will see you tomorrow in the docking bay. Threepio will come by your room in the morning to escort you. For now you should go get some rest." He bowed his head slightly before turning and walking away.
Ch'hala followed the princess through a winding serious of corridors. Ch'hala could tell that the princess was holding something in and she just hoped it wasn't resentment for Ch'hala going on the supply run instead of her,
"Leia, I can tell something is troubling you." Ch'hala observed, her need to help overcoming her fear of the fiery princess. She noticed the princess's shoulders relax slightly as she continued to walk in front of the Jedi.
"Is that one of those Jedi tricks? Can you read my thoughts too?" the princess asked. Ch'hala thought she might have detected a little bit of sarcasm, but perhaps she just imagined it.
Ch'hala chuckled a little at the inquiry, "No, I can't read your thoughts. But emotions resonate through the Force and sometimes I can sense those."
"Hmm…" Leia seemed to be pondering this new information. "Well, you are right. I'm just frustrated. My whole life I have been training to be the next Queen of Alderaan and that was absolute torture. Then I was elected to succeed my father in the senate. I was so thrilled at first. I thought, 'Now I can finally make a difference. I can rally support for the rebellion through the Senate!' but now… Now I realize it's so much more constricting than being a queen! Balancing the needs of our people and what is best for our people all within the confines of the Empire. It is quite maddening at times, I don't know how my father's done it for so long. And now, I finally get a chance to be an active member of the Rebellion and it gets taken right out from under me." Leia seemed to be venting, and it seemed to be doing some good as Ch'hala sensed a new found calmness coming from the princess as they stopped outside a pair of large white double doors.
"I see… Well your father does make a good point. How can Alderaan keep aiding the rebels without a strong presence in the Senate? It is important to keep the presence of Alderaan strong in the Senate in order to keep the Empire from discovering your peoples' ties to the Rebellion. He's just trying to guide you down the best path. We must never question our place, only do the best we can with what we are given." Ch'hala felt strange being the one to give advice instead of receive it.
"I suppose you're right." Leia sighed, "You will make a strong rebel leader one day. Your family must be very proud of you." Ch'hala was taken aback by the sincere nature of the princess's words, but she was glad the sarcastic undertone seemed to disappear from her voice.
"I don't know if they are proud of me. I have not seen my father or mother for quite a long time. My mother raised me on Cularin for the first few years of my life, but one day we traveled to Tatooine and she left me with my father to begin my Jedi training. When I was six my father said it was too dangerous to continue my training on Tatooine so he sent me to the Dagobah system to train with the great Jedi Master, Master Yoda. I lived with him for the last 10 years. I have not seen my mother since she left me on Tatooine and I have not seen my father since I left Tatooine. I can sense them sometimes…" Ch'hala trailed off. The princess stopped in front of a set of white double doors,
"Funny, I figured you were older than 16, at least older than me." Ch'hala flushed slightly. "Oh don't worry it's a good thing. It means you seem sure of yourself and your path. I admire that. And well…" she carried on, "If you can sense them then that means they're still alive right?" Leia asked. Ch'hala nodded in response. "Then, that means you may see them again one day and that is something to look forward to. Now you should rest. You have had a long trip and you will have an even longer one tomorrow." The princess smiled warmly and gave her a hug. Ch'hala froze momentarily, caught off-guard by the warm gesture, but quickly recovered and hugged the princess back. She felt a closeness with Leia that she had never felt with anyone before.
Without saying 'goodbye' or 'goodnight', the princess hurriedly walked down the corridor before turning a corner and disappearing from view leaving the young Jedi alone with her thoughts,
"Perhaps this is what it's like to have as friend."
A/N: Well there you have it, Chapter 2! Please review and let me know what you think: good or bad.
See you soon!