A long time ago in a place far, far away…this book was written! Many thanks to my dear friend Leia who helped me come up with this adventure and to my friend Ichobana Rose who got me hooked on Enjoy!
2
Anakin chuckled at the disgusted expression on Nicholas' face as the young man stared into his room mirror.
"This is sad," Nicholas sighed as he turned away from the mirror and then grinned at Anakin. "Do all Jedi have to do this before they are knights?"
"Yes," Anakin laughed as Nicholas pulled on the tiny braid he had.
"It's not even my hair."
"Not for the time being. As soon as your real hair grows out, they'll make you put a little bit of it in a braid like that."
"I look like a girl," Nicholas sighed.
"Welcome to the Jedi Order," Anakin said and then stood up from his seat. "You have to admit, the garb is comfortable."
"I always thought I looked bad in brown," Nicholas smiled. "Besides, my old Tatooine clothes were just perfect for me."
"I haven't been to Tatooine in a little while. How is it now?" Anakin asked.
"Same as it's been for years. Jabba the Hutt is still in charge, the weather is still awful, and the Tusken Warriors are still at large."
A deep, dark frown crossed Anakin's face at the mention of the Tusken Warriors.
"You don't like them either," Nicholas noted.
"Not at all. I am never going to go back to Tatooine again."
"I've never lived anywhere but Tatooine," Nicholas said. "I've been almost everywhere in the known galaxy, but I've never lived anywhere else."
"You've been almost everywhere?" Anakin asked, immediately interested.
"Yes. What do you do here Anakin? Do they send you on missions?" Nicholas asked.
"My duty has been to be a personal bodyguard for Senator Amidala," Anakin said. "Wherever she goes, I go."
"Strange I haven't really met you before," Nicholas commented.
"I guess. I'll see you in a little while. Are you ready to go to Naboo?"
"Yes. I've only dropped by there once or twice. It should be interesting to stay there for awhile," Nicholas commented.
"You'll like it. See you later," Anakin said.
He left the room, and Nicholas walked over to one of his room's great windows. Lights were flying past along with automobiles and angry drivers. Nicholas smiled to himself as he looked. Once upon a time, it would have been dangerous for him to stand by a window like that. Now, though, no one really knew who he was.
Obi Wan was waiting in Nicholas' small living room a few minutes later when Nicholas stepped out of his bedroom.
"Hello Master Obi Wan!" Nicholas saluted. "I am ready to leave now."
"Very good. Follow me. We are going to take a separate aircraft from the one the senator will be traveling on."
"She is going back to Naboo as well?"
"Yes. You look very relaxed Nicholas."
"I am sir. I have always worn robes like this. My white ones are a little more comfortable, but these are all right."
"Have you been to Naboo before?" Obi Wan asked.
"A couple of times, but only for very short business trips. Will the senator be needing our protection sir?"
"I don't believe so. Anakin will be on the aircraft with her, and she will have several guard fighters escorting her. You should know all about that Nicholas."
Nicholas nodded and smiled. "I cannot wait to see more of Naboo. I remember how beautiful some of it was."
"You'll be tired of it before we are finished," Obi Wan grinned. "Now come along. We must be leaving."
Nicholas sat quietly next to Obi Wan as the Jedi flew the aircraft out of Coruscant traffic and into the open outer space. He resisted the urge to ask Obi Wan if he would be permitted to fly and instead concentrated on the large plane that was a comfortable distance away with five fighters encircling it.
"Obi Wan, isn't it painfully obvious to all other pilots that Senator Amidala or another person of high position is on that aircraft?" He finally asked.
"I suppose, but the senator must travel somehow, and she has some of the best pilots in the galaxy to protect her. Surely you know that Nicholas," Obi Wan frowned and glanced at the young man.
Nicholas wore a thoughtful expression on his face.
"We've never traveled in that formation before, I believe," he said.
"Perhaps Commander Brask wanted to try a new tactic," Obi Wan shrugged.
"Perhaps," Nicholas replied, not fully satisfied.
An hour had passed before a sudden warning alarm began to wail in the back of Obi Wan's head. He glanced at his fighter screens carefully and noticed two forms moving towards them.
"I wonder who that could be?" he thought aloud.
Nicholas was squinting, straining to better hear the roar of the audible engines behind them.
"Corellian star fighters!" he finally gasped.
"What?" Obi Wan asked. "How did you know that?"
"The sound of their engines."
"At least there are only two of them. The guard should be able to ward them off," Obi Wan said, frowning as the warning in the back of his mind grew larger.
"There aren't only two of them. Those types of fighters carry at least five other fighters within them. We are far outnumbered," Nicholas said, shaking his head. "They aren't headed for us, but they are undoubtedly moving towards the senator. The pilots probably don't realize how powerful those fighters are, Master Obi Wan. They have not been trained to recognize those fighters," Nicholas said worriedly.
"And you have?"
Nicholas turned his head to face Obi Wan, a serious expression on his face.
"Yes sir."
"Very well then. Your first flying test, Nicholas," Obi Wan said, and quickly stood up.
"You want me to fly?" Nicholas asked.
"Yes. It seems you know more about those planes, and undoubtedly, their pilots, than anyone else here."
Nicholas smiled and put Obi Wan's headset on his head.
"Do I have permission to speak to the other pilots?" he asked.
"Of course."
"Senator Amidala's pilots, this is Nicholas of the Air Speed. We have two Corellian fighters approaching and must prepare for a battle. We are against at least twelve planes."
"Twelve planes?" the pilot from the senator's aircraft asked.
"Yes. I need all escorting guard to move farther away from the senator's aircraft. Remain in a circle around her, but pull farther away."
"Yes sir."
The pilot who had answered did not sound as though he trusted Nicholas very much, but Nicholas ignored the doubt in the man's voice.
"Nicholas, what do we need to do exactly?" Anakin asked over the headset.
"Have the escorts pull back. They need to get behind the senator's aircraft. You need to see to it that your ship is prepared for lightspeed. You need to get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Very well."
The five escort planes immediately pulled back, just as the back of the Corellian ships began to open. Nicholas turned his ship around and watched as planes began to exit the Corellian ships, and as they did, one by one, he instructed the other pilots to hold fire until they were fired at. The pilots did not trust him, and Obi Wan had to speak to them quickly before Nicholas took charge again. As soon as the adversary fighters were out of their carriers, they began to speed towards the aircraft from Coruscant. They made an effort to get to the senator's aircraft and were quick to open fire. The senator's guards returned fire, and as they did so, Nicholas moved the Air Speed close to the senator's ship and guarded it carefully. Two times enemy ships reached him, and he fired skillfully and moved the aircraft quickly and effectively. Obi Wan was amazed with his pupil's marvelous piloting techniques and surprised himself by thinking for a second that Nicholas may have been a better pilot than Anakin. He reassured himself that Nicholas couldn't have possibly been better and that this small attack did not reveal any spectacular skills on his part.
The scrimmage did not last long, and enemy fighters were soon fleeing the attack site.
"Good flying," Obi Wan commented as the escort guards moved back into place and Nicholas dropped the ship back to its original position behind the party.
"Thank you. Those were Trade Federation ships, by the way."
"How do you know all this?" Obi Wan asked, surprised.
"Who else would attack the senator?" Nicholas asked with a shrug.
"You know more than that, Nicholas," Obi Wan frowned.
"Very well. The yellow tips on the edge of the wings and the unprofessional way that our enemies flew revealed that they were Trade Federation pilots. The Trade Federation is never much of a threat because they know so little."
"Know so little?" Obi Wan gasped. "Nicholas, I ask again, how do you know such things?"
Nicholas looked at his teacher quickly to see an expression of worry on the man's face.
"I have had a few run-ins with the Trade Federation before. That's about all I can say."
"Nicholas, if you keep up this secret attitude for much longer, the Jedi Council is going to begin to be suspicious."
"I have no intention of hurting anyone, sir. I want only to be a good Jedi."
"I am sure of that, Nicholas," Obi Wan reassured him and then sat back quietly.
He stared at Nicholas as the young man gazed ahead, many thoughts running through his mind. His young pupil was certainly full of surprises, but if Nicholas continued to be so quick in his assessments, and so accurate, no doubt problems would most likely arise.
It was with great relief that Obi Wan and the other pilots saw the beautiful sphere of Naboo becoming ever larger as they neared the planet. Naboo meant peace and safety for the beautiful senator who had been queen there before, and before all of the aircraft had even landed, security guards were flying about them and were surrounding the landing pad. Before Senator Amidala was permitted to leave her ship, the Jedi and guards emerged from their aircraft and searched the area for any signs of danger. After finding none, the senator left her ship and was escorted to the great palace of Naboo.
"What do we do now, master?" Nicholas asked as the senator disappeared from view.
"We go to our headquarters," Obi Wan said.
He led Nicholas in the opposite direction of the great domed palace and towards the meadows that stretched out behind it.
The weather was absolutely beautiful, Obi Wan noted as he and his Padawan walked towards a small group of houses at the edge of the meadow. He also noted, with some amusement, that Nicholas kept gazing in awe about him, turning in circles as he walked.
"Naboo is quite beautiful, isn't it?" Obi Wan spoke as he stopped in front of one of the houses.
"It is, and it's so full of…water!" Nicholas exclaimed.
"We aren't even in the Lake Country yet, but come, let us go inside. We have much to do," Obi Wan spoke and then opened the door to the house.
"Originally, the Jedi lived in the palace, but after the war with the Trade Federation passed, only a few of us would come to Naboo at a time, so we stayed here," Obi Wan explained as he and Nicholas entered a large, light blue room with a padded floor and no windows.
"This must be the training room," Nicholas noted.
"It is. Your room is that door on the left, Nicholas. My room is on the right. There should be food in both rooms. Tomorrow we will begin your training. For now, eat and rest. Tomorrow will be a long day," Obi Wan smiled and then stepped into his room.
Nicholas went into his room and closed the door behind him.
"Here it is Nicholas. The new chance you always wanted," he said as he glanced about the room.
The room had large open windows with large, plush furniture. In the center of the room was a small water fountain with three chairs around it. The furniture was all scarlet with gold designs on it. There was a small cooling unit next to a little table, and Nicholas went to it and got some food. He sat down next to the water fountain and gazed out the large windows. He felt confident that he would do well with his Jedi training the next day.
Obi Wan woke Nicholas up early the next morning and brought him into the training room.
"Alright, my young Padawan. Today we will work on the basics of the Force. The Force is not something seen; it is felt. It is our ally, but it can also be our enemy. We must never use it for evil purposes. Now, you've already gotten the feel of a lightsaber. I have a device here that will zap you with lasers if you don't block them with your lightsaber. Here," Obi Wan said, unhooking his lightsaber and handing it to Nicholas. "Protect yourself."
"Yes sir."
Nicholas ignited the lightsaber and watched as the little machine began to spin around him. He caught the first and second blasts on his lightsaber, but then the little machine spun around him and let out a laser at the back of the young man's knee.
"Ouch," Obi Wan said, but even before he finished the word, Nicholas had leaped up into the air, spun completely around, jumping over the laser in the process, and had brought his lightsaber blade down on top of the training device. He ended his jump by landing in a defense position on the floor, the machine landing in two separate pieces in front of him.
"Oh bother. I think I broke it," he sighed, standing up and picking up the broken pieces of metal. "I'm sorry master."
He gave the pieces to Obi Wan and closed his lightsaber. Obi Wan was speechless as he stared at the fragments in his hand.
"Did I disappoint you sir?" Nicholas asked worriedly.
"Ah…no. Not at all. Let us get some food in my room, Nicholas. Your training is over for now," Obi Wan said.
"Yes sir."
Obi Wan watched Nicholas quietly as he ate, sensing the young man's discomfort at being stared at. When they were both finished eating, Obi Wan led Nicholas outside, and they began to walk towards Naboo's waterfalls.
"Nicholas," Obi Wan finally spoke. "Have you ever heard of one called the 'undefeatable Jedi'?"
Nicholas looked at him, his eyes wide.
"No sir. Is there such a person?"
Obi Wan sighed. "I'm not sure. My master, Qui Gon Jinn, believed that there was such a person, one who had more power than any other Jedi and had no weakness, except one."
"What was it?"
"He didn't know. The reason I mention this Nicholas is because your skills are far above that of any other Padawan I've seen. I have never seen anyone break that training machine the way you did."
"I have had expert defense training," Nicholas said.
"Perhaps. Getting back to training, though. Something you need to be trained in is how to overcome fear. Fear leads to the dark side of the force, therefore you must master it. What are you afraid of, Nicholas?"
Nicholas frowned and remained silent.
"Come now. You can't become a Jedi until you master it," Obi Wan chuckled.
"Oh, alright. I'm afraid of water," Nicholas sighed.
"So I see," Obi Wan grinned.
"Please no," Nicholas gasped, taking several steps back.
"I'm not going to make you go down it," Obi Wan said, gazing at the water in front of them that was rushing towards one of Naboo's beautiful waterfalls. "Doesn't it sound comforting?"
"If you like the sound of death. I don't know how to swim," Nicholas said, folding his arms across his chest.
"If you do this exercise correctly, you won't have to. Now then, there is a path of rocks right there. I will show you what I want you to do," Obi Wan said.
"But I just ate breakfast!"
Obi Wan chuckled and shook his head. "Just watch, my young Padawan."
Obi Wan picked up a large stick and then walked towards the rocks, each rock separated by at least two feet.
"You will go across the rocks, swinging your stick like this," Obi Wan said, and then demonstrated.
Nicholas watched as the Jedi master leaped about from rock to rock, swinging his stick artfully. The rocks were a bit slippery due to the water rushing over them, but Obi Wan made it safely to the other side.
"Your turn!" he shouted across the water.
Nicholas picked up a stick and gazed at the water worriedly.
"I can't do it!" he declared.
"Sure you can! You won't be able to see the new spacecraft if you don't!" Obi Wan called.
"New spacecraft?" Nicholas bit his lip and gazed at the rushing water.
"I wish I had my Tatooine clothes," he sighed and then stepped out onto the first rock. He waved his stick, wobbling a bit, and then leaped to the next rock. He gazed at the waterfall a short distance away and gulped.
"Come on Nicholas!" Obi Wan encouraged, and Nicholas continued.
It wasn't until halfway across that Nicholas suddenly started to slip on a rock.
"Oh no!" he gasped.
"You can do it!" Obi Wan called.
Nicholas gazed at his feet, trying to put them in the right spot, but a wrong move on his part sent him falling into the water with a shout. This new substance was cold and forceful, and Nicholas panicked as he waved his arms about, trying to catch hold of something. He grabbed a rock and then hung on, pulling his head out of the water and gasping and coughing.
"You all right?" Obi Wan asked from the rock next to him.
"Yes. I thought I was a goner! I almost…"
Nicholas stopped talking and his cheeks turned red. "I'm standing up, aren't I?"
Obi Wan started to chuckle, and Nicholas looked down to see that his feet were indeed touching the water's rocky bottom.
"That's embarrassing," he sighed as he climbed back onto the rock. To his surprise, he found Obi Wan to be laughing, the chuckle having risen in volume.
"Come now, Nicholas. Let's go look at that hangar," he smiled. "You deserve it. The challenges will get harder as the days pass, and you will be learning how to swim, you realize. You never know when swimming can save you."
"Yes sir," Nicholas said, spitting out some water and then struggling to the shore.
"Also, you already learned how to get over some pride. That's one of the most important lessons you can learn."
"Pride sir?"
"Come now, Nicholas. You have to admit, you stepped into this believing that you would succeed in every task I gave you."
"I suppose I'm not used to failing," Nicholas admitted as he pulled himself out of the water. "I've never really failed in anything."
"Well, prepare yourself to fail in several other things. This training is new for you and is most likely not something that you are used to."
"Yes sir. I won't have such high expectations for myself," Nicholas nodded.
"You should have high expectations, Nicholas, but not so high that you overlook things. Let's go to the hangars now. I think you will enjoy seeing the new fighter planes," Obi Wan smiled.
A fifteen-minute walk brought Obi Wan and his soaked Padawan to a small hill overlooking two large domed buildings located a short distance away from the palace and surrounding homes.
"Those must be the hangars, cleverly disguised as storage buildings," Nicholas said.
"Yes. Are you ready to see the new fighters?" Obi Wan asked.
"Yes!" Nicholas exclaimed.
"Come then."
Obi Wan led the way to the first hangar and then stopped outside a small door. It was cut into a huge hangar entrance, cleverly painted to look as though it was a wall. Obi Wan knocked on the door and it opened quickly. A man in a flight suit with dark hair and dark blue eyes opened the door.
"Yes?" he asked, wiping his oil-covered hands on a rag.
"I am Obi Wan Kenobi," Obi Wan smiled.
"Oh! Obi Wan! Come in!"
The man held the door open for Obi Wan and Nicholas and then closed the door once they were inside.
"It's been awhile, Obi Wan. I didn't recognize you."
"Nor I you! This is my new Padawan, Nicholas," Obi Wan smiled.
"Hello. I am Blake, Blake Antilles," Blake smiled and shook Nicholas' hand.
"Hello! I hear you have new fighters," Nicholas said.
"Certainly."
Blake flipped a light switch and the whole hangar became illuminated, revealing ten new planes. They had pointed noses and straight wings with guns underneath each wing tip. Nicholas forgot about everything, the hangar, Obi Wan and Blake, and stared at the planes, moving subconsciously towards them.
"They're beautiful," he said, reaching out his hand to touch the plane and then quickly pulling it back.
"You seem to know real quality," Blake commented from his side. "You can touch it," he chuckled.
Nicholas was grinning as he touched the plane.
"These are called X-Wings. They are the first version of them, so to speak. When in attack position, the wings split in two, making four wings for each plane," Blake said as Nicholas moved his hands along the plane.
"And they have more guns and higher speeds than the Naboo fighters. Undoubtedly, they are more versatile and gravity-defiant as well. They must be a thrill to fly," Nicholas said, speaking more to himself than anyone else.
"Yes, actually. You appreciate good fighters?" Blake asked with surprise.
"Yes. There is almost nothing better to have than a fighter that is able to outmaneuver and outdistance enemy planes," Nicholas nodded.
"You speak from experience," Obi Wan said.
Nicholas glanced at him a bit nervously and then said, "Yes. I have had much experience concerning fighters and enemy planes."
"Would you care to fly it sometime? Right now I am the only test pilot. Soon, we will be having an older pilot named Bel Iblis come and test them as well, but for now it's just me," Blake offered.
"Master?" Nicholas asked, looking at Obi Wan.
"Perhaps. Flying is a great part of Jedi training. I will give you an hour every day to fly, Nicholas. But the rest of the time must be spent in devoted studies," Obi Wan said, trying to look firm, but finding that he was smiling in spite of himself at Nicholas' excitement.
"Thank you! I will do as you say, master," Nicholas smiled.
"You may start tomorrow," Obi Wan nodded. "Does that sound reasonable, Blake?"
"More than reasonable."
"You will need to teach him how to fly these, of course," Obi Wan said.
"I think he will be teaching me more than I can teach him," Blake said with a smile.
Nicholas was beaming as he and Obi Wan approached the waterfall again a short while later.
"Now, I won't fall this time," Nicholas mumbled as Obi Wan handed him a large stick.
"You go first this time, and try to be careful. I don't want to fish you out again."
Nicholas was tempted to correct Obi Wan and inform him that he had gotten out of the water by himself, but he humbly remained silent and stepped out onto the first rock. Obi Wan watched him carefully as he leaped from one rock to the next, twirling his stick properly as he went. This young man was certainly different, and Obi Wan tried hard to suppress his pride in Nicholas. He didn't want Nicholas to feel the pride that was nearly overflowing from his master. Unknowingly, Nicholas had passed one of the greatest Jedi tests that Obi Wan knew of. Many of the other masters disagreed with him, but Obi Wan believed that submissiveness and a soft heart to learn were two of the greatest assets of a Jedi. It didn't matter how much power one had if he was unable to keep it controlled and did not know how to learn from his mistakes and try again.
It wasn't until Nicholas had reached the middle of the rock path that he felt a small warning alarm go off in the back of his mind. He stopped moving, trying to sense what it was that was bothering him. Suddenly, he turned around and raised his stick in front of his face. A small rock bounced harmlessly off the stick, and then another one, a bit larger and moving faster, rose out of the water and flew towards him. Nicholas swung his stick, catching the rock on the edge of it and watching as it bounced into the sea.
"If you want to pass this test," Obi Wan called to him, "you will have to think carefully and not depend on your stick."
Nicholas nodded and then watched as an even larger rock flew towards him. He raised his stick to interfere, and the rock hit into it, breaking the stick in half.
"Well, that won't work," Nicholas said, and then threw the sticks into the water.
To Obi Wan's amusement, instead of continuing to try and fight, Nicholas leaped to the next rock, and then the next. It was a clever move, but not what Obi Wan had wanted to see. Another rock was flung out of the water and towards Nicholas, moving rapidly towards his head. Anakin had trained Nicholas only slightly in the ways of the force, but Obi Wan wanted to see how truly fast Nicholas was in his learning. He was not disappointed. Nicholas jumped to the next rock, but as he did so, he raised his hand slightly, and the rock stopped and trembled for less than a second, giving him enough time to reach the shore before he let go of his hold on the rock and it fell into the water.
Nicholas was gasping on the shore as Obi Wan crossed the water and stood next to him. Obi Wan noticed that Nicholas' arm was trembling, and he nodded his head with approval.
"That was well done Nicholas."
"Thank you sir."
"That was a new experience, and you did well. How does your arm feel?"
"Exhausted," Nicholas sighed.
"As you grow stronger in the force, using it will no longer hurt as much," Obi Wan spoke as the two walked side-by-side back towards the houses.
"Master Obi Wan," Nicholas spoke as he caught his breath.
"Yes?"
"Why do we even use the force? Couldn't we just as easily drop down low or spring back if things are being thrown at us? And why use it if we aren't supposed to use it as a weapon?"
"Excellent questions, Nicholas. We use the force to sense danger before it happens, that way we are able to protect others and ourselves. We are also physically strengthened by it. For instance, I may not look like the most athletic person in the galaxy, but with the force, I can jump higher than most other men and can oftentimes run faster. I can do things that I wouldn't be able to do without it. As for using the force as a weapon, only the dark side does that. They use the force to confuse us and to brutally attack us. My master was killed in that way. When you have your first encounter with the dark side, you will understand."
"Won't other people think that we are part of some hokey religion?" Nicholas asked.
"The force is a tool, Nicholas, not a lifestyle. Our lifestyle is to keep peace in the galaxy. Sometimes that means going to battle. We only use the force when it is necessary."
"Oh good," Nicholas sighed. "For a minute there I thought that was what I was going to spend the rest of my life doing. I couldn't bear to have the force as a religion."
"You are quite an independent thinker," Obi Wan noted.
"I suppose so."
A whole week passed before Obi Wan contacted the Jedi Council on Coruscant. He informed Yoda and Mace Windu of his student's progress and of the senator's welfare. He and Nicholas would be visiting the palace and Anakin often, he informed them. The other Jedi were especially interested in Nicholas' learning, and they were all a bit amused by Obi Wan's accounts of swimming lessons and flying. Nicholas, he informed them, was an excellent pilot, and he still had a great disliking for the water. He was obedient, however, and obeyed whatever Obi Wan told him to.
After Obi Wan had left, Mace Windu and Yoda spoke amongst themselves about Nicholas.
"He doesn't sound like the typical Jade," Mace Windu commented.
Yoda frowned and shook his head. "Clouded, our thoughts still are. Perhaps Nicholas is the promised one, and we were wrong about Anakin."
"No," Mace Windu said. "Anakin is the chosen one. Nicholas is only a new student."
"Continue to watch this young student, we must," Yoda said, and Mace Windu nodded, his thoughts afar off.