There and Back Again
Chapter 2
Six Years Gone
'...And as the purges continue, we are at a constant reminder of the events not six years ago, when the once proud and well respected Jedi Order seemingly turned against the Republic, attempting to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor, and take control of the Republic. We still urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of any surviving Jedi to contact their nearest imperial officer, we ensure anonymity of all informants, and a hefty reward for all information leading to the capture of these traitorous..'
"Turn that off Solo."
"Yeah boss, sickens me too," grimaced Han, flicking off the holo news report. Han glanced at his boss, noting his sudden change in posture. But then again, Jett had always been like that whenever the imps were mentioned; he seemed to hate them more than anyone. Han narrowed his eyes, deciding whether or not to press the issue further.
"Hey boss?"
"Yeah?"
"What is it about the imps that get's you so....rattled?"
Jett stiffened at the question, but continued fiddling with the broken machinery in front of them.
"The same reason as everybody else, Solo," he replied, hoping to sound nonchalant. Han quirked a dark eyebrow, but decided to relent, at least for now.
In the six years Han had been in Jett's employ, they had, in Han's opinion, grown quite close. Jett was like the father Han had never known, and although Chewie had been a great guardian, raising him since he was three, Han related to Jett more. Jett was a mystery, that's probably why Han liked him so much. Han knew nothing of Jett's past, and, while he was curious, it didn't affect him as much as he thought it would; Han still trusted Jett with his life.
They made a great team, and were renowned as the best smugglers in the galaxy. And indeed they were. They had made a fortune in the illegal line of work. It was their way of rebelling against the tyranny of the empire. Whilst they weren't doing anything to stop the empire, they were showing where their true loyalties lay, anywhere but with the emperor. Han smiled at this thought, of all the times he and Jett had had. They made a great team; one he hoped wouldn't end anytime soon.
**
"Luke...Leia....dinner!"
A petite young woman, perhaps in her early thirties, turned away from the back door, and headed back inside the quaint little cottage that she called home. She hadn't aged a day, which was surprising, considering all she had been through in her short life. Her dark chestnut curls still cascaded down her back, framing her delicate face perfectly. She still held an air of royalty, inherited from her days as Queen. Yet her clothing had changed drastically. Gone were the bulky senatorial gowns, replaced by plainer dresses and tunics. But she still looked as beautiful as ever.
"Padmé, Ben is back," sounded Dormé, Padmé's most trusted handmaiden and friend.
"It's about time," she smiled, heading towards the front entrance of her home. She opened the door, and was greeted by a lively pair of blue-grey eyes.
"Mi lady," smiled Obi Wan, bowing. Padmé rolled her eyes, and pulled her old friend into an embrace. He, like herself, hadn't seemed to have aged a day. He did have a couple more wrinkles than last time she saw him, and his reddish-blonde hair was flecked with several streaks of grey, but all in all, Obi Wan Kenobi was still a healthy young Jedi in the prime of life.
"I'll have none of that mi lady nonsense, come on in, dinners ready," smiled Padmé, stepping to the side as Ben entered.
"Uncle Ben! Uncle Ben!"
Ben grinned as two small children came bounding into the hallway, launching themselves at him.
One of them, a small boy, with sandy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and the other, a girl, slightly smaller than her brother, with waves of chocolate brown locks, and perfectly matching eyes. His breath caught in his throat slightly, as it always did when he saw the twins.
"Hello younglings, miss me?" chuckled Ben, as the twins proceeded to plant kisses all over his bearded face.
"Course we did Uncle Ben," started Leia, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Luke remained silent, the quieter of the two, and stared up at his idol with unwavering awe.
"Come on you two, dinner," sounded Padmé, ushering the twins into the dining area. The twins raced off to the table, as always, blissfully unaware of the seriousness of the lives they now lead.
**
Han glanced over the data pad, scanning the information carefully. The job was a tricky one, but if pulled off, would probably set him and Jett up for life.
"Boss, wha' d'ya think?" he asked, turning his attention to the tall, golden haired man now conversing with a stout, pig like creature. Jett excused himself, and strolled over to Han.
"Looks good, I think we can pull it off," smiled Jett confidently.
"Yeah, the credits aren't too bad either," chuckled Han. Jett smiled warmly at his young friend, and then glanced around.
"They say the weapon's we're carrying are for the rebellion, apparently a Bail Organa is desperate for pilots," he whispered, ensuring he wouldn't be heard. Han's eyes narrowed at the prospect.
"I thought the rebellion was nowhere near forming, Jagged told me all there was, was random resistance cells," questioned Han. Jett shook his head.
"From what I've heard, Organa, Mothma and Bel Iblis signed some treaty, and now they're moving to a base on Yavin IV," explained Jett. Han nodded in understanding.
"So, does that mean we're joining the rebellion?" he asked. Jett pondered his question for a moment.
"No, we're helping out...once we're on Yavin...well...we'll see what the force has in store for us," replied Jett cryptically. Han rolled his eyes, all too familiar with Jett's unwavering faith in a hokey, extinct religion.
"Sure boss, whatever you think," he grinned, "I'll get Chewie to start loading now."
Han mock saluted Jett, and then hurried over to Chewie. Jett chuckled lightly, before his expression became much more serious.
The rebellion would surely recognise him as soon as he landed. He'd known Bail for years; did they know what he did? Did they know the reason the empire was now in control was because of him?
"It's my punishment," he reminded himself, "It's the least I deserve."
**
The Coruscant skyline hadn't changed much in the six years of Imperial rule. The senate building was still intact, great towering buildings still stretched towards the heavens, the lower levels still beheld seedy clubs and strange beings. Only one thing had changed. The Jedi Temple was once the most prominent building on all of Coruscant, dominating the skyline, a symbol of peace, hope, and freedom. But now, a new building rose even higher. The Imperial Palace.
Composed of thousands of monumental spires, stretching higher than any building on Coruscant, the monstrous green-grey building stood for all that was wrong in the galaxy, the downfall of the Jedi, the oppression of the Sith, and the iron rule of Darth Sidious. The Jedi Temple still lay in ruins after the attack, no one had bothered to repair or demolish it. It lay forgotten, crumbling away as the shroud of the dark side grew steadily larger and penetrated further into the hearts and souls of the citizens of the galaxy.
From the tallest spire, a scarred, ageing man, robed in black velvet, gazed at the ruins of the once proud temple. A satisfied smile crossed his face at the memory of that night, and, although things had not gone exactly how he planned they would, he had won, nonetheless. The Jedi were all but extinct, and Sidious ruled the entire galaxy. He didn't need Anakin Skywalker to accomplish such deeds, in fact, it was probably better that he was dead. Sidious didn't fear betrayal from his young protégée; nothing could stand in his way. Nothing, except the rebellion.
The smiled disappeared, replaced by white hot rage.
How dare they! How dare they assume a pitiful alliance could destabilize years of painstaking planning and hard work. It was an insult! Their pathetic cause would not last long, no. He would destroy the snivelling traitors before they even got a chance to act. He would make sure of it. Nothing could stop him.
"Not even the rebellion," he smirked.
A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews of the previous chapter. I'm glad you all seemed to enjoy it, and hope you enjoy this next chapter just as much.
WalkerOfSky.