Out of the Shadows 8

This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks as always to Rhea for the title suggestion and to Licia and Michele for reading it through

Coruscant

Leia Organa tapped her manicured fingers on the desk waiting for the connection to come through. "Come on, Wedge," she muttered. "What's keeping you?"

The swirling pattern on the screen in front of her finally coalesced into the familiar face of Rogue Squadron leader Wedge Antilles. "Your Highness," he said formally.

"Hello, Wedge." Leia gave a relieved smile.

The pilot grinned, his tired face relaxing visibly. "It's good to see you, Leia. It's been a while since we last spoke."

"It has. Things are so busy right now."

"I'm sure you didn't contact me just for a chat," Wedge commented sardonically. "We do have an x-wing in need of repair. Hobbie fried its insides."

Leia's mouth twitched in something that might have been the beginnings of a smile. "You flight jockeys are rather too hard on your ships. No – no time for a chat. I can't remember the last time I did have the luxury of being able just to pass the time of day with someone. I've got an urgent request," she said. "I need you to go and pick something up for me on Praesitlyn. Rather convenient of Hobbie killing his ship like that. If you could get one of the Rogues to routinely have a malfunction on a planet I need something from, then we could have regular conversations."

Wedge raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure the high command would be too happy about that. Is there a security issue or is this any old article? Do I need back up? I only have Hobbie and Pash with me right now."

"There shouldn't be a big problem – at least, I don't think there should be. It's a collection of Jedi items which have surfaced in the back of a storeroom in the university library on Praesitlyn. Imagine my surprise when Tycho said you were visiting that very world."

"Coincidence is an amazing thing."

"It's not coincidence, Wedge. There's more than that at work. According to the library, the box containers lightsabers and books." 'It has to be the Force', she thought. 'It's time to collect all the information out there…for Luke'.

"What do I have to do?"

"Just go and collect the…box, container…whatever it is. They have been warned that someone from the New Republic will be arriving. The head librarian is a rather severe woman – Iloncka Yashek - but she's apparently good at her job. I will contact her to give her your details."

"Duly warned," Wedge said with a grin. "And then?"

"Rogue Squadron have orders to head straight back to Coruscant."

Wedge's dark eyes widened. "But…We have another three weeks of duty before…"

"That's been changed. Once you pick up whatever Mistress Yashek has found, I want you to bring it straight to me. I should be on Coruscant for the next few weeks."

"Well, it doesn't really matter to us where we go. Coruscant's just another place. It's not home."

Leia was surprised. "It's not home?"

"Home is where my people are. My family are gone – the pirates hitting Gus Treta saw to that. My sister…who knows. I have a new family – Rogue Squadron."

"Actually," Leia said thoughtfully. "I agree with you. Alderaan was my real home and it can never be replaced. Home is with Han, Chewie and…and Luke."

Tactfully, Wedge ignored the small wobble in Leia's voice as she mentioned Luke. "I'll go and collect your Jedi stuff. Hobbie's ship should be fixed some time soon. Someone from the local garrison is coming to help with the replacement parts." He gave a wry grin. "I guess Coruscant is where I have an apartment. Can't remember the last time I slept in it."

"Yes, the couch in my office is quite comfortable too. I seem to spend more time on it than in the perfectly good bed I have at home." Leia's smile was sympathetic as she cut the connection. She looked at the couch with something approaching fondness – at least she managed to sleep on it. Without Han, her apartment was empty and she preferred to stay where things were happening. Once security finished checking the thousands of rooms in the Imperial Palace for any little surprises the Empire might have left them, Leia would probably take an apartment in this building. It would be convenient.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PraesitlynUniversity Library

Quo Zacx breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted the tall figure of Iloncka Yashek disappearing into her office and the door clicking shut behind her. "This way, Luke," she said, motioning him along the length of a door-lined corridor before ushering him into a dusty room filled with rubbish bags and boxes of what appeared to be obsolete junk ready for collection.

"You're sure it's alright to show me this?" Luke stifled a sneeze, as the dust tickled his nostrils.

"I want to." Quo Zacx couldn't explain why she wanted to but she did. There was something about this stranger that made her trust him. "This is where we found it. We're updating some of the systems and need this room so I was told to start clearing the rubbish. Perhaps we should have moved the box somewhere safer but we kept it in here because we've nowhere else. And who would look in a room full of junk?"

"Who indeed."

"No one has for at least twenty years. It's a dumping ground." Quo Zacx waded her way past the bags of rubbish, battered filing cabinets and what appeared to be an upturned chair with only three legs, and carefully opened a corner cupboard. "There were two wooden boxes found but one of them was empty," she said quietly. Gingerly, she eased one container from its space on the shelf. Disturbed dust motes danced in the weakened light given by grimy windows. "This box," she pronounced with satisfaction, "…on the other hand, is anything but empty."

Luke stared at the battered wooden box, his mouth dry. "Boa wood," he stated with certainty, his hands lightly tracing the carvings on the lid, brushing years of neglect from its surface. It was much smaller than the trunk he had inherited from Obi-Wan but had been made by a similar craftsman – maybe even the same one. This was part of his history and his destiny. Carefully he lifted the lid and stared, fascinated, at the contents of the box. It was just as Quo Zacx had said - lightsabers, some data rods and other storage devices and a couple of books. Yoda would know what to do with the items. It was all that Luke could do to stop himself from reaching inside and examining everything in minute detail but now was not the time or place.

"I wasn't sure what material it was made of. I only thought that it seemed to be old."

"Thank you," Luke said, his manner grave. "You do realise that I'll have to take this with me."

Quo Zacx stared at him as if she was seeing him for the first time – the serious, bearded face with intense blue eyes under the enveloping hooded cloak just like... Then the import of what he was saying sank in. "But you cannot!" she exclaimed. "They are sending someone for it."

"They?" Luke raised an eyebrow.

"A representative from the New Republic."

"I have come for this," he said, his words and steady gaze compelling.

"You…" she mumbled, wondering what she should do. "You would steal it?"

"I wouldn't be stealing it. This belongs to the Jedi."

"I can't see why, unless…"

"I am Jedi." Luke pushed his hood back. "This belongs to the Jedi," he repeated. "It shouldn't be given to governments who will hold our heritage as a ransom for our skills and abilities. If we let them do that then the order is finished before it is reborn. The Jedi Order must be independent, able to help whosoever it chooses."

"Then take it." Quo Zacx said, making her decision instantly. "How do we know who in the New Republic wants this stuff? It belongs to the Jedi after all and you are Jedi aren't you." It wasn't a question. She could feel that there was something different about this young man – something almost other-worldly. She knew she could trust him which was strange as she rarely trusted anyone apart from her closest friends.

"I don't want you to get into bother over this and there's a good chance that you will," Luke said regretfully. "I will have to take away your memory of me. This is the only way."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"I cannot let you take any blame for this. You might not remember this but your interest in the Jedi will remain. Whatever you learn about Jedi history, keep it for me. One day soon I will return."

"I will find out as much as I can," she promised. "Luke…do you have a lightsaber?" She had to know if she was right. It had all became so clear. She knew who he was and her heart trembled at the thought of being able to help this man.

He smiled. "Of course but you'd guessed that – hadn't you?" And from his belt his saber unhooked and flew into his hands, igniting in a blaze of green power. He threw a flimsy-board tube up into the air and cut it into several pieces with the buzzing weapon. "The symbol of a Jedi Knight," Luke said, as he shut the saber down. "It shouldn't be used for displays like that. My teacher would say that I was showing off. A lightsaber is not a toy and shouldn't be used lightly."

"I appreciate you letting me see it, thank you." She chewed on her lip, thinking hard, and then pointed at the other box giving Luke a mischievous smile. "We should fill the empty box. Pack it with papers and some old useless data rods. It will give you some more time."

Luke's smile matched hers. "Good idea."

Quickly they set about the task and then placed the box back in the cupboard. Finished with their subterfuge, Luke gathered up the box of artefacts and they returned to the main corridor where Artoo was waiting for them. The little droid beeped an enquiry.

"I have it, Artoo. Could you head back to the spaceport and get the ship prepped for takeoff? Thanks and Artoo..."

Artoo spun his domed head and trained his optical sensor on his master.

"Keep a low profile, little fella. I don't want you getting into trouble."

Artoo blew a disdainful raspberry, put down his third leg and wheeled himself out of the front entrance.

"Your droid is very disrespectful," Quo Zacx said in surprise.

"He has a mind of his own," Luke admitted. "And I wouldn't change him. We've been together a long time." He stood clutching the box, slightly apprehensive all of a sudden. "Do you think I could exit out the back? I have this feeling that I shouldn't go the way that Artoo did."

"Come on, Jedi Sky…"

Luke shook his head, placing one finger against his lips. "Just Luke." He clutched the box tightly to his chest once more. So much for the hope that many in the galaxy would have forgotten his existence.

"There's a fire door…security entrance at the far end of this corridor. There's no holocam on it either."

"Some security door," Luke commented.

"We're in the middle of upgrading – it's on the list of things to do," Quo Zacx replied shortly. "Lucky for us. I can't quite believe that I'm doing this. Quick…this way."

They made their way swiftly along the corridor to the exit the Omwati had indicated. Quo Zacx disabled the alarm and opened the door. The watery sunlight hit their eyes and they squinted into what was a small courtyard containing several dilapidated speeders.

"I hate doing this but…" Luke sighed. "I cannot let you remember that I've been here. It will be discovered soon enough."

"I understand although I would wish to remember."

"You will one day."

"I would do anything to help the Jedi."

"Why?" Luke was genuinely interested yet perplexed that his calling made so many fear or admire what he could do.

"The Jedi were good and kind. They helped beings without thought of reward or glory. My grandfather told me that he met one once…tall with dark skin and a wise face. The Empire did not inspire such loyalty – it brought fear, not devotion."

"Not everyone agrees with you, Quo Zacx. The Empire turned the Jedi into pariahs."

"The Jedi will rise again."

"I hope so and you will have played a part in that growth." Luke placed the box on the floor beside his feet and leant forward, his hands touching the wispy blue feathered curls at her temple. "Goodbye, Quo Zacx, and thank you. May the Force be with you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Luke left by one entrance, Wedge Antilles, Pash Cracken and Hobbie Klivvian entered by another and were immediately taken to the head librarian's office. The dean of the University had also been summoned and was waiting for them.

Hobbie groaned and rubbed his hands on the pants of his uniform, hissing into Pash's ear, "Why does being a pilot in the best fighter squadron in the galaxy mean that I have to spend so much time pressing my hand against other beings' clammy flesh in the interests of politeness?"

"You have a gift for it?" whispered back Pash.

"Funny. It's not only all the bowing and handshaking that gets me; it's the making inane remarks to some weird being in a fancy suit."

"Goes with the job and, as I said, you have a gift for making inane remarks," Pash muttered.

"That's not me – that's Janson," Hobbie retorted.

"If we weren't in Rogue Squadron that would be worse," he said. "Much worse. Think what would happen if we were in a B-wing squadron. Sitting ducks."

"True. What's a duck?"

"Never mind. We need to let Wedge do the wheeling and dealing. He's the commander and that's one of reasons they promoted him."

"I thought it was his age plus he lasted against two Death Stars?"

"That's a consideration. He must be the bravest although you wouldn't know to look at him. We'll wait outside – act as his security."

"Good idea."

They positioned themselves in a parade ground stance on either side of the office door. Wedge glared at them but reluctantly followed Iloncka Yashek into the room.

"This is Quo Zacx," Iloncka Yashek announced, her yellow eyes gleaming as the Omwati female warily entered the room. "She is one of our research assistants and found the cache of Jedi items hidden in one of our store rooms."

Wedge bowed, his dark eyes taking in the slight, Omwati female. She appeared distracted - even dazed. "Are you well, young mistress?"

"I don't know." She frowned and rubbed her forehead. "Things seem very strange."

"You should sit down," Wedge urged. Had she gone a paler blue? It was difficult to tell.

"No, I'll go and get the container," she murmured and slipped from the room, past the waiting pilots.

"Who was that?" asked Hobbie.

Wedge stood at the office door. "A research assistant by the name of…Quo Zacx?" he looked to Iloncka Yashek for confirmation. "She found whatever it is we have to take back to Coruscant."

Quo Zacx hurried down the corridor but as she neared the store, a figure slipped from one of the reading rooms and followed her.

She manoeuvred around the piles of debris waiting to be carted away until she got to the back of the room where the cupboard was situated. "I thought there were two boxes," she said to herself as she lifted the carved boa wood box and prepared to take it to the men who were to carry it all the way back to Coruscant. "There were two boxes. One is missing." Suddenly feeling that she wasn't alone, she turned to face a tall figure, unrecognisable under a heavy cloak and breathing mask. "Can I help you? I'm afraid that this part of the library is not open to the public…"

"Give me the box," the figure demanded harshly in a voice fed through a vocal modulator. It could have been either a male or a female. The Omwati did not know.

Quo Zacx blinked in surprise. "No."

"Give me the box."

"I said 'no'." Was that a blaster in the being's hand? This was serious. Someone wanted this box of…

"Then I'll have to take it." The figure snarled and suddenly launched itself at the unsuspecting female.

Quo Zacx found herself flat on her back, her head reeling as it hit something in her descent to the floor. The box was in the arms of someone who wasn't supposed to have it. "Hey!" she managed to croak. "Give that back. It doesn't belong to…"

But the figure turned and began to run. Quo Zacx dragged herself to the alarm and hit it with as much force as she could muster before sinking to the ground. "Stop thief…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pash and Hobbie barely had time to react to the alarm before Wedge was back out of the office his blaster already in his hand. "What is it?"

"The Omwati…Quo Zacx. She hasn't returned," Hobbie murmured worriedly as the siren made even the simplest of conversations impossible.

"Hobbie, you go and check on her," Wedge shouted. "Pash, come with me."

But he hadn't gone far when a figure dashed past them and disappeared out of the main entrance clutching a medium sized wooden box. He didn't need to see a sabacc deck to know that someone had got hold of their stuff.

"After him," Wedge yelled, immediately giving chase and sending a couple of blasts after the departing figure. They clattered down the front steps firing off more shots. The box fell to the ground with a crash. With one snarled curse, the figure stared at the spilled contents, leapt onto a swoop bike and fired the engine. Wedge and Pash could only watch as it disappeared.

"At least they didn't get the box," Pash commented thoughtfully. "And I think you managed to hit him…or her."

"No, I caught the edge of the cloak - that was all. Still, they gave up a little too easily for my liking. I wonder why."

Pash strode purposefully over to where the box lay, the lid several metres further on and the contents scattered. "I can tell you why," he said.

"Why?"

"This box is full of rubbish."

"What!"

"We've been brought on a wild morodin hunt - all for nothing." He pointed to the scattered bits and pieces. "Or have we? What would be the point? None of us are fools." He picked up the box and the lid, handing them to Wedge. "Maybe there was a box, perhaps there's another one and it's already gone." Bending over, Pash collected the crumpled pieces of flimsy and the cracked data rods. "There's certainly no lightsabers in this container."

Wedge stared up at the sky in frustration, watching idly as a lone x-wing streaked across the horizon. "Leia's not going to like this."

Pash stamped his foot with annoyance. "We need to speak to this Quo Zacx, providing she's not the one who raced out of here with the box under her arm."

"She couldn't have been – it's not possible. Let's ask about another box," Hobbie said.

Pash frowned. "They would not have brought us out all this way for nothing. The head librarian doesn't strike me as the sort of person to set up such an easily discovered scam."

"Lessons learned from Dad, Pash?" Wedge said with a grin.

"Nope, my own gut feelings."

"Well, since they match mine…" Wedge extended his arm. "After you."

They returned to Iloncka Yashek's office to find it empty and Hobbie motioning to them from a doorway at the far end of the main corridor. The dean of the University stood wringing his hands while the head librarian was carefully supporting a dazed Quo Zacx, her severe features softened into unexpected concern as she tended the younger female.

Hobbie handed Mistress Yashek a water bottle. "Whoever tried to steal this box managed to shove this kid so hard that she cracked her head off the edge of that filing cabinet."

"She looks a little dizzy," Pash observed.

Wedge knelt down beside her. "Are you all right?"

"Just winded, sir," she said shakily. "And I feel strange…"

Wedge hated to have to ask her questions when she was obviously in need of medical attention but this was part of his job. "Did you see who it was?"

Quo Zacx shook her head and wished that she hadn't as the throbbing intensified. She closed her eyes and swallowed, trying to will away her feeling of nausea. "They were cloaked and masked too…spoke through something that altered the voice. I could not tell."

"Voice modulator. They didn't get the box. You managed to hit the alarm – well done."

"What about the other box. There were two," Iloncka Yashek protested.

Wedge glanced at the other Rogues. So there had been two boxes. Now they only had one.

"It's not there but it's safe," Quo Zacx said dreamily.

"How do you know?"

"I can't remember." Her dark blue eyes widened in panic. "I honestly can't remember. There's a gap in my memory."

"She needs to see a healer. She's obviously concussed," Hobbie said worriedly in an undertone to Wedge.

"I just know that it's safe. It belongs to the Jedi."

"You know someone has the first box?" Wedge asked sharply.

Quo Zacx frowned. "No…yes. I can't remember," she repeated. "My head hurts."

"It looks like this one?" he persisted. She could be lying but he doubted it. The Omwati were intelligent thinkers, not subversives. He'd interrogated his fair share of possible malcontents and would swear that Quo Zacx was telling the truth.

Quo Zacx closed her eyes, tears trickling down her pale blue cheeks as Wedge stared at Iloncka Yashek for an answer to his question.

"It was exactly the same – size, material…exactly," she confirmed.

Pash looked at his commander. "I'm on it, Wedge. I'll go and check the security cams. See that she gets medical attention."

"Good." He knelt beside the Omwati. "Come on, you need to see someone." She opened her eyes and gave a tiny nod. Wedge helped Quo Zacx to her feet and looked at the dean of the University.

He cleared his throat nervously. "I'll see that she gets to a medic immediately."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Pash shook his head. He'd checked the records of all the employees currently working in the library and reviewed all the security cams but nothing unusual had caught his interest until the intruder had attempted the taking of the box. "Nothing, boss."

"Nothing? Oh well. We'll take the empty container with us. Maybe some historian on Coruscant can tell us something about it."

On their way back to the spaceport, they stopped off at the university medical facilities to speak to Quo Zacx. She'd been treated and was recovering swiftly but still couldn't recall anything for an hour prior to the Rogues' arrival at the library.

"I'm sorry, Commander Antilles, that I cannot be more helpful."

"We're just glad that you weren't seriously harmed." Wedge sat in the chair beside her bed. "The doctor tells me that there's an hour that you cannot account for."

"Yes." She looked troubled. "But it could all be because I hit my head. I've tried to remember what happened and I cannot. I just have the feeling that the items are safe. I know it's irrational and I cannot help it. It's just a feeling I have."

"A feeling?" Wedge froze. Where had he heard that expression? He dug into a pocket and fished around…ah, there it was. Han had given this to him just in case. He produced a miniature holo. "Do you recognise this man?"

Quo Zacx stared at the holo and gave a little smile. "Of course I do. That's Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Knight."

"Have you seen him here on Praesitlyn?"

The blue-skinned Omwati female looked a little taken aback. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"I've seen him on 'Empire's Most Wanted and holo-shows like that. I would love to meet him in real life. I've always been interested in the Jedi. It's their history…"

"Yes, thank you." Wedge cut her off.

"What would he be doing here? It's not exactly the Core."

"You forget, there was a box of Jedi items hidden here and that could be reason enough for Luke Skywalker."

"But I would remember…surely?"

"You would think so, wouldn't you? But the ways of the Jedi are strange. I don't know if they understand them totally themselves."

Perhaps the thief had already managed to steal the first box; Wedge couldn't be sure. There was no image of the first box's disappearance on the holocams. But the memory of a lone x-wing in the sky stayed with him all the way back to the spaceport. Was it Luke? Was that the first hint that he was still alive in over three years?