Searching for the Balance
Disclaimers: Star Wars and all of their characters belong to their respective owner Mister G. Lucas. However, this is just a story to settle my curiosity on what could happen if Mister Lucas would create the episode 7, 8, and 9.
Since he has said more than likely he would not, this is my possible take and other ventures in my own imagination. There are a few characters that I claim as mine, other than that here we go!
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Chapter Ten
"Where has that girl gone off to," one of the masters growled. "Has she defied us again? Has has been gone far too long!"
"You didn't expect her to, especially these past few months since she has gotten some of her confidence back," another asked as he sank into his chair. "I do not know how Master Skywalker put up with such a child all of these years."
"I wish his return would have been sooner, but things on Amora has been difficult for all of our Jedi," another spoke up. "It has been ten months to the day since his departure."
"And four since Young Skywalker's defiance surfaced…"
"She is being reckless, leaving the planet to find more information on Daren Solo's location," another quickly added. "He spends much of his time on another planet. Why does that girl feel like she needs to prove herself to the council?"
"Because we doubted her since her arrival from Amora," the blind master stated. "She believes also that since she failed us during the last mission that she needs to redeem herself not only to us but to herself."
"What are we to tell Master Skywalker when he returns, that his daughter has been going off to other planets looking for information after when we told him she would stay on this planet," another spoke up calmly.
"He'll just have to understand, he knows his daughter better than any of us," another explained. "She is after a Skywalker, whether she is by blood or not. She has many traits of the young Luke Skywalker but she is still a wonderful girl. She still has a lot to prove to herself, we'll punish her accordingly once again on her arrival."
"Agreed!"
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…Landing Pad…
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"Why on earth did you grow a beard," Juliana asked as she looked over at Owen.
"What you don't like it?" Owen asked trying to pretend he was hurt. His sister just welcomed him with open arms; it had been ten months since she last saw her brother's face. It had been the longest that the Solo family had been apart, well minus Daren. He was always on jobs but this time he was on the side of evil.
"So the other Jedi were able to get to you," Murrue asked as she hugged Luke as he came off the ramp.
"Yes, their ships have a good defense of the planet's orbit," Luke answered. "But they still were able to make the switch. For Owen, Anakin, and myself it was quite a trip. The other Jedi chose to stay there and help the other knights in the war over there."
Leia quickly hugged her eldest son, Owen was slowly running out of air (more like figuratively speaking) but she had such a tight grip on him. Han just laughed and waved at his son, Anakin was the last to come down and of course his older sisters have to make fun of his new hair. Anakin had let it grow but at least he wasn't growing facial hair.
"Well, at least you don't have facial hair, but why did you let it grow so long?" Juliana asked as she walked all the way around her baby brother.
"We were busy, there wasn't much time in taking care of things like that," Anakin replied and Murrue quickly joined in the teasing. Luke hugged his sister after she had squeezed her son probably leaving a few bruises. She then went over to Anakin doing the same as Han and Luke shook hands.
"I guess she has been worried about them," Luke smiled and Han made a face that only caused laughter to arise from Luke. "I take that as a yes."
"Chewy had stopped by earlier, but he returned home after visiting Lana," Han said with a huge smile. "She is quite a handful when you're not around."
"What do you mean," Luke asked deeply concerned for his daughter and Han just laughed.
"You have nothing to worry about, Lana has been a hard case for a while but the last four months…" Han couldn't finish as Leia, Murrue, and Juliana covered his mouth. Luke, Anakin, and Owen all looked at him as if there was something wrong. They knew something was up and they had better fess up to what was going on.
"What do you mean the last four months," Luke asked with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing," Leia quickly replied but Luke knew better.
"Yeah, it's nothing really," Murrue said with a smile, a nervous smile.
Juliana just laughed nervously and Han rolled his eyes. Owen then walked up to his sisters, "What are you not telling us…did something happen to Lana?"
"No…" Murrue said with wide eyes. "Why would you think we would let anything happen to Lana?"
"I don't know something is off," Owen said simply and they saw a speeder racing towards the temple. Owen didn't like the look of that and Luke's mouth was gaping open. "There are no Jedi allowed off of this planet that I know of…"
"Well, some of them have been looking for Daren, since he isn't spending a lot of his time on Amora…" Juliana said quickly but the three Jedi were not buying any of it.
"We know, but most of them have returned before we did," Owen said stiffly.
"Yes, now who was that in the speeder?" Luke asked carefully as he approached his family. Anakin didn't waste time as he ran toward the nearest land speeder.
"Are you going to try to get the answers from them or are we going to find out?" Anakin shouted as the two Jedi raced to the speeder.
"NO!" Leia, Juliana, and Murrue yelled together and Han just shook his head.
"They are going to find out what has been happening either way you know," Han said in a voice that plain out said 'I told you so'.
"He is going to be so angry," Leia said simply and quickly grabbed her husband. "Lets get home before the storm of the Skywalkers hit."
"AGREED!" The girls shouted as they went to their speeder as they raced back to their home. Hopefully they would not hear any of the arguing to occur in a few moments.
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Jedi Council Chamber
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"You disobeyed us once again," a master said sternly. "The previous punishment has yet to teach you to stay here until given permission. Your defiance has gone too far this time."
"Agreed, you will now have to clean the entire temple without the use of the force and from help from anyone," another ordered. "You need to be kept busy and away from any information that flows though here."
"You have made good progress in your self recovery but you are still not ready to go out on your own," the blind master stated. "The journey you are seeking is not by in defying the council and trying to help us with the current situation. If you are not completely sure of yourself, than how do you plan to help others?"
"I look forward to your excuse to leaving the planet once again," another spoke as he looked at the girl standing in the middle. Then the doors swished open as Owen, Luke, and Anakin all stood there looking at the council. They council all looked in surprise to see that they had returned. They had requested their return but had hoped it would have been later that day. Lana knew who was there and was going to hear from her father soon enough. They had sent other Jedi to help out at Amora so they would return to watch over her.
"What is going on here," Luke asked…He carefully walked into the room and headed for his chair. Owen followed in the same pattern and the other masters that were now on Amora were watching from their holograms. Luke looked at his daughter in surprise, she had changed her hairstyle a bit. It had grown slightly longer but she had bangs and a face frame type of look on her. She had changed and it was evident in her style the way she stood and the open face expressions.
Anakin walked into the room and one of the masters motioned for him to take a seat. He had been given the right to sit at the council without the rank of master, they wanted to wait till he was older before granting him the rank and Anakin took it with grace. Since his main concern was on helping Amora and looking after Lana, but it would appear she had been up to some of her dealings while they were gone.
"Why was I not informed of this," Luke asked and the other members just sighed.
"She has been a handful for the past few months now," one replied with his gaze looking up at Lana. Lana just winced at the comment and Luke watched his daughter with curious eyes. "We did not think most of her earlier actions were worthy of such until now."
"Why now," Owen asked looking over at the master that just spoke.
"She has been ordered by the council to just remain here in the temple to teach the younglings but every time we have a lead on where Daren might be, she is off to go look for any more clues without permission. Her defiance has gone far enough; she was gone for the length of two weeks."
"Usually if she were to be gone a day or two we give her minimal punishment but today we have decided other wise but she needs to learn her place for the moment is in the temple," one motioned. "You have no place out of the temple right now, I know you dislike the whole idea but you must remain here…"
"As the council wishes," Lana said angrily as she stormed out of the council room. She didn't bother to bow or anything as she rushed out. The council all shook their heads, she had become the girl she truly was slowly but the more they saw the more it was difficult to control the girl.
"What has she been up to while we were gone," Luke asked and the council all looked at each other on where to begin.
"When you first left, she spent many hours with the Solo family. They took care of her until she was ready to come to the temple," the eldest master began and stopped for a moment. "She began training with many of the masters and then information had been heard by Lana about Daren. The information you sent us on a disk was in the hands of Lana and of course she listened to it first and that is when this all began."
"She has regained much of her confidence, changed her appearance and her Jedi robes have become less large for her body, though she still wears the cape Anakin Solo gave her to a loss of a bet," another spoke. "The biggest flaw this girl has is taking situations into her own hands and being defiant."
"Do not get us wrong Master Skywalker she has become much clearer to read over the course of these ten months, but in doing do we have had trouble keeping her under our wings," the blind master spoke. "Her intentions are pure but she must understand that it is not correct for her to do such actions on her own."
"I will speak with her," Luke responded to all of the information. "Did she ever find any information?"
"Yes, she has been able to. Much better than the knights we send out on missions to look for the information," the eldest informed him. "Daren spends a lot of his time at lounges with changlings as singers, still we have yet to find the one he goes to most frequently. He does spend a lot of time on other planets to recruit more people to the dark side and if they do not comply he kills them."
"The countess has given him much freedom to do as he will," Anakin answered. "Apparently those he can get to turn to the dark side have been on Amora training. We have seen them on the battlefield."
"They are still earning their skills in an unnatural speed, we Jedi continue to learn but they seem to have a method to learn quickly and causing us to fall back countless times," Owen injected.
"Then we must try to figure out the method, but in the end it has something to do with the countess," Luke said. "She and Daren are the key to this. We must uncover what is going on behind the scenes."
"Agreed," the master currently on Amora stated. "I will speak with Prince Jarek on a plan to get into the palace. If Anakin did it once while his time here to rescue Lana, there must be a way as well for us."
"Then let us adjourn for now…"
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Dormitories of the Jedi Temple
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"AHHHHHH!"
Everyone in the area that heard that scream just paused for a moment and returned to their normal duties. They all knew who it was and knew why the person was letting out an aggravated cry but she had to learn to control her emotions sooner or later. They were excited that someone had the gall to defy the council but slowly it was becoming old news as the war would only seem to fall into a stalemate. The southern kingdom was able to reestablish their border they once held before the invasion but that is where all the battle stayed.
Lana was pacing the room she was given to stay in the temple. Later tonight she would have to clean the temple without the use of her powers. She was not happy in anyway at all as she tried to regain her composure. She wasn't happy in the least but she had to admit for her defiance she did deserve some kind of punishment but that was ridiculous…how was she suppose to clean the whole temple on her own.
She growled, she had gotten accustomed to her own skin but she was still not happy. She heard a ring from her door and replied, "I do not wish to see anyone."
Then the door flew open to see her father, she turned her face away from him. "So you've been quite a handful these past few months I hear."
"What of it," Lana said flatly. "I haven't caused any harm except to the council."
"That is still no excuse," Luke told his daughter as he sat down on the opposing chair. "You have been staying here, nice room."
"Not really, I rather be home but they insisted once I was ready to leave Aunt Leia's house that I should move into the temple for a temporary stay," Lana folded her arms as she looked over at her father. "I'm sorry that you saw that."
"I am just glad you are growing out of your shell but you seem to be growing in a direction that needs to take a detour," Luke informed her.
"If I did that, who would have gotten all that information?" Lana argued with her father, "Because I took a chance I was able to find all of that. What have the council done in return? Punish me for doing something that could help us in the long run to stop this war but they insist that I stay here in the quiet."
"Lana," Luke sighed. "The council has their reasons in keeping you here and your have to respect that. Your time will come when you have to do something out of the temple, you must be patient."
"As you wish father," Lana said in a monotone voice and Luke sighed in defeat.
"Anakin wants to see you," Luke told his daughter and Lana looked up at her father. "I was able to convince the council to let you have a partner in cleaning the temple."
Lana raised her eyebrows, "Are you telling me Anakin volunteered for the job?"
"Anakin suggested it after I asked for a lift on her punishment, however he can use his powers," Luke said simply and Lana sighed.
"I guess that is fair enough," Lana stood up and hugged her father.
"I love you," Luke told his daughter as she walked out of her room. He smiled and finally looking at her like the young woman she really was. Now all he had to do was tame her…may the force be with him on such a task, or maybe Anakin or Owen can do it for him. "I'm getting too old for this."
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Lana walked down the hallways to find the west wing, and probably where Anakin was waiting for her. She saw the younglings looking at her, they still liked her but she was their favorite subject. She was always getting into trouble as of late, first she was distant from them and now she was the rebel you shouldn't end up like. They couldn't complain she still sneaking them sweet treats…Lana rushed past them all into an empty section where there was equipment ready to clean everything around them.
Anakin was nowhere in sight and Lana rolled her eyes. She then picked up a mop and began mopping around. She saw some of the other mops began moving around the floor and she turned to look behind her. There was Anakin moving his hand around while he was controlling the mops. She looked at him with a glare and Anakin just smirked.
"Need a hand?" Anakin asked and Lana shook her head at his question. "I heard that you have been causing trouble while we've been gone?"
"Meaning what?" Lana asked as she continued cleaning.
"I thought we all asked you not to be trouble," Anakin walked over to the girl who was trying to avoid eye contact with him. "You've changed a bit while we've been away…"
"Only a little," Lana said with a smile finally looking up to see him. His eyes meeting hers for the first time that day, "I'm glad you came back home safely."
"Well, I was hoping to return while you were still behaving," Anakin said with a huge smirk. "So what did you find on my dark brother?"
Lana shrugged, "He's been to several planets either killing or sending them off to Amora. Rumor River say that he spends a lot of time in a lounge club with changlings singers that take the form of the person you wish to see as long as you have a hologram."
"Do you know which planet," Anakin asked as he continued to clean and circle around the girl.
"No, that is what I went to go look for, I have contacts but none of them have been able to find him," Lana said simply. Anakin just chuckled as Lana gave him a look, "What are you laughing at?"
"Oh nothing, just remembering the last time you did something like this," Anakin smiled widely causing Lana with an expression saying that he has to speak up. "You cannot tell you don't remember?"
"No," Lana said as she readied the mop to hit him with if he didn't speak up. "So talk…when did I do something so similar to this?"
"I think it was when I had gone off after a fight with Owen, I think just after he was given the rank of master," Anakin said with a face showing that he was trying think very hard about the whole subject. "I guess they said I was missing and you went all over the galaxy to look for me when I was on the planet."
"I wanted to get even with you for that," Lana said as she pushed the wet mop onto Anakin's chest. His robes were soaking wet with soap and Anakin gave her an evil smile. "It looks good on you."
"Not as much as this will on you," Anakin lifted the bucket over Lana's head and she gave him a really dirty look.
"Oh you so better not," Lana warned but it was too late, from head to toe she was soaked. She opened her eyes to give him a warning look. "You are so going to get it!" Lana used her powers to do the same but of course it became an all right water fight. The masters came to see what the commotion was about to see the water fight and shook their heads. As long as they cleaned it up later they didn't care. They walked away and Luke came to and only smiled at the sight before him.
The two were not paying any attention what was going on around them until was of the younglings joined in. If figured if they are going to act like children so should they. Lana was laughing happily for the first time in a long time and Anakin had been the one to b ring out of her again. When she was scared as a child he would be the one to make her laugh and he did it again. The other younglings were having more fun gaining up on the two older knights…as they put it, beauty versus age.
While the scene played out before them there was one spirit watching them in great interest. "At last, freedom can she reach. Beauty of a pure soul once again returns. Laughter once again inside rings." Yoda watched with a smile on his face and Obi Won joined him. "What do you think Master Kenobi?"
"Anakin Solo will be the key to all of this," Obi Won answered. "If Lana is to help in the defeat of the countess she must return to the girl she was before she created walls to hide away from everyone."
"Yes, indeed change she has," Yoda then look concerned. "Still…long is her journey, but time she does not have."
"I agree, the countess does grow in power and we do not have much time," Obi Won stated as they faded from the scene as water and soap was spilt everywhere.
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Late that Evening
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"It's all your fault!"
"My fault, you started it by shoving that dumb mop on me!"
"You spilt water all over me and now here we are at only the center point of the temple!"
"You still started it!"
"Liar!"
"You so wish, if you didn't start any of this, I would have helped you all the way through the temple. They are punishing you like you are a youngling instead of a knight that you are suppose to be!"
"If you were here, you would do the same thing!"
"How is that so?"
"Daren is you blood brother of course you would go after any clue that would lead you to him!"
"He's my brother! Of course I would do that, but with permission from the council! You like to break rules way to often if you ask me, lately you are acting like the young girl we all once knew! Not like I don't like this new side of you but it is going to get you in trouble!"
"Well thank you mister oh righteous but you are just as much of a trouble maker as I am! It's not like you were so picture perfect when you went under your brother as his apprentice!"
"This is getting us no where, we are just arguing in circles! Why can't you just admit you are wrong for once! If you just had waited patiently they would have given you permission to go out and get all the information you found!"
"No they wouldn't! If it was you then yes they would! Remember I've been lying to them for almost half of my life, about who I was. I hide everything from them! They are not going to let me fly off and go on great missions to help the Jedi Order or the New Republic! They are going to keep me locked up as long as possible! From the sounds of it, you want to keep me locked up here while my home world in turmoil fighting for freedom…"
"Lana, that isn't true…"
Lana looked him straight in the eye, "You cannot tell me that they have not been trying to keep me here away from everyone on that battlefield. That the council is not afraid I would make the same mistake when I was on that ship with Daren and the countess. That you are afraid I will get captured and be brutally tortured just because of my birth…You cannot say that this isn't true…"
Anakin looked at Lana defeated, everything she said held some truth to it. Yet here he could not even find the words to make a counter point. He just stood there with a mop in his hand as Lana shook her head. "I told you, you cannot tell me anything that would make me believe that what I said is not true…"
"Lana, just don't cut yourself short…" Anakin told her. "Sure you did that in order to protect yourself, yes you hid from us and all those other things you said hold some truth…but you forget we all still care for you. We don't have to forgive you for anything, you just need to learn that it is ok to care for someone…just don't get too attached…death is natural…"
"Don't lecture me," Lana said flatly as she began breathing heavily. She was fighting her tears and Anakin looked at her longingly. He wanted to just hold her and wash away her fears but…was this the right time? Was it really ever going to be the right time? How would he know…when would he know? He was returning to Amora in a short while to help with the advances with the southern kingdom. Here they were fighting about an issue about the water fight and the thought of her never leaving the planet again.
Lana just turned and began cleaning once again. She didn't look back over at Anakin, Anakin just felt like an idiot. He wanted to make her laugh like earlier but all he did was push her away. She was right; he didn't want to see her get hurt again. He didn't really defy the council in going after her just didn't get full permission. That was the only time he really did anything like that and yet here she was doing it for four months. He watched her slowly as she turned away from him, he saw a few tears fall down her face and cursed himself for being the one to hurt her.
The two would continue to clean the whole temple in silence as they would work on different sides and different floors. Both lost in their thoughts of one another, not really knowing fully of what to do so silence became their companion. Once both had reached their ends on separate locations did they relax, Lana touched the glass window with her hand and stared out. She frowned, she hadn't mean to take out her anger on Anakin but it ended up that way.
While Anakin on the upper floor just leaned against the large window sill and sighed deeply. He felt lost as he looked up to the night sky. He really didn't want to hurt her and he did, he looked down and saw Lana looking out the window below him. He could see her due to the architecture of the temple and the sky view window was above her head. He had to admit she was beautiful, she was much different from the girl he once knew…she was different from everyone he had met in his life time. Could marriage be available for them, did she even feel the same way that he did?
His heart was loosing control when it came to her…he felt as if he could really fly to the heavens above when he saw her smile. When her eyes sparkled it was like watching stars slowly appear in the night sky, and everything about her was so soft in his eyes and yet he had made her cry just before reaching the end of their cleaning job. She was the one that made things complicated and yet simple all at the same time and it was nothing like the experiences in the entire galaxy.
He knew though Lana was still changing, she was two years younger than he was…but would that really matter?
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Some Planet…Out in Space
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"Is my order ready," Daren asked as he leaned in his favorite chair.
"Yes, as you always requested, I tried to find a better singer this time…" The bartender informed him as he motioned for the girl to come out.
Daren smiled, they always got her image right but the songs they always chose were not appropriate for that beautiful face. Her image was flawless but the voice was never there. He would still pay for his order but would not pay tip if he was not happy with the package. Daren watched as the figure now shaped as the girl he admired most, she stood there as music began playing…
He leaned back and listened carefully…
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Well...here is a new chapter. I hope that you enjoy this one as well...