This chapter has slowly been pieced together over the course of several days...I am anxious to get to the parts that I've been dying to do and I have to restrain myself from rushing this along lol, so I might be a little slow writing the chapters, just so you're forewarned.
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A relentless high pitched whine woke Aria up; she groaned and buried deeper under the covers while there was movement around her. Blindly, her hand reached out instinctively for the alarm clock, wanting to shut the alarm off as soon as possible as the incessant screech continued.
"What time is it?" she muttered, her voice muffled by the pillow.
Luke's abnormally-awake-by-her-standards voice answered her. "About three hundred galactic standard time."
"Who gets up at this Force-forsaken hour?" Aria groaned, burying deeper into her bed—she was too tired to appreciate the fact that she was familiar with military time. Luke laughed at her.
"I can tell you're not a morning person," he said in amusement.
"I'm a creature of the night, and everyone around me is morning people for some reason," Aria replied. Luke snickered.
"Well, I'll come and wake you up again at a later time after my morning exercises."
Aria grunted. "Thank you."
The sound of the door opening reached her ears. "You're welcome," he said before he left the room, and Aria soon fell asleep once again mere moments after he'd left.
Luke strolled along the deserted halls of Home One, his mind abuzz even though he'd just woken up. The only people awake at this time were those who had been up all night for whatever reason or had to be up early to get something done. Almost no one was crazy enough to get up this early to get a few hours of exercise in before the day truly started.
Then again, Luke was the only Jedi aboard Home One.
As he navigated his way to the empty room he normally occupied when he went through his morning exercises, his mind drifted back to the night before. He'd learned more about his family in those two hours or so than in his entire life. His father, a slave freed by Obi-Wan's Master in a bet on a podrace and also the supposed child of a prophecy foretelling the destruction of the Sith and the restoration of balance to the Force. His mother, a queen disguised as a handmaiden that took back her home planet of Naboo herself when the Senate wouldn't help. Obi-Wan the Jedi Padawan who was the first Jedi to slay a Sith in over a millennia and held his mentor in his arms as he died before swearing to the dying man to teach Luke's father, even if he had to train Anakin without the Council's permission. Then there was the droid control ship; his father had destroyed it so similarly to how Luke had destroyed the Death Star, but at the age of nine! He was still trying to get over the fact the Emperor had been one of his mother's trusted advisors during the time of the Republic before he became the Chancellor, and it sickened him to see such an evil man deceiving everyone.
Luke smiled a little to himself as he remembered the podrace on Tatooine. He'd flown in some of those very spots with his T-16, and now to know that he'd been racing in the same place his father had raced for his freedom. Now, he also understood why Aria had said it was an interesting choice of words for Luke to call her an angel; his father had called his mother the same thing when he'd first saw her.
Seeing his grandmother had been another moment of excitement for him. He'd always wanted to know her, having heard a little about her from his aunt and uncle and sometimes wondering what stories she would have had about Anakin to tell Luke. Though the fact Anakin didn't have a father...the fact Luke didn't have a grandfather...now that still blew his mind. Conceived by the Force itself, now that...that was something that would take some time for Luke to get used to.
With all of his reactions the night before it was a wonder Luke hadn't woken up the rest of the ship; though he could take comfort in the fact that Aria got into the movie just as much as he did, so he wasn't the only one getting emotional or jumping out of his seat in excitement or frustration. The podrace had been especially interesting as they had both been high off of the adrenaline that the race caused them, during which Aria had sheepishly admitted that she loved races and there were some that just never got old to her.
Luke subconsciously waved a hand and caused the door he'd stopped in front of to slide open, granting him permission into the nearly empty room he frequently occupied for exercise runs. All the while he mulled over the conversation he'd had with Aria after the movie had finished when he'd been dying to see more, to know more of the family history that was right at his fingertips. Of course Aria had said before they'd watched the first movie that the first one was all they could fit with her battery life; Luke was anxious for Anakin to figure out how to charge her laptop so he could continue watching the movies. Still, Aria had made a very good point last night...
"You might not want to see all of this..." Aria said softly, interrupting Luke's excited tirade about the other two movies that would show him more of his family history he had no access to anywhere else in the galaxy.
"Why wouldn't I? I can finally have answers, I can finally know how, and why, this...this is amazing! I have to see all of them, I have to know!" Luke had responded almost immediately.
"Because, the third one shows Anakin's fall..." Aria said quietly. That got Luke to pause, and he slowly sat back down on the bed beside her.
"Isn't that just another reason to watch it? I've always wanted to know..." Luke told her softly. Aria was shaking her head before he could even get the first sentence out.
"Luke, what happened with your father...it's the definition of a tragedy. I can't even watch the last half of the movie, and I'm not even the one it happens to, or someone directly affected by it like you are. When I say I can't watch it, I mean I physically can't watch it because it's so painful to watch...so many missed opportunities, so many moments when just one word said...just one thing done differently could have changed everything..."
Luke was silent for several long moments, staring at the box set at the foot of the bed as he took Aria's words into serious consideration. Finally, he turned back around to face her. "Aria, I have to know the truth. I've been lied to about what happened to my family long enough, and I need to know for myself what really happened; an unbiased opinion of what happened, the events as they truly took place without any alterations...that's what you have here, and I need to know. I may not like it, no...but it would be better than being left in the dark and left wondering if anything else I hear is true."
Aria sighed, clasping her hands tightly together in her lap and staring at them intently. "You're right I...I'd hate for you to be open to any manipulations, and knowing the unbiased truth for yourself would allow you to judge what happened for yourself as well instead of relying on the word of others..." she said softly, wringing her hands together before she looked up at him. "But it's not going to be easy; it'll be very painful to watch and...if you do go through with this and watch it...I'll watch it with you. I'd hate for you to have to go through that alone."
Luke laughed, albeit a little nervously. "You're talking like we're leaving for a week journey through the Dune Sea with only one canteen of water for both of us."
Aria held his gaze, her expression deadly serious. "That's a pretty good comparison. On an emotional scale...there may be some moments of happiness, but for the most part it's only heartache that you'll find in that movie. Luke, you must understand, this movie doesn't just have Anakin falling to the dark side; it shows some of the monstrosities he did, it has your mother's death, how Anakin came to be in that suit, betrayal and deceit from all sides and misunderstandings that tear dear friends and family apart...knowledge can be a blessing...but it can also be a great burden. I'd know."
Despite the worry for what he was getting himself into that blossomed inside of him at her words, he put a gentle hand on her knee. "Well then, at least I'll have the comfort of knowing I'm not the only one bearing the burden," he said seriously. She blushed, which cause him to blush a little as well and pull his hand away. Aria was the one to break the awkward silence.
"So, um...the others are kind of chomping at the bit to watch more of these, but I still don't think showing them the movies of their timeline is a wise idea considering hardly any of it has happened yet and some of those revelations may do more harm than good. I was thinking of showing them your trilogy...if that's all right with you," Aria said, her tone rushed as she busied herself with pulling out The Phantom Menace and placing it back into the movie case. Luke didn't see any reason for not letting them see his trilogy now that it was out there that Darth Vader was his father and Vader was also Anakin. He shrugged.
"I guess so; if you're showing me their story you might as well show them mine," he pointed out. Aria smiled weakly.
"Yeah...I guess that would give Anakin some of the answers he's been hounding me for..." Aria mused.
"I still don't quite see why you won't just tell them," Luke told her, standing up from his spot on the bed to get ready to turn in.
Aria sighed. "You'll understand whenever you watch that movie...I'd rather not put that burden on them; they don't need the extra weight."
Luke shook himself out of the memory, grabbing onto a low hanging bar with both hands and starting his workout with some simple chin-ups. He couldn't deny that Aria's warnings had left him a little hesitant to watch the movie, but his resolve was still firm; he had to know what had happened no matter how painful she professed it could be for him.
With a frown, Luke realized that while Aria seemed to know everything about Luke and his family, he hardly knew anything about her; and plenty of questions had been raised on that matter, especially with her reaction when the Rebellion High Command had started asking her questions about her family. Her reaction had been...most unexpected, to say the least. The complete turnaround in mood that Luke had sensed in her, and how quickly she had shut down to them were astonishing. She seemed like such a pleasant, mild girl, though he'd seen already she had some courage in her and a little bit of a spit-fire to her she kept buried deep down. It didn't help he got the sense that she was still keeping things from him, just as she was still keeping things from the other three. Luke could only hope that she truly knew for a fact that what she was keeping secret was for everyone's good, and not just because she was unsure of how he would react. Information was a powerful thing during war, and she had plenty of it to go around. His main concern was if she knew what she was doing with that information, or if she was doing a lot of guessing and stabbing in the dark.
He continued to mull over the things he'd seen last night and the discussions he'd had with Aria as he continued on with his workout, rolling through his chin ups, one handed pushups, sit ups, and other rudimentary exercises before he moved on to laps around the room to substitute for his jogs across the dangerous terrain of Dagobah, followed closely by his one-handed handstand during which he focused on levitating as many objects in the room with the Force simultaneously. That momentarily took his attention away from thoughts of the night before as he had to divert all of his focus on levitating the objects around the room and maintaining his balance. He was so immersed in his task and focused on lifting more objects than his previous workout that Luke didn't even realize that someone had approached and walked in on his exercise routine until a voice broke through his concentration.
"So this is what you're doing up so early."
Luke was so startled he lost his grasp on some of the pieces of furniture he was levitating, though he managed to catch them again before they hit the ground. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he kept his handstand and the multiple items in the air while he also spent whatever remaining concentration he had to focus on his sudden visitor.
It was Anakin.
"How did you find me?" Luke asked, maintaining his steady one-handed handstand.
Anakin shrugged. "It was actually pretty easy; you weren't shielding yourself, and once I pinpointed the only other awake Force Sensitive, I just followed the presence till I wound up in here."
He hadn't thought of that. Then again, he was on Home One and was used to not having to hide his presence due to the lack of Force Sensitives in the galaxy. "So what are you doing up so early?"
Anakin shifted to another spot in the room, kicking idly at the ground. "I don't sleep much, some nights I sleep less than others."
"Bad dreams?" Luke asked, deciding to take on the task of lifting another object, thus dividing his attention even further.
"Sometimes," Anakin admitted. "You too?"
If he hadn't been doing a handstand, Luke would have shrugged. "Not really. I get the occasional bad dream, but I'm normally up this early for, well, obvious reasons."
"Did Aria get any sleep?"
Luke frowned at that. "She wouldn't have come out of the bed if I tried to drag her out by her ankles; I'm surprised the alarm woke her truthfully..."
Anakin nodded. "That's good to hear."
"Why?" Luke asked.
"The past week or two she's been plagued by vicious nightmares. It always takes a while to snap her out of it and calm her down...I realized I forgot to warn you about that."
Luke didn't even bother trying to split his attention now. He gently set everything in the room down, flipping to his feet with a frown gracing his features as he walked up to Anakin. "Nightmares? What about?"
Anakin grimaced, leaning against the wall behind him and folding his arms over his chest. "I don't know if she'd want me to tell you, but if you're going to be sharing a room with her you should be prepared in case they come back." He sighed. "A few days before we arrived here, her father was killed in an accident with a drunk driver. She's been having nightmares since. Several nights it was so bad I had to get in the bed with her and hold her until she calmed down again."
Luke slowly took a seat on a nearby container. "I wasn't expecting that..." he admitted quietly, shaking his head. "She knows practically everything about us, yet...I haven't forgotten I hardly know anything about her."
Anakin shifted in place, getting more comfortable. "Well, I can't really tell you as much as she can, but I can tell you what I know from the few weeks we spent with her in her galaxy..."
"You have my attention," Luke said with a weak smile.
With that, Anakin launched into explaining as much about Aria Neads as he could in as much detail as possible. It wasn't much of a happy story, though Luke was glad to hear some happy moments among all the bad. No wonder she'd reacted the way she had whenever Mon Mothma brought up her parents.
"I wouldn't have guessed," Luke said once Anakin had finished.
Anakin snorted. "She tends to pack a few surprises and secrets around with her, yes."
Luke noted the bitter tone in Anakin's tone, and was quick to figure out what was bothering him. "Still upset that she's been keeping things from you?"
"Upset is an understatement," Anakin muttered.
"I can't blame her, really. I've been starting to see why she's been picking and choosing what she tells. You might like the discussion I had with her though."
Anakin cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really? And why's that?"
"We were talking about the movies after she showed me The Phantom Menace—which she told me you three watched as well—and we came to an agreement of sorts. She asked for my permission to show you guys my story, the three movies about me including the one that hasn't happened yet. She's going to show me the three about you guys on the other hand; so you three will know my story...and I'll finally know yours. Though she's still touchy about showing me the third one," Luke explained, watching Anakin carefully. Anakin seemed to struggle with himself for a few moments before he deflated a little.
"I guess I can settle for that," he said with a sigh. "Why's she so hesitant to show you the third one?"
"Apparently that's when everything happens," Luke said quietly. "And she warned me several times over that it's not pleasant, and offered to watch it with me too."
Anakin suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable, casting his eyes down. "I still can't believe..." he mumbled, trailing off. A dark feeling of mourning settled over the room, stirring Luke to action.
"I never knew how much I had in common with my father," he said suddenly, brushing off the awkwardness that threatened to come out as he brought the subject around to a different path.
Anakin smiled weakly at the statement. "Yes well...Padme and I are still trying to overcome the awkwardness that came when we heard you were our son...you should have seen us last night," he said with a soft snort. "We made quite the scene; Obi-Wan was just the added bonus."
"How...how well do you two know each other right now?" Luke asked curiously. Anakin shrugged.
"I wish I could figure her out. She's been blocking my every attempt until recently, when she started to let me in...a little. Aria kind of ushered us to be open with each other and get together after a fair share of warnings, but...you can still only go so fast...and Padme does have a point when she points out our position..."
"Your position?"
Anakin sighed again. "Attachments are forbidden in the Jedi Order; if I got with her—married her as Aria says we were—and the Jedi Council found out, I could be expelled from the Order. And a Jedi and a Senator...the problems that would rise there would be merciless...not to mention we're on the brink of a war right now, a war that will be sending me all over the Galaxy."
"I'd say it's worth the risk..." Luke said quietly.
"That's what I say, but Padme's still hesitant," Anakin said with a small smirk. A few moments of silence lingered between them before Anakin straightened up and gestured towards where Luke had been doing his workout a few moments prior. "Need someone to spar with to work on your lightsaber technique?"
Luke felt his cheeks warm up a little. "I can't."
Anakin gave him a strange look. "Why not?"
Luke chewed on the inside of his cheek a little, suddenly reluctant to talk. "I, ah...lost my lightsaber at Bespin...I don't have a lightsaber right now..."
I lost my hand too, but there's no need to tell him he took my hand and add to his guilt, Luke thought. Anakin frowned.
"You haven't made a new one?"
Luke shrugged. "I don't know how truthfully. I've pulled apart a lightsaber to see what's in it before but...I haven't really had the chance to figure out how to make a new one yet."
Anakin's frown deepened and he shook his head before he pulled a storage box up next to Luke, unhooking his lightsaber from his belt and showing it to Luke. "Well, might as well start somewhere, right?"
Luke studied the weapon. It was actually different—slightly different, but still different—from the lightsaber that he had inherited. He'd have to ask Aria about that. Anakin offered the weapon to Luke again, and Luke realized Anakin wanted him to hold it.
"I'll show you what's in one first, and we can go from there. Don't worry about taking it apart, I assure you I can put it back together again."
"Because you're that good of a mechanic?" Luke joked, cracking a small smile. Anakin rolled his eyes.
"That...and I made this myself when I was thirteen," Anakin said in amusement.
"Oh..." Luke said in embarrassment. "Right..."
Anakin chuckled a little before he reached out to the Force to start to disassemble his lightsaber. "All right, so this is the diatium power cell..."
When Aria woke up again, it was—unfortunately—not because she'd woken up herself. Yet again it was because of some other early bird nutcase. She groaned at the knocking, rolling over in bed and snuggling further under the covers before she answered in a disgruntled voice.
"Who is it?" she called out.
"Obi-Wan; are you up?"
Aria growled low in her throat—curse this wretched Jedi habit of getting up before any other sane sentient being. "I am now," she called back in annoyance. To her further agitation, the door opened.
"C'mon, it's time to get up," Obi-Wan told her, pulling the sheets back. She made a loud sound of complaint.
"No," she moaned, reaching for the blanket. Obi-Wan was apparently in a cruel mood, as he pulled it further out of reach.
"Yes, now; the Alliance High Command is looking for Luke to see if he wants to go on another mission, and we've been given the option to go with him, but the briefing is as soon as they find him and he says yes," Obi-Wan explained as Aria slowly got up into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. She grumbled under her breath for a few moments.
"All right...I'm coming," she muttered, trying to flatten her wild bedhead. "Where is he?"
"I don't know," Obi-Wan replied simply. "I just know he's with Anakin."
"Got it...the Skywalker boys are together...Armageddon is most likely in progress...I'm up...I'm coming..." she mumbled. Obi-Wan laughed softly, waiting for her to get on her feet before he led her out of the room. Padme was just coming out of the room next to them when they left Luke and Aria's room and joined them without a word. Sleepy Aria, on the other hand, had plenty to say.
"What is it with you people and getting up early?" she grumbled, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Luke got up at, like, three this morning; don't you guys understand the concept of sleep?"
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Well, it's six now, so you shouldn't complain too much. You've gotten up at this time before."
"Doesn't mean I like doing it," Aria mumbled, but she let that topic drop. "So Obi-Wan, do you know where you're taking us, or are we just wandering around hoping to run into the boys?"
"I'm following Anakin's presence in the Force," Obi-Wan replied patiently. Aria lightly knocked her palm against her forehead.
"Duh...if it wasn't so early I might have actually thought of that."
Obi-Wan politely patted her shoulder. "It'll be all right."
Aria simply grumbled under her breath again.
By the time they finally found the two Skywalker boys, it was not to find them covered in grease and oil or in the middle of some sort of mischief as Aria had assumed. They were leaning over the pieces of a disassembled lightsaber with Anakin explaining...something in a voice so low Aria couldn't hear a sound coming from him, though apparently Luke could. Obi-Wan was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat.
"And what, might I ask, is going on in here?" Obi-Wan asked, an eyebrow raised in question. Anakin's head snapped up at the sound of his Master's voice, surprise flickering across his features for a moment.
"Master, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.
"Apparently supervising your attempt at a lesson," Obi-Wan answered in amusement.
"Oh, come now Obi-Wan, I'm sure he's doing just fine," Aria scolded him lightly, musing her hair a little as she approached the two. "He did have an apprentice during the Clone Wars, and she turned out just fine; she was even a Rebellion Leader for a while. I don't know what happened to her beyond that, but she turned out just fine with his teachings."
Everyone was staring at her, so she just shrugged. "What? It's the truth; I don't know much of her Rebellion time, so don't ask. There's not much on her after the Clone Wars."
"Me? A teacher?" Anakin asked incredulously. "No way; a Padawan isn't for me. Not in a thousand years."
Aria smirked. "You say that now..." She shook her head and heaved a sigh, turning her attention back to Obi-Wan. "Weren't we here for a reason?"
"Right," Obi-Wan said with a shake of his head. "Luke, High Command is looking for you."
"Really?" Luke asked, springing to his feet while Anakin gathered up the pieces of his lightsaber. "How long have they been looking for me?"
"Don't worry, it hasn't been long," Obi-Wan assured him. "They want to see all of us about a new mission. It's for you, but the invitation has been extended for us to join you on it."
"Already? That was fast, even for them," Luke said in amusement. "Well, I know where they'll be, so I guess follow me."
Aria was watching Anakin in fascination as he reassembled his lightsaber with the Force, standing up to take his spot next to Luke. "Lead the way," he said, clipping the lightsaber to his waist.
General Madine and some of his advisers were assembled and awaiting them in the debriefing room, leaning over the layout of a building and talking in hushed whispers the entire time. They all quieted down when the group entered.
"You sent for me?" Luke asked as he came to a stop in front of the table. The other four stayed in the background, watching the proceedings closely.
"Skywalker; I see Master Kenobi found you," General Madine said. "We have a rather sensitive mission for you and your companions, should they chose to accompany you."
"What do you need me to do?" Luke asked, studying the display before him; it was obvious that it had something to do with what they wanted from him.
"One of our spies was recently captured. They managed to strike a deal that would help us greatly with our need for supplies, but they were captured before they could fulfill their end of the bargain and before they could inform us of the conditions of the agreement."
"You want me to go in and get them out, finalizing the deal at the same time?" Luke guessed, suddenly studying the layout in front of him much more carefully. "Where are they? Is it just one person?"
"Just one human male, yes. You'll be traveling to the planet of Bonadan where I need you to finalize the deal with the Rodian supplies dealer Zeven Obath; he's offered to open up a much needed food supply to the Republic, though he asked for something in exchange. You'll have to find out what he wants, and if it's within reason secure it for him. The spy is Kennex Teeb, and he's one of the best we have for striking these deals right under the Imperial's nose. They're keeping him in the Detention Center in the city of Phtari." As General Madine Spoke, he pulled up pictures of the two men, the planet, the city, and the detention center. "We're downloading a disk with all the information that you'll need, though I must warn you now, weapons are banned on the planet, and you will be thoroughly scanned upon entry. Now, we have a contact remaining on the planet that can supply you with something to defend yourself once you're on-planet, but if there's something specific you're hoping to take with you, that's going to be rather difficult."
Aria didn't miss the fact that Madine's eyes flickered towards the lightsabers hanging from Anakin and Obi-Wan's waists; nor did Luke. "Don't worry General, I already have something in mind," Luke assured him.
"I'm taking that as confirmation that you'll do it?"
"Of course General; you know me."
"What about you four?" Madine asked, turning to the other four who were studying the layout in the background.
"We're in," Anakin said immediately, earning a reprimanding sharp look from Obi-Wan for speaking out of turn.
"Anakin and I are in, but I think it'd be best if the women stayed behind..." Obi-Wan said, catching his mistake a little too late. He grimaced as the two turned on him immediately.
"Excuse me?" Padme asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You're insane if you think we're not coming with you," Aria scoffed.
Anakin shuffled his feet. "Well, I'm in charge of Padme's protection and Aria's really out of her element here."
"You really think my father didn't make sure I could handle myself?" Aria asked with a raised eyebrow, hands on her hips.
"That's different," Anakin argued. Aria's expression soured.
"I'm coming," she said, her voice firm and final.
"As am I; if you want to protect me like you were assigned to do, then you'll need to be around me. You can't very well protect me if you're in another system," Padme pointed out.
Luke wasn't even trying to hide his amusement. "I'm going to say we're all going," he told Madine.
"I'd say so," Madine said in equal amusement. "You'll leave in a few hours."
"So late?" Luke asked with a frown.
Madine gestured towards the other four. "They might want some time to get familiar with the technology; this is over twenty years into the future for them. And Miss Neads is going to sorely stand out in what she's wearing right now."
Aria blushed, but didn't argue that point; she was still wearing Earth clothes.
Luke inclined his head in respect. "Yes General."
"You're dismissed. Good luck, and may the Force be with you."
As they all filed out into the hall, Anakin was quick to voice his displeasure with the girls. "You two shouldn't be coming, it's too dangerous."
Aria scowled. "I believe Padme's perfectly capable of handling herself, and I can handle a weapon just fine; a gun, bow and arrows, a knife, hand to hand..."
"And just how much experience do you have with these?" Anakin asked suspiciously.
"I'm a pretty good shot, thank you very much. I wrestled with my father quite a bit, and I carried a pocket knife on me quite often," Aria said sternly. "I can get by; besides, if you're that worried about me I can simply help from afar," she finished with a scowl. She hated feeling useless.
"Well right now we need to worry about getting you to blend in," Luke said pointedly, gesturing towards Aria's jeans, tank top, and jacket. His brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "You're the same size as me; I think I might have something for you. Come on," Luke told her.
Three hours later, Aria felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Who else got to say they wore Luke Skywalker's Medel Ceremony clothes, complete with the yellow jacket? Of course, their shoe size was different, so Luke had to ask around until he found a pair of boots her size.
She was feeling pretty good about herself right about now.
Meanwhile, with everyone in the main hangar, Luke was showing the two Jedi how the ship's controls worked. Anakin had filled him in on the Prequel Trio's recent technology, and Luke was giving them a crash course on the things that had changed. Padme stood beside her, waiting for the boys to finish up.
"Did you really mean what you said, about handling yourself?" Padme asked knowingly. Aria gave her a mock wounded look.
"Of course I did!" Aria exclaimed. "I handled twenty-twos, glocks, bb guns, rifles, I'm really good with a bow and arrow, honestly, and I really did carry a pocket knife with me everywhere and my father really did teach me self-defense."
Padme shook her head. "We just don't want you getting hurt."
"I know, but I'm still coming with you guys. I'm not going to be left out now," Aria said sharply. "I'll be content with staying back for a while, but I promise I really can handle myself."
"Just be careful?" Padme asked. Aria nodded.
"I promise," Aria said sincerely.
At that moment the boys finished up their crash course and waved the girls over, so their conversation ended there as they joined the three boys on the freighter they would be using for the mission. Luke heaved a sigh, helping Padme and Aria up the landing ramp.
"We're just about ready to leave. Just a few more supplies and we should be ready to go," Luke explained.
"Have we figured out the lightsaber weapons ban problem yet?" Aria asked. Luke nodded.
"Don't worry about it, we've got it covered," Luke assured her. He pointed down a small corridor on their right. "Down there is the bunks, just so you know where they are. I'm headed back to the room to grab a few things before we leave; is there anything you need?"
"I'll just go with you so I can repack all my stuff into my handy dandy backpack," Aria said in an upbeat tone. Anakin appeared around the corner from the cockpit, and before he could even register the three in the antechamber in front of him, Aria spoke again. "Anakin, how's that little charging device coming along?"
Anakin blinked in surprise before he re-gathered his wits enough to answer her question. "Oh, decently enough. It might be another day or so before its finished...why?" Before Aria could even answer his question, he cut her off. "Never mind, I get the idea, I'll go get it," he said with a roll of his eyes.
"We were just headed that way," Aria said brightly, gesturing towards herself and Luke. Anakin shook his head and followed them down the landing ramp, pausing to lean over to Padme.
"This is going to be a long trip," he muttered.
"We're leaving as soon as we get the last of the supplies onboard," Padme said with a grin, whacking his arm playfully.
"Yes ma'am," Anakin teased, giving her a little salute before he ducked off of the ship.