Universal Impossibility

by MMiFwI

With the Galactic Empire no longer a looming threat, and our heroes moving on, life has entered a relative peace. In the middle of his journey to discover a new order, Luke Skywalker is drawn from his life of wandering by a vision and a call from an old friend. A new adventure beyond what he has experienced awaits him.

11. Chapter 11

A/N: This took an absurd amount of time. It isn't even that thrilling really. Just a additional filler. I tried my best to get all the wheels moving with Chapters 10 and 11. The next chapter should really pick up, but who knows?

The chapters updated are 10 and 11. If you have yet to read 10, I recommend you do so.

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Fourth Week of Month Four, Centaxday, 10 ABY.

0045 standard hours. Formal Family Manor.

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The manor entrance was a very large room. Directly facing the main door, were two elegant staircases. They hugged the left and right wall respectively, leaving a space in between where another room was situated.

Luke did not know what was beyond the double-doors which lay in between the stairs, but he did know what was beyond the doors to the left of the main entrance. The left door led to a large common room where his group was currently held, and after a suggestion, is where the talk with Count Formal would take place.

Amongst the various tables and sofas, sat Luke's allies. Kes sat with Shara on an elegant sofa, and across from them, parted by a small table, sat Sakas, Gramps and Tuck. On another sofa sat Kes and Iden.

Once they noticed him and the others enter, they stood, and Luke explained that the connection was made.

It was a few moments later, and after some shifting of furniture, Luke prompted Artoo to make the call, "Alright, Artoo. Show us what that new holoprojector of yours can do."

Artoo beeped in confirmation before aiming his dome forward. Luke stood to Artoo's left, with his right arm resting on the droid's dome.

Everyone else in the room remained behind the pair. Lelei and Rory were the closest, with Rory to Luke's left and Lelei to Artoo's right. Tuck, Sakas, Gramps, Del, and Iden were situated behind the four, but spread out to see the projection.

Kes and Shara remained on a sofa perpendicular to the direction Luke was facing. Piña and her confidants were left of Rory and stood facing the same direction as Kes and Shara. Opposite of her stood the countess with her sisters and maids.

Overall the group had formed a square around the space they freed up, with Luke and his group forming the bottom, Piña and her group the left, and the countess and her group the right.

Artoo activated his projector and at first it was very small. The figures appeared as miniatures on the ground before the astromech droid expanded the image.

The space in front of the droid was no longer empty. It now held the blue, transparent images of Threepio, Shriv, Parna, and Count Formal. The image was projected a little more than a meter in front of Artoo. The four holograms were situated in circle, almost as if surrounding an invisible table. This was because they used the circular projection pod on the Corvus's bridge.

The projection pod was more than a meter in diameter, so the projections were positioned with a meter space between them. From where Luke stood, Shriv and Count Formal's backs were to him while Parna and Threepio stood opposite and faced him.

"Uh…well the connection works, but you actually need to stand in front of the sensor to be seen." Shriv said.

Luke stepped up to walk in between the four holograms. Logically, Luke did not have to position himself between their forms. If he stood in front of Artoo, the holosensor would pick him up. By standing at the center of the four, not only is the sensor picking him up, but it gives more of a realistic feel to their conversation.

"Good, it works. We can now proceed." Luke said before he looked toward the countess. He motioned for her to come but noticed her hesitation.

With his translator still on, he tried to ease her distrust, "I promise this is no illusion. The person you see here is your father."

Myui looked to her sisters, who gave her unsure looks, "At this point, it would be foolish for them to deceive us." Elle, the eldest, said.

"Right…very well." Myui released a sigh before stepping forth with the head maid silently following behind.

As Myui made her way forward, Luke turned to Parna who eyed him cautiously. Clearly still not used to holographic technology.

"Parna, I'm glad to see you are well. The treatments must have worked given that dirt on your face." Luke said as he pointed at his own cheek.

Parna's hologram reached for her cheek and felt the bit of dirt smeared on her face. From what, Luke did not know, but he assumed she decided to wander the forest of Yavin after her bacta tank treatment.

The Warrior Bunny rubbed the dirt off her face, slightly smearing it further.

"I guess I should thank you…I haven't felt this…alive in years." Parna replied.

Luke thought she seemed embarrassed, but his musing was stopped when a sudden wave of emotion swept over him. Keeping himself composed, he casually glanced over to where the countess once stood.

The emotion came from one of the maids. She stood next to Myui's sisters. Draped in a blue and white, frilled maid uniform worn by all Formal maids, the most distinct feature of the maid were the two long bunny ears protruding from her head. The fur on her ears matched her hair, a vibrant brown which grew darker towards the tips of her long locks.

With a single glance Luke saw the shock in the maid's face. A second passed, and the maid seemed to realize where she was, so she composed herself and returned to a gentle smile. This was not enough to hide the emotions Luke felt. A sense of shock mixed with relief and sadness along with a strange sense of betrayal.

Refocusing on the task at hand, he watched as Myui stepped up to the holograms, and motioned for her to take his place at the center, "The sensors on my droid do not have much range, only one person can fully be displayed at a time."

Myui nodded at the explanation, but Luke felt she did not fully understand. Either way he stepped out of the circle, and allowed Myui in. Her maid stood off to the side, waiting for something to happen.

"Myui…my darling daughter." Count Formal's voice was laced with unfiltered emotion.

"Father. Is that really you? Is this not some illusion?" Myui replied as she looked up at the holographic display.

Formal gave a smile, "I know this magic seems impossible, but these people have shown great feats that I could never comprehend, but yes, I am your father. Are your sisters here? I wish to see them."

"We're here father!" Both Elle and Lui ran forward. They took their place beside Myui, and Count Formal gave a smile.

"My daughters, it warms my heart to see you. Even better, it is nice to see that you are not fighting." Count Formal said comically.

The two eldest looked away, embarrassed by their father's comment. They quickly got over their embarrassment when remembering their husbands.

"What of Kal? Is he alright?" Elle asked for her husband.

"Count Roen is fine. He and Missna are back in our room, most likely awaiting my return." Formal replied.

Lui released a sigh, "We were unsure what was true or false in the letter these strangers brought us, but now as we face you through magic unknown to us, I am overcome with relief."

As the family reunited, Luke took a few steps back, allowing the family to speak. He lifted his headset's mic, effectively turning off the translator, so the family could have some privacy. Even when there were several dozen others in the room who could understand this world's language, Luke felt odd listening in on a family's conversation. Especially since he played a part in separating them.

As he stood to the side, away from the four holographic projections, he would often glance from Parna to the maid from earlier. More than once his eyes would shift to the maid's direction only to see her staring at him. The moment his eyes met hers, she would shift her eyes forward to seem discreet.

Several minutes passed, and Myui turned her gaze to Luke to inform him that her conversation was over. Reactivating his translator, he took a step forward, but remained out of the holosensor's range.

"Is there something you need, Your Excellency?" Luke asked.

"No…you've proven your intentions by doing this, and I thank you for caring for my father." Myui gave a small nod in his direction. Something her maids thought scandalous if their expressions were anything to go by.

Luke raised his hands in an odd defensive manner, "Uh…you needn't be so courteous. This is your court, and we did what any person would do."

Myui slightly shook her head, "I do not know the ways of your world, but if you were an enemy state from this land, I doubt my father would remain as healthy as he is now. The fact that you refrained from torturing him or any of his men reflects your greater understanding of compassion. Something I feel is lost on us."

Luke was embarrassed by the girl's words but felt relieved that his attempts of peaceful negotiations proved successful. It seemed Count Formal noticed the Jedi's embarrassment.

"Modesty is a beautiful virtue, but even you, Sir Luke, must recognize your deeds." Count Formal added.

"I'll recognize them when you are reunited with your family. Countess, I know I have no place in interrupting, but we'll need to end this conversation." Luke informed.

"This proves your intentions, but if you do not mind my curiosity, why?" The young countess asked.

"Like I mentioned before, the only reason we haven't returned Count Formal and the rest of our prisoners is due to the lack of resources. As we are, we have no means of transporting them safely and easily, but that will not be the case forever." Luke halted before explaining further.

"Wait." Piña spoke for the first time. The princess stepped up and faced Luke, "You mentioned this earlier, but I am confused. You speak as if you'd need to move the prisoners yourself. Why not return them to the Imperial camp at Alnus? I'm sure Lord Godasen would be grateful for their return."

Luke froze at the mention of Godasen. He remembered the man who, not a full day ago, kicked Luke in the stomach simply because he could. The man who Luke manipulated with a mind trick. A man who was killed by the flame dragon.

Piña seemed to catch on to Luke's hesitance, and a few more seconds of silence did not help ease her growing nervousness.

"Sir Luke?" Piña said.

Luke released a sigh and glanced to his friends. They were unsure what was being said by Piña but recognized Luke's discomfort and uncertainty.

"I'm sorry to say…Lord Godasen is no longer alive. Unfortunately, the camp at Alnus was destroyed. Not by us, but by the flame dragon. My friends and I were resting last night when the flame dragon's roars awakened us. We watched as the Alnus camp was incinerated." Luke was not sure what to expect. The princess' reaction to the four-hundred killed was oddly mild.

This was different. According to Count Formal, the expedition was twenty-thousand strong. After the four-hundred killed and one-hundred captured, that still left more than nineteen-thousand. Nineteen-thousand men killed in one night.

"It was destroyed?" Piña asked once more as if to make sure she heard right.

Luke nodded, "We asked those stationed at the tunnel to search of survivors and inform us if any are found. We never heard anything."

"B-but…that army was twenty-thousand strong!" Piña's confidant, Hamilton, nearly shouted.

The older man beside her chose to answer, "It would not matter if it were two-hundred thousand. The flame dragon is unstoppable…well it was."

Luke was surprised that Grey believed the story. He expected them to question its validity like they did earlier.

"Twenty-thousand." Piña's voice was soft, but it still carried a weight which everyone felt. Then, Piña's demeanor shifted, and Luke felt something uncertain.

"Twenty-thousand…killed by the flame dragon. As horrible as this situation may be…we can use this." Piña commented with a raised finger as if still thinking it through herself. She paused a few moments, clearly thinking of some unspoken plan.

"Princess…care to expand on your words." Grey prompted.

A few more seconds passed before Piña turned to her confidant, "Think of it, Grey. Here we are fearing for what could come to the Empire, and a solution presents itself."

It took Grey a few moments to understand Piña's implications, but a face of confusion made itself known, "Surely, you are not suggesting we lie to the Emperor about what happened to our men."

Luke looked between the two imperials with a serious look. He knew they were troubled by the existence of advanced technology. The fact they referred to it as magic was proof that they could not comprehend its complexity. It makes sense, a princess of the empire would seek to remedy what has come to pass. Her fear was directed towards Luke and his group. She was afraid of what they would do in retaliation to the empire's invasion.

"We would not be lying completely. The fire dragon killed most of the army, so we will present that as the reason for the expedition's failure. With this we can avoid conflict." Piña explained.

Luke decided to step in as she stopped, "Princess, I know trusting me is rationally impossible, but believe me. We do not wish to engage in war. That is not our intention."

"Then what is your intention?" Piña's piercing gaze suddenly turned to Luke.

The Jedi nearly flinched at the gaze, and Piña's words left no room for hesitation, "I…we've explained."

Piña started as soon as Luke stopped, "You've explained why you hold Count Formal, but not what you intend to do after. Ideally, you should leave this world. You have no need to worry yourselves with the problems of our world. You hold great power, Sir Skywalker, both with your personal skill and the men you command. I've seen but two of your men in a battle, yet that is enough to show me how far beneath you we are. To put it simply, I finally believe your words of peace. Call it insight, but you clearly have nothing to gain from invading our land."

"Then you understand…" Luke got out before Piña continued.

"I understand that you and your people may not want war, but the same cannot be said about my people. If we do not hide what you have done, my father and the senate will call for war, and that I can guarantee. Our armies are nothing to you, but the pride of men will call for vengeance, and I doubt you will stand idly as countless armies march on Alnus Hill. If you truly follow the morals you've spouted, leave this world and allow us to hold onto the pitiful superiority we are so proud of." Piña's exclamation left an uncomfortable silence in the room.

Even those who could only understand Luke's side of the conversation felt the heavy air lower itself throughout the room. Luke remained silent as he thought of a response. Everything Piña said was true. These people were nothing against the advanced society beyond the tunnel. Yet as little as Luke saw of this world, he still found it wrong to leave. The easiest choice would be to leave and forget about this place. Shara was safe, and with Piña's plan to deceive her father, there was little chance of him sending an army to Alnus Hill once more. If the emperor believed the flame dragon resided in Alnus, then Yavin would logically be safe at least for a little while.

Luke shook his head. This was not his decision. The people guarding the gate were Leia's men, and Luke had no right to ask them to remain here longer then needed. Even then, Luke could not help but feel selfish.

"I…cannot." Luke spoke softly, but his no less powerful.

Piña shook her head in confusion and mild irritation, "You are impossible. You speak of peace yet refuse the most peaceful resolution. Were your words mere deceptions?"

Luke's silent shake of the head was his answer, "Then why? Why remain here? Why not take the path which will avoid the bloodshed you claim to abhor?"

Before Luke could reply, another voice cut in. A new one which had yet to speak.

"Because he is kind."

Those who understood the language, tore their gazes away from Luke and Piña which prompted Luke's allies to do the same. Everyone's eyes landed on the holograms. Specifically, on the single-eared Warrior Bunny. Throughout the conversation between Count Formal and his daughters, she remained indifferent. Mostly ignoring their words of familial love, and silently scowling at the reunion. It was odd that she chose to speak now.

Piña turned to the holograms. She stood outside of Artoo's sensors, but his receivers had a much larger range, which allowed for the people on the other side of the hologram to hear the others who were not projected.

"You are a Warrior Bunny." Piña stated the obvious.

Parna scoffed, "And here I thought the royal family was educated. Seems you are the boisterous idiots I presumed you to be." Her words were not kind and laced with a sense of superiority.

Piña was not used to such a tone, if her face was anything to go by.

"I do not care who you are, Warrior Bunny, but you are speaking to Princess Piña Co Lada of the Empire. You will show some respect." Grey stepped up with a defensive glare.

Parna shrugged, "And what will you do if I don't? I cannot even see you, oh frightening voice, yet you think you can command me to show respect to those who do not deserve it. Your stupidity surpasses the idiot you serve."

Grey seemed struck and went to retort but Piña raised a hand.

"But Princess…" Grey objected, but a single look from the red-haired royal silenced him.

Piña turned to the holograms, but remained outside of the sensor's sight, "What do you mean when you say he is kind?"

Parna rolled her eyes, something which infuriated Piña, but she used all her will to suppress her anger at the overt displays of disrespect.

"An idiot indeed. You ask why he does not choose the path you've placed in front of him. The answer is far simpler than you realize…he has an unnatural, illogical amount of compassion. The fact that I am not an ashen corpse chained to a wooden post, is proof." Parna explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Piña turned to Luke who was surprised by Parna's words, "You freed her from the imperial camp?"

Luke glanced between Parna and Piña before his eyes finally settled on the princess, "Yes. When we first came to your world, we had no knowledge of the land surrounding Alnus. Because of this, I managed to sneak into the imperial camp to steal a map of the area. It was during by departure when I came upon Parna and several other slaves. It was wrong to leave without doing anything, so I freed them." Luke explained.

"I'd expect nothing less from Sir Luke." Count Formal added.

"So, therefore you will not leave. You want to free the Warrior Bunnies?" Piña asked.

Luke took a moment to reply, "In our world, slavery is illegal, and considered by most to be a horrid, disgusting and immoral practice. Coming here to save our friend from such a fate yet leaving others to experience such atrocities. Would that not be hypocritical?"

"You aim to free all the slaves held by the empire? That is enough to warrant war." Grey added.

"Not necessarily, but we've digressed." Luke turned back to the hologram of Count Formal, and walked to stand in front of the holosensors, "Count Formal, I'm sorry to end your conversation with your family, but we need to address the issue of transport. The quicker we find a means to get you and your men here, the better."

Count Formal gave a nod, "Of course, Sir Luke, but if I may say one more thing. Kaine do you hear me?" The elder called out to the head maid.

The maid stepped up, but remained outside of the holosensor's field, "Yes, Count Formal. With what may I be of assistance?"

"These people treated me with great care and kindness. I would like to repay that kindness by welcoming them into the Formal Clan's home. For the duration of their stay in Italica, they shall be treated as honored guests." Count Formal said with a jovial tone and smile.

Kaine gave a bow even though Count Formal could not see her, "Of course, Count Formal. I shall ensure they are treated well."

Luke stepped up to the holograms, allowing himself to be projected on their side, "Your kindness is appreciated, and we will graciously accept your invitation." The Jedi gave a deeper bow than usual.

The Jedi turned to Threepio, "Threepio, please show Parna and Count Formal back to their respective chambers."

The protocol droid seemed to perk up, "Of course, Master Luke. Miss Parna. Count Formal. This way, please." The droid's hologram vanished as he stepped out of range from the projection pod's sensors.

Count Formal gave a soft farewell to his daughters before stepping away and vanishing. Parna's gaze met Luke's and the Jedi could not discern what she was thinking before her hologram vanished.

Luke turned to the remaining hologram, "Shriv, forward this connection to Chandrila."

"To the general?" A simple nod from Luke confirmed Shriv's inquiry.

"Alright," Shriv begun pressing various invisible buttons, "This might take a minute or two. I don't know if she'll be awake. It's probably the crack of dawn on Chandrila."

"Thank you Shriv."

"Yeah, yeah." The Duros officer said before his hologram vanished, leaving the room in silence.

"In all my years, I've never seen something so…odd, yet entrancing. What were they again?" Rory stepped up after remaining strangely quiet throughout the ordeal.

The (young?) girl's curiosity was charming, "Holograms."

"A hollow gram? Oh, I see, hollow because of its transparency." Rory commented.

Luke thought the connection clever, but shook his head slightly, "Not exactly," He said before his attention was drawn to his allies who walked up to him. Seeing their looks, he realized they were probably unsure of what was happening. Luke proceeded to explain the full conversation.

"I know my words may be far too presumptuous and selfish, but I do not see myself leaving this world anytime soon. Especially after what I saw, as small as it was. I know I have no right asking you to help me, but I cannot help these people alone." Luke started after he finished explaining the situation.

"Well you are not wrong. It would be hypocritical for us to just leave. I don't know about the others, but if you want to help these people, you can count on my blaster." Tuck slapped his hand on Luke's shoulder, and gave him a toothy grin.

"This is a tricky situation, no matter how we look at it. On one end, she is giving us a way to ensure the safety of Yavin for at least a short while and eliminate any repercussion for those we killed. On the other, we would leave a world filled with injustices and oppression which reminds me a little too much of the Galactic Empire. With that in mind, I doubt Tuck would do you any good alone, so count me in too," Sakas followed, ignoring Tuck's insulted cry.

"And someone needs to be here to make sure these two don't blow themselves up with a thermal detonator, but I still prefer knowing the full extent of what we are getting ourselves into," Gramps said.

"Of course, but maybe we should take this one-step at a time. For now, let us agree that we must do something, and hopefully the solution will be as peaceful as possible." Luke suggested which seemed to appease the three. He then turned to the other four, who remained quiet. Luke could sense their conflict. Conflict between morality and practicality.

Shara spoke first, "I agree that these people should not remain enslaved. Hell, I fought with all I had to prevent something like this from happening, but that was then, and this is now. Don't take this the wrong way but we're retired. We have a son to raise, and I don't want to leave him alone anymore."

"Us too." Iden cut in.

"As former imperials, we know how bad it can be. Del and I regret both our actions and inactions during our time as Inferno Squad, and we've tried our best to make amends. These people deserve a future, but sometimes it isn't our place. A completely foreign planet, in a completely foreign galaxy. What right do we have to interfere?" Iden explained.

"It's not a right, but an obligation. Should we not help those who cannot help themselves? That was one of the driving factors of the rebellion, so why not apply it here?" Tuck retorted.

"Normally we would apply that idea, but if we apply it now, we'd become invaders. Even if we are morally just, these people would fear us as we force our ideals on them. Besides…" Del trailed off as he gave Iden a knowing look. They shared a quiet glance.

"You have your own future to think of." Luke finished Del's trailing thought. The former imperials faced the Jedi and were met with a knowing look. Luke gave them a small smile, and Iden's hand went to her stomach.

"Morality aside, there are times when we must think of ourselves. What I am asking is crazy in every way. We don't know how long it will take, we don't know how we will do it, and this world is completely separated from our galaxy. Our home. You do not need to justify yourselves. I'm happy for you, and thankful for your help in finding Shara. Even if she didn't really need it." Luke explained with a smile.

Del and Iden gave smiles of their own before Del spoke, "Listen, Luke. If it were any other time, we'd help in every way we could, but like you said, we don't know how long this could take. Freeing an unknown number of people, not to mention peacefully, could take months."

"Months you do not have." Tuck stepped up to swing his arm over Del's shoulder's, "When were you going to tell us you were expecting? We could throw a party!"

"Tuck." Sakas scolded.

The man turned her and shrugged, "What? Lighten the mood a bit."

Then, an unexpected comment came from Rory. The doll-like girl stepped up to the group who quieted down as she made herself known. Her gaze landed on Iden, "You carry a child?" She asked.

Iden looked to Luke for a translation. The Jedi quickly provided one as soon as his headset finished translating. Iden answered by giving Rory a nod. Rory gave her a sweet, if slightly unsettling smile, "Then I will be sure to ask Lady Miritta for a blessing, so your child is born healthy."

Luke found the comment surprising but did not get a chance to translate it before Artoo's beeping indicated that a signal was connected. A second later, Artoo's holoprojector came to life, and a blue hologram appeared in the room.

Compared to the previous holograms, this one was different in both shape and size. The hologram only depicted the torso up and was slightly larger than one to one. The person depicted was a woman with braided hair. She wore a simple buttoned shirt. The moment her hologram appeared, Luke and his friends instantly recognized her.

"Luke. Since you are contacting me so soon, either the mission has gone completely wrong or it was a success. Something tells me the latter." Leia commented as she stared at her brother.

"Fortunately, we were lucky to find Shara so quickly. In fact, she escaped long before we came upon her." Luke explained. He motioned for Shara to step forward. With Kes's aid, she walked forward to stand in front of Leia's hologram.

"Good to see you, General." Shara greeted with a casual salute.

"It's good to see you as well, Lieutenant, and mostly unharmed as well. We'll work hard to get you home to your son." Leia replied.

"And that is what I wanted to ask about. I know you've had no more than a day, but have you've found a proper means of transport?" Luke asked.

"Well…the parameters given did not leave many options, yet th—" Leia stopped abruptly as her eyes shifted to Luke's side. Luke glanced to his right to see Lelei standing at his side. Although she was a subtle distance from Luke, Artoo's sensor managed to pick up most of her form.

"Who is she?" Lelei asked.

"Who is she?" Leia also asked.

"Oh right, sorry for the interruption, Leia, but I'd like you to meet Lelei. A girl we met here in this world. She helped guide us to where we are and helped us meet up Count Formal's family. A very curious and courageous girl…and she is like us." Luke finished and awaited Leia's response.

Leia looked at the Jedi with a look of confusion. Her eyes moving between Luke and Lelei as if trying to discern what Luke meant. Her look of confusion continued for a few more seconds, as her vision moved between Luke and Lelei.

Then as if noticing something that was not physically present, her expression shifted. From confusion to a look of seriousness and underlying disbelief. Her demeaner also changed and she leaned in closer. Her eyes met Lelei's and Luke felt the young girl tense slightly.

"Are you sure?" Leia asked.

Luke nodded softly, "Without a doubt…I'm sure that is why she asked who you were. She unknowingly sensed a connection between herself and us."

"I…" Lelei started before thinking a moment, "I'm sorry…I do not know what came over me…"

"It's alright, Lelei. As for who this is. She is Leia Organa. General, senator, and my twin sister." Luke said with unfiltered pride. His words were met with a beep from Artoo to which Luke replied with a laugh.

"I guess she technically is a princess, but she ha—"

"Princess?!" A shout interrupted Luke before he could continue. Everyone's eyes landed on the red-haired Princess Piña. Noticing all the attention on her, and how her outburst was far from dignified, a large blush spread across her face in embarrassment. She raised a fist to her mouth and coughed into it as a way to move pass the awkward moment.

"Pardon me…but I believe I misheard you, Sir Skywalker. Did you say she is a princess?" Piña asked

"Um…well yes, bu—" Once again Luke did not finish his thought before Piña spoke up once more.

"But she is also your sister…you're a prince?!" Piña shouted once more.

Luke went to retort, but a thought crossed his mind. He never really thought about being a prince, but for a moment he pondered the idea. His sister was a princess, adopted mind you, so her being royalty had nothing to do with him. His mother on the other hand was a queen, albeit an elected one. The thoughts passed soon after, and Luke mentally laughed at the idea. Him a prince? He could imagine what his friends from Tatooine would say, especially Biggs. Prince of dirt and moisture farming.

Little did Luke know, that passing second in which he remained silent acted as confirmation for the people of this world.

"Prince Skywalker," Grey spoke up with all the seriousness in the multiverse, "I understand you value humility, but if I knew you were of royal blood, my treatment of you would befit that of a knight. Even a member of a foreign royal family demands the appropriate respect. Please pardon my arrogance." Grey gave a deeper bow than usual which Luke felt was completely unnecessary.

"Raise your head, Sir Grey. You needn't bow to me." Luke attempted to calm the situation but was failing horribly. Much to the joy of his sister who he heard chuckling quietly.

"This has turned into quite the situation." Leia commented.

Luke turned to his sister, "You understand them?"

"Shriv managed to integrate the translation chip created by Threepio onto the Corvus' communication systems. As such, he also sent it to me when he forwarded this connection. Probably why it took a bit longer to connect." Leia explained.

"And you didn't think to correct them?" Luke asked.

"Unfortunately, Artoo does not have the same translation chip active, so what I say is not translated into their language. Even if it was, I don't think I would say anything. Seeing you flustered is pretty funny." Leia said with a teasing smile.

Luke lowered his head and shook it slightly, a smile gracing his features, "Must you torment me?"

"Only when I know you're tense. I don't need the Force to tell me your stressed. Rightfully so, you choose to carry a heavy burden." Leia said.

Luke was surprised she could see right through him, "What do you mean?"

"I was told about the refugee. It did not take me long to figure out you would not stop with one." Leia said.

"But can you blame him, General?" Gramps stepped up, followed by Sakas and Tuck.

"After all the years we fought, to just turn around and go home feels wrong. How can we ignore it?" Sakas pointed out.

"You can't, and I don't expect you to." Leia answered.

"So, you agree with us, General." Tuck spoke.

"I do, and even if I didn't, who am I to stop you?"

"Do you really want us to answer that, General?" Sakas asked with an emphasis on "general."

Leia shook her head, "No. Although I agree with your motives, there is still the question of how. Slavery is never easy to resolve."

"Have any suggestions? We decided to help these people yet have no semblance of a plan." Luke said.

"Suggesting something feasible is nearly impossible right now. You'll need to gather data on slavery in that world before proceeding with anything solid." Leia explained.

"Then we'll wait until Count Formal returns. As a noble of this world's empire, he is bound to have some information, and on the topic of the count, how goes the search for transportation?"

"Right, as I was going to say earlier, the gate's size did not give many options. To find a ship big enough to transport a hundred men, yet small enough to fit through the small gate, left me without any ideas. That was until I returned to Chandrila and spoke with Mon on the situation."

"You told the Chancellor?" Luke questioned. A part of him felt mortified that they'd bother Chancellor Mothma with their situation. Mainly because he knew how busy her job was. Barely into her second term as Chancellor, and Luke heard the various HoloNet reports on how busy she was.

"No need to worry. I spoke to her as a friend, not as a senator, so it was a personal conversation more than anything." Leia reassured.

"I'm not worried of the confidentiality, but about bothering Chancellor Mothma." Luke confided.

Leia shook her head, "Although her duties as chancellor keep her occupied, she still finds time for personal meetings. I just managed to catch her at the right moment, and as always, she had a solution. Do you remember Star Tours?"

"The travel agency? Didn't they go bankrupt years ago." Sakas answered.

"They did, and in doing so were forced to sell their several hundred ships. The StarSpeeder 3000, which was the agency's main ship, fits all the parameters. Each ship can carry forty passengers, fifty if some stand, come with their own RX pilot droid, and the ships are small enough to fit through the tunnel. There were several that went unsold, and they remain in a warehouse, here in Hanna City. I only bought three to keep the purchase under the radar. The new generation of senators are already weary of me due to the militia I started, and I doubt buying an entire fleat of these transport ships would do any good in easing their worries," Leia said.

"Pompous assholes. What do they know about you? They remained in their cozy ivory towers on Coruscant while you were on the front lines of the war. What do they know?" Sakas finished with a scoff.

"They are not all bad, but we digress. The ships should be ready in a few standard days, three to five at most, finalizing paperwork is an irritating but necessary process." Leia explained.

"Three to five? Nearly a week before we can get the count back here." Tuck commented.

"If it can't be helped, then we have no choice. This was short notice, so five days seems relatively tame." Luke replied.

"Then it is settled. I'll be sure to contact you when the ships are on their way to Yavin." Leia confirmed.

"Thank you, Leia. Say hello to Han and Ben for me." Luke said.

Leia merely nodded, "I will, and best of luck, Luke. Your endeavor will not be an easy one."

"Is it ever?" Luke gave a weak reply. Leia gave him one last smile before signing off.

Artoo's holoprojectors died down, and the familiar blue hue vanished from the room. Luke turned to his allies, who gave him reassuring looks. He then turned to the others, to see them awaiting an explanation. Releasing a sigh, Luke made sure his translator was on before delving into a lengthy explanation.

---

The explanation took nearly a half-hour, with questions from the count's family and Princess Piña extending its duration. Luke tried his best to explain the plan but trying to keep it simple was a hindrance for sure. Especially when they asked about the means of transport. Being as simple as he could, he explained how they would move the prisoners to Italica. He explained, briefly, the ships which were to be used in the process. The count's family hid their confusion well, but they accepted Luke's explanation all the same. After all, they did witness a flying, metal bird earlier in the night, so Luke describing metal ships which sailed the skies is not as wild.

It was wild, lunacy even, but they came to suspect such ludicrous concepts from these people. A quick but necessary adaptation.

Princess Piña took the explanation in stride. At least it seemed that way, but Luke could sense the underlying confusion and fear. She seemed calm, but the stress within her was nearly suffocating. Luke could not blame her, her whole world was on the verge of collapse, and the Jedi begun to feel guilty. He unknowingly put a great burden on this young princess' shoulders.

Although outwardly calm, Piña held knowledge of an "invading" force whom her country had no hope of defeating. The worse part, the "invaders" did not want to "invade" in the normal sense and preferred to keep away from conflict. Meaning, if there were to be conflict, then the Empire would be the insinuator.

Once Luke's explanation was over, the head maid, Kaine, extended Count Formal's invitation. Welcoming Luke and his allies into the manor as honored guests. Luke thought the gesture was a bit much but felt that accepting would also act as a sign of good faith. If Luke and his allies remained in the manor, then there was some reassurance that Count Formal will be released.

Luke accepted after speaking with his friends, to which Kaine's reply was, "Thank you for accepting. Though I must say, with the utmost respect, you are absolutely filthy."

With that, the group was offered (more like heavily suggested) a bath in the manor's personal bath house. After realizing their state, Luke and his allies were quick to accept the bath. Spending a day travelling, evading a dragon in a dusty canyon, and defending an entire city would give anyone a haggard appearance. Not to mention the smell.

With pleasantries out of the way, Princess Piña bade the group farewell and left for her quarters. The countess and her sisters did the same, and once they were gone, the remaining maids, of which there were five with Kaine leading, led Luke and his group toward the baths.

The manor was large, obviously, but now that Luke was led through more than just the dungeons and throne room, he marveled at the sheer size. Hallways after hallways, rows of doors and windows. As primitive as the architecture was, clearly carved from marble and reinforced with wood, it was marvelous. Oddly reminiscence of the higher-levels on Coruscant or Chandrila. The sophistication of it all made all the other-worldly visitors feel out of place. None of them, sans Iden and Del, grew up in luxury. All born on "backwater" planets, living rather poor lives. This level of indulgence was odd to them.

Their musing ended once they reached the bath area. Apparently used by the more permanent residents of the manor (i.e. prominent chiefs, maids, and higher-level staff,) the baths were situated underground much to Luke's surprise. Located on the opposite side from the dungeons, these underground baths were the result of excavating water deposits. The maids explained that the water created a spring underneath the manor back when it was first built.

The underground bath area was a complete contrast to the dungeon area. Structurally, the brick stairs were like the dungeon stairs, but once they reached the bottom, they were met with a brightly lit corridor which opened leftward. The floors were mosaic and nearly reflective while the walls were a shining white marble. The left wall was lined with several sconces with burning torches. The various torches, along with the beautiful white walls, illuminated the area greatly. The right wall did not hold as many torches but did contain two sturdy doors. The first door was directly in front of the stairs leading up into the mansion. The furthest door nearly touched the wall at the end of the corridor, and in between the two entrances were a line of sconces.

The closer door was the men's bath while the furthest door was the women's bath. The group parted, and two maids led the men and women into their respective baths. Before entering, they removed their backpacks and weapons. They lined them against the opposite wall, making sure the blasters were set to stun, just in case.

Once they entered, they were met with dual, marble benches on either side of the entrance. Behind the benches were wooden, lattice walls. The two maids which led Luke, Del, Gramps, Tuck, and Kes, told them to disrobe and place their clothes in one of the many baskets situated on the left bench. On the right bench were stacks of towels. The two maids gave a bow before leaving the bath room.

There were two rectangular baths in the room. The water was not cold nor was it warm, room temperature at best, but it seemed clean enough. The actual bath room was very wide and held up by a thick pillar at the center which split the two rectangular pools. As Luke doused himself, rubbing off the grime gathered from their tussle with the flame dragon, he took in the room more, curious on how it worked. The wall opposite of the entrance had two spouts extending from it. The spouts hung over the pools and were covered by a metal plate. The plate was attached to a thick rope, and the robe made up an intricate pully system which acted to prevent or allow water flow.

Utilizing the foreign oils and herbs which substituted for soap, Luke and his friends eventually cleaned themselves as best they could. Once finished, the group found that their clothes were missing, replaced by togas and tunics. After various humorous attempts at dressing themselves, they eventually wrapped the thick clothes around their bodies to maintain their dignity.

When they left the bath room, two different maids awaited them. One of them seemed human enough. A short bob of black hair and topped with a maid's headpiece. Brown eyes and a calming smile. The second maid was the same from earlier. Long, brown, nearly orange hair extending down her back, and two elongated ears extending from the top of her head. For a moment, as Luke exited, his eyes met the maid's. Their gazes were locked onto each other before the maid looked way, prompting Luke to do the same.

The human and Warrior Bunny introduced themselves as Momu and Delilah respectably. They explained their clothing were taken for washing, which Luke thought unnecessary but said nothing. Additionally, Luke and his friends finished earlier than expected, and the women were still cleaning themselves. After collecting their gear and weapons, the group of men were led to their rooms.

Given the sheer size of the castle-esque manor, Luke was not too surprised when each of them got their own rooms. After some explanation, Del and Kes explained that they were fine sharing a room with their respective spouses to which the maids noted for when they escorted the women to the rooms. The rooms were adjacent to each other, all situated in a long corridor. Opposite of the doors were large windows which, due to the elevated position, gave a view of the vast city beyond the compound.

Once each person was situated, the maids remained outside the rooms, waiting for whenever they were needed. Luke tried to tell them that their constant waiting was unnecessary, but they were insistent on their duties. Luke's words fell on deaf ears, more or less, so he accepted the fact that they had their duties. Even when Luke felt such attention was undeserved. His friends were still on edge a bit, but given the proximity of the rooms, they were certain they could react quickly should something happen. They were all veterans of war, so sleeping with an eye open was common. Even then, they were all exhausted and would not give up a luxurious bed.

"Alright then, so if anything happens, we know who is where?" Tuck said as he begun summarizing their contingency plan.

"Del and Iden will be in the room closest to the corner." Gramps begun as he motioned leftward toward the doors situated at the end of one side of the corridor. The corner which led to another hallway was situated to the door's right.

"And I will be in the room directly next to theirs." Tuck continued.

"My room is next to Tuck's while Kes and Shara's room is next to mine." Luke further explained.

"And mine will be to the right of theirs. Lelei's is after mine, and Sakas is to the right. Rory, if she chooses to stay, is situated furthest right. Everyone got it?" Gramps finished.

Everyone gave a nod in understanding before Luke explained to the maids where everyone would be situated.

He explained where to escort the women when the time came, and the maids, specifically Momu, agreed. Delilah remained mostly quiet throughout any interaction between them and Luke, but the Jedi thought nothing of it. Whatever the maid wished to say, Luke would not push the issue unless the maid brought it up. He did not feel anything malicious coming from the warrior bunny, so whatever was on her mind, Luke assumed it was relatively harmless. He suspected it involves Parna if Delilah's emotional reaction is anything to go by, but he was not one-hundred percent certain.

With the maids informed, Luke turned back to his friends who were all walking to their rooms, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to knockout." Tuck commented as his hand went for his room's door.

"Just keep your wits." Gramps commented as he opened his room's door.

Luke shook his head, "It is fine to relax, Gramps. There is a very low chance something will happen."

"See, Gramps. Just lay down and give your back a rest. Probably need it, old timer." Tuck joked.

Gramps released a gruff response before entering his room. The others gave each other another glance before entering their own rooms.

Luke's room, along with everyone else's, was simple enough. The door to his room was situated closest to the right wall. The room was lit well, but still rather dark, so Luke eyes took a moment to adjust.

Along the wall to his right, toward the middle, was a luxurious sofa. Above it was a landscape painting, probably created by a master artist if its detail was anything to go by. On either side of the painting, a few centimeters from the frame were candle sconces with two large candles each. The candles were lit which provided some light to the bedroom.

The furthest wall was lined with large windows indicated by the closed curtains. To Luke's left, attached to the wall which had the door built into it were more sconces with lit candles. Along it was a table. On the table was a basin filled with water. A few towels lay on the basin's left. Above the table and basin was a rectangular mirror which was positioned vertically.

The bed itself was pressed against the wall opposite of the painting. It was a very large bed, far bigger than what was needed for one person. To the left of the bed, if Luke was facing it, was a nightstand with two drawers. To the bed's right was a tall, wooden wardrobe. At the foot of the bed was a hefty trunk, presumably empty.

Having taken in the room, Luke walked up to the side of the bed. He placed his hand on it, pressing slightly before deciding to sit. It was comfortable. Unnecessarily comfortable. The last time Luke remembered sleeping on something so comfortable was maybe a few years back when he visited Chandrila. Due to his constant travelling, Luke did not get to sleep on beds often. The closest thing were the cots aboard the G9-Rigger he and Lor San Tekka used.

Luke allowed himself to relax, realizing just how tired he was. A long day, indeed. He removed the headset, comlink and chronometer before placing them on the nightstand along with his belt and lightsaber. Before He could remove his sandals (also provided when he left the bath), he sensed someone outside his room. It seemed the women finished their baths.

Luke stood just as a knock came to his door. Assuming it was one of his allies, he walked over to the door and pulled it open. When he opened the door, he was met with a blue-haired, half-asleep mage. She was clothed in similar clothing to his own and struggled to keep her eyelids open. Seems the bath relaxed her body, and her body is ready for rest. Not to undermine her abilities, but Luke found it surprising that she lasted this long. The day's events would cause anyone to slump into an exhausted heap.

With the door now open, Luke watched as Lelei went to knock again. Her fist hit nothing and fell to her side. This woke her a bit, and she looked up at the Jedi. Behind Lelei was Delilah who gave Luke an apologetic bow.

"Sorry, but she insisted on speaking to you." Delilah said, but Luke raised a hand to stop her. He waved his hand toward the nightstand.

The headset and comlink flew from the rested position, and into Luke's hand. He took a moment to adjust it on his head and ensure the comlink was synced.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Luke spoke with his translator on.

Delilah repeated her self to which Luke gave a nod of thanks, "It is alright. You wanted to speak." He shifted his attention to the young mage.

"I wish to know more…of the Force." By this point Lelei was on the verge of swaying.

A small smile appeared on Luke's face, "I did promise to teach what I know, but I think it would be best to do so while fully rested. Your pursuit of knowledge is commendable, but even the most accomplished scholars require sleep. How about we begin your teachings once the sun rises."

Lelei nodded in understanding before her eyelids finally closed as she begun leaning forward. Luke assumed she would catch herself, but when she kept leaning forward, Luke reached out. He held her up by the shoulders, and her steady breathing indicated she was asleep.

"She's tough, I'll give her that." Sakas commented as she walked by, having learned which room was hers.

"A tenacious child, isn't she?" Rory added as she too walked by, stopping momentarily to watch.

"I can take her to her chambers, Master Skywalker," Delilah offered.

Luke gave a nod, "Thank you."

The warrior bunny maid easily lifted Lelei off her feet. Delilah held Lelei gently as she walked toward the young girl's designated room. Before Luke closed the door to his room, his eyes met Rory's.

"This "Force", it is what fuels your power, yes?" Rory asked.

Luke gave a small nod, "In a way."

A smile appeared across Rory's face, "I may have to take part in these lessons. Your abilities were unique, and I do not intend to lose our next bout," Rory walked away, her vaguely threatening words lingering in the air.

Luke released a sigh as the apostle walked away. She was an enigma, a rather frightening enigma. The Jedi hoped her words were mere jests, but he was not sure. With Rory's words in his mind, Luke shut the door.

He removed his headset once more and unfurled the blankets. Slipping into the comfortable bed, Luke tucked himself in before waving a hand in the air. All the candles in the room were extinguished, and Luke entered a relaxing sleep.

---

687 IC (Imperial Calendar)

Two Hours After Midnight, Piña's Private Courters.

---

Piña sat in almost complete darkness, the only light coming from a candelabra. Piña's chambers were far more extravagant than Luke's and contained a wooden bureau. Piña sat at the bureau, with the candelabra providing light as she wrote on parchment. A fluffy quill acted as her writing utensil.

After righting down another thought, she placed the quill back in the ink bottle, and sat back in her chair. She stretched her limbs to ease the stiffness caused by sitting for so long. Various branching thoughts filled the young princess' mind, keeping her from enjoying a night's rest.

So much happened in the passed day, that she felt sleeping would be a waste of time. Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts on how to keep her home from utter destruction. Yet for any one way, she found several reasons as to why it would not work.

The slow creaking of the wooden door caught her attention. She turned to see Hamilton cracking the door open. The page held a chamberstick, with a small, burning flame to provide some light.

"Princess Piña? Are you alright?" The concerned girl stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her but remaining close to the entrance.

"Alright? After all that happened, how can I be alright?" Piña retorted with a frustrated sigh.

"Forgive me, Princess. That was ignorant of me," Hamilton quickly apologized and gave a bow of her head.

This caused guilt to run through Piña who released a sigh of her own before turned to face her friend, "No, forgive me. It is unbecoming to vent my frustrations on you." Piña finished by running a hand through her hair. The red locks which were often braided, hung lose.

"Princess, you are not alone in this. Grey and I are here for whenever you need another opinion or to vent your frustrations. Once Lady Bozes and Lady Beefeater arrive, you'll have them as well. We are all effected by these strangers, but whatever you choose, know you have all of the Rose-Order at your side," Hamilton said with a strong resolve.

Piña smiled at her younger peer's determination, but shook her head sadly, "You do not know how grateful I am for all of you, but it is this loyalty that worries me the most," She admitted.

"Princess…" Hamilton said worriedly.

Piña glanced back at the bureau. On top were a few pieces of parchments, with one covered in neat writing, "Ever since the meeting two hours ago, I've thought over several possible ways to avoid this coming conflict. Lying to senate and my father would work if Count Formal, Roen, and Missna were not alive. I doubt the fire dragon would let any creatures live, so their survival is suspect. I considered bribery, but I doubt such materialistic things would sway the hearts of these morally driven foes. I also doubt immaterial things such as power or influence would sway them to leave this world."

"Princess…if I may…is it not a good thing that these people are driven by morality? I feel they conveyed their intentions truthfully, even if they denounced a pivotal part of our society. The fact that they wish to go against our practices as peacefully as they can shows how little they care for conflict," Hamilton concluded.

"That is another reason why I want them to leave. As optimistic as they are, releasing the Empire's slaves will not remain a peaceful affair for long. I noticed how conflicted Sir—Prince Skywalker was when he told me of his plan. Even he knows it will not remain peaceful forever, but that does not waver him. If they provoked us, then our demise would be somewhat justified. Defending against an enemy that we cannot beat. How things are going, it will be the Empire which instigates the war. We would effectively be committing suicide," Piña expressed her frustrations. Her interlocked hands held up her head as she leaned forward on the bureau.

"Technically, they provoked us." Hamilton said, trying her best to be positive.

"Your optimism is endearing, but our armies invaded their land. We are at fault, no matter how you look at it," Piña replied.

"Then you must stand before the senate as planned. Convince them not to declare war."

"If only it were that easy…" Piña thoughts trailed off. There were a few senators who were far more reasonable. Unfortunately, there were only a few of these men. Much of the senate was filled with proud and overzealous nobles who sought any chance to further their own status. To get them to listen will be nearly impossible. She had better chances at killing the flame dragon.

Piña stood from the bureau with a tired sigh, "Thank you, Hamilton. Whatever the future holds will be eventful to say the least." With that, Piña dismissed the loyal page, and decided to turn in for the night.

She found herself dreaming of war.

---

Fourth Week of Month Four, Centaxday, 10 ABY.

0700 standard hours. Formal Family Manor. Luke's Room.

---

Luke's eyes opened abruptly. His room was illuminated by the sunlight peeking through the curtains. He reached for his chrono to see what time it was. 07:06 in the morning. He sat up before rubbing his eyes. As he sat up, the blanket slipped off his person, and he shivered at the lack of warmth. It was cold in his room, to be expected given the lack of technology.

Coming out from under the covers, Luke placed his feet and shuttered due to how cold the tile was. He slipped on the sandals and stood up. Several of his bones popped as a result, and he followed with a stretching of his arms. The stress release was momentarily euphoric. Luke proceeded to use the basin of water to wipe his face clean, and to help him wake up. After splashing his face a few times and cleaning the crust out of his eyes, he used one of the towels to dry off. He reached for his belt, opening one of the many pouches attached to it and pulling out a small circular pod. A hygienic, mouth-wash pod often carried by soldiers in the field.

After that, he noticed another set of robes on the same table as the basin. It was a new, clean tunic and toga. One of the maids probably placed them in the room as Luke slept. Quickly changing into the fresh pair of clothing, Luke readied himself for the day ahead. Looking around he found his clothing was not in the room.

He walked over to the large windows and pulled open the curtains to peer outside. The sun was not overhead yet. Beyond the window, Luke saw the manor's center courtyard. It was a beautiful internal garden surrounded by a peristyle. The garden had an almost bluish hue to it as if epitomizing a cool yet serene morning.

Luke released his hold on the curtain when a knock came from the door. It seemed Lelei was also awake. The Jedi had to commend her curiosity.

He walked over to the door, calling the headset to his hand as he did, and gently opened the door. Standing there, much like a few hours earlier, was Lelei. Her bright, blue eyes were wide awake, and she stared intently at the Jedi. She was also dressed in her regular robes.

"Did I wake you?" The young mage asked.

Luke shook his head, "No. I awoke a few minutes before your arrival. I'm glad you are so eager. Though if you do not mind, I have questions about magic."

Lelei nodded, "I will try my best to answer, Master." She finished with a bow. Not too deep, but one denoting her respect.

Luke was taken back by the sudden gesture and title. It was odd to be considered a master when he barely saw himself as a knight. Ben, Yoda, and his father were all masters in both skills and knowledge and Luke was their student. No where near a master, but here stood a young, force-sensitive person who looked to him for guidance.

"Then from one master to another, thank you. There is a garden in the courtyard; I believe that would be the best place to start your teachings," Luke said as he stepped out of his room, and closed the door behind him.

Lelei gave a stoic nod, which was usual for her, and Luke begun walking down the hall. Lelei remained at his side as they walked.

---

They walked through the halls for a few moments. Silently taking in the manor's interior. Although Luke knew not the direct route to the garden, he allowed himself to wander freely. His movements seemed random, but every corner taken, every set of stairs descended, led them closer to the garden.

As they stepped off yet another set of stairs and turned left, they were met with a familiar face. Delilah was currently drawing the large curtains which covered one of the many large windows. She noticed them walk down the stairs and finished tying up the curtain before turning to them.

The warrior bunny maid gave a bow, "Good morning. If you seek breakfast, I'm sorry but it will not be ready for at least another hour."

Luke shook his head, "Understood, but we were actually on our way to the courtyard."

The maid raised a brow, but said nothing of it, "Would you like me to lead you there?"

"If it does not interfere with your duties," Luke replied.

"My duties are to ensure you are cared for, so it is no trouble at all. Please follow me," Delilah explained before she started walking away, trailed by Luke and Lelei.

They walked for a few more minutes, crossing a few more corridors and going down another flight of stairs. They entered another long corridor before coming to a stop.

"Here we are." Delilah said as she grabbed both the door handles and pulled. The doors opened wide, and Delilah stepped aside, "I'll inform the others of your whereabouts. Please excuse me."

The maid begun walking away, aiming to return to her daily duties, but Luke stopped her, "Delilah, wait," He called out.

The maid stopped and turned to face him once more, "Is something wrong?"

Luke pondered for a moment on how to address the unspoken issue between them, "I do not wish to pry…but I understand you have a connection to Parna. You do not have to tell me anything, but I want you to know that you can if you wish."

Delilah gave him a wide-eyed stare. She was not sure how he knew of their connection, so was thrown off by the sudden suggestion. Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Did Parna speak about me?" Her tone was not defensive but had an air of disbelief. Delilah found it hard to believe that Parna would reveal her past to anyone, especially a human.

"Not exactly. I spoke with her briefly before she was taken to our camp for medical treatment. Your reaction during our talk with Count Formal made me believe there was a connection between the two of you. I'm sorry if I presumed too much," Luke gave an apologetic nod of the head.

"No…you needn't apologize. I just…is—is she alright?" For the first time since Luke met the maid, she showed a great deal of concern. Her professionally neutral face was laced with concern.

"When I rescued her, she was malnourished and bruised, but strong willed. Given how we saw her earlier, I am sure she's making a steady recovery," Luke explained.

This put Delilah at ease, "I'm glad. She was always a strong-willed woman, but even she succumbed to the hopelessness we faced, but that is a story for later. You have my gratitude for freeing Parna and my fellow warrior bunnies and caring for Count Formal. Now excuse me, for I have other duties to attend." She gave another bow.

Luke returned the bow, "Thank you for leading us here."

With that Delilah walked away.

Luke turned to Lelei, who waited patiently. Giving her a nod, Luke walked out of the manor, into the peristyle which surrounded the courtyard. As he stepped out, he noticed the garden was bigger than he estimated. Rectangular in shape, the length of the garden was around twenty meters with a width of around fifteen meters. The garden was a vibrant green with various bushes. The hedges were covered with flowers of various shades, and they lined the stone pathway. The pathway connected with all four sides of the peristyle, being positioned at the center of each side.

The exit from which Luke and Lelei was situated directly in front of the stone pathway. To the far left, situated on the green grass, was a tree. The tree's various branches were covered in dense patches of leaves which provided a good amount of shade once the sun hung over. The tree's size was around thirteen meters in height.

Luke stepped forward, Lelei following close behind, and stepped onto the pathway. On either side, the hedges came up to Luke's hip, and there were a few centimeters between the walkways and hedges. They came to the crossing of the path and Luke turned left to head toward the tree. A part of the hedge to Luke's left was cut out to make room for a stone bench.

He and Lelei continued until they reached the end of the stone walkway. The hedges also ended. Now that they reach the end of the pathway, they noticed that there was a circular pond in front of the tree. The pond was clearly man made, and a few meters from both the walk way and tree. On the left side of the pond was a boulder. It was not incredibly large, but too large to lift alone.

Luke continued to walk around the pond. The small body of water was around five meters in diameter, and from what they saw, it contained some form of fish.

Lelei remained by the pathway and watched as Luke moved around the pond and stood in front of the tree. The Jedi took in the tree before speaking, "This is a beautiful garden, a perfect place to talk. So, I guess we should start with questions." Luke turned to Lelei who was standing on the other side of the pond.

"What is the Force?" Lelei asked.

Luke nodded, "Starting with the simplest yet most difficult question. Well…there are many theories on the truth behind the Force, but there are things we do know. As I said when we met, the Force is an energy field generated by everything that lives and has ever lived. An all-powerful energy which surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds everything together," Luke said before stepping up to the pond and crouching.

"In a way, it is like this pond." Luke motioned to the small body. Lelei stepped up to the pond and crouched down. She observed it with great interest.

"Think of the water as the Force. Everything which resides within the pond, whether it be fishes, the plants, or the very rocks themselves, are surrounded by the water. The Force is similar in how it surrounds us," Luke paused for a moment, allowing Lelei to take in his words.

"So is the force necessary for life?" Lelei asked.

"Not exactly. Though you should understand that the Force transcends time. It is believed the Force is as old if not older than life itself. Is it necessary for life? I do not believe so, but it is a fact that all life is connected to the Force, so think of it what you will," Luke answered.

Lelei nodded, "So if the Force resides in all beings, does that mean all living beings can utilize it as you do? If so, it is very similar to magic in that aspect."

"No, although the Force resides in all that is living, not all who live are attuned to it like me and you," Luke stopped with his explanations as he thought of how deep he should go. Logically, he could delve into the more scientific aspect of the Force, detailing the midi-chlorians, but thought going into biological sciences and microscopic organisms would be too much. He was not sure what this world knew of cells and biological workings, so he chose to withhold that part of the Force. Better to focus on the spiritual and metaphysical for now.

"There are certain individuals who are born with an attunement to the Force. They are known as "Force-sensitives". You and I are such people; my sister who you met is also Force-sensitive. That is why you felt a connection with her, even if you did not realize it," Luke said.

Lelei thought back to the night prior, "I-I do not recall feeling anything…I was just curious as to who she was."

"You unknowingly experienced a connection, so it is not surprising that you do not recall it. It is like when you sensed my emotion while we walked to the throne room, or when you sensed the invading bandits. You had a feeling that may seem like mere intuition, but in reality, is the Force warning you. Allowing you to sense things that are not physically present, and since we are on that topic, I'd like to know if you had such sensations in your past," Luke said.

Lelei looked pensive. The young mage thought of her past and tried to remember any other instance of such unexpected awareness. Other than the past day, she struggled to think of any. Then, like an epiphany, she remembered an odd occurrence she had yet to explain.

"I do not remember ever feeling such a sensation, but around two months ago while practicing my magic in the forest near Coda Village, I had a sudden head ache. It was not painful per say, but prominent. So much that I could not focus on my studies, but as soon as it arrived, it disappeared so I thought nothing of it. Was that the Force's doing?" Lelei recounted.

Luke stood from his crouching position which prompted Lelei to do the same, "Two months? Two months…" The Jedi placed a hand on his chin as he thought.

"I do not remember anything significant two months ago, but it's possible that feeling was when the tunnel originally opened. Such a strong disturbance would cause headaches to the untrained, but there is no way to know. Is this the only time you've felt such sensations? Anything else from your childhood that seemed odd?" Luke asked.

Lelei shook her head, "Not that I can remember…would my understanding of magic be affected?"

Luke shook his head, his face adorned with a small smile, "No…the Force has no effect on one's intelligence, that is all on you but that reminds me. I have a few questions on magic, if you do not mind."

A simple shake of Lelei's head acted as confirmation.

"Continuing on what you mentioned earlier, can everyone in this world use magic?" Luke questioned.

Lelei nodded, "Yes. Theoretically, every person in this world can use magic to some degree. The only issue is the difficulty in honing that potential. It is very difficult and taxing to learn how to draw upon one's spirit to channel the magic. Even then, magic is as mysterious as the Force. There is still a lot of things mages do not know about it."

"So, theoretically, I can use magic as well?"

"I am not sure…normally a person's magical affinity is determined when they are young. For example, when I was young, I accidently caused an explosion after growing angry." Lelei explained.

"An explosion? Is magic tied to emotion?" Luke was curious, but worried about the answer. Emotion was a very powerful thing, and a tool used by the dark side. It was this usage of the emotion that, in Luke's opinion, caused the Jedi of old to grow afraid of it.

"It is not directly tied to emotion, but my anger caused me to wish harm upon the source thus I unknowingly channeled magic to appease that wish. The explosion reflected my great magical ability." Lelei clarified.

"Fascinating…truly fascinating. Can you demonstrate some magic?" Luke asked.

Lelei nodded before holding out her hand.

Luke leaned in as Lelei begun speaking untranslatable words. The Jedi could feel the air change as Lelei spoke. Her words held great power and seemed to shift the very air around them. The change was not visible, but Luke could feel the strange energy, magic, swirling around and centering on the young mage.

Like a vortex, the energy seemed to flow into Lelei before the air increased in temperature. Then as this odd pressure reached its most suffocating point, it vanished. Feeling like a bubble popping, and in its place, a flame appeared in Lelei's opened hand.

It burned and shifted with the small amount of wind.

Lelei held the small flame without a care, and her hand ignored the heat.

Luke was mesmerized by the flame, "Amazing…that was a strange feeling, almost as if the air itself was forming a bubble of pressure."

"You could feel the magic?" Lelei asked as she extinguished the flame by bawling her hand.

"You can't?" Luke returned.

Lelei shook her head, "Not entirely. I've trained to recognize the feeling of magic but cannot feel it prior to its activation. For example, if someone were standing behind me and I had no knowledge they were there, then they used the same spell I did, I would recognize the shift in the True Principle, the air, caused by the False Principle, magic. It is not exactly a sense, but an awareness. Anyone could recognize the shift if they understood what it felt like. Though I am curious how magic feels."

Luke nodded as he took in the information, "Well, it's hard to explain it, but magic has this unnatural feel. This aspect of the world that feels wrong but belongs. It shares a similar feeling to the Force, but whereas the Force feels as natural as you an I, magic is almost invasive."

"You can feel all that? This Force of yours seems to be quite beneficial." A new voice cut in.

Both Lelei looked to her left while Luke looked to his right. Walking towards them was Rory, draped in her fluffy-dress and holding her massive weapon. She ignored the path and walked across the grass.

She eventually stopped at the pond, standing to Luke's right and Lelei's left. She crouched down with a bending of her knees, and placed her hand into the water, "You didn't wake me," She teased.

"I thought you deserved the rest. Last night was taxing, for everyone, and consider it an additional thanks for helping Shara." Luke replied with an almost teasing tone.

Rory shrugged, "She did not need my help, a fine, tenacious woman and not to mention a warrior as well. I nearly formed a blood pact with her." Rory moved her fingers through the water. Her action frightened any fish nearby.

Luke was not sure what Rory meant by blood pact, but thought it best not to ask, "Rory, are you angry with me?" He said abruptly.

Rory stared at him with a smile on her face, "What makes you say that?"

"Last night, after I calmed that hysterical bandit, for a moment, I thought I felt you glaring at me." Luke said.

Rory stood and walked over to Luke. The Jedi watched as she casually sauntered over. She stopped but a few centimeters away. She was shorter than Luke but nonetheless imposing. Rory looked up at the Jedi, a small smile never leaving her features, "I would not say angry…well not yet, depends on how you answer next." When she finished, she stabbed the halberd into the ground, causing Luke to involuntarily take a step back.

The smile never faded from the apostle's features, "Last night…you controlled that man's mind. I was unsure at first…thought maybe you were far more charismatic than I thought, but now I think otherwise."

Her sweet tone did not undermine the ferocity behind her words.

"I would not say control, but sway. He was terrified and swaying him to abide was the best choice to prevent anymore death." Luke justified.

"Prevent the death of worthless swine…" Rory retorted.

"I've said that I do not sympathize or empathize with these criminals, but I am not one to strike down an unarmed, unstable man. Also, since you see them as swine, why care?" Luke asked.

"I have experience…with such manipulation, bad experience." The more Rory smile, the greater Luke felt threatened.

"I am sure your anger is warranted given your experience, but I did what had to be done." Luke justified once more.

Rory let out a small chuckle, "Again with the same moral code…what good is peace if you strip people of their will. If that man wished to die, then let him. It was his choice to react as he did, so his death would be a result of his own will. His cooperation was not of his own will…you stripped his will from him and forced him to comply. For one who spouts moral philosophies, you do not seem to follow them."

Although Rory was not yelling, her words were felt deafening.

Luke eyed the girl, "There is a misunderstanding, Rory. I am not one to manipulate the minds of others without reason. I do not seek to control people if that is what you think. Even if I did, the mind trick is limited in its ability. For one, it does not control someone but sways them for a limited time. Additionally, it only works on the weak minded. Most people can ignore the mind trick's effects, and it only worked on the bandit because he was mentally unstable."

Rory looked up into Luke's eyes. Her gaze was piercing, and Luke felt trapped by the small girl. The halberd at her side did not help.

"You are a curious one…Luke Skywalker. I could kill you in one swing, yet you do not flinch. Most would be on their knees…"

"Are you asking me to get on my knees?" Luke said, unable to read Rory.

The apostle gave another big smile, this one far less threatening than the last, "Wouldn't that be exhilarating, but no, I believe you."

Luke released a hefty sigh, "If it is any consultation, I was terrified."

Rory replied with a smile and a chuckle, "I know…that merely adds to your appeal. Are you sure you do not wish to join Emroy? His embrace is a warm one."

"Thank you for the gracious invitation, but I have no urge to join your god, not to mention I hardly know anything of this god of war." Luke's voice had a tinge of humor.

"Emroy is god of war, darkness, death, violence, insanity, crime, and execution. Far more domains than the other pitiful gods, no offense." Rory addressed Lelei when saying her last comment.

Luke turned to Lelei, "You worship a god as well?"

Lelei nodded, "I pray to La and Eluran, the gods of knowledge."

This interested Luke, "Gods of knowledge. So, is there a god for every domain? How many are there?"

"It does not matter, Emroy is the only deity worthy of being called a god. Wait…have you prayed to Hardy? Is that why you are surrounded by death?" Rory's accusation was not spoken in a serious tone but was not completely joking either.

"You mentioned that last night. What do you mean by "surrounded by death?" Luke asked.

"Oh? Can you not feel it? The air around you…it reeks of spiritual energy. The souls of the long dead. They surround you, but I do not know why." Rory explained casually.

Luke was not sure what she meant. Was she referring to the people he killed? That was impossible, once they died, they became one with the Force. He had yet to read of their so-called "spirits" remaining. That was unheard of. All beings became one with the Force upon death, their individuality being lost in the infinite Cosmic Force. There was no residual energy left behind. At least not conventionally.

It was then his mind went to the unconventional. The outliers in what is universally known. His masters. Those who did not lose their individuality.

"My masters…you can feel my masters?" Luke asked incredulously.

Rory gave a raised brow, "Your masters? You already serve a god?"

Luke shook his head, "No, I do not serve them. They are my teachers, and they are no longer alive. Is that what you are feeling? My masters?"

"You speak to the dead? I would ask if you were Hardy's apostle, but she already has one. This Force allows you to talk with your dead masters?" Rory's intrigue grew at this prospect.

"Yes, but I cannot speak to the dead as you think. It is complicated, but my masters underwent extensive spiritual training which allowed them to separate themselves from the Force. This is how I can speak with them. In fact, they showed interest in magic the last we spoke," Luke explained.

"Are they here right now?" Rory asked.

"No, but even if they were, I am not sure if you'd be able to see them. Only those attuned to the Force can see them." Luke explained.

"Would I see them?" Lelei cut in.

Luke paused for a moment before answering, "Theoretically, yes. Maybe I should test that now. They did wish to speak to you about your force-sensitivity and magic. Would you be alright with that?"

Lelei gave a nod, to which Luke nodded back, "Very well." Luke said before he sat on the ground and crossed his legs. Rory crouched down to be at eye level with the Jedi.

"Are you praying?" Rory questioned.

"In a way. My masters explained to me that to appear before me, they must separate their individualities from the endless ocean that is the Force. In a way it is like finding a specific drop of water in an ocean," Luke begun.

"That would be impossible. A single drop is indistinguishable from the rest of the water. It merely joined the larger body, losing its shape as a drop." Lelei replied.

"Then you already understand the fundamental aspect of the Force. We are the drops whom join the ocean once we die, yet there are those like my masters who can separate themselves from the never-ending sea. Though it is difficult to do so without aid. That is why I meditate. I come the closest I can to join the Force without dying. In doing so, I give my masters a beacon to focus on. A light at the end of the tunnel so to speak." Luke finished talking and brought his arms together in his lap.

He closed his eyes and begun focusing on the world around him. He released a deep breath and begun losing himself to the Force. He could feel everything around him. From Lelei to Rory to the birds flying above, and the insects climbing the tree. A cycle of creation and destruction. Balance.

Yet as he felt himself reaching that point of losing his physical sense and fully embracing the Force, something tugged at the back of his mind. It was quick and firm, and Luke could do nothing as he abruptly lost consciousness; the last thing he felt was a strange embrace spiriting him away.

---

687 IC (Imperial Calendar)

Formal Family Manor, Interior Garden.

---

Rory and Lelei watched as Luke sat silently. For the last few seconds he remained still. Lelei watched with great fascination while Rory stared at the Jedi with curiosity.

Just as the environmental noise begun taking over the area, they watched as Luke begun moving. For a moment, they thought he was going to stand, but instead his seated form begun floating off the ground.

Rory was taken back, "That was unexpected. Are you trying to impress us?" She commented humorously.

There was no response from the meditating Jedi. In fact, he did not seem to acknowledge Rory's question.

"I do not think he can hear you…he seems to be completely unaware of everything around him." Lelei theorized.

To test her theory, Rory scooched forward slightly. She waited for a response and when nothing came, she raised her hand, extended her index-finger, and poked Luke in the cheek.

The Jedi did not move.

It was then Rory noticed rocks at Luke's feet begun shifting. The next moment, they were floating around Luke. Before she could comment on the phenomena, she heard more shifting behind her. She turned to see the boulder, situated at the pond's bank, vibrate and then float off the ground.

"Amazing…he is doing this without realizing?" Rory commented.

Lelei merely nodded, her eyes staring intently at Luke's floating form. Everything she's learned proved as fascinating as she expected it too be. Yet, she knew this was just the beginning.

It was then Lelei felt a shift in the air. Unusual and new, she was surprised by the strange feeling. It was unlike magic, and far more noticeable. Like a shifting gust, it hit her.

She watched as all the rocks, including the boulder, dropped to the ground without warning. Once they fell, Luke's floating form slumped onto the ground in a limp heap.

Lelei was frozen. She stared at Luke's limp form, and she felt cold. She did not realize until now that she could feel his presence. The warmth she unknowingly felt coming from him vanished, and she was left with a frigid, lifeless presence.

Rory was in the same state, except she knew what happened to an extent. The apostle, who was closest to the Jedi, crouched down to the slumped form, and placed her hand on his chest. The rhythmic beating signaling that he was still alive put her at ease, if only a little.

"By the gods…his soul is gone. His very spiritual essence no longer resides in this body." Rory said, being oddly serious.

Lelei stepped around the bond to stand beside the motionless body, "So therefore he feels so…lifeless. How could this happen?"

"The fact he is alive means his soul was removed momentarily. The only beings with that power are the gods." Rory's words were quiet, but no less groundbreaking.

---

Unknown Time

Unknown Location

---

Luke opened his eyes. What met him was not the courtyard of the Formal family's manor, but an illuminated chamber. He lay on his back, and his ears caught the sound of indistinguishable fauna.

The ceiling above him was grey in color, and some sort of stone. It was maybe ten meters above and covered in overgrown flora. The green vines and leaves mixed with moss reminded Luke of the temples of Yavin 4. At his sides were stone shelves which reached the ceiling and were filled with books. Some books were thin and small while others were heavy tomes.

Luke sat up but remained on the ground. As he pushed himself into a sitting position, he felt the ground was soft, and looked to see it covered in patches of grass. They were oddly placed and seemed to have no natural origin since the floor was the same stone which composed the ceiling and shelves. There were no cracks in the ground for life to flourish, so Luke wondered how the grass managed to grow.

There were a few flowers sprouted from the ground, and on said flowers were insects. One bug, resembling a butterfly, flew around Luke before flying away. The Jedi followed the insect as it flew in front of him.

As his eyes landed ahead, he was met with the sight of a bush of green leaves. They were a few meters away, and outside of the aisle he found himself in. Not sure what was going on, Luke decided he had to investigate, so he pushed himself up and followed the butterfly's path.

The moment he begun walking, he noticed his clothing was different. He no longer wore his toga and tunic, but instead wore his normal outfit. Black jacket, trousers, boots and cloak. All spotless.

Momentarily surprised, Luke's thoughts were interrupted by a sound. The chirping of a bird.

He decided to continue out of the aisle, aiming to investigate the sound. Once out of the aisle's threshold, Luke looked to his right and left to see several rows of shelves on both sides. At a glance he saw maybe twenty aisles on either side. Filled with books from what he could see. In front of the rows was a five-meter walkway.

Concentrating in front of him once more, he walked up to the bush he saw earlier. As he grew closer, he realized it was not a bush, but a branch. The large branch was covered in leaves, and Luke could not see the tree to which it belonged. He decided to walk left, aiming to get around the bundle of leaves.

Once he moved passed the leaves, he saw a column railing which came up to his hip. He walked up to it and leaned over it to get a better look at the tree. The branch he originally saw was merely an extension to a much bigger, thicker branch. The main branch was surrounded by hundreds of leaves which obscured it, but as Luke kept an eye on the brown bark, he followed the branch upward.

It extended above the ceiling and passed what seemed to be another floor. Luke leaned in further as he tried to determine how many floors were above him.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

Luke jumped at the voice coming from his left. He quickly turned to face whoever it was and found himself facing a woman.

The woman, a few years younger than Luke, gazed at the Jedi with a small smile. She had emerald eyes which seem to pierce into Luke's. Her wear consisted of a light blue, nearly white tola which hung from her shoulders. Her auburn hair extended down her back and seemed silk-like. Her face was empty of any blemishes, and her tanned skin glowed in its perfection.

Luke's hand subconsciously went for his lightsaber. This woman was not natural. Appeared human but was far from it. She was too perfect, too beautiful. Reminded Luke of Rory's unnatural perfection. Yet the most alarming thing was the fact that she was not there a mere second ago. The space where she now stood was completely empty when Luke went around the leaves.

"You need not worry, I mean no harm. Besides you'll find your weapon is no longer where it was," The woman said. Her voice was almost harmonic.

Luke looked down at his belt and found that his lightsaber was missing. He looked up to the woman, almost as if looking for an answer. Her smile did not fade.

Luke relaxed, "I'm sorry, but I am not sure what is happening or where I am. Last I remember I was in the courtyard with Lelei when I seemed to have blacked out."

The woman nodded, "Yes, and you need not worry, you are still there…physically," She spoke the last part sheepishly.

"I suspected this place was not real, given my clothing. So, is this a vision?" Luke asked, looking about the temple. "Feels too detailed. More like a dream albeit a vivid one."

The woman slapped her hands together, "Not quite, but interesting observation! I knew this was a marvelous idea! The knowledge you hold is bound to be a "breath of fresh air", as the mortals say!"

Her excitement would be endearing if Luke was not lost on why she was so excited, "Um…I am still unsure what is happening, or whether this is a figment of my imagination," Luke pointed out.

"Oh! My apologies. I last spoke with a mortal nearly three centuries ago, so I forgot the need for pleasantries. I am Layla, known to mortals as La, the Goddess of Knowledge. Welcome to my realm," The goddess gave Luke a large, welcoming smile. She opened her arms wide, presenting the temple around them.

Her introduction was casual, but Luke was taken back for a moment. A goddess. An actual breathing, living goddess. Luke would be skeptical if it wasn't for the air around this woman—this goddess. Her eyes alone were reminiscent of Yoda's; holding great wisdom and age far beyond the short life Luke will live. In fact, the more he looked at the ancient yet young woman, he felt as if she surpassed Master Yoda's age by several centuries.

"La…the goddess?" Luke reiterated, just to be sure.

La gave him a confused and worried look, "Yes. La, the goddess. I was sure Lelei told you of us."

Luke gave her a nod, "Briefly...You were watching?"

La gave an energetic and joyful nod, "Of course! I'm always watching…well not always, but I do check on Lelei every few days. She is my follower, and quite the intellectual. Not to mention she is absolutely adorable!"

La released a squeal as she thought of Lelei's cuteness. She seemed euphoric as she fawned over the young mage.

Luke eyed the goddess as he thought over what she said. Logically, what she said makes sense. In an illogical sort of way. The fact that a patron deity can observe their followers, is not entirely crazy. Especially since this world revolves around the illogical. Magic, gods, and apostles. All impossible things, yet here he was, speaking with a god.

"I still do not understand why I am here, or how for that matter," Luke said.

"You are here due to my sister's impatience," A new voice cut in.

Luke turned around to see a new figure approaching. Their hair was short and auburn, they sported vibrant green eyes which were guarded by a pair of round spectacles, and their skin was a dark tan, much like La's. In all ways, they were an exact copy of La sans certain secondary sex characteristics. They were draped in a white toga, which wrapped tightly around their body.

"Eluran, come greet our honored guest." La moved up to the newcomer. She moved passed Luke, and went to grab Eluran's arm, but the god quickly moved the appendage. He then brought his extended hand down, chopping the top of La's head.

"I thought we agreed to wait before bringing him here," Eluran said with an indifferent expression, yet he was clearly exasperated.

La gave out a strangely adorable groan as she clutched her head. The chop itself did not seem painful, yet La acted as if it was life threatening, "I did wait!" La defended.

"Six hours is not what we agreed on!" Eluran's indifference shattered as he shouted in frustration.

"We did not agree on a specific time! We merely agreed to wait, and I did!" La shouted back.

"Don't feign ignorance. We agreed to wait at least a month before speaking to him," Eluran said.

"Did we? I do not recall," La replied with a cheeky smile. Luke got the sense that she was enjoying this. Eluran on the other hand grew angrier.

"You have a perfect memory. I suggested we wait at least a month, and you shouted "Yes, yes, yes! An excellent idea!" and nodded four times." Eluran explained.

At this point La had her hands behind her back and was facing away from Eluran, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you should get your spectacles checked…oh wait, I forgot you only wear them because you think they make you look smarter," La said with a hand slightly covering her mouth. She gave Eluran a coy look as if revealing a deep dark secret.

Luke did not expect such a violent reaction from the male god. Eluran took a step back, his cheeks growing red and his mouth hanging agape, "Th-that has nothing to do with this!" The spectacled god crossed his arms and looked away from his sister to hide his embarrassment.

"Besides…you know these were an offering," Eluran said as he pushed the spectacles in question further up his nose.

La leaned over at Eluran's side to get a look at her twin's embarrassment, "Oh right. They're from that handsome, elven boy that you're so fond of."

Her teasing tone infuriated Eluran, "You-You are insufferable! Thirteen-hundred years, and you've yet to mature. We are gods for Lunaryu's sake!"

"What fun is being a god if I cannot tease my baby brother," La retorted as she gave Eluran an awkward, sideways hug. His arms were still crossed, and he refused to look at her.

"I am not your baby brother."

"Yes, you are~." La trailed off with a singsong tone.

"By a few seconds!" Eluran shouted.

"Eighty-four and a half seconds to be precise." La replied which gained another annoyed comment from Eluran.

As the twins bickered, Luke stood awkwardly to the side. The two deities seemed to have forgotten the Jedi's presence. Luke thought the two were humorous. Despite their godly status, they were still siblings. It made Luke think of his twin.

For a moment he thought what their lives would be like if they grew up together, without the burden of their blood hanging overhead. Would they have these nonsensical arguments like these? Thinking of himself and Leia as children unknowingly brought a smile to Luke's face. Something that did not go unnoticed.

"Are you laughing, mortal?!" Eluran's flustered voice captured Luke's attention.

Luke turned to Eluran's blushing face. La still clung to her twin's side so the sight was rather humorous. Keeping himself from chuckling at the deities' antics, Luke coughed into his hand, "Sorry, but seeing you two argue made me think of my sister. Made me wonder how it would be if we knew each other as children."

Eluran glared at Luke before receiving a flick to the cheek, "Stop being mean to our guest," La chastised before releasing her hold on Eluran. She turned to face Luke, smiling from ear to ear.

"Please excuse my brother's behavior. He takes his godhood very seriously," La explained.

"You should as well, especially in front of mortals," Eluran added.

"That is reasonable, but if our guest accepts our offer, he will not be mortal for long, so my behavior does not matter in the long run," La answered.

This caught Luke's attention, "Offer? You wished to offer me something, so you brought me here?"

La nodded rapidly, "That is the main reason, yes, and to answer your earlier question, you are here, but only spiritually. Your physical form, that is your body, is still in the mortal realm. I, with my power, brought your soul here so I can talk with you. Not only is it easier than transporting your entire body, but it is far more interesting than a simple vision."

"And far more dangerous! You could very well lose his soul to Hardy!" Eluran reprimanded.

"I'm sure she would be reasonable. He isn't dead… I just…forced him to astral project," La said sheepishly.

Eluran released a sigh before turning to Luke, "Is your twin like this?"

Luke thought for a moment, "Not really, but she does like teasing me in her own way, so in that we share comradery," Luke said with a sly smile.

Eluran repositioned his spectacles once more before fully facing Luke, "I suppose I have yet to properly introduce myself. I am Eluran, twin of La, and God of Knowledge. A pleasure."

Luke gave a bow, "An honor. Lady La, Lord Eluran. I am Luke Skywalker, and I am not sure what I did to deserve your interest."

"Honestly, you did not do anything grand. It is your knowledge we are after," Eluran answered bluntly. He received a quick smack to the back of the head, which nearly knocked the spectacles off.

"Do not undermine his achievements! He killed that horrid flame dragon, and protected Lelei from harm." La reminded.

Eluran held onto his spectacles, "He did no such thing, if anything it were those "sky ships" which killed the beast."

La released an annoyed huff, "Ships which he commanded, and you cannot deny that he single-handedly protected our follower from the dragon's wrath."

Eluran released a defeated sigh, "Fine…thank you for protecting Lelei. Though I will not give you the credit for killing the flame dragon."

Luke nodded. Fair enough, and truthful. Luke had nothing to do with the dragon's death. He did not even call in the X-wings.

"Alright then," La smacked her hands together, "Now that my brother is here, we can do this formally."

Eluran shook his head before standing straight. La did the same, and the two stood directly in front of Luke, mirroring each other's movements.

"Hear us mortal," Eluran and La begun speaking in unison. La had a smile on her face while Eluran was clearly annoyed by the whole display, "You have proven yourself worthy of our blessing thus we choose you as our apostle. Extend your hand forth and no longer shall you be tied to the realm of mortals."

The twins finished and held out their hands. La held out her right and Eluran his left, perfectly mirroring each other. Luke's expression was shocked to put it mildly. His jaw hung low, and his eyes wide. He looked back and forth between the two gods, trying to discern if they were joking. Clearly, they were not.

Luke composed himself as best he could, "Y-you want me to be your apostle?"

Eluran looked at Luke with a slouched face, "Yes…which part of that was not clear?" The god's tone was overtly patronizing.

"It's not that you weren't clear…I just do not understand. Why me? I'm not even from this world, and like you said, I have done nothing to deserve this." Luke explained.

Eluran stepped up, "That is the exact reason. I was not lying when I said we were after your knowledge. The fact that you are a decent warrior is a plus."

La decided to interject, "Stop making it seem like we do not care for him," She shook a finger toward Eluran before turning to Luke with a smile, "You see, my brother and I have searched for an apostle since our ascension. There were a few contenders, but they always lacked a certain…something."

"That was," Eluran joined in, "Until Lelei was born. We saw her potential for magic, and her affinity for learning. The last we saw such raw intellect was in ourselves, several centuries ago."

La nodded at Eluran's side, "That is why we keep a keen eye on her progress. We planned to make her an apostle after she matured a bit more. That was our intent, but then you arrived with knowledge from a completely different world! Not only that, but you are an accomplished warrior and leader!"

"We do not preside over knowledge for nothing. La and I thrive on learning more about existence. Having lived for well over thirteen-hundred years, we've come to learn most if not all this world has to offer. So, when you appeared, we saw a chance to both alleviate our boredom and to further our influence in the mortal realm," Eluran explained.

"As crude as my brother is, he speaks the truth. Even we are tied to time, and we do nothing but await our followers to further their own understanding of the world. Although my brother and I know far more about this world than the mortals, there is still a lot we do not know. For example, how are you able to create a ship of metal that flies?" La clarified.

Luke was silent as he took in everything, but as he thought over all that was explained, there was one thing that confused him, "I can see your reasoning…but there is still something I do not understand. You say you seek the knowledge I bring from my world, but as gods whose domain is knowledge itself, can you not gain that knowledge yourselves? Are you not omnipotent in that regard?"

Luke knew little of what powers gods would have. Gods did not exist in his galaxy. They were mere myths created to explain strange phenomena. Most of which were the results of the Force.

"No… our powers are tied to this world. If we were to crossover into your world, we would lose all of that which makes us "gods." Our powers are tied to the magic of this world thus we cannot use them to gain knowledge of another. Our clairvoyance cannot reach that which transcends the barrier between worlds," La explained.

"That makes no sense to me. If you cannot learn what is beyond the gate, then how are you speaking my language?" Luke asked.

Eluran released a chuckle, "Seems he has yet to realize. We are not speaking your language, you are speaking ours."

Luke took a step back, his expression baffled. His hand went to his head as Eluran's words sunk in. He then realized that there was foreign knowledge in his mind. Words and script that were completely new, yet he understood all of it. Impossible…impossible. He found himself translating Basic in this foreign language and vice versa.

"No…" Luke stopped the moment he heard his voice. The word was not in Galactic Basic, "I-I only speak Galactic Basic!" He told himself, yet the words were completely foreign. Even then, he understood every syllable. How did he not realize? He swore on the Force that he was speaking Basic until now.

"How…how is this possible, there is a completely new language in my mind. How didn't I realize?"Luke spoke quietly to himself in Basic. The two gods were at a loss of what he said, but that did not stop La from repeating

"How ese these paw-see-bel…it isn't all that difficult." La said after slowly pronouncing the Basic words.

"You have clairvoyance, does that not include telepathy? If you can implant knowledge, why not take it away?" Luke asked.

La looked to the ceiling, shifting slightly as she thought, "The mind of a mortal is very…fragile. Implanting our language in your mind was a risk, but your mental stability is far higher than most people. Even then…if I were to try and absorb all the knowledge you hold as you are now…I'm sure your mind would collapse and leave your body as an empty husk."

"Normally, we would not offer such extensive blessing to mortals for this reason. It is one thing to bless someone with intellectual prowess at birth but adding a completely new language at your age is very dangerous. Human minds are not malleable. Apply too much pressure, and they break like anything else. You may have a higher resistance, but your mind is limited on how much interference it can handle," Eluran explained further.

"That will not be the case forever. Once you become our apostle, your resistance will increase greatly since you'll gain spiritual immortality along with physical immortality. We'll be able to delve into your mind as much as we want!" La said excitedly.

"Now, with the exposition out of the way, let us complete the ritual." Eluran's hand glowed brightly, and he reached out to touch Luke.

Realizing the implication, Luke backed up beyond Eluran's reach. This sudden retreat caused Eluran to pull back his hand in confusion, "What is wrong? Have we not explained enough?"

Luke kept himself at a distance, "You explained well enough, but I do not want to be your apostle."

The twins did not expect this. They glanced at each other, an unspoken communication passing between them. La stepped up, "I do not understand…did we offend you…maybe I was rather rash in bringing you here so soon."

Eluran stepped up, "Maybe you did not understand what we imply. In our world, apostles are revered as demi-gods. For the next one-thousand years, you will walk this world as an immortal force. Unable to die from natural or unnatural means. Spiritually and physically, you will be immortal, and once you reach one-thousand years, you will join us in godhood."

"You say this as if it appeals to me. It seems it is you who does not understand; I have no interest in living forever or becoming a god," Luke responded.

La's mouth hung open, "You…you are refusing our offer?"

"I prefer to say decline, but yes. I am…honored that you would consider me, and that you would bless me with your language, but I will not become your apostle," Luke declined with a respectful nod.

"You are illogical," Eluran started, "You understand that you are in the presence of two gods, correct?"

The question was rhetorical, but Luke nodded, nonetheless. This exasperated Eluran. The god completely lowered his hand, and scanned Luke up and down.

"You know we can force you to be an apostle." Eluran revealed.

"Then why haven't you?" Luke replied.

"Courtesy," Eluran gave a cold respond, "We are ones to believe brains are superior to brawn. Unlike the more…aggressive gods, we thought civility would leave an impression. Admittingly, we never considered refusal."

"Was it Emroy's apostle? Did she convince you into becoming that brute's apostle once she's done? I knew she had only a few years left, but to think that vixen would be so audacious."

"Rory has nothing to do with this. You seem to think all mortals are greedy individuals who seek means of gaining power," Luke said, finding it odd, how easily he spoke the other language.

"It is merely a logical way of seeing the world. Mortality drives all mortal decisions. They fear death thus they must find a means to eradicate that fear, or at least pretend to. Wealth, power, sex, immortality. Mortals are so easily swayed by anything that puts them above others. Can you blame us for thinking you were any different?" Eluran defended.

"You are not wrong in your logic, but there are times when we must give the benefit of the doubt. I have met many greedy people, and one of those people became my greatest friend and brother-in-law. Although it is a timid example, the philosophy is the same." Luke countered.

"Then why not become immortal? You wish to help the people of this world; would that not be easier as a demi-god?" La questioned.

Luke did not disagree. Great power, unable to die, and influence would help his endeavor greatly. Making it easier to help those who are enslaved, but even in the name of good, such power must not be wielded by a single person.

"You are not wrong, but there is a limit to the power one person should have. Even in the name of good." Luke replied.

La deflated at his answer, "A shame…I guess we have not choice but to force you."

This time La's hand glowed bright, and she took several steps forward. With every step forward, Luke took a step back.

"You needn't do this La." Luke said as he stepped back. The goddess continued forward, and Luke matched her steps as he stepped further and further away.

"Unfortunately, I do. You hold unknown knowledge, and you made the mistake of stepping into our world and our domain. Like my brother said, we wish to know everything, and you have knowledge that we do not. As gods of knowledge, we cannot leave that be," La's sweet and jovial tone was gone. Replaced by a tired, almost annoyed voice.

"So, this is your true nature?" Luke commented as he backed up further. He wondered if her previous demeanor was merely an act to make her appealing.

La shrugged, "We are gods, we face no repercussions because we mold this world. It is your fault for refusing our offer. Now I will strip you of your knowledge and leave you an empty husk; there is no place for a disobedient apostle."

"Why must you steal my knowledge when I can offer it to you?" Luke said, stopping La in her tracks.

"Have you changed your mind, or are you trying to save your skin?" Eluran commented.

"Both of you seem to hold a great respect for knowledge, and its not like I am trying to keep it from you." Luke reasoned.

"Of course, you're keeping it from us; why turn down our offer if you weren't?" Eluran retorted.

"Because I cherish my mortality and all that comes with it. Listen, if you wish for me to teach you what I know, I'll gladly do so." Luke revealed.

Again, La and Eluran shared a glance before facing the Jedi.

"Once more, you are illogical. Why give such powerful knowledge away for free?" Eluran commented, seemingly outraged.

"You give my intelligence a little too much credit, but I technically won't give it for free. You've already given me a complete understanding of your language. Is that not an equal trade?" The Jedi asked.

A quick glanced between the twins, and they both faced him and said in unison,

"No."

Their deadpan tone would be humorous if not for the seriousness behind it.

"Well, I think it is. This way w—" Luke suddenly fell to his knees, his hand reaching for his head. His body shivered and he felt incredibly cold. He swore he heard screaming in the distance but was unsure why.

"We took too long…Hardy is calling him." Eluran said offhandedly.

"W-what?" Luke found himself unable to speak without a surge of pain.

"We've kept your spirit outside of your body for too long. It is unnatural for the body and spirit to be separate while you remain alive. Hardy is calling your spirit to the underworld to right the wrong we created." La explained casually.

The screaming grew louder, and Luke saw the edge of his vision growing blurrier and darker, "P... lease…help."

La stepped up and crouched. At this point Luke could barely remained upright even when crouching. He managed to lift his head to meet La's eyes.

"Will you keep your word? Will you give up your knowledge?" La asked as she peered into Luke's eyes. The Jedi nodded, believing he had no choice either way.

La gave him a smile, "You are an interesting mortal, and you should have some pride. You are the first mortal to successfully bargain with a god."

She raised her hand and snapped. As the sound reached Luke's ears, the screaming stopped, and Luke jolted back. He felt as if something violently pulled him off his feet. The world grew dark and it felt as if he entered a pitch-black corridor. He went further and further away until the brief amount of light vanished, and he was left in total darkness.