I am inspired but also saddened. You know already that I'm a big fan of Star Wars. I dedicate this section to the memory of Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) who died earlier this morning. She will be missed. There is only one Leia, so I don't pretend to do justice to that character here. But it seems fitting that I begin my A New Hope section with her in light of the tragic passing of a great actress and a wonderful human being. My God protect her and keep her. May she rest in peace.
Note, I will not be covering everything that happens in A New Hope. I've already done (and am continuing to do) a fair amount of that in some of my other stories. But there are some parts I want to revisit.
Please, read, review, and provide constructive criticism.
As always, enjoy.
Chapter 11
19 years later. Tatooine.
The sands of time had not been kind to Obi-Wan Kenobi. He never dreamed that he would return to Tatooine. But he had done so in an effort to protect his apprentice's children—or at least one of them. They were faced with an impossible choice. It was entirely likely that Palpatine or Vader would sense the twins if they remained together. Nevertheless, Kenobi had reluctantly agreed with that decision. The Force, however, had other plans in mind. That was what he was thinking as he sat watching young Leia Skywalker in his sitting room near the Dune Sea. Of all the droids she could have showed up with, it had to be C-3PO and R2D2. The Force was not only prophetic, it also had an ironic sense of humor to boot.
The only thing more perplexing to him was why Artoo came. He claimed to be carrying a message for an Obi-Wan Kenobi—a desperate message from the only son of the House of Organa—the High Prince himself—Luke Organa. But none of these thoughts were on his mind right now. He was thinking of Padmé Naberrie and of her beloved husband, Anakin Skywalker. How was he going to explain this mess to their children?
"My mother never fought in the Wars," said Leia Skywalker matter-of-factly as she finished attaching Threepio's remaining arm back into place. "Uncle Owen said she was a navigator on a spice freighter." Kenobi smiled and shook his head.
"Owen believed that your mother should've stayed home and never gotten involved in the conflict. But you know better Leia." She gave him a look as she pushed her long brown hair back behind her face.
"You fought in the Clone Wars?" She asked almost innocently
"Yes, I was a Jedi Knight the same as your mother."
"I wish I had known her," then she added. "…and my father too."
"Your mother was the best star-pilot in the galaxy and a cunning war. She was a good friend." Kenobi's eyes twinkled as the memories flooded back to him. He looked at Leia and saw so much of Padmé in her. "I understand you have become quite a pilot yourself. I've heard about your exploits in Beggar's Canyon." The young woman looked at him, yearning to know more. Kenobi cleared his throat. "I knew both of your parents very well Leia. They were close to me."
"What did my father do?"
"He was the perennial gadfly of the Senate, Leia." Her eyes widened. "Your father, was Anakin Skywalker. He was one of the greatest senators of the Old Republic. He was a staunch ally of the Jedi Knights." Ben Kenobi paused, wondering how much he should reveal. Pieces of an older, more innocent time came flooding back to him.
Naboo, thirty years earlier.
Obi-Wan Kenobi ran alongside King Anakin Skywalker. They waited with troops—a mix of Gungans and Nubians as they prepared to breach the main throne room and the king's personal hangar.
"You ready?" He asked the fourteen-year-old boy king. The young man smiled at him.
"Ready as I'll ever be." A young girl's voice came from behind them.
"I'm in too." It was the former slave girl—Padmé Naberrie. She grinned as she bravely carried a small blaster. Kenobi wasn't at all certain she should have come on the mission. But, then again, nothing about this plan seemed right. Qui-Gon Jinn had insisted on taking on Darth Maul alone and they had gone off their separate ways. Kenobi had to protect his little sister and the King.
"Padmé…" He said, his voice not above a whisper. "Stay close to me.'
"Okay, Obi." He smiled at her innocence. Anakin Skywalker turned back to her and gave her a wink. She smiled back at him. Then all pretense of innocence and childhood faded away. They had a mission to do.
"On my count," said King Skywalker…his voice trembling a bit. "One, two…now!" They pulled the doors back and charged in as they confronted the battle droids. Kenobi swiftly ignited his blade and leapt into action taking down battle droids and Sith troopers alike. Padmé hung back behind the columns and fired at a few of the guards taking aim at her new friends. Suddenly, Anakin made his way next to her. They were both panting. The two of them were no more than children—children were not supposed to fight in wars—but these two were fighting for the fate of an entire planetary system. As the blaster fire echoed throughout the room, Anakin turned to face her.
"Padmé, you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Listen, I know you're a good pilot. Can you get to that Starfighter over there?"
"Me?"
"Yes…Artoo can navigate, but we need an extra pilot up there against them." He paused, knowing that he was trusting his fate once again to an innocent nine-year-old girl, but it felt like destiny. "Can you do that for me?" She smiled at him, giving him a hug.
"Yes."
"Go now! I'll cover you." Padmé quickly ran out and followed the few remaining pilots to the far end of the docking area as Anakin took down one trooper after another. Kenobi caught sight of her. He looked back and saw Anakin Skywalker's thoughts. Quickly, he sprung into action helping to clear a path for his young friend. Artoo was already in the main navigation area as Padmé put on an oversized helmet that clearly didn't fit her. She armed the main guns and closed her eyes. The Force was telling her exactly what to do. She fired a few more volleys, eliminating countless more troopers before the ship finally took off and blasted through the hangar and out into space.
Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled as he saw her dart out toward the gigantic control ship dominating Naboo's horizon. "May the Force be with you, my young friend."
The Present.
Kenobi's thoughts were brought back to the present. Leia Skywalker had asked another probing question.
"What happened after the Wars? If the Jedi were so powerful…where did they all go?" He sighed as he straightened up.
"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire…" Leia could not hold back the question that Kenobi knew was really on her mind.
"How did my parents die?" He looked away, hoping that his answer would satisfy her.
"A young Jedi by the name of Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine before she turned to evil, helped hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. She betrayed and murdered your parents. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader…she was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force."
"The Force?" Leia asked, with a confused look in her eyes. Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled at her.
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." Leia Skywalker was impressed by his words, and looked away from him for a moment. Somehow, she knew all along that this Force existed. She never knew what the name of the Force was, but it had spoken to her at various points throughout her life. R2D2 started beeping. Kenobi stood next to him.
"Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend. And where you come from." Leia spoke up.
"I saw part of the message he was carrying, but the rest of it was garbled…"
"I seem to have stumbled upon it…" said Kenobi as his eyes widened. The recorded hologram Artoo displayed was none other than that of Luke Organa himself. The Force had much greater plans than anyone could have foreseen.
"General Kenobi," The flickering image of Luke Organa said as he bowed. "…years ago you served my adoptive father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in this our darkest hour. The Empire attacked a Rebel fleet that managed to capture a series of plans vital for the survival of the Rebel Alliance. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. What we need to win the day is in the memory systems of R2D2. My father will know how to retrieve the information. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." A little more static passed through and the transmission was cut short. Ben Kenobi leaned back, shutting his eyes deeply in though. Leia Skywalker didn't know what to say. The universe she knew seemed far bigger and far more dangerous than she had previously understood. Kenobi opened his eyes and looked directly at Leia.
"You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan." It was amazing how one sentence, one holographic transmission, one desperate plea for salvation…could change the lives of so many people.
