Finally, the day of my flight test came. I had to display my skills to the Masters, Anakin, the Supreme Chancellor, and a delegation of Senators. The Senators had no idea that the trainee that they would be judging was a girl. I was amused when I saw their faces turn to resentment and utter shock when they saw me walk up to Anakin. I heard one of the Senators swear when I accepted the headset from Anakin and walk over to my ship.
When Anakin gave me the signal, I started up the ship, and hovered off the ground, waiting for my first test. At his word, I flew through an obstacle course, performed my best aerial tricks, completed a speed test in record timing, and displayed my targeting skills with the onboard weaponry system.
When the test was completed, the Masters and the Senators both praised my skills as a pilot, even if the Senators were slower to do so. The Masters deemed me worthy to join the Jedi's air armada. The Supreme Chancellor said that he would personally look in on my progress from time to time. I glanced over in the direction of Anakin, and saw him grinning, showing that he was proud of both my skills and my success in the tests.
When the crowd began to disperse, I looked over the faces of the delegation of Senators. There, in the crowd, was the last thing I thought that I would see again: the weathered face of Father. I walked up to him. "Father?"
He turned around, looking me over. "Suri? Is that you?"
"Yes, Papa. It's me." We were both overjoyed at the sight of each other. We drew together for a tight embrace; tears flowed freely from my sky-blue eyes.
"Suri, we thought you were dead. We heard the news when you never arrived at the Starship Academy. Your mother was sick with worry. And when the Academy was destroyed, all of Alderaan was in mourning for you."
"Well, Father, the reason I never arrived at the Starship Academy was because I was taken prisoner."
"Prisoner?"
"Yes, by the Separatists. They tortured me, just because they could. Then, Anakin saved me from them. I was placed in the care of the Jedi. That's when I lost my arm…"
"What?" Papa's face went from incredulous to just plain shock.
"Yes, my arm. It has been replaced with cybernetics; during the torture, it lost too much blood to actually be of any use anymore."
"Let me see!" Reluctantly, I removed the guard, and allowed him to personally examine the machinery. As a demonstration, I wiggled my fingers, to show him how complex the machinery was. I also rolled up my sleeve to show him the pearly scars glowing on my skin. His face told me that he was thoroughly shocked, but was glad that no further damage had occurred. With one final embrace, we parted ways…