Chapter 49: A New Jedi Order

Revan appeared between Buffy and Anakin. "A great thing you have accomplished, Anakin. To come back from the dark side. As your friend Obi-Wan said, a great Jedi you have become."

Anakin sighed as he looked at Buffy, "Revan?" she nodded as he turned to face Revan. "A great Jedi I do not feel."

"That is understandable," Revan said. "When I learned of whom I was. All that I had done as the Sith Lord Darth Revan. I did not feel great. I felt remorse for killing so many. But know this Anakin. A great Jedi you have become. You truly are the chosen one." He looked at Buffy. "It is almost time for you to return home."

Buffy nodded. "I figured that."

"But there is something you must do first," Revan said. "Dawn's child," he looked at Anakin, "and your children, Anakin, must be left behind. They must grow up in this dimension so that they will be of an age to be trained when you all return."

Buffy looked at Dawn with sympathy and nodded as realization crossed her face. "Ani is coming with us?"

Revan nodded. "Yoda and Obi-Wan will remain to watch over the children. But you three and Padme will return to Earth. Palpatine believes that Anakin is dead and has killed Padme. Anakin you must disappear, for if he should find you in the Force he will come for you."

"I know," Anakin said.

"Buffy, I also want to tell you how Earth came to be in another dimension," Revan said. "It was my doing. After having witnessed the prophecy, I had repeated Force visions that told me if something wasn't done and soon that you would be born hundreds of years earlier than you should have been. And so I and Charissa created the Key."

"Dawn," Buffy and Anakin said.

Revan nodded. "Yes, Dawn as she is known now. I used the Key to transfer Earth into a pocket dimension. In the effort of doing so I was killed. But the result was achieved. Once I was one with the Force I learned the pocket dimension was unstable. That in over 700 years time that Earth would revert back. That deadline is rapidly approaching. In 20 years in this universe, 4 years on Earth. It will return. If I hadn't done this the prophecy that I had witnessed would not have come to pass. If I hadn't of done this you would have been born thousands of years before you were destined to."

"I understand," Buffy said.

Revan smiled. "I also have a gift for you." He placed his hand over her heart. Suddenly Buffy felt at peace. "The Slayer is no more. You will still have your Slayer abilities but the demon is gone, forever. Oh and Buffy. An angel has gotten his wing's."

With that Revan disappeared as Buffy looked at the spot where he had been confused.

"What did he mean by an angel has gotten his wing's?" Anakin asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said. "I'm just as confused as you are."

Just then Dawn regained consciousness. "Hey Buffy. What did I miss?"

Buffy smiled. "Well Glory is dead. Faith and Ani killed her."

Dawn blinked. "Faith?"

"Yeah she, Willow and Giles came to get us," Buffy said.

"Wait did you say Faith and Ani killed her?" Dawn asked and for the first time she saw who sat next to Padme's bed. "Ani?"

"Hello, Dawnie," Anakin said as he smiled at his sister. "I'm sorry for what I almost did. Just as I choked Padme and Glorificus was choking you. I had a vision. It was disjointed but it showed events of my future. Or a future I would have traveled if I had not come back with you all. And I realized at that moment that I did not want to become that man. For it had been my actions on Mustafar that had led to those events. The first of which is you and Padme, dying. But now I get to see your home."

"Your coming with us?" Dawn asked.

"Padme and I are coming with you to Earth," Anakin said. "Once she and you have given birth."

"Why once we have given birth?" Dawn asked. "Why not before?"

"Because," Buffy said. "You and Anakin must leave your children here, Dawn."

"What?" Dawn said, shocked.

Buffy sighed as she looked over at Anakin and then back at Dawn. "Revan came to Anakin and I before you woke up. He said they must stay here so that when we return from exile in four years Earth time they will be of an age for you two to train."

Dawn frowned. "Us, why not you?"

Buffy smiled. "Because I know who my Padawan will be. I just need to run a midichlorian count to confirm it."

"Who?" Dawn asked.

"Willow," Buffy stated.

The Naboo skiff reverted to realspace and flashed toward an alien medical installation in the asteroid belt of Polis Massa.

Yoda and Bail Organa, along with a few ground crew, were waiting as the ramp lowers and Anakin emerged, carrying Padme who had finally woken to find her love had returned with her.

"A great Jedi you have become," Yoda said as he looked at Anakin.

"I do not feel, great, Master Yoda," Anakin said as Yoda nodded in understanding.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy sat beside Dawn, holding her sister's hand in both of hers.

Below the opaque tent that shrouded Dawn from chest down, a pair of surgical droids assisted with her labor. A general medical droid fussed and tinkered among the clutter of scanners and equipment.

One of the surgical droids circled out from behind the tent, cradling in its padded arms a tiny infant, already swabbed clean and breathing, but without even the hint of tears.

The droid announced softly, "It's a girl."

Dawn smiled and nodded. "Aurora Hope Skywalker."

"It's a beautiful name, Dawnie." Buffy said as the droid handed her the baby. She looked at her niece. "You know despite the fact she has to stay here. I feel like she should be going with us."

Dawn nodded. "I know. I will miss her."

Buffy handed Aurora to Dawn as outside the operating theater Obi-Wan walked up next to Giles, "How is she doing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"She is fine," Giles said as he turned to face Obi-Wan. "Your Obi-Wan right?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. I am."

"Buffy, told me that she and Dawn consider you a friend. How is Buffy's adopted sister, Padme?" Giles said.

"She delivered twins," Obi-Wan said. "Anakin and Padme requested news on Dawn."

"Dawn, had a daughter," Giles said. He turned and entered the operating theater followed by Obi-Wan. "Your sister, your other sister, and brother-in-law had twins."

Dawn smiled at Obi-Wan, "Would you like to hold her?"

Obi-Wan looked to the girl in Dawn's arms and then nodded as Dawn handed her to him.

"Her name is Aurora Hope Skywalker," Dawn said.

Obi-Wan smiled. "That is a wonderful name, Dawn. Padme named her son, Luke Anakin and her daughter Leia Buffy."

Buffy smiled. "How's Padme?"

"She has been asking to see you and Dawn when Dawn can get around," Obi-Wan said.

Buffy nodded. "I'll go see her," she said as she moved toward the door.

"Give her and Ani, my love," Dawn said.

Buffy stopped and looked back at Dawn and smiled. "I will," she said as she left. She walked down the hall into the next operating theater. "Hey Padme."

"Hello, Buffy," Padme said as she handed her daughter to her sister. "Say hello to your niece."

"Hello, Leia," Buffy said.

"And this is your nephew," Anakin said.

Buffy smiled and looked at the boy in Anakin's arms. "Hello, Luke."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Around a conference table on Tantive IV, Bail, Buffy, Dawn, Padme, Anakin, Giles, Faith, Willow, Obi-Wan, and Yoda met to decide the fate of the galaxy.

Buffy looked at the assembled group. "First order of business. I would like to recommend both Dawn and Anakin be promoted to Master. And a seat given on the Jedi Council."

"You think I'm ready?" Dawn asked as Buffy nodded.

Yoda looked to Obi-Wan who nodded. "Agreed it is."

Dawn smiled. "I humbly accept, Masters."

"As do I," Anakin said.

"Next order of business is Padme and Anakin." Buffy said. "Palpatine is going to believe they are dead. He likely believes that Anakin was killed on Mustafar and short of dragging the lava flows he probably will not look for a body. Padme on the otherhand he might look for."

"Cloned she will be," Yoda said. "Her clone sent in her place to Naboo." He stretched his head high, as though tasting a current in the Force. "Pregnant, the clone must appear."

"Next order of business is the children," Buffy said. "They cannot come with Padme, Anakin, Dawn and I. They must remain here, they along with us are the foundation of the new Jedi Order. That said all three of them should be hidden."

"We should split them up," Obi-Wan said. "Even if the Sith find one, the others may survive. I can take the boy, Master Yoda, and you take the girls. We can hide them away, keep them safe and train them."

Buffy shook her head. "No."

Obi-Wan looked uncertain. "But how are they to learn the self-discipline a Jedi needs? How are they to master skills of the Force?"

"Jedi training, the sole source of self-discipline is not," Yoda said in agreement with Buffy. "When right is the time for skills to be taught, to us the living Force will bring them. Until then, wait we will, and watch, and learn."

"I suggest," Padme said. "That Leia be taken to my parents."

Anakin shook his head. "Padme, your parents will be the first place Palpatine will look for our children. No I think she should be hidden someplace else."

"I can . . ." Bail Organa stopped, flushing slightly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Masters, Padme; I know little about the Force, but I do know something of love. The Queen and I-well, we've always talked of adopting a girl. Padme, if you have no objection, I would like to take Leia to Alderaan, and raise her as our daughter. She would be loved with us."

Padme nodded. "I would be happy with that arrangement, Bail."

Yoda tilted his head. "No happier fate could any child ask for. With our blessing, that of her parents, and that of the Force, let Leia be your child."

Bail stood, a little jerkily, as though he simply could no longer keep his seat. His flush had turned from embarrassment to pure uncomplicated joy. "Thank you, Masters. Thank you Padme—I don't know what else to say. Thank you, that's all. What of the boy?"

"Cliegg Lars still lives on Tatooine, I think—and Anakin and Dawn's stepbrother . . . Owen, that's it, and his wife, Beru, still work the moisture farm outside Mos Eisley . . ." Obi-Wan said.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, I believe you are correct, Obi-Wan. Palpatine knew I was from Tatooine and he knew my mother died there. But I never told him of Cliegg or Owen. Luke and Aurora would be safe there. It's far enough away from Coruscant that Palpatine would have no reason to look their for mine or Dawn's children."

"As close to kinfolk as they can come," Yoda said approvingly. "But Tatooine, not like Alderaan it is-deep in the Outer Rim, a wild and dangerous planet."

"Anakin and I survived it," Dawn said. "Luke and Aurora can, too."

"And I can—well, I could take them there, and watch over them," Obi-Wan said. "Protect them from the worst of the planet's dangers, until they can learn to protect themselves."

"Like a father you wish to be, young Obi-Wan?" Yoda said.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "More an ... eccentric old uncle. It is a part I can play very well. With Anakin, Dawn and Padme's permission I would keep watch over their children—" Obi-Wan sighed, finally allowing his face to register a suggestion of his old gentle smile. "I can't imagine a better way to spend the rest of my life."

"Settled it is, then. To Tatooine, Luke and Aurora shall go." Yoda said.

Bail moved toward the door. "If you'll excuse me, Masters, Padme, I have to call the Queen ..." He stopped in the doorway, looking back. "Master Yoda, do you think Padme's twins and Dawn's child will be able to defeat Palpatine?"

"Strong the Force runs, in the Skywalker line. Both blood and adopted lines. Only hope, we can. Until the time is right, disappear we will."

Bail nodded. "And I must do the same-metaphorically, at least. You may hear . . . disturbing things . . . about what I do in the Senate. I must appear to support the new Empire, and my comrades with me." He looked at Padme. "You have a shrewder political mind than I'll ever have. Please trust that what we do is only a cover for our true task. We will never betray the legacy of the Jedi or even your legacy, Padme. I will never surrender the Republic to the Sith."

"Trust in this, we always will. Go now; for happy news, your Queen is waiting." Yoda said.

"You just keep doing all those things we can't talk about," Padme said with a smile.

Bail Organa bowed as he returned Padme's smile, and vanished into the corridor.

"Next order of business," Buffy said. "The Order needs to be reorganized. The old must be forgotten. Attachments should be allowed, especially now when there is so few of us left."

Yoda nodded in agreement. "Agreed I am. Think of this in my exile I will."

"Last order of business. Obi-Wan will you take a blood sample from Willow and run a midichlorian count." Buffy said.

"If you don't mind?" Obi-Wan said as he turned to face Willow.

Willow shook her head. "No. But what does this count have to do with anything?"

"Midichlorian's are how we feel the Force," Obi-Wan said as he took the blood sample. "If I am not mistaken Buffy wants to take you as her Padawan learner."

Buffy laughed and nodded. "That I do."

Obi-Wan moved to a computer terminal and ran the scan. "Her count is as high as yours Master Yoda."

Buffy nodded. "As I expected. It explains why you're a powerful witch. I will train you so that you can become a powerful Jedi."

Padme, Giles, Willow and Faith bowed and turned and left.

When Anakin, Buffy, Dawn and Obi-Wan moved to follow, Yoda's gimer stick barred their way. "A moment, Masters Kenobi, Naberrie, Skywalker and Skywalker. In your solitude on Tatooine and exile on Earth, training I have for the four of you."

"Training?" Anakin asked.

Yoda nodded. "An old friend has learned the path to immortality."

Obi-Wan looked to Buffy, Anakin and Dawn—all of whom shrug. "Who?"

"One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force to train me . . . your old Master, Qui-Gon Jinn," Yoda said. "It was he who allowed me to commune with Revan."

"Qui-Gon? Revan? But, how could they accomplish this?" Obi-Wan said.

Buffy shrugged. "Don't know. But Dawn and I have seen Revan. At first it was only in our dreams. But his last visitation he even showed himself to Anakin."

"I have seen Revan," Anakin confirmed.

"As have I," Yoda added. "The secret of the Ancient Order of the Whills, they studied. How to commune with them. I will teach you."

"I will be able to talk with Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked.

"How to join the Force, he will train you. As Revan will train Buffy, Dawn and Anakin. Your consciousness you will retain, when one with the Force. Even your physical selves, perhaps." Yoda said.

Obi-Wan nodded and left.

"Master Yoda," Anakin said. "I want to apologize."

"Apology not needed, but accepted. If treated you like we had Buffy and Dawn and allowed your attachments. Fallen you would not have," Yoda said. "To come back from the dark side, a great Jedi you have become. The chosen one are you. Just not as invisioned by the Council."

"We will go with Obi-Wan to Tatooine to deliver Aurora and Luke. Then Anakin, Padme, Dawn and I will take Padme's cloned body home. From there we will go in to exile." Buffy said.

Yoda nodded. "You wish to say goodbye to your adopted family?"

"Yes," Buffy said. "I owe them so much, Master Yoda. It is the least I can do."

"Then go you will," Yoda said. "It will be a long time before I see any of you again. Wish you all luck in your journey I do. It has been my privilege to know the three of you."

Dawn smiled. "As it has been my privilege to know you, Master Yoda." She and Anakin turned and left their sister alone with the Jedi Master.

"And it was my privilege to be your Padawan. I will follow your example, my master. I will train Willow as you trained me," Buffy said.

Yoda smiled. "Of that I have no doubt."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

On Yavin IV two ships landed inside one of the massive temples. There Buffy set up the cloaking device she had procured from Bail and hooked it up to a pair of generators, that she had been assured would last longer than the twenty years needed. "Ceeseven power down. It will be a long time before you see me. But I will return." The droid beeped at Buffy and then powered down as she cloaked the Prometheus.

She then boarded the Naboo ship and with Obi-Wan, Dawn, Giles, Faith and Willow headed for Tatooine, where they landed at the coordinates for the Lars homestead.

Buffy, Anakin, Padme, Dawn and Obi-Wan walk out of the Naboo starship and up to Owen and Beru Lars.

Owen smiled. "Hello, Dawn, Anakin. It has been awhile."

Dawn smiled and handed Aurora to Beru. "Her name is Aurora, Aurora Hope Skywalker. Buffy and I have to leave for a while, where were going she can't come. I will return for her but it will be a long time from now. I want you to take care of her for me."

"We will." Owen said.

Anakin handed Luke to Owen, "This is Padme and my son, Luke. Luke Anakin Skywalker. We too are leaving for a while. And where were going he can't come. It is our wish that you two would watch over Luke."

Owen nodded as he looked down at Luke. "We will watch over them both."

"Do you have a speeder you don't mind losing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Father's speeder is in the garage. Since he passed away he won't be needing it. You can have it." Owen said.

"Then this is goodbye. Buffy, Dawn, Anakin, Padme the four of you are my friends. The next time we see each other I will be 20 years older. Good luck in your exile." Obi-Wan said.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said as he unclipped his lightsaber and handed it to Obi-Wan. "Give this to Luke when you feel he is ready. I will build another after we return from exile."

Obi-Wan nodded as he took the proffered lightsaber. "Need I remind you…"

Anakin laughed. "Where were going. I won't need it."

Buffy nodded and hugged Obi-Wan. "May the Force be With You, always."

Dawn hugged Obi-Wan followed by Anakin and Padme before they boarded the starship and launch heading for Naboo.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Huge solemn crowds lined Palace Plaza in Theed, the capital of Naboo, as six beautiful white gualaars draw a flower-draped open casket bearing the remains of a beloved Senator through the Triumphal Arch.

Buffy stood with Dawn, Padme and Anakin beside the Naberrie family. The four of them wore robes with their hoods up to hide their identities from the crowds. The only people that knew them were the man and two women that had come to be Buffy's parents and elder sister in all but blood.

After the funeral Buffy smiled at her adopted parents and adopted sister, "Mom… Dad… Sola, Padme, Anakin, Dawn and I have to go. I wish we didn't. I'm afraid we won't see any of you again. Know that I love you and will think of you often."

Ruwee and Jobal each hug Padme and Buffy and wished them luck in wherever they went. Then Sola stepped and hugged first Padme and then Buffy. "I will not say goodbye. Maybe someday, somehow we will see each other again. Until then good luck." She then turned to Dawn. "You take good care of our sisters."

Dawn smiled and hugged Sola, "I will." She looked to Ruwee and Jobal and decided to honor what they had done for Buffy after they had first arrived. "Goodbye… Mom, Dad."

Ruwee and Jobal smile at Dawn and then hug her and then say their goodbyes to her as well.

Padme, Anakin, Buffy and Dawn turned and walked a short distance to where Giles, Willow and Faith stood.

Giles put a reassuring hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Buffy looked at Anakin and Padme before returning her gaze to Giles. "Not really. But it is time, anyways."

Willow nodded as she pulled out the remote and opened the portal to Earth and home.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

On Kamino, Palpatine stood before three cloning tubes and smiled. The experiment had worked. Darth Vader would rise from the ashes. And with him so would two new Sith, Darth Traya and Darth Ventrus. Even now he could sense the Force was strong in them like their Jedi counterparts.