Chapter 43 -The Rebel's Honor
When his sister and brother got home today from training, they rushed to their rooms in an excited hurry. This surprised Leo. His day was a usual day training with his master, Kento Merek, and attending the usual lessons. The fourteen year old didn't know what would make the twins so excited.
"Luk-" Leo's voice was caught in his throat. On the floor in his brother's room sat two bags and a pile of clothes the seventeen year old was quickly adding to. "What's going on?"
"LEIA! LEIA, DO YOU HAVE MY…" Luke ignored his brother and stood by his door shouting. Leia walked past the door and wordlessly threw a bundle at him, interrupting his shouting. "THANKS," he yelled back. Only then did Luke turn towards Leo, who stood there with a confused expression. "We have a mission!" Luke announced in an excited voice.
"A mission? I haven't heard of any mission. Where are you going, Mos Eisley again?" Leo's lips formed a straight line and he folded his arms in front of his chest.
"Nope, we're going to Nar Shaddaa," Leia returned to the door and answered.
Leo looked back and forth between them in shock. "The Smuggler's Moon!"
"Yup, some Pirates 've got an old Jedi droid there. And we're gonna go get it before the empire does," Luke summarized.
"That sounds so cool! Will I get to go?" Leo started to pack his own bag in his mind. He couldn't imagine having a cooler mission to go on.
Leia folded her arms. "No, you're too young. You're staying here. Sorry, kid."
Leo deflated.
"Our first strategy is to negotiate with the pirates to give the droid over. There probably won't even be any fights, or anything cool." Luke attempted to downplay it when he saw his brother's disappointment.
"Besides, your master and Master Coleman are in charge of setting up a defense of Tatooine, just in case. That means you and Ella-Reese will be working together," Leia hinted with an eyebrow waggle.
Leo had to admit that if he couldn't go on the coolest mission ever, working with Ella Reese was a cool substitute. He just wished his sister didn't make it sound like a… a thing. Leo blushed as he skedaddled before his siblings' teasing could follow.
"So, do you think they'll finally become an item?" Leia, arms folded, asked her brother.
"I don't know, but on a mission with both of their masters to keep an eye on them, it doesn't seem likely," Luke pointed out.
"Wanna bet?" Leia smiled at her brother.
When Leia first heard they were going to stop at a rebel base, she pictured something dirty. Something with loud, drunk men all cahoodled around antiquated fire pits. When she and Master Yoda walked out into the base's hanger, she was surprised how clean and orderly the place looked.
"Greetings," said a young lady who looked almost exactly as old as Leia. She showed a bright smile and held out a hand for the Jedi Master to shake.
Yoda looked at her like she was an ill-mannered child. He turned around almost looking for an 'adult' he could talk to. When he didn't find anyone, he addressed her, "Greetings. To speak with your command, we have come. Us there now, you will take." Leia tried to stand obediently beside her Master, though the urge to look around in awe was almost too much.
"Yes, of course. You know, we can go past the training rooms. There's nearly always someone interesting to watch." She elbowed Leia, breaking her resolve and letting a smile show.
Yoda, meanwhile, looked disapprovingly at them both. "Time, we don't have. The direct route, you will take."
"Oh, Okay," the woman sighed. Leia felt herself almost wanting to sigh with her. "My name is Juno, Juno Eclipse. It's nice to meet you both."
"Okay, Luke, Galen. We want to have a word with you before we step off the shuttle." Obi-Wan stood next to his former padawan, in front of their current padawans.
"Oh, come on Master Ben, Dad. This isn't either of our first missions. We know the drill. Follow you at all times." Luke mimicked.
"Don't speak unless you're spoken to. Don't pull your saber unless you draw yours first," Galen went on.
"Report anything suspicious to you, Master, Luke finished.
Anakin shared a perplexed look with Obi-Wan. A look that said wordlessly 'Was I ever like this?'
To which Obi-Wan replied with a sarcastic eye that said 'Yes. Yes you were.'
Anakin sighed. "Alright, but this isn't a usual mission to Mos Eisley or Mos Espa. We are in Alderaan, and though it's a peaceful world, it is very far from home. When we're done here, we're going to Nar Shaddaa, and it is not a peaceful world. Even a casual mission can become very dangerous, very fast. There will be NO trouble from either of you while we're here. Do you understand?" Both masters put on their best firm, no nonsense faces.
"Yes, Master." Both boys whined. "Yes father," Luke drawled on.
"Good," Obi-Wan nodded at Anakin. "Let's go. Bail is already waiting for us in the palace."
Galen and Luke shared a look and an excited smile before following the two older Jedi.
"Mara, Mara…" Winter was out of breath when she finally tracked her sister down. "There you are. I'm only seventeen, yet I feel seventy when I go through ALL of your secret passageways to look for you. I thought you said you'd be behind the south side library."
"I'm sorry. I was there, but then I heard dad say something about Jedi visitors to meet here, and I rushed over," Mara sheepishly apologized.
"Oh, I see," Winter mocked. "Here, Ms. Dolly sent you this." she passed the fifteen year old a wrapped bun with sliced meat and cheese. "Any signs of your Jedi yet?"
"No," Mara unwrapped and began to munch on her sandwich. As she ate she kept glancing up over the wall she was hiding behind. It was a pity she wasn't allowed in the hanger without permission, but to ask for permission she'd have to explain how she heard a conversation she was supposedly nowhere nearby to hear.
After several minutes, Mara dropped her sandwich and turned when she heard the door open to the ship that had landed some time ago. She heard her father enter the Hanger, and greet four men who walked out of the ship. Two were older men, and two were young teens. They weren't dressed like the Jedi did in her holobooks, but her father bowed to greet them.
"Welcome, Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker. Welcome to my home."
"Oh my!" Mara gasped. "Did you see them? They have lightsabers and everything."
Winter rolled her eyes at her sister, though she didn't get any closer to look.
"Hold on, I think they're saying something else," Mara pressed her ear to the side of the wall so she could hear better.
"Hello Bail. This is my son Luke, and my Padawan, Galen." Skywalker introduced.
Mara looked stunned at Winter. "His son?"
Winter met her with equal confusion. "The Jedi order was celibate. Jedi don't have sons, maybe he meant his padawan."
"No, he clearly said son," Mara pointed out.
Winter got up and crawled over to where she could see into the room. "Which one?"
"The hot one, over there, and the tall one," Mara answered.
"The hot one," Winter mocked. Mara rolled her eyes and blushed "Oh yeah, I see it. They do look like father and son. And, yes, we will definitely be talking about this crush later."
Mara, still blushing, turned back to watch the Jedi.
Completely oblivious to what was being discussed about them, the others continued their conversation. "Master Yoda and my daughter have gone on to the rebellion base, to see if they have any more news of Huyang," Skywalker went on. "You did get to see the family photos with my wife, didn't you?"
"Oh yes. You make a beautiful family," Bail confirmed.
"Were you able to get extra funds to pay the ransom?" Kenobi inquired, getting them back on topic..
"Yes, my allies were very generous. Come this way." Bail led them with him out of the hanger.
"Commander Tano, ma'am." Juno greeted her superior with a salute, then stepped back to allow her to greet Leia and her Master.
Yoda almost smiled. He greeted Ahsoka with a bow which she returned. "Good to see you, it is."
Then Leia stepped up and replicated the greeting. "Auntie Ahsoka." Ahsoka smiled warmly when she returned Leia's bow.
"I am very glad that you are here. I've only returned from another assignment this morning, otherwise I'd have delivered the news myself."
"Is there any more news of the pirates or of Huyang?" Yoda got right to business. Leia followed him and Ahsoka up to a holoscreen to view what information the Rebellion had gathered.
"The Rebellion has been ordered to monitor everything that has anything to do with Hutt Space. My analysts have narrowed their location down to one of these buildings on Nar Shaddaa. It also looks to be a small selection of Hondo Ohnaka's men, who released the original demand. His gang fractured after the Empire did away with the Fair Justice Charter. There's no evidence yet to tell if Hondo himself is actually involved with this, or one of his former commanders. The gangs can be difficult to keep track of." Ahsoka shrugged.
Yoda looked at the information displayed on a holo screen, and nodded along. "See this, I do."
"I know you'll want to handle this as a Jedi matter, but the Alliance has as much interest in preventing the empire from getting a hold of Huyang as you do. Because of that I'd like to assign an officer to accompany you."
"No! Necessary, that will not be," Yoda insisted. "A rescue of a Jedi associate, this is. Fighting the Empire, we will avoid."
"Come on, Master. She's…" Leia started to argue. Yoda gave her a look that meant silence, and she closed her mouth. Her mother taught her well how to argue a point, but also that there was a place for it, and a place not to argue.
"I have it under good authority that the Imperial command has already seen this clip, and they're sending Darth Vader to negotiate and pay the ransom. Your only hope, if you fail to convince the pirates to take your money instead, is to arrive before the Black Eight Squadron does." Ahsoka argued.
Leia huffed, "Mmm…," but Yoda silenced her again. She then put on her own look of defiance that meant 'This argument is not over yet. We WILL be having words, later.'
Truth, it was a look her parents would tell you to fear. Of course, when your mother is a former senator and Queen, that look isn't foolproof and can be fought against. The time when she was Four, and she asked her mother about how hutts breed was one of them. After being told it was an inappropriate question to ask infront of her baby brother, Leia gave her mother the look. Her mother actually lasted six whole days of being too busy to ask again. In the end Leia had to go to her father with the question, and she learned her first swear word then too. That was a memory she was fond of.
This one was one, Leia was sure, she would be proud of too. If the old Jedi would only listen, she'd argue that Ahsoka was right. They should take along a whole Rebellion Squadron, if Auntie Ahsoka could spare them. On Tatooine, they might be on the Outer Rim, but they do hear a lot about the Empire. First, the New Order, as it was called, was a farce. It was not Order at all, but powerful men struggling to stay in power no matter what. The Empire did away with many of the statutes that the old Republic used to insure equality and fair justice for everyone. Now, the Empire can arrest you for nearly any reason, and they don't have to let you defend yourself in court, or provide an attorney. There are almost NO standards for how prisoners get treated either. 'As sentient beings, the Jedi are responsible to stop this. No matter how 'safe,' their world currently is. Boy Yoda will be hearing it , If I have anything to say about it.'
Ahsoka, however, needed no aid to her argument. "I want to send Juno. Officer Eclipse is the best pilot in her squadron."
"A child, she is!" Yoda looked dumbstruck.
"She was the youngest cadet to graduate the Corulag Academy and she served as a Captain of the Black Eight Squadron, before she defected. Juno may be young, but don't let that fool you. She's as capable as I was," Ahsoka argued. In the corner of the room, the girl in question puffed her chest out with pride.
"From the Empire, she defected. Her loyalty, we cannot trust." Yoda returned.
"I pulled Eclipse out of there myself. She's seen the dark things the Sith are capable of. I trust her more than half of my men." Ahsoka stared at Yoda.
The old Jedi stared back. Leia was starting to fight the urge to gasp in awe. She doubted anyone had ever gone this long in a stare down against her Master. 'But boy, after this, I'm gonna try. As long as her head doesn't explode. It still might.'
"Fine, Officer Eclipse comes along," Yoda gave in. Everybody except for the two protagonists sighed.
"That's good news. Officer Eclipse, you've heard your assignment?" Ahsoka turned to ask the young officer.
"Yes Ma'am." Juno replied. "And I'd like to tell you, to assure you that you don't have to worry about my flipping sides, why I joined the Alliance. It was last year. As Ahsoka said, I was in command of the Black Eight Squadron and we were ordered to surround Callos after the commanders got word the Callosians were looking to turn their offensive technologies against the Empire. Then we were ordered to bomb their planet, and destroy the reactor. I'm no scientist, but the fallout of that would've destroyed everything living on Callos. I didn't want to kill a whole planet, but those were the orders. I was struggling with my conscience, and I dared ask one question to Commander Vader over the comms."
"I had been on Callos at the time, negotiating their joining the Rebellion. I doubt the Imperialists were even aware I was there. I've learned to be very covert. Anyway, they had a few outdated comms and they were able to hack them to pick up the transmissions being sent by the Empire above. I heard Juno ask her question, and I knew it was time to speak up."
Juno smiled, "And I'm thankful that she did. If she didn't I don't know if I would've had the strength to defy orders, or how I would've lived with it if I had fired on the planet. I shut off my guns, and my second in command shut hers off as well."
"It only took them a few minutes to demand the remaining pilots to shoot the reactor, but in that time, the Callosians were able to get a shield in place," Ahsoka said.
Juno smiled, "Yes, the Callosians are safe. After that, I was declared a traitor to the Empire. I lost control of my ship, and if it wasn't for Ahsoka's quick thinking to shoot me down, I'd have been executed. That I am sure of. So, there's no way that I would EVER rejoin the Empire. The Rebellion is my family now."
"I believe her." Leia declared.
Yoda nodded. "Yes, feel your sincerity, I do. A welcome help, you may be. Come along, you will."
Hello Everyone,
Well, this was an interesting chapter of almost meetings, sort of. Mara and Luke will still have to wait to meet officially, but this little glimpse I thought was cute. And then, I only learned I had written Juno Eclipse in as I was writing it.
In the Legend's Verse, Juno Eclipse is Galen Merek's aka Starkiller's Girlfriend. The incident on Callos is real, only in the Legend's verse, she actually fired on the planet, destroying all life there. And yes, she was only Sixteen at the time. It was a decision she later regretted, though it did get her on Vader's good side, and was how she met Galen.
However, this is my universe, so I didn't have to have any of that happen. First, I figured If the Callosians were really thinking about fighting the Empire, the Rebel Alliance would want them to join. Having them send Ahsoka was only natural. And I find it hard to believe, if the Callosians had a reactor with the power to destroy their planet upon it's explosion, they would've had the power to shield it. And the Wikis say Juno was very hesitant to fire on Callos anyways, so having her change her mind then because Ahsoka hacked onto her radio and offered a voice of reason only made sense.
As to when I'm going to have her and Galen meet, I don't know. You'll find out when I do, probably. According to the Wiki's they weren't a love at first sight couple to begin with, so I am excused in putting a few stumbling stones in their path. [Wicked Grin]
As to Leo Skywalker and Ella-Reese, my little OC couple. I will get to have a lot of fun with them because they are all mine.
And I have a very specific reason I am having everyone go on this little adventure. I feel bad that I can't explain what that is yet, but it will make a certain decision by a certain character more believable later on. Spoilers… Again, there will be no time jump between this chapter and the next, so… I'll see you then.