My apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. I have been stuck on writing Chapter 3 and 4 so I did't want to post. Chapter 3 is written and I am very slowly working on chapter 4. This story will be finished, it is just taking me a lot longer to write it then I had originally thought it would. I cannot say when the next chapter will be posted but I will try to post at least once a month.

Future of the Jedi

Chapter 2

They'd been in hyperspace for a day before Obi-Wan decided to test the twins. He and Ahsoka had mostly left the twins to pilot the ship on their own. All they had to do was ensure that systems were not overheating and their trajectory in hyperspace remained on schedule. The two Masters had spent the majority of the time trying to work out a plan that the twins could follow if anything went wrong. In the light of Obi-Wan's vision, it seemed likely they would be left on their own.

As a first mission this shouldn't be happening for the twins but if the Force willed it…

Obi-Wan stepped into the cockpit. Though he had allowed Leia to pilot the ship so far, now was not the time for her concentration to be elsewhere, not when he wanted to quiz them both on the assignment they had been given.

Ahsoka slipped into the pilots seat that Leia had vacated, checking the dashboard before swinging the chair back round again.

The twins were seated on the chairs behind the front ones, looking at Obi-Wan who was leaning against the wall, with his arms folded across his chest.

Leia had her right leg crossed under her left with the limb hanging off the side of the chair, whilst Luke folded his legs beneath him, looking up at his Master with an eager expression on his face.

"So…"Obi-Wan began slowly, "this is your first assignment as Padawans. It is necessary for us to question you on how much you know, what to expect and what you will do if everything goes wrong."

Luke sat up straighter, a slight bit of fear crossing his face, whilst Leia just took it in her stride.

Obi-Wan knew Luke had been studying the data constantly since the trip had begun. He had done so prior to the assignment which was something Leia had embarked upon as well however neither he nor Ahsoka had seen Leia studying since leaving Coruscant. It would be interesting to see which twin would fare better in their quiz.

"This will show us how much you have thought about and considered what you should do in any type of situation you may experience. Our assignment may be straight-forward but we cannot be too careful," continued Ahsoka, glancing between the two twins.

Luke felt his stomach twist. The concerns he had voiced to his Master had been dismissed by him, telling him he shouldn't dwell upon any potential problems that may rise… yet now the two Jedi were saying that they should have considered it anyway. So what was correct?

Obi-Wan looked straight at Luke then.

Luke's eyes widened. His Master had heard the question formed in his head over their bond. This was not good.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "You do not need to worry, Luke. It is a valid question."

"So what is the answer then, Master?"

"Ahsoka and I need to know how you may deal with certain situations if they arise. It does not mean they will. You were concerned over anything that could go wrong, you were not envisioning on what to do. There is a difference between the two. You only need look for it," explained his Master serenely.

Luke bowed his head, understanding his Master's point.

"First we would like to know how much you know about the history of the planet we have been assigned to and why Jedi presences are needed. Leia?" Ahsoka turned her steely eyes upon her apprentice. "This question is yours."

Leia nodded. She brushed her braid behind her ear as she prepared to speak.

"Xancra has been a fairly new planet, recently discovered in the last five hundred years. It's on the outskirts of Republic space and in the last decade has joined the Republic. They have yet to have an official representative at the Senate due to internal squabbling between the two political parties that have long since ruled Xancra. The two parties are Aggara and Pecsi. Pecsi is the Xancra word for 'peace' and Aggara represents 'aggression'. Aggara has ruled Xancra for many long years, only to be dethroned fifteen years ago when President Echo Trevalini of Pecsi was elected. Pecsi has not ruled Xacra for over two hundred years so it marks a different way of life for the people of Xancra. There is opposition to the Pecsi government for joining the Republic, mainly from traditionalists who wish to remain secluded from the galaxy of large."

Leia paused there, thinking through what she needed to say next. "Xancra is fairly advanced in terms of technology and has the ability to space travel within their own system however they rarely do. They prefer to remain grounded. President Echo Trevalini has little support in government for wanting to send a representative to the Senate. The majority of people do not want to have any dealings with the Republic but wish for the advantages it gives without giving anything back. The political stability has been rocked by several attacks on loyal members to the President or several prominent public figures that support the notion of fully accepting the Republic's laws. Several threats have been made against the President and Aggara is using these attacks to begin, what the President describes as, a 'hostile takeover'. His position is tenuous at best. He is in danger of being foisted from power and government rule transferring back to Aggara. If this happens then Aggara will withdraw from the Republic and undo all the work the Pecsi party have achieved in the last fifteen years. The majority of the people's lives have improved since Republic involvement however the elite among society have had to suffer so that poorer people have a better quality of life. They disagree with this and believe you need to work to better yourself rather than have a galactic government make life easier for you. Personally I think that is disgusting since everyone deserves a better life. Being born poorer limits your choices on Xancra and there is less of a chance you will succeed to better yourself as you will not have the resources at your disposal to succeed. This is what the Pecsi party wish to happen. They believe in equality whereas Aggara does not."

She paused again, took a deep breath and continued. "Jedi presence is needed on Xancra to protect the alliance made between the planet, the people and the Republic. It is our job to ensure the lives of Republic citizens are protected and their livelihoods are not stripped away from them in an act of cruelty. Our primary mission is to protect the President and his loyal supporters from assassinations and – if possible – to uncover the true culprit behind these attacks." Leia finished and folded her arms across her chest.

"That was very detailed," congratulated Ahsoka. "Just what I expected from you, Leia."

Leia grinned.

Luke raised his hand.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan noticed.

"My sister missed one vital piece of information," said Luke.

"Oh?" Leia glared at her twin. "I think I got everything!"

Luke shrugged. "You didn't. There are Force sensitive children on Xancra too. At least three have been identified to have potential to join the Jedi Order. We are involved to show that a Jedi's life isn't as bad as it sounds. The parents are interested in learning more however their local area politician is against it and refuses to acknowledge there are Force sensitive children that could benefit the Jedi Order and their planet."

"Very good Luke. An extra piece of information you would have learned, Leia, if you had looked at the small print in the document. It isn't an important point but it is one we have to consider," conceded Obi-Wan.

Leia scowled. She hated being bested though Luke couldn't help it. He was thorough when it came to his reading.

He knew his sister was interested in politics. If she wanted to forge a career in that area she would have to start looking at the small print instead of bypassing it.

"Next question…." Obi-Wan glanced between the two. "Say, for example, we are attacked, what will you do?"

"Follow your lead," answered Leia.

"Obey your instructions," said Luke. "If you tell us to run, we do it. If you tell us to hide, we follow that order. We do not try to copy you unless instructed otherwise."

"Good," nodded Ahsoka. "Both correct answers though, Luke, you do give more detail. Leia, this is something you need to work on, especially if you intend to head down the path you wish to in the future."

Leia inclined her head.

"Third question… What would you do if both Master Kenobi and I were unable to help you? Take your time with this…"

Luke frowned. Why ask this? Did they believe something might happen on this assignment that might mean he and his sister would be left alone? They were only thirteen… they wouldn't be able to handle anything like that…

Luke! Stop worrying!

I'm not! But he was. And he knew it. And his twin had felt it over the bond they shared.

"You would expect us to try to contact the Temple for help, if we could," said Leia. "Stay out of harm's way, and try not to get caught. That's why there are supplies in our little packs that you two have added just in case Luke and I need to camp in the jungle. It would be the best place to remain unnoticed. But if we can't contact the Jedi Temple then Luke and I would have to keep a low profile until help comes."

"But how would the Council know to send help if you cannot contact them?" pointed out Obi-Wan.

"That's easy," answered Luke. "Your bond with dad. You can talk to him through it and warn him."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Not exactly. The further there is between Anakin and I, the less we are able to talk to one another. I can still sense his presence at the moment but with every inch of space we cross, the bond grows weaker. I can still send messages to him now but I can feel it stretching. I suspect by the time we get to Xancra I will be unable to communicate anything to Anakin through our bond. I will just be able to sense he is still alive, not actively communicate."

"Oh."

"I think I know," answered Leia. "You've just given us the answer."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Have I?"

Luke glanced at his sister questioningly.

Leia smiled. "You don't think you'd be able to communicate with him but you feel you would still be able to sense he is still alive. So if you can still sense dad, then he should be able to sense you… but if you are in danger that sense will change for dad. Dad will notice the change. He may try to communicate with us or the planet to determine if we are safe. If he gets no answer he will come to Xancra"

"Not without ratification from the rest of the Council, he won't," replied Ahsoka.

"But you are right, Leia. If Anakin can still sense me but not communicate and notices a change in the state of the bond that may make him act to find out if anything untoward has happened. But… that isn't the answer we are looking for," continued Obi-Wan.

Luke felt surprised echoing around his sister's Force signature. He wondered what the correct answer was.

"What do you know about this ship?" asked Ahsoka, moving her hand around the cockpit. "What's different about it from standard shuttles?"

Luke suddenly understood. "Oh! The pod! But not pod!"

Obi-Wan nodded. "And…?" he encouraged.

"The shuttle is carrying a very small pod. Like a narrow tube, so not a pod. It was constructed to aid Padawans in contacting for help if missions went wrong!"

Leia then spoke up. "Before we land on Xancra, we will have to cruise over the jungle. You'll release the mechanism and dump it in the jungle so if anything does go wrong, Luke and I can head towards it!"

"And then either Leia or I can get in, pilot it up into space and transmit to the Council before returning to the surface and leaving the area as quickly as possible," finished Luke.

"Good," said Ahsoka. "And if we do not need to use the pod, it will join up with the shuttle when we leave Xancra. It remains in active mode at all times but doesn't give off much of a heat signature to be detected on ordinary scanners."

The twins nodded. Both already knew this.

"We're not going to ask you any more questions right now but do continue with the reading. It is important we avoid any situation that leaves you two on your own and having to use the pod to get help," instructed Obi-Wan. "Even if you have reread the same pieces of text fifty times, we both want you to be prepared. If it comes down to it, we'd rather you knew what you were doing than fumble along without a plan. Which, might I add," he smiled, laughing lightly, "is something your father does on a very regular basis."

The twins laughed.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" asked Ahsoka. She was sitting in the pilot's seat, having ordered the twins to sleep and rest for the next few hours. They would be arriving at Xancra soon and she wanted both Padawans to be ready and alert.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, his right hand on his chin as he stroked his beard. "They will be. I think if my vision plays out the way it should Luke and Leia will be on their own. But I believe they will take on the challenge and succeed. They have to… Everyone is looking towards them as successors to Anakin. Luke and Leia are not just normal Jedi apprentices. They're the future of the Jedi."

To be continued...

Thank you for the comments for the previous chapter!

Next chapter: The Jedi arrive on Xancra...

Until next time,

the-writer1988