UP SHAK NEBULA By Kondoru
Standard Disclaimers.
Thanks to JP for Betaing.
Part Three. Swiss Family Skywalker.
Leia lay down on the sand, head pillowed on bag. But no sooner than she had dropped off to sleep then Luke came in. He wore a big leaf by way of poncho, and carried a bundle wrapped up in another.
Leia sat up. "What have you found?"
"Rubbish." He unwrapped his prize, to reveal a mass of objects. "There are people on this planet."
Darth Vader nodded triumphantly. "Told you it was inhabited."
"I wasn't sure what we might need so I picked up stuff at random." He gave the mass a poke. "Mostly rope and cordage. We may need it."
Leia picked thoughtfully through the bundle. "Cordage is good. Fishing gear may be helpful…"
"I can teach you to find and catch fish using the Force" Darth Vader said.
"We need containers of various types." She continued. "Wood for the fire. We have no saw or axe."
"I have my lightsabre" Luke said. "Can I use it for prosaic purposes, Dad?" He asked.
"No reason why not." Darth Vader smiled under his helm. "Manys the night I cut firewood with my lightsabre, lit the fire with the Force too….Can you do that yet?"
Luke shook his head. "Not yet."
Leia held up a soggy, sandy mass. "We have a towel! Shame it needs a wash and a dry."
Over the next two weeks the mismatched family settled in to their new life.
The twins explored the island, which was a few klicks long by one wide. A few other islands were on the horizon, including one with proper hills.
There were no remains upon the island, aside a few well-worn ruins, and no sign of sentients aside from rubbish washed up on the beach.
The largest land animal was the Gizka. There were also a few lizards and many birds.
There was a well, rather overgrown with vines, in the valley below the cave. The water was as clean as anything inside a spaceship, and after a few wary days of boiling it, the Twins forgot this rule. They came to no harm.
Food consisted mainly of Gizka, the odd bird, and fish. There were many fruits and other useful plants. Luke took up cooking experimentation, though he bemoaned their lack of kitchenware. The survival kit had a pot, and they both possessed knives, but nothing else. Luke found an unidentified piece of sheet metal on the beach, this was now a frying pan. They used shells as spoons and big leaves as plates. Leia found a gourd plant and carved them all cups, with their names on.
They did not go hungry though all craved bread. Darth Vader lived on his vitapaste though he periodically drank a little boiled water in order to reduce the strain on his recycling system. It was strange to see the Sith without his mask; He did not keep it off long, though they agreed that letting fresh air to his wan face would improve his scarred skin. He was still dependent on it for breathing.
Luke came down with a chill after getting wet, and spent two days shivering by the fire. Leia trod on a sea urchin and made an inordinate fuss when her brother dug the spines out of her foot with a needle. Darth Vader had a few bad days. He had blackouts and spent that period unconscious.
But soon he woke and though weak and a little confused, soon was better.
Leia felt guilty over her gladness at his recovery.
All in all it was a good holiday. There was plenty of nice things to eat, water and tea to drink, a stimulating environment and good company. Those weeks were a time of happiness.
They were lacking in so many essentials. Leia needed a comb, so had to patiently carve one from a hard nut shell. They had only the clothing they came with, which was a problem, and wet nights were chilly. There was no blankets, except a thermal one, which rustled and tore. The twins made couches of dried grass which got everywhere, the large leaves Luke found smelled too odd to wrap in at night. Proper bedding was something that was sadly missed.
Darth Vader was secure in his suit, though the Alliance had purloined his cloak and surcoat which would have made excellent bedding for the Twins. They made him a litter so he could be carried outside the cave easily. Their father was heavy.
Darth Vader slept peacefully a lot, when awake he told his children stories, and discussed the latest discoveries and potential ways to use them.
One day there was a storm.
The Twins gathered up their woodpile and pulled it into the cave for shelter. They sat happily by the fire, laughing at the noise of the wind. With them were several bottles of water and a brace of Gizka and a few fish. The storm was exciting rather than a threat.
Darth Vader told them stories from the Jedi temple. It was a pleasant few days.
After the big storm there was something new. "There's going to be a lot of driftwood, what else do you think we will find?" Leia all but ran down the now worn path to the beach.
The beach had changed its shape. There was bare rock where there had been sand, and the rocks were covered in sand and seaweed. Indeed there was a lot of shattered wood. Leia picked her way along the new made beach. Rather than wood, she was searching out manufactured items.
Rounding a big tree, Leia was confronted by a boat.
"Hello!" she called. Was there anyone aboard? But the vessel was empty.
Giving a mental call to Luke, the redundant Princess began to examine it.
The yacht was a simple sailing vessel, with berths for three people.
Inside was a terrible mess of water and scattered equipment. The Twins set to explore this new bounty. There were so many things here that they lacked. Pots, pans, dishes, soap, sleeping bags, another power unit and a lantern.
But first they concentrated on the boat itself. Luke immediately decided to tidy it up and set off on a voyage.
After two days thoughtful work, the boat was pumped free of water and moored securely in the lagoon. "I think we can make something of this." Leia said. The mast was shattered and the torn sail was entangled in a mass of rigging.
They laid it out on the beach.
"Junk rig. Twi'leks use it." Dad said curtly.
"I never saw you as a sailor." Leia said.
"My computer."
"I should have known. I spent one afternoon in a dingy on a reservoir." She said. "There's no way we can operate this."
"Twi'lek rig easy to use." He nodded to himself. "If we can fix it, I'm sure we can use it."
Luke produced a big case. "We have a tool kit now." He said with delight.
"But can we sail?" Leia shook her increasingly matted head.
Darth Vader shook his head. "We don't know where we are. Lehon is over 90% water…There is just one continent worthy of the name, the rest is like here…Small islands."
"You have star charts from all over the galaxy?" Asked Luke. He was always very impressed at his Sires encyclopaedia.
Darth Vader nodded, "Yes I do. However I have none for Lehon…In fact I have very little data on Lehon."
"You're telling us what the plants do." Leia objected.
Her father shook his head wearily. "Yes…Most plants and animals here were introduced. For their useful purposes. This is a planned planet." He explained. "It may look like pristine wilderness…Lehon can be…Deceptive."
That night the twins took their father out of the cave so he could match his suits charts to the night sky.
But to no avail. They were too far out of the Empire for Darth Vaders comprehensive star charts to be any use. He could match very few stars to his records.
"We need to do something." Moaned Leia in exasperation. She was getting tired of her holiday.
"I'm still not sure this is a good idea." Darth Vader objected.
"We have a distillation unit we never use." Leia said. "Water isn't a problem."
"There are sea monsters here." Her father said firmly.
"I found a spine bone on the other side of the island…I could not get my arms around it." Leia said.
"Thought so." Darth Vader said firmly. "And what about tides?"
"What's that?" Leia was finding herself increasingly dependent upon her disowned sire's knowledge.
Darth Vader shook his head. "Of course, where you came from there is no moon…Tides need a moon."
"There are two here." Luke said. They had spent a lot of time watching the moons. One was far out, the other close by, transiting several times a day. They got used to sudden total eclipses.
"No, we are not taking any risks." Darth Vader was firm. "Look it over again…maybe there will be a comm we can use?"
But after three searches no one could find a comm. It was exasperating.
The boat provided a welcome diversion in the monotony of their lives.
"Who knows…maybe the owner will come searching for it." Leia said thoughtfully.
As for their immobile father, he showed no sign of dying.
His suit looked after him very well, after its daily charge with the power unit. (This was really only used for that purpose, the Twins had a fire for warmth and cooking, and had made lamps out of shells filled with fish oils). His cybernetics had burned out circuitry, Darth Vader had spare wires running up and down his metal limbs. He had patiently re fitted those using his telekinesis, to little avail. His body was too weak to move much. Darth Vader needed nutrients as well as power, and they were running low on vitapaste.
"If I made you Gizka broth, could you swallow it?" Asked Luke.
"Um, there's one problem with me eating…" His redundant father said with a shamed face.
The problem involved boiling up a supply of the purple berry salve. This had proven very useful in everyday life. Not only was it good for cuts and insect bites, it gave good relief to sunburn, something that vexed the pale skinned Twins constantly.
The solution involved partial desuiting.
Darth Vaders `skin` was foul with ulcers. The Twins gagged, they knew their unwanted sire was in a lot of pain, but they had not expected this. Keeping him hygienic was a challenge.
"I need soap." Growled Leia. Never had she imagined she would end up ass wiping her arch enemy.
At least, if she had, there would be soap.
Luke knew nothing about Force healing, but he did his best to help his Father heal. He concentrated upon his lungs. These meditational sessions ended with big coughing fits, and Darth Vader held over Luke's lap, as he brought up vile blood clots.
Leia silently helped him drink a cup of lukewarm tea. She knew that they could not return until their arch enemy was dead, and yet she was willing him to heal up.
"That's better…I'm so sore!" Wheezed Darth Vader, gesturing to Luke to hand him his helmet. This was replaced and Luke silently rolled the black armoured mass onto his couch of straw. The old Sith sighed with relief. He paused. "Lung function up one percent" He read off his HUD.
"That's good" praised Leia. Why was she so happy?
"Oh, stop your brownnosing!" Snarled Leia one morning.
"What did I do wrong now?" Her father said plaintively. "I praised Luke's fruit mash, didn't I?"
Luke said nothing. He knew his father was very glad to get eating again.
"What is wrong?" Darth Vader continued. He knew Leia was still being Leia.
"I'm just wondering where Han is." Growled Leia. (She was suffering from sexual frustration and was doing her best not to let her male family know).
"Han Solo, the smug smuggler?" Her father confirmed. "Now your Highnesses boyfriend?"
"Gah." Said Leia and turned away.
"He hasn't found us yet." Luke said quietly. "He's looking."
"Would he know where to look?" Darth Vader asked. "Lehon is pretty much out of the way. And there's a whole load of anomalies in the Tempered Wastes." He looked down. "Not easy to navigate here. This is why the Empire never really expanded in the Western reaches."
"I was hoping Mon Mothma would tell him. How long have we been here?" Leia said. "About four standard months."
Darth Vader wriggled, trying to get his inert body to respond. "Expecting me dead by now?" He growled.
(The twins had been counting the days…Not realising that Lehon's day is much shorter than the standard).
"I can't believe she's not going to check up on us." Luke said thoughtfully. "I think she would send Han and Chewie."
Leia curled in on herself, watching her bare feet in thought. "You don't approve, do you?"
"Of what?" Darth Vader said curtly.
"Me dating a rogue."
Darth Vader gave a huge sigh. "I love you with all my heart…But some of your political choices I wonder about. To me you are all rogues."
His children were silent. They could say nothing to that.
"If he really truly loves you, he will come for you. I am sure." Their grim father reassured.
"That's reassuring." Said Leia with a sabbac face.