It had been a few days since he had found out about his mother's death and Anakin still felt as numb as the day he had been told. Everything seemed to pass him by in a blur that didn't feel as real as it should. His motions were mechanical, his days spent in an endless cycle of repetition as he went through the motions.
He continued his repair work, throwing himself into his tasks and spending less and less time with his friends. They seemed to catch on that he wasn't in the mood for their shenanigans seeing as they were all leaving their distance between them, something Anakin didn't mind one bit.
It had only been three days, but it felt like a lifetime to Anakin as he tried his hardest just to get through the day without his emotions raging on inside of him, which was something that was unavoidable but controllable.
Both Luke and Leia seemed to notice his need for privacy seeing as they had both given him a wide berth these past couple of days, but both had made their support known to him, which was something he was grateful for.
They both could sense his silent pain through the Force, there was no way that either of them hadn't with their Force abilities and Anakin had not tried to hide this fact from them.
But even then, there was no avoiding one another completely on a ship and Anakin had already made prior arrangements with the Princess to take a look at her father's Droid, which was how he had found himself leaning over a red trimmed R4 Unit Droid as he did his best to try and find the hidden transmissions that Leia's father had hidden inside the little guy.
She had dropped him off earlier, clearly trusting him with her father's Droid before she had disappeared into the bowels of the ship to go to a Council meeting or something like that. He wasn't exactly sure what she did around here, but it must've been important seeing her status and the way people around here respected her.
He could easily see why this was and even he could not deny that he too respected her for her strength and courage. He didn't know very many Politicians or Princesses that would be willing to get their hands dirty in something like this, a Rebellion of this sort of scale. He could very easily see how many aristocrats would benefit from an organization like the Empire while the lower classes suffered the most from the tyrannical actions and laws that had been put in place.
But apparently, not even the Aristocrats were not safe from the watchful eye of the Emperor. He had heard about what had happened to Alderaan all because their ruling family had spoken out against the Empire, and it made his blood run cold.
This was why the Princess reminded him so much of another Politician that he had met all those years ago on Tatooine, and it wasn't just because of their similar looks.
Anakin didn't know why his mind seemed to keep making parallels between Leia and Padme, but he wasn't wrong that there seemed to a strong connection between the two women.
Both of them worked in the same field and both of them were some of the strongest women that he had ever met, save his mother who was, in his opinion, the strongest woman he had ever known. Her ability to raise a child alone in slavery and still have the amount of love and compassion that she had possessed was enough to make her a Saint in Anakin's opinion.
Anakin shook his head as he tried not to think of his mother, a stab of sadness tugging at his chest as he did his best to return his focus to the Droid in front of him.
Bail Organa had done a marvelous job of hiding those transmissions, but they could not stay buried forever, especially when Anakin was the one trying to locate them. He wasn't sure what was on those transmissions, but it must've been damn important seeing how he was having a hard time retrieving them from the bowels of the Droid.
But Anakin would find them, it was just taking him more time than he'd expected.
He worked for at least another fifteen minutes before he finally hit the jackpot as the familiar blue hue of the holo-recorder projected the solemn face of the deceased Senator, his face older than when Anakin had seen him in the Senate during the days of the Republic. He remembered Bail Organa seeing as Alderaan had been an inner core world and of course, an important member of the Republic.
But the man staring back at him was not the same man that he had seen at the Senatorial addresses that his Master had forced him to watch because, according to Obi-Wan, being aware of the politics at play was important. Of course, it had all been rubbish to Anakin at the time, his attention on anything other than the holo-receiver.
No, this man was old and weary, the passage of time evident on his face even though the timestamp displayed a date that was only, give or take eleven years from Anakin's time, but it looked as though the Senator had aged nearly twenty years.
"Master Kenobi, I know you told me not to contact you unless it was an emergency and I wouldn't be sending you this message unless it was not," began Organa, his voice tired and pleading at the same time.
Anakin's head shot up at the mention of his Master's name, his eyes zeroing in on the man before him, his curiosity getting the better of him as he set down his tools and scooted in closer to the recording. He knew that it was wrong to listen to the recordings seeing as they were the property of the Princess, and were, of course, private messages that had been sent in confidentiality, but he had no intention of turning the message off.
"I hope you are doing well, Master Kenobi. These last few years since the fall of the Republic have been- turbulent, to say the least," he said as clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze falling to the floor as if in deep thought before returning to look at the holo-recorder. "I scarcely can believe that it has already been six years since- well since it happened, and we have both been busy with our own- responsibilities, which is why I am contacting you."
Senator Organa paused, his ambiance falling into a more depressing state that seemed to drag him down even further than he already was. The man looked absolutely nervous, his entire countenance holding an air of fear that went deeper than the teenage boy watching him could understand.
"I fear that my daughter is starting to develop her-" he paused, uncertain how to phrase his next few words, "-I fear that she starting to develop her Force abilities, Obi-Wan. I can tell that she is getting stronger and I fear that the Emperor and Vader may or may not start to notice. I fear that Vader may start to sense the connection if he does not already."
Senator Organa and his Master knew each other? Anakin could not recall that either of them had ever met before, but of course, times were different and it seemed as though they had come to work together in the years that had taken place.
But then why was the former Senator contacting his Master about Leia? Was it because she was a Force Sensitive?
"He's seen her, Obi-Wan. She marched right up to him and told him his suit looked funny," he said with a look of absolute horror on his face. "I was scared that he had sensed something about her and I have no idea what to do about her Force sensitivity. Seeing who her-… who he was, I would not be surprised at her level of Sensitivity. I am sure the same holds for the boy, the one you took with you. Has he started to develop his abilities?"
Anakin stared intently at the holo-recording, his chest tightening with anxiety that had originated from kriff knows where. He had the distinct feeling that he was watching something that was not meant for his eyes, which of course he knew it wasn't, but this went much deeper than that.
This had been a secret message between his Master and the late Senator, one that was not meant to get out into the general public. This was supposed to be something strictly between them and Anakin was currently invading the privacy measures that had been intended for this message, and strangely he didn't feel as bad about it as he should have.
For some strange reason, he could not bring himself to turn the recording off, the Force seethed restlessly around him, subtle but definitely present and constant.
"I'm sure he has, but at least he has you if there were ever a point when he would need the guidance of a Jedi Master as yourself, but I am afraid that we are quite alone in that respect. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I'm you can understand why. To be raising a child such as herself in the very heart of the Empire, right under their noses. I have tried my best to keep her away from them, but I cannot hide her away forever seeing as she will be the future Queen of Alderaan-"
It was at that moment that the message started to flicker, the Senator's voice growing muddled and distorted as the message finally shut off, leaving Anakin alone as he tried to restore the message.
"Oh come on," he muttered under his breath as he tried to find the message in the jumble of wires and cables but only managed to display a different message, a message that was not directed to Kenobi but someone named Fulcrum.
Anakin only half-listened to the message as he went back to trying to restore the previous message, which yet again resulted in the new message flickering out before another one took its place and so on, much to the dismay of Anakin.
It was as though something external was hiding the message, which was ludicrous. He had dismantled the failsafe at that point so he should've had access to all of the messages that were being kept on this Droid.
But he could not find that kriffing message, which was disappointing, to say the least.
Anakin sighed dejectedly as he placed his hand on the dome of the red-trimmed Droid before he stood up and brushed his pants of the dirt that had accumulated on the tan fabric.
The little Droid beeped, asking if there was anything that he could do to help, but unfortunately, that was impossible seeing as the Droid didn't even have access to those recordings, a safety measure that the Senator had seen to for confidentiality's sake.
At least he had unlocked all of the other messages, and that meant that his job was done and now the Droid could be returned to the Princess, who was probably already out of her Council meeting by now.
"Sorry little guy," said Anakin as he shook his head, "I don't think there's anything you can do. Why don't you go back and find Leia, huh?"
The Droid beeped happily as he rolled out of the room and went on his way to find the Princess while Anakin put the tools back into the box. He was in the process of doing so when he sensed someone else in close vicinity to him, a small and moderate warning through the Force that he was not alone in the room that he had been utilizing for his repair work on the Droid.
Anakin turned around to see a man at the far corner of the room, a large box in his hand as he sat in down in the corner along with the rest of the boxes that had been lined up against the room. They were both in a storage facility, one that not very many people traversed through which was why Anakin had chosen it. But it came as no surprise to see someone else in there.
"Oh hello there," said the redheaded man as he straightened up and flashed Anakin a bright, pearly smile. "I didn't see you there."
"Hi," Anakin said softly as he closed up his toolbox before picking it up.
"You doing repair work in here or something? I saw you talking to that Droid earlier and I didn't want to interrupt," he said as he tilted his head, his gaze both thoughtful and contemplative as he observed the Jedi Padawan in front of him.
"Yeah, just fixing up a Droid for a friend," said Anakin with a friendly and bland smile as he did when conversing with someone he did not know.
"Ah I see," said the man as he placed his hands on his hips and looked around the storage room and sighed. "Sorry to intrude but I need to find a few data-files that I was told were in here, somewhere," he said with a short laugh as he looked around at the shelves that contained the data-chips that had all been meticulously organized into alphabetical order. It shouldn't be too hard to find the data-files, at least, in Anakin's opinion.
"What sort of data-files?" asked Anakin as he gave the man a suspicious sideways glance.
"Just a star map of the Chommel Sector," he said as he started looking through the data chips.
"Do you uh- do you need any help?" asked Anakin.
"No, but thanks for offering," he said with a smile before returning his attention to the data chips.
"Sure thing," said Anakin nonchalantly as he picked up his toolbox and his discarded jacket, which was becoming increasingly dirtier as the days went by, which was probably because he kept leaving it on the floor. He would soon have to make a trip to the laundry room to wash his clothes, which he was pretty sure had permanent oil and grease stains on them now.
Anakin was about to walk out of the room when he paused, a small flare in the Force alerting him to something- at least he thought that's what it was. There was just a small nagging somewhere in the back of his mind, a small almost indiscernible flicker.
He turned around slowly, his gaze falling on the redheaded man who was too busy sorting through the data chips to notice his attention on him. There was something strange about the man that Anakin couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was there nonetheless.
The Force was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't quite figure out what.
Anakin tilted his head to the side before he turned around and walked out of the room, the small nagging in his mind drowned out by the rest of the Force atmosphere that was always present in the back of his mind.
It was strange but Anakin gave it no further thought as he made his way into the hangar and set the toolbox on one of the many shelves along the side, seeing as it wasn't actually his property but the property of the Alliance. Every tool that was taken out of the hangar for repair work had to be returned eventually so that other people could use them.
Anakin was fine with not keeping it anyways seeing as he much preferred his own tools that he had left lying in his room at the Temple, strewn across the floor much to the chagrin of his Master. When he gets back, he would undoubtedly be instructed to pick them up and clean them all the while receiving a lecture from his Master about the importance of cleanliness.
Anakin had been working on one of the Temple Droids that were used to train the younglings that he had inadvertently damaged- well in all actuality it wasn't him who damaged the Droid but an enthusiastic and slightly sadistic little girl who had decided to try out her new saber technique on the poor thing.
Saber techniques that he had shown her, admittedly. But he had never intended for her try it out on one of the training Droids.
She had done that all on her own volition.
Master Jido had then declared that the Droid was far too damaged for anyone to repair it and had decided to throw it out when Anakin had offered to take it, his guilt driving him to try and salvage it.
He should've kept a closer eye on the little girl, but he had been temporarily distracted by the screaming and crying of the other younglings as well as one little boy's inability to control his bladder, which of course had fallen to him to take care of.
He didn't know why Master Jido thought he would be good for the job when she asked- no, forced him to help out with the younglings training sessions once a week. He usually didn't mind children, but a large group of rowdy ones made Anakin glad that he would never have to raise one.
He would certainly have to keep a closer eye on Initiate Veleri seeing as the seven-year old seemed to like hacking things with her little practice saber, including the other younglings.
Anakin still could not wrap his mind around the fact that a seven-year-old girl of her size managed to do the damage that she did. He couldn't help but cringe at the thought of her with a real lightsaber.
After making repairs to it for a little over four days, Anakin had come to the conclusion that Sheila Valeri was evil despite her innocent red pig-tails and freckle riddled face. It was a shame that he and his Master had been called to Setauri V right in the middle of the repairs, the little Droid having been left on his bed with no plating and no sensors, but safely out of reach of any sadistic younglings.
"Anakin," said Luke as he waved at the Padawan from across the hangar, an orange jumpsuit in his hand that Anakin did not fail to notice as he smiled back at the older man.
"Hey Luke," said Anakin as he made his way over to the Jedi, his eyes gazing over the orange suit in his hand with hope fluttering inside of him at the sight of it.
Luke suddenly tossed the jumpsuit into the air and into Anakin's surprised hands, a small grin spreading across Luke's face as he watched Anakin stare down at the fabric in his grasp.
"Suit up and we'll see how good a pilot you really are," said Luke as he nodded to one of the X-Wings on the far wall, the one that Dodonna had given Anakin permission to use for the next training exercise that he was to participate in, courtesy of Luke.
Anakin looked over at the X-Wing before looking down at the jumpsuit in his hands, a grin slowly spreading across his lips before he looked up at Luke, who had been staring at him silently with a small smile.
"You can thank me later. For now, let's see how that suit fits and then we can get you into the cockpit. What do ya say?" asked Luke.
Anakin nodded as he started to make his way out of the hangar in search of the locker room so he could change, but before he could do so, he saw Danika looking at him from her spot on the floor, her dark eyes gazing over the jumpsuit before she turned away from him and went back to her repairs. Anakin could tell that she was upset even though she managed to hide it behind a stony expression, her brown eyes refusing to look anywhere but on her work.
Anakin knew that she wasn't mad at him but it didn't make him feel any better as he made his way out of the hangar, the jumpsuit in his grasp suddenly feeling heavier in his hands. He was lucky that he was being given this opportunity and he was thankful that Luke had managed to do it, but he also knew that this was not something to be squandered.
The jumpsuit fit him perfectly and he looked every inch a Rebel pilot as he stared at himself in the mirror. If only his Master could see him now, in a flight suit about to become a pilot for a Rebellion.
He'd probably reprimand him for his reckless piloting.
Anakin turned away from the mirror to look over at where the helmets were all lined up on the back wall, his gaze falling on each one as he gingerly reached out and grabbed one and smoothed his hand over the front of it.
Anakin stared down at it for a few seconds before shoved it under his arm and placed his discarded clothes into one of the nearest lockers before making his way out into the hangar where he could see Luke and a few other pilots, all of them wearing their own jumpsuits and standing in a circle laughing amongst themselves.
Luke motioned for Anakin to make his way over to the group, who all looked over at Anakin with curiosity and newfound interest but with friendliness as well as the newcomer made his way over to them.
"Guys this is Anakin, he's going to be joining us for our training exercise today," said Luke as he patted the younger man on the back.
A chorus of hello's echoed throughout the room before they all returned their attention back to the discussion at hand, the new guy already forgotten about as they went over the plans for the training session at hand. Anakin listened intently to the plans for the exercise, his mind going over the calculations and trajectory at a fast pace.
"Hey, new guy. You ever flown one of these before?" asked a man who honestly did not look that much older than Anakin, his dark eyes observing the newest addition to their Squadron.
"No, but I've flown plenty of other ships. I'll be fine," said Anakin.
"He's alright," said Luke, not bothering to look up from adjusting the strap on his helmet. "He grew up pod racing back home on Tatooine, so managing an X-Wing shouldn't be that difficult, right Anakin?"
"I wouldn't think so," said Anakin with a grin.
"Well, we'll see how you do this run and if you're any good like Luke says you are, then we'll be lucky to have ya," said another man as he winked over at the older Jedi.
"Hey, what are the chances that two people from the same planet would both end up being pilots in the Rebellion? Is that all you people learn to do on Tatooine?" asked the same man.
"That and we learn how to play a mean game of Sabaac," retorted Luke with a sly grin plastered all over his face as he stared the other man down.
"Is that a challenge, farm boy?" asked the man in faux indignation as he pulled himself up to his full height, which was more equal to Anakin's own rather than to Luke's smaller stature, but this did not seem to deter Luke at all and it was quite obvious that they were only teasing one another.
"Don't challenge him, Kenan! He wiped the floor with Torren's ass the last time we played," said another man as he punched another man on the arm.
"Huh, that's funny. I seem to remember that being the Princess," said Kenan as he scratched his head in fake perplexity.
"Well, Torren? Who was it that beat your ass into the ground?" asked Kenan over to a rather short man with pitch black hair that had been slicked back.
Torren shook his head before leaning into cough into his hand, "-The Princess-" before masking it behind yet again another cough, his dark eye looking over to meet those of Luke's, who pointed an accusing finger at him.
"Torren you son of a bitch. You know Leia wouldn't have gotten those cards without me!" said Luke as he clutched at his middle in betrayal, a chuckle trying to force itself out of him as he did his best to mask his laughter.
"Sorry Commander, you know how intimidating the Princess can be when she plays the game."
"She looks about ready to murder someone when she plays that game," said Luke with a chuckle, "but let's not forget who taught her how to play in the first place."
"You sure that was you or Captain Solo?"
"You know, Han wasn't the only one around here who knew how to play the game. In fact, I've won a fair amount of games against him," said Luke with a small smile, a hint of sadness flashing across his features before it was once again masked by his signature smile.
"Yeah, but I think we can all agree he was the King when it came to Sabaac," said Torren solemnly, which caused the previously bright atmosphere around them to lighten considerably, all of the pilots faces dropping in remorse as they remembered their old friend.
"Agreed," said Luke softly as he looked over at Anakin, who had grown strangely quiet over the past few seconds. He was unsure how to react to the situation around him seeing how silent and awkward it had grown since the mention of Han, who was obviously missed by his friends and comrades judging from their suddenly solemn and long faces.
"So what do you say, Kenan? You think two runts from Tatooine could beat you?" asked Luke after a few moments of silence as he nudged Anakin's shoulder.
"I don't know, we'll have to see won't we?" asked Kenan with a smug grin. "What do you say 1900 hours in the storage room on the fourth deck?"
Anakin wanted to join in the game, but he knew that it would a gambling game and he didn't have much to bet with as it was. He had no credits and something told him that this would be game in which credits would be used to bet on, leaving him in a rather awkward position.
"You know what," said Anakin as he shook his head, "I think I'm going to have to sit this one out, I don't have anything to bet with."
Anakin was a pretty good player at Sabaac, his younger years on Tatooine having taught him the ins and outs of the game fairly well. He had learned at a very young age as most people did on Tatooine, but like almost all slaves who knew how to play, he was not allowed to keep his earnings. Watto took it all, only giving Anakin back a fraction of what he had actually won, and that was if his older Master was in a good mood.
Years later Anakin had, without the knowledge or consent of the Masters, arranged secret Sabaac games with a fairly large group of other Padawan's who also knew how the game worked. They had all met in secret, usually late at night when their Masters were fast asleep and the night-life of Coruscant was at its peak.
Of course, they hadn't used credits to play the game seeing as Jedi did not earn money, the Republic having given them everything that they needed from tax payer credits. Plus, the Jedi weren't technically supposed to earn or handle credits seeing as wealth and possessions were a gateway to the Dark Side, so when they had played Sabaac, they played with chips and nothing more.
Of course, a group of Padawans sneaking out of their quarters late at night had not gone entirely unnoticed by the Masters around the Temple. It was, of course, a rule that Jedi were not supposed to gamble, but he knew for a fact that there were a few Masters who had simply turned a blind eye to their mischievous behavior. Plus, it wasn't gambling if they weren't using credits.
He even had a sneaky suspicion that Obi-Wan may or may not have known about his little side entertainment, but if that was the case, his Master certainly had never approached him about the situation. He would have to ask his blue Master the next time he decided to pay him a visit.
But despite his earlier shenanigans at the Temple, Anakin knew that he would have to wait this round out. He had better things to do then to bet with credits he didn't have, and he happened to know that Luke had his own credits so he was in a position to gamble it.
"You sure?" asked Luke inquisitively.
"Yeah," nodded Anakin. "Sorry, maybe next time."
"We'll keep a seat warm for ya in case you change your mind, how bout' that?" asked Kenan as he shot Luke a toothy grin.
"Sure, you do that," chuckled Anakin under his breath as he turned his focus back to Luke.
"Alrighty, now that that's settled, why don't we get this training exercise on the road," said Luke as he motioned for Anakin to follow him over to one of the X-Wings that was parked on the far end of the hangar.
"She's all yours for this training exercise," said Luke as he patted the side of the ship before he started to make his way up the ramp only to swing himself onto the far side of the tiny cockpit so as to make room for Anakin, who he would be showing the ropes of the control panel. However, the moment Anakin got a good look of the interior he knew that he would not be needing any assistance in learning the layout of the ship.
His mind had already mapped and memorized where every single control was and there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that he would be able to pilot it without any foreseeable difficulty.
"You think you can manage?" asked Luke, sensing that the younger man already knew the layout of the ship.
Anakin nodded his head, "yeah, I got this."
"Great," said Luke as he swung his legs over the side of the ships before looking back to address Anakin once more. "Your temporary call sign, for now, will be Rogue Alpha. It will change in the near future depending on whatever Squadron you're assigned too or whatever call sign Dodonna assigns to you."
"Gotcha. Anything else I should know?" asked Anakin as he put his helmet on and tied the strap beneath his chin.
"Yeah, follow orders and don't do anything stupid, you understand Alpha?" asked Luke.
"Loud and clear, Rogue Leader," said Anakin as he watched Luke slide down the ship, his feet hitting the hard deck with a large clunk before he made his way over to his own X-Wing, but not before he stopped and turned to face Anakin, his hand coming into a mock salute, to which Anakin responded with a two finger salute as the glass windshield came down around him.
"Good luck," came a whisper through their Force bond.
"You too," replied Anakin as he revved the engine and did a quick over of the control panel in front of him to make sure that nothing was out of order, to which nothing was. Everything was in top shape and nothing was out of the ordinary.
"This is Rogue Leader, can everybody read me?" came Luke's voice over the transmitter.
"Loud and clear, Rogue Leader!" came Kenan, whose call sign was Rogue five.
The rest of the team replied including Anakin, who could only watch as the hangar door opened to reveal the black void of space that made Anakin feel giddy just looking at it.
"Prepare for launch," came Luke's voice over the intercom as the rest of the X-Wings started to levitate off the ground, including Anakin's as he slowly piloted his over to the hangar door before he found himself zooming through the vacuum of space, two X-Wings on either side of him as they all kept pace with one another.
The craft glided smoothly and without any hitch as Anakin maneuvered his craft alongside the rest of the team, a feeling of freedom and pure exhilaration overtaking him as it usually did whenever he was flying. He had never felt so free as when he was piloting, even as a slave. Piloting had always been his escape whether it was from his slave duties or his responsibilities as a Padawan, his love for flying also providing him a temporary way of getting away from his problems, if only for a short time.
"How you holding up, Rogue Alpha?" came Rogue four's voice over the intercom, Torren if Anakin wasn't mistaken.
"Fine, Rogue Four," replied Anakin as he slowly let up on the throttle and allowed his craft to raise a tad bit higher.
"Good, Rogue Four out."
"Copy that," said Anakin as a large grin spread over his face.
They circled over around the ship a few times, each rotation providing Anakin with even more time to familiarize himself with the ship, its speed, its maneuverability, and everything else there was to learn about a ship.
The more Anakin became familiar with the ship, the more he put the pedal to the metal as he tested the limitations of the craft he was currently piloting. This, however, did not seem to go unnoticed by the others.
"Someone's having fun," commented the other pilot that Anakin had not remembered the name of.
"Just familiarizing myself with her," said Anakin as he looked out the viewport to see Luke's craft somewhere below him on his starboard side.
"From the looks of it, you've already more than familiarized yourself with it but go ahead and see what she's got," said Luke over the com.
"Sure thing, Rogue Leader," said Anakin as he pulled the throttle towards him and basked himself in the feeling of his ship twirling through the void before he really stepped on the petal, allowing his craft to zoom past the rest of his team as he replaced Luke at the front of the party.
Anakin probably had the biggest grin on his face as he allowed his craft to veer off dramatically to portside, to which the rest of the X-Wings followed as they did their own little stunts as well.
They were only in space for maybe a half-hour before Luke finally started his descent towards the ship, his own craft heading towards the hangar.
"Okay, I think that's enough for one day. Prepare for landing," said Luke.
"Copy that Rogue Leader," said Rogue Two as the team veered back towards the ship and into the hangar.
All six of the pilots followed Luke into the hangar as they landed in their own designated spots.
Anakin landed his craft with no difficulty before allowing the hatch to release, a huge grin plastered to his face as he tore off the helmet, not minding the sweat that had accumulated in his hair and around his forehead. He jumped down the ramp and eagerly made his way over to Luke, who was in the process of taking his own helmet off.
"Not too bad, eh?" asked Luke as he smoothed a hand through his floppy blond hair, the sweat making it stick back off his forehead.
"Nah," said Anakin.
"Thought so," said Luke as he clasped Anakin on the shoulder before he unzipped the top of his jumpsuit, allowing the slightly cool air to ventilate the thick and heavy outfit while Anakin did the same.
"Not too bad for your first time, newbie. But we'll have to see how you do when you've got Tie Fighters on your ass," said Kenan as he made his way over to the two blond men.
"I'm sure he'd do fine, Kenan. Unlike you who almost choked the first time you ever saw a Tie Fighter," said Luke.
"Touché," said Kenan as he stuck a toothpick in his mouth and grinning over at Luke and Anakin before making his way back over to his own ship to finish securing it, as was procedure for all pilots to do after a flight session.
"So what's his story?" asked Anakin after a few moments of silence before they both turned away and went back to finishing up on their own ships.
"Kenan's?" asked Luke as he looked back over at the older man briefly before looking back over at Anakin and pursing his lips. "Before he came to be in the Rebellion, Kenan and his family lived in a farming community on Dantooine. The Empire came by one day trying to track down an Imperial defector that they believed to be hiding out in the town. They searched everybody's home and those who did not comply with the mandatory search were shot and killed, his parents included."
"What about Torren and the others- I forgot their names. How'd they come to join the Rebellion?" asked Anakin, his voice lowering an octave.
"I think Torren's only here because he got rejected from the Imperial Academy and I'm not sure about the others. I know Jensen, Rogue Two, joined because of what happened to Alderaan but that's all I know."
"Oh," said Anakin as he left it just at that. There wasn't much else he could say about the entire situation or about these men's past and drove them to join the Alliance, whether it was by vendetta or out of spite for being rejected by the Empire.
"Yeah," said Luke as he closed the hatch before they migrated over to Anakin's ship and began securing it as well. "I think you'll find that most people in the Rebellion have a past that most of the time tends to revolve around the Empire."
"I've noticed," said Anakin simply.
Luke said nothing as he closed the hatch on Anakin's X-Wing, his eyes traveling over to the entrance where a small group of pilots made up from two different Squadrons had accumulated, their loud voices echoing throughout the hangar.
"Hey, Luke!" shouted Wedge from across the hangar. "How was it?"
"Good!" replied Luke. "Looks like we have another pilot joining us!"
Wedge grinned, "I had a feeling that might happen!"
With that Luke made his way down the ramp and headed into the locker room, Anakin in tow as they both changed out of their jumpsuits and into their normal attire before making their way out into the corridor.
"There's nothing else scheduled for today and I have a Council meeting to attend with Leia," said Luke as he looked back at Anakin. "You're off duty so you're free to do whatever you want."
"I think I might go back to my quarters and get a shower," said Anakin as he begun to turn in the other direction.
"Okay," said Luke as he turned around to leave but stopped short to call back to Anakin. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, we have a Council meeting of 0800 tomorrow in the Control Room. Don't be late."
Anakin gave the older man a thumbs up before he disappeared down the corridor and back into his room, which was starting to look messy after all his time with the Rebellion. He considered cleaning it but decided that showering was more of a priority as he stripped himself of his clothes and stepped into the shower, allowing the hot water to spray down his face and hair.
He closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall as he scrubbed himself with the small bar of soap that he had picked up in the commissary the other day as well as other needed utilities. He was about to reach for the shampoo when he felt something reaching for him, a small tingling sensation at the back of his neck that sent shivers up his spine.
His eyes shot open, not minding the water that was seeping into them as he took a deep breath, his mental shields immediately going up in place for his own protection.
He did not recognize this new dark presence that was currently trying to connect with him through the Force, but he knew whatever it was that it was evil. It was not the same presence as before, the dark one that had tried reaching out to him on Ben'we. No, this new presence was even darker than the last one and yet familiar as well.
Even though the presence had changed over the course of the last few decades it was still one that was recognizable to Anakin, despite the new aura of darkness.
It was Palpatine's presence, a much more twisted and sadistic version but him nonetheless.
How long had the Sith been prodding him before he had even realized it? His presence had been so slight and so delicate that if Anakin had been any less attuned or sensitive to the Force he would not have even felt it, which disturbed him greatly.
Anakin strengthened his mental barriers even more as he forced the presence completely out, his breathing becoming labored at the surprisingly strenuous job. It was only a few seconds later that the Sith finally let go and slipped away, a distinct feeling of glee and anticipation emanating from him as he disappeared.
Anakin scowled as he quickly finished up washing before he shut the water off and stepped out onto the mat to stare at his reflection in the mirror, which now had micro-cracks running through it that were undoubtedly from him.
He was angry that Palpatine now knew about his presence here in the future and that he had the gall to try and reach out to him like he did, and then trying to invade his privacy and spying on him was definitely not okay.
It was only a few minutes after that the Anakin had dressed himself and found himself making his way into the empty storage room from earlier, his lightsaber in his hand as he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it in the corner.
He needed an outlet for his anger, and practicing his forms seemed like a good way to do so as he ignited his lightsaber and stepped into the position for Form V, Djem So.
He had studied this particular Form and it was probably his most well-mastered Form out of them all, and also his favorite because of the intensity and the aggression that came from it.
Anakin closed his eyes as he exhaled, his blue eyes snapping open only a second later as he tore his blue lightsaber through the air in such a rapid motion that it looked as though the blue blade was in two places at once as he sliced at the air. It was a good thing that there wasn't anything in his vicinity that he could damage, or any people for that matter as he let his rage flow through him and into his lightsaber.
He hadn't really thought of the implication of Palpatine being a Sith Lord ever since Obi-Wan had told him, choosing rather to not think about it than to allow himself to be consumed with feelings of betrayal and anger. But if he had his doubts even then that his friend had truly been a Sith, he certainly had no apprehensions anymore, not after feeling that dark presence.
Palpatine had earned his trust and had pretended to be his friend for years, never once leaving him with any suspicions to his true identity. And now looking back on everything, Anakin couldn't help but feel as though he should've been warier of the old man, but he hadn't been.
Palpatine had been his friend. One of his only friends so, of course, Anakin would not have suspected anything, his want for a friend probably overpowering his judgment.
Anakin stopped his movements in a sudden, graceful movement as he inhaled deeply, his dark eyes snapping over to an empty crate as he reached out and levitated it off the ground and force pushed it over in his direction before he cut in in half with his lightsaber, the whirring sound of his weapon slicing through matter echoing through the room as he did the same with the other ones.
He did this until he was out of breath and all that remained of the crates was a burned and sliced mess at his feet. He felt mildly bad about destroying Alliance property, but his anger out won his guilt as he kicked a discarded piece of crate into the wall with a grunt before he heaved himself down on the floor, his hands coming up to cradle his head as he sat his lightsaber down beside him.
His mother's death, his Master's strange words, his friend's betrayal, the Empire, none of it was making any sense and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't figure out how to handle all of it.
He couldn't even explain half of what he was feeling, his emotions running wildly around him at such a fast pace that he just couldn't seem to catch up. He had been so happy earlier, piloting an X-Wing and earning his spot on the team with Luke, but now-
Now Anakin wasn't sure what he was feeling.
He sighed as he sat up straighter, his hand reaching back for his lightsaber before he stood up and clipped the weapon to his utility belt, his jacket flying across the room and into his hands before he put it back on. He was starting to get hungry and it was nearing dinner time. He decided that if he went to the mess hall early and grabbed something to eat, he could make it to see the game that was being held that night.
He needed a distraction from what had just transpired and there was nothing better than eating and watching a Sabaac game, even if he wouldn't be the one playing. He still had to wonder where Luke had managed to get his credits from seeing as being a member of the Rebel Alliance didn't pay zilch, but despite that, Anakin was still looking forward to seeing just how good a player Luke really was.
Anakin made his way out of the storage room, his heavy boots pounding against the hard floor as he found his way into the mess hall and loaded his tray up with suspicious looking food. He looked around the partially filled mess hall, his eyes zeroing in on the dark-skinned Smuggler and his Wookie companion, whose name he remembered being Chewie. He hadn't talked to Lando in a few days, his schedule far too busy to go and talk to him or anyone else for that matter.
If he ever did have any free time, he would have to track the man down and see if he needed any help repairing the Falcon, which Anakin had been excited to take a look at.
"Hey kid!" yelled Lando from where he was seated alongside Chewie, who let out a ferocious roar at the sight of Anakin, his big furry paws coming down on the table.
"Hey Lando," said Anakin as he made his way over to the older man, "hey Chewie."
"So how's the Rebel life been treating you?" asked Lando as he leaned back casually in his chair.
Anakin nodded, "it's fine, I guess. Not as intense as I thought it would be."
"Yeah, things have been kind of slow for the past month. It's kind of surprising, you know? It's been kind of nice but off-putting at the same time," said Lando as he watched Anakin start to eat his dinner. "Makes me wonder what the Empire has up its sleeve."
"What was it like before I got here?" asked Anakin as he swallowed his food.
"Pretty much the same, I guess. I only recently came to be in the Rebellion, but I've heard a few stories. You ever heard of Rogue One during your time here?"
Anakin shook his head, "No, why? What is it?"
"Not it, they," corrected Lando as he leaned forward in his seat heavily. "It was the group of Rebels that were responsible for stealing the Death Star plans."
Anakin paused, his food temporarily forgotten as he leaned forward in his seat, a distinct feeling of curiosity coming over him as he waited for Lando to continue the story patiently.
"It was led by a woman named Jyn Erso, who just so happened to be the daughter of the Scientist who engineered the Death Star. From what I've been told, her father managed to hide a flaw in the design of the station so that the Rebellion would have the opportunity to destroy it. The Alliance heard about this, but decided not to try and steal the plans out of fear. But this woman, along with Captain Andor and their team went Rogue and attacked the facility where the data for the Death Star was being held on Scarif."
"What happened?" pressed Anakin.
"Both the Empire and the Alliance figured out what was happening and both had a confrontation above the surface of the planet. The Rebel fleet had to take down the shield gate so that the data could be transferred to the Rebel ships."
"How'd they manage that?" asked Anakin.
"They crashed two Star Destroyers together and the debris destroyed the gate so that the ground Rebels could send the data files up."
"They did what?" asked Anakin with an incredulous look on his face. He tried to imagine it, but something told him it was much more epic in real life.
Lando let out a small laugh, "don't ask me how they managed to pull that one off because I still don't know. But from what I hear from the Rebels who were there, it was really something."
"Okay, but what happened to the ground team? They got the data files up, right?"
"Oh they got the data-files up, but unfortunately there was really nothing the Alliance could do to save them. The Death Star came out of hyperspace and destroyed the citadel, killing the Rebels and their own all for the sake of not letting the plans escape."
"So they all died?" asked Anakin, his eyebrows scrunching up as he looked over at Lando for confirmation.
Lando nodded his head solemnly as Chewie, who had been silent the entire time let out a sad whine, "they died heroes."
Anakin remained silent as he stared down at his lap for a few moments before looking up at Lando, who was staring at nothing, his mind also lost in deep thought and mourning for a group of people he had never met before, but respected.
"What about the plans?" asked Anakin, his voice considerably softer than it had been a few minutes previous.
"The Rebel fleet received the plans and they were passed off to Leia, who was using her status as Princess and Senator of Alderaan as a guise for her transporting the plans. She managed to get the plans and escape, but Darth Vader caught up with her."
"Then what happened? How did she hide the plans from him?" asked Anakin.
"She hid the plans in Artoo and jettisoned him and Threepio out in an escape pod, which crash-landed on Tatooine-"
"-Then Jawas found it and Luke's Uncle bought the Droids," said Anakin as he finished up the story, finally finding the correlation between the two stories he had been told.
"But what happened to Leia? I mean I know Luke mentioned having rescued her, but how?"
Lando sighed as he leaned forward, his voice dropping an octave, "listen, kid. I couldn't tell you everything they did to the Princess in there, but I know enough about the Empire to know it wasn't good. She was interrogated and tortured for information but she didn't break, not even under Vader's influence. Then Luke and Han rescued her and brought the plans to the Alliance."
And his Master had perished at Darth Vader's hand. The more he heard about Darth Vader, the more he wanted to drive his lightsaber into him, but he knew that that option would not be wise, no matter how much he wanted to do it.
Hatred led to the Dark Side, even hatred for a Sith.
But no matter how much Anakin tried to reign in his anger, he still wanted to see Vader die for all that he had done.
"Then they destroyed the Death Star," said Anakin, finishing the story, his appetite suddenly gone as he stared down at his half-eaten tray of food.
"That's the shortened version of it, but yeah. Pretty much a shit-show, don't ya think?"
"Pretty much," mumbled Anakin under his breath as he pushed his tray of food away from him.
Chewie roared in agreement, his long sharp teeth fully displayed as he tipped his head back and let it all out, a sad and painful sound emanating from him.
"Chewie would know. He helped rescue the Princess too, didn't ya buddy?" asked Lando as he patted the Wookie's back.
The Kashyyyk native let out a whine of confirmation as he yet again banged his hands on the table, almost causing Anakin's water to spill, but simple use of the Force caused the cup to stop tipping over as it returned to its upright position.
It was only after a few moments of silence that Lando spoke up yet again, his eyes looking over at the cup that had just returned to its upright position all by itself.
"You know, kid. You look really familiar. Have we met before?"
Anakin definitely would've remembered meeting a person like Lando, but of course, there was a whole twenty-eight years of his life that were unaccounted for so he wasn't entirely sure that that was the truth.
"I don't think so," said Anakin shaking his head. "I definitely would've remembered if we had."
"Huh," said Lando leaning back in his chair again, a perplexed look coming over his face as he looked back over at Anakin. "Maybe I'm just imagining things, but you really look like this guy I saw on the holo-news a few times when I was younger."
"Really?" asked Anakin with a raised eyebrow and a grin. "Well, maybe I just have a look-alike."
"Maybe," said Lando quietly in a tone that said the opposite as he folded his hands over the table, his eyes going over to Chewie, who had grown strangely silent over the last few seconds before letting another roar.
Anakin wasn't sure if it was a roar of agreement to him looking familiar or if he was roaring at the possibility of a look alike.
Anakin felt like shrinking in his seat from the sheer awkwardness of it all before he locked eyes with the Princess, who had just entered into the hangar with a few female friends of hers. As soon as she had seen him, she had politely excused herself before making her way over to him, a small smile on her face as she took the seat next to Lando.
"Hey guys," she said as she folded her hands on the table.
"Hey," said Anakin as he returned her smile. "You going to watch the Sabaac match later?"
"Of course, who isn't?" she said with a grin as she looked around the mess hall before returning her attention to the two men and the Wookie at the table.
"Did you get your Droid?" asked Anakin as he took a sip of water.
"I did. Thank you for doing that by the way," she said smiling at Anakin.
"You're welcome, Leia," said Anakin as he shrugged. "I'm just glad that I could be of service."
"You fixing up the Princesses Droids now?" asked Lando, injecting himself into the conversation.
"I asked him," said Leia. "It was one of my father's old droids that he used during the earlier years of the Rebellion."
"Oh, you find anything of interest?" asked Lando.
Leia shook her head, "I really haven't had the chance to go through the messages yet. But I'm sure there is quite a bit of information stored in it."
"Your father was really active in the earlier years of the Rebellion, wasn't he?" asked Anakin, his curiosity about the formation of the Alliance growing.
"Well yes, seeing as he was one of the Founders."
"I think you've mentioned that before. So was it just him and Mon Mothma who founded it?" pressed Anakin.
"Oh no, there were a few other Politicians who were key in the development of the Alliance. In fact, it was during Emperor's term as Chancellor during the Clone Wars that the seeds of the Rebellion were planted by a few Senators who felt as though the Chancellor was being granted too many emergency powers. They signed a petition calling for him to give up his emergency powers after the end of the war, but it was only shortly after that the Republic was demolished," said Leia as she recounted the history that her own father had taught her.
"Do you know who the Senators were?" asked Anakin.
"My father, Mon Mothma, and a few others. I do believe the Senator for the Chommel Sector at the time was one of them but I'm not sure what her name was."
"Was it by any chance Padme Amidala?" asked Anakin slowly.
"Yeah, I think that was her name. Anyways, it wasn't until after the fall of the Republic that my father and Mon Mothma started collaborating in secret to overthrow the Empire as Rebel Cells started to emerge around the galaxy, all of them in opposition of the Empire. It wasn't until about six years ago that the Rebel Alliance was reorganized."
So Padme had played a role in the Rebel Alliance, having been one of the Senators who had planted the seeds of Rebellion and Anakin was not surprised that she had had a role. She was not the type of person who would just sit back and watch as the Republic was destroyed before her very eyes. No, she definitely would've had done something.
He wondered whether or not she was still playing a role in the Rebellion, possibly working in the shadows or maybe she was someplace else overseeing a different division. And if his visions were true, then it was possible that maybe she was his future self, doing whatever they were doing.
He liked to think that was where he and the former Queen were doing during this turbulent time in history, but then again Artoo had told him that his future was not good, which was probably a reason why he shouldn't be speculating on such matters.
Plus, he had the distinct feeling that there was more to that simple conclusion he had come up with so he decided it probably wasn't best to focus on the unknown as he pushed it to the back of his mind.
"Do-do you have any idea what happened to Senator Amidala?" asked Anakin after a few moments of silence. He very well did not need to know his own future, but he was curious as to the sort of activities the Senator had been up to these past twenty-eight years.
"Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo?" asked Leia biting the inside of her lip as she racked her brain. "I don't remember, why?"
"I was just wondering," said Anakin nonchalantly, "I remember hearing about her when I was younger."
"Well there are a lot of Senators, I'm afraid I don't know them all," said Leia as she pursed her lips in concentration, as if she was trying to remember something from a long time ago that was just barely out of reach.
"What I do know about her is that she was a Senator during the days of the Republic and she and my father were probably acquainted, but that's it."
"It's fine," said Anakin, "I don't expect you to know what happened to every Senator in the Republic. I'm sure I could probably find something about her in the records."
"Maybe," said Leia as she tapped the table with her fingers, "but I don't know if you'll find much. The Empire purged a lot of information and sadly there isn't much we know about the Republic that hasn't been tampered with or corrupted over the last few decades. Then again, if you're looking for information on her, Mon Mothma might know."
Anakin was a little surprised by the Princesses lack of knowledge, but then again it was possible that her father had not shared that sort of information with her. If that earlier message had been any indication, it seemed as though Bail had been keeping things from his own daughter, things that weren't meant to be known by her or anyone else for that matter.
And he was not about to looking for Mon Mothma on information about Senator Amidala, choosing ignorance over the cold and stony glares of the older woman. She did not like him, that much was noticeable and Anakin would much prefer to keep his distance, for now.
"Maybe later," mumbled Anakin under his breath.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help, Anakin. There's so much that my father didn't tell me."
"It's okay," said Anakin as he reassured the older woman. "I'm sure I'll find something on her."
Leia smiled apologetically at the younger man, obviously sensing his frustration from behind his usual sunny smile that he had offered her.
Anakin was about to say something else when he saw Luke enter into the mess hall with a few friends of his, the lot of them laughing at something as they made their way over to their table.
Chewie roared at the sight of Luke, who clasped the Wookie on the back before he plopped down in the seat next to Leia.
"So I hear Anakin flew his first X-Wing today. How was it?" she asked looking over at Anakin, a small grin creeping over her face.
"It was great," said Anakin as he bobbed his head up and down.
"He did pretty well for his first time in one," said Luke.
"First time?" asked Lando. "So you're officially a pilot, now?"
Anakin didn't answer the question as he looked over at Luke for his answer. Only Luke would know if he had been placed on a Squadron or not.
"It's official. You're now a member of Rogue Squadron."
"Well, would you look at that," said Leia as she turned to give Anakin a congratulatory smile.
"How does it feel to be a top shot Rebel Pilot?" asked Lando.
Anakin shrugged, "same as always, I guess."
"Well, you won't be thinking that when you're flying into battle with twenty TIE's riding your ass," said Lando as he picked up his glass of ale that had been sitting untouched and raised it in Anakin's direction.
The next few minutes were spent with Luke and Lando telling them stories about incidents that had happened when flying while Leia merely just rolled her eyes at their stories, occasionally pointing out that they were over exaggerating the story before cracking into a grin.
Lando told them a story about his younger days smuggling days with Han Solo and how they had gotten into trouble more than once, whether it be with the Empire, Hutt's, or scorned girlfriends. Anakin thought he would bust a gut listening to some of the stories and other times he was impressed with the stories that Lando had.
Even Luke and Leia were on the verge of tears as Lando finished the story, the laughter taking a while to die down before any of them could even speak again.
"Oh Force I can't believe that happened," said Anakin.
"I have no idea how you managed to get out of that one," said Luke.
"Neither did we," said Lando into his drink while Leia shook her head.
"I bet you anything Han has a different version of what happened," said Luke.
"Well, of course, he would considering how drunk he was," said Lando.
Anakin chuckled as he finally finished the rest of his food before turning his attention over to Luke.
"Hey, you ready for your game tonight?"
"Yeah," said Luke nonchalantly as he rapped his knuckles against the table. "You coming to watch?"
Even though Anakin wouldn't be playing, he still wasn't about to miss out on the chance to watch a few rounds of the game that night. He was curious as to just how good a player Luke claimed to be as well use this time to get to know some of the other pilots, seeing as he was himself a pilot too now.
"Yeah, but I have things to take care of first, if you'll excuse me," he said as he stood up, taking his tray with him over to the trash can and dumping the waste before making his way out of the mess hall.
He made his way back to his quarters and pulled out his comlink so that he could try and contact Nayeli, but he could not get ahold of her. She was probably busy or sleeping or something like that or she hadn't noticed her comlink going off.
Anakin had wanted to talk to her, to see if she was alright seeing as how their last conversation had gone. She hadn't tried to contact him since then, probably using this time to mourn the death of his mother as per the culture of Ben'we dictated. He had remembered something being mentioned about customary mourning and fasting after the death of a loved one as well as a few other complicated cultural rituals, something that Anakin felt she was entitled to after all these years.
It made him briefly wonder what his mother's funeral had been like, or if she had even been given a proper one. Typically slave owners did not give their slaves funerals or burial rites, it did happen from time to time but it was practically unheard of.
Usually, it was up to the slaves to bury their own, a tradition that had spanned back hundreds and hundreds of years. There used to be a time when the slaves had not been allowed to bury their own, which had forced them to steal the bodies away so that they could hold funerals in secret. If they were unable to steal the body, as was often times the case, then they would bury what few possessions the person had owned in life, the ceremony still remaining much the same.
But times had changed over the past few centuries. Now, slave-owners didn't care if the slaves wanted to bury their own and allowed them to do so, but still the traditions that had formed during a time when it had to be done in secret remained.
Slave funerals were always held at night and it was tradition for everyone in attendance to wear black, not out of mourning but out of rejoicing. The deceased was no longer a slave, their souls having gone up into the heavens where they would be free forever.
Black was a symbol of freedom on Tatooine because to them, it represented the safety of the night. With night came the cool winds and the chance to be free, a chance to escape the hot suns under which they were forced to toil from dawn to dusk.
They were typically buried in dark shrouds and everyone participated in the burial, each of the slaves covering the body with sand until the burial process was over.
Then each of them would grab a handful of sand and say their farewells.
There was a saying on Tatooine. The slaves buried their own.
So it made Anakin wonder, seeing as his mother had died a free-woman, what sort of burial she had been given? It was possible that she had been given the funeral rites of a free person, and Anakin wouldn't have minded if that had been the case.
Anakin sighed as he shoved his comlink away, the thought of his mother's death becoming all too much for him to handle at the moment. His mother was dead, but that would not happen when he got back.
As soon as he got back to his own time, he would leave the Temple and go back to Tatooine and return her to Ben'we. He would free his mother and reunite her and Nayeli so that they could be happy again.
They would never have to wonder what had happened to other anymore and they could be a family again, all of them.
Anakin looked over at the clock, which said that it was almost 1900 hours, just a few minutes until the Sabaac game started. Anakin had promised that he would be in attendance that night, but he was no longer in the mood to go.
"Sorry Luke," he mumbled to himself as he sat down on his bed. "Maybe some other time."
With that, he leaned back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
He let out a bored huff as he kicked his boots off and turned on his side, his hands coming beneath him to readjust the pillow until he was comfortable.
He stayed like this for what seemed like hours, but was in reality only a few minutes before he finally drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.
His streak of dreamless sleep, however, would not remain.
AN: Sorry this update is a little bit late, but I have good news. I have already started on the next chapter and I have a pretty good idea where the chapter after that will go, so hopefully, you won't have to wait as long for the next two updates. I can promise that the big reveal will be coming up very soon, as I'm sure you all have been waiting patiently for it and I do apologize for taking my time getting there. If you any of you guys have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Enjoy :)