She needed to focus, but she just couldn't seem to, no matter how important it was to get the details right. Padme was in the middle of listening to Satine discuss the details of their next case. She had only barely gotten back from the press conference, and even though it was only 11 AM, Padme felt like she'd had the longest morning of her life. While she was supposed to be learning the details about the upcoming case, in the back of her mind she was far more worried about Luke and how he was doing. This was a huge adjustment for him, and she was concerned about how he would adapt to his new life and circumstances. In fact, she was more worried about his return to public school this time than she had been when he was little and she was dropping him off at preschool for the first time. Back then, he had been so innocent and willing to open up to just about anybody—now

There was a buzz on her desk, and she glanced at the caller ID on her phone. Satine paused, looking up from the case folder in her lap. "Do you need to get that?"

Padme quickly shook her head. "No, it's just the receptionist. I'll take care of it before we go to lunch with…"

Suddenly, the office door burst open, just as the phone stopped buzzing, startling both Padme and Satine. Ahsoka stood there, breathing hard, her eyes wide. Immediately, Padme was on her feet. "What's happened, Snips?" She asked, her voice sharp and commanding to hide the fact that her mind was automatically jumping to the worst possible conclusions. Please, not Palpatine! Please, not that!

"Leia texted me." Ahsoka breathed, "She tried calling you, but you didn't pick up." Padme's phone was on silent for her meeting with Satine. She hadn't checked her messages…but Leia was with Luke at school. If she was texting her…oh no….

"What's happened?" Padme asked again in a rush, already feeling the world tilting, but she forced herself to remain in control, to stay calm. Going all 'freaked out Mom' wouldn't help anyone, especially not her kids.

Ahsoka didn't hesitate. "Luke got into a fight at school with Jabba the Hutt…or his human equivalent. Anyway, Leia said Luke went down with one punch, and he's unconscious."


Anakin also was stuck in a meeting—a meeting he was having virtually with the President of the United States. Other elite members of his management team were present as well, and all of them, including the president, were listening as he began to wrap things up, explaining NASA's goals for the last few months of the fiscal year. Despite being gone from both the office - and the country - for a few weeks, Anakin was feeling pretty good about the meeting—especially since he was delivering the material with half of his mind on how his son was doing at school. He'd tried not to check in on him too often, but the last time he'd taken a peek down their Force bond, he'd sensed quite a bit of agitation from his son. Inwardly, he sighed. He was certain that Luke would not come home happy from his classes that day…but he'd also expected that, to be honest. This was going to be a huge change from all that Luke had known and experienced the last nine years of his life, and it was simply going to take time for him to settle into his new surroundings and routine.

His meeting should have ended perfectly, just as he'd planned it. Then he would go meet up with Obi-Wan and Galen for lunch. However, the Force had other ideas, because suddenly, intense, searing pain pierced through his head, and he gasped mid-sentence, leaning forward and clutching the edge of the conference table for support. His whole body tensed, and he winced as waves of agony pierced him. He heard voices of concern calling his name from around the conference table, but he paid them little attention as images were flooding him from across his bond with Luke—images of a grown Luke, dressed all in black, standing before Jabba the Hutt in his palace on Tatooine, with Leia chained to Jabba's platform and wearing an outfit that would have made Anakin's blood boil had he not been in so much pain.

Then, quickly as it came, the pain stopped, the images replaced by blackness. Frantically, Anakin reached out to his son. Luke? LUKE?! He felt nothing. Not even a flicker of response in the Force. Anakin didn't care that he was in a meeting. He didn't care that the President of the United States was calling his name worriedly and asking if he was alright. He had to get to his son. Now. "I'm sorry, Mr. President. I—I need to go." He mumbled by way of excuse, and ignoring everyone's voiced concerns, he got up from his chair and raced out of the conference room, running down the hall for the front exit and out towards his parked speeder as fast as he could.

He had barely exited the doors with multiple people calling after him to ask where he was going in such a hurry, when he spotted Obi-Wan and Galen already making their way from the parking lot towards security. They stopped short when they saw him running. "Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice full of concern. "What's…?"

"It's Luke!" Anakin huffed, and he didn't slow down. "Get in my speeder, NOW!"

That's all that the other Jedi needed to know before they too broke out into a run, following Anakin to his speeder.


Anakin stormed into the school, his fists clenched at his side. Though he was furious, he had learned to control his anger over the years, and though the few students who were traversing the front hallway to get to various classes instinctively stayed clear of him, he was by no means falling to the Dark Side. Still, he knew that had he been Vader right then, he would have murdered every incompetent staff member in that school. Which probably would account for most of them, he thought peevishly.

Padme had comm'd him while he was racing like a madman towards the school, and she had explained what Ahsoka had told her—that Luke had gotten into a fight with Jabba and lost. Big time apparently, since Luke was still unconscious. Unconscious?! Not good. Under normal circumstances, Anakin may have had a hard time believing that, given that the first time Luke had fought Jabba when they were little kids he'd used the Force to help beat that Hutt to a pulp, and since then, well...Luke had killed more powerful men during his time as an Inquisitor, and Jabba, in this world, was not that powerful (and the Jedi were determined to make sure it stayed that way). However, that horrible, head-splitting pain, accompanied with images that, thanks to Leia's stories, Anakin knew came from their past lives, he had a feeling he knew why Luke had been knocked out with one punch.

Well, partly. What he didn't understand was why. This wasn't the first time Luke had experienced this type of severity of mental pain—he'd seen Luke experience it in Namibia, right before he'd lashed out and choked him. Leia had later said that the episode Anakin had seen wasn't the only such circumstance. Since Luke had been home, he hadn't had another episode, as far as Anakin knew anyway, and now…

He needed answers. He knew Luke wouldn't want him to look for those answers, but Anakin didn't care. Something was wrong with Luke, and he was his father. He had a right to know what was happening to his son. So, he'd called Vokara, and sure enough, the Jedi Master Healer was waiting for him with Padme, and Ahsoka outside of the front office door when he, Obi-Wan, and Galen all walked in.

The moment he and Padme locked eyes, he watched visible relief flood his wife's features as she broke away from the other women and rushed to him, throwing her arms around him. He immediately held her close, breathing in her scent, kissing the top of her hair then her forehead. Some of the fury and worry left him with his wife in his arms. "Oh, Ani," her muffled voice said into his chest, "Thank goodness you're here. I'm tempted to just strangle everyone in that office…"

"Angel, that's always been my job, remember?!" Anakin jokingly smirked to try and ease the tension, rubbing gentle circles into her lower back. "What happened, Sweetheart? Where's Luke and Leia?"

"They're both in the nurse's office. Luke….I'm worried. He's still unconscious, but Leia said she used the Force to make sure that he didn't hit his head on the floor when he fell. Vokara just arrived, so I was about to send her to the nurse's office to make sure Luke's okay…" she trailed off, lifting her head and looking up at him. "She said you called her…said you felt Luke's pain?"

Anakin nodded—he'd told Padme about what he'd witnessed in Namibia, of course. But now… "I saw what caused it." He looked at Vokara, who was listening intently. "He had a memory—a memory of our previous life."

The group was silent, processing that. "That's odd…" Obi-Wan said softly, rubbing his beard in concern. "None of us experienced pain when remembering our other life."

"Maybe it has to do with what Palpatine did to his mind?" Ahsoka mused.

"It's possible," Vokara replied, nodding, and Anakin did not fail to miss the note of concern in her voice. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about this…He was tempted to skip the whole "discussion with the principal" thing and just take Luke back to the Academy's medical bay for treatment. "I'll need to see him, Anakin."

Anakin longed to follow her…but he and Padme had to take care of the school situation first. He turned to Obi-Wan and Galen. "Go with Vokara. I'll be with you shortly."

"I'm coming too." Ahsoka announced, and she followed Obi-Wan, Galen, and Vokara to the nurse's office.

Not a moment too soon. Just as they left down the hallway and rounded the corner, two massive blubbery people walked through the front office door—more like slid out really, since they had to turn sideways to fit through it. Immediately, Anakin recognized them—they were older, and way fatter than the last time he'd encountered them, but no question, it was still the Hutts. He immediately glowered, stepping forward to confront the, uh, little punk and his stupid mother, but to his surprise, he found Padme beat him to it, already striding purposefully towards them with her face a mask of serious intent, her high heels clicking rapidly on the tiled floor. "Mrs. Hutt." Padme's crisp voice was clear and sharp. He quickly raced to catch up with his visibly perturbed wife, crossing his arms over his chest as the two stopped in front of them.

Jabba, the punk, looked rather smug, while his mother—his disgusting, beady-eyed mother with her unbelievably wide toad-like mouth and four chins, glared. "YOU! You're the parents of that boy! Because of your son, my precious son is now suspended, and…"

"Mrs. Hutt!" Padme interrupted, her voice turning to durasteel. Anakin cast a sideways glance at her, knowing exactly from that tone of voice what was coming. He secretly loved it when she used her 'courtroom' voice like this. He always found it so sexy. He had to fight to keep a smirk from his face, as he arched his eyebrows and looked back at the blob of a woman in front of him. "I would like to advise you to keep an eye on your mailbox over the next few days."

This puzzled Mrs. Hutt, and she frowned. Anakin could see her tiny little brain trying to find the meaning in Padme's words. "Why on earth would I need to do that?" Her voice was still shrill, but it wasn't as loud as before, and it was full of confusion.

"As we speak, my secretary is drawing up the needed paperwork to bring your son to court on assault charges. My husband and I were very clear this morning on what would happen to those who harassed our son or our family in any way."

Mrs. Hutt went from pale to purple as Padme spoke. "Y-You can't do that!" She screeched.

"Oh, but I can. Especially since Jabba is eighteen, and can therefore be tried as a legal adult. Provided my son's injuries are not determined to be of a grievous nature from Jabba's unwarranted attack on him, I intend to charge your son with a Class C assault charge, which carries a maximum penalty in Texas of one year in jail...and you can be sure, Mrs. Hutt, that I will seek the maximum penalty in defense of my son." Padme inclined her head, raising her eyebrows, and narrowed her eyes. "I do hope you have a good lawyer—one that isn't good friends with myself and my law partner." Padme shrugged. "But, since I'm the District Attorney, that's going to be very hard for you to do, I'm afraid." Anakin had to fight not to burst out laughing at the look on both the Hutts' faces.

Neither Mrs. Hutt or Jabba looked smug anymore. Mrs. Hutt's mouth opened and closed multiple times as she tried to come up with a response, but she couldn't come up with an adequate one. Padme had cornered her, and Mrs. Hutt could tell that this time, her son wasn't going to get away with it. Finally, she whirled on Jabba, smacking him upside the head. "Look what you've done!" She hissed, "You've disgraced this family. Just you wait till we get home and your father hears about this…"

Padme cleared her throat. "I'll be seeing you in court, Mrs. Hutt." She gave a vicious smile, and pivoted on her heel to finally stalk into the front office, Anakin following behind her, smirking all the way.

"Have I ever told you how just how hot you are when you get like that or how very much I love you?" Anakin whispered in his wife's ear as the door to the office closed behind him with a click.

Padme preened and gave him her most charming I know smile, reaching out to grasp his hand with hers. "Honey, you may be the best Jedi around," she said, nudging him playfully in the stomach with her finger, "But I'm the best lawyer around." Anakin grinned smugly.

He couldn't disagree with that one bit.


Slowly, Luke began to come to. It wasn't the first time he'd been knocked out, not by a long shot, and it felt more like he'd started to wake from a very deep sleep. His eyes simply didn't want to open. It took him a few tries to do so, and as he did blinked, he could feel where the punch had landed solidly across his left cheek, the memory of it throbbing with intensity. He groaned, finally forcing his eyes fully open, and found himself laying down on what he could only describe as a very uncomfortable plastic cot with crinkly parchment type paper underneath him. There was a poster directly across from him with a stupid cartoon dog with a retro thermometer in its mouth. The room smelled of cheap disinfectant, making his nose crinkle in distaste. His backpack with his things was on the plastic chair across from the bed where he lay, and he could hear voices outside of the door of this dimly lit room.

He tried to sit up, tried to remember why he was there, but as he sat up, a wave of pain hit his head, and he immediately slumped back down, gasping for air, as his hands rubbed his pounding temples. He wondered, at first, if he'd received a concussion—but no, he'd had those before. This was bad, but not in the same way. It still felt like the same pain he had when he remembered…

The voices outside of the door stopped, and the door suddenly opened, revealing Leia. "You're awake. Thank the Force!" Her voice was filled with relief, and without his mental shields, he could feel her deep worry overshadowing him. She knew something was wrong—something other than the fact that he'd been punched in the face. The fact that neither of them knew what was wrong with him exactly, scared her, and if he was honest with himself, it scared him, too.

He opened his mouth to respond, but as he did, Obi-Wan appeared behind her, that familiar, kind smile on his face. "Luke," he began, about to step into the room…

Instantly, another vision hit him, hard, causing him to yell out involuntarily as reality disappeared…

He was waking up from being knocked out. He was lying on a warm, sandy, hard ground, his head pounding as his vision adjusted to the fading light of day. A gentle hand helped him sit up. "Rest easy, son. You've had a busy day. You're fortunate to be all in one piece."

Luke blinked his eyes rapidly to clear his vision, looking up into a friendly, much more-time worn version of Obi-Wan's face. "Ben?" Luke asked incredulously, "Ben Kenobi?"

"GET OUT!" Luke suddenly ordered, forcing his eyes shut to keep himself from seeing the man again, trying to shut out the pain that was shooting through his skull, making the swollen bruise on his cheek pound even more. Force, it hurt so much—so much that he was starting to get nauseous…

"Are you alright, Luke…?" his father's best friend asked, concern clear in his voice. Luke could hear him still coming to sit with him, to try to help him.

"I said," Luke shouted in panic, terrified of what would happen if the older man so much as touched him, "GET OUT!" He reached out through the Force blindly, lashing out at the man he'd so affectionately called "Uncle Ben" as a kid, pushing him forcefully out of the room and onto the floor. But Luke, as unstable as he was, also found himself out of balance, and he tumbled off the bed onto the hard linoleum floor.

"Luke!" Leia gasped, and still keeping his eyes tightly closed, he held up his hands in a waving motion, warding her off. She'd triggered these painful types of visions, too. If he had another vision, he was certain that his whole head would explode, that he'd die, and…

Hands were on suddenly on him. Bigger. Stronger. Firmer. "Luke Skywalker." Galen's voice was firm and commanding in his ear. "Breathe. You are safe. No one here is going to harm you." Luke tried to struggle away, but Galen's grip was unyielding and steadying. Besides, Luke realized, in the physical state he was in at the moment, he was sure that even the worst Inquisitor ever could take him down with barely any effort. He hated that thought, hated that he was suddenly weak, that he'd been weak since he'd found out that his memories were all mostly a lie.

You're not weak, Luke. His father's voice was clear, in his head. Gritting his teeth, he tried to push his father out, to keep him from feeling him like this, to keep him from coming here and making his pain worse…but he couldn't push his father out. This time, it didn't seem like his father was intent on leaving him alone either. You need help, Son. Let them help. I'll be there with your mother in just a few moments…We're dealing with your stupid principal right now.

I don't want you here! Luke practically yelled back down their bond. He could feel his father flinch in the Force, either at the words, or at the intensity of them, Luke didn't know.

He felt a gentle hand on his face, felt someone reaching through the Force to steady him, someone that wasn't his father. "Open your eyes, Luke." Ahsoka. "We're not here to hurt you. We want to help. Let us help."

Listen to her. His father pleaded in his mind. Please cooperate, Luke. I'm worried about you. Your mom is worried about you. Leia, and Hayden, and Uncle Ben…We're all worried about you…

Luke swallowed hard. "I don't want to see anything else." He said, in reply to both Ahsoka and his father. "I want it to stop." He sounded pathetic and far younger than he was.

"I promise, Luke, you won't see anything by looking at me or Galen." She sounded so sure about it, Luke almost believed her. But…

"How do you know?" He asked. He still refused to open his eyes.

There was a silence, and he could have sworn she and Galen were silently communicating with one another, deciding what to tell him. "I just know." She finally replied. It was a lame promise, but…

I've told Leia and Obi-Wan to wait outside. You're safe, Luke. His father promised him. Luke wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He did know, however, that he couldn't live his life squeezing his eyes shut all the time. So slowly, cautiously, he opened his eyes, praying that what he saw wouldn't hurt him.

Galen and Ahsoka were kneeling in front of him. Galen still had Luke firmly held in his grip to keep him from lashing out physically. Ahsoka was still touching his face gently, trying to send soothing feelings through the Force. She smiled when he saw her. "Why don't we get you back up on the bed and see what's going on?"

Luke didn't protest as Galen practically hoisted him back up and onto the plastic bed, leaving him sitting up, back braced against the wall for support. "I know neither of you are Healers." He said through numb lips. "So, how are you supposed to find out what's going on with me?"

"Because," A new female voice interrupted, and Luke very cautiously slid a glance over at the newcomer at the door. She was a short, aging Asian woman, her graying dark hair pulled back into a neat bun. "They brought me. I am Dr. Vokara Che, Jedi Master and the Jedi's Chief Healer." She smiled kindly at Luke, though her eyes were already calculating, raking over him and assessing him visually. "You probably don't remember me, since we had very little interaction outside of a few yearly checkups when you were small. But, I'm going to help you."

Luke opened his mouth to tell her to go away, that he didn't need a doctor, but his father interrupted him before he could do so. You need to see her, Luke. She's the best we have. If anyone can help, she can—and don't you even try telling me that you don't need help. Remember, I can feel your pain through our connection. This has gone on for far too long. I've instructed her not to take no for an answer, young man.

Luke shut his mouth, his jaw tightening with annoyance. But, he didn't tell his father to back off, or to stop meddling in his life. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his father was right. Mara had also expressed concern for the very same reasons—and if she found out about today's incident, he was sure she'd drag him to go see Vokara anyway. She'd probably drag him by the ear, too. So, he didn't object. He simply nodded. "Alright." He breathed, "What do I need to do?"


Padme held Anakin's hand tightly, their fingers intertwined, as he led her to the nurse's office, their conversation with the principal still swirling in her head. Luke wasn't getting suspended like Jabba was, only for the simple reason that there were multiple witnesses who confirmed that Luke didn't throw a single punch back at the other boy and that Jabba had instigated the entire thing. Strangely, that made Padme have mixed feelings—on one hand, that would make her case against Jabba that much stronger (a case she absolutely would pursue now). She could paint it as he was attacking Luke for no reason (because technically, Jabba did just that). But, on the other hand, as a mother, she sort of wished Luke had taught the other boy what's what and taken him down a few pegs. Not that she would ever encourage such behavior from her son, of course. He was already precariously on the edge, and both she and Anakin were very worried about what side of the Force he would ultimately take, especially with his apparent…aversion to being a Jedi.

Unfortunately, she had also found out that the fight with Jabba was not Luke's only issue that day. He had apparently been sent to the front office by his English teacher for outright disobedience and disrespecting of her. The principal had let him off easy with just a warning because of his unusual…circumstances, but he still expected Luke to discuss the incident with them himself. And, she knew Anakin would make sure that discussion took place.

Well, once they had Luke's health issues sorted out first.

Primarily, though, Padme didn't care. She just wanted Luke to be healthy. She wanted to know what was happening with her son—they all did. Finally, they entered the nurse's office, where Leia and Obi-Wan were currently sitting in the waiting area in little plastic blue chairs. Seeing them, Leia perked up and stood. "Is Luke…?"

"No." Anakin replied, his voice tight. "Is Vokara still with him?" Padme glanced over to find the school nurse sitting behind the desk, trying to look like she wasn't listening in, and failing at it.

Leia nodded, and the next thing Padme knew, Leia had approached and was hugging her. "Mom…" Leia's voice broke, and Padme didn't need to have the Force to tell that Leia was starting to buckle under the stress of…well, everything. "What if Luke…?"

"He'll be fine, Sweetie." Padme promised, holding her daughter close. "You know, why don't you go pick up Hayden from school and then go home? Your father and I will sign you out of school early. Go home, lie down for a bit, go for a swim or a jog, or just meditate. Whatever you need to do. Your father and I will tell you more tonight when we know more."

Leia pulled away, opening her mouth to protest, but Obi-Wan interrupted. "I think that's a good idea, Leia. I'll go with you. I'll have to sign Hayden out early anyway." He paused. "Since obviously, Luke needs some space."

Leia frowned, her eyes narrowing, as Obi-Wan brought up the sore subject of Luke chucking them out of the room. Shortly after they'd left the principal's office, Anakin had told her what had happened, and Padme could only imagine how hard it must be for their daughter. Leia was Luke's twin—even in this life, they had had a special bond, a bond that Leia was still trying to repair. To top it off, Leia also remembered her previous life with Luke, which only strengthened her love for her brother now. To see him in so much uncertain pain… "He's going to be alright, Leia." Padme said again gently, hoping that she was right. "You'll see. Now, run along and try to relax this afternoon. And, don't freak Hayden out, whatever you do."

Leia was silent for a moment, but she finally nodded. "Alright, Mom. Let's go, Uncle Ben."

Padme watched Leia lead Obi-Wan out to go find her speeder in the student parking lot, and turned back to Anakin, who was staring intently at the door. "Well?" She whispered in his ear, trying to keep her voice low so the nosy nurse wouldn't overhear.

Anakin shook his head, turning back to face her…and the door to the room Luke was in suddenly opened. Vokara stepped out, looking exhausted….and troubled. She turned to the nurse, who was eyeing her warily. "I need to discuss Luke's condition with his parents. Alone. May we use your office?" It was a request, but the way Vokara said it, Padme had a feeling that there was no room for refusal on the nurse's part...and that a Force suggestion had also accompanied her request.

Thankfully, the nurse didn't refuse, though she looked disappointed that she wouldn't get to hear the 'juicy details' of what was going on. Nosy woman, Padme thought irritably as they followed Vokara into the tiny cluttered office…nothing like Vokara's large, pristine office back at the Jedi Academy. As soon as the door was closed, Vokara sighed heavily. "Well. I have good news, and bad news."

Padme could feel her stomach sink. "Is Luke going to be okay, Vokara?" Anakin immediately asked, his brow furrowed with concern, the same question also at the forefront of his wife's mind.

"For now, yes. That's actually the good news. I was able to settle his mind so that he can look at those he knows in both his past life and this life without having immediate visions."

"So, he is having visions of his past life then?" Padme questioned, frowning. She wanted to be sure she was understanding Vokara correctly. She was glad he was able to retain some of his old memories….but they weren't the ones that she wanted him to remember so desperately.

"Yes…and that's the heart of the problem." Vokara shook her head, a troubling frown creasing her lips. "When you told me Palpatine had altered Luke's memories, you didn't say how bad it really was."

"That's because I didn't know how bad it was." Anakin replied tightly. "Just how bad is bad?"

Vokara winced. "Let's just say it's a miracle Luke didn't sustain permanent brain damage from Palpatine's actions." She paused. "See, Padme, when you remembered your past life, you, like the rest of us, were able to do so without any pain, because those memories are part of you. Of who you are. They were always there in the depth of your mind, waiting to be awakened. When Palpatine messed with Luke's head, he didn't just lock away Luke's previous memories of this life, he also severed the connection between Luke and his past life's memories….I don't think intentionally. At least, I hope it wasn't intentional. Anyway, so when Luke is remembering his past life, his brain is trying to forcibly reject those memories. It fails to do so, and because of that missing connection, it's trying to forge new connections, and it's thereby causing tremendously significant pain to Luke."

There was silence. Utter silence at this diagnosis. Padme slowly sat down on one of the plastic blue chairs, suddenly feeling numb. "What does that mean for Luke, Vokara?" She breathed, almost afraid to know the answer. Vokara hesitated.

"Vokara." Anakin asked, his voice serious. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Vokara replied slowly, "that if Luke's mind continues to reject those memories as they continue to surface, it could cause permanent brain damage."


Now we know why Luke has pain when he remembers. Don't worry...this is going to sound weird, but I'm going to say it anyway. I have...adorable plans for it. It'll make sense when I write it.

Next chapter, Luke is going to find out some truths, and Leia and Han are going to have a scene! :D

One reviewer commented on last chapter's song...glad you loved that! That particular song is one I listen to often to get into Luke's current state of mind.

Oh, this story is also being translated for a Chinese audience! I just gotta say, it's so COOL to see that others on the complete other side of the world enjoy what you've worked so hard on. I have the best readers. That is a 100% fact!

Review!

Love,

Sarah