The damaged BTL-B spun sickeningly as it plunged into the atmosphere. Luke struggled with the controls, but it was no good; a Y-wing wasn't meant to be flown with only one engine. Badly off-balance, there was no way to level it out as the surface of Ryloth rose to meet them.
"Hang on tight, Ayfor!"
"1 4M 1NC4P4B1E 0F D01N6 07H3RW153!"
PCHEW!
A huge blaster fired from… somewhere as the BTL-B spiralled over a burnt forest. Luke couldn't see where it came from. The red bolt tore through the remaining wing of the fighter, destroying the engine and vaporising much of the wing and a small portion of the fuselage. Ayfor screeched in alarm.
"No, no, that's a good thing," Luke assured the astromech. "I can get some control now."
Well… sort of. No longer so badly unbalanced, he did manage to get the ship to stop spinning. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no way to steer, no way to pick his landing site or slow down. The nose of the fighter started to glow as it heated up, the atmosphere burning around them. Even with the emergency cooling system running, Luke started to sweat as the heat penetrated the fighter's armour.
"You okay, Ayfor?"
"B4R31Y!"
Every alarm in the cockpit was screaming at him; Luke's entire field of vision was filled with blinking amber and red. He squinted, trying to focus, trying to find… Ah, there! The emergency parachute!
Not that it helped much. Luke deployed the chute and it almost immediately caught on fire from the heat of the atmosphere and the sparks spewing from the destroyed wings.
There was a building rising up before him, a two-story domed house on the edge of a worn-down village. They were coming in too fast for Luke to be able to tell if it was occupied, although he didn't think he sensed any lifeforms in the area.
"Kriff, kriff, kriff!"
Luke pulled the nose up as much as he could, but it didn't help. The BTL-B slammed into the house at ludicrous speed, still hot from reentry. There was a tremendous noise that left Luke's head ringing, like an earthquake and a volcanic eruption rolled into one. The bricks around him shattered and melted; the nose of the ship folded like Stewjoni origami from the impact.
There was a loud hiss—or maybe that was just his ears ringing—and the cockpit filled with cushioning gel just in time to prevent Luke from bashing his head on the dash. Even with that protection, the impact left him stunned, eyes and brain spinning.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there before he regained his senses. The first thing he noticed was the smell of smoke. Something was on fire. Luke wasn't sure if that was part of his ship or part of the house that had cushioned his fall.
"Oww…" Everything ached. And he'd just been given a clean bill of health, too!
"You… You alright back there, Ayfor?"
"UNC3R741N…" The astromech's whistle crackled weakly.
"Uh… Just hang tight for a second. I'll come get you out."
Luke pushed at the hatch; it was stuck shut, spattered with molten metal and stone. Okay then. Reaching inwards, he centred himself in the Force and shoved. The hatch flew off the broken ship, landing thirty metres away. At first, Luke thought it was weird that it did so so quietly; then he remembered that his ears were still ringing from the crash.
"We're alright, Ayfor. We've landed." He reached back and lifted the astromech out of her slot with the Force. She whistled shrilly as he set her on the ground.
"1'D H4RD1Y C411 7H47 4 14ND1N6!"
"Hey, hey, to be fair, I've had worse." None that immediately came to mind, but Luke was sure they existed.
He stumbled away from the ship in case something dangerous was on fire, the little astromech skittering along after him. As soon as he thought he was safe, Luke sat down on a fallen log and rubbed his head. "Ow…"
"Y0U 4R3 1UCKY 70 B3 411V3."
"You're probably right, Ayfor, and not just about today." Luke smiled at his new companion. She was a sweet little droid, slightly smaller than R2-D2, but very similar in design, her silvery body accented with green decals.
The droid whistled in exasperation. "R2-D2 N3V3R W4RN3D M3 7H47 411 J3D1 4R3 5U1C1D41! 1 7H0U6H7 17 W45 JU57 H15!"
"I'm not suicidal," Luke assured the droid. "Trouble just really, really likes to follow me wherever I go."
Ayfor beeped regretfully and let out a whistle of resignation. Then… "WH47 15 Y0UR D3516N4710N?"
Oh… Right, he'd never actually introduced himself to Ayfor. Not properly. "My name's Luke Skywalker. I'm… a Jedi, I guess. It's complicated, but Master Yoda said I was…"
Green and red lights blinked at him. "C0MM4ND3R 0R 63N3R41?"
"Huh?" A bit of the log crumbled as Luke shook his head in confusion. The wood had been badly charred by blaster fire. Ayfor whistled in irritation.
"15 Y0UR D3516N4710N C0MM4ND3R 1UK3 0R 63N3R41 5KYW41K3R?"
"Uh… I don't think it's either of those? I'm just Luke."
"D3516N4710N 'JU57 LUK3' R363C73D. 411 J3D1 4R3 D3516N473D 317H3R C0MM4ND3R 0R 63N3R41."
Oh dear. He hadn't realised claiming his heritage to an astromech would be so complicated. R2-D2 had been happy enough to call him any number of names, ranging from '5KY6UY-2' when the little monster was feeling affectionate to 'B017H34D' when Luke managed to do something even Artoo found to be too much.
Seriously, if his astromech had been a biological lifeform, Luke would have sworn Artoo was an adrenaline junkie.
"I… I guess I'm a Commander?" It was probably better to claim the lower rank in case Ayfor let the designation slip to anyone else. The little astromech beeped an affirmative. Then…
"R314710N 70 63N3R41 5KYW41K3R? 7H0U6H7 H15 C0MM4ND3R W45 D3516N473D 5N1P5?"
"I'm not General Skywalker's commander," Luke assured the droid quickly. "I'm… his son. His time travelling son from the future."
It still sounded so weird when he acknowledged that aloud to anyone but his father. Luke's heart fluttered coldly. Kriff, his father. He had to let Vader know he was alright. Limbs or no, Luke wouldn't put it past his father to hurt someone if he thought Luke was in danger. He sent a wave of reassurance through their bond, along with an image of the broken village where he'd landed.
Vader responded with cold relief and a wordless promise not to do anything to Anakin. There was also an underlying tension to the message that made Luke wince. His father wanted to have words when he got back.
Fun.
Ayfor trilled. "1F N07 5KYW47K3R, WH0 15 Y0UR 63N3R41?"
"I don't know…" Luke tried to rub the ache from his head. "I don't know how the relationship between Jedi commanders and generals is. I said I'm from the future, remember? The Clone Wars ended around the time I was born."
The astromech responded with a dubious whine. Luke sighed. "I'm telling the truth. I don't know what to say to make you believe me."
Ayfor shuffled in the astromech equivalent to a shrug, her dome spinning to scan the area around him. "1F Y0U R3411Y 4R3 4 C0MM4ND3R," she explained, "Y0UR 63N3R41 15 7H3 0N3 WH0 15 7R41N1N6 Y0U."
Oh. Oh. Asking about his general meant asking about his master. Luke wasn't sure how he should answer that. Technically, he'd had two masters, although neither for very long. But would either of them claim him in this time, once he told them who he was?
He hoped so.
Without really thinking about it, Luke found himself reaching out for a familiar Force signature, the first one he'd ever consciously felt. What returned was a confusing mess; Obi-Wan felt both extremely close and extremely far away. "My… My master was… was Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"D3516N4710N 'C0MM4ND3R 1UK3' 4CC3P73D," Ayfor trilled. Luke patted her dome with a smile.
"Thanks, Ayfor."
Now…
How were they going to get out of here?
Luke closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, searching for lifeforms he might be able to ask for help. What he found was… eerie. The immediate area around him felt dead. There was no multicellular within a hundred metres of him. The nearest concentration of Force signatures—all of them civilians—was on the other side of the town, a cluster of desperate and fearful emotions.
It almost felt like a hostage situation. Was whoever shot him down keeping the villagers hostage? If they were, he had to help. But… How? He didn't have a lightsabre or a blaster or a ship…
Patience. He'd find something. First, he needed more information.
Reaching out in the other direction, Luke sensed another cluster of lifeforms, these ones moving quickly in the direction of the village. At their current pace, they'd be there in about ten minutes. Most of the signatures had the subtle, not-quite-identical feel of clone troopers that he'd noticed when he'd been looking for the mess hall, but one…
Obi-Wan.
That was good. That was very good. All he needed to do was get to somewhere where Obi-Wan would find him. His old teacher would be mad at him for escaping and getting in trouble, Luke knew, but at least he'd be able to get him back to the Resolute.
Now he just had to figure out where a good rendezvous point would be. Which would be a lot easier if he could get a look at the village and figure out why Obi-Wan and a bunch of clones were headed towards it.
You could just ask.
That voice. That voice. Luke opened his eyes and grinned at the blue figure who was suddenly floating before him. "Ben! What are you doing here?"
His first teacher smiled. You didn't think I would leave you alone, did you?
"Well, no, but… we're in the past. You're alive. But you're also… you."
Ben nodded and folded his arms. I know. I… chose to follow you when you and Vader managed to fold space and time in half in order to help as best I can. I felt that leaving you unsupervised was not the best decision.
"That hurts, Ben." Even as he said the words, Luke couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "That really hurts. Even after we took down the Emperor, you still don't trust us to look after ourselves?"
Last time I left you alone, you got your hand cut off, you were nearly executed by Jabba the Hutt, and you were electrocuted by Emperor Palpatine. Last time I left your father unsupervised, he fell to the Dark Side and plunged the galaxy into 22 years of chaos and tyranny, then nearly died saving you when he finally came to his senses. No, I do not trust anyone with the surname Skywalker to look after themselves.
Luke winced. Yeah, that was fair. "Alright, then, what do you think I should do?"
My younger self is headed this way with Ghost Company to take out the gun emplacement in this village so that Mace Windu can bring his forces down south of here. If you can get close enough to the gun emplacement, you will be able to meet up with him when his mission is complete. I can guide you through the village.
"Sounds good." Luke got to his feet, swaying a bit. He had to rest one hand on Ayfor's dome for a moment to steady himself. "Lead on."
Ben hesitated. Um, Luke… This is an active war zone. Please tell me you have a weapon in case you are attacked. I… am not able to affect the physical world enough to assist you in combat.
Luke bit his lip sheepishly; his ghostly master frowned. Luke…
"It's not my fault I'm unarmed. Anakin took my lightsabre—he thinks I'm a Sith! And I wasn't expecting to get into a dogfight and shot down over an unfamiliar planet when I went to look for the mess hall."
Oh dear… Ben sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand, eyes closed as he radiated exasperated resignation in the Force. I suppose I should not be surprised. Like father, like son. Well then, we'll just have to be careful and try to stay hidden. I think there were some sewers around here we can use; I just need to remember where the entrances are.
Oh. Sewers. Yay. Those were right up there with trash compactors on his list of locations where he spent far too much time. Luke winced in pre-emptive disgust as he followed Ben deeper into the village.
Things were eerily quiet for the next few minutes as they picked their way through rubble-covered streets and broken, charred buildings. The only sounds Luke heard were his own footsteps and the quiet whirr of Ayfor's wheels as the droid followed close behind him. And the blaster marks on the walls painted all too clear of a picture for the reason behind the silence.
Luke picked up a piece of rebar as they worked their way through the remains of a small cafe. The metal was heavier than his lightsabre, but not too badly, and about the same length. It would be better than nothing if there was a fight.
PCHEW!
PCHEW!
PCHEW!
Red blaster bolts shot overhead, their passage explosively loud. It left the air reeking of ionised tibanna. Luke instinctively ducked into a doorway, pulling Ayfor along with him. But the blasters weren't aimed at anything anywhere near him. No, they were aimed at the incoming clone troop transports.
Luke felt a ship full of clone troopers crash… burn… die as one of the blaster bolts hit its mark. He flinched, the deaths leaving a brief, stinging hole in the Force. Ben shot him a sympathetic look.
We must try to stay out of sight until my younger self has taken control of that gun emplacement.
"Easy for you to say," Luke mumbled. "Can anyone else even see you besides me?"
Ben hesitated, radiating loneliness. Not so far, no. I have spent the last few days playing poltergeist in your father's quarters, but…
"Oh…" Yeah, that had to hurt. To be back in a time where everyone Ben knew and loved was alive, but to still be unable to talk to them. "Sorry…"
It's alright, Luke. Even if you're the only one who can see me, just being here again… Ben smiled sadly. You and your father… You have the chance to change things. To keep everyone alive.
"We'll do our best." Not that Luke even knew where to start, but he was sure his father would have some ideas.
Ben was unable to locate the entrances to the sewers. Luke smiled reassuringly when his mentor sent him an apologetic look. It wasn't surprising, really; not many people would remember the location of a manhole they used once 25 years ago on a planet they probably hadn't visited since.
With that option closed to them, Luke and Ayfor found themselves a narrow alley, half-hidden by broken walls that turned it into almost a cave, and settled in to wait. Luke took off his helmet, shaking out his sweaty hair, and did his best to settle into a comfortable position. It wasn't easy in armour, but he didn't want to remove the full suit yet in case he needed the protection.
He felt it in the Force when the surviving clone transports touched down, Obi-Wan in their lead, and started fanning out in groups of two and three to scout the area. There was a brief spark of alarm at that; he opened his mouth to ask, but Ben answered before he could put his question into words.
No, I do not think it necessary to avoid the clones. If anyone from the 212th finds you, they will take you to me. You will be safe with them, as much as anyone can be, at least.
Nodding, Luke closed his eyes and leaned back against a wall to get some rest.
It didn't last long.
He was brought back to full alertness when a faint, distinctly non-clone lifeform Force signature approached, edging cautiously out of a nearby building. Opening his eyes slowly—whoever was approaching, he didn't want to alarm them—Luke spotted a green Twi'lek girl in ragged clothing peering at him from behind a fallen beam. He smiled softly at her.
"Hi there… It's alright, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."
The girl hummed dubiously, glancing from his face to R2-A4. Luke patted Ayfor's dome.
"Are you afraid of droids? I promise, Ayfor is friendly. She helps me fly."
"F-lie?"
Oh. Oh dear. The girl didn't speak Basic, and Luke didn't even know what the Twi'lek language was called, let alone any words of it. That would make this harder. Starting over, he pointed to his own face, then tapped Ayfor's dome.
"Luke. Ayfor."
The girl edged around her beam, creeping slightly closer. "Luke? Aiefo?"
It was close enough. Luke nodded, reaching out with the Force to send a wave of comfort and reassurance towards the girl. Even if she wasn't Force-sensitive—and he didn't think she was—maybe it would help.
The girl wrung her hands, staring around nervously. Then, hesitant, she pointed towards herself. "Numa."
Luke smiled again. "Hello Numa."
"Lo?"
Numa's stomach growled at the same moment Luke's did. He winced. "Sorry; I wish I had something to offer you to eat, but I've been a bit too busy to pick up lunch."
She didn't understand him, but that was okay. Just the sound of his voice, calm and quiet, should help reassure her. Ben smiled in the background, nodding approvingly.
Two steps of footsteps. Someone was approaching. Squeaking quietly in fear, Numa scrambled across the alleyway and ducked behind Luke as he stood up. He put his helmet back on and held his rebar as if it was a lightsabre as he reached out with the Force.
Clones.
It was two clones who were approaching the alley. Luke lowered his guard slightly, but remained at the ready in case there were battle droids following the two men.
The two clones had yellow markings on their armour. Luke wasn't sure what that meant. They both had their weapons at the ready, as if they were expecting trouble; one of them raised his blaster at the sight of Luke. Only his partner's hand on his arm kept him from shooting.
That was close. Luke didn't think deflecting blaster bolts with a piece of rebar would work very well.
"You're not part of Ghost Company," the less-trigger-happy clone said. "What's a Shiny like you doing down here?"
"You're the second person today to call me that." Luke lowered his guard and took one hand off the rebar, raising it in a sign of surrender. "I don't even know what that means."
"A new vod, fresh off Kamino." Luke could feel the clone rolling his eyes. "No combat experience, so your armour's all shiny and clean. No scratches or paint."
"Oh."
The trigger-happy one slowly lowered his blaster. "How'd you get here? What battalion are you part of?"
"I, uh, I'm a pilot. I flew against the blockade, but got shot down. Crashed not far from here."
The clones looked at each other. "General Skywalker's crazy ace."
"He survived."
"General will be happy."
Luke fidgeted. "I'm, uh, also… Not a clone."
Both soldiers once again fixed their gazes on him; the blaster returned its aim to his head. "What?"
Dropping his makeshift weapon, Luke raised both hands slowly to show he meant no threat. Removing the helmet, he glanced from one clone to the other nervously. "My name is Luke Skywalker. I'm from the future."
Both clones erupted with a mix of emotions. Confusion. Realisation. Amusement. Disbelief. Acceptance. Worry. They glanced at each other again.
"One of the time travellers Barlex heard about from Sarge."
"General Skywalker… reproduced?"
"Kix'll go berserk."
"Rex will go berserk."
Luke only realised something was wrong when he could no longer feel Numa clinging to his leg. The girl darted forwards, grabbing the piece of rebar he'd been using as a makeshift lightsabre, and brought the weapon across all four of the clones' shins. She yelled something in her native language as she did so; while Luke didn't understand the words, the tone indicated it was some form of insult.
"Ow!" Both clones stumbled back. "Hey, watch it!"
Luke pulled Numa back behind him with the Force, taking the rebar away. "You're frightening her. It's the blasters and the helmets. Take them off; let her see who you are."
He didn't mean for it to be an order, but both clones were staring. Then, one after the other, they placed their weapons at their feet and did as he'd told. Two identical faces, one with a small goatee and bald as an egg, the other with a neatly kept moustache and a squared-off military haircut.
"So," Military-Cut said slowly, "I guess it's Commander Luke Skywalker? Or are you a general, like your father?"
Baldie elbowed his companion in the ribs before Luke could answer. "Rude, Boil."
"Hey, I'm just trying to figure out how this affects our mission."
The bald clone shook his head and saluted Luke. "I'm Waxer," he said, "And this is my brother, Boil. We're with General Kenobi's 212th Attack Battalion."
Luke nodded slowly. "Nice to meet you, Waxer, Boil. I'm afraid I'm not really a commander or general or anything, even if Ayfor refuses to call me anything but Commander Luke."
The droid whistled, making Numa squeak in alarm. Luke rested a hand on Ayfor's head to calm her down. "I ended up here by accident after being picked up by Blue Squadron during the blockade run," he continued. "I have no weapons and my fighter was totalled, so I've just been hiding out waiting for Obi-Wan to arrive. I met Numa here just before you two showed up."
Peering around his legs, the Twi'lek girl scowled at the clones and stuck her tongue out. Waxer and Boil looked at each other, confused.
"What's a Tubie doing out here in the middle of a war zone?"
"Most of the village was taken hostage. I can sense them over that way. " Luke gestured towards the cluster of frightened presences. "She must have escaped and been hiding from the battle droids."
Something buzzed overhead, a sound Luke was all too familiar with from his days in the Rebellion. Probe droid. Squeaking in fear, Numa bolted back into the building she'd first emerged from, hiding deep in the shadows. Luke followed, pulling Waxer, Boil, and Ayfor along with the Force before they could protest. He pressed a finger to his lips when Boil opened his mouth.
The droid buzzed through the alley they'd been standing in not thirty seconds later.
"Sorry about that," Luke whispered once he was sure it was far enough away. "I didn't think there was time to warn you."
Waxer smiled and shook his head. "Like father, like son." Then he frowned. "Do the generals know yet?"
"Not yet. Father and I haven't been sure how to tell them. Things in the future we came from were… not good. We want to fix it."
Boil's eyebrow's rose; Waxer's eyes went wide. "Wait… the other time traveller really is your father?"
"There are two General Skywalkers running around?"
"Yes, and not quite yet, but soon. Father is still recovering from his injuries."
Both clones grinned. "The Seppies are doomed."
Luke had to force himself to keep a straight face when he saw the look of horror Ben made behind Waxer and Boil's backs. His mentor was shielding heavily, though, so he couldn't tell exactly what thought had triggered that look.
While Ben was horrified, though, something about the clones' smiles and voices triggered a sense of wary hope from Numa. She crept out of her hiding place and back to Luke's side, clinging to his leg as she stared up at Waxer and Boil with huge eyes. The girl asked a question in her native language, but the clones didn't seem to understand it any more than Luke did.
Waxer knelt down to her level. "We're clones," he explained slowly, "Brothers. Boil and I came with a bunch of our brothers and a few Jedi like Commander Skywalker here. We're going to make the bad droids go away, alright? Then you'll be safe again."
Numa stared with incomprehension. Luke patted her on the shoulder, shaking his head.
"It's no use. She doesn't speak Basic."
Boil frowned. "Then what are we going to do with her, Sir? We can't bring a Tubie with us on the battlefield."
Luke fidgeted self-consciously. "I don't know," he admitted. "And please, it's just Luke. I'm not a commander or anything."
Ayfor whistled and spun, siding with the clones as her indicator lights flashed amber. "1NC0RR3C7! D3516N4710N 15 C0MM4ND3R 1UK3!"
"I have to side with the astromech on this one, Sir." Waxer stood. "You're General Skywalker's son; if you aren't at least a commander, I'll eat my bucket."
"Well, I hope your bucket tastes good, then."
Waxer just grinned. Luke sighed. Clearly, this was a battle he could not win. Bending down, he scooped Numa up, settling her on his back. The girl clung tightly to his shoulders, mumbling words he didn't understand. Waxer and Boil stared.
"Uh, Sir, what-?"
"We can't just leave her here," Luke said quietly, picking up his piece of rebar. "It's not safe."
"It's not safe to bring her with us either, Sir."
Luke's mind flashed back—or was it forwards?—to another small green form, one who had clung to his shoulders for hours on end as he performed all manner of acrobatics and combat training exercises. The memory made him smile, even as the loss of the little gremlin caused a pang of hurt. "Don't worry; I'm used to carrying someone about Numa's size during exercises. She won't slow me down."
"If you're sure, Sir."
They exited the building cautiously, Waxer and Boil taking point while Luke brought up the rear with Numa and Ayfor. Both clones and Luke had their weapons at the ready as they crept through the village, alert for any sign of battle droids or scouts.
They'd been walking for maybe five minutes when Numa abruptly tugged on Luke's hair, chattering quietly and pointing at a nearby building. Her words were sad and fearful, but she tried to steer him towards the place with her feet, like she was riding a Blurrg rather than a human. Luke motioned for the clones to wait.
"Numa wants to go in there." He gestured towards the building. The clones glanced at it dubiously.
"All due respect, Sir, but we have to find our way back to General Kenobi. We're already late to report in as it is."
"Can't you report in over comms? Explain the delay?" Luke glanced at Ben as he spoke, wordlessly asking his ghostly mentor for direction.
Boil shook his head. "No can do. Something started jamming our comms not long before we found you and the kid."
Ben's face lit up. The spirit waved towards the building Numa had pointed at, nodding his head. I think one of the sewer entrances is in there.
Luke let his voice and face harden at that. He looked back to the clones, letting himself become Rogue Leader for just a moment, since they wanted him to be a commander so badly. "We need to go in there. There's a way into the sewers under the village; down there, we can travel unnoticed."
Boil blinked. "How could you-? Right, right, Jetii Banthashit. Well then, lead on, Commander."
It was a bit of a relief to go indoors, where they could be more sure of hiding from any probe droids. Numa jumped down off Luke's shoulders as soon as they were under cover, taking his hand as she looked around sadly. Waxer frowned in concern.
"Do you think… Do you think this was her home?"
"It might've been." Luke reached out with the Force, trying to sense anything that might indicate where the sewer entrance might be. Ben started poking around the floor as they moved from room to room.
Numa let out a distressed whine as they entered the remains of what was once a family room. She picked up a plush Tooka off the floor, miraculously unharmed by the blaster fire that had destroyed the furniture. Hugging it tight, Numa clung sadly to Luke's side as he used the Force to clear rubble from the room.
There. Under the carpet. A hollow.
"I think I've-"
There were multiple lifeforms approaching. Fast. Luke sensed aggression and hunger as the ground began to shake. Waxer, closest to the door, saw what was coming first.
"Gutkurrs! A whole pack of them!"
Luke raised the lid off the manhole and immediately shoved Numa and Ayfor inside. "Waxer, Boil, over here! I found the entrance!"
The clones backed towards him in an orderly retreat, firing their blasters the whole time. Huge, insectivorous predators clawed at the entrance to the house, too large to squeeze through the door… But strong enough that Luke wouldn't put it past them to dig their way through the concrete and stone.
It was time to disappear.
He dropped into the sewers, Waxer and Boil right behind him, and sealed off the entrance. The tunnel was black as pitch, but surprisingly dry and clean, at least as sewers went. Either the Twi'leks were superb engineers, or the sewers hadn't seen much use recently.
Luke suspected the latter.
Waxer and Boil were panting. Luke could barely see them in the dimness. "Are you two alright?"
"Just peachy, Sir." Boil put his helmet back on, pressing a button on the side. "What's the plan?"
"From here, I'll track down Obi-Wan using the Force. We'll come up as close as possible to the rest of… did you say you were with Ghost Company?"
"Yes Sir." Waxer copied his brother, then tapped Luke on the shoulder. "Put the bucket on, Sir. If you press the side of the visor, you can switch on night vision."
Luke smiled sheepishly and did as he was told. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Me'n Boil may not be used to playing babysitter for Jetii, but we've seen Cody and Rex do it often enough. And at least you haven't lost half your armour yet."
Cold water sloshed around their ankles as they made their way through the sewers. Luke picked Numa up on his back again so that she didn't have her bare feet immersed in the probably less-than-sanitary fluid.
Everything glowed dim red through the lenses of the helmet. Luke found it disorienting, at first, feeling as if he'd hit his head on something. It was useful, though, helping him navigate the slippery maze of the sewers as he tracked Obi-Wan's Force signature.
Was this how the world had looked to his father, trapped in Darth Vader's suit? Was this why Vader had been so keen to see Luke with his own eyes?
There. Obi-Wan was practically on top of him, and there was a manhole just to his left. Luke lifted the manhole with the Force, motioning for Waxer and Boil to head up first.
Cries of alarm turned into confusion, then relief as the two clones emerged. Luke smiled as he heard Obi-Wan's voice.
"Waxer, Boil, there you are. I was worried something might have happened."
"Nothing too bad, Sir. Our communications were jammed, and we got a bit… distracted on the way back."
Luke passed Numa up to Waxer, followed by Ayfor, before jumping up himself. He positioned himself sheepishly between Waxer and Boil, smiling nervously as he removed his helmet.
"Hey…"
Obi-Wan frowned at him, radiating confusion and frustration in the Force. "Wha-? Luke. How did you get here?"
"I broke out of the med bay to get lunch, got grabbed by Blue Squadron right before they tried the blockade, and got the wing torn off my BTL-B defending the bridge. I crashed on the other side of town, then met Waxer and Boil on my way to find you."
Several of the clones behind Obi-Wan radiated amusement. Obi-Wan himself did not. His voice was harsh when he replied. "Luke, you are a prisoner. By law, I could—should—shoot you on sight for escaping."
Luke shrank in on himself. "Sorry?"
Before Obi-Wan could respond, Numa grabbed Luke's rebar from his hand and bolted for the Jedi Master. She was aiming for his kneecaps. Luke pulled her back with the Force, picking her up and humming quietly.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. I know he sounds mad, but Obi-Wan would neve actually hurt me."
Numa frowned, first at him, then at Obi-Wan, then finally dropped the rebar. She refused to take her eyes off the Jedi Master, though.
Waxer and Boil both looked confused. "General… What do you mean, Commander Skywalker is a prisoner?"
"He's not a comman- Ouch!"
This time it was Ayfor assaulting Obi-Wan's kneecaps, the astromech jabbing him with her tiny arc welder. Obi-Wan leapt back, muttering curses under his breath.
"D3516N4710N 15 C0MM4ND3R!" the droid whistled indignantly. "Y0UR C0MM4ND3R! H0W D4R3 Y0U K33P H1M 53CR37!"
"My commander?" Obi-Wan was utterly flabbergasted. Luke had never seen his mentor so out-of-depth. A glance at Old Ben showed that the Force ghost wasn't going to be any help at all, bent double with laughter as his younger self sputtered. "I think I would know if I'd taken another padawan!"
The clones were no longer amused. Just confused. Luke smiled apologetically.
"Even if it happened years from now?"
Obi-Wan froze. Luke felt his mentor reach out to him in the Force, cautious prodding coming across… some form of bond? Did he have a bond with Obi-Wan? With Old Ben? There was definitely a connection between them, but what was it? When had it appeared?
"You're… telling the truth," Obi-Wan muttered. "You were—will be—are?—my padawan at some point. But…But Anakin was so sure that you fell…"
"Do I feel like one of those Sith guys?" Luke opened himself up to his old—new?—master, dropping the concealment he'd woven around himself in the Force. "Do I feel Dark?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. No, you do not. You wear the shadows like a cloak, but they aren't a part of you. You'll have to be careful with that, though; call on them too often and you will fall."
"Not if there's someone to bring me back."
Opening his mouth to respond, Obi-Wan was cut off by one of the clones. "Sir, as fascinating as it is to hear cryptic exchanges of Jetii philosophy, we have a job to do, remember?"
"Right, right." Obi-Wan shook his head, eyes sweeping critically over Luke. "Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any to see what my very unexpected padawan can do. I don't suppose you have a lightsabre on you, do you, Luke?"
"Nope. Just this." Luke pried his piece of rebar out of Numa's fingers and held it out for examination. Obi-Wan sighed, his hand meeting his face.
"Of course… Well, how are you with a blaster?"
Luke shrugged. "Not as good as my sister, but I'm a decent shot."
"Sis-? I have so many questions for you later." Obi-Wan turned to the clone who had interrupted him. "Cody, do we have any spare blasters?"
"Negative, Sir."
"It's alright. I'll make due." Luke put Numa down gently; the girl continued clinging to his leg. "I'm good at it."
"Yes, well, I hope you can make due well enough to handle the mess we're in. The droid garrison has taken the surviving members of this village hostage; taking the gun emplacement without harming them is going to be a job and a half."
Waxer and Boil looked at each other, then at Luke and Obi-Wan. "Actually, Sir… There might be a way around that. If we can find a way to get close to the prisoners through the sewers…"
"Then we can get them out before the droids can hurt them."
Obi-Wan thought about that for a moment, stroking his beard. "The droids will certainly have their hostages under close, heavy guard. We'd need a distraction."
Luke grinned. "Leave that part to me."
"Without even a lightsabre?" Obi-Wan shot him a deadpan look. Waxer and Boil snickered.
"Like father, like son," Waxer snickered. Everyone stared at him.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"I'll tell you later," Luke promised, sending soothing placation through his bond with Obi-Wan. "Just trust me on this. I can distract the droids just fine; you worry about the civilians."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "For someone who claims to be my padawan, you sure are giving your master a lot of orders."
"Extenuating circumstances. Future boy, remember?"
If Old Ben wasn't already dead, Luke was sure the ghost would have died in the corner, he was laughing so hard.
Obi-Wan prodded Luke gently with the Force, then sighed. "Alright. If you're certain."
Luke beamed. Then he frowned. "Uh… You don't happen to speak Twi'lek, do you?"
"I do, yes."
"Oh. Good." Luke sagged with relief. "I think Numa can lead you through the sewers, but I don't speak her language, so I can't ask for directions."
"Ah. I see." Obi-Wan crouched in front of the girl and asked her something in the same musical language she'd been chattering away in earlier. Numa frowned, then nodded determinedly, releasing her hold on Luke's leg. Obi-Wan stood.
"Very well then, padawan-mine. You go cause your distraction. We'll head through the sewers to free the prisoners and take the gun emplacement."
Unable to keep the smile off his face, Luke bowed slightly and headed for the entrance to the droids' compound. Obi-Wan's voice made him pause.
"And Luke?"
"Yes?"
"Do be careful."
He had no verbal response for that, so he just grinned. Luke very much doubted his plan would fall under anyone's idea of careful.
A few minutes later, Luke strode into full view of the entrance to the droid compound. He held his rebar like a lightsabre, even though he doubted it would do much good against blasters. But hey, if any droids got close enough for a melee, it was still nice to have something to hit them with that wasn't his bare hands. Behind the line of guards, he could see a cluster of Twi'leks huddled fearfully in a shallow depression. More droids surrounded them, blasters at the ready.
Even with how many he saw, there were a lot fewer than he would have expected. The Emperor would have sent at least twice that many Storm Troopers on a mission like this. Only one tank and two walkers? That was child's play! Or, well it was for him, Han, and Leia. Maybe not so much for a village of terrorized civilians.
Time to get everyone's attention.
"My name is Luke Skywalker!" he called out, grinning. "I'm here to rescue you!"
The response was instant. Dozens of droids turned to look at him with an electronic whirr, their tinny voices echoing through the compound.
"Skywalker?"
"Jedi!"
"Get him!"
Many, many blasters were suddenly pointed his way, along with the pair of walker turrets and the barrel of the tank. Luke grabbed the tank and heaved with the Force, spinning the heavy vehicle on its side and ducking behind it as the droids fired. Blasters met durasteel with a cacophony of noise, some bouncing off, some charring the thick metal.
Pew-pew! Pew-pew!
Leaping up on top of the tank, Luke reached out once more and grabbed every droid he could see, raising them into the air. Most of them stopped firing in confusion, and those few who continued hit nothing but sky.
"Ah! I'm flying! How am I flying?!"
"The Jedi has us!"
"Well, do something about it!"
"I can't! I can't move!"
CRONCH!
Luke winced at the noise as every droid in his grip crushed and died, their indicator lights fizzing out. Even if they were just dumb battle droids, it didn't feel right to destroy them en masse like that. He liked droids.
Three more droids climbed out of the tank he was standing on, trying to bring their blasters to bear. Luke whirled through them, destroying their weapons with his piece of rebar, then shoved them away with the Force. The trio of droids panicked when they landed, scrambling over each other; Luke dropped a turret walker on them with a wince.
Then, without even looking, he reached out and grabbed the tactical droid that was trying to sneak into the pilot seat of the other turret walker. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"I- You-!"
Luke disabled the walker and tactical droid both, snapping their legs with the Force. Maybe someone would be able to get some useful intel out of the latter.
It was then that he realised Obi-Wan and the clones were staring at him. They had emerged from the sewers somewhere deeper in the compound, arriving at the hostage site just in time to see his display.
Obi-Wan was the first to find his voice. "I thought you were just distracting them?!" The Jedi Master radiated shock in the Force.
Luke smiled apologetically and jumped off the tank, landing in front of his mentor. "Sorry. There weren't as many as I thought there would be. I decided I could take them all."
"You… I… Ugh… We will talk about this later, Luke." Obi-Wan shook his head. "Your recklessness and overconfidence are not the ideal traits for a Jedi."
Oh, those words sounded so well-versed on Obi-Wan's tongue. How often had he said the same thing to Luke's father?
Luke responded with a simple smile and nod, though, as his mentor commed someone. "Master Windu, this is Master Kenobi. We have taken the gun emplacement. You're free to move out."
"That was faster than expected."
Obi-Wan eyed Luke, shaking his head. "We had some help from a local. Kenobi out."
The comm went dead. Luke stared at his mentor in surprise. "You… didn't tell him about me?"
"Not yet, Luke. Not yet." Obi-Wan sighed. "You and your father are presenting quite the problem, though. I'll have to report you to the Council after this battle is done. Hopefully by then I'll have some idea what to do with you."
Luke bit his lip, trying to conceal his longing. He failed. Of course he failed. He was good at hiding from others, but he could never hide from Old Ben. "You could…" No, he mustn't say it.
Obi-Wan frowned. "What is it, Luke? I swear you're worse at concealing your feelings than Anakin."
Looking away, Luke shuffled in place. "You could… What to do with me, you could…"
"Spit it out, Luke."
"You could complete my training…" Luke's face flushed red. "You didn't have time to, before, and neither did Yoda when he took me on after you…" He couldn't help the pain and longing that spread out from his chest and into the Force.
"After I what?"
"After you died…" Luke hadn't wanted to say it, but there was no use trying to hide it. Old Ben had always known when he was lying; why wouldn't Obi-Wan?
"That will be for the Council to decide."
Huh. Who knew Old Ben used to be such a stick in the mud? Where was the hermit who snuck gifts to a young boy under his overprotective uncle's nose, who brazenly mind-tricked Storm Troopers in broad daylight, who seemed to know every menu item in the Mos Eisley cantina?
Right… In a corner, glowing blue, still laughing his ghostly head off.
Luke wandered off as Obi-Wan commed more people to coordinate something about the upcoming assault on the Separatists ensconced in the capital. He flopped down on a piece of rubble with a sigh; Numa and Ayfor joined him a moment later. Luke patted both their heads as the girl and the astromech droid leaned against him, offering him what comfort they could.
"Thanks guys…"
Gunships started arriving, ready to carry Ghost Company to their next mission. There were three of them in all, although Luke was sure he'd sensed five earlier in the day. So two had been shot down, then. He'd only noticed the one.
Old Ben drifted closer, finally getting his laughter under control. The ghost rested a glowing hand on Luke's shoulder. There's nothing you could have done, young one.
"I know," Luke whispered. It was something he'd come to accept in the Rebellion. No matter how good a flyer he was, no matter how powerful in the Force, he couldn't be everywhere.
It will be alright. My younger self is only trying to do what he thinks best—for the Republic, for the Order, even for yourself. I'm afraid you and Vader have left him very much out of his depth.
"Yeah." Luke smiled warmly. "I can tell. Waxer, Boil, even Ayfor took the news better."
About to reply, Ben froze. Oh dear, the spirit murmured. I had forgotten about that."
The Force hummed with his old mentor's alarm. Luke frowned. "Forgotten about what?"
The firebombers. Watt Tambor—tonight, he intends to bomb a number of villages near the capital city to draw out Cham Syndulla's rebels and distract Mace's forces. There was no warning; we had no way to protect them.
Luke jumped to his feet; Numa squeaked in protest, whilst Ayfor whirred in alarm. "Well, thanks for warning me now, Ben. How far away is it?"
One hundred and thirty kilometres. Why?
One hundred and thirty kilometres? Luke glanced at the gunships, thinking. Yeah, they could get there before nightfall, probably. If he pushed them a bit. Ben hummed.
You look so much like your father when you think like that.
"Is that a bad thing?"
In this case, no.
Luke turned to Numa. "Little one, I have to go now. You need to go find your family. Or if they… If they're not here, stay with Waxer and Boil. They'll look after you."
She didn't understand his words, but she did understand what he was doing. Mumbling something in her native language, the little girl hugged Luke around the waist, tears in her eyes. He hugged her back, then carefully extricated himself and sat her back down.
"Ayfor, think you can help me fly a gunship?" It couldn't be that different from a skyhopper, could it?
"4FF1RM471V3!"
"Excellent. Come on!"
Luke bolted for the gunships before anyone could stop him, the little astromech zipping along behind. The clones fell back as he scrambled past, yelping in surprise.
"Commander, settle down!"
"Where are you going?"
"Comm General Skywalker," Luke panted, leaping into the cockpit of the lead gunship. He levitated Ayfor up behind, strapping her into position with quick movements. "There's gonna be a run of firebombers over the villages near the capital tonight!"
Engines on. Wings extended. Landing gear up. Doors closing. The gunship was three metres off the ground when it shook, extra weight slamming into the side. Luke held her steady and kept climbing as he glanced back.
Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had jumped in just before the doors closed.
"Luke!" the Jedi Master panted, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Heading out to take down as many firebombers as I can before they get to the villages."
"With just one ship?"
"Your men will be right behind me. And if anyone listens and comms him, so will Anakin." Luke scanned the controls, familiarising himself with them as Ayfor beeped advice and encouragement.
Alright. Time to ease up to full power. They'd have to hustle to cover a hundred and thirty kilometres before nightfall. "You might wanna hold onto something."
"I don't like that tone!" Obi-Wan shuffled his way into the copilot's chair just as Luke started accelerating. Knuckles white, the Jedi Master gripped the edge of the seat even as he was pushed back into it.
Luke grinned. It wasn't quite as good as his skyhopper, but it was still pretty good. The gunship should do nicely.
It was only after they'd reached top speed that Obi-Wan seemed to realise exactly what Luke was planning. "You- You're going after bombers in a gunship?" he demanded, aghast.
Luke nodded. "Yep."
"Luke, these are troop transports! Their weapons are intended for defence only!"
"Well, I'm using them to defend the villagers." The burnt-out husk of a domed building flashed across his mind's eye, smoking skeletons and broken vaporators. Luke gripped the gunship's yoke tightly. No one was going to suffer through that if he could help it. Not today.
Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, his face almost as white as his knuckles. Then, so quietly Luke wasn't sure at first what he'd heard…
"Oh, kriff everything to the ninth Corellian Hell and back. You drive like your father."
Luke's blood froze. So did his hands; Ayfor beeped a warning and took temporary control over the steering while he gathered himself. This was not how Obi-Wan was supposed to find out.
. . .
Actually, when and how to tell everyone who they were wasn't something Luke and his father had discussed yet. They really should have planned that.
Well, there was only one thing for it. Luke glanced over at his mentor with the warmest, most winning smile he could muster.
"Is that going to be a problem?"
"A problem?! A problem?! How in the nine Corellian Hells and the karking Sith netherworld did I get stuck training two Skywalkers?!"
"It's a long story. I promise, Father and I will tell you later."
"Fa- Wait. Vader. That man, that thing, is Anakin?!"
"Um… Yes?"
The next half hour of flight time was full of nothing but Obi-Wan cursing a blue streak in every language he knew. Luke was impressed; even Han didn't know that many foul words. What exactly did they teach at Jedi school?