The New Academy

by Dizzy

You know, I don't know what to say of this. It's MY own little sequel to the Trilogy, without Mara or anything like that, mostly because I've not read a single book that tell about what follows....If you're Mara's lovers well, take a look, just to say 'I'

1. New feelings

1

The room was silent; the Senators mute, waiting for Mothma's words. The oval table was covered by regular, white amounts of paper. Even if the people were all serious and dressed with the outfit of the Senate, it was more like an informal 'Rebel briefing'.

Leia, second in command, was near Mon Mothma. The two women in the senatorial suit, with the symbol of the command around the neck, were at one end of the table; on their left and right side two stiff guards in the military blue suit with a long mantel fixed on the shoulders by two gleaming rounded fasteners.

Two chairs after, his beloved brother, in the military suit, was looking at the report in front of him. He could feel the wait in Senators' hearts, even Leia was waiting, but not, like the others in the room, Mothma's words - she knew them perfectly- but the reactions of the assembly. When Mothma got up all the heads turned at once, looking eagerly at her. Luke looked up at the woman with empty eyes. Being a Jedi had its downs: he knew what was going to happen, unfortunately. Luke looked up at the woman with empty eyes; he knew, and it was boring, what was going to happen…

"All of you know how difficult it's for us and our departments go on with our life. We've left Yavin 4 and Cloud City is a beautiful city. We have to thank General Carlissian, " and she bowed a little smiling to the man at the other end of the table, who answered with his classic irreverent smile, "for his permission to use his city l as ike our provisory base." There was a pause. Mothma gave the congress the time to absorb those preliminary remarks. Luke noticed , and that the faces hadn't changed expression: the Senators were still confused. He Luke stopped looking at the President's hesitant eyespeople in the room and started examining the dossier.

In the firsts twenty lines Mothma had described the situation; , in the next little paragraph she explained the solution. It was clear that they couldn't remain on the flying city anymore. Lando, during more than one occasion, had complained the status of his city. Luke could clearly remember when, during a little reunion of the band at Leia and Han's apartment, the General, drunk and tired, had exploded in a long, passionate, and most of all, loud, speech about his poor city, left alone in the middle of the cold space, longing for someone to visit and make her happy with his credits… Cloud City was a business center, legal and illegal, and now most of the 'particular' businessmen had liked better to move their affairs to a calmer place. He felt sorry for his friend, even if he didn't approve some of his businesses.Lando had still to clean his city from the tainting Imperial presence. Only the high towers where the Republic was established reminded the past beauty of that extraordinary floating city The tainting presence of the Empire had left deep scars and a persistent unpleasant smell even on the ethereal City among the Clouds.

Mothma, after a deep breath, talked again. Luke listened to her, keeping on looking at the dossier.

"In the dossier before you, there is the possible solution I, Senator Organa Solo, the Military and Strategy Commander Tomiw'ke, the Logistic Officers Gajk and Delaford have found. Senator Organa and Delaford will explain the solution, according with the others."

Mothma sat down and Leia got up in the same moment. She opened her personal data pad and entered rapidly the access code. In the middle of the table appeared the model of a planet.

"As you see, it's an artificial planet, we were thinking of re-building a planet-city, like Coruscant. It could be finished in a standard year at most. We have done this 3D model to show you. Here," and a part of the model became yellow, " we put the Senate, with the President's apartment and offices at the top of the building, near," and the group of towers closer to the Senate became green, "the Military Center and two little military spaceports. Not far from that district, there'll be the Great Jedi Academy with the Towers of the Council and all the sleeping quarters it could need."

Luke looked at the red zone on the model, excited and fearful at the same time, enraptured by the vision of the high towers that rose from the main building like the fingers of a hand. That series of buildings would be built for him, for his knowledge, for what he was for the Republic and the assorted assembly who was now looking at a purple zone. His moment was gone.

Now Leia, calm and cold as usual, was reporting the other main buildings, which would be placed, on the surface of the new Coruscant. The main city in the project hadn't been contemplated, the whole planet would be the City: the 'Core of the Galaxy'.

Step by step the planet was all colored. Delaford explained the peculiar features of the new planet-city. The generators of a potent deflector shield, all around the surface and three other protective rings, placed like the finger of a guarding hand, that could be connected by another deflector shield. A flight unit –four cruisers, as big as a Star Destroyer, and ten frigates equipped and ready to defend the planet– would fly in the space around the planet and during the construction of the Capital city they would defend the growing planet. The operators and the pilots had been already convoked and were only waiting for the affirmative signal.

The Senate was enthusiastic and Leia, Delaford and Mothma, the only members of the N.C.B.C. (New Coruscant Building Crew) who had come to the meeting, were clapped and acclaimed.

His comlink beeped and Luke, apologizing, got out the room to answer.

In the corridor there were two pilots, in their orange suit, waiting for Luke. The taller was beating a foot on the floor, examining with false interest his helmet; the other swung a little on the toes, looking at the door.  When the door opened Luke recognized immediately the pilots, frowning a little.

"Commander Skywalker," saluted the pilots stiffening. Luke answered with a hurried gesture of the hand.

"Rorje, Manal, why are you here?!" asked the man knitting his brows, confused.

"You've forgotten our test with the new fighter. The Tech. Dept. have asked you to test the new XV-Wing…"  explained Rorje, a dark haired Bakuran man with thousands of hours of flight, one of the first friends Luke had found on Cloud City after his father's death. He, lieutenant Ghia and Manal had been his companions in more than one mission.

"It was today!" Exclaimed the commander, beating the palm of the hand on the forehead, "come back to the docking bay, say to the Experimentation Crew that I'm coming." He saluted and hurried toward a coming turbolift. Halfway toward the turbolift he turned, "Don't try to apologize for me!"

"Yes sir."  

The two pilots saluted and ran to the turbolift.

Inside the turbolift Luke let out an angry sigh. He had forgotten the test: that standard week, as the previous one, had passed talking to mothers and fathers of ' promising young Jedi', trying not to frighten the already terrified kids. Most of them couldn't be Jedi, five of all the kids had the possibility but Luke hadn't a place for them and had told all the parents of the little Jedi to take them to the Inn of a friend of his. He had to think about them after the test…

 Jedi here Jedi there, all the people everywhere talked about Jedi and were waiting for the new Academy…In the Galaxy the poor people who now had the unhoped-for freedom wanted and probably deserved the miracles they thought a Jedi could do. But Luke wasn't able to do miracles and the faces he had met, all around the endless Galaxy, during the military operations, had left a sorrowful scar in his soul. He wasn't the man the Galaxy needed; he often had thought he neither was a Master, as the people believed.

One year had passed after Endor and the young Jedi, because he was still young, was treated like an old Jedi Master.

 

The docking bay was lucid and clean like a mirror. Stripes of light from the ceiling fell on the people and the machines, delineating intricate arabesques of lights and shadows on them.

The fighters, seven gray big birds ready to fly up in the cold open space for the first time, occupied all the space with their aggressive presence, the sharp snouts and the dark triangular eyes, gleaming in the neon lights. The shape of the new starfighter was the same of the old X-Wing, and the use of an astromech droid was quite obsolete, but the engine and the control system had been modified. Even the fiber of the hull had been made less heavy but more resistant. The old shape hid a powerful new body.

Two R2 units rolled beeping and whistling before R2-D2, waiting near one of the fighter, but the droid didn't answer, his only eye was focused on the entrance of the docking bay, eager to see the known tall figure of his friend.

The E.C., a multi-ethnic group of people and aliens, was talking around a table and was clear that the two pilots had tried to defend their commander. The Jedi, and sometimes his training was more useful than he could think, felt a respectful fear winding among the people, all of them were waiting his arrival without a reproach ready for him, except for one, whose thoughts were all for the test and who, Luke was sure, wanted to reproach him.

Luke was coming and a blond head turned, two probing eyes focused on him. Passing the news to the other, General Garays rose from her chair and took a step forward the nearer fighter. The orange-dressed commander saluted and was saluted. No one reproached him for his delay. Once again Luke hadn't been treated like a normal person but like a man however and always superior and he hated that condition. The only person who knew he would be the leader of the test was the only one who Luke had felt would reprehend him.

Reana Garays, a strong self-confident Bestinian woman with an old battle scar on the left cheek, was near the XV-Wing, with a data pad and an absorbed expression. Her green and austere eyes, and no one dared to look into them, stopped on him then came back to the data pad.

"General Garays, Commander Skywalker is here," Presented efficiently an aged Almanian with the gray suit of the civil staff. Garays nodded, without stopping her controls, and Rjk's face became pale and worried, she hadn't demonstrated the respect Luke's status required. Luke noticed the worried expression painted on the face of the man and, to reassure him, saluted his superior clicking his heels and taking the free hand at the temple's height in a formal military salute.

"So you're the famous Commander Skywalker…" the dark green eyes of the woman were focused on his face and Luke felt a little uncomfortable. He had known the General only by the comments his friends had made about her after the missions or during the briefings and now he understood the respect they demonstrated.

"Yes I am," Answered Luke, stiff like a pole driven in the floor.

"I know you're a Jedi," Said the woman with a calm voice. Luke could hear the silent crew  behind him, iced and anxious, "but now you're only the commander of this test and I'm your superior, don't expect more respect than the other pilots…" Luke did a deep nod in the general perturbation. He would have laughed at the behavior of the crew around him if the eyes of the General hadn't been focused on him.

"I'm a pilot, a Commander, you're my General, you deserve respect…" said Luke with his most respectful tone.

"Well Commander, strap on your helmet and let me see what you can make this new baby do…" in the voice Luke recognized an encouragement and the commander was quite sure she had even smiled.

"Yes sir…"

Luke wore the helmet, running to his fighter and climbed up the staircase. R2 spun and whistled his joy. Two operators put the astromech droid into his reserved socket, behind the cockpit.

"How are you Artoo?" asked Luke greeting his metallic friend who answered with and happy whistle and a short speech.

"The ground life is not for us, you're right…" added the man while the canopy was closing.

The flying controls were all around him. He could easily handle the control column at his left, feeling the trigger for the torpedoes and the button for the laser, at the top of the column. He did the check procedures, controlling the air percentage in the cockpit and the monitoring screens, one for his own fighter and one, that was only in the Leaders' fighters, to oversee the general conditions of the squad. All was perfect and after a sigh of relief the commander opened the frequency of his comlink. The other pilots hurried to their fighters and the voices of the R2 units filled the hangar.

"Red Leader ready for the test…" announced Luke. His clear voice resounded in the hangar. The people left the docking bay heading for the control room, five meters upper, where the ground staff was preparing the control system to let the E.C. follow the test.

The dull quiver of the engines became a buzzing and then a deafening whistle, the pilots gave the positive sign and the squadron took off leaving soon the tumultuous atmosphere of Bespin.

The dark space around him, made Luke feel like a little being in that immensity so clear and absolute. It wasn't necessary to be a Jedi to feel the cold and warm space like the arms of a gentle mother.

"Red squadron, open the S-foils."

The fighters opened silently their wings. Luke was at the head of the group, waiting for the proximity alarm.

"Here Red Leader, are you ready?" Asked, the eyes lost in the universe: he was seeing again the dark and beautiful space after the busiest week he had ever had.

"Red four, standing by," Confirmed Rorje.

"Red seven standing by," Said excited Helen Ghia, one of the three women in Luke's squadron.

"Red five standing by…commander where have you been during this week? You lost Manal's birthday party!" the playful reproach Furana Tor did made the pilots laugh, even the serious Jedi smiled.

"Red two standing by," Phil'ke's serious voice iced the hilarity of the group. The apparently cold and indifferent Chigan was not the only not human pilot in the New Republic Flying Troops but was one of the iciest and most silent.

"Comm. Skywalker, there's a squadron of autopiloted TIE fighters, destroy them…" Garays's voice interrupted the silence. Luke nodded.

"Ok, let me finish my check," said that, Luke hit a little button and a red warning light beeped and blinked on Manal's control panel. In the little screen on his right side Luke could recognize, moment by moment, the position and the conditions of the fighters. Manal's XV-Wing became yellow.

Manal's voice came after a second, "Red three standing by, Boss. Don't worry for the party."

Luke shook his head. "Manal, I have been too busy, I apologize, but I book for your next birthday party."

"T-thank you commander."

"Can I speak?! My mother was right, when two Tatooinan are speaking they can go on for a standard millennium."

Manal opened his mouth to give a sharp answer to Vega, the Dantooinan woman with the longest tongue in the universe, but his fighter was shaken by a laser blast on the left side.

"I have one of our friends at…" Manal looked the proximity indicator "Two-Oh-Four Sector-L4," finished, starting the escaping procedure. His R2 unit shrieked astounded by one another blast.

"Break and attack," ordered the commander.

 

The XV-Wing fighters found their enemies. Luke waited until everyone else found a target.

"Change gear: activate the V-wings configuration, commander," asked the General. Luke found the little button and hit it. The fighter changed his aspect: the upper open wings moved nearer the rear and rotated an angle of 20°. The lower wings rose until they were placed at 50 cm from the upper wings. The fighter was now like an eagle, ready to attack his victim. Luke heard the General talking to his squad and the other fighters changed gear. The enemies were, as always, slow and with the new trim the XV-Wings were faster and more maneuverable. Helen expressed appreciation for the change.

"Ehi! Whose is the project of this super fighter?!!"

"I know but I can't tell you…" answer Rorje in a mysterious voice, smiling.

"No Rorje, you have to!! I want to know the super mind who invented this jade!"

"Red Seven shall you pay attention at the test, you'll know that name later," Thundered Luke, the joy hadn't to shift the attention from the battle, even if it was only a test. Everyone silenced. In that serious moment to everyone's mind came a terrible memory: the accident that had killed Red Eight and Nine. Furana sighed.

"The Boss is right, let's finish this test."

"I'm sorry, I've been so stupid," Helen didn't speak for the rest of the test.

Luke was in his fighter, rethinking of the accident. A part of him was guiding the XV-Wing and the other part was losing in the past. Before he drowned in his memory he locked a TIE before him.

He closed his eyes while in front of them was appearing the happy face of Red Eight, Yun Bren, and her smile so bright and delighted. Then the memory ran to that damned escorting mission with the A-Wings in the Dagobah system, controlled by a gang of space pirates.

Yun hadn't notice, in the joyful yells for her first victim, the alarm that was informing her about torpedoes right towards her. The light of the explosion burned in his mind as if he got it right in front of him. The voice of Yun's brother then, Red Nine, echoed in Luke's ears, while the present battle was going on. It had been his fault if he had lost two pilots…no one had accused him but he knew he was that way: he hadn't stopped Fran, Yun's brother, from throwing himself against the fighter that had shot. Because he had felt something in the Force…

Luke sighed deeply, looking out at the dark space then focused on the control panel on his left side. His target was still there; Luke was bored and decided to put an end to that duel.

The auto piloted TIE tried often to put itself behind Luke but the human pilot was still shooting its rear. The laser blasts were deviated by the deflector shield for the firsts times, but Luke was insistent. The TIE veered on the right and Luke followed its movement. The ship zigzagged desperately, for a moment was clear it was going to crash against another TIE, but this dived down and Luke passed undisturbed.  

"You're good but I'm better," murmured the pilot, half-closing his cerulean eyes. His target was the shield generator. The Republic had armed the TIE with a deflector shield generator; in a real battle the TIE in front of him would have been a ball of fire minutes ago…

"Computer: the generator," said Luke. The computer promptly answered: on the control viewer, in the upper part of the cockpit, the generator blinked and beeped. Luke chose the torpedoes and, when the generator became red, pulled the trigger down. Perhaps the torpedoes could have been launched directly against the rear, but the destructive power of the weapon was less than a half and Luke knew it.

The deflector shield generator of the fighter exploded, more for the shock wave than for the power of the torpedo. Another laser blast and the TIE fighter was only a memory. The TIE became an incandescent ball of fire, a pretty red and orange firework.

"Good commander, you destroyed it in one minute and forty seconds, you beat Wedge's record." Rjk's voice took him back to the present. Other four TIEs exploded one by one, mown down by the efficient pilots.

"I hope he won't get too angry," Luke tried to joke but his voice was low, unnatural for him. The commander looked around to recognize the situation of his squadron.

Now there were only two…no, one TIE. Manal appeared in the burning ball of metal suspended in the space. The last TIE exploded the second after, hit by the Chigan pilot's laser cannon.

"Ok Red Angels we can come back home," announced Luke still half lost in the past pain.

He hardly smiled at the hip-hip-hurrah acclaims of the pilots.

Later the group reunited in the turbolift.

"That new fighter is fantastic, what do you think?!" queried Helen, with her melodious voice.

 "Yes, yes, Helen, but now shall we think of a place to go to eat something?" asked impatient Rorje. His serious voice made the group laugh. "Hey I'm hungry! What are you laughing at?!" 

"You're always hungry Rorje!!" reproached smiling Furana. The turbolift stopped and the door opened. Luke saluted his group.

"I'm sorry, I can't come with you. Eat for me too, Rorje!" and got out of the turbolift. Furana called him.

"But commander?!" yelled the thin, dark haired Wasal, waving her arms. Luke didn't turn. His tall and orange-dressed shape disappeared in a cone of shadow and Furana gave up calling him. "Why didn't he stop?! I called him!!" shouted when the door closed, crossing the arms with a loud sigh. Phil'ke touched her shoulder and said calm.

"He's an important person, he's busy…he can't go out with his friends often:"

"Often?!" contested Helen, "How many times, in the last month, did he go out with us?!"

The Chigan looked at the woman perplex.

Manal nodded. "She's right…he's busy, too busy for us."

"It's because he's a Jedi," added Rorje in a serious tone.

Furana yelled. "Heard!! It's not fair! He's our friend…" her voice reduced to a whisper, "we have passed less time together than a bantha with the soap, to use an expression of your home…"

Vega smiled and shook her head. "Furana, we can't help it, we can only hope he'll find a while for us."

Rorje hit a switch on the control panel of the turbolift and asked for the Block 5, Sector W-8.

"Why do you want to go to the Recreation Center Rorje, weren't you hungry?" asked Vega with a surprised voice.

"I thought we could eat something in front of a holo-film…have other plans?"

"No," answered Vega. The other confirmed.

"It's a good idea," said Manal, clapping the hands.

"Yeah!" His comlink buzzed and Phil'ke, apologizing, answered. He listened for a minute then answered.

"Ok, I'm coming," said the Chigan, nodding. Sighing he replaced the comlink in the pocket, "I'm sorry group, I can't come…I'm wanted at Sector 2, my father wants me at his apartment, problem with…oh I don't know…something with oncoming relatives I guess."

"It'll be for another time Phil'ke," smiled Furana, patting on his shoulder. The Chigan nodded and asked for the Sector 2, where the Senate had the sleeping quarter. The turbolift stopped after a minute and the door opened.

"Bye," sighed the pilot saluting his friends with the right hand up, giving them the back.

"Bye!" saluted the other, while the door was silently closing.

The apartment was silent. Empty.

The bedroom was simple and bright; the big window encircled a beautiful day.

The pastel pink clouds were slowly moving like the dunes on Tatooine, eternal nomads of the sky. Cloud City was a little island in an ethereal light sea.

Blades of lights from the upper little window lit the room, giving it an unreal and magic atmosphere. The writing desk, with the computer, was near the window, covered by reports and projects for new fighters, that Luke hadn't seen yet. On a corner of the lucid desk a holo-photo of Luke with Leia, Han, Chewie near the Star Horse, the ship his friends had given him for his twenty-third birthday, two months before. The fly-suit was on the bed, with the helmet and the gloves.

Luke was changing clothes in the near room, wearing his Jedi dark shirt and trousers and, after the belt and the boots, the heavy dark brown cloak. He hadn't changed his clothes to adopt the 'official Jedi outfit', by now. He felt he had to remind every moment his father and the dark ages he had lived and that'd help him in the future. After a look in the mirror, the Jedi got out the room and took a look out of the window.

What a beautiful sight! So calm…

The image gave him a peaceful feeling that filled his heart relaxing him. Picking up the lightsaber, the Jedi Master thought about the people he was going to meet: other parents, other children, other young Jedi…

Thinking about the new Jedi, Luke noticed that he hadn't asked yet Mon Mothma the permission to use the Great Temple on Yavin4 as his new Academy, until the new Capital-planet would be finished. Even if he thought that build a whole planet wouldn't be the best solution, he had to admit that giving one planet the honor to give hospitality to the Republic would be an offence for the other planets.

I have to remember to ask her the permission. Thought, opening the door.

In the corridor Luke noticed something, an unknown Force sensitive was there, near him.

He reached the turbolift, expanding his senses all around him to feel where the person was. He called the turbolift, but all his being was projected behind his back following the Force sensitive's way toward him. 

"Master Luke," someone called him, he expected it, "Master Luke." He waited another second, trying to recognize the female voice, the hand ran silently to the lightsaber, then turned.

The woman Luke was looking at was as tall as him, perhaps a bit more, with long brown hair and green eyes. Her face was cheerful and the expression of her eyes embarrassed. She stood there looking at him eager, following with attention his hand moving from the lightsaber –after all he was still the impulsive reckless fellow Ben had brought from Tatooine– to a more pacific position, lost in the long sleeves of the cloak.

"Yes I am, who are you?" asked Luke, taking a look at the red suit of the woman, searching for the symbol of her Dept., but the suit hadn't got any insignia. He was curious to know who she was. But as his eyes stopped in hers, Luke felt his throat dry and immediately adopted a passive stance, looking at the woman trying to see through her, not to feel the odd sensation that was, though, burning inside him. 

"Oh, sure, you don't know me…I'm Irene Trounal and I want to become a Jedi Knight," declared the woman, hiding her embarrassment with the high volume of her voice. 

Luke nodded a little. Irene stood there, waiting immobile for his response. Looking into each other eyes, but he wasn't really looking at her, the two of them staid there for a minute or two.

She's the Force sensitive… She  could be a Jedi, and I need an adult apprentice to look after the younger ones…and…

 "We can speak about it" The high tone of his voice startled a little the woman, Luke saw her short movement backward, "You'll do the test, even if probably you are too old to begin,"  his voice changed, coming back at its normal tone. Luke looked straight in her eyes. He did a big effort though, to keep his eyes pointed at her, the odd sensation him was still there.

"Thank you Master!!" she was going to cry, noticed the man, smiling a little with a tender glance. Irene bit her lower lip to stop the tears.

"Now I have an appointment, you can come with me. When I finish, you'll do the test," said cold Luke, forcing himself to the most passive and emotionless stance he knew, pressing the call-button on the panel of the turbolift.

"I'll wait with patience," the tone had changed. Instead of the initial happiness there was the subsequent determination all the real Jedi had during their apprenticeship. Luke noticed the change, even if he hadn't wanted it.

He entered the turbolift, Irene followed him and the door of the turbolift silently closed.

Mon Mothma was in her private office talking to Leia. During the conversation, Mothma and Leia had talked about the excited acclamations they had received from the Senators. The Senator was still surprised for that but Mothma had smiled and the conversation was now about the credits they had to ask the planets. The Chief of State seemed to be tired and was talking slowly, looking at something behind the screen. Leia tried to end the conversation to give her the time to take some rest. She had waken up forty-two standard hours before and her face was pale, the voice reduced to a suffered whisper.

"Leia, when Coruscant has been destroyed, we all have thought that we couldn't have another strong symbol. You remember the panic that filled the assembly when we received the tragic news. Now we can make it live again and I want to be there." Her ardent voice was going to convince Leia once again. 

Leia nodded. "President, we can explain the project efficiently even without your presence, you need repose," said preoccupied the Senator but Mothma shook her head. 

"No, I must be there when you ask the credits to the other Senators," replied the older woman beating the fists on the table, with a jump of strength.  

"Mothma, we can do it. The planets are not rich now but if we promise them more protection from the vandal acts of the Imperial Troops," Leia was trying the impossible to avert Mothma's presence.

"Leia, Coruscant had been the Symbol of the Republic and we have to keep it. I told you to explain the project, it's my duty to be there when you ask the money for it."

"But you're working too much. The planets want Coruscant and they…pay, simply. You've not to be there to convince that already convinced assembly."

"I…think you're right," the President yawned, feeling tired for the first time since she had gotten up, forty-three hours before. Leia smiled.

"Now President, switch off the work for a while and sleep," recommended the Senator.

"You convinced me Leia," admitted the President, "bye."

"Bye Mothma."

The screen of the Comsys became dark. Mothma took a look at her office: she spent most of her time there, talking to the Senators and the delegates of the Mercantile Alliances, disseminated in all of the known universe. Sighing, the woman rose from the chair of the desk. A little green plant was on a shelf. Mothma caressed with the fingertips a leaf, smiling. That little plant was like the New Republic, a flower hard to cultivate that needed constant cares.

I only hope you'll grow vigorous and strong to fight the cold winds.

The President sighed and smiled, saluting her little plant. She hit a button, calling her personal guards. An enormous, dark haired guard invaded the little screen of the Comsys of the door.

"At your service, Ma'am," said the guard bowing.

"I'm coming back to my apartment."

From inside the room Mothma heard a sound of hurrying steps. Then the door opened.

The silent group, Mothma was barely visible behind the brawny wall of shoulders, walked throughout a green waiting room, with many chairs and sofas.

The big, rounded room seemed enormous for the young boy Luke had taken inside. Liby was waiting for the Master to talk but it didn't seem like he was going to. The boy let out a short sigh and took a look at the room, that smell of cleanness and flowers. Long the wall in front of him there were a long and comfortable sofa and an armchair on which Luke was sitting. He was in the middle and felt alone there, with the stranger before him, sitting on his throne.

A spaceship flew behind Luke and Liby followed its way toward the outer space. The windows didn't tremble when the engines of the ship started working at full speed and took the ship out of his sight and soon Liby found himself staring again at the man in the brown cloak. He felt inadequate. His blue shirt was the most horrible comparing it with the fantastic black one of the man, the Jedi… and his boots weren't as clean as his. The young boy turned and looked at the door, scratching the back of his head. 

"How do you feel boy?" Luke's voice made him turn immediately; his deep blue eyes looked at him as if they were reading his soul.

Liby swallowed, "Fine…sir."

Luke had in his hand a small hand-held viewscreen and was ready for the test. He looked at the view-screen for a moment, concentrating his mind on it. Liby looked at him, waiting.

"Liby now tell me what you see in your mind," the boy nodded.

The boy concentrated as much as he could, an image formed in his mind and he smiled.

 "A speeder." Luke changed the image a few times.

"A tree."

"A ship."

"A cup."

"Another tree."

"Another speeder."

"A house." The Master nodded when the seventh image passed on the screen.

"Good Liby, now shall we have another test?" His tender voice helped the boy relaxing.

"Yes, I'm not tired!" Liby didn't want to shout but he was too happy to just talk and kept smiling when he saw the Master smiling with him. Luke replaced the viewscreen and took a little piece of wood. Liby followed with attention his movements. Luke flashed the picture on the wood before Liby's eyes and then hid it.

"Liby, what have you seen?" said Luke.

The young guy thought a moment, the image formed again in his mind and he smiled, "A piece of wood, as big as your hand. It's old; there are some holes on the bottom. There's a picture: a blue sea with four white waves, a beach and on the left corner there's a light pink seashell, someone had walked on the beach because there's a column of footprints, headed to the right of the picture. Do you know Yoda? There's his signature on the bottom of the picture, is he your friend?"

Luke smiled and nodded, "Yes, he was my friend."

Liby saw a strange expression on the face of the man and rose an eyebrow, bending the head on a side, confused. He gained a serious stance when Luke rose and reached him, stopping in front of the boy, who looked up in his eyes, with the simplicity of his child's heart. The Master put his hands on his shoulders.

"I, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, welcome you in the Jedi Academy, Liby Salden."

Liby embraced Luke throwing himself in his arms and the Master caressed his head. He had succeeded and was happy of that, really happy. Now that he was going to be a Jedi his brothers and sisters wouldn't harm him anymore, he would show them his powers!

The man moved backward with a serious glance. Liby sighed looking at him with fearful eyes.

"Vengeance is not a feeling a Jedi can keep in his heart. Remember this, if you want to be a great Jedi, and a better man." Liby nodded and finally smiled when Luke smiled, inviting him to go with him with a gesture of the hand.

On the doorstep, while the door was opening, Liby turned toward the man. "Am I going to have an outfit as cool as your?"

Luke pushed him, smiling. "You've to gain it."

Out of the door there were other young Jedi, with their parents. Liby's mother ran to her son.

"Then Master, is he going to learn the way of the Jedi?" asked the woman. Luke smiled a little and nodded.

"Yes, he's a strong Force sensitive. He will be a good Jedi."

"Thank you Master," With a religious respect the woman knelt before him and kissed the edge of Luke's cloak. Luke helped her up and escorted her and Liby out of the door, a little embarrassed by the behavior of the woman.

Yoda had described the situation of the little Padawan; they had to be found around in the Galaxy and conducted before the Great Council of the Jedi. Every Jedi Master could have one, and one only, Padawan not to disturb the balance of the Force. Luke had repeatedly read all the ancient books and datacards he had found in Yoda's hut and on Tatooine, in Ben's home; it was forbidden to have more than one apprentice, but Luke couldn't follow one by one the apprentices, the Galaxy and the Senate needed a new Jedi Order and he was there to build it up.

When the group was on the doorway Luke spoke again.

"Please, would you take him at Sector 6/4b? Tell the woman at the reception that Liby is one of my chosen, she'll find a room for him, then," and Luke breathed deeply –he knew the more difficult part had come– "you have to leave him. You can visit him when you want but I tell it for the best: don't come too often, it's for his best. If you can, never come again."

"Oh. Well…I understand, if it's for his best," Da'ka bowed and Liby saluted Luke, with his bright smile.

Luke kept looking at the closed door of the turbolift for a moment. He then pivoted, pushed by the duty he had to accomplish, to face another little child. Of the twelve kids he had checked only three had passed the exam, the other had been taken there by their parents anxious to have a Jedi in the family, thinking of nothing but the glory that would come, overlooking the best of their children. Fortunately Luke made his tests with every attention and the saved kids had smiled and embraced their savior.

The next kid was a blue skinned girl, with big eyes and one only long lock of hair from the forehead to the neck, fastened with a gray ribbon. Luke was going to talk to them, he had opened his mouth to welcome them as usual, when he stopped. His eyes were looking at someone behind them, in the far corner of the room. Irene. The woman raised her head, probably feeling his eyes, and looked at him. Luke felt his throat dry and his heart jumping in his chest. Everything became foggy in his mind for a long moment. He then frowned, shook the head to gain the control of his emotions and focused on the child before him, concentrating so much to feel pain.

The little alien looked terrified at him. He gave her a calm and reassuring glance than raised his hand as if he was ready to cast a spell on the parents.

"You have to wait outside," said, using the respect Liby's mother had shown he deserved. The mother turned to ice and bowed, making his husband do the same.

Luke took the frightened child inside the oval room.

"My name is Luke Skywalker, and you, what's your name dear?" asked the Master, leaving the girl in the center of the room. The little alien looked around then talked.

"My name is Dakana," whispered unsure the girl.

"Nice to meet you Dakana. Now, shall we do a test?"

"A test?!"

"Yes, don't worry you have only to tell me," and picked up the viewscreen, "what do you see in your mind, understood?" Luke felt he was doing the test for the first time; every new child was a surprise and filled him with an infantile joy.

The little alien nodded and Luke switched on the screen.

Leia Organa Solo was in front of the door of the doctor's surgery. The woman had been there for two hours, thinking of opening or not that door. Two weeks ago she had been there and now it was the day for the response. Han had told her not be frightened. 'I'll be by your side sweetheart…'

Sighing and shuddering a little the Senator touched the doorbell. From inside the door Leia heard someone moving toward the door. In front of her appeared the doctor.

"Senator! Please come in, I was thinking you would be there for another couple of hours."

An irritated smile ran across Leia's lips. The doctor led her to his desk and sat down.

"Please sit down," said overjoyed the Corellian doctor, and Leia's eyes narrowed suspicious.

"I'm here for the analysis."

"Oh yes yes!" the man rose from the chair, rubbing his hands, with a smile. Leia was disturbed by his behavior, she hadn't liked that doctor from the beginning but Han had recommended him and she had accepted. The Senator took a look around and saw a thing that surprised her. On a shelf there was a holo-photo of a younger Han, she recognized the arrogant and self-confident smile that had conquered her heart, in the full military suit of the Corellian Star Academy. Near him, the doctor…THE DOCTOR?!!

"Do…do you know Han Solo?" asked unsure the woman, surprised by the photo.

"Yes, if being his uncle means to know him…" said the doctor absent, with the head in a cupboard "Oh! I found it!!" the little datacard glittered for a moment then the doctor inserted it in the computer and in front of Leia appeared the result of her test.

"I'm more than glad to announce that you're officially pregnant, ma'am," Leia wanted to laugh and cry, to hug the doctor and jump like an animal in the room, a thousand and one feeling had exploded in her.

"A girl or a boy?" whispered.

The doctor smiled again. "Don't worry, you'll have two at the price of one."

"Two?!" Leia counted on the fingertips and looked the two fingers. "Two…" murmured than, surer and more confused at the same time. The doctor deposited before her a little glittering datacard.

"Well, here you are something to read, 'mom'…" Leia stood up and greeting the doctor, looking like she had inhaled a laughing gas.

"Bye," the doctor answered clapping his hands.

The light of the corridor was brighter than she remembered and Leia had to protect her eyes with the hand. Someone ran to her and took her hands.

"Ehi, sweetheart…then?!" was Han's voice and Leia looked up at him, with her dreaming look.

"Two," she repeated. The number echoed in Han's ears and made him happy and frightened.

"Two sweetheart?!" Leia nodded and hugged him; Han could only hug her back and smile.

"Two," murmured the General, on his face the same happy and stunned expression.

Luke…Luke… called out Leia, concentrating on her brother.

Luke was in the oval room; Irene was in front of him in the middle of the room. She had passed the tests and Luke was examining her, fighting the strange power that burnt him every time he looked at her or just thought about her. Leia reached him, shaking him a bit.

Leia?!

Two Luke…echoed in his mind, but he didn't understand. Suddenly Irene's presence in their exchange of thoughts confused him even more.

Congratulation sis…

Irene, you're there…

I told you I would come here for the test. Luke mentally blinked, shocked.

Sis? Asked frowning the eyebrows, surprised.

Yes Luke, she is the sister I had on Alderaan, I thought she had died when the Empire had destroyed the planet but fortunately she was far from Alderaan…

Yes I was on Hantel5, singing at the Norandel, with my Jizz band when the catastrophe happened…

So you're not a real sister… Irene and Leia smiled. Why have I made this question?!!!??? Asked to himself the Jedi, feeling embarrassed. But the news was too important and Leia was too animated to keep calm Luke…

Sis, something wrong?!

Is it possible that you haven't understood: she's expecting two babies!

Two…two what?!!

Luke keep calm, you're a Jedi, have you forgotten it?! Leia's voice came to reassure her shocked brother. Irene laughed.

I'll be 'Uncle Luke', sounds good…does Han know the news?

He's here, we're going to our apartment, and he had called Lando, Chewie…and his Uncle Redel…

Redel, but Redel isn't the doctor's name?

Exactly, he's his uncle, the brother of his father…

I know who an uncle is! Leia I have good news too…Luke announced.

What is it?

I've found my old apprentice and you know her well…

Irene!!!

Master…

I'm not alone now.

I'll wait for you two then, bye!

Bye Leia.

Bye mom!

Irene nodded, opening her eyes and Luke got up his chair. The woman had a bright smile painted on her face and when he looked at her, with cold eyes, the smiled faded. Luke reproached himself for what he had done but it was necessary, whatever was going on between them.

Together, Irene following the Master a step behind him, they got out the room and reached the turbolift.

In the big apartment there were only five people but Lando's loud monologues filled it as if there had been hundreds of people talking. Han, sat on the sofa, with the hands behind the head and the legs stretched out, listened to him with false attention, looking in his direction but at his wife. He noticed the expression on her face change in a few seconds. The severe eyes enlightened as if a drum had called her and then she ran to the door. Han nodded, smiling. It's Luke…thought trying not to yawn. Redel near him was following Lando's speech with the same attention and looked at the nephew hiding a big yawn behind the full glass. He didn't turn immediately, taking a look at the city outside. 

"C'mon! We were waiting for you!" He heard the singing voice of his wife and a moment after Irene's answer "Oh…Leia!". And then he turned. Why wasn't Luke talking?

And he saw him. Luke stood behind the women, following them as a silent ghost. As soon as his eyes focused a bit on his friend and his brain elaborated there was something wrong, something out of the Luke he knew, he rose and left the sofa, patting on Chewbacca's arm with a gesture of the head to point at Luke.

He moved as rapid as his ship, dodging Lando, the table and the other sofa with incredible ability, but he hadn't the time to feel proud of that…  Leia welcomed Luke with a tight embrace but he answered  with a moment of delay, as if thinking. When Han reached the friend he gave a broad smile of his to Irene and Leia.

" If you excuse us, madams. I don't want my friend to turn into a piece of furniture listening to you…" Leia tried to speak but he cut her off, embracing Luke and pulling him away.    

Lando and the other welcomed him but then the Baron started talking again. Han left him near the sofa.

"Sit down, I'll take you something to drink."

Luke nodded, not to convinced but when Han came back to him and handed him a glass with a purple liquor in it, the Corellian saw a painful smile ran across Luke's lips as he thanked him for the care. Han studied the friend from the height, Luke didn't seem to notice it and when he sat down Han perceived again that smile. 

He sat down with a sigh then spoke, "Ehi, kid, you don't seem happy…" started the man, with a tone surprised enough not to make Luke aware of what he knew.

The Jedi looked at his friend but didn't speak. Han sighed again and tried another strategy. He suddenly embraced him, messing up his hair. The liquor didn't fall just because it was in Luke's left hand ands Han was sitting at his right. Han kept on with the strategy until Luke reacted, freeing himself from the suffocating effusiveness. He prepared himself and acted as if he was really disappointed. Luke at that face could do nothing but smile.

"I'm so happy and…confused…it's all so strange." Luke's voice was a good sign and Han nodded lightly.

"It's strange for you?! And what do I have to say?" Han talked with a surprised voice, noticing with pleasure that Luke was reacting fine.

"You're right. But…it's Leia…" He was really getting involved in the conversation now.

 "Don't worry, brother-in-law, we'll do it!" Han patted on his shoulder, sure that the impression about his friend had gone but he saw for the third time that suffered smile. In the silence that followed Han understood, looking in the direction Luke was looking. Irene and Leia, talking on the other side of the room, near the kitchen. Luke…poor kid… After a silent moment Han moved closer but Luke didn't notice him, he was playing with his glass looking at the movement of the liquid inside it, the eyebrows frowned. When he raised his eyes…

"Han?!"

"Leia told me you've found your apprentice," started the Corellian, measuring the words. Living with Leia had infused in him at least a little bit of the diplomacy she used. Just a bit though…

"Y-yes. Irene."

"I know but I know something else, either do you," again Han measured every words, he was walking on a mined camp and couldn't fail. The words were though not as diplomatic as he had wanted. 

"What are you talking about?!" Luke's voice grew of an octave. Good sign…

"I see what's going on between you and her, Luke, you can't hide it," DONE! He had finally talked. He had sometimes regretted his behavior and this was one of that times, though.

"You're raving!" said Luke moving backward.

"Are you so sure?!" The true Han now had taken over the diplomatic one and he couldn't avoid it.

"Yes!"

The people in the room silenced and looked at them.

Han saw Leia's distressed eyes focusing on him with inquisitive expression. It's not my fault…oh…ok, but just a bit! The woman reached his brother, still looking at her husband with both the eyebrows raised. 

 "Luke, can you come with me for a moment?" Asked.

The man rose from the sofa and followed his sister, leaving the glass he was carrying on the table in the middle of the living room.

Irene was in the middle of the room, near the table. What had happened?

She looked a than to find an explanation for what had just happened. Lando murmured something to Redel but Chewie interrupted him with a menacing bark. Han concentrated on them for a moment then studied Irene, alone in the room. With a quick exchange of glance with Chewie, the hairy mountain got up and reached Irene, taking her near the window to admire the city.

Han focused then on what was going on in the kitchen. He could see Leia but not Luke. From where he was he couldn't hear what were they saying and just imagined it when he heard Luke shouting, "NOTHING!", the voices dropped and he heard silence for another minute then saw Luke kiss Leia on the forehead and leave the apartment as fast as a smuggler with the Imperial Troops on his tail.

Leia exited the kitchen when the door closed. When Han turned toward the window he felt deeply guilty for the tears that watered the oval whiteness of Irene's face.  

Meditation will help me.

Luke was in the middle of the dark living room. Cross-legged on the floor. Gradually his mind opened and he started putting in order his thoughts, examining them to understand the meaning of each one.

What he thought on a side, Han's words on the other. In the middle a whirling mess of feelings and thoughts. With the patience his Jedi training had given him, the man focused on each thought and word, however avoiding the mess in the middle.

They're nothing more that mere meaningless words. Han can't see things that don't exist.

But something in the deep of the mess moved with a noise so loud to make him focus on the whirl.

You know…

I know? What do I know?!? Han's wrong, that's all!

The voice, his own voice, the voice of the deepest side of him, gurgled and silenced. He had pushed it back in his shadow. The rest of his mind was calm now, the voice hadn't shocked him. He stood there for a long time, feeling the world outside, the Universe, his mind taken away in that peaceful river that was the Force.

With the eyes closed Luke sighed deeply, coming back to his body, feeling again his physical limits all around him.

 "Turn the light on Commy," Asked and the computer of the apartment answered rapidly; in the living room was the light. Luke took a look at the chronometer on the wall at his left. Had passed so much time?! Luke rose from the ground and put on the brown mantle. With a smile he thought about Liby and what he had said about his black outfit. Children…

Outside was dark now and Luke found out he was hungry. Threepio wasn't in the apartment, he was enjoying a relaxing bath in the oil somewhere in the City. The man walked slowly, pretty sad for the absence of the noisy metallic friend, for the first time he wanted his creaking voice and the noise of his steps.

He felt alone like never before. And cold. He was shuddering. He tried to stop that feeling but as soon as he focused on it the fire that had consumed him until the meditation started again, burning in him like a volcano. 

With a steady movement, turning the back to the window Luke directed toward the kitchen. Tomorrow Irene'll start her training. I'll have my apprentice and keep her at a security distance from me and my mind.