The next I knew, I was in one of the cabins on board wrapped in wool blankets. I felt well rested and took my time waking up. I slowly stretched and yawned, relishing in the tingly feeling it spread through my body.
Swinging myself out of bed I realized that my stomach was growling, and being quite noisy about it. I headed for the galley in search on something to eat. There, I found Chewie and See-Threepio, the Solo's family and quite annoying droid. Chewie lifted his head from whatever he was doing and began rumbling, waving his hands in the air as he went on. I opened my eyes wide and looked to Threepio for translation.
"Oh my," He said to himself. "Chewbacca says that you're supposed to be in bed resting. You're not supposed to be up and about."
"Why?" I asked, searching through the cupboards. Finding a nutrients bar with a flavor of my liking, I ripped it open and took a bite. "I feel fine."
Again, Chewie growled something, and again I looked to Threepio.
"He says you were sick, exhausted really."
I cut him off with a confused glare. "I'd know if I was sick."
The Wookie shrugged his shoulders, the driod walked off muttering, "Oh, my. Now we've upset her. Mistress Leia wouldn't be happy…"
"Hey. You're up. What was all the ruckus about?" Jaina asked as she stepped around Threepio. Her eyes trailed behind the driod in curiosity. She had her hair pulled back in a braid the traveled down her back. Hazel eyes were wide in confusion.
"They seem to think I should be back in bed." I snapped another piece of the bar off and popped it in my mouth, staring at Chewie accusingly. He shrugged his shoulders again, and left the room.
Jaina smiled. "Uncle Luke is in the lounge. He said that he'd like to speak with you."
I didn't ask how he knew I was awake. "Okay," I said feeling a little on the tired side again. I left the galley to Jaina and slipped into the lounge.
"How are you feeling?" Luke asked as I walked in.
"Fine. No thanks to that droid and the Wookie." I plopped down into a chair.
"Oh, you'll get used to them." Luke smiled boyishly, his blue eyes brightened.
"What was with Chewie anyway? Why did he think I should be resting?"
"When you fell asleep you had a slight fever. Probably brought on from exhaustion. You'll be fine, though."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I had a mild fever and Chewie was all over me like a mother bantha?"
"Yeah, well," Luke paused. "He's like that with all humans. Don't take it personal." His expression changed. "You remember what happened yesterday? When I probed you?"
My eyes widened. "Yes. I never did get an explanation. What happened?"
"Well, when I came across the memory you ah, threw me out."
Okay, now I was confused. "Threw you out? You mean I threw you out of my mind?" I mumbled quietly. "Why would I do that? I mean I was thrown across the room."
"Yes, it was quite a powerful shove." He smiled again. "You probably did it because the dream may have been traumatic, therefore you're trying to block it to keep it from resurfacing. I think you have enough strength to be trained as a Jedi."
"Really?"
"Would you like to come to the academy?"
I was stunned. Come to the academy? He's kidding, right? I mean, me? A Jedi? I can't see it. "I don't know. Kind of hard to take in. What do you mean I have enough strength?"
"Everyone has the force," Luke shifted backwards. He fitted the part of Jedi Master. "It's just that some are stronger than others and can control it. Like me, like you, and like my niece and nephews." He stood up and patted me on the shoulder. "Think about it. You don't have to. Being a Jedi is hard, not an easy job." With that, he left. I was alone with my thoughts.
I dont' think that I really thought. I just sat there and stared at the holo-board. Then, without even thinking about it, the answer to Luke's question slammed into my mind. Yes, I would go. A grin slowly spread across my features. That was easy. I'm going to be a Jedi.
"I hope that grin doesn't mean the same as Han's." I looked up to see Leia. She was smiling in a teasing way. "When Han smiles like that it usually is followed by some incredibly stupid event. I guess that means your going to go the academy?"
How did she - duh She's Luke's sister. I nodded my head. "I guess it does."
"He'll be glad to here that. It over joy's him to get a new student. He's a good teacher, and I'm not saying that because he's my brother." She studied me closely. "Do those orphanages immunize you?"
"Huh?" I mumbled. What does that mean?
Leia laughed slightly. "Guess not. Come here."
I followed her to a small room behind the cockpit that was full of medical supplies. In one corner was a bed where she told me to take a seat. She got out a few syringes, filling them with a liquid of some kind. Needles? - Something wrong with patches?
"Sorry, this is all we have on board. These are just precautionary shots. You're not immune to anything that could be on this planet." She was getting ready to inject one into my arm, which she had stretched out and swabbed. "This will sting a bit."
"Okay."
After she was done, we left and went back into the lounge. Han was setting up some kind of device in front of him. It was round and buzzed in the air around him.
"You're not going to do that in here are you?" Leia asked, sounding exasperated.
"Yeah, why?" Han asked innocently.
"Well, just make sure you don't shoot anybody. I've been hit by that thing before it's not fun."
"Hey," Han said as Leia walked out of the room. "It's me."
I could still here her muttering and caught something that sounded like, "Where have I heard that before?"
"I'm not really shooting anything. It just sends a signal to the remote and it tells me my speed," He called after her. "You were just shot by the remote itself when you missed." She was no longer within hearing range. "Woman," he muttered. To me he said, "She never likes me practicing in here. Would you like to give it a try?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure." Han handed me the blaster, I felt it's cool metal as he placed it in my hand. "I've never done this before."
"That's all right. Here," he handed me the leather crafted, low-slung holster that he'd been wearing. "Put this on. Just put the blaster in the holster and when this little remote thing here beeps, as fast as you can draw the gun out and fire it at the remote. Don't worry it really won't shoot anything," He explained as I strapped the holster on. "Oh, and fire from your hip, it will shave a little time off."
"Okay, should be easy."
I waited for the beep, when it came I grabbed the gun and fired from my hip. My arm tingled slightly as I waited for what seemed like forever for my time to be given on the screen. The remote made a victory sound and on the screen was .25.
Han's eyes were wide when I turned to him. His mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out. Finally he managed, "How did you," He waved his arms.
Concerned that I'd done something wrong I said, "I only did what you told me."
"One fourth a second. Wow." Han leaned into the corridor. "Luke! Come here a minute."
Seconds later, Luke appeared in the lounge. "What's the matter?"
"Watch this," Han told Luke, and then he turned to me. "Do what you did for me, for Luke."
"Okay," I repositioned myself and when the remote beeped, I pulled the blaster from my belt and fired. The remote 'sang' and my time showed .2. A little faster.
Luke was grinning boyishly again. "Are you coming to the academy?"
I smiled. "Yup," I said. I realized why Han had been so amazed with my time. I was using the Force.
Next to me Han rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "I don't believe this! What is it with me and always picking up potential, helpless Jedi?" He disappeared into the cockpit, mumbling. I heard Chewie rumbling and figured he was who had been flying while everyone was in the lounge.
"What is he going to do?" I asked Jaina who was sitting next to me in the lounge. Luke had gotten out a remote similar to the one Han used and had turned it on.
"The remote will shoot things that sting when they hit you. He'll block them with his lightsaber. It's really easy. You'll see."
Lightsaber?
I heard a snap hiss and turned to see Luke holding the thing in his hand Jaina called a lightsaber. He had a helmet over his eyes. How was he supposed to see the things that shoot from the remote? He stood in a defense position, legs spread and bent. The remote shot at him and with the agility of a feline he blocked them with his saber. One…two…three times.
I was supposed to do that?
Luke was handing it to me now. The lightsaber slid into my hand. Its cool metal handle was all that was there. But I knew, or figured, that if I pushed the red button the saber would hum to life.
"You try," Luke was saying. "Feel. Listen to your instincts, they will serve you well. The key thing here is to not think. You think and you won't hear what the Force is telling you."
I nodded my head. I placed myself in the same position Luke had been in, legs apart, knees bent. I pushed the red button, a blue tube-like light shot out from the handle. It hummed and I could feel it vibrating in my fist. That was when I remembered my cousin. He was a tall boy, well young man, with dark, brown hair and blue eyes, like mine. He always wore the weapon of a Jedi. My memory of him was faded, hard to figure out. He was a Jedi. I remembered that now. Now that I was thinking about him, I remembered a conversation between my older cousin and my father. Jalhier and my father were sitting at the kitchen table. I was hiding on the other side of the wall.
"She has a gift, Uncle. You shouldn't ignore it. That won't make it go away," Jal was saying. "She's strong, even I can sense it. Not as strong as Master Luke or his nephews, but she's got it."
"I know," my father said quietly. "I don't want to loose her. You know what happened to Anakin Skywalker. He became the galaxy's menace. He was consumed by the dark side."
"I'd be there for her, so would Master Luke. She'd have so much support. She should be allowed to choose."
"Damn it," he exploded, pounding the table. "Jal, she's only five! Nothing has to be done soon. Stop pushing." His tone was menacing.
There was a tense silence. Thick with anger.
"I'm sorry," Jal said quietly, getting up from the table. He left the room and saw me, but said nothing.
I'd forgotten about that night. The next evening, the bounty hunters came and took my parents away. The memory of Jal and my father talking had been pushed to the back of my mind, momentarily forgotten.
" - To Brin. Come in please." I came back out of my memory just as Jaina was finishing her teasing comment.
A blush crept up my neck as I realized I had been standing there recollecting my past while staring at the lightsaber. "Sorry," I mumbled. I pushed the memory back into my mind for later viewing. "I'm ready now."
Luke dumped the helmet on my head and turned on the remote. It shot the little stingers at me. I felt where and when they were coming. It was as if I was connected to them. With a grace I didn't know I was capable of, I deflected the bolts. One…two…three…and - I slipped and missed the fourth one. It stung into my shoulder.
"Ouch!" I complained.
Luke shut it off and grinned that grin that made him look like a little boy. "Very good."
"Yeah, than why does my arm hurt?"
Jaina covered a snort.
"You need to learn to control, that's why. You're very good at sensing things. I can see that."
"Whatever." Jaina and Luke laughed. I frowned, but then realized it was forced and joined them. After all, I slipped, lost my concentration and paid for it. That was funny. Sort of.