The Past Returns
Epilogue
Six years passed and Ben had grown stronger after facing his memories. Han and Leia had gotten married and had had two children. They were twins and their names were Jacen and Jaina. The kids knew Ben only as a good friend of Luke's. They were five-years old and for a fun trip, Ben, with Han, Leia and Luke's permission, had taken Jacen and Jaina up to a space station that floated around the planet of Tynna. Ben hadn't heard anything on Boba Fett, but he knew that Fett was still out there, hunting him. At this moment though, he felt sure that they were safe and that was why he had taken the kids to see the station. He knew how much they loved machines, especially Jaina.
"Ben, can you show us the bridge?" Jaina asked, tugging on Ben's robes.
Ben looked down at the dark-haired girl. He smiled. "Sure. Come on."
Taking the two kids by the hands, he led them down a long corridor to the bridge. Jaina broke away and ran to the board of controls. Jacen walked over to the window and put his face up to the clear material that served as glass for the space station. His eyes went wide as he looked down at Tynna, a planet full of green jungles and water. Part of the planet was dark and they could see the many lights of the cities.
"Wow, this is cool!" Jacen said.
"I'm going to be a pilot and then I can fly all over space!" Jaina cried.
"Those are good goals," Ben said. He walked over to Jacen, kneeling down on one knee beside Jacen. "It's amazing isn't it?"
Jacen looked at him and nodded. "Am I ever going to see ALL the planets?" Jacen asked.
"You never know," Ben said. "When I was younger, I used to dream about space and what it would be like to fly up there."
"Uncle Luke said that you were a pilot," Jaina said, walking over to Ben.
Ben looked at her. "I was, for awhile."
"Did you fly with the Rogue Squadron?" Jaina asked.
"No. It was for the Em . . . a different organization." Ben said carefully. "So, do you want to go look around some more?"
"Yes!" they both cried, looking excited.
"Alright then," Ben said, standing.
He turned to go out the doorway of the bridge when he heard blaster fire erupt in a distant part of the station. Blaster fire? Here? He had thought that they were alone. This station had been empty for years.
"HELP!" a voice cried. That definitely wasn't an illusion. Someone was in trouble!
Ben squatted down in front of the two kids, looking them in the eyes. "Now you stay here. I need to go help whoever is in trouble and I don't want you two getting hurt in the process. The bridge is the safest place. Don't go anywhere, you understand?" They both nodded, trying to hide the fact that they were terrified. "It'll be okay. Don't worry."
Ben stood and closed the door of the bridge, running down the corridor towards the place where he had heard the cry.
"HELP ME!" the voice cried again. It seemed like the voice had come just around the corner, but when he got to the place, there was no one there, not even burn marks from blasters.
An unsettling feeling filled the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right here. Ben walked a little more and still didn't find anyone or any evidence of a fight. Suddenly he stopped, his heart jumping up into his throat. There had never been a fight! It was a trap! The kids!
Ben turned and ran full speed towards the bridge, but when he got there, the door was open and the kids were gone. "JACEN! JAINA!" Ben yelled, but he didn't hear anything. Who took them? And where? Ben reached out with the Force, but he couldn't sense anything. That's strange, he thought. He should have at least been able to sense their presence unless. . . no they couldn't be . . . Ben looked around frantically. "JACEN!!!!! JAINA!!!!!!!" he yelled again but to no avail.
Suddenly, he heard the comm. system crackle to life and a voice came over it that made Ben filled with dread. "You know who this is, Ben Kenobi. I know who you are. Who you really are, and I've finally caught up to you. Here's the deal. I've got the two kids that were with you. I'm willing to be reasonable. If you come with me, the kids can go. You have three minutes to reach my ship."
The communication shut off. Ben swallowed hard. Boba Fett had found him, at last, when he had least expected it. He should have known better than to underestimate him, and now Jacen and Jaina were in danger because of his foolishness. There was no other choice. He had to go and this time, he wouldn't be coming back.
Ben began running down the main corridor, towards the docking ports. When he got there, he saw the ship that he had used to come up to the station and then other, docked nearby. Boba Fett's ship. Ben walked over to where the ramp had been extended out onto the floor of the station. He heard footsteps and Boba Fett stood in the hatchway at the top of the ramp. Then Ben noticed the creature that was slung around Fett's shoulders. An ysalamiri. No wonder he couldn't sense Fett or the kids.
"I want to see the kids. I want to know that they are safe."
"They're fine. I have no use for them." Boba Fett reached around the side, yanking the two kids out beside him. He dropped them roughly onto the ramp. Tears were streaming down their eyes and they looked terrified. They stared at Ben, whimpering.
"I'll go with you, on one condition." The visored gaze stared at him. "Let me send the kids back down to the surface so they will be safe. They can't fly the ship that I brought."
"Fine, but do it quickly. I haven't got all day." Boba Fett grabbed Jacen and Jaina and hauled them down the ramp. He shoved them into Ben's arms, where they buried their faces in his tunic. Boba Fett took out his blaster and held it aimed at Ben. "Let's go."
Ben nodded and scooped up the kids in his arms. He walked down the edge of the docking bay to where the escape pods were located. He accessed one and set Jacen and Jaina inside. The seat in it could fit one large man, so the children, who were relatively small, fit. Ben strapped them in. Jaina started crying.
"Shh. It's okay. Everything will be okay now."
"W-What about you?" Jacen asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I'll be fine. I'll find another escape pod. I'll be right after you," Ben said, his face full of sadness. "I love you guys. Be good to Han and Leia and your Uncle Luke. Give Uncle Luke this," Ben said, handing Jacen a small tape recorder. "Promise me you'll give this to him?"
"W-why can't you?" Jacen asked.
"No time for questions. Just promise me!"
Jacen nodded. "I promise."
"Good. You two be good."
"But -" Jaina was cut off as Ben shut and locked the door to the escape pod.
He closed the hatch and sent the pod off. It jettisoned from the launcher. Ben watched it leave and then turned to Boba Fett. "Alright. Let's go." Ben said and walked in front of Fett back to the bounty hunter's ship. They walked up the ramp and it closed behind them. A few minutes later, the ship pulled out of the station and headed into hyperspace.
**************************************************************************** ************************************ Nice ending, huh?? *evil grin* Yes, that is the end. Thanks for sticking with me through the entire thing! I hope you enjoyed it!
Please read and review!
. . . . . you're just crying for a sequel . . . . or maybe not . . . . it's up to you!
Epilogue
Six years passed and Ben had grown stronger after facing his memories. Han and Leia had gotten married and had had two children. They were twins and their names were Jacen and Jaina. The kids knew Ben only as a good friend of Luke's. They were five-years old and for a fun trip, Ben, with Han, Leia and Luke's permission, had taken Jacen and Jaina up to a space station that floated around the planet of Tynna. Ben hadn't heard anything on Boba Fett, but he knew that Fett was still out there, hunting him. At this moment though, he felt sure that they were safe and that was why he had taken the kids to see the station. He knew how much they loved machines, especially Jaina.
"Ben, can you show us the bridge?" Jaina asked, tugging on Ben's robes.
Ben looked down at the dark-haired girl. He smiled. "Sure. Come on."
Taking the two kids by the hands, he led them down a long corridor to the bridge. Jaina broke away and ran to the board of controls. Jacen walked over to the window and put his face up to the clear material that served as glass for the space station. His eyes went wide as he looked down at Tynna, a planet full of green jungles and water. Part of the planet was dark and they could see the many lights of the cities.
"Wow, this is cool!" Jacen said.
"I'm going to be a pilot and then I can fly all over space!" Jaina cried.
"Those are good goals," Ben said. He walked over to Jacen, kneeling down on one knee beside Jacen. "It's amazing isn't it?"
Jacen looked at him and nodded. "Am I ever going to see ALL the planets?" Jacen asked.
"You never know," Ben said. "When I was younger, I used to dream about space and what it would be like to fly up there."
"Uncle Luke said that you were a pilot," Jaina said, walking over to Ben.
Ben looked at her. "I was, for awhile."
"Did you fly with the Rogue Squadron?" Jaina asked.
"No. It was for the Em . . . a different organization." Ben said carefully. "So, do you want to go look around some more?"
"Yes!" they both cried, looking excited.
"Alright then," Ben said, standing.
He turned to go out the doorway of the bridge when he heard blaster fire erupt in a distant part of the station. Blaster fire? Here? He had thought that they were alone. This station had been empty for years.
"HELP!" a voice cried. That definitely wasn't an illusion. Someone was in trouble!
Ben squatted down in front of the two kids, looking them in the eyes. "Now you stay here. I need to go help whoever is in trouble and I don't want you two getting hurt in the process. The bridge is the safest place. Don't go anywhere, you understand?" They both nodded, trying to hide the fact that they were terrified. "It'll be okay. Don't worry."
Ben stood and closed the door of the bridge, running down the corridor towards the place where he had heard the cry.
"HELP ME!" the voice cried again. It seemed like the voice had come just around the corner, but when he got to the place, there was no one there, not even burn marks from blasters.
An unsettling feeling filled the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right here. Ben walked a little more and still didn't find anyone or any evidence of a fight. Suddenly he stopped, his heart jumping up into his throat. There had never been a fight! It was a trap! The kids!
Ben turned and ran full speed towards the bridge, but when he got there, the door was open and the kids were gone. "JACEN! JAINA!" Ben yelled, but he didn't hear anything. Who took them? And where? Ben reached out with the Force, but he couldn't sense anything. That's strange, he thought. He should have at least been able to sense their presence unless. . . no they couldn't be . . . Ben looked around frantically. "JACEN!!!!! JAINA!!!!!!!" he yelled again but to no avail.
Suddenly, he heard the comm. system crackle to life and a voice came over it that made Ben filled with dread. "You know who this is, Ben Kenobi. I know who you are. Who you really are, and I've finally caught up to you. Here's the deal. I've got the two kids that were with you. I'm willing to be reasonable. If you come with me, the kids can go. You have three minutes to reach my ship."
The communication shut off. Ben swallowed hard. Boba Fett had found him, at last, when he had least expected it. He should have known better than to underestimate him, and now Jacen and Jaina were in danger because of his foolishness. There was no other choice. He had to go and this time, he wouldn't be coming back.
Ben began running down the main corridor, towards the docking ports. When he got there, he saw the ship that he had used to come up to the station and then other, docked nearby. Boba Fett's ship. Ben walked over to where the ramp had been extended out onto the floor of the station. He heard footsteps and Boba Fett stood in the hatchway at the top of the ramp. Then Ben noticed the creature that was slung around Fett's shoulders. An ysalamiri. No wonder he couldn't sense Fett or the kids.
"I want to see the kids. I want to know that they are safe."
"They're fine. I have no use for them." Boba Fett reached around the side, yanking the two kids out beside him. He dropped them roughly onto the ramp. Tears were streaming down their eyes and they looked terrified. They stared at Ben, whimpering.
"I'll go with you, on one condition." The visored gaze stared at him. "Let me send the kids back down to the surface so they will be safe. They can't fly the ship that I brought."
"Fine, but do it quickly. I haven't got all day." Boba Fett grabbed Jacen and Jaina and hauled them down the ramp. He shoved them into Ben's arms, where they buried their faces in his tunic. Boba Fett took out his blaster and held it aimed at Ben. "Let's go."
Ben nodded and scooped up the kids in his arms. He walked down the edge of the docking bay to where the escape pods were located. He accessed one and set Jacen and Jaina inside. The seat in it could fit one large man, so the children, who were relatively small, fit. Ben strapped them in. Jaina started crying.
"Shh. It's okay. Everything will be okay now."
"W-What about you?" Jacen asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I'll be fine. I'll find another escape pod. I'll be right after you," Ben said, his face full of sadness. "I love you guys. Be good to Han and Leia and your Uncle Luke. Give Uncle Luke this," Ben said, handing Jacen a small tape recorder. "Promise me you'll give this to him?"
"W-why can't you?" Jacen asked.
"No time for questions. Just promise me!"
Jacen nodded. "I promise."
"Good. You two be good."
"But -" Jaina was cut off as Ben shut and locked the door to the escape pod.
He closed the hatch and sent the pod off. It jettisoned from the launcher. Ben watched it leave and then turned to Boba Fett. "Alright. Let's go." Ben said and walked in front of Fett back to the bounty hunter's ship. They walked up the ramp and it closed behind them. A few minutes later, the ship pulled out of the station and headed into hyperspace.
**************************************************************************** ************************************ Nice ending, huh?? *evil grin* Yes, that is the end. Thanks for sticking with me through the entire thing! I hope you enjoyed it!
Please read and review!
. . . . . you're just crying for a sequel . . . . or maybe not . . . . it's up to you!