Return to Naboo part 6
Author's notes: Hello, everyone. Thank you, again, for reading and reviewing. I want to say a special thanks to A. Windsor and Shadow-Angel for taking the time to respond to each chapter. It really means a lot to me to know you like my story. I also wanted to tell Jillybean that I'm glad you like RTN, but I do have to warn you that there are some mushy, angsty scenes. Perhaps I should have called it an "angst" story, but I am not very good at categorizing and to me, RTN seemed to have a little of everything. But it can be sappy. On the other hand, it's not as sappy as the sequel I'm working on now. Anyway, here's part 6. Happy Easter, everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, etc.
The training remote swooped and dove low, shooting low volt laser beams at one-second intervals. Luke gracefully blocked each shot with his lightsaber. Abruptly the one-second intervals switched to half-second intervals. For just an instant Luke was unprepared, but his quick reflexes enabled him to dodge the beam, and by the next shot he was ready to parry.
Swinging to the left and right, up and down, Luke drove the remote to the far corner of the terrace. Suddenly the fifteen-minute timer sounded and the device switched off. Luke plucked it from the air and was debating whether or not to reprogram it for another round or call it a day (he'd already been working with the saber for over an hour) when he noticed his father watching from the doorway.
"How did I do?" he asked.
"You were a little slow to adjust to the last timing change, but overall, you did an excellent job," Anakin replied.
Luke made a face. "I know I bungled it at the end. I was getting tired."
"So take a break, son. You've been working long enough." Anakin came to sit on one of the stone benches along the sides of the terrace. "And you didn't really 'bungle it,' as you put it. You avoided the shot. Your reflexes are quicker than mine would be. Of course, the fact that you're almost 24 years younger might have something to do with that."
Luke laughed and shook his head. "You're in great shape, Father." He held out the remote. "Care to give it a try?"
"Maybe later."
Luke went to hang the remote on a hook near the door. He glanced over at Anakin. Helpful as training with remotes was, it didn't compare to dueling with a live person. He had asked his father to spar with him several times since Endor. Anakin steadfastly refused. It was probably the only thing he would have refused his son. Luke understood his father's reluctance to engage him again, but he longed to train with Anakin. A person could plan strategies and change tactics and challenge him as a remote never could. He glanced back at Anakin, intending to ask again. Perhaps today.
"No," Anakin said quickly. "I will not spar with you, son. Please, don't ask me anymore. I'm not going to change my mind."
Luke silently went over to the bench to sit beside him.
"Please try to understand, Luke. I just can't bring myself to cross blades with you again. It would bring back such terrible memories," Anakin's voice was almost pleading.
"It would be different now," Luke spoke quietly.
"Yes, but I don't think I could bear to fight with you again, son, even in practice." Anakin's mind suddenly flashed back to Bespin, his lightsaber cutting off Luke's hand. He shuddered violently.
/Father, stop. That's long past./ Luke spoke directly in his mind, blocking that anguished memory. /I forgave you. Can't you try to forgive yourself?/
/No, I can never forgive myself for hurting you. Or Leia. Or Han. What kind of father cuts off his son's hand? I don't know how you were ever able to accept me after that./ Anakin realized that he had reached over to take Luke's right hand. He brought it to his chest, cradled between his own hands, and abruptly began weeping.
Luke promply flung his arms around his father and sent love and comfort through their link. /It's all right, Father. I love you./
Anakin hugged him close and struggled to bring his emotions under control. /I love you, too, son. I will never hurt you again. I promise./
/I know, Father. I know./
Anakin took a deep breath and gently stroked Luke's hair, savoring the solid warmth of his son's head resting on his shoulder. After a while, he spoke aloud, "That's why I can't duel with you. I can't take the slightest chance of hurting you."
"And I know you would never deliberately harm me, Father. That's why I'm comfortable asking." He felt Anakin tense slightly and added. "But I understand your feelings. I won't ask anymore."
Anakin curled his fingers around the back of Luke's neck. "I hate to disappoint you, son. If it were anything else. But I just can'y spar with you."
"Well, you know what that means," Luke sat back and regarded him more cheerfully.
"What?"
"It means we're going to have to start training new Jedi so I'll have a dueling partner," Luke grinned.
Anakin kept kneading the back of Luke's neck. "It's funny you should mention it. I've been thinking about how we're going to find and train new Jedi."
"Well, any ideas?"
With a sigh, Anakin began. "First of all, I feel very unworthy of training anyone. I will help you because I do think my knowledge is of some value, but I wonder how I'm going to tell young, innocent initiates that I've made all the mistakes I'm warning them against. I'll feel like such a hypocrite."
Luke reached over to take his father's hand. "I think you'll be a great Master because you know all the deceptions they can fall prey to. You'll be able to sympathize with their problems while at the same time warning them what to look out for. You need to have some faith in yourself, Father. There is a lot of good in you. It was strong enough to drive out the darkness. It's strong enough to enable Leia to overcome her anger and forgive you. It's strong enough that everyone who knows you can see how much you've changed. You've already saved countless lives. And you're going to do many great, compassionate things to atone for the past. Believe in yourself, Father. I believe in you."
"My dear son," Anakin whispered. "What would I ever do without you?" Once again he gathered Luke into his arms and hugged him. Luke returned the embrace, then sat back, suddenly all business.
"What are your ideas about rebuilding the Jedi, Father?"
The older Jedi cleared his throat and straightened his spine. He would be a good teacher and mentor, if only to justify Luke's faith in him. "For starters, we're going to have to make some modifications to the old ways. There were some good things about them, but there were also loopholes and disadvantages. One thing I did like was the intense one-on-one Master/Padawan relationship. Although Obi-Wan and I personally had problems, I still think it's a good idea if you take care to match the personalities correctly. Unfortunately, you and I don't have fifteen years to spend per padawan, but that could be a goal to establish in the next generation or two. In the meantime, probably a small group of five to ten students would work best for us. If we try to take on too many students at once, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to give them enough individual attention."
Luke nodded. "That sounds good. I agree. How long do you think it will take to train them?"
"Right now it's hard to say," Anakin answered. "We'll have to see how quickly they progress once we start." He hesitated. "This will sound arrogant, though I don't mean for it to be. Our family is exceptionally strong in the Force. My midi-chlorian count is very high. I suspect yours is just as high, perhaps higher, because you only received what amounted to a few weeks of formal training, and yet, through your own hard work and intuition, you are as strong as any of the Knights who trained from infancy. I'm saying this to point out that our padawans will probably require more time and more guidance. I think we should plan to work with them for several years at least."
Again Luke nodded. He was quiet for a moment, then said, "Leia doesn't want to be a Jedi."
"I rather suspected she didn't."
Luke looked surprised. "Really? How did you know?"
"I noticed that she usually changed the subject whenever you brought it up. And knowing she has reservations about me, I imagine she has some self- doubts as well," Anakin said.
Luke considered. He was very impressed at his father's ability to understand Leia. "Do you read me that easily?"
Anakin smiled at him. "If you mean, do I pick up on your thoughts and feelings easily, then yes. You don't really try to shield them from me, you know. It would be more difficult if you did. If you mean, do I always understand your motivations, then the answer is not always."
"Do you think Leia would turn to the dark side?" Luke asked, not sure if he really wanted to hear his father's answer.
But Anakin shook his head. "No, I don't. For one thing, she only has to look at me to see the consequences of turning. For another, she has better control of herself than I ever did. No matter how strong her emotions might be, her conscious keeps them in line."
"I think you should tell her that. It might give her some peace of mind."
"All right, I will," Anakin agreed. "But if she truly doesn't want to be a Jedi, I don't think we should try to push it on her. She has a great many talents. Perhaps she could serve the galaxy best in other ways."
Luke sighed. "That's what she said. It's just that I always thought she would be our first student. It seemed so natural. How else will we go about finding padawans?"
"Well, I thought at first about advertising. Sending out word that we're looking for Force-sensitives, but now I think that's a poor idea. We might get too many applicants, and I remember how badly I felt when the Council rejected me as a child. I don't want to do that to someone else," Anakin commented. "Perhaps we could go searching for potential candidates, but I think we ought to talk with Mon Mothma and Leia first. Make sure they don't need us actively working with the New Republic. Our first duty now is to see the government firmly established."
"That reminds me of something I've been thinking about," Luke said. "I know the old Jedi Temple was on Coruscant, but I was wondering if maybe another place would be better for training padawans." He looked suddenly uncertain. "Am I being too presumptious, Father? Thinking I know better than the old Masters?"
"You're the least presumptious person I know, Luke," Anakin told him warmly. "You have every right to have your own opinions. The old Masters weren't infallible, after all."
"Well," Luke continued, giving his father a grateful smile. "Coruscant just seems so crowded, so busy. I thought maybe a place with less distractions might be better."
Anakin waved his hand, indicating the lake retreat. "Like here?"
Luke nodded. "It's so peaceful and beautiful here. Almost as soon as I saw it I thought it would be the perfect place. Although, our students will need exposure to how the government works and their place in it as Jedi. What do you think about using the lake retreat as our home base, but making regular visits to Coruscant as well?"
Anakin smiled broadly. "I like it. And we could see Leia and the others often."
Luke grinned. "Yeah, I thought of that, too."
Han lay in the tall grass, gazed at the blue sky overhead, and thought that at this moment his life was almost perfect. He had just finished a delicious picnic lunch, there were several days of vacation left, and the woman he loved was beside him.
The sun shone warmly upon them and Leia unfastened her silvery-pink cloak from around her shoulders and laid it on the edge of their blanket. She wore a deep rose dress and had entwined tiny white flowers in her loose- flowing hair. Han thought she had never looked more beautiful.
He himself wore a comfortable old shirt, worn black trousers, and his old spacer's vest. He had chosen the outfit deliberately. He had something important to discuss with Leia, and he wanted her to keep his background in mind. The setting was also deliberate. The four of them had visited this site a few days ago, and Anakin had told them that he and Padme had picnicked here once.
Han cleared his throat and sat up. "Um, Leia, there's something we should talk about."
She looked at him questioningly.
He had imagined this scene a thousand times and now suddenly everything he had planned to say sounded silly or insincere or just "not right." He, Han Solo, always self-assured, never at a loss for words, was at a loss for words.
"Um, Leia, I want you to know that when we first met, I really couldn't stand you. I thought you were a snobby, spoiled brat."
She gave him a wry look. "Oh, thanks, Han. You sure know how to warm a girl's heart."
"No, no. I mean, I was gonna say that was just at first. After a while I realized that you were really this amazing, wonderful person. You're kind and unselfish and smart and beautiful. I know I act pretty self-confident, but I actually couldn't believe that you could ever love someone like me."
Leia stopped him. "What do you mean, someone like you? Someone brave and caring and handsome? Why is that so hard to believe?"
He shook his head. "You've always been a high-class person, Leia, in more ways than one. You were a princess and a senator. Now you're Vice- Chancellor. I was a smuggler. I'm sure there are lots of people who think you could have done better."
"Well, then, lots of people would be wrong," she leaned over to kiss him lightly. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever met. Maybe I wasn't crazy about you at first, either, but then I got to know you. And I realized that although you kept trying to deny it, you cared about other people more than yourself. You've risked everything for me and my family. I'm proud to be at your side, Han. Don't ever doubt that."
"Thanks, sweetheart. I just wanted you to know what some people might say before I go on," Han couldn't remember ever feeling so tongue-tied and awkward. He hated it.
"I don't care what those people might think! What are you trying to say?" she looked at him intently.
"Well, I brought you here for a reason. Your dad said he and your mom came here on a picnic once."
Leia looked around at the surrounding waterfalls and nodded.
Han took her hand and went on, "I know things didn't work out so good for them, but it made me start thinking about choices. Your father made some bad ones, and it hurt them. But you and I have chosen to overcome our past differences and problems. If we choose to always love one another and think about one another and respect one another, I think we could be happy together."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she whispered.
"I'm saying I love you and I want us to be together forever. Leia, will you marry me?"
She kissed him again. "Yes, oh, yes!"
Author's notes: Hello, everyone. Thank you, again, for reading and reviewing. I want to say a special thanks to A. Windsor and Shadow-Angel for taking the time to respond to each chapter. It really means a lot to me to know you like my story. I also wanted to tell Jillybean that I'm glad you like RTN, but I do have to warn you that there are some mushy, angsty scenes. Perhaps I should have called it an "angst" story, but I am not very good at categorizing and to me, RTN seemed to have a little of everything. But it can be sappy. On the other hand, it's not as sappy as the sequel I'm working on now. Anyway, here's part 6. Happy Easter, everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, etc.
The training remote swooped and dove low, shooting low volt laser beams at one-second intervals. Luke gracefully blocked each shot with his lightsaber. Abruptly the one-second intervals switched to half-second intervals. For just an instant Luke was unprepared, but his quick reflexes enabled him to dodge the beam, and by the next shot he was ready to parry.
Swinging to the left and right, up and down, Luke drove the remote to the far corner of the terrace. Suddenly the fifteen-minute timer sounded and the device switched off. Luke plucked it from the air and was debating whether or not to reprogram it for another round or call it a day (he'd already been working with the saber for over an hour) when he noticed his father watching from the doorway.
"How did I do?" he asked.
"You were a little slow to adjust to the last timing change, but overall, you did an excellent job," Anakin replied.
Luke made a face. "I know I bungled it at the end. I was getting tired."
"So take a break, son. You've been working long enough." Anakin came to sit on one of the stone benches along the sides of the terrace. "And you didn't really 'bungle it,' as you put it. You avoided the shot. Your reflexes are quicker than mine would be. Of course, the fact that you're almost 24 years younger might have something to do with that."
Luke laughed and shook his head. "You're in great shape, Father." He held out the remote. "Care to give it a try?"
"Maybe later."
Luke went to hang the remote on a hook near the door. He glanced over at Anakin. Helpful as training with remotes was, it didn't compare to dueling with a live person. He had asked his father to spar with him several times since Endor. Anakin steadfastly refused. It was probably the only thing he would have refused his son. Luke understood his father's reluctance to engage him again, but he longed to train with Anakin. A person could plan strategies and change tactics and challenge him as a remote never could. He glanced back at Anakin, intending to ask again. Perhaps today.
"No," Anakin said quickly. "I will not spar with you, son. Please, don't ask me anymore. I'm not going to change my mind."
Luke silently went over to the bench to sit beside him.
"Please try to understand, Luke. I just can't bring myself to cross blades with you again. It would bring back such terrible memories," Anakin's voice was almost pleading.
"It would be different now," Luke spoke quietly.
"Yes, but I don't think I could bear to fight with you again, son, even in practice." Anakin's mind suddenly flashed back to Bespin, his lightsaber cutting off Luke's hand. He shuddered violently.
/Father, stop. That's long past./ Luke spoke directly in his mind, blocking that anguished memory. /I forgave you. Can't you try to forgive yourself?/
/No, I can never forgive myself for hurting you. Or Leia. Or Han. What kind of father cuts off his son's hand? I don't know how you were ever able to accept me after that./ Anakin realized that he had reached over to take Luke's right hand. He brought it to his chest, cradled between his own hands, and abruptly began weeping.
Luke promply flung his arms around his father and sent love and comfort through their link. /It's all right, Father. I love you./
Anakin hugged him close and struggled to bring his emotions under control. /I love you, too, son. I will never hurt you again. I promise./
/I know, Father. I know./
Anakin took a deep breath and gently stroked Luke's hair, savoring the solid warmth of his son's head resting on his shoulder. After a while, he spoke aloud, "That's why I can't duel with you. I can't take the slightest chance of hurting you."
"And I know you would never deliberately harm me, Father. That's why I'm comfortable asking." He felt Anakin tense slightly and added. "But I understand your feelings. I won't ask anymore."
Anakin curled his fingers around the back of Luke's neck. "I hate to disappoint you, son. If it were anything else. But I just can'y spar with you."
"Well, you know what that means," Luke sat back and regarded him more cheerfully.
"What?"
"It means we're going to have to start training new Jedi so I'll have a dueling partner," Luke grinned.
Anakin kept kneading the back of Luke's neck. "It's funny you should mention it. I've been thinking about how we're going to find and train new Jedi."
"Well, any ideas?"
With a sigh, Anakin began. "First of all, I feel very unworthy of training anyone. I will help you because I do think my knowledge is of some value, but I wonder how I'm going to tell young, innocent initiates that I've made all the mistakes I'm warning them against. I'll feel like such a hypocrite."
Luke reached over to take his father's hand. "I think you'll be a great Master because you know all the deceptions they can fall prey to. You'll be able to sympathize with their problems while at the same time warning them what to look out for. You need to have some faith in yourself, Father. There is a lot of good in you. It was strong enough to drive out the darkness. It's strong enough to enable Leia to overcome her anger and forgive you. It's strong enough that everyone who knows you can see how much you've changed. You've already saved countless lives. And you're going to do many great, compassionate things to atone for the past. Believe in yourself, Father. I believe in you."
"My dear son," Anakin whispered. "What would I ever do without you?" Once again he gathered Luke into his arms and hugged him. Luke returned the embrace, then sat back, suddenly all business.
"What are your ideas about rebuilding the Jedi, Father?"
The older Jedi cleared his throat and straightened his spine. He would be a good teacher and mentor, if only to justify Luke's faith in him. "For starters, we're going to have to make some modifications to the old ways. There were some good things about them, but there were also loopholes and disadvantages. One thing I did like was the intense one-on-one Master/Padawan relationship. Although Obi-Wan and I personally had problems, I still think it's a good idea if you take care to match the personalities correctly. Unfortunately, you and I don't have fifteen years to spend per padawan, but that could be a goal to establish in the next generation or two. In the meantime, probably a small group of five to ten students would work best for us. If we try to take on too many students at once, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to give them enough individual attention."
Luke nodded. "That sounds good. I agree. How long do you think it will take to train them?"
"Right now it's hard to say," Anakin answered. "We'll have to see how quickly they progress once we start." He hesitated. "This will sound arrogant, though I don't mean for it to be. Our family is exceptionally strong in the Force. My midi-chlorian count is very high. I suspect yours is just as high, perhaps higher, because you only received what amounted to a few weeks of formal training, and yet, through your own hard work and intuition, you are as strong as any of the Knights who trained from infancy. I'm saying this to point out that our padawans will probably require more time and more guidance. I think we should plan to work with them for several years at least."
Again Luke nodded. He was quiet for a moment, then said, "Leia doesn't want to be a Jedi."
"I rather suspected she didn't."
Luke looked surprised. "Really? How did you know?"
"I noticed that she usually changed the subject whenever you brought it up. And knowing she has reservations about me, I imagine she has some self- doubts as well," Anakin said.
Luke considered. He was very impressed at his father's ability to understand Leia. "Do you read me that easily?"
Anakin smiled at him. "If you mean, do I pick up on your thoughts and feelings easily, then yes. You don't really try to shield them from me, you know. It would be more difficult if you did. If you mean, do I always understand your motivations, then the answer is not always."
"Do you think Leia would turn to the dark side?" Luke asked, not sure if he really wanted to hear his father's answer.
But Anakin shook his head. "No, I don't. For one thing, she only has to look at me to see the consequences of turning. For another, she has better control of herself than I ever did. No matter how strong her emotions might be, her conscious keeps them in line."
"I think you should tell her that. It might give her some peace of mind."
"All right, I will," Anakin agreed. "But if she truly doesn't want to be a Jedi, I don't think we should try to push it on her. She has a great many talents. Perhaps she could serve the galaxy best in other ways."
Luke sighed. "That's what she said. It's just that I always thought she would be our first student. It seemed so natural. How else will we go about finding padawans?"
"Well, I thought at first about advertising. Sending out word that we're looking for Force-sensitives, but now I think that's a poor idea. We might get too many applicants, and I remember how badly I felt when the Council rejected me as a child. I don't want to do that to someone else," Anakin commented. "Perhaps we could go searching for potential candidates, but I think we ought to talk with Mon Mothma and Leia first. Make sure they don't need us actively working with the New Republic. Our first duty now is to see the government firmly established."
"That reminds me of something I've been thinking about," Luke said. "I know the old Jedi Temple was on Coruscant, but I was wondering if maybe another place would be better for training padawans." He looked suddenly uncertain. "Am I being too presumptious, Father? Thinking I know better than the old Masters?"
"You're the least presumptious person I know, Luke," Anakin told him warmly. "You have every right to have your own opinions. The old Masters weren't infallible, after all."
"Well," Luke continued, giving his father a grateful smile. "Coruscant just seems so crowded, so busy. I thought maybe a place with less distractions might be better."
Anakin waved his hand, indicating the lake retreat. "Like here?"
Luke nodded. "It's so peaceful and beautiful here. Almost as soon as I saw it I thought it would be the perfect place. Although, our students will need exposure to how the government works and their place in it as Jedi. What do you think about using the lake retreat as our home base, but making regular visits to Coruscant as well?"
Anakin smiled broadly. "I like it. And we could see Leia and the others often."
Luke grinned. "Yeah, I thought of that, too."
Han lay in the tall grass, gazed at the blue sky overhead, and thought that at this moment his life was almost perfect. He had just finished a delicious picnic lunch, there were several days of vacation left, and the woman he loved was beside him.
The sun shone warmly upon them and Leia unfastened her silvery-pink cloak from around her shoulders and laid it on the edge of their blanket. She wore a deep rose dress and had entwined tiny white flowers in her loose- flowing hair. Han thought she had never looked more beautiful.
He himself wore a comfortable old shirt, worn black trousers, and his old spacer's vest. He had chosen the outfit deliberately. He had something important to discuss with Leia, and he wanted her to keep his background in mind. The setting was also deliberate. The four of them had visited this site a few days ago, and Anakin had told them that he and Padme had picnicked here once.
Han cleared his throat and sat up. "Um, Leia, there's something we should talk about."
She looked at him questioningly.
He had imagined this scene a thousand times and now suddenly everything he had planned to say sounded silly or insincere or just "not right." He, Han Solo, always self-assured, never at a loss for words, was at a loss for words.
"Um, Leia, I want you to know that when we first met, I really couldn't stand you. I thought you were a snobby, spoiled brat."
She gave him a wry look. "Oh, thanks, Han. You sure know how to warm a girl's heart."
"No, no. I mean, I was gonna say that was just at first. After a while I realized that you were really this amazing, wonderful person. You're kind and unselfish and smart and beautiful. I know I act pretty self-confident, but I actually couldn't believe that you could ever love someone like me."
Leia stopped him. "What do you mean, someone like you? Someone brave and caring and handsome? Why is that so hard to believe?"
He shook his head. "You've always been a high-class person, Leia, in more ways than one. You were a princess and a senator. Now you're Vice- Chancellor. I was a smuggler. I'm sure there are lots of people who think you could have done better."
"Well, then, lots of people would be wrong," she leaned over to kiss him lightly. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever met. Maybe I wasn't crazy about you at first, either, but then I got to know you. And I realized that although you kept trying to deny it, you cared about other people more than yourself. You've risked everything for me and my family. I'm proud to be at your side, Han. Don't ever doubt that."
"Thanks, sweetheart. I just wanted you to know what some people might say before I go on," Han couldn't remember ever feeling so tongue-tied and awkward. He hated it.
"I don't care what those people might think! What are you trying to say?" she looked at him intently.
"Well, I brought you here for a reason. Your dad said he and your mom came here on a picnic once."
Leia looked around at the surrounding waterfalls and nodded.
Han took her hand and went on, "I know things didn't work out so good for them, but it made me start thinking about choices. Your father made some bad ones, and it hurt them. But you and I have chosen to overcome our past differences and problems. If we choose to always love one another and think about one another and respect one another, I think we could be happy together."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she whispered.
"I'm saying I love you and I want us to be together forever. Leia, will you marry me?"
She kissed him again. "Yes, oh, yes!"