Leia was leading the way through the familiar streets, taking in every shop
and person. The city they had landed in was one she had been to many times-
Lycanth. For the most part, it looked the same, only some of the buildings
looked brand new. She tried to remember approximately when they were built,
but knew only it was before she was born.
Luke stood close by, keeping a watchful eye and speaking softly to his sister, "Do you know what year is it here?"
"No, it could be 10 years ago or 50 years ago. I can't really be sure."
"We have to be careful," Luke cautioned. "If we run into anyone you know, there could be problems."
"I understand," Leia said, only half paying attention to him as she ambled down the walking path, looking around in awe. She still couldn't believe it. She was on Alderaan. The beautiful fields, the quaint cities, the air which was never too hot or too cold- it was all there, and real. Luke walked along beside her, reaching out with the Force, slightly on edge.
Behind them a few meters, Indy and Han were walking next to each other. They were drawing curious looks from the locals now that Indy was dressed in a spare outfit of Han's and the two looked identical. They ignored them and strode along confidently, taking in the scenery.
"This seems like a nice place," Indy said.
"Yeah, never been here before."
"This was Leia's planet?"
"That's right." Han frowned a little. "Before it was completely destroyed by the Empire," he said in a low tone. He hoped no one was eaves dropping on their conversation; it might seem a bit odd.
"Yeah, I remember her talking about it." Indy shook his head. "I can't imagine what that would be like." He scanned the crowds, and frowned. "I have to tell you, this is a little disappointing. Alien planet and all, I was expecting a few more... well, aliens."
Han smiled. "Here we're aliens, Jones," he quipped. "But don't worry, I'm sure there are several of the odder variety around here. These cities can be kind of segregated sometimes. We seem to be in the human sector." Ahead of them, Leia and Luke had stopped outside a restaurant. Han frowned and wondered what had happened. "Hey, something up kid?" he asked Luke as he and Indy approached them.
Luke looked unusually upset- brow furrowed, muscles tensed as if ready to move at any moment. "I feel a disturbance in the Force." Han glanced to his wife, who also looked a little unsettled, but more confused.
"The Force?" Indy said. "You've mentioned that before, but what is it?"
"Uh, it's this kind of energy field that only Jedi Knights can feel. They use it to sense things and to fight," Han described quickly. "I never put much stock in it myself, but hey it seems to work so I don't knock it." Indy nodded, but clearly didn't understand very well.
"Is there some kind of danger?" Indy asked, wishing he had his revolver instead of an empty holster on Han's borrowed belt.
"No, it's just some tension. And," Luke hesitated. "and something else. There's a strength in the Force inside this restaurant."
"Meaning?" Han asked.
"Someone strong in the Force is in there," Leia said, staring ahead somewhat hazily.
"Is that good or bad?" Indy asked slowly.
Luke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But there's definitely some kind of tension building in there. It could be..." But suddenly he stopped talking, and spun with lightning speed to place a low kick across the shins of a man running from the restaurant. Instead of connecting solidly, however, he felt the other man's boots barely hit his leg. The man was moving so fast he was literally a blur, but wasn't able to jump fast enough to completely clear Luke's kick. He stumbled forward, suddenly slowing to normal speed, tucked a shoulder and rolled over, springing straight to his feet. Luke's lightsaber was already ignited in a brilliant green, and his body set in a ready stance.
"What is that thing?" Indy asked of the strange glowing sword. It was enough that he had just seen these two men move at super-human speed, but the strange weapon truly boggled his mind.
"It's a lightsabre," Han explained. "These swords, they're the weapon of the Jedi."
The citizens on the street had cleared away quickly, and a few stood cautiously watching the standoff. Alderaan was such a peaceful place that an occurrence such as this was unheard of. There were very few weapons on the planet, and even fewer lightsabers- which was why the sight of two men wielding the graceful weapons attracted everyone's attention.
The man standing across from Luke was in an almost identical ready stance and had gripped between his hands a sleek lightsaber, ignited in a white- blue radiance. His face was set in concentration as he stared down his opponent. For a while, neither of them moved. The crowd was silent. Indy and Han looked to Leia for some kind of answer, but she looked just as surprised as they were, but also a little unsettled.
Finally, the robed man spoke up. "You're a Jedi?" his voice was crisp and softly accented. The question was obviously rhetorical; he had sensed this about his opponent, or he would have already acted.
Relaxing his stance, but keeping his lightsaber ignited, Luke stared back, nodding slightly just to reassure the man. He didn't sense anything dangerous about him, but there was something else...
The man let all the tension out of his body and closed his lightsaber, clipping it on his belt. Luke did the same, but continued to stare at the man intently. He saw that the Jedi was much younger than he would have guessed; he couldn't have been older than 23. His face was clean shaven and his brown hair stood up in cropped spikes. A long, thin braid was slung over his right shoulder. He wore a heavy brown robe over a more functional cream tunic. Despite the fact that Luke knew he'd never seen the young man before, he felt a strong sense of familiarity.
"Blast," the man hissed under his breath, staring down the street after some unknown assailant. "I let him get away." He noticed the eyes of the crowd on him still, and gave them a cool glance. They began to disband, knowing that there was to be no fight. The man turned his attention to the darkly dressed Jedi across the street from him. He was standing there still with two other men and a petite woman, all of them staring at him. He locked eyes with the other Jedi, and crossed the street to meet him.
Luke had been probing through the Force to try to find out what was puzzling him so much about this man. It wasn't until his eyes locked with the young man's crystal blue gaze that he sensed it. He barely kept himself from gasping loudly in shock. He knew he must have sent the strong feeling out through the Force, though, because Leia did gasp, albeit softly. Luke stood wordlessly looking over the other Jedi. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible.
The young man was now a few feet in front of him. "I don't believe we've ever met, Master..."
"Luke," he managed to reply. His mind searched frantically for a last name that wouldn't sound too suspicious. "Rendar," he finally settled on. "Luke Rendar."
The man bowed slightly. "Master Rendar, my apologies."
"Please, just call me Luke," he insisted. His head pulsed with the loud pumping of his heart. "And it was my fault. I'm not familiar with this planet nor its Jedi. I was simply reacting to a disturbance in the Force."
"I understand completely ma- Luke." He paused, then added, "But I'm glad to have met another Jedi. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padawan to Master Qui-Gon Jinn."
Han's eyes widened and his jaw slacked. He swiveled his head down to face Leia, who was speechless. She gave him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. His head spinning, he straightened up and shook it. Indy was glancing at him, utterly confused.
Obi-Wan was waiting expectantly for the rest of the group to introduce themselves. He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows just enough to interrupt their silence.
Indy couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on, so he shrugged off his apprehension and stepped forward, offering his hand. "Indiana Jones, call me Indy," he said casually, only then realizing that perhaps the strange man wouldn't know what a handshake was. Fortunately, it seemed the gesture was multi-universal, and Obi-Wan returned the greeting.
"I take it you and he are twins," Obi-Wan said, with a nod towards Han.
"Oh," Han finally managed to compose himself enough to speak. "Yeah, kind of obvious I guess." He grinned lopsidedly but only half-confidently, still very flustered.
"Well, there are better ways to hide it than by dressing alike," Obi-Wan replied. Han thought he saw a small grin tugging at the Jedi's lips, and grew a little indignant. Was he being made fun of? By Obi-Wan? It wouldn't be the first time, but it still made him mad. He was trying to think of something to say in reply, when Leia broke in with her natural diplomacy.
"I'm Han's wife, Leia Jones," she said easily with the pleasant smile of a diplomat. She shot Han a look.
"Yeah, I'm Han. Jones," Han managed. It was hardly the clever line he'd been searching for, and he inwardly cursed Leia for her uncanny ability to make him act civilly.
"Glad to meet you all." Obi-Wan turned his eyes back to Luke. "I feel the need to explain myself. I'm here on an assignment to track down a local threat. I thought I'd found one of them in that restaurant. When he went out the back way, I headed for the front."
"I'm sorry I reacted in that way," Luke said. He felt awkward, like he should be treating Obi-Wan with the kind of respect that was due to an elder. But this Obi-Wan was three or four years younger than him. Trying to push past his confusion and act normally, he asked, "What is you assignment here?"
Obi-Wan looked around briefly, and found that the most curious looks were coming from some of the people he was talking with. Still, he was always cautious. "I'd rather not discuss it here. In fact, I'd rather not stay here too long. Is there somewhere else we could go?"
Luke glanced at Han, then back. The Falcon was old enough that it wouldn't seem out of place here, so he decided it was a safe bet. "Our ship is in a docking bay not too far from here."
Leia smiled to mask her slowly ebbing shock. "And it's almost time for dinner anyway," she said, after quickly noting by the positioning of Alderaan's sun that this was true. "You can eat with us." Han gave her a somewhat panicked look, but she ignored him.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Thank you, that would be nice."
"Ah, good," Indy said with a loud, relaxed sigh which contrasted the mood of the others. "I'm starving!" he looked to Han. "Don't mind if we eat in your ship, right?"
"No," Han said after a moment's pause. "Yeah she's right this way." He pushed aside his worry and focused his thoughts on his beloved ship instead. "She's not much of a dining room, but then again that ain't her main function." He grinned and led the way back to the Falcon, with Indy and Obi-Wan following close behind.
Leia grabbed Luke's arm and slowed his walk slightly until she was sure Obi- Wan wouldn't be listening to them over Han's continued rambling about the Falcon. "I might run into someone I know!?" she said furiously but quietly.
Luke was surprised at how quickly she'd dropped her facade. "We couldn't just run away!"
"No, you're right," she said softly. "But this is most certainly going to be interesting."
Luke was too flabbergasted to say anything.
Luke stood close by, keeping a watchful eye and speaking softly to his sister, "Do you know what year is it here?"
"No, it could be 10 years ago or 50 years ago. I can't really be sure."
"We have to be careful," Luke cautioned. "If we run into anyone you know, there could be problems."
"I understand," Leia said, only half paying attention to him as she ambled down the walking path, looking around in awe. She still couldn't believe it. She was on Alderaan. The beautiful fields, the quaint cities, the air which was never too hot or too cold- it was all there, and real. Luke walked along beside her, reaching out with the Force, slightly on edge.
Behind them a few meters, Indy and Han were walking next to each other. They were drawing curious looks from the locals now that Indy was dressed in a spare outfit of Han's and the two looked identical. They ignored them and strode along confidently, taking in the scenery.
"This seems like a nice place," Indy said.
"Yeah, never been here before."
"This was Leia's planet?"
"That's right." Han frowned a little. "Before it was completely destroyed by the Empire," he said in a low tone. He hoped no one was eaves dropping on their conversation; it might seem a bit odd.
"Yeah, I remember her talking about it." Indy shook his head. "I can't imagine what that would be like." He scanned the crowds, and frowned. "I have to tell you, this is a little disappointing. Alien planet and all, I was expecting a few more... well, aliens."
Han smiled. "Here we're aliens, Jones," he quipped. "But don't worry, I'm sure there are several of the odder variety around here. These cities can be kind of segregated sometimes. We seem to be in the human sector." Ahead of them, Leia and Luke had stopped outside a restaurant. Han frowned and wondered what had happened. "Hey, something up kid?" he asked Luke as he and Indy approached them.
Luke looked unusually upset- brow furrowed, muscles tensed as if ready to move at any moment. "I feel a disturbance in the Force." Han glanced to his wife, who also looked a little unsettled, but more confused.
"The Force?" Indy said. "You've mentioned that before, but what is it?"
"Uh, it's this kind of energy field that only Jedi Knights can feel. They use it to sense things and to fight," Han described quickly. "I never put much stock in it myself, but hey it seems to work so I don't knock it." Indy nodded, but clearly didn't understand very well.
"Is there some kind of danger?" Indy asked, wishing he had his revolver instead of an empty holster on Han's borrowed belt.
"No, it's just some tension. And," Luke hesitated. "and something else. There's a strength in the Force inside this restaurant."
"Meaning?" Han asked.
"Someone strong in the Force is in there," Leia said, staring ahead somewhat hazily.
"Is that good or bad?" Indy asked slowly.
Luke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But there's definitely some kind of tension building in there. It could be..." But suddenly he stopped talking, and spun with lightning speed to place a low kick across the shins of a man running from the restaurant. Instead of connecting solidly, however, he felt the other man's boots barely hit his leg. The man was moving so fast he was literally a blur, but wasn't able to jump fast enough to completely clear Luke's kick. He stumbled forward, suddenly slowing to normal speed, tucked a shoulder and rolled over, springing straight to his feet. Luke's lightsaber was already ignited in a brilliant green, and his body set in a ready stance.
"What is that thing?" Indy asked of the strange glowing sword. It was enough that he had just seen these two men move at super-human speed, but the strange weapon truly boggled his mind.
"It's a lightsabre," Han explained. "These swords, they're the weapon of the Jedi."
The citizens on the street had cleared away quickly, and a few stood cautiously watching the standoff. Alderaan was such a peaceful place that an occurrence such as this was unheard of. There were very few weapons on the planet, and even fewer lightsabers- which was why the sight of two men wielding the graceful weapons attracted everyone's attention.
The man standing across from Luke was in an almost identical ready stance and had gripped between his hands a sleek lightsaber, ignited in a white- blue radiance. His face was set in concentration as he stared down his opponent. For a while, neither of them moved. The crowd was silent. Indy and Han looked to Leia for some kind of answer, but she looked just as surprised as they were, but also a little unsettled.
Finally, the robed man spoke up. "You're a Jedi?" his voice was crisp and softly accented. The question was obviously rhetorical; he had sensed this about his opponent, or he would have already acted.
Relaxing his stance, but keeping his lightsaber ignited, Luke stared back, nodding slightly just to reassure the man. He didn't sense anything dangerous about him, but there was something else...
The man let all the tension out of his body and closed his lightsaber, clipping it on his belt. Luke did the same, but continued to stare at the man intently. He saw that the Jedi was much younger than he would have guessed; he couldn't have been older than 23. His face was clean shaven and his brown hair stood up in cropped spikes. A long, thin braid was slung over his right shoulder. He wore a heavy brown robe over a more functional cream tunic. Despite the fact that Luke knew he'd never seen the young man before, he felt a strong sense of familiarity.
"Blast," the man hissed under his breath, staring down the street after some unknown assailant. "I let him get away." He noticed the eyes of the crowd on him still, and gave them a cool glance. They began to disband, knowing that there was to be no fight. The man turned his attention to the darkly dressed Jedi across the street from him. He was standing there still with two other men and a petite woman, all of them staring at him. He locked eyes with the other Jedi, and crossed the street to meet him.
Luke had been probing through the Force to try to find out what was puzzling him so much about this man. It wasn't until his eyes locked with the young man's crystal blue gaze that he sensed it. He barely kept himself from gasping loudly in shock. He knew he must have sent the strong feeling out through the Force, though, because Leia did gasp, albeit softly. Luke stood wordlessly looking over the other Jedi. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible.
The young man was now a few feet in front of him. "I don't believe we've ever met, Master..."
"Luke," he managed to reply. His mind searched frantically for a last name that wouldn't sound too suspicious. "Rendar," he finally settled on. "Luke Rendar."
The man bowed slightly. "Master Rendar, my apologies."
"Please, just call me Luke," he insisted. His head pulsed with the loud pumping of his heart. "And it was my fault. I'm not familiar with this planet nor its Jedi. I was simply reacting to a disturbance in the Force."
"I understand completely ma- Luke." He paused, then added, "But I'm glad to have met another Jedi. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padawan to Master Qui-Gon Jinn."
Han's eyes widened and his jaw slacked. He swiveled his head down to face Leia, who was speechless. She gave him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. His head spinning, he straightened up and shook it. Indy was glancing at him, utterly confused.
Obi-Wan was waiting expectantly for the rest of the group to introduce themselves. He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows just enough to interrupt their silence.
Indy couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on, so he shrugged off his apprehension and stepped forward, offering his hand. "Indiana Jones, call me Indy," he said casually, only then realizing that perhaps the strange man wouldn't know what a handshake was. Fortunately, it seemed the gesture was multi-universal, and Obi-Wan returned the greeting.
"I take it you and he are twins," Obi-Wan said, with a nod towards Han.
"Oh," Han finally managed to compose himself enough to speak. "Yeah, kind of obvious I guess." He grinned lopsidedly but only half-confidently, still very flustered.
"Well, there are better ways to hide it than by dressing alike," Obi-Wan replied. Han thought he saw a small grin tugging at the Jedi's lips, and grew a little indignant. Was he being made fun of? By Obi-Wan? It wouldn't be the first time, but it still made him mad. He was trying to think of something to say in reply, when Leia broke in with her natural diplomacy.
"I'm Han's wife, Leia Jones," she said easily with the pleasant smile of a diplomat. She shot Han a look.
"Yeah, I'm Han. Jones," Han managed. It was hardly the clever line he'd been searching for, and he inwardly cursed Leia for her uncanny ability to make him act civilly.
"Glad to meet you all." Obi-Wan turned his eyes back to Luke. "I feel the need to explain myself. I'm here on an assignment to track down a local threat. I thought I'd found one of them in that restaurant. When he went out the back way, I headed for the front."
"I'm sorry I reacted in that way," Luke said. He felt awkward, like he should be treating Obi-Wan with the kind of respect that was due to an elder. But this Obi-Wan was three or four years younger than him. Trying to push past his confusion and act normally, he asked, "What is you assignment here?"
Obi-Wan looked around briefly, and found that the most curious looks were coming from some of the people he was talking with. Still, he was always cautious. "I'd rather not discuss it here. In fact, I'd rather not stay here too long. Is there somewhere else we could go?"
Luke glanced at Han, then back. The Falcon was old enough that it wouldn't seem out of place here, so he decided it was a safe bet. "Our ship is in a docking bay not too far from here."
Leia smiled to mask her slowly ebbing shock. "And it's almost time for dinner anyway," she said, after quickly noting by the positioning of Alderaan's sun that this was true. "You can eat with us." Han gave her a somewhat panicked look, but she ignored him.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Thank you, that would be nice."
"Ah, good," Indy said with a loud, relaxed sigh which contrasted the mood of the others. "I'm starving!" he looked to Han. "Don't mind if we eat in your ship, right?"
"No," Han said after a moment's pause. "Yeah she's right this way." He pushed aside his worry and focused his thoughts on his beloved ship instead. "She's not much of a dining room, but then again that ain't her main function." He grinned and led the way back to the Falcon, with Indy and Obi-Wan following close behind.
Leia grabbed Luke's arm and slowed his walk slightly until she was sure Obi- Wan wouldn't be listening to them over Han's continued rambling about the Falcon. "I might run into someone I know!?" she said furiously but quietly.
Luke was surprised at how quickly she'd dropped her facade. "We couldn't just run away!"
"No, you're right," she said softly. "But this is most certainly going to be interesting."
Luke was too flabbergasted to say anything.