Leia Organa, Jedi Knight
Timeframe: ESB
Focus: Leia, Luke, Han, Yoda and Vader (notice I didn't say Anakin)
Summary: What would change and what would not if Yoda trained Leia?
http://tallterror.homestead.com
Part 2
~~*~~
Dagobah
~~*~~
Leia collapsed to the slimy swamp floor in a heap. She'd thought that she was in good physical shape. But not by Yoda's standards it would seem. She gulped water from her canteen greedily.
Yoda had taken to lecturing during her daily obstacle course run through the swamp. To Leia, his words all blurred together and she hardly remembered what he had said. It was not a good way for her to learn.
Leaning her head against a tree, Leia wished she had an audio recorder to preserve everything that Yoda told her. It was one of the many things Leia wished she'd told the captain to leave with her. Like a portable shower. She didn't even bother to pluck the bits of leaves and roots out of her hair bun.
With her shuttle half submerged; the captain had decided to return in three weeks to check on her. Yoda hadn't liked that, but it was the best he could get. The captain hadn't wanted to leave at all, but rather stay in orbit where he could help the princess with anything she wanted.
Leia groaned as her leg muscles protested when she shifted them ever so slightly. She reached into her trouser pocket for a small package of painkillers.
"No!" Yoda ordered.
Leia froze with the pain medicine halfway to her mouth and stared at him.
"With the Force you will control the pain."
Leia's jaw dropped, but she recovered herself. "Though it sounds like a very useful skill, but as I haven't managed to use the Force once yet, I really need this medicine right now."
"No," Yoda insisted.
"It has been three days!" Leia argued. "I won't be able to do anything the rest of today without this."
She continued bringing the medicine to her mouth when Yoda snatched it from her with the Force. He crushed the little thing to powder in his fingers. Leia's eyes went wide and she grasped the remaining package tightly.
It became a tug of war. Leia strained to hold the pain medication, while Yoda used the Force to take it from her. Slowly, he pulled each of her fingers away from it until she finally lost it. Leia lurched to grab it back, but missed as Yoda levitated it out of her reach.
For half a second Leia thought she'd lost it. Her whole body was in agony from her mad grab at the package. She wanted, needed some relief so badly. She knew that she had already badly strained herself and that she'd be completely unable to train long before learning to use the Force.
The package stopped moving.
It hovered in mid air between Yoda and Leia's outstretched hand. She held her breath and stared hard at the medicine. It twitched toward her slightly. Leia grinned in triumph as she realized that she was holding it in the air with the Force.
That moment of delight broke her concentration and the package swiftly flew to Yoda. Leia's face fell.
Exasperated, Leia glared a him, "That was completely unnecessary!"
"Always so sure you know best! Wrong you are!"
"Master Yoda, please be reasonable," Leia eyed the, for the moment, undamaged medicine. "You've said that Jedi can learn to levitate. Yet there is nothing wrong with flying a ship or just walking as well!"
Yoda humphed and looked ready to crush the little box.
"Surely, this is the same," Leia argued quickly. "Even if I do learn to use the Force for controlling pain, wouldn't using conventional medicine also be allowed?"
For a moment Yoda looked liked he would argue with her. So, Leia continued quickly.
"I'm not refusing to learn to use the Force for this. I just know that currently I'm not ready, and won't for some time. Time that could be spent learning other skills, but I'd need that," she pointed at the box.
Yoda looked contemplative and narrowed his eyes at her. However, then his expression took on the lecturing look and Leia knew that her cajoling had failed.
"Focus completely on this you did," Yoda held up the medicine. "So, the Force you used. Use it again you can to control your pain."
The little box disintegrated and Leia choked on a snarl of fury.
Yoda began to amble back towards his little hut. "When calm you are, the lesson for controlling pain will begin."
~~*~~
A few days later
"No, no, no!"
Leia gritted her teeth and refused to look at her teacher. Yoda sighed very loudly. The lessons on how to use a lightsaber weren't going well. They were going so badly that Leia wasn't allowed to even use one.
"Pick it up," he told her.
Wiping sweat from her brow, Leia bent down to retrieve her wooden stick that had been knocked from her hands by the small stone Yoda had told her to hit.
"No!" Yoda exclaimed again. "With the Force."
Leia was too tired to think of a retort, but not enough to prevent her from growling under her breath. However, she knew that getting angry would only cause more trouble. Calming herself, she held out one hand.
She'd discovered that closing her eyes seemed to help when emotions like anger or fear were threatening to overwhelm her. Somehow, shutting out the mass of noise and chaos around her became easier if she couldn't see.
It would be absolutely foolhardy in battle, but Yoda had assured her that in time she would be able to concentrate on the Force at will. Breathing deeply, Leia finally felt the cool sensation of the Force, as if everything around her had gone very still. And then, the piece of wood came into focus.
It leapt to her hand at once and Leia turned slightly so that Yoda wouldn't be able to see her smile. Levitating anything was still a novelty to her and she didn't want her annoying teacher to spoil the only thing she could do right.
"Hold it up! No time for daydreaming!" Yoda banged his cane on a log to get her attention.
Leia looked down at him suspiciously. "You do have a lightsaber for me to train with later, don't you?"
Yoda frowned at her, "Use a real one you will when ready you are."
"That's what you said yesterday. I want a real answer," Leia raised one eyebrow.
Yoda squinted his eyes at her. "Did not find one, so think none exists, do you, eh?"
Leia cleared her throat and crossed her arms, letting the stick dangle from one hand. She wasn't really surprised that Yoda had known that she searched his hut. A little irritated that he knew, but not surprised. Leia had to quickly re-plan what she was going to say. Her retort about not seeing a single machine in his hut wouldn't work now.
"If you had given me a straight answer the first time..." she raised both eyebrows this time and gave him her best stare of authority.
Yoda suddenly looked very amused. It was the only warning Leia had as several large clods of mud rose into the air. She wrenched her crossed arms apart and spun. Ducking under the first blob, Leia smashed the second with the stick. It splattered all over her, but she didn't let that distract her. Darting to one side, Leia successfully dodged two more mud clods and swung hard to strike them from behind after they passed her.
The last ball of mud came straight at her face. Leia sensed it before she saw it. Flinging the stick up to block it would do no good, instead Leia pushed it back with the Force and sent the mud careening into Yoda.
At first, Leia just blinked in surprise. Yoda should have easily stopped it, but her small teacher looked rather startled. Eyes widening, Leia couldn't contain a shriek of laughter. After all of the frustration and near constant failure through out the entire day, Leia couldn't help collapsing to the swamp floor giggling madly.
Yoda wiped the slimy mess from his face in disgust. Leia wheezed as she finally managed to reduce her laughing to an occasional unladylike snicker.
"Enough for today," Yoda decided. "Come, time to eat."
Leia's smile vanished and she suddenly pointed her muddy stick straight at Yoda, "Oh, no you don't! You still haven't answered my question!"
"What question?"
Leia shook her stick at him like a mother would shake her finger, "Do you have a lightsaber or not?"
"What lightsaber?" Yoda answered.
"Don't you give me that!" Leia was getting angry now. "I want a yes or no answer."
"Yes."
Leia thought about that for a moment, "'Yes, there is' or 'yes but I'll never get to use it'?"
"Yes."
Leia bit back a scream and was tempted to hurl her stick at him. But that wouldn't do any good; he'd just catch it. Finally, Leia let her anger drain away and gave him a very cold look.
"Luke told me that General Kenobi had him practice with a lightsaber immediately," Leia said stiffly. "Now, I am aware that swordsmanship is not one of my strong points. I discovered that years ago during my self-defense lessons. However, - "
"Have you swing sticks for a reason I do," Yoda interrupted her.
Leia silently agreed that this did make sense. He wouldn't teach her how to deflect objects like this unless he intended her to eventually do the same with a real lightsaber. However, it irked her that he was still being so evasive. "I have more important things to do than play word games."
Yoda sighed, "A lightsaber I will give you when you are ready."
He turned and began to amble away through the trees, and Leia knew that this was the best answer she would get.
~~*~~
Cloud City, Bespin
~~*~~
"Hey there! You old pirate, so good to see you!"
Luke grinned in relief at the warm welcome they were getting. Or rather, Han and Chewie were getting. Lando Calrissian was genuinely pleased to see his old friends again. He clapped Chewie on the back and the Wookiee growled happily back.
Rounding on Han again, Lando gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Are you going to just love the casinos or what? My favorite is just like the one we were thrown out of on -"
Luke cleared his throat loudly and Artoo hooted behind him.
Finally, Lando noticed him. "Ah, training the next generation in the fine art of smuggling, Han?" He grinned broadly at Luke.
Luke tried not to bristle when Han laughed, "Nah, this kid's only got a nose for trouble. Though he does have a knack for breaking and entering."
"I'm Luke Skywalker," he tried not to roll his eyes. "I only came to make sure Han arrived in one piece. Leia would be furious if I'd let Han get vaporized."
"Only because she didn't get to vaporize me herself," Han shot back grumpily.
Lando raised his eyebrows and mouthed 'one piece' before turning back to Han. "What have you done to my ship?!" he accused.
"Your ship?! Ha, you wish!" Han scoffed. "Its nothing. The hyperdrive is wrecked, that's all."
Chewbacca began to loudly tell Lando what was wrong with the Millennium Falcon. Lando waved it away as nothing and they turned around to walk to the door into Cloud City. But Luke didn't follow.
"See you at the rendezvous, Chewie and Han," Luke called to them and began to head back to his ship with Artoo.
"Sure, see you there," Han answered, while Chewie waved.
Lando spun around and looked at the X-wing sitting on the platform and at Luke in his bedraggled flight suit. "No, no! You must stay," he said insistently. "I owe you for escorting my ship safely here!"
Han snorted behind him, but Lando ignored him. Luke looked uncertain.
"And I always pay my debts. I insist," Lando gave another large smile.
Chewie was now bellowing for him to stay and Han said, "Ah, come on, Kid."
Luke looked at his cramped X-wing and then back at the gleaming city. It really wasn't much of a choice. And besides, it would only be for a few days. The Alliance would manage just fine without him for a little while.
"All right," Luke tried not to sound too happy to be invited. "Come on, Artoo," he told his little droid.
"That's the spirit!" Lando exclaimed. "I'll give you a grand tour and, I'm not boasting when I say this -"
"Yeah, right," Han muttered.
" - my city has the best dancing girls that you will ever see the galaxy!" Lando finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
~~*~~
Dagobah
~~*~~
Leia gasped for air as she jogged through the thick vines. She hadn't thought it possible, but Yoda had managed to put her through an even more grueling run today than ever before. His weight in the backpack, which had seemed so light when they started, had become a rib-crushing load that threatened to send her to the floor.
Suddenly, a flash of something in the air caught her eye. Instantly, Leia withdrew her lightsaber from her belt, activated it, and sliced a small bar in half. She stopped and panted heavily as the two pieces of the bar hit the dirt,
"Seven pieces it would be, if fully trained you were," Yoda informed her. He looked down at the remains of the stick he had thrown.
Leia thumbed the yellow saber off. In agony she sat down and wrenched the backpack off. Yoda jumped away before she could topple him out of it.
"Finished we are not," Yoda said.
Finally catching her breath enough to speak Leia looked at him. "Yes, we are."
Yoda humphed at her indignantly.
"And you can stop nagging me about the bars! I know a Jedi could slice it in seven pieces, you've told me enough times already!"
She looked down at the old and battered lightsaber in her hand. Leia didn't know who it had belonged to, certainly not Yoda, and she had sensed that it would be better not to ask. Yoda had finally given it to her four days ago, declaring that he didn't feel she was truly ready, but she ought to start as soon as possible. After the first day, Leia had silently agreed with him. A blaster she could use and fight well with, but a lightsaber would be more use to her as a club.
An awful chill suddenly coursed through Leia's body. It seemed to seep into her very bones and flow through her blood vanes. She shivered as her tongue went momentarily numb and wrapped her arms around herself.
Yoda began to poke at the dirt with his gimer stick, not looking at her. Leia gazed around for the source of the strange feeling. Nearby was a huge, tangled tree, its blackened bark dry and crumbling. At the base, the gigantic roots had grown to form the opening to a darkly sinister cave.
"What is that?" she asked hoarsely.
"The dark side of the Force, you feel. Into the cave you must go."
End part 2
I love feedback! I never hold readers hostage with demands for reviews - that is just cruel. However, reviews do help encourage (i.e. guilt trip) me into writing new parts quicker! :)
Timeframe: ESB
Focus: Leia, Luke, Han, Yoda and Vader (notice I didn't say Anakin)
Summary: What would change and what would not if Yoda trained Leia?
http://tallterror.homestead.com
Part 2
~~*~~
Dagobah
~~*~~
Leia collapsed to the slimy swamp floor in a heap. She'd thought that she was in good physical shape. But not by Yoda's standards it would seem. She gulped water from her canteen greedily.
Yoda had taken to lecturing during her daily obstacle course run through the swamp. To Leia, his words all blurred together and she hardly remembered what he had said. It was not a good way for her to learn.
Leaning her head against a tree, Leia wished she had an audio recorder to preserve everything that Yoda told her. It was one of the many things Leia wished she'd told the captain to leave with her. Like a portable shower. She didn't even bother to pluck the bits of leaves and roots out of her hair bun.
With her shuttle half submerged; the captain had decided to return in three weeks to check on her. Yoda hadn't liked that, but it was the best he could get. The captain hadn't wanted to leave at all, but rather stay in orbit where he could help the princess with anything she wanted.
Leia groaned as her leg muscles protested when she shifted them ever so slightly. She reached into her trouser pocket for a small package of painkillers.
"No!" Yoda ordered.
Leia froze with the pain medicine halfway to her mouth and stared at him.
"With the Force you will control the pain."
Leia's jaw dropped, but she recovered herself. "Though it sounds like a very useful skill, but as I haven't managed to use the Force once yet, I really need this medicine right now."
"No," Yoda insisted.
"It has been three days!" Leia argued. "I won't be able to do anything the rest of today without this."
She continued bringing the medicine to her mouth when Yoda snatched it from her with the Force. He crushed the little thing to powder in his fingers. Leia's eyes went wide and she grasped the remaining package tightly.
It became a tug of war. Leia strained to hold the pain medication, while Yoda used the Force to take it from her. Slowly, he pulled each of her fingers away from it until she finally lost it. Leia lurched to grab it back, but missed as Yoda levitated it out of her reach.
For half a second Leia thought she'd lost it. Her whole body was in agony from her mad grab at the package. She wanted, needed some relief so badly. She knew that she had already badly strained herself and that she'd be completely unable to train long before learning to use the Force.
The package stopped moving.
It hovered in mid air between Yoda and Leia's outstretched hand. She held her breath and stared hard at the medicine. It twitched toward her slightly. Leia grinned in triumph as she realized that she was holding it in the air with the Force.
That moment of delight broke her concentration and the package swiftly flew to Yoda. Leia's face fell.
Exasperated, Leia glared a him, "That was completely unnecessary!"
"Always so sure you know best! Wrong you are!"
"Master Yoda, please be reasonable," Leia eyed the, for the moment, undamaged medicine. "You've said that Jedi can learn to levitate. Yet there is nothing wrong with flying a ship or just walking as well!"
Yoda humphed and looked ready to crush the little box.
"Surely, this is the same," Leia argued quickly. "Even if I do learn to use the Force for controlling pain, wouldn't using conventional medicine also be allowed?"
For a moment Yoda looked liked he would argue with her. So, Leia continued quickly.
"I'm not refusing to learn to use the Force for this. I just know that currently I'm not ready, and won't for some time. Time that could be spent learning other skills, but I'd need that," she pointed at the box.
Yoda looked contemplative and narrowed his eyes at her. However, then his expression took on the lecturing look and Leia knew that her cajoling had failed.
"Focus completely on this you did," Yoda held up the medicine. "So, the Force you used. Use it again you can to control your pain."
The little box disintegrated and Leia choked on a snarl of fury.
Yoda began to amble back towards his little hut. "When calm you are, the lesson for controlling pain will begin."
~~*~~
A few days later
"No, no, no!"
Leia gritted her teeth and refused to look at her teacher. Yoda sighed very loudly. The lessons on how to use a lightsaber weren't going well. They were going so badly that Leia wasn't allowed to even use one.
"Pick it up," he told her.
Wiping sweat from her brow, Leia bent down to retrieve her wooden stick that had been knocked from her hands by the small stone Yoda had told her to hit.
"No!" Yoda exclaimed again. "With the Force."
Leia was too tired to think of a retort, but not enough to prevent her from growling under her breath. However, she knew that getting angry would only cause more trouble. Calming herself, she held out one hand.
She'd discovered that closing her eyes seemed to help when emotions like anger or fear were threatening to overwhelm her. Somehow, shutting out the mass of noise and chaos around her became easier if she couldn't see.
It would be absolutely foolhardy in battle, but Yoda had assured her that in time she would be able to concentrate on the Force at will. Breathing deeply, Leia finally felt the cool sensation of the Force, as if everything around her had gone very still. And then, the piece of wood came into focus.
It leapt to her hand at once and Leia turned slightly so that Yoda wouldn't be able to see her smile. Levitating anything was still a novelty to her and she didn't want her annoying teacher to spoil the only thing she could do right.
"Hold it up! No time for daydreaming!" Yoda banged his cane on a log to get her attention.
Leia looked down at him suspiciously. "You do have a lightsaber for me to train with later, don't you?"
Yoda frowned at her, "Use a real one you will when ready you are."
"That's what you said yesterday. I want a real answer," Leia raised one eyebrow.
Yoda squinted his eyes at her. "Did not find one, so think none exists, do you, eh?"
Leia cleared her throat and crossed her arms, letting the stick dangle from one hand. She wasn't really surprised that Yoda had known that she searched his hut. A little irritated that he knew, but not surprised. Leia had to quickly re-plan what she was going to say. Her retort about not seeing a single machine in his hut wouldn't work now.
"If you had given me a straight answer the first time..." she raised both eyebrows this time and gave him her best stare of authority.
Yoda suddenly looked very amused. It was the only warning Leia had as several large clods of mud rose into the air. She wrenched her crossed arms apart and spun. Ducking under the first blob, Leia smashed the second with the stick. It splattered all over her, but she didn't let that distract her. Darting to one side, Leia successfully dodged two more mud clods and swung hard to strike them from behind after they passed her.
The last ball of mud came straight at her face. Leia sensed it before she saw it. Flinging the stick up to block it would do no good, instead Leia pushed it back with the Force and sent the mud careening into Yoda.
At first, Leia just blinked in surprise. Yoda should have easily stopped it, but her small teacher looked rather startled. Eyes widening, Leia couldn't contain a shriek of laughter. After all of the frustration and near constant failure through out the entire day, Leia couldn't help collapsing to the swamp floor giggling madly.
Yoda wiped the slimy mess from his face in disgust. Leia wheezed as she finally managed to reduce her laughing to an occasional unladylike snicker.
"Enough for today," Yoda decided. "Come, time to eat."
Leia's smile vanished and she suddenly pointed her muddy stick straight at Yoda, "Oh, no you don't! You still haven't answered my question!"
"What question?"
Leia shook her stick at him like a mother would shake her finger, "Do you have a lightsaber or not?"
"What lightsaber?" Yoda answered.
"Don't you give me that!" Leia was getting angry now. "I want a yes or no answer."
"Yes."
Leia thought about that for a moment, "'Yes, there is' or 'yes but I'll never get to use it'?"
"Yes."
Leia bit back a scream and was tempted to hurl her stick at him. But that wouldn't do any good; he'd just catch it. Finally, Leia let her anger drain away and gave him a very cold look.
"Luke told me that General Kenobi had him practice with a lightsaber immediately," Leia said stiffly. "Now, I am aware that swordsmanship is not one of my strong points. I discovered that years ago during my self-defense lessons. However, - "
"Have you swing sticks for a reason I do," Yoda interrupted her.
Leia silently agreed that this did make sense. He wouldn't teach her how to deflect objects like this unless he intended her to eventually do the same with a real lightsaber. However, it irked her that he was still being so evasive. "I have more important things to do than play word games."
Yoda sighed, "A lightsaber I will give you when you are ready."
He turned and began to amble away through the trees, and Leia knew that this was the best answer she would get.
~~*~~
Cloud City, Bespin
~~*~~
"Hey there! You old pirate, so good to see you!"
Luke grinned in relief at the warm welcome they were getting. Or rather, Han and Chewie were getting. Lando Calrissian was genuinely pleased to see his old friends again. He clapped Chewie on the back and the Wookiee growled happily back.
Rounding on Han again, Lando gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Are you going to just love the casinos or what? My favorite is just like the one we were thrown out of on -"
Luke cleared his throat loudly and Artoo hooted behind him.
Finally, Lando noticed him. "Ah, training the next generation in the fine art of smuggling, Han?" He grinned broadly at Luke.
Luke tried not to bristle when Han laughed, "Nah, this kid's only got a nose for trouble. Though he does have a knack for breaking and entering."
"I'm Luke Skywalker," he tried not to roll his eyes. "I only came to make sure Han arrived in one piece. Leia would be furious if I'd let Han get vaporized."
"Only because she didn't get to vaporize me herself," Han shot back grumpily.
Lando raised his eyebrows and mouthed 'one piece' before turning back to Han. "What have you done to my ship?!" he accused.
"Your ship?! Ha, you wish!" Han scoffed. "Its nothing. The hyperdrive is wrecked, that's all."
Chewbacca began to loudly tell Lando what was wrong with the Millennium Falcon. Lando waved it away as nothing and they turned around to walk to the door into Cloud City. But Luke didn't follow.
"See you at the rendezvous, Chewie and Han," Luke called to them and began to head back to his ship with Artoo.
"Sure, see you there," Han answered, while Chewie waved.
Lando spun around and looked at the X-wing sitting on the platform and at Luke in his bedraggled flight suit. "No, no! You must stay," he said insistently. "I owe you for escorting my ship safely here!"
Han snorted behind him, but Lando ignored him. Luke looked uncertain.
"And I always pay my debts. I insist," Lando gave another large smile.
Chewie was now bellowing for him to stay and Han said, "Ah, come on, Kid."
Luke looked at his cramped X-wing and then back at the gleaming city. It really wasn't much of a choice. And besides, it would only be for a few days. The Alliance would manage just fine without him for a little while.
"All right," Luke tried not to sound too happy to be invited. "Come on, Artoo," he told his little droid.
"That's the spirit!" Lando exclaimed. "I'll give you a grand tour and, I'm not boasting when I say this -"
"Yeah, right," Han muttered.
" - my city has the best dancing girls that you will ever see the galaxy!" Lando finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
~~*~~
Dagobah
~~*~~
Leia gasped for air as she jogged through the thick vines. She hadn't thought it possible, but Yoda had managed to put her through an even more grueling run today than ever before. His weight in the backpack, which had seemed so light when they started, had become a rib-crushing load that threatened to send her to the floor.
Suddenly, a flash of something in the air caught her eye. Instantly, Leia withdrew her lightsaber from her belt, activated it, and sliced a small bar in half. She stopped and panted heavily as the two pieces of the bar hit the dirt,
"Seven pieces it would be, if fully trained you were," Yoda informed her. He looked down at the remains of the stick he had thrown.
Leia thumbed the yellow saber off. In agony she sat down and wrenched the backpack off. Yoda jumped away before she could topple him out of it.
"Finished we are not," Yoda said.
Finally catching her breath enough to speak Leia looked at him. "Yes, we are."
Yoda humphed at her indignantly.
"And you can stop nagging me about the bars! I know a Jedi could slice it in seven pieces, you've told me enough times already!"
She looked down at the old and battered lightsaber in her hand. Leia didn't know who it had belonged to, certainly not Yoda, and she had sensed that it would be better not to ask. Yoda had finally given it to her four days ago, declaring that he didn't feel she was truly ready, but she ought to start as soon as possible. After the first day, Leia had silently agreed with him. A blaster she could use and fight well with, but a lightsaber would be more use to her as a club.
An awful chill suddenly coursed through Leia's body. It seemed to seep into her very bones and flow through her blood vanes. She shivered as her tongue went momentarily numb and wrapped her arms around herself.
Yoda began to poke at the dirt with his gimer stick, not looking at her. Leia gazed around for the source of the strange feeling. Nearby was a huge, tangled tree, its blackened bark dry and crumbling. At the base, the gigantic roots had grown to form the opening to a darkly sinister cave.
"What is that?" she asked hoarsely.
"The dark side of the Force, you feel. Into the cave you must go."
End part 2
I love feedback! I never hold readers hostage with demands for reviews - that is just cruel. However, reviews do help encourage (i.e. guilt trip) me into writing new parts quicker! :)