Chapter 3

The loud buzzing of the lightsaber filled Jaina's ear. She thrust forward with her own and made her twin take a few steps back. As they continued, Jacen looked over to his side quickly and saw his cousins entering the large gym.

"What are they doing?" he whispered to Jaina. She made a quick swipe at his knees and he jumped up, avoiding the blow.

"No idea," Jaina hissed, concentrating on the battle on hand. Fairly soon, she heard the strange sound of metal on metal. She shut off her lightsaber and fell to the ground, eager to watch her older cousins.

They were sparring, much like she and Jacen were, but with long metal swords. Luen lunged at Jakobe, and he parried her blow with one sweeping arc. They continued on, not noticing Han and Leia entering the room with Lara and Krys. Luen parried and attacked, Jakobe attacked and parried. Suddenly, Luen drew out the sword from the sheath on her back and attacked Jakobe, taking him by surprise. He in turn, drew out a short dagger from his side. The battle raged on until Jakobe caught Luen on her waist with the dull end of the sword, and the dagger at her throat.

"Fine then, Strider," she whispered, taking a step back from the point. She glanced to the side, finally noticing the crowd that had gathered. Jacen clapped, and Jaina gave a nod of approval to the twins. Han whistled and yelled something Jakobe couldn't quite catch. Sweeping his arm, he gave a low bow. Luen laughed lightly, and approached Jaina.

"Would you like to try, Jaina?" She extended the handle to Jaina. Jaina saw the blade flash under the light projectors. Standing, she grasped the blade firmly with one hand. The weight of the blade weighed down her arm and she had to use two hands to keep it aloft.

"Are all swords this heavy?" she said between gritted teeth. Luen shook her head.

"I don't really know. I've gotten so used to it that nothing seems heavier than the swords we use." Luen showed Jaina the few simple positions of the blade. Jaina was amazed at the similarities between the lightsaber and broadsword. The broadswords were practically the same...only heavier.

On the opposite side of the gym, Jacen and Jakobe sat quietly talking.

"Why do they call you 'Strider'?" Jacen asked slowly. Jakobe cast a sideways glance at him.

"Who told you that?"

"Athena."

"I bet she did." Silence fell between. Jakobe thought carefully, contemplating if he should tell this young Jedi his family's strange history. Sighing, he turned to face Jacen.

"Do you know anything about my family?" Jakobe asked.

"No, not really, besides the fact that your mom is my mom's sister."

"See, that is where people get confused."

"But I was told-."

"You were told wrong. My mother is Padmé Naberrie Skywalker's clone."


Jacen stared at Jakobe, not wanting to believe this crazy truth. He thought for a second, that it was impossible, but then he wanted to know more.

"Padmé Amidala, meaning-."

"My mother is the clone of your grandmother."

Luke Skywalker strode up to the young youths, looking down at them.

"I would like to see both of you back at the apartment. We have a lot to talk about." He walked away, brown Jedi robes flowing behind him.

Jakobe jumped to his feet, swords clanging against each other on his hip belt. They left the gym with Jaina and Luen, Jaina looking just as confused as Jacen.

"Queen's Own, I'm sure you've heard this story before, so you are free to go," Luke said to the Aida children. Neither one of them budged from their seats on the couch.

"It would be interesting to hear it told by someone new," Athena said with a smirk.

"All right, but I don't tell stories quite as well as your mother," Luke said throwing an equally menacing grin at Athena. She looked back down to the floor.

Jacen, Jaina and Anakin didn't have a clue what was going on. Jacen wasn't sure if he wanted to hear a story so well told that he didn't know it. Jaina just wanted to go fly off into a distant corner of the galaxy and stay there for a few millennia. She hated being pulled into situations where everyone knew what was going on except her. Anakin, well...he wanted to stay and hear a story. He hadn't heard a good one in a while.

"Just over 25 years ago, I set out to a planet in the Unknown regions called Earth. There had been rumors that a girl, my 'sister' was there. I found her, but her name was María. She was a bit skeptical about coming, but she finally agreed. She came back to Sollust to regroup with the Rebel fleet. She had her name changed to Larana Skywalker. At Endor, she met Krys Aida, a young Corellian slicer. He traveled with us to Bakura, Tatooine, Hoth, and then, finally Naboo.

"Our mission was to return to Earth briefly for studies, but we kept getting distress signals from various planet. Our engines on the Millennium Falcon had failed again so we landed on Naboo for repairs. Krys sliced through some computers there and found files on the Amidala Project. Records showed that Padmé Amidala Naberrie-Skywalker, my mother, was cloned without her consent, 5 years after my birth. This clone was sent to Earth to be raised in a safer environment than that of the Empire. Lara was very upset that she was a clone, one of trillions. She and Krys fled the Falcon and ended up in Theed, the capital of Naboo. They were married and chose to stay on Naboo."

"And we were born," Luen said, raising her chin. "If you don't mind, Master Skywalker, I can take it from here.

"Jakobe and I were born when Lara, our mother, was 21. When we were little, our mother used to read us The Lord of the Rings, a book she brought from Earth. I took up archery and swordplay, as did Jakobe. One day, my mom said I shined with the light of the Evenstar. The name stuck." Jakobe nodded, remembering the day he had come across the name Strider.

"There is a king in the book called Aragorn," Jakobe added. "The Dúnedain of the North know him as Strider, who protects the people of Middle Earth."

"So Strider is a nickname, then?" Jacen asked Jakobe. He nodded and looked to Luen, who continued the story.

"When I was two, Athena was born."

"I touched a bow and arrow before I was a year old," Athena said proudly. "They've called me Archer ever since."

"And now we serve the Queen of Naboo, who is our mother."

"Actually, you may serve your selves now." Lara's voice broke into the room. Luen looked to the doorway where her mother stood, more regal then ever, even if she had retired to her worn out jeans. "I am relieving you from your duties."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Jakobe said, a little shocked by his mother's surprise announcement.

"Well, think about it. You can keep following me around everywhere I go, or you can go travel the galaxy by your selves. I knew I would have to let my children go someday. Luen, you're in charge of the Mithrandir. Fly well." With a wink, she left the Aida children in shock.


Jaina was just about to leave for the Mithrandir when the door hissed open.

"Mom, I've got everything. Luen said we'd only be gone a week," she yelled, stuffing the last piece of clothing into her duffel bag.

"What? A week with out you? That hurts me," Kyp Durron said, sliding his arms around Jaina's waist from behind.

"Yeah well, love hurts get used to it," she joked, turning in his arms to get a better look at him.

"I'll have to get a lot of bacta," he whispered, nuzzling her neck with his face.

"C'mon, Kyp, I have to go," she protested. He brought his mouth crashing down to hers and kissed her sweetly. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and moaned as he deepened the kiss.

He was lowering her down to the bed when the door hissed open again.

"C'mon, Solo, we haven't got all day! You can-," Athena stopped ranting as she noticed Jaina and Kyp kissing on the edge of the bed. "You can kiss your boyfriend when we get back. Hurry up!"

Jaina wrenched herself out of Kyp's embrace and picked up her bag. "See you in a week," she said waving as she left the room