Hi again.
I am glad you're enjoying this Relyan. I did notice the similarities between my story and yours, however, I think yours is much better so I didn't wantt o post the comparison. You might have been insulted. :-) Anyway, I am so glad you are reviewing regularly. I would be very discouraged at the shortage of reviews if I didn't know that no one else was getting any either.
Anyway, Solo23 reviewed too. I don't think this site is getting as many hits right now cause of the trilogy coming out on DVD. It's just my theory and I don't know if it means anything or not. At least, that is what keeps me posting. :-)
Now that I'm done...
History's Keeper
Part three: Time Regained
They hit Coruscant's airspace a few hours later and Leia called Han to let him know they were back. She decided to avoid officially announcing her presence for a few more days, at least until Nerinika had settled in. Leia winced a bit when she realized she was taking advantage of the situation, but decided resolutely that she would not feel guilty for taking the time off. She had told Mon Mothma that she had to leave to take care of a 'Jedi thing' with Luke and had been allowed as much time as she needed. Leia decided that she would spend some of the next few days training so she wouldn't feel so guilty and felt pleased with the solution.
So far, she hadn't told Han much and was looking forward to his reaction when he heard Neri's story. He was going to meet them in the docking bay and they would pick up the twins from Winter's care after they had Nerinika settled.
Twenty minutes after she hung up the comm, the ship settled down in the docking bay that had been assigned for the Falcon. The Bay was large enough to accommodate four ships the size of the Falcon so there was plenty of room. Han greeted Leia enthusiastically when she came down the ramp. Luke followed her and Neri came out just behind them with her bag slung over one shoulder. She stopped when she had left the ramp, staring at something to their left. After a moment, Leia started to introduce Neri and realized the girl wasn't beside her. She looked around and spotted the girl standing a few yards away staring at he husbands ship.
"What is it?" Leia asked, wondering what the look on the childs face meant.
"That is a YT 1300 Corellian Freighter." The girl stated solemnly.
"That is the Millennium Falcon" Han told her, practically beaming with pride.
"I remember, just before the accident Uncle Remi was admiring an advertisement for one. We were on our way to Najeria and he found the article saying they were going to come out next month." Neri frowned "This one looks so old. A few weeks ago, they still weren't available on the open market, and now this one looks as if it has been knocking around the galaxy for decades."
"Hey! She might not look like much but she's got it..." Han automatically defended his pride and joy, only to be silenced by his wife elbowing him in the stomach.
"Quiet Han." Leia stepped over and hugged the girl who dropped her bag on the ground and willingly wrapped her arms around this woman whom she already loved like a sister.
Han Solo had no idea what was going on, but he was getting used to the feeling. He stood to one side and waited for someone to speak. The girls finally broke apart and Neri wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve. "Han," Leia began "This is Nerinika. Neri, My husband Han Solo."
"I'm pleased to meet you Captain Solo. I'm sorry if you thought I was insulting you ship. I didn't mean anything by it, I'm sure she's a wonderful ship."
"Don't worry about it, I'm a little overprotective of her sometimes. By the way, the name's Han." Han shook the girls hand and offered her a tour of the Falcon sometime.
"I'd love to see her."
"Well, now that that is settled, perhaps we should go find the twins so we can get Neri settled?" Leia, back in mother mode again, gestured toward the entrance to the bay and they all turned to leave. Neri bent to retrieve her pack but Han beat her to it, lifting the large pack easily. He had seen her struggling under the load and knew they had quite a walk ahead of them. Leia missed the rouge-ish grin he tossed at the flustered child, but Luke didn't. Luke just smiled behind his hand at the chivalrous streak that his friend had acquired since he had married Leia.
Winter hugged Leia when the group reached her apartment. Neri was introduced to the younger set of twins, who liked her instantly. Two year old Anakin smiled at Neri and buried his face in his mothers gown. Jacen giggled when Neri offered to shake his hand and Jania reached out to touch Neri's necklace, than ducked guiltily when she realized she was being rude. Neri just smiled and held the pendant out to her so the girl could get a better look. When Jania touched it she smiled and said, "That was a very good idea, what a great way to remember her." The other grown-ups were puzzled, but Nerinika gravely said "thank you" and stood up so they let it pass for now.
Leia led Nerinika into the main room of the apartment followed by Luke and Han and the children. They sat and Threepio brought in drinks. Han, apparently losing his battle of patience, spoke up first. "So, some one want to tell me what's going on?"
Leia did. She started with the messenger finding Luke after his first real meeting and continued until they left Najeria. She didn't say much about the trip home, she would talk about it with him in private, later. The twins were fascinated.
Han was unsurprised, which surprised Luke. Just when he thought he knew his long time friend, something would happen to show a whole new side of Han Solo.
"It just makes sense, kid. It's not a nice thing to happen to a kid, but there ain't anything shocking about the situation, at least not from my perspective. No offence there Neri."
"None taken. You are absolutely right. I'm the one who had a few shocks. After all you folks have seen, I don't think one little girl frozen for forty years would surprise me much either. You all have much more important things to worry about than little old me." Neri's unassuming style of speech complimented Han's drawl and Leia couldn't help but feel a connection to this child. Neri just seemed to be part of her family, it just fit.
"You may not think you are anything special, but a great many people seem to think otherwise." Luke was in his Jedi role, his tone even and quiet.
"Me? Important?"
"Yes you." Luke's mouth quirked slightly.
Han flashed her a trademark smile and elaborated. "You know, not everyone is carefully hidden from the emperor as a child by Obi Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda. Present company excluded of course."
Han chuckled and the other occupants of the room looked at him curiously. "I just realized I keep running into long lost Jedi children who have been hidden away because some green guy said they might save the galaxy one day. I wonder how many more of you are out there, does anyone have an estimate for me?"
Neri looked at him suspiciously. "I'm supposed to save the galaxy? From what? How am I supposed to do that? I know they didn't give galactic hero as one of the options at career day."
"I don't know any more than what has just been said, but I do know three Jedi knights and one very old Master were all ready to give their lives for you. Not to mention Kinyen Quayde and Bren Faran."
"Four Jedi?" Han looked impressed.
"Master Yoda, Obi Wan Kenobi, a Master Qui Gon Jinn, and, of course, Kaylia, Nerinika's mother."
"Uncle Qui Gon doesn't count. He didn't look after me cause I was special, he started taking care of me 'cause of my mother and kept on because he liked me. Come to think of it, Obi Wan doesn't count either. He only even met me cause he was Qui Gon's Padawan. We became friends, but he didn't think I was any hero either." It wasn't that Nerinika was disturbed at the idea she might have a destiny, she just didn't want the facts distorted. Or so she told herself.
Luke laughed, falling out of 'Jedi mode' with surprising swiftness. "Okay, okay, I cede defeat! You're not special in any way, I was just imagining it!" He raised his hands as if fending off an attack.
Neri smiled and pretended to mark off a tally on a scoreboard. "Me one, Jedi master zero. Your serve."
"What does that word mean, padawan?" Leia asked in the sudden lull.
"Apprentice."
Han knew that Luke and Leia were dying to ask more questions, but didn't want to bring back the childs pain. Nerinika was relaxed and happy, neither wanted to spoil the moment. Han decided to help them out. "Well, I'm just an old smuggler, maybe you should explain that a little better for me? I always's feel left out when these two start talkin' hokey religion stuff."
"Sure!" Neri took the challenge in stride, for that was what it was, and Leia shot her husband a grateful look. He seemed to be becoming something of a diplomat himself. "Padawan learners are initiates who have been chosen by a Master." Han had a slightly blank look on his face and Neri backed up some. "Okay, I'll start at the beginning. Say there is a baby. One day, the mother walks in to find the baby holding his favorite toy over his head, only he's not touching it. She calls the Temple and the council sends someone to investigate. The baby is strong enough in the force to need training."
Han broke in here. "How do they know?"
"They reach out to the child. I've never done anything like that, I'm not trained, but I guess they just feel it. Does that make sense?" At Han's nod, she continued. "Okay now they tell the parents the verdict and they have to make a decision. They can keep the baby at home or they can send him to the temple where he can train to be a Jedi."
"What happens if they keep the baby?"
"Maybe nothing. Maybe he grows up perfectly happy, he has friends, he gets married and has bunches of kids. Maybe he never even knows he might of been a Jedi. Maybe he knows and doesn't care. But maybe, just maybe, something bad happens. Sometimes the child grows up feeling like he is missing something. Sometimes he learns on his own to a certain extent. Sometimes goes crazy. Rarely, a force sensitive who hasn't been trained will fall to the dark side, be recruited by a fallen Jedi or a Sith or by the Dark side itself. I don't think I have to tell you that is bad."
Han swallowed. Luke was listening with rapt attention. He knew the very feelings she was talking about. He had thankfully had Ben to help him at least a little when he was growing up, but he had still felt isolated. Leia was thinking much along the same lines only she added the thought that she needed to work harder on her own training so she could help her children. She couldn't imagine having to give her babies up. The short time she had been separated from them was long enough thank you! The children in question were focused on the story teller and so far hadn't thought much about the words, they were too busy listening and memorizing like they memorized everything about the Jedi.
Han took up his role of interrogator again. "So, they send the kid to the Jedi, what next?"
"Okay, if the parents send the child to the Jedi, and they usually do within the first two years or not at all. They often don't even accept a child older than that. The bond with their parents is too strong, the transition is too hard. Anyway, the baby goes to the temple creche where he is looked after by the creche Masters until he is four or five years old. Then he becomes an Initiate."
"Initiate?"
"Sort of pre-padawan. As an initiate, the children learn reading, writing, history, math science, Basic fencing, self defense, diplomacy, chemistry, mechanics, basic healing and first aid, rudimentary force skills, all the basics." Han raised an eyebrow at the list, obviously impressed.
"They learn all that? At five, I was learning to fasten my boots and make muddy messes on the rug."
Neri laughed. "They learn as much as they can. They mostly just learn the basics. The golden rule type things, the things that I am sure your parents taught you informally. They try to learn as much as they can, because when they are about ten, Masters start looking at them as potential apprentices. The masters mostly don't care how good you are at those things, they tend to look at your personality, your temperament, whether you share the same interests they do. But a Master who is especially skilled at lightsabre techniques might be influenced by the initiates own sabre skills. Or a skilled diplomat might look for an initiate who tends to step in to prevent fights. Or not. Look at Obi-Wan and Master Qui Gon." Neri snickered.
"What about them?" Luke dared to speak now that Neri was getting into a rhythm. She didn't even notice that Han didn't ask the question.
"Master Qui Gon Jinn was one of the most skilled masters in the whole temple. He was huge, he towered over most other humans. He was way skilled as a diplomat. I heard someone say that he once talked a Wookie out of a Life Debt." Han was impressed, he knew first hand how impossible that was. "He was also one of the best with a sabre. He was Master Yoda's last padawan, well except for you, Luke. Anyway, you get the picture right?"
"He sounds perfect." Han said skeptically.
"Oh, far from it. Qui Gon had his own faults, I'll get to them in a minute. Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was this little scrawny thing as an initiate. He was always getting beat up on by some of the other initiates. He was terrible with a sabre, he never won a single match while he was an initiate. He was okay at his school work, but nothing special."
"Let me guess, this Master Qui Gon saw the potential in this little kid and trained him up a little bit and they lived happily ever after, right?" Han smirked at the happily ever after ending he knew was coming.
"Nope, turned him down flat. Three times in fact." Han's jaw dropped. Neri made another invisible mark in the air just above eye level for her. "Score two! Usually, when a master decides that they would work well with a particular child, they ask the child formally if they agree, and they become a team. But this time was different. You see, if an initiate isn't chosen by a master by the time they are thirteen they are usually sent away from the temple and unfit to become a Jedi, it isn't any kind of disgrace, not everyone is cut out for that kind of life, some even decide they don't want it.
"Usually the child finds another interest long before he is sent away. He becomes a temple guard or a farmer or a healer or a diplomat, anything he wants to be. A lot are happy to join the Agricorps, which is the default if they don't make a decision."
"Agricorps?"
"Sure, they are kind of a planetary relief. They are farmers and teachers and the like, they help planets in need of assistance, as long as the problem is not immediately dangerous, like a war. Anyway, Obi-Wan didn't want to be a Healer, or a politician and he especially didn't want to be a farmer. What he wanted more that anything else was to be a Jedi knight.
"Qui Gon Jinn didn't want to take on another padawan. His last apprentice had turned on him and broken his heart. You see, Master and Padawan teams are generally very close, they trust each other fully, they even share a bond of sorts. When Xanatos left the order and turned to the dark side, Qui Gon was crushed. He had been decieved almost since the first day he had met Xanatos and it hurt. He felt like a failure and he definitely wasn't ready to give his heart to someone else. Lucky for him, the force had other plans.
"You see, everyone knew that Qui Gon refused to take on another apprentice, but that didn't keep Obi-Wan from dreaming. As his thirteenth birthday grew closer and closer, he tried harder and harder to catch the eye of a Master. In his spare time he dreamed about being the padawan of the famous Qui Gon Jinn. He was even bold enough, or maybe desperate enough, to ask the Master. Qui Gon turned him down flat.
"One month before his birthday, Obi-Wan was sent to the Agricorps. It was only dumb luck that he ended up on a shuttle to Bandomeer, the same shuttle Qui Gon was on. Once on Bandomeer, lots of bad things happened, but it turned out that both Obi-Wan and Qui Gon ended up trapped in a cave together. At the time, Obi-Wan was trying to escape slavery and was wearing one of those explosive collars. He decided that Qui Gon had to escape to help the other children and decided to use the explosives in the collar to blow open the entrance to the cave."
Neri saw Han give her a puzzled look and paused. Realization dawned and his look turned to horror. "He was still wearing the collar at the time, wasn't he?"
"Got it in one. At that moment Qui Gon saw the Jedi hiding in that little boy and refused to let him sacrifice himself. He took Obi-Wan as his apprentice right then and there. I don't think I need to say they found another way out and defeated Xanatos." Neri stopped there and looked at her friends. "At least, that is the way Bant tells the story. Obi-Wan confirmed that the facts were right, so that must be pretty close to the way it happened."
The twins, who had started the story sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, were now on their knees only inches away from Neri who had leaned forward slightly and had told the end of the tale while looking directly in their eyes. Both children were smiling and Jania sat back with a soft "Wow!" while her brother stared at Neri in amazement.
Luke was still turning the story over in his head. He was still reconciling the two pictures of his former teacher. Leia, who hadn't even met the man was quicker to respond. "That is quite a story!"
"Not any more fantastic than your own. Any of yours." Neri looked at each of them in turn. "Everyone has a story. Most of them are fascinating if you know the person involved or if you are looking at it in the right frame of mind." She grimaced slightly, "Although I will admit, Obi-Wan stories generally end up with him and Qui Gon in the infirmary more often than not. I don't think those two have ever come back from a mission where they didn't at least stop in the medical ward before reporting to the council."
"Will you tell us another story Nerinika? Please?" Jacen was still on his knees in front of the girl and had taken the sudden lull in the conversation as an invitation. Neri laughed at his mothers worn expression. Leia answered for her.
"Not tonight, it is almost bedtime and all of you need to wash up." The children moaned upon learning that they wouldn't be part of the conversation. "Now calm down. You'll have lots of time to hear stories. Nerinika will be staying with us for a while and you will have plenty of time to pester her. Now go, get ready for bed and your father and I will come tuck you in."
The children ran quickly out of the room, pleased with the news that their new friend wasn't leaving right away. A few minutes later Leia and Han left to hurry the children who could be heard splashing each other in the 'fresher.
Neri smiled and looked at Luke. The two of them were alone. Luke was looking intently at Neri's jewelry for the first time. The necklace his niece had been so interested in had four lavender stones inset into the metal as the four corners of a square inside the circle. Luke also looked at the metal pieces he had assumed were clipped to her ears. He looked closer and started.
"What is it Luke?" Neri asked, wondering what she had done now.
"I was just looking at your jewelry. The design is quite interesting.
Neri reached up and touched the dangling jewelry. The earing was a thin golden tube that appeared to have been flattened slightly. The cylinder hung from a chain that was attached to a post that went through the ear. The opposite end of the cylinder had a window cut into it and contained a stone that exactly matched the ones in her pendant as well as her other earing.She undid the clasp on one of the earings and handed it to Luke
"Those are very pretty, Neri. What kind of stone is that?"
Now Neri shone with pride. "You remember I showed you my mothers lightsabre? When I found it, the crystal was mostly intact, but it had a huge crack down the center that made it useless as it was. I had some of my friends at the temple help me cut it into useable fragments and I set them into the jewelry. I thought it was fitting."
"That must be why they kept catching my attention." Luke reached over and touched the stones in the pendant. The force sang to him of Love and Bravery when he ran his finger over the purple gem. "Did you know they almost radiate the force. Oh!" He seemed to suddenly remember something
"What is it?" Leia asked, reaturning to the room.
"Jania, when she touched this she said, 'that was a good way to remember her' she must of meant your mother. But how did she know?"
"You didn't teach her that?" Neri was staring in disbelief. "I thought you must of taught her how to see an objects past. I knew a lot of Jedi who could do it, although I admit Jania is pretty young, but like you said, it radiates the force."
Luke shook his head sadly. "Most of my training had to focus around fighting skills. I didn't have the time to learn much. I'm going to have to have Jania show me what she did."
"She was right though, that was a good idea. It must be great having a memorial to your mother with you all the time." Leia said wistfully.
"Yeah, they feel like my mom. I can just almost remember her. When I wear these I feel closer to her, like she is protecting me still."
They didn't say anything for a long time after that, each revisiting old memories and regrets.
Han Solo stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the common room and watched his wife laugh. She and Luke were apparently sharing some kind of joke, Neri was smiling but didn't seem to understand completely. Han sighed contentedly. It was rare to see his family relaxing like this. It seemed Leia was always working and Luke... Well Luke just hadn't been the same since he became a Jedi. Personally, Han really missed the farm boy who had dragged him through the Death Star to rescue a princess he had never met.
When he entered the room the first thing he noticed was the pile of snacks on the coffee table, the second was the deck of cards his wife was holding
Han raised his eyebrows. Leia, to the best of his knowledge, never played cards. At least, he had never seen her do it. Ten minutes later the four of them sere sitting around a folding Sabacc table. Leia dumped a box of betting chips on the table and started to divide them up. "I say we go with Old Republic rules, in honor of our new friend!"
"I don't know that variation." Neri said.
"The Old Republic rules used to be the Jedi variant." Han answered, still the household expert. Neri nodded her understanding. "Since when do you play?" He asked Leia incredulously.
Leia gave him a 'Who Me?' look that set Neri off laughing. Luke couldn't help answering "Since yesterday."
"What do you mean since yesterday, what happened yesterday?"
"We taught her the rules." Neri chimed in.
Han stared at his wife like she had grown an extra head. "You mean you didn't even know HOW! You should have said something!"
"Don't go too hard on her, she's led a very sheltered life, Han." Luke was using his best 'protective brother' voice.
If looks cold kill, Luke knew he would be a carbon score on the floor right now. Instead, he just stuck his tongue out at his sister who started to make a gesture. Han caught her hand in his and said, "Now honey, there are children at the table."
Luke should have been warned when Leia seemed to acquiesce so easily. If he hadn't been laughing so hard, he might have known the pillow was coming before it hit him in the back of the head.
Six hours later, Neri was happily crawling into bed. She was thoroughly exhausted and knew that tonight the dreams that had plagued her every night since she woke up wouldn't stand a chance.
The old man was furious. There wasn't supposed to be a third person! I only calibrated the device for two. I suppose it will have to do. He set about enacting the second part of his plan. All he had to do now was make sure the Jedi was in the right place when the drug reached full effect.
The next morning, Neri awoke to the sounds of children laughing and dishes clattering. She rolled over in her large bed and looked at the chrono on the night stand. She jumped half way to the ceiling when she realized that the noises she was hearing weren't breakfast, but mid-day meal. She made a quick trip to the 'fresher, dressed and hurried out to the kitchen.
"Mornin' Kid." Han called as she stepped across the threshold. "Leia is with Luke, training so you're stuck here with me. I was just making lunch, want some?"
Han was standing at the cook stove. The children were sitting at a table across the room. They seemed to be playing catch with a napkin. Nerinika wandered over to look in the pans. Halfway there she caught a whiff and smiled. "Most definitely, that smells wonderful!"
"Well have a seat then! Jania, get Neri a plate would you? She doesn't know where they are yet." Jania did so while Han started serving the food. The dish was sliced vegetables and meat, fried lightly and served with some kind of grain. Neri didn't recognize it, but that wasn't unusual for her.
"Do all smugglers cook this well?" She asked, pleasantly surprised when the food tasted even better than it smelled.
Han laughed. "Well, when you live with someone who prefers to eat their food raw, you either learn to cook or you get very hungry."
"I'm sorry I must still be asleep. Are you talking about Leia?"
The children giggled this time along with Han. "No I meant Chewie. Chewbacca is my first mate. He's a Wookie. What about you? Do you cook?"
"Some, mostly Uncle Remi does- did the cooking at home."
Han caught the change in tense and cringed slightly. "Sorry, Kid, I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay, they wouldn't want me to be sad forever. If I talk about them now and then, if I talk about the good things, it will honor them more than if I avoided the issue. Besides, I would have to forget my entire life if I tried to avoid thinking about anyone I knew who died and I am not willing to give up all the good memories."
"That's a good attitude Kid. I think your parents would be proud of you! That reminds me, I found your old place. Of course, anything that belonged to you or your parents is long gone, but from what I could gather, the neighborhood hasn't changed much. Most of the people who live there now grew up there so..." Han trailed off.
"So some of my old friends might still be there, thanks. I'll go by sometime soon, I don't suppose there is any hurry."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Then Neri asked, "So, aren't the kids supposed to be in school?"
"Nah, we're on holiday." Jania said proudly.
"Well, what do you do when you're on holiday?"
"I don't know, this is only our second one." Jacen still hadn't answered a question. He didn't get the chance.
"Well, this holiday you are going to go with Nerinika and I. Anakin, you will spend today with your mom and your Uncle Luke, Jania and Jacen, you two are going to help me get Neri acquainted with Coruscant and get her enrolled in school."
"Ahh, why can't we spend time with Uncle Luke?" Jacen whined.
"Because you already know the stuff he wants to teach Anakin."
Neri saw the twins were going to argue and thought she could help. "Actually, I think Luke is going to ask you to spend sometime with him real soon, but your not supposed to know yet, so you have to keep quiet okay?"
Neri had the pleasure of seeing two pairs of eyes light up in delight. "Yes ma'am!"
"Besides," She was on a roll now, "I will definitely get lost if I don't have the two of you to help me out today. Remember, I haven't been here in fifty years, I need all the help I can get!"
"We'll help you Neri!"
"Yeah, You can count on us!"
"Good, well if that is settled, kids, why don't you go get ready to leave. Neri and I will clean up and we'll go in twenty minutes." Han reached for a stack of plates and stood. Neri followed his lead, they were ready in fifteen minutes.
Their first stop was an education counselor who helped Neri set up a line of study. They didn't tell her the whole story. What Han and Leia had decided on at breakfast was that she came from a planet that had been in complete isolation for the last fifty years. This story wasn't nearly as farfetched as the truth and had actually happened. More than one planet had cut itself off from the rest of the galaxy at the start of the Clone wars and many were just now coming out.
The counselor, who was a friend of a friend of Leia's, was sympathetic and helped Neri set up some classes that would get her caught up. The woman, who it turned out was Alderaani, listened intently when the girl told that everyone she knew was gone. She told Han and Neri that it would probably be best if she didn't take on too much right away, after a loss like that, and suggested some correspondence classes which Neri turned down.
"I don't want to hide away. That won't bring my parents back, all it will do is put me farther behind.
"Now that is a very healthy attitude, dearie". The councilor told her in a kindly voice. "I tell you what, Ill put you down for these make-up classes and as soon as your instructors say your ready, Ill get you enrolled full time. If you like, you can take the placement exam now." She entered the data in the terminal and sat Neri down in front of it. The test took several hours and by the time she finished, it was time to meet Luke, Leia, and Anakin for dinner.
Dinner was at a restaurant downtown. In one of the nicer areas of Coruscant, it was upscale, yet informal. The perfect place for government officials and old war heros to take their families to dinner. The waitstaff was friendly and the food was good and no press was allowed; so the patrons were free to be themselves. Jania and Jacen begged Neri to tell them another story. Neri couldn't think of anything off the top of her head and looked to the adults for help.
Leia shrugged at her but Luke said, "Why dont you tell something about the old temple. What was it like there?"
"It was quiet, peaceful, happy. It was safe, well, sort of." Neri grinned. "You were always safe from outside sources there, but you should always keep an eye out for flying Padawans."
"Flying padawans?" Jania and Jacen asked in unison. Little Anakin giggled and spread both arms wide.
"No, not like that. I remember, one day when I was there, Obi-Wan and Reeft decided that it would be fun to levitate Garen with out his permission. They flew him all around the main hall and accidently ran him into a wall. He knocked a huge holo down and it shattered all over the floor. It took the two of them hours to clean it up."
All three children were giggling and Leia looked thoughtful. Han gave a hearty laugh. "See kid?" he said. "Jedi dont have to be all serious all the time."
"I never said..." Luke got cut off.
"No you never said, you wouldn't. But you do get very broody sometimes." Leia said, concern most obvious in her voice.
Luke frowned. "Is this gang up on the farmboy day? I must have missed the memo."
"I just think you take yourself too seriously."
He smirked at his sister. "Madame Chief of State thinks I'm too serious." He leaned over and said something into his youngest nephews ear. Little Anakin grinned as the Jedi whispered something to him. The boy giggled and clapped his hands.
"What did you say to him?" Leia asked.
Luke just quirked one corner of his mouth into a half grin. "We've been practicing something, I just told him a good way to use it."
He would say no more on the subject and Leia warily let it drop. It was only moments later, however, when she was let in on the joke. She reached for her glass and began to take a drink. She spat it out almost immediately. Though she and Han were sitting at opposite ends of the table, somehow she'd gotten his drink mixed up with hers since the waitress had brought them. Luke looked at her smugly and Anakin giggled and clapped his hands together.
Amost too calmly, Leia carefully sat the cup back on the table. She picked up a napkin and wiped up her mess. When she was finished, she very calmly threw the napking at her brother. Luke stopped it mid air with the force and while he was focusing on that, Leia used some of her new skills to throw some of the food from his own plate at him. The remainder of the table stared on in shock as Luke took the napkin from the air and wiped his face. The children nearly fainted when he picked up a hand full of dessert and threw it accross the table. Leia dodged it and reached for some of her own food.
The food Leia had dodged sailed accross the room and hit the manager, who stopped the food fight and had the entire party banned from the restaurant. Han ushered the children in to a waiting cab and stopped Leia and Luke from entering. He told the driver to wait for a moment and turned to his wife and brother in law.
"What is wrong with you two?"
"What?" Luke asked innocently.
Han frowned. "The Chief of State of the New Republic and the Alliances most decorated war hero, who is a Jedi knight to boot, just started a food fight and got themselves banned from an upscale restaurant. You dont see anything wrong with that?"
Leia frowned and Luke stared at the pavement. In unison, they pointed to each other.
"He started it," Leia said.
"She started it," Luke said.
Han stared at them as if theyd lost their minds. He rubbed his forehead and opened the cab door. Something was very wrong here, he could feel it. "Get in, both of you. Maybe a little rest will help. If not, youre both going to the medicentre first thing in the morning."
Both groaned and Leia said, "But I wanted desert!"
Han debated the wisdom of waiting till morning and decided that he at least needed to get the twins and Anakin to Winter, then he could deal with Luke and Leia. Inside the cab, Neri looked at all three of them curiously. Han exchanged worried glances with her and she nodded. The driver took them back to their building while Luke and the children recounted the food fight and Leia sulked.
Han ushered Luke and Leia toward the lifts and Neri offered to take the children to Winter's. Han agreed and they split up on separate turbolifts. When Neri arrived at the Han and Leia's apartment, Luke and Leia were chasing each other up and down the hall while Han slammed a hand down on the comm console.
"What is it?" She asked him.
"Of all the times for this damnable thing to quit working... I'm going to find a medic, can you keep an eye on them?" Han asked, nodding to the older set of twins. Neri nodded and He ran for the door.
For several minutes, Neri thought things were going to be just fine. Then, Leia said, "I never did get dessert."
"Me neither." Luke whined.
Leia pouted for a moment before saying, "I know, we can go get some."
The two of them ran for the door before Neri could say anything; and the girl realized her mistake. She'd told Han she would keep an eye on them, but she had no way to keep them in the apartment. Neri ran after them desperately, deciding Han could reach her on her personal comm to find out where they were. Together, Luke and Leia ran down the corridors and out onto the street. Neri trailed them, not getting more than two steps behind them at any point, but not intterupting them either. As long as they were both focused on dessert, they would likely find someplace to get some and stay there for a while. If she said anthing, she might distract them.
While the three of them walked, Neri wondered what had come over her new friends. She'd known them just over a week, but knew this behvoir was wrong. Han's reaction would have told her that, even if she hadn't figured it out. On occasion, the two of them had acted erratically, yes, but not like this.
The old man grinned as he watched the pair running down the street. Soon he would have his revenge. Soon the Chief of State of the New Republic and the last of the Jedi Knights would walk right into his trap. Soon those responsible for ruining his life would be gone for good.
Neri was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she almost ran right into Leia's back. Both adults had stopped for some reason. She tried to see around them to find out why.
"What do you want?" Luke said, shifting into an offensive stance. Leia was standing just behind him.
The woman he was talking to said, "I just wondered where you were going in such a hurry?"
"Were going to get dessert!" Leia told her proudly.
The woman smiled kindy. "Well, I know a perfect place. If you go right down that street there and turn right, youll see a perfect place."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Its just wonderful, youll see. I just came from there." The woman smiled and turned away. "Have fun children."
Luke and Leia grinned at each other and ran in the direction indicated. Neri tried to call after them but they weren't listening. It didn't take a Jedi to sense this trap, but there was little she could do but follow them. So follow them she did, hoping that she would be able to keep them safe.
The street was dark and Neri saw that most of the lights were out. She followed a bit farther behind the adults than before, hoping to not be caught in the same trap. It did little good. When they were a good distance into the darkness, they heard a hiss , followed by a loud thunk. Before any of them could even turn around, the gas had knocked them unconscious.
From the shadows, three men appeared. All were wearing breath filters.
"Hey wait a minute, ther were only supposed to be two!" The first one said.
The second one looked at the three bodies and said, "The third one is small, she'll fit. Just load them up."
They checked over all three and took the comms and Luke's lightsabre. They loaded all three unconcious bodies onto a hover cart and waited. It didn't take long for their contact to meet them.
"Good, Good. I'll take it from here gentlemen." The cloaked man said. He held out a suit case to the leader of the small group who took it gravely.
"Nice doin business with you," He drawled. "Come on, lets get out of here." The three thugs walked away leaving the crazy old man to his dealings.
As they exited the alley, the third man asked the first, "Why didn't you tell him about the girl?"
"Why bragg?"
"Bragg?"
"Yeah, he asked for two, we gave him three. If we mentioned it, he might think we was demandin' more money or something." The three thugs laughed and disappeared into Coruscants underworld.
Once they were gone, the old man pushed the hovercart into a large speeder and took off, laughing to himself. He knew about the girl already. He also knew those thugs weren't going to make it far. That breifcase held a tracking device and the police would soon pick them up for the kidnapping and murder of Chief of State Organa Solo and Jedi Knight Skywalker.