Signs of Life
By JalendaviLady
Chapter 22
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.
If you recognize any characters, locations, or things in the following story, George Lucas owns them.
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The room was silent for a moment. Luke could see the wetness at the edges of
Duria's eyes and would have gone over to put a friendly arm around her
shoulders as he had done so often in those first few terrifying days when
Biggs' survival was still very much in doubt, so much so that the only time he
could remember leaving the medcenter from when Biggs had been brought in to
when the first Imperial scouts had appeared on the edge of the Yavin system
other than to eat was the award ceremony after the battle.
Biggs' medal was lying around somewhere in the small box of his things that
Luke kept watch over for him. He hadn't been able to stand looking at it after
he woke up, constantly breaking into tears until Luke had thought to remove it
from the bedside table and cache it with Biggs' important possessions.
The box held the artifacts of the life Biggs had been forced to leave behind.
Images of their old group back on Tatooine, grabbing what little joys the
heir-apparent of the Darklighter water fortune and a simple farmboy could.
Biggs' commission papers from the Imperial navy, from the short while he'd
served on the Rand Ecliptic. The few pictures from those first days with
the Alliance, before and after he'd met a young Corellian computer tech named
Duria. Biggs' now expired pilot's certifications. His landspeeder license.
Duria walked over, purposely, tears starting to roll down her face. "I'm
going to go to Mon Mothma and request temporary transfer over to the Executor.
I wish I could stay here, but it may take a while for the request to go
through..."
"I understand," Anakin and Luke said at once.
She gave Luke a friendly hug. "Thank you for being such a good friend. I
hope things start going better soon for you, Luke."
She rose again and held Anakin's hand, said simply "Know peace," and
left.
Chewie came over and ruffled the stubby little hairs just starting to grow back
on Anakin's head. [When? How? Who? And where may I find him, so I can repay him
for what he caused?]
"I grew up in a SkyLord family. When I was three, a slaver ship popped out
of hyperspace near our ship. I don't remember much about what happened. First
few months under Gardulla, then she lost my mother and I on a bet."
"Grandfather?" Leia asked, eyes wide.
"I barely remember him. Only the look on his face when they dropped out of
hyperspace." Luke felt Anakin's arm move, holding Leia closer. "After
6 more years, a group of Jedi found me and I won my freedom in a podrace. They
didn't remove the tattoo because it was 'a cosmetic issue only.'"
Han snorted. "There's still dozens of worlds where the sight of that mark
would get you instantly added to a work team or placed in a medical testing
center or something even worse. And they sent you on missions like that?"
Anakin nodded. "And considering everything, removing it probably wasn't
high on the Emperor's list of things to do to his final apprentice." He
seemed to deflate for a moment.
Luke dropped his gaze and thought for a moment. All the master-slave
language in that fight... Palpatine was using the psychological remnants to
keep control! And there was almost a pattern of when Father called him 'the
Emperor' and 'my Master.' Luke managed to suppress a shiver at the
memories. He only seemed to use 'my Master' when he was being forced to
follow Palpatine's wishes, regardless of his own.
Luke looked up to see the expression on Anakin's face. Their eyes met, and he
could see the barest hint of restrained tears at the corners of his father's
eyes. We'll talk later when they've left, okay, Luke?
Fine. Sure. After the others leave and Leia heads out for whatever meeting
she has to go to. Some things that happened...
... no one needs to know for a while. If ever.Anakin flashed Luke a quick
smile. I still can't believe you tried to save me after all that happened.
Duria couldn't either.
"Ahem," Wes coughed. Both Jedi turned to look at him and the other
Rogues. "Wouldst thou please allow those present not educated in the fine
details of silent communication understand what in the Maker's world thou art
discussing?"
Father and son looked at each other, exchanged a look, turned back to the
Rogues, and answered together, "Nope."
"Awww..."
"Give it up, Wes. I can't even tell what they're talking about half the
time." Leia Force-lifted her brush from the floor, bonked Wes lightly on
the head with it, and then called it to her hand.
Luke felt his jaw drop.
...
Leia pressed the brush into Anakin's hand.
She glanced over at Luke. His mouth was hanging open. "What?"
"How... Where'd you learn how to do that?"
"I figured it out. Same way I learned how to raise mental defenses and use
the Force to communicate. Trial and error. And instinct."
She needs at least some informal training,Luke commented to Anakin.
Indeed, but you are in no condition to offer it, and I doubt she will accept
such training from me.
Wouldn't it be mostly mental training? I could handle at least the easier
part of that.
Oh really.Luke didn't think he'd ever heard his father sound so sly. It
made him uneasy, reminded him that his father had used not only his physical
strength but also his mind to hunt his own kind. Name the major forms of the
kata of Mikhail Fenren.
Who? What?
Ah, so even you have the working Force-knowledge without the historical
forms.
What's a kata?
Traditional pattern of physical and mental exercises intended to provide
physical, mental, and spiritual fitness. Meditation in motion.
Luke drooped.
Luke, you are a Jedi. Never doubt that, my son. That is connected to overall
spiritual maturity and relationship to the Force. The katas were for
maintaining focus and conditioning.
Wedge's comm beeped. He stepped out for a moment and then came back in.
"Rouges, we've got a situation a few systems away involving a transport
caravan. Launch time is in thirty minutes, let's move." Rushed goodbyes,
and Han, Chewie, and the Skywalker family were the only ones left in the room.
"Leia," Anakin murmured.
"What?"
"You may be able to do some things now, but you really do need some sort
of semi-formal Force training, at the very least." He started brushing her
hair, starting to split it into sections.
"I don't have the time or the need."
"Leia..."
"I just don't have the time. So much is happening... defections, treaties,
and Mon Mothma keeps trying to make me her next-in-line, so I have to be
present for everything... And I'm a diplomat, not a fighter."
"A diplomat who can hit a target at over 200 yards without using the
sights," Han coughed.
"Han!"
[It's true,] Chewie whuffled. [All those poor stormtroopers with little smoking
holes in the one little weak spot in the armor chestplate.]
Luke giggled at Chewie's mournful tone. Han caught him in a loose embrace and
started tickling the young Jedi's ribs.
Life would be so wonderful if I weren't so weak...
He caught his father's eye for a moment, and saw a worry settled there that he
could not place.
Han stopped, apparently having noticed a change in Luke's expression.
Anakin flashed Luke a weak smile and went back to braiding Leia's hair.
Kendalina stuck her head in the door. "Just to let everyone know, I'm
leaving in an hour to help clear out the Imperial prison the probe found.
Garlen's in charge while I'm gone."
"They found something?" Anakin asked.
"It seems to have been there for the last decade or so. Prison for
political dissenters, it appears. Some things in the data the probe sent worry
me."
Han raised an eyebrow.
"Empire had a tendency to classify some types of dissenters and
individuals dangerous to its existence as insane and then treat them as such.
Most of the heavy duty asylums seem to have been built to deal with such
people."
"How do you figure?" Anakin asked.
"I worked in one for years. I was transferred out and bounced from
position to position for years after it came out that I was having a
relationship with one of the inmates, who happened to be Force-strong and
perfectly sane, barring the effects of some psychological treatments best
classified as torture." She swallowed hard. "Since I have already
dealt with such a place, I am going with them. The power readouts of the place
tend to support the idea that similar prisoner treatment is going on there."
Everyone wished the mission well, and she left.
Father? Did you know of such things?
Only the vaguest rumors. Never any proof. But the rumors were bad.
How bad?
Bad enough.Leia breezed out for her meeting, Han following at her heels.
Now, when shall I start teaching you the easier katas? Some can be done
seated or lying down...
Even injured?
There were some designed for that in the last millennium, after the Jedi
became more closely aligned to the Republic government. The history lesson can
wait. So, want to start now, or later?
...Tired.
Anakin helped Luke settle back down on the bed and tucked the sheets around his
shoulders. "I'll wake you up for lunch, if you want."
"Fine."
Anakin smiled down at him, then leaned over, tentatively kissed Luke's
forehead, whispered "I love you, Luke," and stumbled out of the room.
Luke was nearly paralyzed with wonder. He's never said that before... and
didn't Leia tell me he can't stand touching anything with his mouth? Wow.