Chapter 6

Slowly Leo stepped down out of the door of the shuttle. The cargo bay was recompressed and the air was fresh and warm.

Ranzel stepped out behind him. "Don't be afraid," he said softly, in response to Leo's timid attitude. "It's not about to disappear from under you. Not now, at least. This system's really quite safe."

Leo turned towards the other man as he stepped away, a stunned look on his face. "What do you mean 'not now'?"

"We're at war. I did explain that, didn't I?" Ranzel stopped in his step to regard Leo. "This isn't a walk in the park. You're coming to be trained with me."

Leo frowned, looking back at the shuttle briefly. "Why? Why me...?"

Ranzel shook his head. "Because you have the abilities we need. No, nothing that you already understand…" He took a step closer to Leonard. "You have the power to use the Force; the power to become a magnificent warrior, like thousands of Jedi before you."

"You mentioned the Jedi before," Leo said softly, "But I can't remember what you said. I was so angry with you."

"Then that is the first lesson you must learn," Ranzel said swiftly. "It is anger that can cloud a Jedi from the Force, and lead him instead to the Dark Side. It can make him forget everything he's learnt, and fight only for himself, instead of for everything, making him incapable of summoning the true power of the Force."

"Tell me about the Jedi. Please."

Ranzel shook his head. "You have much to learn, but I will not tell you everything at once. Right now, we have to get back to the more populated part of the galaxy, and install your mother in a medical facility."

The Jedi left the hold, pursued by Leo. The ship really wasn't that big, it turned out. They were in the cockpit very shortly, and again the view of space sent Leo's head reeling. They were really here; in a fixed orbit behind the shadow of the moon. It was unbelievable!

He sat down in the seat that Ranzel didn't take and looked up at the stars, feeling a little queasy as he did so. He could see so far that he began to lose the feeling of what was under his feet.

Ranzel snapped into his daze. "You see that green button just next to the three red ones, and under the number readout? Tap it once."

Leo leant over and did just that. The numbers began to whirl, and he wondered why, looking up at Ranzel questioningly.

"It's called the navi-computer. It calculates just what course we should set ourselves on, depending on exactly where the planets ought to be in their orbits, stars - etcetera. You have to admit we'd be in a bit of a mess if we managed to slam straight into a planet. And you don't want to know what happens if you hit a black hole while in hyperspace." Ranzel winced and went back to what he was doing on the other side of the panel.

The numbers finished moving, and Leo looked down at them as the console beeped at him. "What do I do now?"

"Tap the red light directly next to the green one from earlier. It'll send the numbers from the navi-computer to the mainframe."

Leo did so, looking across at Ranzel, who looked up. "I'll be initiating the hyperspace drive now, so strap in. Just tap the button on the arm of your chair. These aren't as rudimentary as your 'seatbelts.'"

Grinning at the memory Leo tapped the little light on his arm and was instantly pulled into the back of his seat by the belt. No sooner had he recovered from that little surprise but the ship lurched, and he suddenly felt like he'd left his stomach far behind him – say, a light year or so.

The stars streaked past them on either side, more like streaks than actual objects – but Leo was even more aware than ever of the number of them, and if what Ranzel had told him was true, each of these suns might be the home of a different alien race.

And Leo was going to be able to live here amongst the stars. It was almost dreamlike – although it had never been in the realms of Leo's imagination before. Now he could finally understand the possibilities that space travel entailed. And he had a positive start. He already knew post-light speeds were possible – and that there were alien races out there.

Eat that, Sci-fi people.

"It's a long way from here to Xircamede." Ranzel said softly. "Perhaps you'd like something to eat before we get there?"

Leo studied him cautiously. "What kind of food?"

Ranzel let a grin slip over his features. "Listen Leonard, you're going to be eating alien food for a long time, so you'd better get used to it. We've got general army rations, but when we get back to the fleet we'll have use of a synthesiser again."

"How does it work, this synthesiser of yours?"

"It breaks down anything put into it into proteins, and then rebuilds them into whatever you want to eat. It's quite safe, and it allows no waste."

Leo still looked cautious – but at least he wouldn't have to eat it yet.

"I'm sure you'll find something edible, Leonard," Ranzel explained as he came to his feet. "Many of the beings in the Universe are similar to those of your kind. We Barridians are, for instance. The only difference I would suggest between our species is that a lot of the foodstuffs that grew on our planet were sweet in nature. Our teeth are much more resistant to decay than yours. Negatively, however, we require a great deal of sugar to survive."

Ranzel smiled, and Leo was more aware now of a slightly silvery sheen to his teeth, as though there was some metal in their composition.

Leading Leo down from the cockpit again, Ranzel began to speak in a soft tone.

"The Jedi have held the flame of freedom for many millennia. They have fought for the good in this Universe, since before we can even remember. The beginnings of the Jedi are mere myth. They go back beyond the galaxy that was the origin of the Counsels.

As far back as we can actually trace our knowledge now, is to the Skywalkers – and perhaps a little further before them. A long time ago, just after the birth of the Empire, all the other Jedi were wiped out. The Skywalkers were the last Jedi in that Galaxy." Ranzel paused here to glance at Leo, who this time was far more interested. "They beat back the Empire, and slowly regained their numbers. More Jedi were born, their bloodline extended. But they were still weak."

The Empire itself spread. It gambled, by leaving its own Galaxy and spreading further into the Universe. The Jedi knew that to survive they must move too. They sent out feelers into the Galaxies closest to them, formed Jedi Counsels there, to enlist and train more in the use of the Force."

Ranzel looked grave. They had come out into a large room, similar to where they had stored the shuttle, only the bay doors were covered in a thick substance that looked like glass.

"The original Galaxy, as far as we know, was overrun by a mass invasion of the Sith. It is now their stronghold, and they fight outwards, always expanding. We can only fight against them and try to gain back the space we have lost.

"We have the help of the Union of Planets, of course, just as the Empire forced the help of those that they have enslaved. All these people want freedom – it is not just the Jedi that fight."

Leo took a seat slowly, and Ranzel went to one of the bulkheads, tapping at an opening to reveal a great container full of rations. He returned with a few objects wrapped in silver paper, and sank down opposite Leo.

"This is where you come in. The Empire is still on the outskirts of this galaxy, but we have not the numbers to fight them. The Union of Planets can not defend against the power of the Dark Side. They can send fighter against fighter, but the Sith themselves – their power would overwhelm them all.

They will be on us soon. Usually we wouldn't take those from uninitiated planets, and certainly not anyone as old as you. But we need capable fighters now, and already we have claimed on every possible initiate within this Galaxy."

Ranzel paused, and then lowered his head as he stripped one of the bars of sticky food from its packet. "There is another reason…" he mused, softly.

Leo was unsure if Ranzel was going to continue. He wanted to know what this other reason was, but Ranzel interrupted his curiosity with another thing entirely. "See? It really isn't that bad."

Realising he had simply sat with the silver package set before him, Leo began to unwrap the ration slowly. He pulled the covering away and lifted the dark green bar to his lips, biting down on it.

It was sweet, and tasted a lot like seaside rock, only instead of being hard, it was soft and chewy. Leo knew, though, that such a food would certainly not be able to sustain him. It was far too sweet. He looked up at the Jedi as he swallowed hard, forcing the sweetness down his throat.

"No. It isn't bad at all. I couldn't eat it forever. It's too sweet."

"Too sweet...? This is so bland…"

"Too sweet," Leo repeated with a grin.

Their conversation was interrupted abruptly as the ship suddenly lurched to a stop, engines squealing.