A/N: Well, it's been a long trip, hasn't it? For everyone who's stuck with it this long, kudos and all that jazz--you must have infinite patience and incredibly good taste. ;) Everyone who has reviewed, ever: you have made my world a better place and kept this story going. Repeat reviewers . . . there are no words for how awesome you are (yes, even the slightly scary guy who threatened anyone who was mean to me with bodily harm--I love you, too). We may be almost done, but we're not through quite yet; stick around for the epilogue. It's worth it.
For the final time, I cannot recommend strongly enough the music of John Williams. This piece is literally set to the music of his throne room celebration from the end of ANH and then the victory celebration at the end of ROTJ. To enhance your listening experience, listen to any of it you can get your hands on.
To those of you who have demanded a sequel (and especially the two who demanded they be the stars), keep your hopes up, and you just might be happy. Everyone else, a poll: sequel? Yes? No?
To my darling girls, for whom I wrote this in the first place, I dedicate this final chapter: you babes rock.
For the last time:
TWENTY-ONE
A trumpet rang out in the clear morning air, its clarion call echoing alone in the cool dawn light. Soon another joined it, then two more, until a full brass section took up the call, announcing the beginning of the ceremony to all the galaxy.
At the base of the stairs, Krista fidgeted, unhappy to be back in dresses again after so long a respite. The folds of her long Nubian gown flowed around her, the silver and rose silks draping gracefully over her petite form. Long chestnut curls (the Handmaidens had been up to their tricks again) spilled over her bare shoulders, gems sparkling in her tresses and at her throat. It was all very lovely and appropriately formal, and quite uncomfortable to a girl far happier in jeans and a t-shirt.
Next to her, Annie, sensing her discomfort, smiled at her knowingly, causing Krista to smile sheepishly in return. Dressed in a long gown that shimmered the gold of the Tatooine sands, Annie lifted her head, letting the faint morning breeze stir her long unbound hair as the trumpets continued their brassy proclamation. She stood very much at ease in finery that echoed both the dignity of the day and some of the glitz of her old diva outfits, contentment flowing from her with every movement she made.
All along the wide avenue, platform ships had formed an interconnected network that formed a streets leading to the building on which they now stood. This street was lined with masses of people, all of them kept back behind barricades several hundred meters away from the base of the stairs where the Krista and Annie now stood.
The music swelled, announcing the glorious triumph that seemed to sing in the very sunlight that blazed down upon them, catching in the gems at Krista's throat, gleaming back from the marble stairs behind them. The crowd, already murmuring, began to roar now, knowing that the long days of celebration were finally culminating in this last ceremony.
As the music grew louder, a familiar strain made Danielle suddenly prick her ears in surprise, straining to hear better. She wore formal Jedi robes all of black and silver, a shimmering ebony cloak billowing around her in the morning breeze and her tall black boots gleaming in the reflected sunlight. Her lightsaber hung at her hip and her blaster rested in its holster, but they were merely formalities, and had been polished to gleaming brilliance for the day's ceremony. Her hair, pulled back into a ponytail, spilled artfully arranged curls down her back--and from behind her left ear trailed a long, slender braid: an honorary Padawan braid, its strands lovingly woven by Qui-Gon himself.
Seeing Danielle's sudden attention, Laura cocked her head as well, listening, and suddenly a brilliant grin lit her features. Shockingly--marvelously--impossibly, it was the introduction to John Williams' own triumphal march which now danced in the air around them, marking their victory on the morning breeze. Catching Danielle's eye, Laura laughed silently, her eyes sparkling with knowledge, and Danielle could only laugh in return.
In a stark and rather ironic counterpoint to Danielle's unrelieved black, the reformed Sith was resplendent in a gown of shimmering white which swept, opalescent and shimmering in the mid-morning sun, to pool on the marble steps at her feet. The gown was gathered beneath the bust in the old Hellene style and fell straight to the floor, its gathered sleeves leaving her arms and much of her shoulders bare. Dressed all in white, silver at her wrists and throat, long hair falling in winding curls down her back, Laura seemed now untouched by the darkness that had shadowed her for so long. At long last she had been restored to the eternally laughing young woman they had once known, her smile seeming now to never leave her face.
After Yoda's proclamation in the sacrifice chamber, they had radioed for transports to pick up all the recovered wraiths and to return themselves to the Temple. They had arrived at a Temple as chaotic with joyous celebration as it had been frantic when they'd left; Yoda's news was true. Already word of the Republic's imminent victory had swept over Coruscant, and triumphant fever gripped the entire planet.
Krista had been personally overjoyed when, a few days later, Amidala and a cadre of battered handmaidens arrived at the Temple, eager to reclaim their missing counterpart. For many days the two groups exchanged tales, and Krista learned of Amidala's escape from the Federation forces and how, by some odd chance, in her escape their ship had landed on a small desert world to purchase supplies and repair parts. While there, Amidala had befriended a young slave boy, and before departing she had freed both him and his mother, bringing them with her to Coruscant.
This worried Krista somewhat--it seemed that nothing could stop Anakin's discovery--but his fall to darkness was no longer inevitable. His mother was freed and with him, Qui-Gon was alive to train him, and Palpatine--his Sithly mentor--was dead. The three most important factors contributing to his fall were now erased. If he still fell, then nothing and no one could have prevented it, and Krista decided that worrying about it wouldn't help.
Annie had spent much of her time with Wes and Dru, both of whom had immediately checked into the healing ward upon their return to the Temple. Wes, with his lesser injury, was soon fully recovered and would suffer no lasting damage. Dru, despite being healed by Yoda himself, had been more severely wounded, and would still take some time to recover. Now she was out of the healing ward and able to travel freely, but she still needed a great deal of rest and couldn't tax herself severely. Still, the trio managed to fill their days easily enough, strengthening the tentative bonds of friendship that had already begun to form.
For several continuous days the Council had interviewed Laura--not all of them were as accepting of her Sithly affiliation as Yoda. When her innocence was finally proved, she too was eventually declared a hero of the war for her actions, and she could devote her time to trying to see that Maul went free as well. The council were even more wary of the Zabrak, for his training had been lifelong and his conversion only recent--the Dark Side was still very much within him, whereas nearly all of Laura's corruption had faded with her Master's untimely death. The council eventually pardoned Maul for his previous actions and granted him temporary clemency; a more thorough investigation and a serious effort to purge the Dark Side from his mind would be undertaken later, but for now he was a free man.
Danielle had spent nearly all her waking time with either her Earth friends or her Jedi. Obi and Qui, unbelievably contrite for their actions, were willing to devote every moment to her--Qui-Gon especially, for he had been her first friend and the first to stop believing her. It had been he who had requested she be given an honorary Padawan braid, and he who wove it with symbolic significance from her dark locks. The pride Danielle had felt in that moment had nearly overwhelmed her, and she'd fallen sobbing in Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's arms, feeling as though she'd finally found her place in the world.
Danielle had seen a great deal of Obi-Wan, of course, but every so often either Annie or Laura--or the both of them working in tandem--managed to seduce him away. Annie was still overjoyed to know the younger version of the ghost who had saved her life repeatedly, and Laura--well, Laura had been doomed from the beginning. The death knell, however, was undoubtedly the night when, in the midst of a discussion about music (instigated, of course, by Krista), Obi-Wan had quite unexpectedly swept Laura into his arms and begun singing Your Song, much to the astonishment of the Earthlings and very nearly causing Laura's death. When questioned where he had learned the song, he replied that it was one Danielle had taught him--mysteriously, she'd known it would suit his voice very well.
Explanations seemed to be lost in the glorious rush of reunion and triumph--all the girls knew that, eventually, everyone would be curious about their origins and the nature of Atharca's plan, but for now they had been blissfully delayed. None were looking forward to explaining their arrival and what had preceded it, nor the web of lies they had initially woven, but when the Republic's victory was formally announced and a planet-wide celebration began, no one seemed to care.
Now, here they stood under the brilliant morning sun with the music washing over them, the crowds again fallen silent. Before them were the masses of the galaxy, come to share in this day with them; behind them, those people in all the galaxy who had come to mean so much to them.
The music reached a strain they had been told to listen for, and the four girls exchanged significant glances. Then, as one, they turned and ascended the stairs. Behind them, the crowd forgot itself for a moment and began to roar again, fading when the girls came to the landing before another, briefer set of marble stairs.
Above them, on the huge landing before the great double doors that led into the Jedi temple, stood an interesting assembly of Jedi, royalty, and other personages of great importance, awaiting the four girls who now stood on the platform. For a moment, the music crescendoed, then it fell into a soft hum, like the hush of anticipation that had fallen over the crowd.
Taking a deep breath, Krista gathered her skirts and walked up the shorter flight of stairs to stand before the Queen of Naboo, flanked on both sides by silver and pink-robed handmaidens. Krista inclined her head respectfully to Amidala, and the Queen returned the gesture more deeply. Krista sank into a deep curtsey, bowing her head as her skirts pooled around her.
Resplendent with dignity, the elaborate ruffles of her gown glistening in the morning sun, Amidala nodded serenely to Sache, at her right. Returning the gesture, Sache turned and glided to where Yoda presided over a small table on which lay four gleaming medals. Selecting one, she turned and walked back, presenting it to Amidala with a curtsey of her own. Taking it, Amidala turned and, bowing herself, slipped the velvet ribbon around Krista's neck, letting the gleaming pendant fall to rest on the bodice of Krista's gown.
Krista rose and looked at her Queen then, eyes shimmering with what might have been tears, and at last Amidala allowed herself to smile, showing her affection for her friend and comrade. Reaching forward, she put her hands on Krista's shoulders and kissed her on each cheek, showing her a gesture of respect equal to that of another monarch. Smiling helplessly back, Krista nodded to each of the Handmaidens, then turned and descended two steps, standing proudly upright before her Queen and her people.
As the music lulled on, Annie lifted the shimmering folds of her gown and gracefully ascended the wide stairs. She came to a stop several feet to Krista's left, standing before two Jedi who awaited her at the landing. Taking a moment to look into both of their eyes, Annie also curtseyed graciously, then stood. From her seat in the hoverchair, for her wounds still precluded standing, Dru nodded at Wes, and he turned to retrieve another gleaming medal from Yoda's tray. Returning, he handed it to Dru, and then both of the Jedi bowed deeply to Annie. She lowered her head, her hair falling around her, and Dru leaned forward to place the medal around her neck.
As Annie felt the new weight settle around her neck, she straightened, and stared for a moment at the two Jedi to whom she had grown so close, fighting tears of joy. Dru, saying to hell with formality, leaned forward and caught Annie in a warm embrace, holding the other woman tightly. When she released Annie, Wes stepped forward and also hugged her. Stepping back, he kissed her lightly on the cheek, and Annie unaccountably flushed as Dru laughed brilliantly.
Slowly, Annie turned and descended several steps until she stood before her two Jedi, on the same level as Krista. The two girls' eyes met once more, and both grinned widely, the sun gleaming on the gold of their new medals.
Now Laura ascended the stairs, the sunlight blazing on her pearly gown like a pillar of white fire as she walked with easy grace to the landing. Stopping before a mismatched pair of a Jedi and a Sith, she made them the courtly bow of a Senatorial aid, the movement rippling her white gown. Obi-Wan bowed in turn, their matched movements looking akin to the formalities exchanged between dance partners, and behind him Darth Maul inclined his head deeply. When Obi-Wan straightened, Laura caught his eye and winked audaciously, and he grinned at her in return.
Darth Maul, looking uncomfortable to be in finery and among so many Jedi, retrieved the medal from the tray before the ancient Jedi Master, and made an alien bow to Laura before handing the medal to Obi-Wan. Now Laura sank into a low curtsey at the Jedi's feet, and he placed the medal around her neck, carefully lifting her elaborate curls. When she remained in her deep reverence, Obi-Wan reached out and caught her hand, raising her. Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it, his eyes expressing both his deep gratitude and a hint of mischievous flirtation.
Her smile widening brilliantly again, Laura nodded to Obi-Wan, then turned and with utmost grace descended several stairs to Annie and Krista's level, where she stood waiting, the gauzy layers of her gown blowing in the breeze and her new medal reflecting the sunlight back at the hazy blue sky.
Finally, Danielle turned and walked slowly up the stairs parallel to her companions, her black boots a stark contrast to the gleaming white marble. Even more slowly, she stopped before a tall man, then bowed deeply in the Jedi fashion, her robe billowing around her. Solemnly, he returned the gesture, and the beast at his side yipped loudly. Turning, the Nexu trotted over and, as it had been precariously trained to do, selected the final medal in its teeth. Returning to Qui-Gon's side, he relinquished the medal to the Jedi and gave a great yipping howl of affection, butting Danielle with his head. After she had scratched him for a moment, she sank to her knees, her head bowed formally.
As Obi-Wan walked over to join his Master, Qui-Gon reverently placed the medal around Danielle's neck, and then both Jedi bowed deeply. Danielle, however, did not rise, instead remaining in a position of respect with tears flowing freely down her face. Finally, Qui-Gon stepped forward and raised her chin, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. Taking her hands, he raised her, then Danielle threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the folds of his robe. The Jedi Master simply held her, his own embrace tight, stroking her back affectionately. When she released him, she turned and did the same to Obi-Wan, who held her just as tightly. Murmuring some small joke in her ear that made her laugh brightly through her tears, he smiled at her deeply, then turned her around.
Legs shaking, Danielle descended the stairs to her friends' level, then as one the four girls turned to face the Temple once more.
From his position behind the tray, Yoda slowly stood, then hobbled around to the stairs. As one, the four girls curtseyed deeply, showing the ancient Jedi Master their respect and gratitude. As they rose, Yoda, to everyone's shock, placed both hands on his gimmer stick and bowed deeply in return, acknowledging the four young women whose bravery had saved the galaxy from a terrible fate.
As the music's brassy tempo crescendoed once more, the four turned to face the crowd, standing proud before the galaxy with the signs of their courage gleaming on their breasts. In unison, they bowed--and at long last, the crowd was allowed to give vent to its emotion, screaming and cheering wildly. Hats were thrown, balloons released and confetti poured down as they cheered the various heroes assembled on the steps of the Jedi Temple and celebrated the aversion of war.
Laughing and cheering themselves now, their formal roles finished, the foursome moved to cluster together on the wide stair, embracing each other. Danielle was sobbing all the harder now, and Krista seemed unwontedly solemn, but Laura and Annie couldn't stop laughing. Fingering their medals with pride and declaring their joy to the world, they leapt into each other's arms as the confetti poured down from above. At last, they drew back, the four of them joining hands--and, suddenly, on each of their necks their pendants blazed, the brilliantly colored gems sending forth a stream of light that nearly blinded them.
Startled, they broke apart, but their pendants only blazed all the more brightly, and soon even the crowd, sensing something amiss, fell silent. For a moment no one could even think what to say; then, from atop the stairs, they heard someone cry in astonishment, "Look!"
The crowd atop the stairs slowly parted, and the four young women, exchanging puzzled glances, slowly ascended the stairs once more. Before them was the Jedi Temple, a wall of shining transparisteel at its front reflecting back to them the bright morning sunshine and the riotous celebration behind them. Its only flaw, however, was themselves--instead seeing of their own reflections, each of the four girls stared into the mirror and met the eyes of a total stranger.
A stranger--and yet not.
Krista stared in astonishment at the young woman of approximately her own size with gleaming blonde hair, wearing an exact replica of her Nubian gown and grinning at her broadly. Annie looked blankly at the tall, curvaceous young woman in a scandalously low-cut gown who smiled at the world from mysterious, heavy-lidded eyes. Laura's astonished gaze met that of a dark-haired and dark-featured young woman dressed all in black, her mien composed and a lightsaber hilt at her hip. Danielle was face-to-face with a young woman dressed in the Jedi's beige cloaks and boots, lightsaber at her hip and padawan braid draped over her shoulder.
They were slightly blurred, surreal, the details difficult to make out. Only one detail matched that of the Earthly foursome: around each of their necks lay the pendants corresponding to their counterparts'.
"Impossible," Krista breathed, even as Laura said, "My God--it's--you're--"
In the reflection, the blonde-haired and blue-eyed handmaiden smirked, shooting a superior glance to the other end of the line. "You see, Cherie? I told you they'd do it."
The Jedi bowed, her auburn curls swinging forward over her shoulders as she did. "You are correct, Kristae. I underestimated them severely. They have proven themselves courageous and versatile warriors."
"They've got spunk," Annie's reflection said, full lips curving into an enigmatic smile as she eyed Annie appreciatively. "That'll take anyone a long way."
Laura's Sithly reflection regarded her evenly, then gave a short bow. "You have slain my Master and freed yourself and Maul from his dominion," she acknowledged. "The Dark Side is vanquished. All of this you have done where I could not. You were a worthy receptacle for my power."
"You," Danielle said in astonishment, stepping forward. "You're the ones Laura told us about, the four who Atharca banished to Earth because he knew you'd stop him. The ones who made our pendants."
"Damn straight, honey," the diva replied, smirking. "Catch on quick, don't they?"
"We've come to offer our congratulations," the Jedi, Cherie, said, giving Danielle a warm smile. "You've succeeded far beyond anything we could have imagined. Our lives were not given in vain."
"But--if you're dead, how can you be here now?" Annie asked. "Are you ghosts, like Ob--like some Jedi become, when they die?"
The four reflections exchanged glances. "Not exactly," the Sith said, her tilted eyes still looking at Laura appraisingly. "Atharca altered time, you recall? It was his presence that cemented time into its current course. With him dead, it is as if he never banished us--never existed at all, even. Now that he is gone, we are revived--and it is time to take our places in our galaxy once more."
"We would be there right now," Kristae said, cocking her head to the side, "except . . . someone is already in our places. You."
"Just as we hold your places in your own world," Cherie continued. "Now that you have succeeded in killing Atharca, our two worlds have grown near, almost overlapping--and it's time to return everything to its proper place."
Cold suddenly filled the pit of Danielle's stomach. "No," she said, stumbling back a step in disbelief as she understood what they were saying. "No, you don't mean--"
"I'm afraid the adventure is over," the diva said gently. "It's time to go home, girls." She nodded at something over their shoulders. "Make your farewells."
"What, now?" Krista said in disbelief.
"The overlap between our worlds is brief, and exists only for a short time after you have completed the tasks we sent you. If we do not exchange now, you will remain in this galaxy permanently--and we will be lost in nothingness."
From behind them, they heard Obi-Wan's tentative voice. "Danielle? Laura? What's going on?"
Slowly, the four girls turned, and found all those assembled on the stairs staring at them in shock. Some peered in amazement at their altered reflections, but mostly the gazes were affixed to the four travelers.
Seeing the confusion in Obi-Wan's face and the terrible understanding in Qui-Gon's, Danielle lowered her head, grief welling within her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice shaking.
Laura stepped forward and took Darth Maul's gloved hands in her own, whispering something to the gloweringly unhappy Zabrak. Krista took a hesitant step toward Amidala, whose brow was furrowed in bewilderment, and Annie stared at her two Jedi, both their glances forlorn.
"But--" Obi-Wan seemed to speak for them all when he shook his head. "I don't understand. Who are they? What are they talking about? Where are you going?"
Unexpectedly, Danielle glanced at Yoda, and saw the tiny Jedi Master had merely folded his hands in front of him, his expression grieved but unsurprised. "I'm afraid there's something we never really got around to telling you," Laura said, looking regretfully at Obi-Wan now. "You see, we're not--I mean, we're--not . . . from . . . here. We--"
The Sithly figure in the glass cut her off suddenly. "Time runs short," she announced. "We cross now, or never."
"No!" Danielle cried, reaching desperately for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "No, it's not enough time! We didn't--we can't--"
"Then make your choice," the Jedi said serenely, even as her eyes flashed with obvious emotion. "Leave now--or stay, and banish us to nothingness."
There was a pause, then Laura said with conviction, "That we cannot do. I suppose we must then leave it to you to tell our story and explain all to those we leave behind." She gestured at the confused masses.
The reflections exchanged glances. "We shall," Kristae said warmly. "And, for your sacrifice, we offer you a gift." She lifted both hands, palms up, and smiled at Krista.
"A gift?" Annie asked, still moving slowly toward Wes and Dru.
"We cannot explain now," the Sith said impatiently. "We must trade places, now."
"What do we do?" Krista asked simply, even though tears ran down her cheeks.
"Step forward," Cherie instructed, "put your palms against the glass to match ours . . . and draw us out. We, in turn, will be drawing you into your own world."
"I suppose this is goodbye, then," Danielle said raggedly, stepping away from her Jedi. Wrenching her gaze free, she turned to look in the glass, knowing she would never lay eyes on Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon again.
Tentatively, all four of the girls stepped up to the glass, forcing their eyes away from the reflected expressions of those behind them. Lining up with her counterpart, each young woman raised her hands, pressing them palm-to-palm with her reflection. Slowly, almost instinctively, their fingers curled--and gently fell through the shining glass, twining with warm flesh on the other side.
Hands linked, each girl began to step backward, drawing her reflection out of the mirror. From the flat glass emerged first long arms, shoulders, heads--then from the glass stepped four more young women, now suddenly sharp and defined in the bright sunlight.
For a moment the eight of them stood in a line, fingers still entwined, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, and reality spun around them. The world blurred, at once the stairs of the Temple filled with people, and at the same time the weed-filled meadow by Panera on a hot summer's day. One of them whispered, "Thank you," then their Star Wars partners stepped back, releasing their hands--and reality snapped into place with a blow that knocked all four girls off their feet.
They hit the ground with a thump, and suddenly the sun was brilliant overhead, the weeds rising up all around to choke them, and they were back in that field outside Panera in the summer after their senior year, at just about 2:00 in the afternoon.
For at least a minute, no one spoke.
It was Laura's, "We're home! Woo-hoo!" that finally broke the silence as she leapt to her feet in jubilation. Clad once more in the jeans and tank she had been in so long ago, she examined her arms with delight. "Look--my scars are gone. I'm eighteen again!"
Annie, too, rose and surveyed her home with a smile, but Danielle and Krista were having a harder time of it. Krista furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks as if that would make them disappear, but Danielle remained motionless, her hands unconsciously gripping at the weeds as she stared, unfocused, into the distance. "No," she whispered.
Laura, noticing her friend's distress, dropped to a crouch at Danielle's side. "Hey," she said, sympathetically. "I know you were--close to them. We all had friends--"
"They weren't just my friends," Danielle said raggedly. "It's like--that place was like home to me, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon . . ."
"I'll never see Naboo again," Krista said, as if this had just occurred to her. "And--nothing's changed. The movies . . . it's like we never went at all. Amidala and all the handmaidens . . ."
Annie opened her mouth as if to offer some consolation, then realized with a feeling like she'd just been pounded with a sledgehammer that she'd never see Wes or Dru again. Suddenly, sitting down seemed like a good idea.
"It's different for you," Danielle told Laura fiercely. "It was hell for you; of course you're glad to leave. But we--" Her throat choked so she couldn't finish, and instead she just shook her head.
Laura bowed her head slightly, acknowledging the truth of that statement. "I know," she said quietly. "I know. And I'm so sorry--for all of you. But what can we do? This is where the fairytale ends; this is what comes after the happily ever after. All we can do is cherish the memories we have--and never, ever forget them." She smiled suddenly, a soft, rueful expression. "You know, this would make a great story."
As everyone absorbed the truth of her words, acceptance began to fill them--then, quite unexpectedly, they heard a very perturbed and bewildered voice.
"Where in the Force are we?"
Danielle leapt to her feet so fast she nearly fell again, whirling to face the source of that voice. There, several dozen meters away in the very thickest part of the weeds, was an incredibly bizarre group of people, all looking quite confused--and beautifully, marvelously familiar.
Danielle screamed, "Obi! Qui!" and then she was running toward them, leaping across the field of weeds and wildflowers to throw herself, sobbing madly, into the arms of the two Jedi she loved. Krista, only slower because of her shorter legs, launched herself at the very upset and bewildered handmaidens and one extremely surprised young Queen, laughing like a wild thing. Annie wasn't far behind in rushing to Wes and Dru, who were peering stupidly around them as though they had never seen weeds before. Laura stayed where she was, just grinning, until she saw a very forlorn Darth Maul standing alone, and then she sprinted to his side.
After their initial joyous greetings, Krista stammered, "But--but--how--?"
"Like we know," Obi-Wan snorted. "We watched you step into the glass, then you disappeared and there were these four other girls there. Then they said something about repaying a favor--and here we were."
"The gift!" Annie gasped. "This--you are their gift to us! Oh, wherever you are, thank you, thank you!" she cried to the heavens, throwing her arms wide with joy.
Then, from even farther away, they heard a startled yelp, and turned to see yet another very disgruntled group of people standing in the weeds. "That--" a very unnerved looking Luke Skywalker yelled, pointing at the young Obi-Wan, "is unnatural! It's not possible! I watched you--a much older you--die! And where in the blazes am I?"
As Annie screeched in delight and leapt toward her friend, a groan came from nearby and a strange, lizard-like woman sat up, rubbing her head. "I don't think we're on Tatooine anymore, Cassie."
"You said it," the human woman agreed, goggling at the weeds.
Over Annie's doubled joy, another, clearly amused young woman called, "Aide McGregor? Laura? Is that you? Uh, would you mind explaining . . . this?"
As Laura bounded to join her fellow senatorial aide and Annie was reunited with her friends from the cantina, Krista and Danielle exchanged amused glances. "This should be interesting," Krista said.
From behind her, Danielle heard Qui-Gon say, "Danielle, I think you and your friends have a bit of explaining to do."
Danielle opened her mouth to speak, but Laura got to it first. From the midst of a huge group of laughing, talking people, Laura flung her arms wide and shouted to the heavens. "Ladies and gentlemen of a galaxy long ago and far far away . . . welcome to Earth!"