Chapter 1: Who Are You?
Luke watched the sun rise over the lake from the window in his small kitchen. After arriving on Naboo a month prior, Luke had been immediately drawn to the lake country. Registering under an assumed name he had secured a small apartment fro himself in one of the lakeside villas. It was more than he needed and more than he was used to in his service in the Alliance, but something about the villa had seemed comforting.
Luke had decided to treat himself with the credits from his father's old account. A few days after his father's death, Luke had received notice from Vader's lawyer. Luke had been named the sole heir to his estate and had been given control of his father's properties and bank accounts. He hadn't decided what to do with his inheritance, but Luke didn't plan on keeping it. Luke knew where the credits had come from, but giving himself a small allowance from the spoils and not having to stretch the Alliance's resources for his personal missions seemed only fair.
Hearing a news report come in over the holonet receiver, Luke turned his attention to the holographic image. Imperial control on Naboo was quickly slipping and Luke was able to get uncensored reports of the war. The newly declared New Republic fleet was pushing its influence toward the core, liberating Outer and Mid Rim planets on its path toward the capital. Luke couldn't help but notice the reporters had begun to refer to the capital once more as Coruscant rather than Imperial City as the Emperor had rechristened the planet. Soon, the capital would be liberated and the war would be firmly on the New Republic's side.
Watching Leia being interviewed about the New Republic's latest victory, Luke couldn't help but feel guilty. He could see the worry in his sister's eyes in spite of the cool front she was putting up. Luke knew he was the source of that worry. He should have contacted her once he was settled in, but Luke knew that if he called, Leia would have convinced him to return right away. It was better to remain hidden for now. Luke could feel in the Force that he wasn't done here. He hadn't found what he had come here for just yet.
Luke looked down at the remains of his breakfast. Seeing only crumbs, he knew his meal was over. Leaving his plate to clean later, Luke picked up his mug of hot chocolate and went outside. He took a deep breath of the cool morning air and watched the morning sun peek through the light clouds hovering over the lake. He walked along the edge of the villa, skirting his way along the lakeshore in the process and kept his gaze on the foggy opposite shore.
He soon made his way to his favorite balcony as the fog lifted. Something about the canopied stone terrace soothed him. It was more than the vine covered trusses and potted flowers. The vista of the lake was breathtaking, but the same could be said for many of the other balconies at the retreat. There was more to this location. Luke could feel it in the Force. A sense of happiness and love permeated this place. One that he felt was important to him. Perhaps, if he solved this mystery, Luke would be able to regain the balance he had lost, but he didn't entirely believe that. The sensations at the balcony were only a piece of the puzzle. Luke had no idea what this puzzle would look like when completed, nor if he would ever see the finished picture, but perhaps it was the process that mattered.
Setting down his mug of hot chocolate, Luke leaned down to smell one of the red flowers in the pots lining the terrace. He had to be careful around this particular plant since thorns covered its stem, but if he could avoid the needles, Luke was rewarded with the sweet, calming scent of the bloom. Perhaps when he had a place of his own, Luke would have a garden and grow these plants himself. Luke chuckled for a moment about the thought of being a farmer in a former life but knowing nothing of caring for plants. However, it was never too late to learn.
After inhaling the sweet aroma of the plant, Luke leaned on the balcony's railing with his back to the lake. He picked up his mug and drank the last of his hot chocolate in one gulp. Luke let out a satisfied sigh as he swallowed the sweet, warm beverage. Hot chocolate was much better than the bitter caf he had been introduced to in the mess halls. Luke closed his eyes to immerse himself in the Force. He had made it a point to come out to this balcony and draw the calm and peace of the place to himself every morning to center his thoughts.
Once more, Luke found himself being swept away by the lines of the Force into a vision. This wasn't the first time he had seen the hazy visage of a man and woman in love. Luke had long ago begun to suspect that these two were the cause of the strong Force impression at this terrace. He just wished he could see enough of them to know who they were. This time, Luke found himself looking out over the lake at midmorning, the shadows of the canopy obscuring his view of the individuals in front of him. Unlike his previous flashes, Luke could make out the image of three people.
The young man's face could only be seen in profile, but Luke could make out the features of the young woman across from him. She wore a white dress and a veil covered much of her dark hair. Her soft face came into view for a moment when she reached her hand out to take that of the young man across from her. At this moment, Luke realized that the third individual was a holy man. This was a wedding ceremony. It would certainly explain the sensations of love and happiness in the place. But Luke couldn't help but wonder why he would feel these emotions so strongly in this place in particular.
Before Luke could delve any further into his vision, it suddenly faded from his sight and he found himself back on the balcony. His muscles quickly tensed, expecting danger, but a quick search of his surroundings found no one. Still hesitant, Luke decided to dig deeper and stretched out his senses into the Force, looking for the cause of his break in concentration. Most of the residents of the retreat were either still in bed or just beginning their day so Luke quickly wrote them off when he felt no ill will from any of them. He stretched his feelings out further over the lake and slowly a weak sense of distress came to him over the Force.
Luke snapped his eyes open and turned in the direction of the distress. He could see something bobbing in the water and knew that this was the cause of his alarm. Luke whipped his head around and saw that the rental boat for the villa's patrons was tied up at the dock. He quickly ran down to the dock and untied the small craft. Firing up the boat's small engine, he guided the small ship out towards the bobbing shape. As he approached the source of his worry, Luke quickly realized that he was looking at a human being.
Luke started to panic at his realization. How long had this person been floating in there? Why hadn't he felt it earlier? He knew that the individual wasn't dead because of the vague feeling of distress he was still getting from them in the Force, but it was possible they were dying. Luke set his jaw. All he could do now was hope that he wasn't too late to help them. Slowing the boat down to avoid pushing away the floating victim in its wake, Luke could make out that the individual was a woman.
Stopping the ship just to the woman's side, Luke reached into the water and pulled her out. Her skin was pale and her lips were blue and Luke could feel her slipping away through the Force. He immediately started doing the emergency resuscitation he had learned to get her breathing again and give the woman a chance to live. Luke was truly scared that he had been too late just before he felt a spark in the Force and the woman coughed as her breathing returned.
Luke fired the boat's engine back up and pointed the craft toward shore, knowing that the woman would survive. He tried to get a response from her, but she had slipped into unconsciousness. Luke could feel that the woman wouldn't die if she got the medical attention she needed. In fact, Luke was pretty sure he could do what needed to be done with his little first aid background and he got the feeling the woman wouldn't be safe in a medical center. For some reason, Luke couldn't shake the idea that she was hiding from someone or something.
He looked over the woman, trying to determine why she would have been floating in the middle of the lake, but her dark, form fitting clothing and covered head told him little. He couldn't help but wonder about the empty wrist holsters in her clothing, but wouldn't be able to get any information until she regained consciousness. Hoping to get her out of at least some of her wet clothing until he could get her dry indoors, Luke removed the outer jacket of the woman's clothing. Next, he pulled off the hat that had been hiding her hair, spilling a red-gold mane around her head. Luke was mesmerized at the sight of the woman before him. "Who are you?"