(A/N: To anyone named "Joel", I deeply, deeply apologize from the bottom of my heart.)

Chapter 10

"Hey…hey…" a familiar voice sounded.

Blossom blinked several times.

"HEY!" Buttercup shouted. "Are you thick or what? Wake up! Something's happening!"

Blossom glared at Buttercup. "Thanks you very much," she said with more than a hint of vicious sarcasm.

"There's something weird goin' on," Buttercup stated. "People keep blabbering on and on about these 'Heroes of Yavin' people returning or something. It's actually kind of creepy."

"Let's check it out," Blossom said, giving in.

---

Blossom and Buttercup walked through the hallways of the ship, glancing around for anyone heroic-looking.

"Damn. This is getting us no where," Buttercup mumbled. "I'm checking the meeting room. Maybe that's where they are…"

She walked off, leaving Blossom in the middle of the ship's bridge.

There was a swift sound of a door sliding open and closing once again, and out of no where Blossom felt an immense calm.

The young man, probably not even in his twenties, walked forward. He was wearing a white robe, fingering another strange small cylinder on his belt. He had a scarred look in his fragile blue eyes, like he had just gone through an immensely troubling ordeal. His blond hair shimmered, and he just stared out into the blackness of space.

"Han…where are you?" he said softly.

"Hey…are you one of those Yavin guys?" Blossom asked, then immediately regretted.

"Uh…yeah. I guess so. Who are you? Is there…something wrong with your eyes?"

Blossom blinked, then blushed. "Well…um…"

"Sorry," the young man apologized. "By the way, my name's Luke. I'm actually surprised you haven't heard of me. People keep blabbering my name all over the place, it's a wonder I get any privacy."

"I know exactly how you feel, believe it or not. At my home planet, me and my sisters were regarded as heroes. Until it…fell to the Empire."

"Were you and your sisters…Jedi Knights?"

"Kazoomtite."

There was a long silence.

"Wait…that wasn't a sneeze?"

"Uh…no. You…you're new here, aren't you?" Luke said, a look of sort-of-annoyed-but-more-wanting-to-help in his face.

"Well…yeah. I come from--"

Luke wasn't listening. His eyes were closed in concentration.

"Think your past," he said quietly.

"What?"

"It's…you won't have to actually explain it. I'm testing something out."

Blossom blinked. "Oookay."

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her past. Their apparent birth, the creation of Mojo Jojo, the many battles with criminals that insued, and…the Empire.

Luke let out a shout, then fell to the floor.

"Luke!" Blossom shouted in a mixture of surprise and terror.

"I…I saw everything…I'm sorry. I wasn't ready to intrude on your thoughts…and it wasn't right of me."

Luke spoke no more and began to walk out, his pain showing in his eyes.

"Hey," Blossom called, and immediately regretted it. He turned back, his deep blue eyes showing.

"Yeah?"

"What exactly…did you do back there? Are you a psychic or something?"

"I guess you could say that," Luke said with a small smile. "I'm a Jedi Knight."

"You mentioned that word before. What does that mean?" Blossom asked earnestly.

"A Jedi Knight…they are…were…the guardians of the Force. I'm not too surprised you haven't heard of them. The Empire has been trying and succeeding of wiping away any vestige of the old Republic." Before Blossom could ask any questions, he went on. "The Jedi were the keepers of peace and tranquility in the old Republic. Before the Empire's reign of darkness, the Jedi used a…they…how can I explain this? Hmm…"

He stopped for several seconds, then continued.

"Every being, from the smallest insect to the largest creature, creates energy. This life-energy, or the Force, is throughout the galaxy. As long as there is life, there will be the Force. It binds us, connects us…without it we would be without direction and conscience. The Force can be used, tapping into the vast energy web to give you strength and the ability to clear your mind and body. This is what the Jedi did."

The last few words were spoken solemnly, as if during a eulogy.

"They guarded the galaxy in the days of the Republic, for thousands of years. Then a powerful Sith Lord came. A Sith known as--"

"Hang on a sec. A 'Sith'?"

"They're force-users who have fallen to the Dark Side." Seeing Blossom's puzzled look, Luke began to explain further. "The Dark Side is the negative side of the force. Hatred, anger and fear, the most simple and harmful emotions, fuel the Dark Side. At first, one who uses it's power would consider it's energies greater than the Light, but those who chose that path become consumed by hatred. They never know peace again…" he said, his mind seeming to wander. He stared down at one of his hands, and Blossom jumped. The hand was robotic.

"I have strived to go down the path of the Jedi, but I…I'm a failure. I can't face my enemy. I just…can't." He paused. "I can't say much…I won't…but…I fought someone just a week ago. I lost my hand in the fight, and much more. My hope. I had thought my enemy to be pure hatred, but…"

He stopped. "I have to go for now. Something's going on. I'll see you later…"

"What? I--"

"Don't worry. I'll be here for another week. And perhaps…"

"What?"

"Nothing. Come and see me tomorrow morning. I have a lot to teach you."

Luke walked out of the hall, and the door slammed shut.

Teach what? The conversation had shed some light on what was happening, but not enough. She needed to know what was going on, and exactly that.

The rest of the day, her mind was racing with questions eager to be answered. She needed to know…who was this man? And what did she need to learn? All of these questions would be answered the next morning, and only then, she thought as she went to bed.

End Chapter 10