Where Am I Going To?

Part One

Chapter Eighteen

"Oh, wow, did you see his score?"

"That's amazing!"

"That's impossible."

His cheeks flushed from the exercise, Luke climbed out of the flight simulator, only to discover small mob had formed. Surprised and confused, his instinct was to retreat, but he was dragged into the mass of pilots, all tussling his hair or playfully punching his shoulder until he was sure he was riddled with bruises.

He was in paradise.

Grinning and breathless, he met face after face, some he recognized, other's not.

Finally, Wedge asked, "Where did you learn to fly like that?"

Easy and nonchalantly, Luke still grinned as he replied, "Oh, well, my father taught me to-" He clamped his jaw shut, ducking his head slightly, his ears starting to burn. Why did he have to open his stupid mouth?

A momentary and heavy silence hung in the air, the imposing reminder of who Luke – who's simulator scores had made him officially one of them, a pal, a comrade – was really the son of. Luke's blood was as inescapable as his mastery of the Force. His name, his face, his words and deeds were forever linked to the emperor he had now vowed to destroy, and the father that had raised him – only one of the most feared men in the galaxy. Should he be ashamed of who he was, who had raised him? His father had taught him to be nothing but proud. The Skywalkers were a family that defied the odds, were constantly destined for great things. Thinking of his father made Luke wonder if the man missed him at all. Probably not.

But for his part, Luke did miss his father, if only a little.

Feeling responsible, Wedge quickly shifted the conversation and the focus and everyone was soon babbling excitedly again, and Luke was lovingly pushed around like a rag doll until he was sure his spine would break. Someone said that he needed to be fitted for a uniform while others talked about finding him an X-Wing to pilot. He answered questions in a daze and smiled politely at compliments.

He'd never been happier.

…

"Young Skywalker certainly does not seem to lack friends," Mon Mothma commented, watching the crowd jostle the confused but happy boy. The mob of pilots had certainly attached themselves to him when they discovered how good he was. Now they'd probably give his personality a chance and end up adoring him. It was sweet, if slightly ironic.

"No," agreed Leia, grinning as she watched him. "I was pretty worried about that, but he's settled in nicely." This looked almost nothing like the sobbing, insecure boy she'd known on board the Millennium Falcon, but it pleased her that he could move on from tragedy. That was a handy skill they all had to learn.

After a moment, the elder woman asked "Are you sure this is not all just an act? He hardly seems to lack confidence."

"You should hear him spill his worries at night." Mon Mothma raised an eyebrow and Leia quickly blushed. "I mean…not like that. He just needs someone to talk to when he can't sleep, so I lend an ear."

"I know."

"Stop smiling."

"I'm not smiling."

"Yes you are!" cried the exasperated Leia, as her mentor lost the fight to keep the amused smile from off her face.

"He does, however, seem to be extremely fond of you."

"I know, but I'm not of him. Not like that. He's sweet, and he's my friend, but I just don't-"

"No need to explain it to me," soothed Mon Mothma. "We've all been through that sort of situation. Poor thing will just have to suffer through it a while."

"What's this?" It was General Rieekan, come to see why his pilots were congregated around the flight simulator. "Our little Leia breaking hearts?"

"I am not!" she repeated, starting to become agitated.

Rieekan wrapped his arm around her shoulder affectionately, laughing. "Of course you are! All the boys make sheep's eyes at you."

"How unfortunate," she replied, giving in and playing the game, "as I only have eyes for you, General."

He laughed again, and Mon Mothma smiled. "You're so flattering." There was a pause as a young officer grabbed Luke's arm and dragged him out of the crowd crying "Come on, we've got to get you measured for a flight suit!" The throng of admirers followed like sheep a shepherd.

Luke, Leia speculated, wasn't exactly a leader adored by his people. It was really a pity, as his shy smiles and handsome face seemed to make him an instant success when he wasn't drowning in the black robes of a Sith Lord. People loved people like Luke when they were actual humans that they could relate to. Such qualities as Luke possessed were despised, however, in a leader. Forgivable flaws in a man, not a god.

Rieekan sized the boy up as he was dragged along, and finally nodded, agreeing with himself on some point. "Lanky, isn't he? Well, good thing there aren't too many tall people on base. However, Princess Organa, you were right about his ability." He could hear the numbers the crowd was so enthralled by and raised an appreciative eyebrow. "He does not seem to lack talent."

"He'll settle in well," agreed Mon Mothma.

"In time," confirmed Leia, "they'll forget he was ever a Lord of the Sith."

A darkening of the mood around her and the tightening of Rieekan's arm around her shoulder startled her, and she looked from one mentor to the other.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "That is one thing they'll never forget."

"But why not?" the eighteen year old princess protested.

"No matter how light hearted he is," agreed Mon Mothma, "young Skywalker will be perpetually marked by a dark cloud. He will forget what he did for his entire life long before his compatriots will."

"But he's not evil!" implored Leia, breaking free of Rieekan's arm so that she could argue the point and stare Luke's attackers in the eye. She didn't know why, but she knew she'd defend him to the death. Maybe because he'd do the same for her. "You saw him, he's not!"

"Agreed," allowed Rieekan, "he is not evil. It is a measure of his character, he is able to act independently from his weakness. But it is still there, and will be forever."

"Why? Why can't he just be like everyone else? None of the people here fighting are perfect."

"But none of them were Lords of the Sith. Leia," Mon Mothma patiently explained like the mother she'd lost, "people don't forget was Imperial Princes do. They murder people, sometimes thousands. Innocent people, men, women, children. It's true of dictatorships throughout all of history, and it is definitely true of young Skywalker."

"But he's changed!"

"In what way? Princess, we are killing people. Even now, we are training people to be murderers. Luke's just stepped into a different type of murder is all."

"But it's different."

"Because they're Imperial soldiers that makes taking life better?"

That gave her pause for thought. Finally, she deliberated "These aren't common, unarmed citizens."

"Leia," pleaded Rieekan, "I'm with you on this, I deplore the taking of life. But we do what we must. We are trading a lesser of two evils. The question isn't who is murdering who, but why? And what sort of person is this?"

"So what you're saying is," Leia divined, "that because of Luke's history of remorseless violence, he is likely to be held more accountable for death than his colleagues. Because he's still a traitor, they'll never fully trust them."

"It is a definite possibility, yes," nodded the elder woman. "The crowd will love him, but they'll never trust him. And if and when the day comes that his character is attacked, will he be able to handle the backlash?"

Leia rubbed at her arms, suddenly feeling very cold. "And here I thought I was helping to save him."

"Your motives in bringing him here were nothing but the best, and it is probably good he came. But you cannot protect him forever. No one can. And believe me, he is old enough and experienced enough to know that. So," Rieekan clapped his hands to end the somber mood, "on that note let us refrain permanent judgment on his person until the true tests arrive."

"Going back to the topic of Skywalker's affection for you," Mon Mothma sighed, "do you think that will change at all now that he's so preoccupied?"

Rieekan grinned. "What's this now? Young Skywalker has taken a fancy to you?" Leia flushed again. "When's the wedding date?"

"I don't like him like that."

"But whom do you like like that?"

The question so stunned Leia that she blushed furiously and in the end had to excuse herself from her companions company. Mon Mothma and Rieekan flashed each other a grin before moving on to separate business of their own.

To Be Continued….

To make up for the gross lack of updates, here's another one. Sorry if my logic is a little weird in this one, it was really late at night when I was writing, and I was tired.

xInuyashaxangelx: Just for you, more.

Schnickledooger: I wanted to write. Several times I thought "I should really sit down and work on fanfiction." Sounded good, but I just never got the inertia to do it. But I saw Episode III again last night, so I just had to. It makes me very excited for when I finally get to delve back into Vader's thoughts again.