Title: A Galaxy of Difference
Rating: Teen
Author: amep
Summary: Pre TPM, semi AU. Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are sent on a mission to retrieve a girl from earth; the daughter of a former Jedi Master. Mentions events from the Jedi Apprentice Series.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Star Wars Universe, which is trademarked by George Lucas. I do not claim any ownership over them or the universe of Star Wars, with the exception of the original characters: Jota Evar, Ari Saydré, and Aryyana Evar. The story I tell here is my own invention, and it is not purported or believed to be part of George Lucas' story canon or expanded universe. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story. I am grateful to Mr. Lucas for his fantastic films and stories, for without his work, my story would not exist.
Authors Note: This is my first Star Wars related story, though I have been a fan since I first saw the movies when I was three years old. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Enjoy the story!
Chapter Posted: March 29, 2006
Chapter Edited: December 9, 2010
Note on Edit: Since the time I first posted the story, I have started reading the Jedi Apprentice Series. I've made some small edits and additions to reflect that storyline. I love the expanded universe :-)
Chapter Two: Earth
"No, R4, I haven't gotten the hyper drive to work yet!" Aryyana said frustrated to R4-E6, the astromech droid that had accompanied the small space craft, which Aryyana was trying to so desperately repair, to Earth. Giving up for the moment, Aryyana hoisted herself out of the ship's hull and sat on the edge of the hatch with her eyes closed. Trying to calm herself, she released her emotions into the Force, just like her father had taught her.
"R4, what are we going to do?" Aryyana said glancing sideways at the droid with red accents, "Even if we got this thing working, we'd never be able to launch without fuel." She sighed before getting up and walking down the gangplank into the cool night air. The soft breeze blew Aryyana's long brown hair into her bright green eyes. She decided to tie it back as she walked a short ways through the forest.
Aryyana approached a small clearing with a large boulder near its center. She climbed on top of the boulder and sat down on it with her legs crossed, looking up at the star-lit sky and wondering if she would ever be able to return to the galaxy where she knew she belonged. Deciding to try and clear away these thoughts, Aryyana reached into the Force, feeling its warmth wrap around her. She stretched out with it and felt the many life forms that lived in the forest and the far off mountains. Stretching farther, passed the moon and into the unknown, Aryyana thought she felt a presence of some kind, but quickly it was gone.
Aryyana slowly withdrew, finding that she was suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion, and headed back to the ship to sleep.
Aryyana woke up just before sunrise the next morning and went back to the boulder in the clearing to begin the day by the traditional morning meditation that she used to share with her father. It had been nearly two months now since Aryyana's father, Jedi Master Jota Evar, had passed away, and every time Aryyana thought that she had accepted his death, the grief would suddenly return. This morning presented her with one of those moments and, seeking comfort, Aryyana wrapped the force around her.
After releasing her grief into the Force and beginning to feel a little better, Aryyana cleared her mind and again stretched out with the Force. Feeling the life around her in the forest, and near the mountains, she again stretched out passed the Earth's atmosphere trying to locate the presence she had felt the night before. She felt it vaguely at first, but it quickly grew to be fairly strong.
What is it? Aryyana asked herself, trying to focus all her energy toward it. It can't be... She thought to herself, suddenly getting an image of a ship nearly twice the size of the one over in the larger clearing. It is... Aryyana opened her eyes abruptly and looked up at the morning sky. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but the Force told her the ship was coming her way.
Aryyana ran back to the broken down ship that had been serving as her residence since the death of father and master, not stopping until she was up the gangplank and inside the small cockpit where she immediately tried to pull up the radar. Aryyana furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of nothing but noise and static on the screen.
"R4!" She called, and heard the droid come out of its hibernation mode and wheel its way into the cockpit. "See if you can get the radar up."
R4-E6 plugged into the ship's computer terminals and after several moments of adjustments the radar popped up crystal clear. Now why can't we get the engines to work that easily? Aryyana thought briefly with a hint of frustration before examining the radar screen in front of her.
"There's a cruiser just barely on the screen." Aryyana said out loud, "And I think it might be coming our way, R4." Aryyana sat in the pilot seat staring at the radar screen thoughtfully. After a few minutes, R4 flashed a message across one of the screen, accompanied by a series of excited sounding beeps, which read, "FRIENDS?"
This caused Aryyana's thoughts to drift to the looping transmission that her father had set up. Aryyana had had reservations about such an idea, regardless of whether or not the message was coded specifically for the Jedi Order. Aryyana had felt that just about anyone looking would be able to pick up the transmission, though it would take time to decode, and be able to find their way to this place that she knew was supposed to be remain hidden from the wrong people for a reason she was never enlightened about.
"I don't know, R4... Is there any way we can trace the ships origin?" Aryyana replied, and R4 immediately began to converse with the computer again. After several minutes, R4 displayed some information on a large monitor to Aryyana's right.
On the screen was displayed a diagram of a ship with an analysis next to it based on the physical characteristics of the ship. Aryyana quickly scanned the information and found that the ship in question was a smaller, slightly newer, modified version of a Republic cruiser. There was not much information in the analysis, leading Aryyana to the assumption that the computers were too obsolete to have the actual model in its database. Slightly relieved to hear that the ship was from the Republic, Aryyana glanced at the radar again and saw that the ship had moved slightly closer to where she and R4 currently sat.
"I think that if they keep heading this way at their current speed, they should arrive several hours after mid-day..." Aryyana got up from the pilot seat and headed to the back of the ship. She now saw that there were too possibilities at hand. Either the people on the cruiser were indeed friendly, in which case Aryyana would try to journey back with them, or they were not, in which case she would have to defend herself or run, but Aryyana hoped that things wouldn't come to that.
Aryyana began to quickly pack one bag that she would carry with her in the event she needed to escape. She carefully took her father's lightsaber from a self and held it in her hands. Aryyana ignited it for a few moments, whirling the blue blade through the air with skill and ease. She then extinguished it and attached the hilt of the lightsaber to her belt.
She was going to be prepared if the circumstances called for it.
Young Obi-Wan Kenobi was sitting in one of the pilot chairs in the cockpit alone, looking pensively out the window at the stars streaming past him. We must be close by now. It's been almost three weeks since we entered hyperspace. Obi-Wan let out a sigh as he placed his elbow on the armrest of his seat to prop his head up with his hand. He missed the fresh air of the temple gardens, and was tired of being cooped up in a spacecraft, however spacious, for this long. He longed to be able to get out and practice his lightsaber techniques, or even be able to walk more than fifteen meters (the length of the ships central corridor) in the same direction.
Just as Obi-Wan was beginning to doze off in his boredom, a series of urgent sounding beeps began calling his attention. Obi-Wan immediately snapped out of his daze and became instantly alert as he looked around for the source of the beeps. He turned at last to find the source coming from the navigational system, just as his master, Qui-Gon, rushed into the cockpit and took the pilot chair to Obi-Wan's left.
"Master, I believe that it is time to disengage the hyperdrive." Obi-Wan stated after reading the navigational monitor and put a stop to the beeping, which had now become quite annoying.
"Excellent, Obi-Wan. Now strap yourself in while we begin to leave hyperspace." said Qui-Gon while checking all the monitors around him and pressing buttons. Obi-Wan did as he was told, and began checking his side of the cockpit to make sure that all the systems and computers were operating correctly.
"All systems functional, Master." Obi-Wan stated matter-of-factually.
"Alright, then. Everything checks out on my side as well. Disengaging the hyperdrive, Obi-Wan."
The streaming stars outside the ship began to slow down and finally come to a normal pace as the ship's speed reduction forced Obi-Wan and his master slightly forward in their seats. When the ship finally came to its normal speed, Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan again checked to make sure that everything was working the way it was supposed to, which it was. The two unbuckled themselves and looked out the window. Seeming barely the size of a holodisc, was a bright blue planet with a single pale moon.
"Earth." Qui-Gon said smiling slightly at the sight. The two sat looking at the view before them for a few moments before Qui-Gon decided to break the silence.
"Now, Obi-Wan, we must scan the planet for any force sensitive life forms, and there we will find our young Padawan." Qui-Gon said exchanging a small smiling glance with Obi-Wan. The two then immediately set to work. It would only be about a half a day until they reached the planet, Earth.