Chapter 1: Ariala
The wind whistled fiercely across the dunes and plateaus of the desert planet, whipping sand and tree into its fury. The small critters that had not long ago found deep, quiet, shelter chittered and lowed as they ducked into whatever crevices they could. Every instinct told them a storm was coming.
Further across the plains, a womp rat, just darting into a hole, popped its head up to examine the landscape, beady eyes rolling around, nose twitching as it once again checked the air. Were it not for the dancing sands, the little rodent would have been quite startled to see the only life form still without coverage.
A solitary figure stood, unmoved by the gale, tan clothing nearly blending into the environment. She wore no extra protection from the wind, and her bare limbs and face, tanned from the blazing sun, glowed red where it had been rubbed raw by the sand. Still, she made no movement, save soft breaths, for her mind was far flung from her body, deep into the Force of the earth; the breath of the rocks, the heartbeat of the wind that combined to create the living world. She struggled to slide herself into their foreign rhythm, blend with them and she was close, so close…eagerly, she threw herself in the wave, her aura exploding out to bend the motion to her favor. And the planet snapped back, throwing the power back into her with enough force, the girl rocked on her feet and fell to her knees.
Realization of her failure sank into her pit like a stone and she screamed into the storm before gathering herself up and stalking away.
In its hole, the little womp rat shivered.
The small hut was barely more than two round rooms piled atop each other, the walls constructed by the standard sandstone that made it seem nothing more than a peak on a hill. Inside, the main living area was crammed tight with cushions and a small table, while just behind, a kitchen stood just large enough to serve its primary need. The old, repurposed, once abandoned home was never meant to be a place of long-term comfort, but it was all the girl knew and its isolation from the sprawling cities, meant she knew of nothing better.
So, when she stepped through the small door and immediately had to step around a large storage chest, she paid it little mind. "I'm back."
At the table, an old man casually glanced up, nodded and returned to his thin book. "You were trying it again."
The girl scoffed and flung herself on the larger of the two stuffed chairs. "Trying is about all I am doing."
"Being one with the Force does not mean becoming master of it," Ben said absentmindedly. "Nature must run its own course."
"But it's not impossible?"
Ben stopped and turned strongly to the girl. "To control the natural world is to corrupt the Force to your own bidding. Such malice is a trait of the dark side, my young Padawan."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Master."
The old Jedi sighed and shifted to fully take in the sulking girl on the couch. Sixteen years had passed since he took her as his own. Her life now impressed him, a gift from the Force, he was sure.
"I cannot continue to linger here," Obi-Wan hissed as he looked around. A week had passed since the fall of the republic and Palpatine was not quiet in his takeover. His clones marched in force and his ships dominated the stars. Obi-Wan was only still safe because he waited in the unwanted reaches of the outer rim. Still, it was not wise to test that for much longer. The secretive medical station on Polis Massa was too close to Mustafar for comfort. Unfortunately, leaving was much easier said than done. His relocation was hindered by two newborns, one still tottering on the edge of life.
The Jedi looked again at the small child. She had regained color in her skin and often babbled lightly. She ate well and her system, though slow and weak, processed nourishment. He had certain hope that, were she to remain under this level of care, she would grow to be a wonderfully normal child. But they were out of time.
"I will need to move her."
"I'm afraid that is woefully ill-advised, Master Kenobi." The maidbot answered. "It is impressive she has survived this long, but to move her out of the unit will reduce her chances of life to less than ten percent."
Kenobi sighed. He did not want to take the chance that the young girl could die but there was a guarantee of their death should they not leave soon. This station was not designed for such long term care and the massive amounts of power it took to keep the little babe – and her brother - alive meant a shuttle traveled from the asteroid daily to gather fresh power cells. He was too low on credits to continue the cost and too paranoid that the back and forth travel would be noticed.
For him, there was little other choice.
He turned back to the droid. "Do everything you can to strengthen her by next week."
In the end, they had managed to escape with little detection and through the graciousness of the Force, the young girl had been strong enough to survive. Her life was more precious to him because of that. She was more than his Padawan, she was his daughter.
But he was not who he saw within her. She had Padme's heart, full of a passion to help, to right wrongs – often she'd rescue lost travelers from the sand people or even care for the rodents most others disregarded – but she also had Anakin's blinding determination and short temper. As with her parents, most times, the two personalities blended wonderfully, aiding the other as she moved forward; heart guiding strength. He was sure this was a contributing factor to her development.
In truth, despite her young age, he was certain, had the old council still existed, her strength was enough to permit her to take the Trials. There was a part of him that was glad that was not the case. She was stronger than her maturity could handle and often she sought new challenges only to prove to herself that she can overcome them.
He had been the one to tell her of the great Jedi masters strong enough to hold back a hurricane for two days; how they did it not with pure strength but by contorting the essence within the storm to their own inner calm, holding back the rage until the city was evacuated.
He regretted that choice now. "Ariala."
From the couch, the girl looked up, still pouting.
"Are you not satisfied in your strength?"
Ariala cringed and looked away from the old Jedi. For a moment she was silent. Then, "It's not that. It was too easy, wasn't it?" She looked back to Ben, the question honestly in her eyes.
"Too easy?"
Ariala sighed. "Getting to this point. You always told me so many stories of the old Jedi. How they would train their whole lives to reach even the point of Knight, let alone Master. How, for some, it took years to even learn to bend the Force on command." She paused and looked at her hands as though something were strange about them. "But then there's me." With a mindless flick of her wrist, the pots and décor in the kitchen behind her took to the air and danced. She paid them no mind and continued speaking. "I have no one to compare to but stories. I think I'm strong because I can do this much but maybe this is nothing. Or maybe I've drifted to the wrong side and have taken some terrible shortcut. Or perhaps this will come to be all I am capable of. I do not know and not knowing has frightened me."
The kitchen quieted as things returned to their proper place and she raised her eyes to Ben again. "I don't seek to control nature…I just want to know where my strength truly lies. Is that wrong of me, Master?"
It was now Ben's turn to turn away. Yes, she had much more of her father in her than she knew. The realization brought tears to his eyes. After a tense silence, in which he noticed Ariala's eyes failed to leave him, he spoke.
"I believe it is time I tell you about one other Jedi."
"Master – "
"No, Padawan. This is tale you need to hear. Come." He gestured to the open seat at the other end of the table.
"You know of the history of the Old Republic, before the ruling power before the Empire. Of the Jedi Council, the clone wars, the overthrown senate. This tale is before that…and through it."
The girl frowned in confusion – how in so many years was there a tale she had not yet heard? – and took a seat at the table.
"Thirty years ago," Ben started, "when I was still but a Padawan, only a few years older than you are now, my master and I were sent on a mission of peace to ascertain dissent in the then Trade Federation. The mission went quite badly, and our ship was damaged. We were forced to the outer rim – here to Tatooine – for repairs and supplies.
"In our wait, we came upon a young boy named Anakin. He had an unbelievable connection to the Force and my master decided to take him with us, to be trained, should the council approve. It took time for them to accept the boy – he was older than most who begin the training and Master Yoda was concerned about his future - however, he was eventually accepted, though by then, my Master had already passed during the battle of Naboo. I took him as my own Padawan and saw what my master did – he had the true potential to be the Chosen One of prophecy." Ben paused, as though considering if he truly wanted to continue. After a moment, he did.
"But Anakin was headstrong, overly confident in his abilities – he was always quite the best at everything he took to – and hungry for more. Despite the rules of the Jedi, Anakin married Senator Amidala in secret and, during the Clone Wars, she became pregnant.
"Looking back, I believe the responsibility of Jedi Knight, General, husband, and father-to-be, combined with his determined decision that he had not accomplished enough, drove him. Anakin was tormented by fear that he would lose his wife as he had lost his mother, fear that ultimately pulled him to the dark side. When it was revealed that the Chancellor was the Dark Lord of the Sith, Anakin joined with him and cemented himself as Darth Vader." Ben stopped, the memories still too painful for him to embrace. He lost a friend and brother that night on Mustafar. No matter how many decades passed between then and today, he would never forgive himself for letting Anakin take that path. Nor for leaving him, when he could have stopped Vader's rise.
Ariala let him sit, contemplating. That Vader was once a Jedi and that Anakin Skywalker existed were things she had learned already. That they were the same, that the hero of the clone wars was now the menace in black, however, was a shocking revelation. Already her mind pieced together the lesson she was meant to garner from his story. Her heart trembled and she pushed fear aside. "What about his wife?" she finally asked, attempting to pull Ben from his clearly painful recollection.
Ben sighed and pressed on. "Yes. Amidala. She was nearly as headstrong as he had been, and so she refused to let him go without a fight. Against my judgement, she went to him, hoping to turn him back, but Anakin's grip on the dark side was too strong. He had been blinded by fear and loss and pain and could not see his way to the light again. He believed she betrayed him, and Anakin attacked her. The stress on her body, so late in her pregnancy, sent her into a difficult labor. She died in childbirth."
The girl visibly deflated. True, not every story she had been told had a happy ending. Many brave knights fell in many a brave deed, but there were no heroics here. Only greed and anger and broken hearts. She felt angry tears prick at her eyes. "You think I'm going to become like him…" She looked up to see Ben watching her. "That's why you told me this…isn't it?"
"No." Ben stood and moved to the storage chest. "And yes." Opening the heavy lid, he began to rifle through his old belongings, talking slowly as he did. "I did not quite finish. Amidala lost her life in childbirth, but her children – for she had been pregnant with three - survived. But it was too late to think they could live any kind of happy life. The Jedi had been killed, the senators loyal to the republic were scattered; order and democracy had fallen. If it came to be known that they lived, we feared the Empire would take them. They were their father's children after all – strongly attuned to the Force and destined for great strength." He stood, a large cloth bundle in his arms, and hobbled back to the table.
Carefully unwrapping it, he continued. "Master Yoda and I decided to separate the children, hide them, raise them, and hope that they could one day be the future we needed." The edges of the cloth fell away and inside were five bright crystals, wiring, mirrors, and various tools she had never seen before. "One daughter," Ben continued, slowly sorting through the pile, "was sent with a Senator we could trust, the son to his aunt and uncle, and the other daughter, born frail and near death, came to live with me." Ben tore his eyes from the cloth and bore them into Ariala's.
The girl stared back in silence, mouth slightly agape. It was no secret to her that she was adopted. Nor even that she had been rescued from the ravaged planet during the fall of the republic. But this was beyond what she could have thought.
"Then…me…Anakin – Darth Vader – is my father?" she choked out, still trying to process everything.
Ben nodded. "I had hoped you would be older when I had to tell you – "
"Why tell me now?"
"Because I see in you much of your father – and much of your mother – but I fear you could sway too easily toward one. And I do not trust myself to keep you from the path I could not keep your father from taking."
"But I won't –"
"And I am sure you are stronger in mind than he." Ben interjected, voice firm. "You are certainly as strong as him as Jedi."
"I'm not a Jedi…"
"No, not yet. But you are nearly there." He waved his hand over the now sorted pile. "These, create the weapon the Jedi, the lightsaber. In the old days, you would have been tasked to do this before being granted the move to Padawan," he sighed. "But we have a…nontraditional arrangement and I confess, I withheld this from you in my own selfishness." Ben slid the cloth closer to her and leaned back heavily in his chair.
"There were many tests for padawans to move into knighthood, and I have slowly watched you pass each of them without knowing. You are ready. I am ready. A lightsaber is a personal weapon, forged by the will of the Jedi who wields it. The crystal that gives its power must be molded, properly into the sword, for a lightsaber is a manifestation of a Jedi's connection to the Force. To successfully create a lightsaber is to become Jedi in your own right." He met her eyes and she saw the sadness of a father in them. "I now give you this final test."
Ariala stared at the pile and shook her head. "I don't understand. If you think I could become him, why train me any further?"
"This test will answer that far better than I could. A saber tells the true heart of Jedi."
Ariala shook her head again and the tears that were lingering in the corners of her eyes rolled down her cheeks. It couldn't be. This was far too much to process.
The story was still running at slow motion through her ears, vivid images playing in her imagination "Y-you said Padme' had three children. Who are the others?"
"That will come later."
"But – "
"You have enough to focus on now, I think?"
She signed and nodded.
"Meditate, center your thoughts on this and you will see that you are not destined for a path of darkness."
"Yes, Master."
Ariala realized very quickly that there was no shortcut to creating the legendary weapon of the Jedi. She had received only basic instructions from Ben; the crystals were synthetic Kyber crystals 'the heart of a lightsaber', the various wiring and mirrors used technically, the tools for the final touches. The construction she was to accomplish mainly with the Force but there was some hands-on work as well. Outside of the basic overview, she had been left to her own devices to get to work. And given that she had only ever seen a lightsaber a handful of times – a training saber from her childhood and a full-fledged old blue-hued one Ben kept locked in his personal trunk – she barely even knew where to begin.
Nearly a month passed, filled with many failed attempts, her patience thinning at each failure. But she also felt a sense of worth sitting calmly in her favorite patch of emptiness, the bundle tied to her belt. The girl closed her eyes and let the Force surround her. She welcomed the familiar feeling of its swelling power, ever swirling around her. Like a student she approached it, reaching out with her mind's voice, 'help me make my lightsaber'. Suddenly, her mind was flooded with images and feelings she could barely comprehend. Bright flashes of color, cold, distant planets, burning heat, belonging, fear…they overwhelmed her, she could only concentrate enough to wrench her mind free. The knowledge was screaming at her to be recognized. When she finally pulled her consciousness from the onslaught, she felt lost in her own mind and would later swear she had no memory of how she returned home that evening.
The knowledge, however, when – after many silent meditation sessions – she was finally able to sort through it, was helpful. And so, it came to pass that nearly three months after being given the task, the young girl, now nearing her seventeenth birthday, found herself sequestered in a cave, deep in the untamed lands of Tatooine, the pieces of her first saber, hovering about her. For its heart, she chose a crystal of bright amethyst that hummed pleasantly as she fitted it to the blade.
As she worked, eyes closed, senses flung out to the Force, she could not help the slow stream of thoughts buzzing in the back of her mind. This time it had to work. Already she had taken so much time and while Ben had not said anything she could not help but feel she was failing this task. What if, even if she completed it, he turned her away for taking too long? Was there a time frame? How long had it taken the Old Republic Jedi to complete the task? Or maybe, again, she was taking too little time. She would worry her master even further, proving again how similar she was to Anakin. To Vader. Her heart could not help but clench at the thought. In her distraction over the task, she had not taken time to contemplate the reality that she was the daughter – a daughter – of one of the greatest villains of the galaxy. She felt dirty even to think of it as though her entire being were forever defiled by his existence.
Being a Jedi Knight was something she had not even known she wanted. There were no Jedi left, according to Ben, save himself and he was too old and too broken by the last battle to be of any help in a future war. But if she could become one, a knight or even a master, she realized, she could take on Vader, take on Sidious and restore peaceful order. She could help everyone. Aid the rebellion and bring back the republic she heard so much about. But restoring peace meant killing Vader. Killing her father. Was that something she could do? Patricide for the sake of the galaxy? Would the stain on her soul deepen or come clean if she drove the finishing blow?
Her heart raced with the weight of her possible future and she realized the stream that was crystal's presence within the Force had slipped away from her. The humming was a now an angry and violent buzz. She pushed thoughts of Vader aside and returned to her task. The Force continued to swarm around her as she pushed herself toward the crystals wave. It crashed within the Force, frothing to and fro, already tinted with her worry. Slowly, she pushed down her doubt and fear, locking it as far from her current mind as possible, and listened to her own rhythm. The whoosh-shoo-shoo, whoosh-shoo-shoo of her life-force filled her ears. She pushed out again, toward the raging crystal's presence, trying now to imbue it with her calm, her overall self. Slowly, so achingly slow, the crystal listened. Like her, it put aside the confusion and found calm. The buzz turned to the hum and then even that vanished as, finally, the crystal succumbed to her will.
Ariala opened her eyes, squinting into the bright light of the physical world. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the base form of the saber hilt hovering before her. Joy flooded her every inch; the technical work still needed to be completed but finally, she had gotten somewhere.
Letting it fall into her hands, Ariala immediately felt the power coursing through it. It felt like a third arm, and she was suddenly very hesitant to let it go again. After a moment, she pulled the bundle of tools toward her and went to work securing the saber.
For the most part, Ben seemed content to leave Ariala to the task, to simply watch and offer advice only if asked. But in truth, he worried daily over her progress. Creating a saber with as little knowledge as she had may have been too high a request - in truth, by the time the republic fell, the council had stopped having padawans create their own sabers and instead matched them with cores harmonious to their individual nature - and he felt that it may have been his own, selfish, desire to keep her around a while longer that drove him to test her in such a way. However, he did not want her to fail. Her skills demanded challenges and what she could face as a Padawan, on the outskirts of the galaxy was never going to be enough. Already the old man had decided, should Ariala succeed, he would send her away.
Except there were limited, safe, options for her left and his choices seemed designed only to burden her more. Ben sighed, and Forced his attention outward, seeking peace in the decision he knew he had to make.
Night had come and gone and the sky was well into dawn by the time Ariala completed her work. The violet light of the blade illuminated the cave and her own satisfied smile. She could have collapsed then and there, exhausted and famished, but she was too eager to see her master's reaction that, despite her stiff joints, she ran the many miles back to Ben's hut.
xxxxx
"Master!" Ariala burst into the hut, chest heaving, eyes scanning the small room. "Master! Master!" She spotted him – rather obviously – lying on the bed, clearly startled by her sudden entrance. "Master! Master wake up!"
"Patience," he muttered. In truth, he had not been sleeping, but her excitement was heavy stone on his mind and he could not so suddenly face her. Slowly, sitting up in the small nook-shaped bed and rubbing 'sleep' from his eyes, he finally looked at his exuberant Padawan. He could already see the glint of the saber in her hand, clutched caring to her chest.
"Master, I've completed it."
Ben nodded and held out his hand. Ariala hesitated then gingerly placed the saber in his grip, releasing only when his fingers closed securely around it.
Immediately, Ben felt her strength in it, squirming around as it recognized that it was not in the proper hands. Not unusual for a saber so freshly created, though its fight was certainly evidence of her deeply loyal personality. It responded to her excitement, too, igniting easily for him though he barely tapped the button. The blade was stable, the circuit closed, and power output hovering in a comfortable mid-range. He tested the higher and lower settings, the balance, and – after standing – maneuvered it through the air. Finally, he retracted the blade and returned it to Ariala's eager hands.
"A fine job, Ari. A fine job indeed."
She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Thank you, master." A pause. "Then – "
Ben cut her off with a stern look.
"Of course," she said hurriedly. "Sorry, master."
Ben sighed, stretched tiredly and glanced out the small window beside the bed. "I think, since we're quite awake, it's time for breakfast." Without waiting for her acquiescence, he shuffled toward the kitchen. Ariala watched, looked once more toward her saber, and sighed, accepting she wasn't getting any answers right now.
Nor did she get any answers that night, nor the next day, or the day beyond that, or the day beyond that. Having given his approval on Ariala's saber fabrication, Ben upped her already intense training regimen, taxing her daily to the point of exhaustion. They sparred in the blazing heat of midday, meditated without break for days, and even after all of that, in the evenings, when the old Jedi would retired, she was instructed to run and exercise, toning her lithe muscles. But still, though she withstood it all without question or complaint, no answer came and Ariala, after a fortnight, struggled to hide her disappointment.
As evening dawned with yet another day of silence, she watched as Ben moved into the hut, leaving her with her routine for the evening. Around her, the Force wavered, her anger and sadness palpable. If Ben noticed – which Ariala doubted he did not – he gave no indication.
Ariala stayed for a moment more, rooted to the spot only because of the battle raging within her. She felt certain she could confront him and demand answers and that with her strength, he would be hard pressed to ignore her. But every part of her knew that was wrong, and besides that, what if the answer wasn't what she wanted? What if he was withholding judgement because he didn't know how to tell her that she had failed? The fear of his rejection choked her fury and Ariala pulled herself away from the hut. It would do no good to press him. She had to be patient.
Without another look back, she turned on her heel and took off at a sprint, curling her knees high to her chest, feeling the muscles stretch and strain as she pushed off against the soft, desert sand. Within mere minutes, the hut was far behind her, the interior lights barely visible in the sunset.
xxxxx
Luke tossed a small stone across the empty stretch of sand and sighed. The day had been long, as he once again said a painful farewell to another friend accepted into the Imperial Academy.
He threw one more stone.
It wasn't just the goodbye that gave him such a sour mood or even the dwindling group he had to call friends. No, what angered him most was that, with each that left, he was certain that he wasn't going anywhere.
Grumbling, he chucked another stone, watching it plunk as dejected as he felt.
His application had been filled out for nearly a year, sitting, gathering dust, as his Uncle Owen manufactured excuse after excuse to keep the teen here.
"Really, how much help could I be that he can't use a droid for?"
Luke threw his final stone and flopped against a small outcropping. The suns were nearly set, only a single rim peeking over the edge of the horizon. The moons, far enough apart to have slightly different cycles, were not yet bright enough to illuminate the sky, and the stars were dim behind the haze created in the swift temperature change. Despite the intensely hot days, Tatooine had mildly cooler nights with gentle breezes that ruffled his hair and plain, linen clothes. He sighed.
Tatooine was all he knew but there wasn't much to know here. He yearned to see something else, anything else but he couldn't see even a glimmer of chance that he would.
Sudden, soft sounds to his left, pulled him from his thoughts and he slipped quickly behind the small rock pile. It was late enough and this area remote enough – when had he wandered so far? - that Jawas, sand people, or some small scurriers could have been the source of the noise. Armed with nothing but his own fists, he didn't want to take the chance. The soft sounds were getting closer and he pinpointed that they were coming from the ravine beside him. He pressed himself lower, desperately trying to blend in. A few small pebbles pressed against his hand and he scooped them up as a means of defense.
Something began to crest the ridge.
Luke waited.
The final edge of the sun dipped and he only just made out that the sounds were gone. Whatever was out there, had stopped.
xxxxx
Ariala looked up as the final sun passed the horizon, long shadows turning into full darkness. The long-night season was just around the corner, so dusk turned to dark quickly. The stars twinkled above and she reached out for them with her mind. As usual, she failed to spread her awareness that far, instead feeling only the familiar pulse of Tatooine. The planet's life came tumbling back to her; the surface as silent and empty-
Her thoughts froze as the Force brushed against a strong presence not too far ahead. Ariala stopped, examining it. It glimmered, unhindered, the Force slipping through and around as though not entirely sure it was part of it. It was no fauna of the planet, the creatures generally small specs in perfect harmony with the Force. This was a person for sure. Her hand floated toward her saber and she drew it. Ben had warned her not to use it carelessly but this seemed like a good reason.
She took a slow step forward, still trying to make sense of the presence, un-ignited saber gripped and ready.
xxxxx
Luke was barely breathing. He could barely see more than a few feet before him and he could only pray that whatever was out there was just as inhibited. He was sure he knew the area decently enough. He could try to run for it and most likely make it back to the farm without getting lost, but depending on just what was out there, moving would only seal his fate. He opted to stay still, desperately praying to be ignored.
"Luke?"
The boy froze. Had he -?
"Luke, is that you?"
The thing was calling his name. A feminine voice. Luke squinted into the dark. He knew that voice. "Ari...?"
Her laughter was all the response he needed. He heard her soft sounds again - now recognizing them as footsteps in the sand - and stood from his hiding place. It wasn't until she was nearly right in front of him that he could make her out. "Ari, what are you doing out here?"
She laughed again, "I was just going to ask you the same thing." She discreetly slid the saber back to her belt and clapped Luke on the shoulder. In truth, friends wouldn't have been the proper term to describe their bond. Living with Ben, she was as much a hermit as her master and didn't interact with the population much.
The two met simply by chance, much like today, on one of Ariala's venture into town for repair parts to their condenser. He helped her locate the older model piece and even haggled the price down to match her low budget. They met a few other times, randomly, over the years and gained enough of a companionship that they were able to speak easily about their troubles.
Luke shrugged at her question and sat down. "Just didn't want to go home, really." He started tossing the pebbles again. "I guess I lost track of the time."
Ariala felt his surprise melt into melancholy and sat beside him. She didn't ask why he was upset. The reason was almost always the same. Instead, she simply waited him out.
After a long while, Luke spoke again. "Do you remember anything about your home planet?" he looked up. "Before you came here?"
Ariala shook her head. "I was too young to form any memories."
Luke sagged in disappointment and Ariala continued with a bit of a chuckle. "I like to imagine it though. The capital city of the - " she trailed off for a moment, looking around. " – the Old Republic." Speaking of the times before the Empire was tantamount to treason if the wrong people heard.
"Everything is shiny," she continued. "And new. There are people everywhere, and the homes almost touch the stars to fit them all. And it's green, not like here, with rain that falls naturally for a whole season. There are trees and flowers and the sun doesn't burn you if you're outside too long." She smiled. It wasn't all imagination. Some from stories Ben told her, others pieces of history she garnered in meditation from the Force.
Luke listened, eyes closed and felt he could almost see it. When she fell silent, the world melted away, and he sighed to let it go. "I wish I could see it one day."
Ariala shook her head. "That's in the heart of the Empire."
"I don't think I'd mind that too much, if it meant getting out of here."
She didn't know what to say that. Her view of the world beyond this planet was much darker than Luke's. Where his uncle hid the real truth of the Empire from him, Ben had been incessantly open.
"It's not that I like the Empire." He added hurriedly after her silence. Ari, he knew, had rather strict views on the ruling power. "I just think there's more opportunity out there. And everybody's leaving. If I wait too long, I'll be too old to join the Academy and then I'll be stuck here. A one-trick Bantha, moisture farming for the rest of my life." He threw another three pebbles, emptying his artillery, and brushed the dust from his hands.
She nodded slowly. "What would you want to do out there?"
"Anything. Maybe work on their star ships –"
"Destroyers."
"It's just a name."
"It's what they're for."
"Well it's not like I'll be pressing the death button!" Luke huffed back.
Ariala recoiled at his Force and restrained from pushing back with her own. She felt, more than realized, that he didn't know what he wanted other than to not be here. "I'm sorry…" She turned toward him. "The Empire took my parents from me, remember? I'm not exactly the right one to talk to about running off to join their militia."
Now it was Luke's turn to pause. "Ari…I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."
The girl nodded and they fell into awkward silence. After a moment, she spoke. "I want to leave to…"
Luke turned to watch her, Ari's eyes focused on the slowly brightening horizon.
"I want to do something more than take care of an old man in a hut. I think I'm ready too…but Ben…Ben won't tell me anything." She hugged her knees to her chest, quailing the fear that threatened to break free. "I think he plans to keep me here forever."
Luke stayed silent yet again. He didn't know much about Ben, having really only seen the old man in passing or hearing of him through others. To the boy, Ben was an old quirky man, perhaps a little touched in the head. He couldn't even imagine being raised by him. But Ari often spoke of him with a tone of respect, that he didn't dare vocalize his thoughts.
"I'm sure that's not really the case…" he finally said lamely.
Ariala only nodded.
Luke sighed and turned his own attention to the skyline. She was really the one better at cheering people up. Whenever, she spoke, he always got the feeling she just knew something he couldn't quite grasp. He had no idea how to make her feel better, and could only place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
He didn't know though, Ariala realized, that his earnest desire was a calming Force around her. It seeped out of him and embraced the girl's subconscious like a hug. She gave into the feeling and let her fear once again slip away.
"I heard you've been taking those boys for all they're worth at the races," she said suddenly, eager to change the subject. It would have been a waste to his efforts to sink back into their troubles.
Luke gladly took the thread and smirked. "Of course. I'm the best bushpilot on this scrap heap. Even with my racer leaking, it was too easy to take that win."
Ariala laughed and Luke launched into an animated play-by-play of his latest race.
xxxxx
The Force hummed, like a perfectly strummed violin, and Ben let out a slow, weighted sigh.
"I thought I would have had longer…"
The old man sighed again, feeling every bit his age and slowly turned his face toward the sky.
"The future is too clouded now…"
xxxxx
"...so I cut off my power, shut down the afterburners and came in low on Deak's trail," Luke said excitedly, miming his very actions. "I was so close I thought I was going to fry my instruments."
Ariala watched gasping and laughing in perfect timing, the boy's enthusiasm contagious.
"As it was, I busted up the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Owen was pretty upset." Luke sighed and shrugged. "Still, you should have been there... it was fantastic."
"I'm sorry I missed it. But I think your retelling might have been the perfect substitute."
"You really should come to town more often. There's not a lot that happens, but it's gotta be better than sitting out in the middle of nowhere."
Ariala shrugged. "I think I'm pretty used to it. Besides, Ben's stories are almost as entertaining as yours." She added with a laugh. "Speaking of…I really should get back. He doesn't know I left and I'll never hear the end of it."
Luke glanced up to the now fully moonlit sky, "Shoot. Me too. Uncle Owen's gonna be real sore that I made him leave the power on so long."
They stood, brushing sand from their clothes, Ariala already turning back toward the hut.
Luke hovered awkwardly behind her, then, "Ari..?"
She turned with a small "Hmm?"
Luke floundered for a moment. "Would you…walk back with me?" At her confused frown, he hurried on. "I just…wasn't really paying attention when I came out here and well, I'd hate to leave you going on your own too, though I guess you'd have to do that anyway, but maybe you could borrow our blaster?" Ari just stared at the babbling boy and Luke sighed. "Never mind. Get back safe, alright?"
At that, Ariala smiled and quickly closed the gap between them with a swift hug. Instantly, she felt the timeless Force slam into her and flashes of the future bombarded her vision. It passed in a flash, leaving only feelings behind, for she had not mastered the art of foresight, but she knew it for what it was: Luke's future. She had glimpsed only a moment of it. Pulling apart from him, she met his eyes. "Thank you, Luke. I'll be safe. And you, don't worry too much about rushing your leaving. I think you'll find yourself in your own adventure. You just have to let it come to you."
"Wha?"
Ariala shook her head and turned away, already jogging back the way she had come. "Get home before your uncle decides to take all your speeder privileges away!"
Luke watched, still confused by her rather sudden premonition, before heading his own way home.
Not much to her surprise, Ben was still wide awake when Ariala stepped into the hut. It was well beyond midnight, she was sure, but there he sat, a single lantern illuminating the small room, deep in his own thoughts. He cast a long look toward her as she entered, but otherwise said nothing.
She tested his emotions, probing the Force for information, but the man was skillfully closed off and she had no idea what he was thinking. Though, she reasoned, it was safe to guess.
"Master-"
"I'm not upset by your late return." He cut off.
"…I see."
"How is young Luke?"
"Fine. Same as always."
Ben nodded. "You two are so alike…"
She didn't answer, it was clear he had been musing to himself. Instead, she looked about the room and noticed a travel sack, puffed with supplies, in the corner. It hadn't been there when she left. Ben's eyes followed hers and he let out yet another, low sigh.
"Master…?"
Ben patted the seat beside him and Ariala moved nervously to it.
He held out his hand. "Your saber."
Again, nervously, the girl handed it over. Already she had grown accustomed to it and no longer felt such anxiety to let it from her grasp. Ben took it and closed his eyes, feeling the energy of the crystal within. After a moment, he returned it to her. "I had planned to wait until your birthday was further behind us…but things are progressing beyond my sight."
Ariala didn't speak. Her heart raced with the possibilities of what Ben could be talking about.
"There is nothing more for me to teach you, Ariala." He said steadily. "You are a Jedi, in your right. The galaxy must now become your teacher."
"Master..." The revelation sank into her sluggishly but as it did, her fear was replaced with jubilation and she couldn't help the grin that cut into her face. Despite Ben's somber mood, she jumped up and embraced the old man. "Thank you. Thank you, Master. I promise, I promise I will not let you down."
Ben only nodded and gently separated himself from her. When she was seated again, he continued. "I will arrange transport for you to the Core World planet of Alderaan. I have an old friend there who was loyal to the Old Republic and that I would trust with my life. You will be safe with him – "
"Safe…Alderaan?" she interjected, only just now realizing what Ben was saying. "Master, you're sending me away?"
Ben continued as though he had not heard her. "Alderaan is, by appearances, loyal to the Empire but Senator Organa holds enough power in what remains of the Emperor's farce of a senate to sway things toward the rebellion. You can learn much under him."
"Master, please, this is so sudden."
Ben paused and looked at her. "Yes, it is. But it is time. The Empire has been in control for too long and I can no longer selfishly keep hope to myself." He placed his hand on hers. "I raised you in the Jedi ways with thinking that one day we could help turn the tide. To destroy Vader and Sidious. It is a burden that I did not want you to carry alone, but I am too old. You must see the galaxy for yourself, to strengthen your own resolve."
She shook her head, tears pricking at her eyes. "I cannot leave you…"
"We will forever be bound by the Force, young one. You will not be alone."
The girl could only bury her head into the folds of his robes and cry.
By the time Ariala woke the next morning, Ben had already returned from Mos Doba. "I've secured a small, allied ship to take you from Mos Eisley day after tomorrow." He handed her a small slip with the rendezvous information. "Memorize this before then, then destroy it."
"Yes, Master."
"And here," he pulled a large bundle from robes. "The climate on Alderaan is much different from here. It is not unpleasant, but you may find it cold."
She took the opened the package, unfurling a gently used navy robe, similar in general design to the one Ben so often wore. It was slightly thicker than his threadbare one, and a little large on her frame, but it concealed her identity which, she gathered, was the point. The extra bulk, she also realized, would also disguise her bag and hopefully stop the small patrols of troopers from questioning her intentions. "Thank you, Master."
"Yes, yes. Come, let's eat before we begin."
"Actually, I was going to find Luke."
"No!" Ben turned on her sharply. "You must tell no one of your plans. Not even Luke."
"I don't understand."
"You are going into the Krayt's den by going to Alderaan. You must be ever vigilant to avoid notice. The Empire must not be able to find you. Even simple word of your departure could fall on wrong ears."
The ferocity of his command was clear and she knew she had no chance of changing his mind. Ariala sagged and nodded with forced acceptance. "Yes, Master."
"Good, now come eat. It will take you two days by foot to reach Mos Eisley so you will have to leave tonight." He hurriedly laid the table with dried fruits, meats and breads, filling a glass with Bantha milk and gesturing for her to join him. "Once you've finished, we will train once more. You must remember to keep your skills honed."
"Yes, Master."
xxxxx
Whether he was asleep or they had just come to an unspoken agreement not to verbally say good bye, come nightfall, Ariala stood on the ridge that lead from her home, alone, pack swung over her cloaked shoulders and heart heavy. She faced outward, toward the general direction of Mos Eisley, but her heart still looked back. Now that it had come to it, she could not imagine her life anywhere else. Still, she did not turn back. These were not only her master's orders, but her own necessary steps as a Jedi Knight. With a deep breath, she took her first steps into the night, probing the Force only once as she walked away; Goodbye, Master. May the Force be with you.
xxxxx
By midday on the second day, Ariala stepped onto her consigned shuttle, silently stowed in a cramped cargo hold. Her pilot was a gentle Twi'lek scarred from a few too many run-ins with the Imperial troops, but, as Ben said, clearly loyal to the rebellion.
"We won't be making a straight shot to Alderaan," the pilot said as her passenger worked to find a comfortable seat among the crates. "We have to keep up the guise of a trade ship, so we'll have two stops between here and there. With the best luck, we'll arrive by morning, Alderaanian time. It will feel like a day's travel."
Ariala nodded. "I trust your judgment captain, but if there is anything I can do, let me know."
"Just stay low and stay quiet and we should get you there safe and sound."
The Jedi nodded again, watched as the captain left and turned her attention to the small room. There was just enough space between the tightly packed cargo for her lie down; her cloak serving as the perfect blanket. As the ship rumbled to life, she pulled the cloak over her shoulders and stuffed her hands in the inner pockets. A light rustle answered the actions, and, a little confused, she pulled out a small sheet of paper hastily folded.
Ben's handwriting, scribbled over the page, read:
My dear child,
I am selfish for not daring to say these words to your face, for I feared should you know before you left, I would have given in to your persuasions to stay.
You asked me, once, who your siblings are, and I think now is your time to learn.
Senator Organa, whom you are now travelling to meet, has taken in your sister. I believe he intended to raise her as his own, so it is quite likely she does not know of her birth parents in any way. You would do well to respect the Senator's wishes and keep your knowledge.
Your brother you have already met. I feel I need not speak his name for you to know who I mean. Forgive me for keeping this from you for so long.
Her hands shook as she read over the short sentence again and again, her mind struggling to comprehend what she realized her heart had long ago known.
"Luke…" He was her friend, her confidant, her brother…and now, she thought, she had abandoned him without a word, to possibly never see him again.
Her heart sank at the realization that he would not know what happened and forced her attention back to the letter, seeking solace in its final words.
As are you, your brother and sister are quite attuned to the Force, however their paths may not echo yours. This secret is now yours to protect.
I beg of you to destroy this before you land and no matter what happens, you must not seek to contact me again.
My dear Ariala, I ask your forgiveness of this old man. This may very well be the last time we speak.
Instinctively, she flung her Force-honed senses out, seeking Ben's bright mind, but hyperspace was dragging her away faster than she could search. She felt a brief flicker of the familiar desert planet before, all at once, the ship was too far away and only the cold of space answered her call.
Choked by her own despair, the young Jedi could do little more than sob, suddenly feeling entirely and utterly alone.
To be continued…