Now, I normally don't do this, but I think I need to take a few minutes here and answer some of my reviewers' questions and comments. Okay, here goes:
Oboro, I'm glad that you like my story, and happily, we're at chapter 11 already!
Alley Parker, what good would life be without some intensity? ;)
zwantje, and so I shall continue.
Kyo's lover, have you noticed how many AU Star Wars stories are around? Makes you wonder if there are a lot of people who wished it could have been different...
Lord Zero, thanks for reading!
korieana, Ewan McGregor, as many of us readers would agree, made the perfect choice for the younger Obi-Wan! As you can see, Obi-Wan has a place in every adventure the twins are going to have.
Angel of Twisted Souls, I do plan to check it out asap!
Arken Elf, the reason Vader manipulated the midiclorians to bring Obi-Wan to life in a younger body than the one he died in is because Vader never really pictured Obi-Wan in his mind as an older man. Remember in Star Wars, when Vader finds Obi-Wan on the Death Star, he is surprised to find Obi-Wan in this condition ("Your powers are weak, old man!"). He barely had time to associate Obi-Wan Kenobi in his mind as that older man before he killed him. Also, of most of the Expantion Universe stuff out there, Shadows of the Empire is one of the best. Will Darth Vader and Obi-Wan forget their differences? Not likely, not yet. Unless Luke forces them too...
LiMiYa, I always appreicate your comments. I envisioned Luke's meeting with Obi-Wan to be even more mushy to begin with, but I toned it down slightly, but I'm sure we all know just how much Luke wants to become a Jedi Knight! I think he'll make a more eager Padawan than even Anakin was. Another reason I started this story was because I want to explore Vader's relationship to Obi-Wan now that he's turned to the Dark Side. Luke reacted to Vader even in ESB, so I definitely feel that Luke wanted desperately to have a relationship with this man, even if Obi-Wan is his mentor now. And now, Luke also has to change his relationship with Leia, and I don't think he's quite ready for her to be with anyone but Han. Yes, Vader is the Dark Father that Lucas always alluded him to be. What does a good kid do with a villainous parent? Read on, and we may find some answers.
Linari Tanis, I hope not to disappoint.
crazyAZN kid, there's plenty more, I assure you!
Darth Vengeance, Vader at this point is only able to bring back either: people who have just died, or people like Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, who have retained their soul identities in the netherworld. He'd be able to bring Yoda back if he dies. But not Padmé. And believe me, he's not too happy about this either.
Caz, yes, yes, yes!
Erik's leadinglady, thanks for reading, and I do try to keep it as interesting as possible. Which sometimes runs into direct conflict with updating ASAP.
The Dancing Cavalier, Guri is a character in Shadows of the Empire, a human-replica droid. General Grievous is a droid replica human, right? LOL. But don't think we have seen the last of her, because we haven't. And don't think she's not going to have a lightsaber this time, because SHE IS! And just wait until you see who she duels! And yes, one of the Skywalker traits is the whine, and just because Vader's on a rebreather, it doesn't mean that he can't whine if he really tries! Do you really think that Obi-Wan would consciously turn to the Dark Side? It's just that Vader gets under his skin like no one else seems to. He's the one who knows Obi-Wan best of everyone else. He just knows which buttons to push. And Qui-Gon Jinn is a powerful button.
Sonseeahray, keep reading! Thanks!
Warior, thank you for your encouragement!
TorontoBatFan, your reviews are among the most insightful I get of any of my stories. "Princess" is sort of Leia's nickname, especially with Vader, you might notice. And this story is definitely going to be about Obi-Wan finally learning what Qui-Gon had tried to teach him years ago about living life in the now. And you'd better believe that there are going to be changes in the way the Jedi Order is run once Luke re-establishes it! Vader was impulsive bringing Obi-Wan back, but he is deep down most interested in keeping Luke and Leia safe, believe it or not. And if it means having Obi-Wan Kenobi train Luke, so be it. And yes, Vader (and Padmé) has passed the impulsive gene to Leia. Actually, Obi-Wan/Leia took me by surprise when I was outlining this story, but we'll see how this plays out. Your question about Han knowing about Yoda will ba answered in a near-future chapter.
amber75, Of course, there's a LOVE TRIANGLE brewing here. The third player has just been unfrozen! And you might have noticed that Obi-Wan tends to be very responsible, and feels very responsible for what's happened to Anakin. Not only did he let Ani down, he feels, but he also let down Qui-Gon. Vader is up to getting a Sith Apprentice. He wants (or thinks he wants) Luke to be his apprentice. But will Luke come? Or is he too set in the idea of resurrecting the Jedi Order with Obi-Wan?
Kyer, I must warn you and everyone else that I never read any of the Jedi Apprentice series. I know this makes me a bad fan (!).
Jedi-Princess/nascar girl, you will remain hooked on this soap, er, space-opera! Leia is not quite over Han just yet, so keep reading! There is definitely an Anakin/Vader split from time to time; on Bespin, he tortures Han Solo, but keeps the stormtroopers from shooting Chewie? And don't tell me its because he recognized Threepio, LOL! He's a very confused person, just ask Mace Windu! And yeah, I'm not all that into Boba Fett really, but the rescue of Han Solo in underway, and it's going to be different than ROTJ, but you already knew that, didn't you? Darth Vader is the biggest troublemaker in the galaxy right now! And we wouldn't have him any other way!
The SkyWolves, thank you, I like intrigue too!
padme17, I wanted Vader to have a dark sense of humor, because to me, it gives us a clue into his personality. With a life like he's had, you either have a sense of humor about it or it kills you. And yes, Luke and Anakin have very similar ways of doing things, don't they? Makes you think they might get along if they only had a chance, doesn't it? And yes, Obi-Wan is a stickler! But Vader really ought to practice more. LOL To paraphrase another famous movie: Are you a good Sith, or a Bad Sith? Is Vader a good Sith, or a bad Sith? Or is he a Sith at all (except he does carry a ruby lightsaber)? Stay tuned!
Dragonsdaughter1, Obi-Wan will not be the only one witht he headaches in this story, I promise you!
Jedi-Bant, he will live as long as I say so, despite what he might want! LOL
MegumiFuu, we haven't seen the last of Prince Xizor yet either.
Sitaan, I have not decided whether or not Vader is going to break his word to Obi-Wan and resurrect Qui-Gon. But even if he doesn't, I love Qui-Gon and definitely he will have more appearances in the story!
YokoZodiac, I got this idea after the second time I watched Revenge of the Sith. Don't know why, but that is how the creative process is sometimes...thanks for reading!
Celebrian Helyanwe, Hopefully it looks even better than before! Thanks!
doreenthatshot, thanks alot! I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, except that it should be at least 20, and there is most likely going to be a sequel story to this one, tentatively called Legacy of the Jedi. We shall see...
darth mojo the spork, I think Leia and Luke are being more understanding than they should be, haha! The clash between Vader and Sidious is going to be VERY surprising for the readers of this story. Darth Vader must get his apprentice selected before...what? That's the real question. Why is Sidious so eager to take on Luke Skywalker? Or is he? There's going to be a lot more of Darth Sidious in the next chapters ahead! Read what I wrote to MissNaye about Jix!
Petite Doll I'm glad that your enjoying my story. I try to update as often as possible.
YodasPatawan, I can fight off seagulls, you know, having grown up on the Jersey shore, where the most aggressive ones will land on your arm and take your hot dog right out of your hand, you need to learn to fight back!
Nini, the electrocuted sheep, Warning, Vader is going to have fluffy moments. And I promise he (I?) will try to keep them to an absolute minimum, because he's not a fluffy kind of guy in general!
dweem-angel, here's more for ya!
ciastus, this story seems to be having more humor than I'd originally thought it would. I'm glad you like it. Thanks!
BodomsGirl, wait no longer! Thanks! Leia is going to have a very difficult time picking one of them, because frankly, I'm having a difficult time picking one. It's a problem, lemme tell ya! LOL.
MissNaye, oddly enough, when I first put Jix into the story, I was thinking to myself, I bet nobody even remembers him! But I think he's cool too! He give Vader some sass, no doubt about it! He might just pop up again.
remnants-2011, please continue with me! Thanks!
SWTKD if you put this story on your story alert list, you'll know before everyone else that it's been updated. I'm so glad that ffnet finally has RSS so that you guys can get news of updates faster than before. Thanks for reading!
jediryu, thanks for reading, and here's the next chapter...
Whew! I think I'm all caught up now. On with Chapter 11!
There they stood: two Jedi Knights, and Han Solo. At least, the Jedi were standing, Solo was more like leaning. Jabba had never seen Solo look more pathetic. Of course, this didn't make him feel any pity for the former smuggler. It actually made him angry.
"Solo!" Jabba raged, "I have your woman here! You're not going anywhere as long as I have her, are you?" Luke and Obi-Wan were able to see what had become of Leia, dressed as scantly as Jabba dared to dress her. Han couldn't see her obviously, but he understood Huttese, as well as the chain rattling, all too well.
"Jabba, you let her go! She had nothing to do with this!" Han stammered, trying to stand up straight. "The bounty was on me, right? Not her!"
"That is hardly the point, Solo, and you know it! She will make a fine addition to my collection, and you will be rotting under this floor, along with Chewbacca!" Jabba told him, laughing.
Obi-Wan's Huttese was a bit rusty. Anakin used to speak it fluently, had taught him some basics, then his years in exile on Tatooine had sharply increased his proficiency. But he understood enough of it, that was for certain. Calmly, he approached Jabba, trying not to get distracted by Princess Leia's appearance. "You are going to release both Leia and Chewbacca, and then we will leave you in peace. Otherwise, it will not turn out well for you. My Padawan and I can level this place faster than you can stop us."
Jabba laughed again. By this time, several of his allies, fellow thugs, and other assorted bums had filled the main chamber. Several of the slave girls and singers also sauntered in, giggling and pointing at the three human males. "Your boy Jedi is a whelp, and Solo is washed up. He used to be a decent smuggler, but now, he's just Bantha Poodoo!"
Over the raucous laughter, Luke shot back, "If Han is poodoo, then what does that make you?"
"It makes me the boss here!" Jabba declared. "Get them!"
The girls scurried out of the way, several of Jabba's biggest thugs rushed at the two Jedi. Luke and Obi-Wan split up, deflecting blaster fire with their lightsabers. This quickly became very uncomfortable for Jabba, since he was such a big target. He tried to drag Leia back to him by the chain, but she pulled away.
Obi-Wan saw her out of the corner of his eye. /Luke, try to get to your friend and Chewbacca and I'll get your sister/ he told his Padawan through the bond.
/Right, Master/ Luke agreed, edging his way closer to Han, huddled in the corner, obviously hating the fact that he couldn't do anything. For a split second, he was ready to strike down a guard running toward him, but just in time, Luke realized it was Lando.
"Come on, Han, it's too dangerous for you up here!" Lando reprimanded him. "We're gonna go get Chewie."
"I can't see! When is this going to wear off?" Han asked over all the noise.
"Luke said it'll be a few hours. So that's why we have to get you out of here!" Lando answered, and Han could hear the frustration in his voice. Han was led out of there, but Jabba noticed the guard taking Han, and had a few of his thugs follow.
Meanwhile, Leia was being pulled ever closer to Jabba. She had to get free! They'd rescued Han! There was a great sense of accomplishment in her mind all of a sudden. It made her think that this minor skirmish was just the fallout. What hopes did Jabba really have of keeping them all there? Especially since Jabba's minions were beginning to fall at a more rapid rate, primarily under Luke's and Obi-Wan's lightsabers.
Of course, that was when a new player chose to make a rather dramatic entrance. The old beat-up Mandolorian armor, the rocket pack. The double-blaster fire raining down on the two Jedi suddenly. Only Boba Fett could make an entrance like that.
"Well, what do you know? Two Jedi have resurfaced after all this time. I thought you were all dead! That was certainly how I preferred things! To me, the only good Jedi is a dead one!" He lowered the blasters and landed next to Jabba, grabbing Leia by her arm. "I suggest you two lower your lightsabers, before I decide this one is even more pretty without a head!"
Luke glanced at his master. Obi-Wan nodded slightly, and he shut his lightsaber off. Luke followed, though the frustration was evident in the air. "Who might you be?" Obi-Wan asked.
"You don't know who I am?" Fett growled.
"Don't get yourself so upset! It's a big galaxy, and my master can't remember everyone on sight, especially bounty hunters. Master, this is Boba Fett," Luke drawled.
Obi-Wan made a show of looking pensive. "Oh! Boba Fett? Fett..now where have I heard that name? Oh, yes! I met your father on Kamino, didn't I?"
"You nearly killed my father on Kamino!"
"Well, seeing as how he nearly killed me, I'd say that we were even, wouldn't you?" He turned to Luke. "Just for trivial information, Boba Fett here is an unaltered Clone. The very same genetic material that constructed him has constructed every last Stormtrooper in this galaxy, Luke."
"You Jedi all thought you were so smart! You didn't even know that one of your own had comissioned the Clone Army in the first place!" Fett spat.
"It wasn't one of our own who comissioned your father to become the donor. No Jedi would have selected him, I assure you."
Boba Fett raised his blaster again, forgetting all about Leia in his rage. "Sure, my father was just good enough for one of your Jedi to kill wasn't he? One of the reasons that Lord Vader and I get along so well is that I happen to know he killed that Jedi Master! Out the window with Windu, eh?"
Obi-Wan's lightsaber flared to life in an instant. "Nobody makes jokes about that horrible day in front of me!" Luke followed suit, reigniting his lightsaber, becuase he saw something in Jabba's bulbous eyes. Something like fear.
"Enough! Fett, let go of the woman, now!" Jabba ordered.
"Jabba! What are you afraid of? That we're going to get killed? These Jedi are sad, pitiful fools!" Boba Fett argued.
"Get Solo, he's downstairs by now, trying to get the Wookiee! Go! I want him killed now!" Jabba declared. Boba Fett growled, but he blasted out the window to go to the ground level from outside. Luke impetuously leaped out after him.
Obi-Wan felt his calmness finally return. He wrapped himself in a cloak of the Force to bolster his relaxed state. "Now that your bounty hunter bodyguard is gone, I think that you should do what I suggested earlier. Let us all go in peace, and no more harm will come to you or your allies. If you continue holding Leia prisoner, I will be forced to deal with you in a most unpleasant manner. Let her go."
"No Jedi mind tricks?" Jabba growled. "Because they don't work on me, Jedi! That is, if you really are a Jedi..."
"Jabba, make no mistake, I am a Jedi Master, and my Padawan learner downstairs is on the verge of readiness for the Jedi Trials. Our Order is returning, and I realize that this might be bad news for you and your, er, business. But if you keep on the honest path, you will have nothing to fear from our return." Now, Obi-Wan glanced at Leia, and added, "Though I must warn you that the Jedi order takes a dim view of slavery. A very dim view."
"Humph! Take the woman then! There are people within the Empire that also take a dim view of slavery! Everyone should worry more about what I take a dim view of!" Jabba declared, tossing Leia to Obi-Wan like some toy he'd grown very tired of.
Obi-Wan caught Leia in his arms, and as she looked up at him, their eyes locked. In that instant, neither of them had any thoughts about anything except eachother's eyes. His sky-blue ones, her deep, dark ones. And then it occurred to Obi-Wan, there was a disturbance in the Force...
"I'm glad you're safe, and surely, you must want to see Captain Solo!" he sighed, breaking the moment's intensity.
Leia seemed to snap out of it with his words. "Yes! He's downstairs! And so is Chewie! Let's hurry!" She darted off, out of earshot when Jabba called after her.
"It's a shame that your man couldn't see you dressed in that costume, eh?" He followed that up with a lecherous laugh.
Obi-Wan found himself murmuring, "Yes, quite a shame...Quite a shame indeed..." He followed Leia downstairs.