Chapter 3. First Flight

I stood rooted to the ground, staring at first my father, then my mother. She just smiled and nodded. I looked back at my father, my mouth hanging open.

I couldn't speak for a full minute. Whatever explanation I had expected to hear regarding his mysterious return to us tonight, I had not been expecting him to say that.

"You want us to go back with you?" I asked him in disbelief. "Now? After all this time? Why now?"

Obi-Wan exchanged a look with my mother. "Emma, I will explain that, but we really need to hurry."

"But you haven't finished the rest of the story," I objected. "What happened when you saw Anakin again? How can we go back with you? Won't Yoda and the Council know that you have a family?" I couldn't imagine they would be ok with that.

Obi-Wan glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 10:00 p.m.

"Emma, I promise I will tell you the rest so that you understand everything, but now is not the time. We really need to leave now. I will explain everything else once we are on the ship and safely back in space."

"The ship?" I repeated incredulously. "Space?"

"Emma," my mom interrupted, taking hold of my hand. "Why don't we go pack a few

things to take with us?" She looked at Obi-Wan and said quietly, "We'll just be a few minutes."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We need to hurry. It is getting late."

My mother and I walked up the stairs to my room. I flicked on the light and watched as she pulled a duffel bag from my closet.

I looked around at all of my toys and books. "I can't really take all of this stuff with me, can I?" I asked wryly.

My mom smiled gently. "No, probably not." She started taking clothes out of one of my drawers. "And I don't really know if we're going to need all of these clothes. Just pack a couple of things. We should be back downstairs in ten minutes." She turned to leave my room.

"Mom?" I asked suddenly. "Why did you do it? Why didn't you tell me he was really alive? Why did you let me think he was dead?" The tears came to my eyes, and I took a deep breath, blinking them away.

My mother walked over to me and sat down next to me on my bed. She took both of my hands. "Emma, I am sorry about that, but it was necessary," she said. "He couldn't abandon his men in Iraq-he had to make it look like he had been captured or killed.

"Yes, but you could have told me the truth," I insisted. "I wouldn't have told anyone."

"We couldn't take that risk," my mother said wearily. "And what would I have told you? That your father was really Obi-Wan Kenobi and had returned to a galaxy where Star Wars was real? Would you actually have believed that?"

"Well, no," I admitted. "But it still would have been better to know he was alive, out there somewhere, and not dead." As I said the words, I realized that I would have been even more upset to know that my father had willingly left us and was never coming back.

"Emma, I am so sorry that we caused you so much pain," my mom said. She hugged me close for a moment. Then she pulled away. "I hope you can understand why we did it and can forgive us."

"Of course I forgive you," I muttered. I still hadn't entirely forgiven my father, even though my anger at him had abated.

"When your father left," my mother continued, "he had no intention of ever coming back. We never dreamed that the Jedi Council would one day allow marriage-"

"Whoa," I exclaimed, taken aback. "They allow marriage now? How did that happen? Obi-Wan never explained that one."

My mother looked startled at my use of his proper name, but I couldn't bring myself to say the word "father." Not yet. I was still too hurt.

"Your father will explain that to you," my mother promised. "Later." She glanced at her watch. "We really need to hurry."

"How do you know about it?" I wondered.

"Your father and I talked for a long time on the phone while he was driving here," my mother said. She looked at me seriously. "Emma," she said slowly. "You do want to go, don't you? This is a family decision."

"You didn't consult me before you made the last family decision," I said curtly.

My mother looked momentarily hurt, then her expression cleared. "I mean it, Emma. If you don't want to leave, we will all stay here."

"How can Obi-Wan stay here?" I demanded. "With everyone thinking he is dead?"

"We would make it work, somehow," my mother said, though she looked uncertain. "He would find a way to make it look like he had escaped captivity, or …"

"No," I said. "I want to go. I mean, we can come back and visit Grandma and Grandpa sometimes, can't we?"

My mother shook her head sadly. "No, Emma, we cannot," she said. "If-I mean, when-when we leave, that's it. It's goodbye forever. To Grandma and Grandpa, to all our friends, to this planet …" She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"But Obi-Wan came back," I tried to reason with her. "Why can't we? He could fly us back, right? It's only a three-day flight …" I broke off, trying to imagine sitting in a spacecraft for three days.

Mom shook her head again. "Think about it, Emma," she began. "How could we suddenly leave, with no word to anybody, for a long time, then suddenly reappear again? And then keep disappearing and reappearing? Remember, time passes very differently in the galaxy where we are headed. It could be years before we returned. How would we explain that? It would be impossible. When we leave, it will be forever." She choked back a sob.

"Well, you don't seem very happy about this," I commented. I looked at her with concern. "Do you want to go?"

My mother nodded. "As much as I will miss my parents and my life here, it is the best thing for our family. I love you and your father very much. He must return to his galaxy. We will not be separated again. And as long as you are in agreement, we will go."

I thought for a minute. I thought about leaving forever, about never seeing my grandparents, the rest of my family, or my friends again. A wave of sadness engulfed me. Then I remembered everything that had occurred this evening, my discovery of my amazing Force powers, and the miraculous return of my presumed-dead father. I looked around at all of my Star Wars toys and books. Excitement began to build up in me. Star Wars was real. I was going to a place where I would meet all of the amazing people and creatures I had seen only in movies and read about in books. I would, hopefully, be trained as a Jedi. A childhood fantasy was going to be a reality. How could I pass this up?

"I want to go," I assured my mother. "As much as I will miss Papa and Nana, Uncle Seth and Aunt Jackie, Amanda, my school ... how could I refuse to go? I am so excited at the chance to actually be a Jedi!"

My mom laughed. "I knew you would be. And now, Emma, we need to hurry. Your father is anxious to leave and be on our way."

"What are you going to tell Grandma and Grandpa?" I asked uncertainly. "I mean, we can't just leave without saying anything." I began to feel worried. "What are you going to tell them? Have you thought about this? You can't really tell them the truth, and they'll think something horrible happened to us if we just disappear!"

My mom kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, Emma," she said comfortingly. "Everything will be fine. I am going to write a note for them and leave it on the kitchen table."

"But what are you going to say?" I persisted. "They'll be incredibly upset and-"

"It can't be helped, Emma," my mother said sadly. "It must be done. I will meet you downstairs in five minutes." She stood up and left my room.

I opened my duffel bag and packed the few tops my mom had taken out for me. I grabbed my favorite jeans, sweaters, shorts and pajamas and put them in the bag. I looked at my Kanan Jarrus action figure, still lying in the middle of the room where I had left it.

"No, I probably shouldn't take you with me," I said to my toy. Then I smiled. "But I bet I get to see the real you in person! That's one hundred times better!"

On impulse, I took my new Star Wars Rebels book that I had bought earlier that day and laid it neatly on top of my clothes.

I walked to my bathroom door. Mom hadn't said anything about packing toiletries. Still, better to be safe than sorry. I grabbed a handful of toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap, as well as my hairbrush, and stuffed them into my bag. Then I zipped it closed and walked out of my bedroom. I hesitated at the door and turned to give my bedroom one last look. Then I took a deep breath and headed downstairs.

Obi-Wan was waiting patiently on the couch in the living room.

"Where's Mom?" I asked him.

"I'm here," my mother answered, walking out of the kitchen. She looked upset but gave me a brave smile.

I walked over to her and gazed into her pretty face. "Are you ok?" I asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Emma," my mother reassured me.

Obi-Wan put his hand on my mom's shoulder. "It's time to go," he announced. He turned to me.

"Are you ready, Emma?" he asked seriously.

I looked around my house one last time, at all the familiar rooms. Courage, Emma, I thought. A Jedi must have courage.

"Yes," I told him. "But where is the ship? And how are we getting there? Are we going to the airport?"

"Not exactly," Obi-Wan said with a smile, and we all headed into the garage. My mother's gray SUV was parked there.

"We're taking Mom's car?" I asked. "We're driving to the ship?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "It will take about an hour to drive to the Pine Barrens, where the ship is hidden.

My mom took my bag and hers and put them in the back seat with me. She slid into the passenger side of her car. Then Obi-Wan started the car and we pulled out into the driveway.

I looked out my window and stared at my house in the darkness.

"Goodbye," I whispered as we drove away. I felt a momentary pang of sorrow engulf me, and then I perked up as I remembered where we were headed. I had both my parents with me, and we were on our way to begin our new lives all together in a galaxy far, far away.

All of a sudden, I felt incredibly sleepy. "What time is it?" I asked my mom suddenly. It must be way past my bedtime.

"It's almost 10:30," my mom told me as I let out a huge yawn.

"Why don't you try to sleep, Emma?" Obi-Wan suggested as he turned onto a highway. "It will be a long drive in the car. We'll wake you when we get there."

I closed my eyes, thinking I would rest for just a minute. The next thing I knew, my mom was gently shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, Emma," she whispered.

I slowly opened my eyes and mumbled sleepily, "Are we there?"

"We've arrived in the forest," my mom told me. She helped me out of the car, and I gazed up at the night sky. I could see the moon and the lights of the twinkling stars. I wondered which direction we were headed in.

"This way," Obi-Wan said as he led us down a narrow path into a thick forest. I turned back to look at the car.

"We're just leaving the car here?" I asked my mom uncertainly.

She just nodded her head and didn't say anything else as she took my hand and led me into the forest.

"How much longer until we reach the ship?" I asked fifteen minutes later. I was really sleepy now.

"Not much further," Obi-Wan called back. He was walking slightly ahead of me and my mother, holding both of our duffel bags. My mother had a flashlight in one hand, and we were walking slowly in the darkness.

It felt like a very long time, but it was actually only minutes later when we entered a part of the forest where the trees were spaced further apart. Ahead of us was a starship. I blinked, certain that I was dreaming.

"There it is," Obi-Wan announced as we approached the ship. "Safe and sound." He led us up a ramp into the ship.

"All right," Obi-Wan said as we followed him to the front of the ship. There were two chairs in the front of the cockpit, and two chairs directly behind those. He seated my mother and me in the two chairs in the rear. "I'll get us ready for takeoff. As soon as we make the jump to hyperspace, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping. Both of you must be exhausted."

My heart was pounding with excitement and fear as Obi-Wan strapped himself into the pilot's seat. This was it. We were really leaving Earth forever.

As the ship took off, I peered out the side window, but I couldn't see anything but the darkened sky.

The ship flew higher and higher. I had been on an airplane once, when I was seven and my mom took me to Disney World in Florida, so I wasn't really scared to be in the ship. I was still a little sleepy, but the excitement of our journey had taken over. This was a real adventure.

"We're in space," Obi-Wan said a little while later.

My mom and I glanced at each other. I wondered if I wore the same expression she did: wide-eyed with amazement and anticipation. She looked a little fearful, but mostly calm and full of wonder.

Another fifteen minutes passed. Obi-Wan announced that he was ready to make the jump to hyperspace. I gripped the sides of my seat.

"Don't worry," Obi-Wan said, as if he could read the expression on my face-or my thoughts. "I've made this jump a few times now. We'll be safely in the correct galaxy, and from there it will be a few days journey to Coruscant."

Obi-Wan pushed a few controls on his panel, and then we were flying at the speed of light. I lurched forward in my seat-thank goodness for seatbelts-and then I saw what looked like a swirl of blue while we traveled in a hyperspace tunnel.

And then it was dark again, and I could see the faint lights of stars in the distance.

"We are now in the Coruscant system," Obi-Wan said, and he sounded relieved. He stood up from the pilot's seat and walked to my mother's and my seats.

"Time to sleep, Emma," he said.

"Sleep?" I repeated. "I'm not tired!" I protested. "You have to tell me the rest of the story, what happened when you and Anakin went back to Coruscant and-"

"In the morning," Obi-Wan interrupted me. "For now, you need to go to sleep."

"Um … what about you?" I asked hesitantly. "Don't you need to sleep? Who's going to fly the ship when you sleep? Hey … who's flying it now?" I almost screamed with fright.

"Don't worry," Obi-Wan assured me. "The route is set, and the ship is on manual control. I will show you and your mother to your sleeping quarters, and then I will be right back up here."

"But you need to sleep, too," I insisted. "What then?"

"I only require a few hours' sleep," Obi-Wan said. "While I am sleeping, we will be perfectly safe with the ship on manual control. I will have this device with me." He showed me what appeared to be a small intercom. "And it will beep and alert me if there is a problem with the set course."

"I guess that's ok," I said, not entirely reassured.

Obi-Wan led my mother and me to the middle of the ship to a small room. Inside were two bunk beds, a small dresser, table and two chairs. He put our duffel bags in a corner.

"There should be pillows and blankets already on the bunks," Obi-Wan said. "Good night, Emma." He kissed my forehead. "I will see you in the morning." He walked out of the room and headed back up to the cockpit.

I changed into my pajamas and climbed into the top bunk. I rested my head against the small pillow and pulled the blanket over my body. It was chilly in here.

My mother kissed the top of my head. "Sleep well, Emma," she said, smoothing back my hair from my face. "I am going to speak to your father for a little while and then I'll be back here to sleep."

"Mom?" I mumbled sleepily. "What did you write in that note to Papa and Nana?"

My mother sighed unhappily. "I just told them that we were going on a trip," she said. "I told them we love them and not to worry."

"But they're going to find your car and-"

"I know, Emma," she interrupted me sadly. "I know that they're going to assume the worst. But what else could I do? I thought about telling them that I had discovered your father was really alive and we were going to join him. But no matter what I told them, they will never hear from us again. It seems so cruel, and I am so upset that I had to hurt them like this, but I had no choice. We just have to hope that they will be ok and not suffer too much." She wiped her eyes.

"It's too bad we couldn't tell them the truth," I said, sitting up in the bunk. "But I guess they would never believe that." I thought for a moment, then said, "I remember Obi-Wan mentioned before that no one on Earth could ever know Star Wars is real. Why is that? I have so many questions."

"I know, Emma," my mom said, walking over to the bunks and hugging me close. "I promise that your father will explain everything else over the course of this flight. But, for now, it is really late, and you need your rest." She kissed my cheek, closed the light, and headed out of the room.

I laid back down on my pillow and thought about my conversation with my mother. My mother had tried to comfort me, but I knew that no matter what my mother said, my grandparents were going to suffer. I moaned softly and turned over on my side. I wished there was some way I could have comforted my mother, because I knew she felt terrible about leaving them.

With all the excitement of the day, I didn't think I would be able to sleep, but slowly weariness overtook my tired body. My eyelids closed, and soon I was fast asleep.

When I opened my eyes, my mother was sitting at the small table in our room. She was eating a piece of fruit. There were two drinks and two bowls on the table.

I sat up in bed. "What time is it?"

My mother looked over at me and smiled. "Good morning, Emma. It's almost 10:00. How did you sleep?"

I climbed down from my bunk and walked over to the table. "Better than I thought I would. I must have been really tired."

"We all were." My mother held out a piece of apple. "You must be hungry. Here, sit down and eat some breakfast."

I sat down next to my mom and looked at the food. There was a bowl of Cheerios, an apple, and a glass of milk in front of me.

I looked questioningly at my mother. "Cheerios?" I asked in amazement. "Do they have Cheerios on starships?"

My mother laughed. "Well, not exactly. I packed a few things from the kitchen before we left last night."

I pointed to the milk. "Where did that come from?"

"There is a kitchen on this ship. It was fully stocked." My mother looked at me. "Well, eat up. You must be anxious to speak with your father and hear the rest of his story. He's in the cockpit waiting for us."

I ate my breakfast and dressed quickly. Then we walked up to the front of the ship, where Obi-Wan sat in the pilot's chair, checking the instruments.

"Everything ok?" I asked, somewhat nervously.

Obi-Wan looked at me and smiled. "Good morning, Emma. Yes, everything is fine. We are on track to arrive at Coruscant in two and a half days."

"Good." I looked curiously at the control panel and all the equipment connected to it. "Hey, am I going to learn how to fly a ship? Will that be part of my Jedi training?"

"Of course." Obi-Wan nodded. "Eventually. But there's no time like the present to begin, and over the course of this trip I will introduce you to the basics."

"Cool." I smiled in anticipation.

"And now you must want to hear the rest of my story," Obi-Wan began.

"Yes," I said eagerly, sitting up straight in my chair. When he didn't begin right away, I prompted, "Anakin had just landed. And you and Mom had decided that you should go back alone," I added sullenly.

Obi-Wan looked closely at my face, then said quietly, "Yes. After I realized just exactly where Anakin had landed, it wasn't that far from where I crashed the insurgents' truck to that location. When I arrived, Anakin jumped out of the ship, and he hugged me. Then-"

"He hugged you?" I interrupted him. "He was glad to see you? You didn't sense any darkness in him?" I was still suspicious of Anakin Skywalker, who had turned to the dark side. At least in the movie, anyway.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "None at all."

"Well, you didn't sense it before," I said, hoping I wasn't going to offend him. "Were you absolutely sure? He didn't seem different than before you had left?"

"Well, there was something different about him, but it wasn't because he was tempted to the dark side. He was untroubled. There was a happiness, a lightness about him, almost as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders."

"I wonder what that was about," I murmured.

"I'm getting to that now," Obi-Wan said. "As soon as we took off, I asked Anakin to explain everything that had happened during my absence, and how much time had passed. I learned that exactly one month had gone by. The first thing he informed me was that the Council had granted him the rank of Jedi Master."

"They made Anakin a master?" I exclaimed, greatly surprised. "After all their doubt about him? Didn't they think he wasn't ready?"

"After he killed the Chancellor, Master Windu spoke on behalf of Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "Anakin gained his trust. I also suspect my absence was a factor in their decision. They needed another member of the Council."

Obi-Wan continued. "After my ship went missing, the Council sent Master Fisto to destroy General Grievous-"

"Kit Fisto?" I exclaimed. "He killed Grievous? But you were supposed to kill him!"

Obi-Wan smiled wryly. "Yes, I expect I would have."

I thought about this for a moment. "Well, if it wasn't you, I guess Master Fisto was the next best choice," I said, thinking that it was only fitting that Kit Fisto, who had watched General Grievous slay his former apprentice, Nahdar Vebb, be the one who ended him.

Then I recalled the events of Revenge of the Sith. "So if Master Fisto was on Utapau, then he never went with Mace Windu to arrest the Chancellor!" I exclaimed. "That means Sidious never killed him!"

"No, he didn't," Obi-Wan said. Then he added grimly, "Unfortunately, Darth Sidious still killed Masters Kolar and Tiin. Master Windu also survived and killed Darth Sidious."

"Good!" I exclaimed. Then, after a moment's thought, I asked, "But didn't Anakin go to the Chancellor's office and intervene in the duel?"

"No," Obi-Wan replied. "Those events never took place. Everything changed from that point on."

My mind was spinning, trying to comprehend this.

"But why?" I asked him, trying to understand. "Why would everything that was supposed to happen change like that? I mean, I am so glad that Order 66 never happened and the Jedi are all alive-" I paused, scanning his face anxiously. "They are still alive, right?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan assured me, patting my hand. "Both the Jedi Order and the Republic are alive and well. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but for some reason, Anakin never turned to the dark side."

"But something must have changed," I insisted. "Was Anakin so worried when you disappeared that he went to look for you and didn't find out about the Chancellor?"

"Anakin was worried," Obi-Wan concurred. "But that is not the reason."

"So, what is the reason?" I asked expectantly.

"I'm not exactly sure," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "Anakin didn't say anything about that night, except to tell me what occurred in the Chancellor's office. Anakin didn't mention anything about his conversations with the Chancellor, other than what he had already told Master Windu about the Chancellor's true identity. He didn't confide in me about his feelings regarding Palpatine's duplicity or about his emotional struggles before the fight in Palpatine's office. He never provided an explanation for why he chose to remain at the Jedi Temple. It is a mystery." Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Didn't you tell him about Star Wars?" I asked. "Did you tell him that people on Earth watched movies and read books about it? That you knew all about him and Padmé?" I wasn't sure if it would have been safe for Obi-Wan to mention this to Anakin.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I will get to that in a moment, but the only one I told about Star Wars being … ah … entertainment on Earth was Yoda."

"Really? What did Yoda say? Did he think it was funny?"

"Not exactly," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head.

"So, what else did you and Anakin talk about?" I asked curiously. "Did you ask him about Padmé? Did you mention me and Mom?" I tried to quell the brief flash of anger I felt whenever I thought about Obi-Wan's leaving us on Earth.

"Anakin did not mention Padmé or the twins," Obi-Wan said. "I decided not to press him on it and wait for him to raise the subject himself. I didn't think he would tell the Council about it, but I thought he might choose to speak of it to me. He did not. He did not discuss it at all, not until the Council made their decision about attachments and marriage."

I tried to absorb all this information. "Why didn't you just tell him about me and mom? Show him that you were in the same situation. He might have trusted you more and opened up."

"I decided it was safer to watch Anakin for a while, to make sure that there was no remaining conflict in him. I didn't think there was much danger of him turning to the dark side at that point, with Sidious dead. Padmé was alive and they had the new babies. Still, after learning about what would have happened, I decided to be cautious, and not bring up the subject. He was so happy and unworried, even though he was still keeping his family a secret." I gave Obi-Wan a pointed look when he said this. He disregarded it and continued. "I didn't want to push him and cause unnecessary conflict. I knew he would open up to me when the time was right and he was ready. If he was ever ready."

"So why did the Council change their minds about marriage? What happened?" I couldn't imagine how that had happened.

"So when I first returned to Coruscant, I gave a full report to the Council of my time on Earth. I told them what happened to my ship and that I had somehow discovered a new galaxy. I did not mention you or your mother. At that point, the old rule regarding attachment still stood, and I firmly believed that it was safer for you and your mother on Earth."

"I spoke privately with Master Yoda and told him about the Star Wars movies and stories on Earth. He was greatly surprised by this, especially when I told him I had seen things happen in this media universe that did not happen in ours. I was no longer concerned that Anakin would be tempted to the dark side, so I did not mention specifics. I shared my concerns that someone from Earth would one day find their way to our universe."

"Do you really think someone will?" I ask him. It was hard to imagine.

"It is unlikely, but anything is possible. They would need to develop a spaceship with a hyperdrive, and the way that technology is constantly advancing on that planet, who knows?"

"Master Yoda agreed that it would be an alarming possibility, but only if people on Earth had somehow discovered the truth about our universe.

"Would it really be so bad if people on Earth knew about this universe? Wouldn't it be nice if there was friendship between the two galaxies?" I asked him.

"After what I told him, Master Yoda felt that it was more likely people on Earth would try to overwhelm our galaxy. And think about it, Emma. Would they try to overwhelm us, colonize us? What if their intentions were dominance, not friendship, and there were wars between the two galaxies? Millions of people could be killed. Would you want Coruscant to be overrun and treated like one big tourist attraction?"

Well, when he put it that way, it didn't sound so great. "What if someone else on Earth has Force powers?" I worried.

"No one on Earth has Force powers like we do," Obi-Wan asserted. "The only reason you do is because I am your father."

"Well, that's a relief," I said. I looked at Obi-Wan. "Did Master Yoda tell the rest of the Council about this?"

"No, he felt it was not necessary to alarm the Council," Obi-Wan said slowly. He sounded as surprised by this as I was.

"Anyway," Obi-Wan continued, "you were asking about when the Council changed the no attachments rule."

Finally! This was what I had really been waiting to hear. "Yes! How did it happen?"

"A few weeks after my return, I was called to a Council meeting. Everyone was there, including Anakin. No one seemed to know what the meeting was about. When Yoda called the meeting to order, he told us that he had recently had several disturbing visions. He had premonitions of a powerful Jedi falling to the dark side. He would not name the Jedi, but he said it was someone who was currently on the Council."

"He knew!" I was shocked. "Yoda knew about Anakin! I thought he didn't sense anything about Anakin turning."

"I was astonished," Obi-Wan said. "I had never said a word to Master Yoda about the events of Revenge of the Sith. And, curiously, he had never asked me to explain everything that happened in Star Wars as we knew it on Earth."

"But Anakin never turned," I said, trying to make sense of all this. "When did Yoda have these visions?"

"He said it was right before he learned of my location on Earth. He had visions of me on Earth, and then the images shifted to those of a Jedi going over to the dark side. He did not know exactly when it would happen. But terrible things would come about because of this particular Jedi's fall. It would lead to the rise of the Sith, the destruction of the entire Jedi Order, and untold suffering for the galaxy."

"The Council was in an uproar. Master Windu demanded to know who it was. But Master Yoda would not give a name. He had not seen the face of the Jedi who turned. But he perceived that it was someone who was on the Council."

"Wow." I was stunned. "So did Anakin say anything?"

"Not a word. He looked just as surprised by Master Yoda's words as I felt."

"So how did this lead to the Council deciding that attachments were ok?"

"Master Yoda said that these visions clearly showed that the only way to prevent the fall of this Jedi was through love. Love would have to triumph over fear and hate. We would have to change our views regarding attachments. Master Yoda acknowledged that it would be extremely difficult for us to accept this, but that we must if we wanted to save the Jedi Order and the galaxy."

"Everyone was stunned into silence. No one could accept what Master Yoda had just said. Well, no one except for Anakin … and me." Obi-Wan looked at me and my mother, who had been listening attentively to our conversation, and smiled warmly at us.

"Master Windu spoke first. He said, 'You are asking us to deny the Jedi Code? We cannot do that. We all know love leads to attachment, which is the path to the dark side. Your vision cannot be complete.'"

"'Deny, no,' Master Yoda said. His voice was strong, sure. 'The Jedi Code has taken different forms. It has changed throughout our history. There was a time when the Jedi did not outlaw attachments or marriage. Surely, we can return to the original version of the Code to save ourselves and the galaxy.'"

"'You want us to change our entire system, our way of life?' Master Windu continued. 'Attachments have always been discouraged, if not strictly forbidden. The earliest Jedi knew that attachments caused intense emotions, which could lead to the dark side. It is too risky.' He shook his head, vehemently disagreeing with Master Yoda."

"'Perhaps we should consider it,' Master Mundi chimed in, inclining his head toward Yoda and nodding. 'I trust Master Yoda's visions. If he believes that this is the only way to ensure the survival of the Jedi Order and stop countless destruction, then we should seriously think about it.'"

"Masters Allie and Fisto nodded in agreement, but Master Koon shook his head. 'I agree with Master Windu,' he said. 'Such attachments are likely to interfere with our adherence to the will of the Force. It is possible Master Yoda's visions are not absolute. And we are talking about changing something that goes to the very heart of what we believe in.'"

"Anakin had been silent until this point. Then he spoke."

"'I agree with Master Yoda,' he said slowly. 'The earliest Jedi understood that feeling emotions was not a bad thing. The original belief was that we should allow ourselves to experience emotions and passions but strive for peace and serenity. And feeling emotions or forming attachments does not necessarily lead to the dark side. The danger is always there, of course, but I believe that if the Jedi are more understanding and trusting of each other, the threat will be minimized. And we cannot risk the destruction of the Jedi Order. If Master Yoda says this is the only way, we should listen to him.'"

"'Difficult this decision is,' Yoda acknowledged. 'But necessary.' He looked keenly at me. 'What do you think, Master Obi-Wan?'"

"It was at this point that I voiced my opinion."

"What did you say?" I asked him sardonically. "Did you and Anakin confess?" My mother looked at me with a slight frown on her face. Obi-Wan simply raised his eyebrows at my tone and continued speaking.

"I supported Master Yoda," he said. "I told them that I believed we should look seriously at the earliest version of the code, that marriage was not always forbidden. The original code is more balanced. By embracing that version, we are not changing our core beliefs, but being more open-minded about the realities of life."

"We continued to debate for the rest of the day and long into the next. By the end of the second day, we voted. The decision was not unanimous. Master Windu voted against changing the Code. The majority voted to revise the Code back to its original form, and to allow marriage and attachments. Master Windu was certain that this ruling would be the thing that would cause Master Yoda's vision to come true, but eventually Master Yoda was able to ease his doubts that this was the only wise course. I don't believe Master Windu will ever look favorably on this decision, but he has made peace with it."

"So this happened right after you returned to Coruscant?" I wanted to make sure I was clear on this.

"Not long after." Obi-Wan nodded.

"But you didn't come back for us for five years," I said slowly, trying to calculate the math correctly. "That would be one month. Why didn't you come back for us right away? And when did you tell the Council that you were married and had a daughter?"

"Two days after the Council changed the attachment rule, I went to see Master Yoda and told him that I had a family on Earth. He was perfectly calm and didn't seem that surprised. He informed me that Anakin had spoken to the Council earlier that day and told them about Padmé and the babies. They were not happy that we had concealed the truth from them, but the rules were now changed, and they agreed to accept it. Master Windu wanted us removed from the Council for what he termed our 'deception,' but Master Yoda managed to persuade him not to call for a vote on this point." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I must say, Master Yoda has been exceptionally kind and understanding to both Anakin and me on this matter."

"As for why I didn't return right away …" Obi-Wan looked at me and my mother seriously. "I still wasn't sure that it was entirely safe."

"But why?" I asked. There was something more that I sensed he was not telling me. "Why was it safer to keep us away? Once you knew Sidious was dead and there was no more danger from Anakin, why didn't you come back for us sooner? Especially since the Council changed the rules about marriage and having a family! You should have come back for us right away! Why did you wait longer?"

I studied Obi-Wan's conflicted expression, and then realized what it must be. "It's because of Satine, isn't it?" I asked him quietly. "Because of what Maul did to her? You were afraid of something like that happening to us?" I glanced uncertainly at my mother. I wasn't sure how much Obi-Wan had told her, but my mother had watched The Clone Wars TV series with me and knew all about Obi-Wan and Satine. I hoped she didn't mind me mentioning her.

My mother wasn't upset with me. She put her hand reassuringly on my shoulder, and then rested her head comfortingly against Obi-Wan's shoulder and took his hand.

Obi-Wan looked pained for a moment, then closed his eyes briefly and nodded. When he opened his eyes, there was a calm expression on his face.

"Yes, Emma," Obi-Wan confirmed my theory. "It was not that long after I witnessed Maul's murder of Duchess Satine that I arrived on Earth. I never expected to meet your mother … or to fall in love again." He looked fondly at my mother.

"Don't forget, Maul is still alive and out there. I didn't want to risk your life or your mother's life. If something like that were to happen again ..." He shook his head. "We will have to be extremely cautious."

"Wait … I thought Maul was captured by Ahsoka and sent to Coruscant," I said, remembering the end of Clone Wars. "If Order 66 never happened, Ahsoka wouldn't have freed Maul. He should be in the hands of the Council now."

"Maul somehow escaped onboard the ship during his transfer." Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head regretfully. "Ahsoka and Rex pursued him and are searching the galaxy for him."

"So Maul is on the loose and still full of hate … great. Since Sidious is dead, Maul probably will try to be the new Sith Master. He may not go to Dathomir. He could be anywhere! How will they find him?" I knew a Jedi-in-training was supposed to remain calm, but this was startling news … and scary.

"Ahsoka will find him," Obi-Wan said confidently. "In the meantime, you and your mother will be safe in the Jedi Temple."

"Yeah … now that the clone troopers won't try to kill us," I said, feeling relieved. Then a horrible thought occurred to me. "Hey, what about those chips that were implanted in them? What if they cause them to attack?"

"They won't," Obi-Wan assured me. "Yoda instructed all of the clones to remove their control chips. We have made sure they were all taken out. And the Kaminoans' cloning program has been ended. "

"What happened to all the clones? Where are they now?" I asked him.

"The Senate has entrusted some of them with maintaining weapons and vehicles. The vast majority of them have been assigned to work alongside Jedi as peacekeepers throughout the galaxy. Some of them were sent to Kamino to ensure that the Kaminoans do not attempt to restart their cloning program."

"How did Yoda know about the control chips?" I wondered. "I thought the Jedi didn't know about them."

"Yoda said that he saw them in his visions," Obi-Wan replied.

"But there could still be danger from Maul," I pointed out. "Yet you finally chose to come back for us. Did you realize that nothing is certain, that you may not always be able to protect us from danger? Did you surrender to the will of the Force?" I hoped I sounded like a wise Padawan and not an obnoxious child. I hoped Obi-Wan was impressed with how much I already knew … thanks to all those movies and books.

"A Jedi never acts from hatred, anger, fear or aggression but acts when calm and at peace with the Force," Obi-Wan quoted the Jedi Code. "It took me a little while to overcome my fear of losing you and your mother." He smiled ironically. "This is why attachment was forbidden. This is indeed the danger of forming attachments."

"Fear is the path to the dark side," I told him, quoting Master Yoda. "Have you really overcome your fear?"

"Yes, I know. I have heard that many times. I know that the fear of loss is a path to the dark side. And I saw what almost happened to Anakin … and to me." He paused, and I looked at him, startled, not sure what he meant by that. But he didn't elaborate. Then he simply added, "Ultimately, I believe love is stronger than fear and hate."

"We will trust in the will of the Force."

The next two days on board the Republic starship passed quickly. I learned about the basic controls on the ship. Obi-Wan continued to tell me more about what happened to the Republic and the Jedi after Chancellor Palpatine's death. The Senators had been horrified to learn that their Chancellor had really been a Sith Lord in disguise who had orchestrated the entire Clone Wars in order to destroy the Republic and create his own Empire. The Separatist leaders had surrendered after the deaths of Grievous and Sidious. The Senate had promptly elected Bail Organa, the Senator from Alderaan, as the new Chancellor. He had immediately ended the corruption in the Senate, and the Senate was now working hard to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy after the chaos of the long Clone Wars.

Most of the Jedi had been recalled back to Coruscant after the war ended. A few were still stationed on other planets that were badly damaged from the war, working with their clone troopers, helping the people who lived there rebuild from the devastation and ensuring that Republic-friendly governments were stable and fair.

I had asked Obi-Wan how Anakin had reacted after my father revealed that he had a wife and child living on Earth. I suspected that Anakin would be amused and gleeful.

"Yes, he was rather delighted," Obi-Wan admitted. "He talked about how ironic it was, after all the times I had 'lectured' him about not letting personal feelings interfere with duty. But it did increase our bond. He clapped me on the back and said that we were more alike than he had ever realized."

"See, he could relate to you more," I told my father.

Obi-Wan had told me that after Anakin revealed his marriage and the fact that he was a new father to the Council, he and Padmé decided to split their time between Coruscant and Naboo. Padmé had always wanted to have the babies on Naboo. Now that Anakin was a Jedi Master, as well as a member of the Council, they settled on living half of the year on Coruscant and the rest on Naboo.

"But won't the Council want him on Coruscant all the time?" I questioned Obi-Wan. "Don't you have meetings and Council business that keeps you busy?"

"Not every Jedi lives on Coruscant," Obi-Wan reminded me. "Anakin could always connect via hologram, if necessary, while on Naboo. And don't forget, these are uncharted waters for this Council. It has been a very long time since marriage and families were not forbidden. Perhaps the Council wants to see if Anakin will be able to fulfill his Jedi duties while having a family life." He seemed to be talking about himself as well, at this point.

"So are they testing him?" I wondered. "Are they going to test you?"

"Possibly," Obi-Wan theorized. "We shall have to see. But I know the Council is very sure about where our loyalties lie."

"Well, I'm sure about yours, anyway," I mumbled under my breath. Although Obi-Wan seemed to have complete faith in Anakin again, I still wasn't one hundred percent sure. It wasn't that long ago that Anakin was ready to do anything to save Padmé and would have turned to the dark side except for … except for what? I still didn't know exactly what had happened to change Anakin's fate. I resolved to solve this mystery myself. One way or another, I would get to the bottom of this.

"So, we're all going to live in the Jedi Temple together?" I wanted to be sure I had heard Obi-Wan correctly earlier. "The Council will let Mom live there too?"

"Yes, we will have an apartment at the Temple," Obi-Wan confirmed. "The Council has granted their permission." He smiled slightly. "I suspect it is a test for me."

"Do Anakin, Padmé, Luke, and Leia live at the Temple too?" I asked him.

"Yes, they do," Obi-Wan replied.

I was also very surprised when Obi-Wan told me that Anakin was going to train both of the twins himself.

"Both of them? He's going to train Luke and Leia by himself? But I thought Masters could only have one Padawan at a time?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan acknowledged this rule. "Anakin is going to train both of them until they are old enough to be apprenticed."

"How is he going to choose which one to train as his Padawan?" I wondered. "Won't that be a hard decision?"

"It will be extremely difficult," Obi-Wan agreed with me. "I expect the Force will guide him in that decision."

"Maybe the Council will allow him to train both," I suggested. "Since its uncharted waters and all."

"Perhaps." Obi-Wan shrugged. "It would certainly be unprecedented. But we shall see."

"Are you going to train me?" I had assumed he would, but now I wasn't sure. "Will the Council let you?"

"Hopefully the Council will allow it," Obi-Wan said. "Don't worry, Emma. I am sure you will not be disappointed with your Master, whoever he or she is." He smiled, and I realized there was something more he was not telling me. I wondered if he and Master Yoda had already discussed this amongst themselves.

Coruscant was really one big city. I stared in fascination as we emerged from hyperspace and Obi-Wan flew the ship onto the planet. It was truly an urban jungle. I saw nothing but skyscrapers and skylanes with various ships and speeders. When we finally arrived, Obi-Wan flew us onto a landing platform. From there, we took an air taxi directly to the Jedi Temple.

I immediately recognized the Jedi Temple as we approached it. It truly looked exactly like it had in the movies, with its five distinguishing spires. As we got out of the taxi, Obi-Wan turned to me and put an encouraging hand on my arm.

"Are you ready to meet the Council?"