Chapter 11
Over the Intercom of the freighter Jedi Master Ralkitta finally announced the arrival in the orbit of Yavin IV. Padme took one deep breath before she left the resting area of the old freighter together with her daughter, as she had been busy to think what exactly she should say to her son at this first meeting after all these years they had been separated. With a little smile on her face, she somehow tried to mask her worries about this whole thing in front of Leia even if probably failed miserably at doing just that because her daughter could definitely read her like an open book.
Meanwhile on the surface of the planet, Luke could sense the presence of his sister not far away from his current position and of course he couldn't help but ask himself what reasons she did have for this unannounced visit at the Jedi Training Center. He couldn't place the other two force signatures right at this moment, one of them could be a Jedi but he had to dig deep inside of himself to determine where he had felt the presence of that person for the last time. Back on the old freighter, Jedi Master Ralkitta had opened a com link to the Jedi Training Center:
"My Name is Jedi Master Ralkitta and I request permission to land at the hangar." Then Padme, Leia and Master Ralkitta anxiously waited for a response from the Jedi Training Center and Leia tried to ease her mother's nervousness by holding onto her hand gently.
Padme was thankful for that little gesture of affection from her daughter; even if she deep down wished to able to relax a little bit more. It took quite a while but then the holographic image of another Jedi Master appeared on the com-link display of the ship:
"Master Ralkitta, my name is Master K'taan and I would like to ask what your business here at Jedi Training Center is?" Somehow Ralkitta could sense the distrust from the Jedi on the other side of the com-link and he couldn't blame him, even if that brought up the horrible memories of the way that he had left the Jedi Order. He remembered it just like it was yesterday, how he and the Council did have a huge dispute over the true motives of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine Master Ralkitta keep trying to make the Council understand that Palpatine would be the downfall of the Jedi Order very soon.
But burying out old resentments would surely get him nowhere right at this moment, so he really needed to choose his next words wisely: "I'm here because one of my passengers, Padme Amidala wants to see her son Master Skywalker is a personal meeting possible?"
Master K'taan hesitated with the response for quite some time, trying to figure out if he really could trust that unknown Jedi Master or if that really was a very clever deceit by a Sith in disguise. The galaxy surely still wasn't a safe place for the Jedi, of course the Sith had suffered a fatal blow thanks to Master Skywalker but deep down the newly formed Jedi Council knew very well that the Sith would definitely return some day to have their revenge.
But he could sense that this Jedi's intentions were totally sincere so that he finally said: "Alright Master Ralkitta you have permission to land in the hangar and I will notify Master Skywalker of your arrival immediately."
Sensing this one special presence, made Luke think of the last time where he had sensed this person: The day of his birth as the son of a young Jedi that had been betrayed by another fellow Jedi by the name of Darth Vader. But as he searched his mind for any memory of this person, he only came across numerous images of happy times with the only person that he remembered being his mother the most time of his childhood: Beru Lars.
In some way that person seemed familiar to him but he couldn't help but ask himself over and over again: Who is that person and why does one part of me feel like I deep down know her? He already knew in advance that they had visitors when Master K'Taan arrived in his chambers to notify him and finally said: "I will welcome our guests personally at the hangar."
Padme's nervousness had ceased just enough as the freighter was about to land in the hangar of the Jedi Training Center on Yavin IV and of course she wondered, if he maybe was already waiting for their arrival on the surface. Leia had sat down on a chair directly behind the seat of the Co-Pilot, while Master Ralkitta was totally concentrated on the final preparations for the landing in the hangar and he surely was anxious to meet some of the Jedi Knights from the New Jedi Order.
A lot of things had probably changed since he had gone into self-chosen exile after his big dispute with the Jedi Council, also the Galaxy was still an dangerous place for the Jedi as some Sith were still out there to hunt down the new generation of Jedi Knights.
At this point he couldn't really say for sure, if Obi Wan had been right at the end that Luke, the son of Padme Amidala really was the one to bring balance to the Force because it was too early for that in his opinion. As he was busy with the final landing preparations, Master Ralkitta couldn't help but wish that his old friend Obi Wan could be here to witness this rebirth of the Democracy and the Jedi Order. Finally the ship gently landed in the big hangar, as Padme looked out of the window next to the seat of the Co-Pilot she could see big ships already being parked next to theirs and deep down she didn't know if she would able to keep her emotions in check, because to her son she probably was a total stranger and because of the fact she shouldn't get her hopes up.
Ralkitta had finally turned off the engine of the freighter, after he had pressed a button next to the entrance ramp the trio finally left the ship and their arrival was already awaited by Master Luke Skywalker. Leia motioned to her mother, to let her do the talking for now and of course Padme was perfectly fine with that as she had already figured out on her own that her daughter would have do some explaining in front of her brother at first.
The two siblings shortly hugged each other, and then Luke said: "It's nice to see you Leia, but I'm kind of surprised to see you so to what reason do I own the pleasure?" Leia smiled in return to cover up how difficult this whole thing was for her, because she didn't know how her brother would react to the fact that his mother didn't die at birth, a woman that he didn't have any memory off? She took one deep breath and finally said: "This is really not easy for me to say, but I will to put in words the best way I can. Do you remember when I told you about the memories that I have concerning my real mother?" Even if he wasn't exactly sure where his sister was going with this, Luke shortly nodded and then Leia finally continued:
"Bail actually has told me so much more about my real mother, the former Queen and Senator of Naboo Padme Amidala who was married to OUR father the young Jedi Anakin Skywalker. He told me that she died right after giving birth to us and I believed that story until today, where I met her in person she's still alive and is here with me. I know that this is probably hard to believe, trust me I felt the same way at first but she's really our mother Luke." Luke was really shocked by this information, he looked at this woman Padme Amidala closely as Leia finally mentioned to her to come closer but there was no pictures in his head that reminded him off her and he somehow was feeling so conflicted right now: Through the force he could feel that Leia was telling the truth but to his mind, this woman was a stranger to him.
AN: Thanks to- Daniella Harwood for adding this story to her story alert subscription, Thanks to- Ash the Musical Girl 13 for reviewing this story, Thanks to- Ares Hel for adding this story to her/his story alert subscription and to her/his favorite stories list, Thanks to- .5851 for reviewing this story. Please read and review
