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It had been about two days since Luke had been cleared to come back home, and all ready he was up and moving around as if the whole ordeal on the Nexu had never happened. At the moment, he and Jeza were practicing some hand to hand combat, something they hadn't been able to actually do in a while. Through over a week of inactivity, they managed to avoid being rusty, and moved with the fluidity of perfectly rehearsed dancers on the veranda; just so they wouldn't tear anything up in the living room. Padme, Han, Leia, and Mara watched from the living room while Luke and Jeza practiced, completely quiet as they watched the pair.

Since he wanted Jeza to work on her offense, Luke was mostly on the defensive at the moment, blocking her many different jabs at his person, ranging from attempted sweeps, attempts to put him off balance, and many different punches, kicks, and a few elbows and knees thrown in. Jeza even used her lekkus every now and then.

Luke ducked as said lekkus came swinging towards his head again, arm flashing out to block the upcoming knee before he launched himself into a tuck and roll to get out of range of Jeza's descending elbow.

She was getting better at this.

Luke popped to his feet in time to sneak in a sweep of his own, which Jeza jumped to avoid, coming to land just out of Luke's reach. Luke took one look at her and fell to a more relaxed position. "We're done for today; you did really well."

They'd been at it for quite some time, and Jeza was panting rather heavily now that they were no longer in the midst of the spar. "Really? Already?" she asked lightly, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Yes, already," Luke said with a chuckle, making his way back to the living room where a towel lay waiting for him on one of the couches. He dabbed the sweat on his forehead away with the towel while Jeza came up behind him. He was still tiring faster than he normally did, but that would fade with time.

"That's too bad; I was sure I was going to finally beat you," Jeza said with a mischievous smirk. Luke rolled his eyes.

"Sure you were Jeza," he said with a chuckle. Mara came up beside him with his gray under tunic and he took it back gratefully, leaning over to give her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Thank you," he murmured, already moving to pull the shirt on over his head. He felt a flicker of some unknown emotion go through Jeza when he kissed Mara, and he turned to the younger almost instinctively, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Jeza, do you think you could lend me a hand with 3PO?" he asked strategically. The droid had been having some joint problems and Luke had offered to take a look. Now, however, it was a good excuse to get some alone time with Jeza and see what was going through the younger girl's mind. She'd been a little off since Mara's arrival; something that had not slipped his notice.

"Why don't you be sociable for once?" Han jested. When Luke rolled his eyes, Han pulled Leia a little closer. "No? Well then, now we know how much you care."

"Of course, I can do that Father," Jeza said in a false up-beat voice, following Luke to his room where 3PO was waiting for him. The droid perked up from his seat on Luke's bed when he saw Luke enter.

"I see you have finished with your sparring session. Would it be all right if I powered down while you work Master Luke?"

"Yes 3PO, that's fine," Luke assured him, sitting down next to the droid before he got to work. Several moments of peaceful silence reigned before Luke finally decided to start probing.

"So...is there anything you want to tell me?" Luke asked vaguely, keeping his eyes on the wires in 3PO's arm. He could clearly sense Jeza's flicker of surprise at the question through the Force, so he didn't need to look at her expression to gauge her reaction.

"What do you mean?" Jeza asked. The fact that she'd decided to dodge the question set little alarm bells off in Luke's mind. Whatever was bothering her was bothering her quite a bit.

"Really? Because you've been acting different since I came home from the Halls of Healing at the Jedi Temple. Are you sure that there's absolutely nothing bothering you?" Luke pressed.

Jeza was quiet for a few moments before she finally chose to speak, and Luke received confirmation about what was bothering her. "I...it's just...isn't she the same woman who..."

Jeza trailed off, unable to finish the question. The silence stretched for several moments before Luke tore his eyes away from what he was currently doing to meet Jeza's inquiring midnight blue orbs.

"Yes, Mara is the very same," he said gently. Jeza huffed, looking utterly confused.

"Then why...?" Once again, Jeza didn't finish her question, and once again, Luke didn't need her to.

"I forgave Mara before I was exiled, Jeza; I grew to care for her too much to hold a grudge for what happened. Besides, I saw how conflicted she truly was at the time, and I could see how sorry she was for her actions. My father was holding enough of a grudge for both of us any way, enough that I was rather worried about him for a while because of that grudge," Luke explained gently.

Jeza sighed gently through her nose, watching Luke as he turned back to 3PO's arm, putting the plating back in place now that he was done with that arm. He didn't say anything, giving Jeza time to process and make up her mind on what he had just said. She'd speak whenever she was ready to.

"I guess if you can trust her, then so can I," Jeza finally said. Luke smiled slightly to himself, turning back to Jeza to put an arm around her shoulders.

"If only more people went by that philosophy," he said with a slight chuckle. "But I'm glad you understand now. We'll finish with 3PO, and then we can go back and be sociable with the others, how does that sound?"

"Sounds good," Jeza responded with a small smile.

When Luke and Jeza emerged from their one on one time in Luke's room, Anakin had returned home and was waiting for them. Mara had a feeling she knew who it was that Luke and Jeza had talked about, but she didn't mind. At least, she didn't think she minded.

Anakin had been conversing quietly with Padme about something to do with the Jedi Council whenever Luke and Jeza reappeared, and he straightened up at the emergence of his son. "Luke, I need to borrow Jeza for a while."

A strange look crossed Luke's face, and he frowned. "Ah...why?"

Anakin couldn't hide the grimace that flickered across his face. "The Council wants to see her," he said seriously. Mara didn't miss that Luke's grasp on the young twi'lek girl tightened at his father's words, and he stiffened noticeably.

"For what?" Luke asked, his voice calm and his tone even despite his obvious tension.

"I think we both know why," Anakin said quietly. Mara cast her gaze back to Luke, standing up from her seat as understanding flickered in Luke's eyes. Luke turned his attention on the girl beside him, who looked nervous and scared of what was being asked of her. Whether or not she realized the Council was going to be drilling her over Luke, Mara did not know. She did know that Jeza seemed to grasped the seriousness of being called in to see the council, especially being a non-Force Sensitive outside of the Jedi Order. Luke's expression was filled with worry, so Anakin moved to reassure him.

"Obi-Wan and I will be in there, we'll make sure nothing happens to her, I promise. They just want to ask some questions," Anakin said in a soothing tone of voice.

"Make sure that's all that happens," Luke said in a warning tone of voice before he reluctantly let Jeza go. Mara could help that her mind flickered to thoughts of the Council prying into Jeza's mind by force, and detaining her simply for being affiliated with Luke.

She'd come to harbor a certain resentment of the Jedi Order since Luke's exile, and she in no way felt that her resentment was misplaced.

For a moment, it looked like the young girl was going to refuse and attach herself to Luke. Then, to Mara's surprise, she straightened up and squared her shoulders, a look of determination gracing her face. Luke had definitely taught his daughter well.

"I'll go," she said in a confident voice despite the fact that her hands were shaking. Anakin nodded and offered her his arm to escort her, leaning over to give Padme a quick kiss on the cheek before he led Jeza away towards the speeder. Mara approached Luke, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder and gently rubbing his shoulder and back soothingly.

"She'll be fine," Mara told him as Luke stared after the speeder that was taking Jeza and Anakin away to the Jedi Temple.

"I know," Luke said with a sigh, forcing himself to turn away from the veranda. "It's just that I also know what she's going to be met with in that Council Room, and I wish she didn't have to go."

"She'll be all right; she's been taught well and raised right," Mara told him gently, guiding him back to the couches with the other three. Luke smiled a little at the compliment and complied, joining Leia, Padme, and Han on the couches and pulling Mara close to him. Mara shifted so that she could comfortably lean into him.

It didn't take long for Luke to initiate conversation. "So, when are you two going to get married now that I'm back?" Luke asked.

Leia lit up with happiness at the thought. "We haven't given it much thought since you arrived actually; there's been so much excitement with your return, I guess it just didn't occur to us."

Luke smiled a little wider. "I'm glad that you decided to wait for me. I couldn't imagine missing my sister's wedding."

"Neither could we; that's why we waited, Kid," Han said easily. "It wouldn't be right if you weren't there."

"How long have you waited?" Luke asked curiously.

"Just a few years," Leia said with a nonchalant shrug. Luke's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"That long?"

"Shorter than it could have been," Han countered.

"What would you have done had I not come back?" Luke asked with true concern in his voice. Leia was already shaking her head halfway through his sentence.

"Then we would have come for you. With the rate this family could search the galaxy for you, we would find you sooner or later, and we would come to you," Leia said firmly. Padme chose that moment to interfere.

"Well, we're all together now; let's try not to focus on the what could have been, whether it be grim or wistful. Everything that matters we have now, and we should be grateful for it," Padme said in a lightly scolding tone. Luke instinctively turned his gaze to Mara as his mother spoke, and Mara felt her stomach flutter lightly. The look in his bright blue eyes was something that caused her heart to melt; it was pure love and affection, and she knew because of that look that to Luke, Mara was one of those things that he had to be grateful for.

"Yes, we do, don't we?" Luke said quietly in agreement, leaning over to give Mara a adoring kiss on the lips.

Personally, the war and problems with the Jedi Order aside, Mara was content with how things were turning out as well.

Jeza stayed completely silent as Luke's father—her grandfather, now that she thought of it—drove them to the Jedi Temple. Jeza found herself openly admiring the structure once again as they approached, craning her neck to take in the high spirals of the Temple. Before Kuroth had arrived, Jeza had never been off the ground—not counting being in trees on Xenon—and it was a rather exhilarating feeling she didn't think she would get used to.

She could feel Anakin's eyes on her as they landed in the Temple's hangar, but she didn't mind. She felt safe and secure under Anakin's watchful eyes; Luke had spoken very highly of Anakin and Jeza knew that Anakin would be able to protect her if anything should happen. Once the speeder had powered down, Anakin helped Jeza out of the speeder and gestured for her to stick close to his side, already starting for the exit that would take them right to the main hall of the Temple.

"They're waiting for us, and it would be best not to keep them waiting too long; some of them are cranky enough as it is," Anakin said with a shake of his head, his dark brown robe billowing slightly behind him as he walked. "You don't need to worry though, they just want to hear your story and ask some questions about Luke, then you can go back to the apartment with the others."

"They're trying to decide what their judgment will be on whether or not my father will be allowed back into the Jedi Order, aren't they?" Jeza asked quietly, looking around at the towering pillars around her. Anakin was silent for several minutes before he finally answered.

"Yes, they are. Luke's already said that he thinks he needs more time outside of the Order to recover before he comes back, but at least with the decision now, we'll know if the Order will agree to take him back whenever he is ready to return," Anakin explained.

"I hope he decides to come back," Jeza said softly, casting her eyes down towards the floor. "He doesn't say it, but he misses being in the Order. When he told Kuroth that he wasn't a Jedi anymore, and said he probably would never be a Jedi again, I could tell that it hurt him to say it. He misses it so much, and I can tell it's like something is missing for him not being in the Order, even if he never mentions it."

Anakin nodded. "I can believe that—the Jedi Order always has been his life; it was that way with me too. When I was younger, attachments were forbidden by the Jedi Order; we weren't allowed to have relationships or even be in contact with family. When I fell in love with Padme, I found myself equally torn between the Jedi Order, which was my life, and Padme, who was the love of my life. Also, the Council didn't trust me at the time, and I felt shunned and excluded even after they'd accepted me into the Council. I also felt disgraced because I was the only person to be accepted on the Council and denied the rank of Master. It's a tough spot to be in, to want to be in the Order but be shunned by that same Order...I know how he feels."

Their conversation was cut short as Anakin stopped in the middle of the hall, and before Jeza could ask him why they'd stopped she spotted the Togruta woman that was hurrying towards them. Two lightsabers were strapped to her waist and her grand head tails twitched excitedly as she approached them.

"Anakin!" the woman called, a grin on her face as she embraced the older man eagerly. "Is it true? Skyguy Junior's home?" she asked, beaming.

"Yes, he's there now, with the others," Anakin said with a soft smile. "It's nice to see you back in one piece Snips."

The woman shrugged. "It was a false alarm; nothing stirred up by Judro, just an easily settled conflict." At that moment, the woman's attention was drawn to Jeza by Anakin's side. "And who's this?"

Anakin held out a hand, placing his arm around Jeza's shoulders. "Jeza, this is Ahsoka Tano, my former apprentice. Ahsoka...this is Jeza, Luke's adoptive daughter."

Surprise flickered across both Ahsoka's and Jeza's face at the introductions, but they both reacted accordingly, shaking hands. "Pleased to meet you," Ahsoka said. Jeza inclined her head.

"Likewise," Jeza responded.

"I would let this conversation continue, but Jeza's been called in to see the Council," Anakin said, already stepping around Ahsoka.

"What for?" Ahsoka asked suspiciously.

"Luke," Anakin said simply, walking forward. It seemed that was the only explanation that Ahsoka needed, because understanding dawned on her face and her mouth formed a little 'o.' Anakin didn't wait for any reply though, and instead continued to lead Jeza through the Jedi Temple halls. "Ahsoka represented Luke in his trial; her defense is what saved his life. She was able to sway enough people away from handing him over to the Senate for his sentence with her argument, and softened the sentence that the Council gave as well. I know, I was in the Council room as everyone argued over Luke's fate. It was not a pretty sight."

Jeza turned her head several times, trying to look back and get another look at the woman that had done her father such a great service. They were already too far away though, and Jeza didn't get to get another look at her. Perhaps later, after Jeza was done being interviewed by the Council, she would be able to meet Ahsoka again.

Eventually, Anakin brought them to a stop outside of a large door, and Jeza's nerves doubled. Anakin spared her a glance. "Don't worry, you'll be fine, and I'll be there the entire time heading the meeting. Just answer honestly."

"I know; the Force will reveal if I'm lying. I learned that lesson a long time ago," Jeza said sheepishly. That had been an embarrassment, as Luke had let her think she'd gotten away with it for quite some time and purposely kept putting her in awkward situations until she'd finally confessed.

Anakin's lips twitched towards a smile. "I'm not even going to ask," he said with a small chuckle before he waved a hand and the doors to the Council Room slid open, allowing them to step through and enter the circular room. Jeza looked around in wonder at the many Jedi Masters situated in chairs around the room as she made her way to the center, staying there at Anakin's signal while he took his own seat right next to the man Jeza recognized as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The dark skinned human Jedi that had also gone to rescue her father was there was well. It was a comfort to know that they were some of the people here to make the decision. At the same time, it made her wonder just who was so opposed to her father coming back into the Order. Didn't the Jedi teach things like compassion, forgiveness, and not holding a grudge?

Anakin settled into his chair, glancing around the room. "Shall we get started then?" he asked, gesturing towards Jeza. "I've already told her why she's here."

A Togruta woman with head tails much longer than Ahsoka's leaned forward, curiosity alight in her eyes. "Will you tell us your name, child?"

Jeza took a deep breath, straightening up. Luke had always told her if she should find herself in the presence of a Jedi to address them as Master, or Master Jedi. "Jeza, Master Jedi."

"And is there a last name with that, Jeza?" the woman asked.

"I've taken on my father's name of Skywalker since he took me in, Master Jedi," she said respectfully. She heard a few murmurs at that, but not much.

"And before that?" the woman pressed lightly.

Jeza hesitated just a moment before she spoke. "Rinn. Jeza Rinn is my birth name...Master Jedi."

"And how did you come to be on the planet Jeza? The one that Grandmaster Skywalker's son was exiled to."

"My mother said that before I was born there was a lot of conflict in the galaxy, and a group of people—just normal, everyday people—decided to get away from the galaxy's problems. So they all got together and decided to try and find a habitable planet in the Unknown Regions far away from the problems of the galaxy. At least, that's what I was always told when I was a child. I was born and raised on that planet, in that little village, Master Jedi."

"How did you come to be under Skywalker's care?" another Jedi Master, much gruffer and colder in his tone, asked.

Jeza turned to face the Jedi Master, noting how Anakin stiffened when the man spoke. "My village was wiped out when I was ten; everyone but me and a woman named Denna was killed, my parents included. Denna took care of me until she suddenly grew gravely ill, and neither of us knew how to treat her. The day Luke arrived, Denna was at the edge of death. The last thing she did before she died was have him promise to take care of me. I've been under his care ever since, and I won't have it any other way."

"How was your village wiped out?" the Jedi asked, cocking an eyebrow in a way that made Jeza think he was challenging her. "A disease, a natural disaster...a mass murder."

Jeza kept her face stoic as she replied. "They were all killed by the same man."

"And that man, could you describe him?" the Jedi continued. Jeza felt a flicker of anger; she had the feeling that this Jedi knew just who the man was, and wanted to paint her father in a bad light. So she decided to put herself a few steps ahead of him.

"The very same human who took me in, but not the same man," Jeza said coolly, looking the Jedi right in the eyes. Several exclamations of surprise and murmurs rippled through the room as the Jedi frowned.

"How can it be the same person, but not the same person?" the Jedi frowned. Despite the frown, he looked as if he felt he had already won this argument.

Jeza turned to fully face him, a righteous anger alight in her eyes. "Because, the person who went through my village and killed everyone and the man who took me in may be the same in body, but they are not the same in spirit. It was Darth Eius that decimated my village. Luke is nothing like him, nothing at all. He's cared for me as if I was his own daughter and raised me with love and care. To me, they may share the same face, but they are entirely different people, and no one can change that for me."

"Why don't you tell us how your time on Xenon with him was like; would you say he's completely turned around? Did he ever use the dark side of the Force?" another Jedi asked, shooting a few glances at the icy Jedi.

"I'd say he was a different person before he was even sent into his exile; he was so different he was even afraid to touch me when he first arrived, concerned that it would upset me somehow." Jeza's eyes hardened and she met the icy Jedi's gaze once more. "Tell me Master Jedi; does a Sith give a child the robe off his back for warmth and sleep on a cave floor with nothing but the clothes on his back night after night? When there's finally a roof over his head, does he give the only piece of furniture and the only blanket to a child while he sleeps on the floor, away from the fire so that she can get more of the warmth?"

"If they're trying to be deceitful—" he started to reply, but Jeza wasn't done and cut him off.

"Furthermore, does a Sith teach a child the ways of the Jedi and warn her of the ways of the Sith, even if the child isn't Force Sensitive? Would he put his own life at risk to save the child? Would he always put her needs above his own, even though no one was there to see? Would he hide his pain whenever the child was around and then when he thought he was alone completely broke down? I can give you assurance that Luke Skywalker, my father, is no more of a Sith than I am, and I stand by that judgment, even with everything that he did to me personally in the past. And if I'm no Jedi, and I can forgive him, then surely the Jedi, who have forgiveness as one of the things necessary to be who they are, can forgive him as well."

Silence rang through the room after her words, and Anakin had a smile on his face; there was a light of pain in his eyes at the mention of Luke's suffering, but for the overall speech he was smiling. Jeza pushed her luck for a little more.

"I've watched my father struggle with overwhelming guilt for what he's done for over five years, and watched it almost consume him more than once. I've seen him at his most broken state. If any of you try to tell me that he hasn't suffered enough, then I think you need to go back and go through everything that he has gone through, and then come back, look me in the eyes, and tell me he hasn't suffered enough. The Jedi Order is his life; he might not come back immediately, as he has a few more things he wants to do to make amends before he re-joins this Order, but he does want to return and coming back should be an option for him when he's ready."

For a sixteen year old girl, she thought she'd done rather well; it seemed Luke truly had taught her well. She looked around, meeting each Jedi Master's gaze calmly. The icy master looked a little miffed but silenced for now. Believing she'd said her peace, she turned back to the Togruta Jedi Master.

"Is that all the questions you had for me?" Jeza asked the woman respectfully. She smiled at Jeza.

"That is all for now. I'm sure any other questions Master Skywalker could answer for us; you may return home to your father," the woman said politely.

Just as Jeza had been taught, she bowed deeply as a sign of respect. "Thank you Master."

"Wait for me outside; I'll take you home after this meeting," Anakin told her gently. With that, the doors slid open, and Jeza was allowed to exit the room.

It seemed like hours had passed; hours that found Jeza sitting on the floor with her back pressed against one of the columns, staring at the door and willing it to open to reveal her grandfather. Her back was starting to hurt, and she had long ago become concerned with what was happening behind those closed doors. Was the debate over her father's fate truly that intense?

Just as she thought she was about to fall asleep, the doors finally opened, and Anakin stormed out, his face drawn in a grim and serious expression and his entire posture stiff and tense. His eyes fell on Jeza sitting on the floor almost immediately, and Jeza snapped to her feet at the urgent air that seemed to circle him.

"What's going on?" Jeza asked, falling into step beside him as Anakin continued to rush through the halls. Master Kenobi passed them, taking a different route.

"I'll go get Ahsoka," he called back, his light brown robe disappearing around the corner.

"The decision over Luke is going to have to wait for another time. Alderaan is under attack; and it isn't anything light either. This is the most up-front Judro has been throughout this entire war; he's attempting to burn the entire planet. We need to get there as soon as possible. We're headed back to the apartment to drop you off, tell the others what's going on, and then I'm leaving."

"Luke will want to come with you," Jeza said.

"He's still recovering; he's going to stay."

"No he won't; injured or not, he'll still come to help in any way he can."

Anakin glanced at her. "We'll see."

Luke could sense the urgency in the Force long before Anakin and Jeza even returned. When he'd sensed it, he'd grown restless, pacing the veranda in wait of Anakin and Jeza's arrival. Mara and Leia could sense the urgency as well, creating a strange tension in the room that had nothing to do with each other. Everyone was wound up, and they just wanted to know what was going on.

When the speeder appeared on the horizon, Luke sighed in relief. "They're coming," he announced, causing the others to rise to their feet as well.

"What do you think is going on?" Han asked, coming to stand beside Luke on the veranda.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's important," Luke said, watching the speeder rush towards them at law-breaking speeds. Anakin was landing the speeder in moments, and Luke didn't miss the fact that Anakin left it running. Luke made his way towards them, instinctively taking Jeza into his arms when the girl hugged him. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Alderaan is under attack," Anakin said seriously. Behind him, Luke could practically see Leia and Padme shoot to their feet in alarm.

"What?" Leia shouted in shock.

"Judro and his fleet are attempting to burn the entire planet to a crisp. We're leaving for evac, rescue, and an attempt to fight them off right now. I was just bringing Jeza back," Anakin said, turning to make his way to the speeder.

"I'm coming with you," Leia said, rushing forward.

"I'll take her in the Falcon," Han told him, holding Luke's sister by the arm.

"I'll come too," Luke said, pulling himself up to his full height.

"No Luke, you're still recovering," Anakin said sternly.

"Then I'll run evac and rescue; I'll avoid the battle. Just please, let me help," Luke pled. Anakin turned and met his son's eyes before he sighed.

"You're your own man; I cannot stop you. I can only ask that you please be careful," Anakin said.

"I want to help," Jeza quipped. Luke was about to argue, before he decided that would be rather hypocritical and his father was watching with an amused look to see whether Luke would contradict himself or not.

"Fine, but you stay close to me, all right?" Luke said seriously.

"If Luke's coming, I'm coming," Mara said, coming up behind him and hooking her arm around his.

Anakin nodded, turning to give Padme a quick hug and rather long kiss. "Then it's settled; we need to hurry."

"Be safe, please," Padme pleaded. "I'll contact Bail and see how things are progressing...I'll go visit Breha as well."

"I'll keep in touch; R2," Anakin called, and R2 beeped and whirred, coming from around the corner to approach them. Anakin glanced at Luke. "I think you should take him; I'll be fine on my own up in the sky, but you might need him to override some locks or who knows what while you're doing evac; you'll need him with you."

Luke grinned. "I'd love to. Come on R2; let's see if you can still keep up with me."

The astromech whirred excitedly, drawing a small smile out of Anakin and an even wider grin from Luke. Anakin sighed.

"May the Force be with us all."