Chapter 4: Flight
Sixteen Years after the Empire was founded, and Three Years before what in another life would have been the Battle of Yavin...
"I'm so sorry Uncle Owen...I really tried to hide my powers, but he was a fallen Jedi. I couldn't let the raiding party go in and get slaughtered!"
Luke was trying to firmly hold his ground from right out the gate in what he thought would be an argument of epic proportions with his uncle.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Owen just simply put his face in his hands for a few moments, then he lifted his head up and moved a hand over to grasp his wife's own hand for support.
"Luke...we tried so hard to protect you. To hide you from this part of the galaxy. And I have come to realize it just wasn't possible. You found a fracking Jedi database in the desert of all places. I hate it but I think fate might just be a real thing," he held up a hand to stop Obi-Wan from speaking, "Yes yes the 'Will of the Force' or what have you. Listen, Luke...Beru and I are just glad we were able to give you something resembling a childhood at this point. So the real question becomes...what can you both do?" With that he turned to face and acknowledge Obi-Wan.
While Luke was floored by his uncle's declaration Obi-Wan stroked his beard.
"Well...I believe we have no choice but to flee to my one point of contact that I know can get us to the Rebellion. The Empire will come to Tatooine if they hear too much of the lightsaber wielding Tusken, and eventually they would learn of us and hunt us down. The good news is, we likely have at least a month before we would need to leave to beat any news or investigation. I can get us to Fulcrum, and they can get us to safety."
Luke turned his head quizzically at this, "Fulcrum?"
"The name and old...friend of mine goes by now. To hide their true identity from the Empire. As an agent of the Rebellion discretion has become paramount I imagine."
Suddenly Luke and Obi-Wan both turned to face the door, just before a knock.
Recognizing the presence Luke waved for his master to sit back down.
"Hey, Biggs," Luke said with a somber and forced smile as he opened the door.
"So..." Biggs began to speak, not quite knowing where to go with it, "I heard something weird happened out in the desert. That you and Old Ben somehow stopped the Tusken Chief? Windy's dad heard from some of the bounty hunters that they captured some of the scattered band leaders and interrogated them with a protocol droid."
Biggs hesitated, implying that there was more he had heard.
Obi-Wan sighed, "It appears we must leave sooner than I believed."
"So it's true? You...are one of the old Jedi? And Luke is like...your apprentice or something?"
Luke nodded glumly, "Yeah, Biggs. I am really sorry I didn't tell you,"
"Didn't tell me?" Biggs questioned, his volume rising, "I'm not mad about hiding weird wizard powers! I'm mad that you went off to fight that karking Tusken yourself! I would have had your back! I thought we were friends!"
Luke was taken aback by all of this, "I, look...Biggs, I am so sorry. The guy had a lightsaber, he was a kind of danger none of the farmers or even bounty hunters would have been able to handle! I didn't think he'd end up being a former commander from the Clone Wars turned rogue!"
"No! You didn't think! You didn't think how much it would mean to me not only to get to back you up in taking the guy down, but what it would do to me if I also lost the best friend who is like a kid brother to me right after losing the love of my life!"
He pulled Luke into a big hug, "Don't do something stupid like that again! At least not without me as back-up."
Once again taken aback it took a moment for the padawan to return the hug, "So uh...am I forgiven?"
"Not only are you forgiven," Biggs released the hug and pulled back, "But I'm guessing you and Old Ben are leaving the planet? Where are you planning on going? Because I want to come with you."
Luke looked over to Obi-Wan, "Umm..."
"Are you willing to join the Rebellion, young Darklighter? I hear you were planning to join the Imperial Starfighter Corps?"
Biggs shrugged, "Just to get off planet and learn to fly something more modern than our T-16s. I was always planning to defect to the Rebellion first chance I got, I just knew I had to be out there to do it."
"Hmm..." The old general considered the offer, "Luke, myself, our equipment, I suppose Luke will be taking that droid he's been working on, and yourself? Yes, we'd all fit on a freighter and if we cannot find one to purchase for ourselves I suppose buying passage to the rendezvous planet wouldn't be that difficult. Luke has saved up no small amount doing repairs, I still have some of my own store saved up, if you pitched in I think we could make it work."
"Absolutely! I've got a bunch saved up for my passage to the closest Imperial planet to join the Academy. That should help a lot!"
"Very well, it would do Luke some good to have a friend along and the Rebellion likely could always use more starfighter pilots."
A few hours later had Luke packing up his repair equipment when Biggs returned with his own gear.
"You still haven't finished fiddling with that old security droid enough to turn it on?"
Luke wiped some grease off of his hands, "Well...I'm not sure I got the personality matrix right for the modifications I made to it. I call this version a Tracker Sentinel, and it's my eleventh schematic, though the only one I've built so I'm calling him TS-11."
"What's it supposed to do?"
"Well I started with the standard KX-series body, the frame is a K1 but I got some plating and internal systems from a K2. So he's fast and mobile. I was able to retrofit and upgrade some old energy shield into his left arm so he can create a five by five bunker shield to defend, that's one of his Sentinel operations. I've created a sort of integrated utility belt around his chest which is what makes him a little bulkier, but it allows him to pop out a few different types of blaster as well as the end of an old IG-100 electrostaff turned into a baton. I also upgraded the digits on the right hand to interface like security tunnelers and computer interface devices instead of having the separate interface arm. I've improved the typical KX sensory suite to have infrared, ultraviolet, and sonar, as well as pick up radio waves. I plan to eventually add a stealth field generator but I haven't figured out how to not have that negatively interface with the energy shield even when its inactive, yet. So yeah he specializes in defense and counterintelligence I guess you could say. I always planned to join the Rebellion when my Jedi training was done, and hopefully convince Ben to come with me, so I was really trying to build something that could keep up."
Biggs let out a low whistle, "Well if all that you're worried about is the personality matrix I'd say just turn it on and give it a shot! Worst case you turn it off and memory wipe it and try again, right?"
Luke scratched his head and looked at the droid. In general it looked like the K2-series with slightly bulkier chest plating and a slightly bulkier left forearm. The chest plating also had grooves not present on the original. He'd repainted it a navy blue with forest green highlights. The head also had larger eyes and slightly bulkier 'ear' pieces jutting out representing the sonar sensory suite. All in all he felt he'd done some good work, he'd even based some of the tactical coding off of what Revan had provided him on his own unique droid, HK-47.
"TS-11, activation code: Zeta Two-Two-Five Gamma."
With a soft whirr of internal parts and building electricity the dark eye lenses of the droid lit up and it slowly stood.
"Tracker Sentinel Series Unit Eleven reporting for duty. Jedi Commander Luke Skywalker identified as presiding officer, how may I be of assistance?"
However before Luke could respond it noticed Biggs. Instantly a compartment on the droid's chest popped open and a blaster magnetically flew into its right hand.
"Unknown meatbag identified in private space, Commander confirm if hostile? Shall I defend you against this interloper?"
Luke sighed, "TS, at ease, add this organic to your files as Biggs Darklighter, ally. And I request you not pull your blaster on anything unless directly threatened for the near future. We're going on a bit of a trip."
"Confirmed, meatbag designation changed to organic, Biggs Darklighter, category ally. This unit is ready and willing to depart on our quest."
"Quest?" Biggs questioned, the droid's personality was all over the place.
"Indeed, Ally Biggs. Commander Luke has indicated through body language that this trip he speaks of is important and will be lengthy. Implying that it will also be off world. As a Jedi I can only assume that he is embarking upon a grand quest of which I will endeavor to be of great assistance. For the glory of the Jedi!"
The droid said all of this with the most deadpan of voices, Biggs could not tell if Luke had failed to develop its vocal emoting or if it was being sarcastic.
"Well...I don't think this is too bad for me not being completely confident in the personality matrix?" Luke interjected.
"He'll be in-flight entertainment at least?" Biggs retorted.
The next day found the trio and their droid in Mos Eisley and growing in frustration.
"So there's seriously not a single multi-passenger ship worth buying is this entire cesspool?" Biggs questioned.
Obi-Wan nodded and Luke chimed in, "I took a look at all of them, Biggs. They really were all pieces of crap. Wouldn't trust them to hit hyperspace."
"And thus we must change to our backup plan of buying passage to a rendezvous point. A subpar option, as we will likely have to pay for whoever we hire's discretion," the old Jedi Master added.
"Guess we have no choice but to hit a cantina."
Luke had never been into anywhere bigger than Anchorhead before, and certainly never been into a cantina.
At the door they were immediately greeted by a crusty alien bouncer who said, "No droids," and just glared at them.
Luke shrugged and instructed TS to, "Stay here and only use stun if someone bothers you."
"Affirmative Commander Luke, changing setting to 'No Fun Allowed' mode."
"I can never tell if that droid is trying to sass you, Luke," Biggs remarked as they walked indoors.
"Tell me about it..."
A few minutes later Luke had to use the Mind Trick to stop a couple of drunks from harassing him and Biggs, while Obi-Wan wandered around looking for a reliable freighter pilot.
And once they met them...Luke wasn't impressed.
Well alright, he would admit to himself, that the Wookie was pretty impressive. But the Han Solo guy? He'd believe his bravado when he got to see him live up to it. The Kessel Run in twelve-parsecs, unbelievable.
"So you're going to Dantooine?" Solo questioned as they made their way to his Millennium Falcon's hanger.
"Indeed, I have a niece there whom we will be meeting," Obi-Wan vaguely answered.
"Well you're paying just enough so-" He noticed TS at this point, "What kinda Sithspit droid is that?"
Luke took affront, "Hey! I made him, and he's better than any of the KX-series droids he's based on! TS-11 is a work of art!"
"Indeed, Commander Luke built me to fight on par with the commandos of the Clone Wars. I specialize in the tracking down and restraint or termination of hostile meatbags while also having the capabilities to defend allied organics and hold down locations. I will gleefully demonstrate should you wish, Captain Nemo."
"Solo."
"Captain Loner."
"SOLO."
"Captain Uno."
"SOLO!"
"Corporal Solo."
"Captai-wait how'd you know my old rank?"
"I extrapolated that someone like yourself would have never gained a higher rank in the Imperial military."
"Is...kid is this droid insulting me I can't tell? This thing's tone is all off."
"Join the club," Biggs muttered.
Things were slightly smoother once they got onto the Falcon. It was an older model freighter, outdated by about half a decade, but Luke could see it had been heavily modified.
In fact he was enjoying playing on the holotable with the Wookie, Chewbacca, most of the first hyperspace jump towards Dantooine.
Thanks to Revan's teachings he knew Shyriiwook, Ithorese, and Mando'a; and thanks to his upbringing on Tatooine also knew Jawaese and Huttese.
It was when they came out of their first hyperspace jump that things became hectic.
Obi-Wan hurried upfront to the cockpit, a worried look on his face, and Luke began to follow.
He caught up partway through his master's conversation with Captain Solo.
"Why in the Maw would I ever want to take you to frakking Malachor of all places? That's a death sentence! You'd have to pay me at least three times what you are to make me even consider it!"
Obi-wan was visibly distraught, or at least he was to Luke who knew him well.
"Look, Captain Solo I guarantee you can be compensated. I am actually meeting a high ranking Rebellion officer. They can pay you! She thinks her last minute mission to Malachor is going to need back-up and Luke and I are the only ones that can make a difference out there!"
"Rebels smebbles! I don't know they can pay!"
Luke suddenly had an idea, Revan had stored a lot of lightsaber parts and components in the cave and he had taken quite a few of them with him.
"I have a Krayt Dragon Pearl! Will that do?"
Both men arguing paused and turned to look at him.
"Yeah kid...show me the goods and we'll take you on this suicide run I guess."