Author's Note: See previous notes for materials used as basis for this story. Star Wars and the characters I'm playing with in this story are the property of Disney and Lucasfilm. I make no money from this story, but, boy, do they make money from me as I invest regularly in their galaxy of merchandise.
A tickling sensation traveling up from the tip of Luke's nose woke him. Intricate designs in red, blue and purple on six petal shaped wings of a Flowerling flicked for a moment. Seeing wide wings flittering slowly down and back, Luke smiled. Drawing on the Force, he focused on this living art form to guide this unexpected morning meditation session. The peace of the orange and pink clouded sunrise, and the golden sunlight warmed and invigorated the Jedi. Something was beginning today. Something new. Luke could almost see it in the colors surrounding him.
Calls and whistles of brilliant blue and pale orange birds flying overhead started the Flowerling away. Luke, groaning, sat up. Stretching the knotted muscles in his back and shoulders, he stood, his eyes resting on the cool blue and white streaks across the planet Endor circled. It hung low, barely the peeking above outermost horizon while the sun completely cleared the highest tree tops.
For all that Luke was glad to be leaving today, he had to admit he was glad to have visited this planet. "Enough sightseeing, Skywalker," Luke scolded himself. Lowering himself off the nearest ledge, he grabbed a vine and slid his way to the villages below.
"Woah," Luke chuckled as he dodged another few young Ewoks racing excitedly about. Spotting Threepio chatting with another group of the tiny warriors, Luke turned in that direction grateful his Jedi reflexes allowed him to avoid the chittering Ewoks randomly racing around, some carrying small nets on a stick.
"What's going on, Threepio?"
"Oh, my, Master Luke, the whole village is in a such a state. A Flowerling was seen flying through the village this morning. The children of the village are especially excited because their lore tells them that this insect is a bringer of good fortune, and that any who can touch it will find a great treasure and happiness in life."
"Really?" Luke asked surprised. "Guess that's a good sign," he muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry, Master Luke, my auditory sensors may be malfunctioning. I didn't hear that last."
Luke clapped a hand on his droid's shoulder plating. "Nothing important. Go get Artoo, and tell him to meet up at the Falcon. We're heading to the Naboo system today."
"Oh most excellent," Threepio said as he turned to follow Luke down a ramp leading toward the rapidly shrinking Rebel base.
Luke fished in his belt pouch as he led the way and pulled out a metal disc the size of a coin. "Here," he said, passing Threepio the communicator."I'm going to check on Han and Leia. Find Artoo, and let him know we'll be ready to go in by mid-morning by the latest. When you have the rest of the arrangements made here, and our flight plans filed for Alliance records, join us."
"I'll be most happy to do so, Master Luke. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to engaging in a diplomatic mission instead of these uncivilized military engagements."
Luke nodded, "Me too, Threepio. Me too."
Warmth and light from the sun, streaming in from a broken patch of canopy, bathed their path and high above their heads, silent and unnoticed, a Flowerling circled in the warm, blue sky.
"Leia? Han?" Luke called as he turned away from activating the controls to lift the access ramp on the Falcon.
"Here," Leia called. Luke followed her voice. Sunlight filtered through the transparasteel window causing her crisp white dress to practically shine in the morning light.
Luke grinned as he saw her, Leia's hair divided into several sections, as she deftly braided a lock hanging in front of her face with a precision that came with a lifetime's practice.
Luke relaxed into the copilots chair across from Leia and her flying fingers. "I will never understand how you do that so quickly."
"Not all of us can roll out of bed, run our fingers through our hair, and look ready for anything." She said, sending mock glare at Luke.
Leia looped the first braid around her head and clipped it on top of her head like a tiara, moving to another section.
"Where's Han?" Luke asked.7
"He's in the fresher. I managed to get some painkillers and a little breakfast in him before I told him about the mission plans."
"Hope he didn't mind a third wheel along,"Luke said, leaning back in the seat that once belonged to Chewie.
"He was thrilled you were coming," Leia assured her brother as she twisted one braid in a curve along her head, pinning it in place before working on another. "And I know he's glad to be leaving."
"I think we all are."
Leia nodded and clipped another braid in place going to work on the final section
"Obi Wan's ghost er spirt form or whatever spoke to me last night."
Eyes wide, Leia turned to face Luke. "Really? What did he say?"
"That he had an idea of why we might have been drawn to Naboo, but telling me could be a distraction," Luke said sardonically.
"Han was right. I don't think having still having him able to cause trouble for the living after he's dead is a good thing," Leia grumped as she secured the final braid.
Luke chuckled. "He promised to help if he could."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Leia said, adjusting her hair while looking at the monitor feed she set to serve as temporary mirror.
"Believe what," Han asked, leaning against the entryway to the cockpit.
Leia stood and walked to embrace him. He hugged her, rubbing a gentle hand up and down her back. Leia leaned up to meet his eyes, an impish smile on her face as she explained, "That spirit Obi Wan Kenobi will be a help and not more trouble."
"I vote if you hear him, ignore him," Han said then pressed a kiss into Leia's forehead before dropping down onto one of the rear seats. Leia perched on the seat across from Han as Luke swiveled his seat to face them.
"Setting up your own committee, General?" Leia asked, an eyebrow raised.
"As long as you're on it, Sweetheart," he answered with a wink.
Looking between Leia and Luke, he asked, "So the Naboo System?"
"Yeah," Luke said, kicking out his legs and relaxing further into his seat. "It was the system in the diplomatic planning session that we were both drawn to, so I guess?"
Han's expression grew wary. "The way you two attract trouble."
"And you don't?" Luke shot back amiably.
"Difference is, I," Han said, a thumb jerked back to his chest, "Can handle myself in tough situations."
Luke and Leia laughed. Leia rolled her eyes.
"Good thing you'll be there to protect us then," Luke added jokingly.
"Yeah," Han said, smirking and choosing to ignore the lack of sincerity in Luke's remark. "So when are we leaving?"
"Mid morning, I hope," Leia said. "Han, I haven't had a chance to look over the information explosion on the holofeeds Mon was telling us about in our session briefing, but we'll have to be careful about how we handle ourselves now that information can be widely spread at a moment's notice. We can't be as cavalier as we've been till now and hope it works out. We have to manage the appearance of things as well."
"Hey, it's me," Han said. "Besides, how bad can it be?"
"I was actually going to monitor some feeds before we took off." Leia admitted.
"Then let's do it," Luke said, turning to back to the control boards of the Falcon. He flipped open the communications bay and opened it to the once barely used Imperial Information Network.
"Explosion is right," said Han, leaning forward. He pointed at the lines of data links zipping by so fast they weren't so much words but more of a blur. Several second loops of video feeds were blinking on then being replaced by others moments later. It seemed as the skeletal organization of data flow was about to fly apart with all of the images and information seemingly multiplying before their eyes.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Leia said, her jaw dropping.
"What? Going to be swept in the undertow of the holonet information wave?" Luke asked teasingly.
"I hope not," she said seriously. She took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. "This is a good thing. We're talking again. It's the only way we can come together as a galaxy. It's just jarring after so long a time of enforced silence."
"Look at that," Han pointed to a feed showing two men fighting droids with lightsabers, the words Future of the Jedi scrolling under it in a blazing red.
Luke selected that link and battle flashed up on the widescreen. "It has been a long time since General Obi Wan Kenobi and General Anakin Skywalker defended the galaxy from Separatist that led to the destabilization of the Old Republic and to the rise of the Empire."
Leia scrambled into the pilot seat, leaning forward. Her eyes locked on the taller Jedi. "You look like him," She whispered as Luke took her hand. Then after a glance as the lines of his face and shape of his eyes and the smile he flashed after the battle was over, her smile, she added, her voice grave, "We both do."
The battle scene faded. A new scene focused in on peaceful blues, greys and the sparkle of a Coruscant sunset. Before them, Obi Wan and Anakin stood talking to a delegation of Senators.
"We cannot thank you enough," said Ainlee Teem of Malastare.
Anakin and Obi Wan bowed to the assembly. "The Jedi will always defend freedom and justice in the Republic," Anakin Skywalker said. Both Luke and Leia sat riveted as they heard the Jedi their had Father once been speak.
"May the Force be with you," Obi Wan said as the two turned toward their transport.
"May the Force be with you as well," said another delegate, stepping forward.
"Father," Leia gasped, tears tracking down her face, reaching and tracing the image of Bail Organa. Luke squeezed her free hand gently. Rising to stand behind her, Han gently clasped her shoulder. On the screen her birth father and true father turned to look at each other. "But I supposed the Force is always with the likes of the Negotiator and the Hero without Fear." Bail said, first looking toward Obi Wan and then to Anakin.
The scene cut away to a Twi'lik and a two headed Sandorian speaking in heavily accented basic. "The rumor is that the last known Jedi alive in our galaxy now is Luke Skywalker. While it's true that Jedi were said not to have emotional attachments, do you think he could be the son of the the Hero with No Fear?"
"One doesn't need emotional attachments to father a child. And someone as attractive as that man, by human standards, or so I've been informed, I'm sure had no shortage of willing would-be mothers for our young Luke Skywalker."
"Being the pilot that fired the shot that took out the first Death Star? Luke Skywalker infiltrated and destroyed a Hutt's, not just any Hutt, but Jabba the Hutt's sail barge, and Jabba with it, after seeming to be in captivity the whole time. That is, if, the stories can be believed. That definitely sounds like the son of Anakin Skywalker."
"The Jedi were always doing the impossible," the second head argued toward the first. "It could just be that he was a Jedi, and the similar name is only a coincidence. It is a big, big galaxy, after all."
"Still, if the rumors are true, when Luke Skywalker first streaked on the galactic scene it was in the company of Obi Wan Kenobi. It was well known in the Republic, before the Emperor made it a death sentence to reference the Jedi in a positive light," began one commentator.
"Or at all," injected his second head. "That General Kenobi was General Skywaker's master, and that they were friends. If Anakin were to father a child, it would make sense that his mentor would see to that child, and train him in the Jedi way."
"I am fascinated that you were able to find that footage. The Twi'lek observed, motioning to the sparking images playing below even as they continued the conversation."
"Many people on outlying systems had receiving systems that would record segments of holonet transmission viewed in case data was interrupted due to interstellar disruptions. It allowed the transmitter to search for the transmission and pick it up from where it left off."
"As might be expected for people stuck living on boring backwaters, these records provided much needed entertainment value. As such, many were saved to outside data storage or even on the receivers themselves that could be viewed if other communications were down or otherwise uninspiring."
"The exploits of the Jedi, especially those two were widely viewed, and thus easier to solicit old copies of data on the back up systems of many Pre Impiral holonet receievers in this time of Imperial erm.. How shall we say? Distraction due to bigger concerns."
Leia sat stiff and still as Luke shut down the transceiver, but tears flooded from her and conflict flooded within her so strongly that Luke didn't have to try to feel it.
"Leia?" Luke asked.
"I need to know he's gone, Luke."
Luke nodded. He looked a question at Han.
"It's all yours, kid. Take us to where you need to go."
Luke turned to transfer nav controls to the main panel in front of him. When the panel lit up, he flipped a few switches and the Falcon's thrusters fired. Taking the control levers, and he lifted off and guided the Falcon skimming just above the canopy.
For around ten minutes, they soared on in silence. Leia gathered herself and dashed away her tears as though they were mere annoyances. She pushed the storm of dark emotion down, burying it inside her.
Finding the site of Darth Vader's pyre, he sat down the ship with a soft thud. The rustles, screeches and calls of fleeing wildlife sounded around them until an unnatural silence fell over the dark ashes just outside the the transparasteel panes of the Falcon's cockpit.
"Let's go, Leia said, leading the way to the exit hatch.
Crunching of leaves and branches were the only sound as Leia walked up to the ash strewn edges of the pyre that had been the last resting place of Darth Vader. Luke placed his arm around her shoulder.
Soot and ashes crept up, staining the white hem of Leia's gown and marring her slippers with each step toward this dark depression in the green woodland paradise.
For a few moments Leia looked on the ashes. Anger, shame, betrayal and a deeper fear whirled within her like the winds of a storm. A glint of sunlight on what looked like a palm sized section of once helmet seized her breath for just a second.
Leia shuddered, and wrapped her arms around herself. Winds flowing gently through the small clearing gusted up quickly scattering ash up before the trio. A finger length wisp of ash floated and fluttered before Leia's eyes, and for an instant, she saw, or imagined perhaps, the swish of a black cape. It disintegrated into nothing a few breaths later.
Fists closing, knuckles whitening, Leia marched back toward the Falcon. Han and Luke exchanged worried looks, but followed her wordlessly.
They entered the cockpit to find Leia taking the targeting rod and aiming the front guns at Vader's pyre.
Ten blasts ripped the earth, plants and ashes into a wave of fire and dust. Leia stared at the wave of destruction blowing back over the cockpit transfixed… and triumphant?
It was then the true reason for her actions, actions she hadn't questioned at the time, simply taken, hit her.
And with that realization, Leia wept.
Luke rushed to the side of the pilot's chair and swiveled it to face him. She leaned into his embrace. "I couldn't let there be anything left of him, when there is nothing left of my real father." With the admission, her sobs grew stronger.
"I understand, Luke soothed.
"Comm signal," Han said moving to the co pilot's chair.
"Leia," Luke urged gently. "Would you come with me?"
Leia nodded.
Han waited till they were gone before he flipped the switch. "General Solo, here."
"We picked up weapon's fire. Is everything all right? Do you need back up?"
"No," Han replied. "Weapon's malfunction. Theres no permanent harm to the local flora or fauna that I can see." Han knocked on a nearby display. "No fires in the area as well according to my perimeter readouts either."
"Let's hope those sensors are functioning better than your weapons."
"Funny," Han said dryly. "We'll be back to base and have a mech team do a full system's check." He looked over at his flickering console, and muttered, "couldn't hurt."
Luke led Leia into Han's bunk and activated the privacy tech he now knew would, hopefully, help Leia feel comfortable enough to talk with him about the dark emotions he could feel swirling within her.
She squeezed herself into the inside corner of the bunk, pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her her arms around her legs. She shuddered with soft crying.
"Leia," Luke said, sitting on across from her on the bunk. "Talk to me, please."
"Luke," she finally said, looking up from her knees. "I'm angry, hurt and I'm afraid Luke. I hate what he became, and I'm so angry now. I don't want to be like him."
"You have every reason to be angry and upset, and, yes, even a little afraid. This is a tremendous thing to deal with. Remember what a head case I was after Bespin?"
Leia nodded. "I thought it was because of your hand or Han's capture… He told you on Bespin didn't he?"
Luke nodded. "Processing all of this won't happen overnight, but you don't have to let these feelings overrun you."
He reached for her hands. Taking a breath, she reached for his, pulling her legs into the same crossed position Luke was in, the twins now mirroring each other.
"I can teach you a Jedi meditation technique," At Leia's worried expression, Luke tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow. "Not a great history of Jedi meditating their way to the dark side," he added with an assuring smile.
Leia smiled back weakly.
"It won't mean you're training to become a Jedi. It will simply be a way to allow the Force to draw the darkness from you and center you in a state of peace and clear mindedness."
"That sounds really nice," Leia whispered.
Luke squeezed her hands encouragingly before letting them go.
He laid his hands up and open across his knees and nodded toward Leia to do the same.
She did.
"Close your eyes. Breathe deeply for a few minutes. Acknowledge your feelings and thoughts only as one seeing them from a distance."
Leia drifted deeper inside herself and soon felt the storm of emotion flowing further from her. "As you breathe focus less on yourself, and more on your surroundings."
Luke smiled as he surrendered himself to the flow of the Force. "There is an energy that rises from all living things. That is the Force."
Luke peeked up to ensure Leia's eyes were still closed. He once again closed his eyes and lifting one hand he levitated a small silver sphere from a nearby bag bringing it to float just above his hand.
"Can you tell me what I'm doing?"
"I saw you call the energy. The Force. I don't know how. I saw it surround the sphere and and you, you're shaping it to come to you," Leia said a subdued surprise in her voice. "I can sense it somehow."
Leia and Luke sat in meditation poses across from each other, both eyes closed, Luke's hand extended in front of Leia the sphere spinning above his hand.
"Feel the energy Leia. Let it flow through you. Call it to yourself."
Leia took a deep breath and opened her mind and heart and gasped in surprise as the Force flowed through her.
"All is peace in the light side of the Force, Leia. Guide it to the dark emotions and release them. Focus on the Force, and the light will push out the dark."
Leia felt unsure. There was so much peace in this spot inside herself, but the anger, fear, resentment, and hate swirled around like… Vader's ashes she realized. She realized with a start that she was allowing this darkness to stain her very essence just as the ash still stained her dress. Taking a deep breath she reached for the Force and moved in her mind toward the anger and resentment and sent the light and peace to take its place as she let it go.
She then turned toward the fear, and reached for the light. It flowed around the fear, and it did diminish. There was a small sphere of the fear that floated in her mind's eye she reached out, calm and peace spreading throughout. But still there was that blot of fear that would not flow away.
"I can't completely release it." Leia whispered.
"Not yet," Luke agreed quickly. "And the feelings will flare up from time to time. It's part of being human. But open your eyes,"
Leia looked down to see that the silver sphere was floating above her lap, and she could sense that it was she, not Luke, holding in up.
Her concentration broken, the sphere dropped into her lap.
Luke raised his hand and the sphere levitated up in front of Leia again. He plucked it from the air and held it out to Leia.
"What was that?" Leia asked, awe in her voice.
"Your first step into a larger world," Luke smiled, glad to be quoting his old Master this time. He closed her hands around the sphere. "You're at the threshold, but you don't to step through the door to this new world. But here is where you can go to seek relief when the darkness of this life weighs heavily on you."
"It is incredible," Leia whispered, looking down at the sphere in her hand.
The ship shook underneath them.
"Looks like Han is ready to take off," Luke said.
Leia stood. "I suppose I should clean up."
"Hey," Luke said, gently placing his hands on her arms. "Only if you feel ready to."
"I am better…more at peace. Thank you."
"I wish I could do more."
Leia leaned in to hug her brother. "I love you," then she added teasingly, "Baby brother."
Luke chuckled as he hugged her back. "Yeah, I'm betting you're the baby."
A rumbling and blast of engines sounded, then a slight lurch to the side broke the twins from their embrace.
"That felt like lift off."
"Yeah," Luke agreed. "I'll go check on Han, and let Threepio and Artoo know to meet us at the base."
Leia nodded her acknowledgment, and even after Luke left looked down at the sphere in her hand. For a moment she remembered the sensation of the Force flowing through her. It was like bathing in light or wrapping yourself in a blanket of peace while seeing a new color you never knew existed before.
It was a wider world, but Leia wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to enter into it. It was beautiful and wondrous-true-but monsters dwelt there. Monsters wearing flowing capes and helmets of the coldest black.
