Author's End Note:
So if you've made it this far, you should, I hope, have pictured end credits and names passing on a star strewn screen.
I recommend You Tube Star Wars Epic Force Theme by Unicorn Stuidos and Anakin's Symphony by Lucas Kings Anakin's Symphony. I can't tell you how much those fan created works inspired me to imagine more for the post ROTJ trilogy I'm planning. Yes, I'm planning 3 total.
In the spirit of modern film however, I shall give you a gift. I have a short preview scene you can enjoy. It will also answer Rexwriter's question, and, yes, this was in the plans before I was halfway through writing the three page loose outline I'm following and expanding on for this alternative universe trilogy. This scene may have been one of the first few that came to me.
I also have a question for readers. I plan to work on my Episode VIII AU that picks up soon after this story stops until I have the rough draft knocked out like I did for this story. That means, for the most part, I'm going to not be posting for a month or two. (This last story took 6 weeks to draft.)
There are some fun scenes floating around in my head that would fit in between these two stories, but they don't fit into a major story arc. I was thinking, on occasion, writing one of these short drabbles and posting it in a collection of in-between stories as a companion piece to this story just to as an occasional break from the serious story crafting I plan to do on the two remaining AU Star Wars Stories I want to do.
If you're reading this and are interested in this in between fluff stuff, let me know in the reviews or PM me.
Now for the promised sneak peek.
COMING SOON TO AN ALTERNATIVE GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY.
(Or would it be came a long, long time ago?)
The blim, blim, blim of the entry request signal woke Ree. Rubbing her face with her hands, she groaned and kicked off her covers.
"I just fell asleep, you moron," Ree Darklighter groused, grabbing her robe from her cluttered desk .
Stumping up the stairs to the above ground mechanic outpost she managed for Merle Toshe, the closest person a thousand clicks in direction that could be considered wealthy on this ball of sand, Ree reminded herself forcefully that it was her desire for independence that led her here, and she was happy, really, really happy, that she wasn't crowded at home on the family farm. She was grateful to have earned this little haven of independence, and that she didn't get dragged out of bed enough for the high level of resentment this late night on-call moment was dredging up.
It had to be because today she had to deal with her family's memorial of Bigg's birthday, and Fixer's crazy offer.
Part of her contract with Toshe was she was on call at all times. That was why there was living quarters in the lower levels of the Station. And it was true, if certain technologies failed, the locals would be vulnerable to overheating and outside threats. Some repair work on Tatooine literally meant life and death. It even made her feel just a little bit heroic that she was the one to answer the call in such rare situations—but that was when she wasn't pulled from her bed in the middle of the night.
Ree shuffled into the main chamber and grabbed her rifle. She'd have preferred a blaster to this archaic tool used by the Sand people, but blasters were expensive, and she really didn't know how to shoot well anyhow—any kind of weapon. She couldn't even shoot the stupid Sand Person weapon, but it looked impressive enough.
Propping up the rifle against the door, Ree tapped at the communication camera and instantly went from extremely drowsy and grumpy to fully alert and thrilled in the time to fully realize who she saw smiling at her on the screen in front of her?
"Ree Darklighter? Is that you?"
"Luke?" Ree beat at the door release button until it slid open with a hiss.
Luke caught Ree up into a hug she returned with equal enthusiasm.
"Luke Skywalker, what are you doing here?" she said, laughing as he released her and stepped back, grinning widely at her.
"I was looking for Fixer. Hey! I was sure he and Camie were going to end up together, but," Luke began excitedly.
"They did," Ree explained, still grinning and blushing at his assumption. "He made it big with some of his podracing designs, and has a pod construction and repair firm in Mos Espa, now."
"You're running the Toshe station now?" Luke laughed happily. "That's great!" He grinned even wider. "That's actually perfect!"
"Oh, come on, Luke. You're telling me you've come back to this little piece nowhere to have some repair job done you could probably do on your own. I was born at night, but not last night."
"No really," Luke explained. "The Falcon's on the fritz again and thankfully Tatooine was close by. It actually took two days for us to limp here on our deep space engines, the Hyperdrive was completely unusable. Luke shook his head and raked his hair back from his forehead. "I really wanted to avoid attention when we got the parts and help we needed to make the repairs."
"The Falcon?" Ree said, stepping back he eyes widening. "The Millennium Falcon?"
Luke nodded and stepped out of the doorway. He motioned to the right. Ree rushed out and stopped, stunned as she took in the ship docked before her.
"I know it's not that mu," he began.
"It's gorgeous!" Ree squealed. "I can't believe I'm standing in front of the ship that helped destroy two Death Stars, won battle after battle, and made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs!"
Ree leapt into Luke's arms, hugging him tightly. "Luke Skywalker, I could kiss you!" Ree released him and pressed a sisterly kiss on his cheek.
"Friend of yours?" called Han as he walked down the ramp, his arm draped over Leia's shoulders as she walked beside him. The two droids ambling out behind them.
Ree stepped back as though caught stealing frogs from a hungry Hutt.
"Ree," Luke said taking her hand. "Please, I don't know what you've seen or heard over the holonet the past few weeks or actually whatever you've heard since I've left, but if you can forget it, I'd like you to try. I'd like some special people in my life," Luke motioned to to his sister and his new brother-in-law, "to meet another special person to me," he finished, catching her gaze. "Can you try to just treat them like you would anyone else? For me?"
Ree looked up at her big Brother's best friend and the boy she'd always admired and respected—her now and would forever remain secret crush. She nodded. Taking a breath she made herself relax.
Luke grinned and tugged Ree forward. He reached out and Leia walked up her, unbound hair trailing behind her and a smile lighting her eyes.
"I'd like you to meet my sister," Luke said. "Leia."
"And the guy that looks like, we dragged out of a Mos Eisely cantina is my brother-in-law, Han.
"Hey, I resemble that remark," joked Han as he reached out to shake Ree's hand.
She smiled as she shook his hand, "Adriene Darklighter," she said, "But my friends call me Ree."
"Well, Ree," Han said, grinning, "I'm claiming anyone as a friend that appreciate the true work of beauty and engineering that is my ship."
"Are you kidding?" Ree enthused. "Anyone who has seen specs the for the YT—1300 freighter and has even a tiny spark of mechanical ingenuity can see that you can customize the blazes out of it in a hundred different ways that can give it crazy fast performance and insane maneuverability, even increasing and streamlining hyperdrive routes in ways that are mindboggling! Maybe Corellian ship designs aren't always the most ascetically pleasing, but when it comes to performance, the Corellian shipbuilders are some of the most inventive and impressive in the galaxy."
Leia laughed. "I think you've just made a friend for life," Leia teased. "I'd liked to be added to that group as well, Ree," she added. "Anyone who can make Luke as happy as he is to see you have right now, has to be an amazing person."
A howl sounded in the distance and all turned to toward the sound.
"Master Luke, are you sure we should be out in the open after dark. I do seem to recall that Tatooine is very dangerous at night and filled with predators, Sand People, and those disgusting Jawas," Threepio said turning rapidly from side to side.
Luke chuckled, but Ree looked alarmed.
"Your droid is right. Come inside, please," Ree said motioning for everyone to follow her. "We can talk about what kind of repairs and parts you need."
All nodded and Han pointed a tube shaped control toward the open hatch of the Falcon and it lifted to shut with a clank.
Ree led the way into the Toshe station, but looked back over her shoulder.
She caught Han's eye and nodded toward the Falcon. "If you have any extra security codes for your ship you should probably engage them. We had a transport stolen a few weeks ago."
Han laughed. "Not a problem. I have all kinds of security, official and unofficial, on my ship. Nobody's getting off planet in my ship," Han said jerking a thumb back toward his chest.
"Especially with all the new problems Artoo, Threepio and I kept finding on our way here," Luke said. "You just had a full system update and refresh on Naboo? What did you do to the ship?"
"Me, Kid?" Han asked, leaning into Leia's side. "What did you do? You've been doing most of the piloting seeing as how Leia and I have been busy. You know with our honeymoon and all."
"Arrgh! Han, can we please just forget that?"
"You gonna keep blaming me or disrespecting my ship?" Han said with a smirk.
"Look!" Luke said chuckling and shaking his head. "We already talked about this. "If you're tagging along as our Jedi transport pilot, no talking with me about your love life with my sister.
"Has the kid always been so squeamish, Ree, or is this a bad habit he's picked up?"
"You don't have any siblings do you?" Ree asked.
"No," Han answered. "Other than in-law," he said, nodding toward Luke.
"Then you have no idea how badly you want to bleach your brain when you walk in on a make out session between an older brother and your babysitter," Ree shivered.
"Tallie?" Luke asked. Ree shuddered.
"I officially apologize for laughing about that when I was told the story," Luke said, ducking through the door.
"Looks like you're getting the pay back for that with or without my forgiveness," Ree grinned, "But I forgive you anyway."
"Come on, Squeaky," Han said as Artoo rolled over the threshold. The rude blat Artoo directed toward Han caused Threepio to sputter.
"Artoo, really, I know General Solo's nickname was unflattering, but to use that sort of language?"
A few more beeps sounded. "Well, yes, it is an accurate description, but I'm sure more courteous synonyms could be used."
Ree looked a question at Luke.
"It's probably better not to ask," Luke said with a shrug, as he sat around a clear work table Leia and Han slid on the bench opposite Luke, and Ree pulled a stool up to the head of the table.
"So, what's the problem?" asked Ree.
"More like what isn't?" Luke said. "And it's really odd, Ree. The Falcon had a full mechanical check after they found traces of Ruyat gasses in the ship after the fight above Naboo. They flushed the system and Queen Setalla arranged for all repairs, replacements, and Han approved upgrades to the ship. It should be in great shape, but system after system has failed and some of the wiring to the hyperdrive computer to the engines are shot.
"Ruyat gas?" Ree asked.
"It's a thick yellow gas that is a by product from mining the metal ore from the Naboo Mines. Apparently it's really bad for many of the metals used in wiring and electronics. A couple of Naboo fighters had to be scrapped entirely after they landed because the gas had so badly corrupted their systems.
"And you're sure they got all of this gas out of your ship?"
"They were working from the schematics," Leia explained. "Han even made sure to make a ton of notes about his customizations on the ship."
"Wait," Luke said sitting up. "Han did you tell them about the smuggling compartments?"
"Of course I didn't tell them about those, I don't tell…" Han trailed off as the realiztion hit him. "If that stuff is corrosive as we've been told, It could have slowly eaten away at the compartments and now be working it's way through the ship."
"I'm going to go change into something better for working." Ree said rising. "I'll get some protective masks and some flushing tanks and we can at least make sure no more damage can be done tonight We'll, figure out the rest of this tomorrow."
As Ree ducked down the stairs, Luke grinned after her.
"So," Han said, draping his arm around Leia's shoulder a crooked grin on his face. "You sure you didn't sabotage the ship?"
"I might have if I'd known I'd how great it would be to see her again. She's definitely not that scrawny little 14 year old Biggs used to yell at for borrowing his tools, but she's as amazing a person as ever."
"And you didn't notice exactly how beautiful she is?" Leia asked, smiling.
"Um…" Luke trailed off. "She's alway been cute, but yeah, the years have defiantly been good to her." Luke chuckled sheepishly. "It's not like that. She was one of those adopted little sisters I watched out for while I lived here. I guess I didn't focus on that."
"Maybe you should," teased Han.
A few moments later Ree clomped up wearing a garish gas mask and a bulky puke green coverall. She carried spares draped over one arm and laid them across the table where everyone sat.
"Suit up," she said cheerfully.
Luke laughed at the gobsmacked expressions on Han and Leia's face. He stood and pulled on his coveralls. Luke took Ree's hand as Han and Leia shrugged and began pulling on their hideous protective outerwear.
Luke took Ree's hand, his mask resting atop his head like a mishapened helmet. With a formal bow, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "I must say, milady," Luke grinned. "You are a vision of beauty."
Ree laughed and slapped playfully at Luke's arm. She tugged his mask down over his face. "Big improvement," she teased. Passing gear to the assembly she led the way back out to the Falcon.
