Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. The following work is not intended to add to, promote or distort this series. This is a work of fanfiction, and the author does not profit in posting. This is simply a writing exercise written for fun.

Luke had to admit, it was nice having a shadow. He'd felt guilty at first, dragging Mina to the Senate, but he couldn't think of what to do with her until after work. And work, sadly, came first.

While working inside the gray building, Luke settled for asking Mina to get him and other officials coffee when they needed to discuss matters of state. It bothered him to have her work rather than be bored, but after a while, he saw how happy this arrangement had made her. When he wasn't talking with senators and military officials, he'd chat with Mina to get to know her better.

She would smile at each question, each one more probing than the next, and answer as truthful as possible. It was clear that, despite the betrayal in her past, she was eager to treat life openly and without malice. Perfect traits for a Jedi.

"So," Luke pried once more as they meandered down the hall from the Chief of State's office. He needed to have a word with Mon Mothma about her sending the Jedi out with so little support. "Your file indicated that you have no mother and father... I know you were raised by your mother, but I was wondering-"

"-About my father?" Mina finished for him, turning her brown eyes to him in sadness. With a slight smile, she elaborated, "The last time I saw my father was about a week before mother was killed. His job kept him away from us, but he'd visit us every chance he got... He loved us, but after mom died, he knew he had to stay away to keep us safe..." Then, after taking a deep breath, she added, "He'd explained that to Zion before he left." Luke frowned in hearing that.

"Is he still alive now?"

Mina turned to him with fresh tears brewing in her eyes. "I... I don't know... I'm not sure how to find him if he is." Luke sighed as he watched the girl struggle to control her emotions. Tentatively, he rested a hand on her shoulder, his act of 'brotherly' support. "Part of me believes he is not, though." She paused after saying that, "Is that the Force?" He carefully regarded her question, reaching into the Force to feel her own presence pull at it and nodded.

"Generally, when you're certain and can't explain why," he told the young Togruta, his eyes now looking ahead towards the garage, "It is the Force."

Mina smiled, a small tear falling down her face as they rounded the last corner to the checkpoint, "My father really loved my mother." She added, turning to Luke with a big grin, "Every time he came home, the first thing he would do is pick her up and spin her around in the air, like a princess. She never stopped blushing about it, insisting that she wasn't some damsel. Father always told her that even a dangerous Jedi warrior like herself needed to be treated like a lady once in a while.

Luke chuckled, seeing that the memory pleased his charge so much. "We were his princesses too, me and Luci. And Zion was his tough warrior. Mom always hated how he'd followed traditional gender stereotypes with us, but he always said that when we didn't want to be princesses anymore, we could be tough warriors too." Luke smiled in hearing that, glad to know that Ahsoka Tano at least knew happiness before she died.

"He'd usually bring a new HoloVid for us to watch. There wasn't all that much in our town on Shilli." Mina added in with a far off glance, "We'd spend his first night home watching it as a family. Mom would grab Luci and curl up against dad while Zion and I shared his other side. He usually found comedies for us, and we'd laugh and laugh... until dad fell asleep from exhaustion and started snoring. Then we'd laugh some more." He chuckled, seeing her memories clearly, though her father's face was a bit blurred in the memory, as though he was fading away. Mina turned and asked him, "What was it like with your mom and dad?"

Caught off guard and nearing the security by the garage, Luke wasn't quite sure how to answer that one quickly. He knew he needed to bond with the girl, to give her a sense of stability since she'd lost so much over the past decade, but how perplexed him. "Well... I only knew my father for a year, and he was... all right, I guess... in some bizarre fashion. I never knew my mother." Mina's eyes widened in hearing that, showing her pity. "I was actually raised by my aunt and uncle. They were very good to me, taught me to be responsible and respectful, and loved me like their own."

Mina sighed, "Are they still alive?" When Luke shook his head, she added, "I'm sorry to hear that... you've... you've lost a lot too." This time he nodded with sorrow in his blue eyes. Guilt even.

Now reaching his destination, Luke forced a grin on his face, confusing Mina slightly at first.

"Master Skywalker." One of the armed guards greeted, "And?"

"Padawan Tano." Luke decided to answer for them, bringing a sparkle to Mina's eyes, "Or soon to be one, anyways."

"Well, that's ironic." Luke chuckled at the guard's retort, "Sometimes I wonder if your father was just cloned or something, you two can be so alike at times."

"Againas," Luke replied with certainty, "If I am a clone, I'm certainly a poor imitation."

Againas chortled, "True... you are way too short."

Rolling his eyes as he raised his arms for the typical scan, Luke added, "Something Leia loves to remind me of all the time." He stopped and eyed the older man, who, under his helmet, was nothing more than a scraggly old man with a large bald patch on the top of his white head. His eyes, already almond shaped, seemed to squint shut as he aged more, likely because he was losing his eye sight and refused to do anything about it. "Are we still meeting for Sabbac with Han and Lando this weekend?" He asked the captain with a grin.

"Only if you're up for losing again, mister Jedi-Master." Againas chuckled at him. His partner smirked all-knowingly beneath his helmet. Luke shook his head and entered the garage. As Mina made to follow him, Againas greeted her, "Good to meet you, Miss Tano. I worked with your mother on occasion during the Clone Wars. She was a fine commander." Mina smiled at him.

"Are you a clone?" She inquired carefully. Againas shook his head.

"Though we have some clones in our armies," he explained to her, "Most are bound by their programming to follow Thrawn in his campaign." She sighed and shook her head.

"That's unfortunate." She told the man, "I've met clones before... many seem to wish their programming away. Some can even fight it."

"And they come to us when they do." Againas assured her before she followed her hopeful master to his swoop bike. It was time to go to the Jedi Temple.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate..." Chair of the Senate, Mas Amedda, began, jostling Padme out of her musings, "It is time to convene. The matters of this convention include the following, which will be addressed in the order listed now; the rights of outer-rim freighters bill, the..." and as the blue Chagrian drudged onward, Padme glossed through the synopsis of the days events. This was to be a very long and boring meeting. But there was a rumor about a single bill that had her attention and she was hell bent on preventing its passing.

Were it not for this particular bill, Padme would have stayed home and sent Jar-Jar to handle the votes. But after his condoning the sanctions for the Clone Army, she'd learned to politely refuse his aid in matters she was truly passionate about. Blue Shadow Virus or not.

Bill addressing another Senatoral Pay-Raise, Padme noticed with disdain. As it was, her severance package after her term was more than enough. Why these idiots constantly demanded more money was beyond her. Her children would have good lives and could attend whatever university they wanted with her current holdings, Anakin working or not. There was no need to take more money away from the taxpayers for this category than already was garnished. Especially during a full scale war!

But her internal rant was stopped when she found the bill she was looking for: Bill instituting an Extension on Chancellorship in the Event of an Unending Crisis. She seethed as she read that, So he's at it again... at this rate a whole generation will grow thinking him some kind of monarch! And that idea did not sit well with her and she found herself sitting back in her chair while taking deep breaths.

Speaking of the devil himself, the tired looking man merely moseyed up to the podium in the center of the building. Despite how ragged his office could make him, not a single white hair was out of place on Chancellor Palpatine and he seemed to be drawing energy from some well guarded reservoir. How he always seemed so sure and tranquil, and yet so fierce was something Padme could not fathom. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I ask you to hear me out. This proposed bill to expand on licensing and trade route specifications in the Out Rim is a travesty against our interplanetary freedoms. I strongly discourage, despite how beneficial these regulations might appear, restricting the freedoms of freighters to work their contracted jobs in the way that seems best to them."

"Thank you Chancellor Palpatine." Mas nodded to his good friend with a smile, "Having heard that, we now ask those in favor of the bill to begin their explanations. Senator..." and again Padme tuned out. She already knew which direction she would vote. It was very obvious to her. What bothered her was it was apparently obvious to Palpatine. His statement made him seem a protector of liberties and democracy. If only she could be sure that were his true intentions.

Hours seemed to drag by, with Padme growing more and more tired by the minute. She'd been up the whole night struggling to breathe and the morning met her before she was ready to greet it.

Just as Padme was nodding off, Palpatine took the stage to defend his bill. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate..." he began in his typical fashion, "I cannot express to you how much it pains me to accept Senator Guisin's proposition that I remain in office until the conclusion of the Clone Wars. Personally, I would rather be far from this consideration, but my need to defend the liberties of this galaxy outweigh my personal wants. This burden is mine and it should be mine alone to bear. I humbly ask you all to carefully deliberate your vote on this appeal, as one of you might be forced to endure my burdens should it not pass." To that Padme frowned. He seemed so solemn and humble in that moment, but on the screen, she saw something in his eye that told her otherwise.

"What are you up to?" she wondered aloud as she stared intently at Palpatine's image on the HoloDisplay. Typho, her chief of security, stared at her incredulously while she contemplated this question, "Is that the face of a man we can trust?"

When the vote was cast, she pressed the button her heart told her to select. And with that, the weight of the galaxy seemed to fill her shoulders.

Though Leia was relieved that the day's end was drawing near, she was fairly certain that someone else was even more enthused. Having tailed her 'Pretty Princess Jedi Master' dutifully all day, the eleven-year-old Togruta seemed apt to retire sooner rather than later. By noon, her blue eyes fell behind droopy lids, and yawns came from her every five minutes. It's tough going to work after traveling, she realized, wondering why it hadn't occurred to her earlier to send the girls to the Temple to rest. "Luci." She called to the girl, who snapped awake at her side. The wise Mon Mothma turned to them both with interest, "It's about time we go to the Jedi Temple. Could you fetch my bag from my office?" The girl smiled and dashed off without another word.

Mon chuckled beside Leia, her red and silver hair gleaming in the sunlight. "You seem to have taken a liking to that girl." She pointed out gently. Leia shrugged.

"I worry for her." She admitted, her eyes downcast, "Luke seems to think I should train her."

To that, Mon frowned, "I doubt you'll have the time for that."

"You should tell him that." Leia pointed out as they walked towards Leia's office to meet the youngest Tano midway.

Mon frowned, "He's your brother; you should be able to talk to him on your own." Leia frowned once more and shook her head, turning her worried brown eyes to Mon. Mon was one of her oldest friends, having been particularly close to her adoptive father, Bail Organa. Even her adoptive mother Breha always had kind things to say about her.

"Luke's idealism often blinds him to reality." She informed Mon, "It's one of his greatest charms and greatest faults. And it pains me ever so much to tell him off." Mon nodded, understanding. She had a mysterious way about her, making a person feel heard, even as she deliberated the next step of the conversation. That was why she was such an effective Chief of State. In the rebellion, she was the queen while Leia was the princess, and more men swore fealty to her than they did anyone else.

"I'm sure it hurts him more when you hide things from him." Mon suggested, nodding to a passing senator as she did. "He trusts you above all others Leia, it would not be fair to him to hide your own trust... He needs that trust. Though he feigns otherwise, my own observers have noted that many on the Jedi High Council are starting to push him out, feeling his approaches too novel and his ideals too gray." Leia shrugged, glancing out the window in the direction she knew her brother was in.

"He's never said anything to me." She admitted as Tano's footfalls sounded her return.

Mon smiled, "I doubt he would. He's as prideful as his father."

Both women watched as Luci Tano approached them in a tired trot, Leia's bag in her arms. The young girl panted as she caught her breath, realizing a little too late that she'd overdone it again. "I have your bag here master!" she cheerfully presented the leather satchel to Leia. The woman took the item gladly and thanked the Youngling.

"Perhaps," Leia noted, "It is time to go to the Jedi temple. I'm sure they are anxious to meet you." Luci smiled wide, but surprised Leia when she turned to Mon.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Chief of State Mothma." She told the woman with a slight bow and all the formality of a trained politician, "I look forward to serving you."

Taken aback, Mon took a moment to reply, "As do I, Padawan Tano." She nodded back to the girl with a gentle smile, "I wish you the best of luck at the Temple." Luci grinned childishly, but managed to contain her glee. It appeared Mon commanded respect even from the most energetic Younglings.

"I'm ready when you are master!" Luci reported with a big grin.

Smiling Leia nodded her goodbye to Mon and strode off with Luci at her heels. "We need to find Han first. Not all of us will fit on Luke's swoop bike." Skipping alongside her 'master,' Luci continued to smile sunshine at all who passed her.

"Can I ask a question?" Luci wanted to know, her blue eyes big and curious.

Leia sighed, "I suppose."

"Why aren't you Leia Skywalker?" She inquired quickly, not caring that there were a million and one different people around her. Secret doesn't mean much to this one, Leia noted with a sigh. "I mean... you and Master Skywalker are brother and sister right? And your father was Anakin Skywalker... so..." She paused as they hopped on an escalator towards the garages, where Han was likely headed. He never missed a chance to ditch these small chats with various politicians.

"So why don't I use my father's name?" Leia offered to finish for her. Luci nodded and stared at her intently, expecting an answer. Leia shrugged and forced her indifference to show, "Because I was raised by a different family, and I want to honor them." Luci's eyes went wide.

"But what about your father?" She wanted to know. Her honesty was on her sleeve all the time.

Turning back to the girl, Leia told her with a stern voice. "I don't like my father."

Clearly Luci wasn't expecting that. As they left the escalator and meandered towards the western hangers, she gathered her thoughts and questions. "Why?" was the first of them.

"Because the stories were wrong." Leia told her easily, "He wasn't a very good man... he was a very bad one, actually... and... well, I can't stand being related to him." It was very apparent that Luci was struggling to swallow that information.

As they entered the garage, she suddenly added in her own take on the topic, "I know my daddy did a lot of bad things to save people..." she started timidly, "But, even though some people might call him a bad man, an evil man even... I still love him." Leia paused when she heard that plea, feeling the girl's certainty and caring more than she'd ever felt from anyone before. She didn't know what to say.

"And my daddy left us alone." Luci added, her voice filled with sorrow, "To keep us safe from... he didn't want anyone to know about us. He was afraid Darth Vader would kill us, so he never came back." The girl paused, noticing that Leia's back was still turned to her, "But he loved us more than anything... and I think he died because he hid us... I think he got found out."

Leia turned back to her, about to gently explain to the girl that life is a very difficult journey, when Han ran up, Threepio and Artoo at his side. "Do we have time to grab a bite to eat before the Jedi Circus gets started?" He inquired, bringing a smile to both Leia's and Luci's lips.

"I suppose so..." Leia informed him with a grin and eye roll.

It hadn't taken more than eight hours to make the jump from their hideaway to Coruscant. It had taken far less time to breach security. The fools that had been running the traffic surveillance team were old friends of Anhilis, if friends were what you wanted to call them.

As their small speeder floated carefully down the lane, the three Sith lords set their eyes on the temporary Jedi Temple off in the distance. They didn't want attention, and yet for some reason Pestilis was certain they'd already been found. Skywalker. She hissed internally as Devaro landed the car in the catacombs of the decrepit memorial. She knew plans to restore the building were soon to break ground.

The three of them disembarked slowly, trying to seem like curious, lost tourists to air control. That and a mind-trick helped them enter the building undetected. As they faded into the shadows of what was once a proud institution, Anhilis instinctively cowarded behind Devaro. In watching her, Pestilis scoffed.

Anhilis could easily be the coward when she wanted to be, which was why Devaro was so necessary as an apprentice. It was for this reason that Pestilis defied the rule of two.

When they'd entered the old archives, stripped bare by the New Order Jedi, Devaro and Anhilis halted. "What now, my master?" Devaro inquired, his voice booming with fresh hate for the place. And, with the way it looked, who couldn't hate it.

The shelves were bare and worn. The walls were caved in or covered in scorch marks from blaster fire. All around, the temple had a feeling of decay. Of sadness. And Pestilis delighted in this.

Once upon a time, she worked in this accursed abode, an analyst in the Jedi archives. Unappreciated, it was not hard to heed the call of Lord Demantis, his voice but a whisper on the wind. Now his voice was a part of her, and she reveled in the darkness that this bond exuded. How anyone could resist his power was beyond her. Yet, somehow, Skywalker did it.

Pestilis rolled her eyes as she stepped forward towards the old, half burned desk, "There should still be some hiding places from when I was young." Indeed, she knew several secrets about this place that had been long since forgotten.

Behind the desk, she found a small tile with a rubbed out inscription and stepped on it with the very back of her heel. Instantly, a HoloPannel appeared above the tile with a small combination lock in its center. Pestilis smirked devilishly as she turned the dial one panel at a time until a single word was spelled from it's letters: Gamragist. After that, one of the book cases shifted and fell to the ground with a resounding bang, revealing a small opening beneath it.

"Stupid idiots!" Pestilis barked as she rounded back to the other side of the desk. "Putting a shelving unit over a hidden passageway. Louts!" She didn't pause as she ambled down the steps, her walking stick clicking with each movement. It wasn't long until she was out of sight. "Come on you two, don't keep an old witch waiting!" She called to her incompetent apprentices shortly after.

Devaro and Anhalis glanced at one another a moment before swallowing their fears and following after their peculiar master.

The stairs weren't very steep, but they were narrow. Pestilis had forgotten just how irritating this passageway was. Of course, it had been nearly sixty-five or so years since her last visit to the place. To hide the Gamragist of all things. The irony struck her as rather odd.

Yet aside from the dust and ash from the fires above, and the smell of mildew and mold out of disuse, the place was about what she was expecting. Old Sith-War era scrolls and legends decorated the walls, making the place seem more like a tomb than an old storage closet. Yellow and green and orange caked the walls as the paint started to age and bubble, but it was still the same. The occasional statue of an ancient master passed her by as she neared the bookshelves in a small alcove. The precious, stolen HoloChronicles themselves were intact, written on a special DataPad that could endure just about any weather, but they weren't what she sought. What she was looking for resembled an ancient pendulum clock from the early days of space travel. Of course, it certainly wasn't that.

Laden in golden colored platinum and comprised of the dark wood of rare Isdrid trees from Mandalore, this sacred artifact was one of the inventions of the ancient Sith. Knowing full well how dangerous the Gamragist was, Pestilis carefully lifted the item off the shelf.

"What is that master?" came Anhilis's cautious voice as she entered the room, her small lantern making the shadows of the room crawl around in agony.

Pestilis merely shrugged, "This is the Gamragist. The 'Third Ghost.'" She set it down carefully on a nearby table, looking it over for any sign of damage.

"And what does a Gamragist do?" Devaro asked with his arms crossed, his Sith yellow eyes glowing with impatience. Pestilis sighed.

"Not a Gamragist... The Gamragist." She elucidated, "The single greatest invention of the Lost Tribe of the Sith, of whom I am a devoted historian. I'd hidden it here years ago for safe keeping." Devaro merely shrugged and turned his eyes away while Anhilis took a step closer to observe the item.

"How does it work?" she wondered aloud, her large brown eyes glowing with curiosity.

Pestilis sighed, and took a step around the item. " The texts on its use were lost long ago. But according to Lord Demantis, we select a number of years we want to go back and pull this pendulum out." She held the orb-shaped clock up and pulled a small, crescent shaped pendulum free. "To go backwards, we swing the pendulum so that the rounded edge of the pendulum moves forward first. Forwards is the pointed edge. Then we count the swings until we reach our destination." Devaro stepped closer to regard the small clock, astounded that something so simple could accomplish such a task.

"Then why don't you swing it now?" he inquired, "And we can go directly to the past and kill Skywalker in his mother's womb." The sinister tone in which he put his thoughts brought a smile to Pestilis's face.

"If only it were that simple." She explained, setting the pendulum back where it belongs. She then moved back into the shadows to where two other orbs sat on the shelf. She stared at them thoughtfully before using her Force-enhanced strength to punch four holes in the wall. She then picked two bricks from the other side of the room to hide the additional orbs behind, placing them back carefully. Satisfied with her decoys and actual hiding places, she returned to her now impatient apprentices with a smirk.

"The amount of energy the Gamragist requires could knock us all out for months, meaning we'd risk missing our target: thirty years in the past. That would simply not do. And that is IF we survive the power drain." She stood taller as she said this, projecting an air of propriety. "Therefore, we need an alternative power supply." It hardly took a moment for the two apprentices to catch on.

"Skywalker?" Devaro inquired with a toothy smirk, "You plan to use Skywalker's enormous power to send us into the past to kill him?"

Despite her desire that the man lived, Anhilis chirped in beside the much taller Togruta, "How poetic, my master." Then she turned her eyes towards the other end of the temple, towards the temporary residence of the Jedi, "And Organa too, I'm sure. I'll rather enjoy this." Pestilis nodded, glancing down at the Gamragist with satisfaction in her green eyes.

"Yes, there is a chance that Skywalker's power will only be enough for the trip back..." she thought to herself, "therefore Mrs. Solo will also be joining us.

It's only a matter of time now. She thought to herself with a wicked grin.

Mina could not help but stare as the temporary Jedi Temple came into view. It was a large manor, built with the same dark steel the now demolished Imperial Palace had once donned, but she knew better. With its central black spire, and domed surroundings, this building was all too familiar to the girl. This was the Palace of Darth Vader.

It astounded her that the building still stood, especially after the chaos that was the fall of the empire. Once word reached the capital that Emperor Palpatine had fallen on Deathstar II, the citizens of Coruscant were so thrilled and relieved that riots broke out in the streets. It had been a bad situation, the news of which reached distant planets like Shilli. Mina remembered the HoloNews report as she sat beside Zion, shuddering. The entire palace had been sacked, stripped and burned to the ground. The same had occurred with Prince Xizor's palace, as his own criminal deeds disturbed the galaxy nearly as much as Palpatine's.

Only Darth Vader's remained standing, a testament to how, despite his dark deeds and antisocial behavior, he had been respected for his twisted code of honor.

"Master?" she inquired as Luke took a very quick dive down in traffic to find the garage's level. It took him a while to respond, his mind focused on dealing with his Jedi associates. "Why is the Jedi Temple inside this place?" She had to admit, the building was ominous, but not nearly as scary as she once thought because of the new brown paint being added to the sides.

"Because Darth Vader was once a Jedi too." Luke pointed out to her, "And his home is large enough for us. There aren't many places of this scale on Coruscant available, and Vader's heir was quick to suggest this place." Mina's eyes went wider.

"Vader had an heir?" She wanted to know. Luke said nothing, but nodded.

As they approached the garage, Mina had another question that was troubling her, "Why doesn't anyone know you and the princess are siblings?" Luke shrugged and got off the bike.

"There are a lot of things most people don't know about my family."

Mina frowned and followed her soon to be master towards the garage's lift. "There seems to be a lot you don't know about your family. I wasn't aware you didn't know who your mother was." Again, Luke shrugged and entered the lift, unsure of what to say to this perceptive girl's statements, "That must be tough." Mina added, "Knowing only half of who you are."

Luke smiled, "Half really isn't the number..." he took a deep breath before admitting his other inner turmoil to someone for the first time in years, "I don't know much about my grandmother either, except that her name was Shmi Skywalker. How she'd come to Tatooine and where she'd lived before she was sold into slavery are also a bit of an enigma." Mina's false brows rose.

"What a shame." Luke shrugged as the lift opened to reveal one of the uppermost floors of the spire. They stepped out together and greeted Saba Sebatyne as they approached the High Council Chamber. She was a large, green Barabel with intimidating lizard eyes. Her jaw was lined with sharp teeth, but contrary to her appearance, she was a gentler soul. Until the fighting started, that is.

"Saba." Luke greeted, motioning to Mina, "I'd like to introduce you to Minaka Tano, the daughter of Ahsoka Tano."

Saba smiled in her Barabel way and nodded to the small Togruta, she was about to speak if it hadn't been for the sudden arrival of another member of the Jedi Order. Their chief part-timer.

As Leia exited the turbo-lift with Luci, Han likely waiting somewhere near the cafe, the five of them entered the elaborate chamber which had once served as Vader's hyperbaric chamber.

Mina was surprised by how spartan the interior was. It was clear that Vader had held no style in high regard, save for simplicity. Though the Jedi had added their ancient reliefs, rescued from the temple ruins, and holograms, behind all the art and history shown plain black walls. And she had to wonder just who the man's son or daughter could be, that he would be raised in such a depressing atmosphere.

"Master Skywalker! Master Sebatyne! Good to see you." Came the voice of one Corran Horn, a human with a decent set of facial hair growing in by now. Luke nodded to him, walking over to take his seat inside the High Council Chamber. Though the council itself did not preside over the entire order, as in old days, it was the starting place for getting almost everything rolling amongst their ranks.

As the other members of the councils took their seats, Luke swallowed. Again, he was feeling that strange push from the other masters. His eyes darted this way and that, sensing their hesitation at his likely proposal. From one master to the next, from red eyes to brown ones, he felt that stifling rift that always overcame him inside this chamber.

He used to believe it was because of his father's presence here, but now knew better.

It hadn't taken long for him to understand that his ideals were unpopular with the order. Aspects he wanted to modernize they wanted to preserve, and vice versa. It was only a matter of time until they all ousted him, and he understood that. That was why his seclusion in his apartment was such a comfort, even though they technically resided in his home.

"So," Corran began the conversation with his usual grin and a one-liner, "It appears we have two new Tanos to consider." Luke stifled a chuckle as he heard that. But was soon to face a wake up call.

Standing beside his sister on the far side of the Council Chamber stood a strange, transparent woman. She glowed blue and smiled widely at him, her eyes sad and yet calm. Dressed as a peasant in dark blacks, she seemed the settler type.

Luke, the dark-haired woman began with a smile, her brown eyes twinkling with joy as his blue ones met hers, I see that this position worries you. Fear not, for Advorosians do not lose easily.

"Grandmother?" Luke asked aloud, interrupting Mina's answer to one of the council's questions. The whole of the room turned to him in confusion, but none of their faces reflected the uncertainty of their esteemed Master Skywalker.

And Leia could only watch her brother and worry. For she'd felt what he'd seen, and understood that once again, her brother was being plagued by the afterlife. Someone is guiding you again.

Author's Note/Commentary: Well, I know this chapter bounced all over the place, but I hope it was clear and easy to follow. I'm basically putting all my ducks in a row right now so that the story flows nice down the road. I can't wait to go back in time in this story, simply because of how much easier it will be to track all my plot points (and we depart next chapter!).

Mina and Luci make me smile through all this chapter. I think they do a good job giving us an outsider's perspective on the main characters and the order... but will they become Luke and Leia's Padawans?

As I've said before, I'm trying very hard to stick to the expanded universe and clone wars series as a setting, despite that this original work is not intended to be considered a part of them. I just like to work with what is already there, as it makes creative writing more challenging. But one thing that I could not find is the origin of the Skywalker family. What is there is vague.

Therefore... I'm making one up for use in this story, as its central theme is family (AND lots and lots of drama!). I actually have a fanfiction I am working on that ties into this story. It focuses on what this Shmi Skywalker went through on Advorosia before she arrived on Tatooine. I put a small synopsis on my profile page if you are interested. And don't forget to vote if you want to read it on my poll. If there is enough interest, I'll be more than happy to post it once we are far enough along in this story. I don't want to give any surprises away.

In this chapter, I invented Demantis, Pestilis, Anhilis, Devaro/Zion Tano, Mina Tano, Luci Tano, Againas and the Planet Advorosia.