As promised, here is the chapter I promised to put up soon! Just a bit of a warning, it's been so long since I've seen Episodes 1 and 2 (Never seen Episode 3), so I'm not exactly sure if I will get the story straight, so if you guys would be so kind as to fix any mistakes I make, that'd be very much appreciated! We used to own the movies, but my youngest brother managed to completely destroy them... :/ And I didn't find that out until recently, since he tried to hide the evidence. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy!
-CW-
Right before Luke could enter the room, a shout rang throughout the hallway. It was a melodious voice accompanied with an accent Luke would recognize anywhere. A voice he had been longing to hear ever since his arrival here in the past.
"LUKE!?"
He had no time to react when he was barreled over by a blue blur, arms wrapping tightly around him and squeezing the life out of him. "Luke!" The voice cried out again, muffled from the being's face being buried in the fabric of his tunic, the small body trembling.
Luke couldn't believe it. He was frozen. Neither registered the fact that Obi-Wan and Anakin had stepped out into the hallway to see what the commotion was about.
It felt like forever, but Luke finally gathered his fragmented thoughts together and breathe out a name.
-CW-
"Lariss?" Luke whispered, stunned. It wasn't long before he reciprocated the crushing embrace his sister had him trapped in, receiving a face-full of dark blonde hair by doing so. "Lariss!"
"You're here! You're really here!" Lariss gushed out. She then pulled away, fixing Luke with a worried gaze. "Do you have any idea how scared I was? I was worried about you!" She snapped, though there was immense relief and overwhelming joy coating every word she spoke. Luke incredulously looked at her.
"And you don't think I was?" He shot back. "I thought you were gone, Lariss! I couldn't find you anywhere! And believe me, I looked! There wasn't a day that passed that I didn't spend trying to find you!"
Lariss blinked, shaking her head. "I tried doing the same! Where have you been?"
"Here." Luke answered and Lariss looked horrified.
"What!?" She squeaked out. "You were here the whole time and I never noticed!?"
"What do you mean?" Luke wanted to know, not understanding why Lariss was looking so guilty.
"Every day I spent here in the Temple," Lariss muttered, obviously berating herself. "And never once did I think to look for you here."
"I'm lost." Anakin's voice interjected, startling the two teens, who raised their heads up to see both Kenobi and Anakin staring down at them from the doorway.
"As am I." Obi-Wan nodded, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Lariss, care to explain?"
"Um, yes, Master!" Lariss was on her feet at once, tugging Luke up with her, never once relinquishing her hold on his hand. Both teens were beaming, their Force Signature brightening from having found one another again. Luke sidled closer to Lariss, taking comfort in the fact that he had his sister by his side again.
"Woah, woah, woah, wait just a minute," Anakin cut in before Lariss could answer. "Master?" He turned to give Obi-Wan a look. Obi-Wan sighed.
"It is impolite to interrupt, Anakin, but yes, Lariss is my new Padawan learner." Obi-Wan answered Anakin's silent inquiry.
"Really?" Luke and Anakin said in unison, Luke looking at Lariss.
"It's true." Lariss said to him, grinning a bit. She shifted when Luke gave her a long look, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. "Master Kenobi asked me to become his Padawan Learner just a few weeks ago." She seemed happy. Luke softly smiled, but he had MANY questions for her.
"Whatever happened to never taking on another Padawan, Obi-Wan?" Anakin questioned, crossing his arms, silently demanding that the Jedi Master explain himself. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. There was a brief pang of jealousy that ran through him, but Anakin paid it no mind.
"A story for another time, Anakin." Obi-Wan evasively answered, returning his attention to the two teens before them. His expression suddenly changed from his normally neutral look to one of realization. He snapped his fingers, eyeing Luke and Lariss. The two were practically mirrors of one another! Both had the same shade of blonde hair, the same eye color, and exact facial structure. The only difference was their gender, hair length, and height.
Twins, Obi-Wan thought, surprised.
Luke and Lariss's name should have given that away to him. Luke claimed to be Luke Solo, and when Obi-Wan had met Lariss, she, too, had introduced herself as a Lariss Solo. And hadn't Lariss told him that she had a brother? A twin? But...How did they come to know one another, was what Obi-Wan had forgotten to ask her. Jedi normally separated family members for fear of attachments, but Luke and Lariss had clearly known one another for some time and had grown quite close.
Anakin seemed to have come to the same realization, for he started in surprise, eyes widening.
"Wait, you're his sister!" He remarked aloud.
"And you must be Master Skywalker." Lariss replied, barely concealing her surprise and joy. Luke, however, could feel it through their bond, which had opened since Lariss had practically bowled him over.
'Luke, it's him! It's Father!' He heard Lariss enthusiastically say through their bond, projecting her overwhelming joy at being reunited with him.
'Yes, it is, Lariss...Father is here.' Luke quietly sent back to her, thrilled that he could now communicate with her. He gently squeezed her hand, the twins smiling at one another, blue orbs twinkling. Neither of them noticed the looks on both Kenobi and Skywalker's faces. They were studying the twins intently, taken aback by the power emitting from them both. Now that they were together, the Force was so much more stronger. It was no wonder they were separated at birth!
'But how did they come to be so powerful?' Obi-Wan wondered to himself, eyeing Anakin in the corner of his eye. 'Together, their power could rise higher than that of Anakin's.'
It was a bit of a frightening thought to Obi-Wan, who was trying to solve this puzzle. The twins were mysterious, and secretive. He knew barely anything about Lariss, and couldn't get her to open up to him. All he had gotten was little information about her family and a little glimpse in her past. He had immediately noticed how reluctant Lariss was to use the Force, however. If she could avoid it, Lariss would, which made him curious. There was also a tendril of darkness in the girl, something that concerned him. He had felt the Force urging him to take her under his wing, though, and who was Obi-Wan to deny the promptings of the Force?
"Well, Padawan, you've found one sister." Anakin told Luke, who happily nodded in agreement. Obi-Wan made to agree when he realized what Anakin had said. Sharply looking to the Knight, he incredulously repeated,
"Padawan?"
Anakin shrugged. "Yeah."
Obi-Wan waited, giving Anakin the do-go-on look. "I thought you didn't want one."
"I didn't." Anakin nodded. "Then I met Luke."
"Indeed..." Obi-Wan studied Luke. This boy was growing more interesting. He had even caught Anakin's attention, and Obi-Wan knew how reluctant Anakin was about getting a Padawan. He had refused even the Council! Obi-Wan, himself, had been about to find a Padawan for Anakin, but it looked like he wouldn't need to. "Well, come along then, Padawans. We will need to show you your new quarters."
"Quarters?" Luke and Lariss repeated, glancing at one another.
"We're right next door to each other." Anakin told them as the four headed out of the Med-Center. "In fact, Obi-Wan and I's quarters are conjoined."
"Oh. So where do we go?" Luke asked, curious.
"With us, of course." Came the answer. "Unless you wish to be moved to where the Padawans live."
"No, thank-you." Luke and Lariss chimed, not wanting to be separated.
"Thought so." Anakin smirked.
-CW-
After being shown to their quarters, Luke being given a room in Anakin's apartment and Lariss taking over Anakin's old room he had used when he was Kenobi's Padawan, the two siblings met with one another after their Masters had left.
"I still can't believe it." Lariss was the first to speak as she and Luke sat on the couch in Obi-Wan's apartment. The place was sparkly clean, though that didn't surprise them. It also felt light, comforting, and safe.
"Me neither." Luke said, leaning back against the couch, gripping the steaming mug he held in his hands. "Took me some time to actually accept the fact that we were sent here, in the past."
"A good twenty-three years, I'd reckon." Lariss nodded, shifting so that she was comfortable. She sat in a meditative stance on the sofa, turning so that she was facing Luke. Her blue orbs were swirling with guilt and a hint of sadness.
"Lariss?"
"I'm sorry, Luke." Lariss suddenly said. Luke tilted his head, furrowing his brow.
"What for?"
"Not trying harder." Lariss answered, averting her gaze so that she was staring out the window.
"For what?"
"Looking for you. Well, at first, I wasn't able to. Remember that vision I told you about?"
"Yes." Luke replied, sitting up. "It was Ben! That's why I recognized his voice!" He realized. Lariss nodded.
"It was him."
"Wait..." Luke jerked his head towards his sister, remembering everything else the vision had contained. "You were trapped! What happened?" He demanded to know, concerned as he checked over his sister with the Force.
"I'm not sure." She shrugged, sipping the hot cocoa she held in her hands. "All I remember is waking up to find myself surrounded by debris and fire. Then Obi-Wan appeared with the Clones and pulled me out. Luckily, they had brought a medical shuttle and were able to give me some bacta patches for the burns I'd received. After that, Master Kenobi brought me to the Temple, seeing as I was Force Sensitive, then allowed me to accompany him on some of his 'lighter' missions. It wasn't long before he asked me to become his Padawan."
"And I've been meaning to ask you about that." Luke said, facing his sister. "You firmly stated that you would never have anything to do with the Force. You were adamant in that notion. Why the sudden change of mind?"
"Qui-Gon."
"Qui-Gon?" Luke questioned.
"The man visited me in a vision. Told me if I didn't open myself up to the Force, it would be detrimental to whatever we're trying to achieve here."
"I take it he told you everything about the imbalance, then?" Luke stated rather than questioned. Lariss lips curled downwards as she shook her head.
"Not everything. But he did tell me that there was a reason I became Obi-Wan's Padawan and you became Father's."
"What?" Now Luke was confused. "Did you have this vision recently? I didn't become his Padawan until today."
"No. I had it a couple of weeks ago. He hinted to the fact that you were to become his Padawan. I just didn't understand what he meant at the time." Lariss said, straightening her legs and crossing them. "He said we needed to watch after them." Her brows beetled together. "He also said that we needed to be wary of Palpatine."
"Tch, as if we didn't know that already."
Lariss looked at him. "Not only because of who he is. If Palpatine were to learn about us, if he were to discover how powerful we were...We'd be in grave danger, and so would Obi-Wan and Anakin. We have to stay hidden from him for as long as we can."
"True." Luke agreed, his nose crinkling at the thought of meeting Palpatine again. He didn't like the man one bit. His presence...The pure darkness that surrounded him. It had chilled Luke to the bone. It was such an uncomfortable feeling, one he'd never get used to. How the Council and the Jedi managed to overlook this, he would never know. "I only wish we knew what the imbalance was. What could have caused a shift in the Force? What could have possibly happened that changed everything..."
"Qui-Gon insinuated that it had something to do with both Kenobi and Father." Lariss told Luke, standing as she took his mug and walked over to the kitchen. Luke stood and followed, leaning against the counter as Lariss washed them out and put them aside. She then headed for the fridge, looking to see what there was that she could make for dinner. "I think we've found the other Chosen One."
"Kenobi?" Luke raised both his eyebrows at this declaration.
"It has to be. Think about it," She started to say, pulling out some meat and fruit from the fridge, setting them on the counter. Luke immediately worked on cutting the fruit into pieces, having grown used to helping Lariss in the kitchen back in their time. He pulled a plate out from the cabinet and set the pieces of fruit onto it, lining them up with the edge. Lariss turned on the stove and waited for it to heat up. "He is as ingrained in the Light as Palpatine is in the Dark. It makes sense for Obi-Wan to be the second Chosen One. Father was once a part of the Light, but not entirely embedded in it. He had always struggled with the Dark Side, or so Vader explained to me."
"Vader?" Now, that was a surprise.
"He happened to be in a good mood on that day." Lariss bitterly reminisced. "Unlike most other days. Rare moments such as those were times Vader would give me clues as to what happened to Anakin Skywalker. It also appears that they caused the imbalance we sensed."
"They did?"
"That's what he hinted to." Lariss absentmindedly replied, checking the heat of the stove. Finding that it was the perfect temp, she placed the meat in the pan and started to cook. Almost at once, a pleasant aroma of the meal she was cooking filled the entire kitchen. Luke was becoming even more hungry now.
"I don't see how. They seem pretty close..."
Lariss hummed in agreement. "They do. But if they were so close, what caused Father to fall?"
"Don't you know?" Luke asked his sister, remembering what Leia had told him before. "Leia mentioned that you knew what led Father to become Vader."
Lariss paused in what she was doing, her hand stopping halfway from reaching for the spatula on the counter. She was silent for a moment, not speaking a word as she grabbed the spatula and moved the meat in the pan. Luke shifted, sensing the anger his sister was trying to shield from him.
"Lariss?" He cautiously called, timidly taking a step back. Lariss inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to banish her anger. Luke bit his lip, wondering what he had said to cause his sister to grow angry.
"I don't quite know per se. But I have a feeling it had something to do with Father feeling that he wasn't quite accepted among others."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for example, the Council and the Jedi in general." Lariss started to explain. The way she said the titles still held a scornful and mocking tone, one Luke had grown accustomed to hearing whenever Lariss would mention the Jedi and Council of the Old Republic. "The Council was also a bit...harsh with Father when he was a Padawan and even when he became a Knight. They didn't understand him. They feared him."
"Because of what he was." Luke guessed, earning an affirmative nod.
"Aye. Father didn't control his emotions. He was always expressive, something they were greatly concerned about. You know how Jedi believe 'there is no emotion, only peace,'" Lariss sardonically quoted the Jedi Code. This was actually news to Luke. Jedi didn't believe in emotions? He'd never heard of that! "Well, Father didn't follow the Code as well as they would have liked. He was rebellious, even though he usually had the best intentions in mind...Most of the time, when Father did anything, the Council would rebuke him, try to set him in his place. That only fueled the fire." She quietened a little, eyes dancing with sorrow and understanding. "The Jedi were always a little nervous around him. There were few who could feel comfortable around him because he was the fabled Chosen One. It made Father a bit lonely, left out. They would work with him, and tolerate him, but that was only out of kindness. It hurt him more than anyone realized. It was why Father would normally turn to that scum Palpatine." She spat out the name with such venom that it startled Luke. He watched as her vibrant blue orbs darkened to an almost black color. "That cur, always pretended to care for Father- pretending to be that loving, doting grandfather figure Anakin could turn to when he was frustrated. It was how Palpatine manipulated Father." Her grip tightened on the pan handle, her knuckles turning white as Lariss scowled darkly.
Luke shivered from the sudden cold that seemed to fall over the apartment. It was that same feeling he had felt when he first met Palpatine and Vader, only less bone-chilling. He wondered if he should allow Lariss to continue, seeing as this appeared to be a rather sensitive subject for his sister.
"What of Obi-Wan?" He found himself asking. His sister blinked herself back to the present at his question, frowning as she stared down at the meat she was cooking.
"Obi-Wan...It's...He was there, but he wasn't there, you know."
"...What?" That made no sense to Luke. Lariss rolled her eyes at him.
"Obi-Wan did care for Father. From what I gathered, he was like a Father and a brother to him, but he wasn't very open."
"What do you mean?" Luke leaned forward, interested in learning more.
Lariss finished with the meat and placed it on another plate, setting it down on the table nearby. She walked over the cabinets and started pulling out a few plates and utensils, handing them over to Luke, who neatly placed them on the table. They did the same with the mugs before strolling into the Living Area and seating themselves on the couch.
"You see, Obi-Wan was very secretive about his past. He didn't tell Anakin much about himself and he was usually a bit distant. It frustrated Father. He didn't feel he could really talk to Obi-Wan, actually talk." Lariss emphasized the word as if to get Luke to understand what she meant by it. "See, I'm certain Obi-Wan wanted to help Father, he just wasn't sure how. He was raised a Jedi, who are much too sheltered when it comes to emotions and feelings, so when Anakin would come to him, Obi-Wan wasn't exactly sure how to. He would often rebel against the Council for him, and he would always defend Father when someone would nag at him, but I guess it wasn't enough in the end." Lariss mumbled the last few words.
"Do you think he knew about Mother?" Luke asked after a brief moment of silence.
"Yes." Lariss nodded, stretching. She was tired! The past few months had been full of excitement, confusion, worry, and adventures that Lariss had rarely ever rested. Now that she had reunited with Luke and returned to the Temple for a short reprieve, she felt drained. Physically and emotionally speaking. "He knew all right, but he never said anything, hoping Father would approach him and admit that they were married."
"But he never did..." Luke presumed, though he had a pretty good feeling that was what Lariss would say.
"No." Lariss softly uttered, sadness dancing in her dark blue orbs. "He never did."
The twins said nothing for a while, instead choosing to enjoy one another's company. Luke could sense the growing weariness in Lariss and shook his head as he watched Lariss fight to remain awake. Sending a light Force-suggestion, Luke lulled his sister to give in to sleep. It wasn't long before Lariss's head dropped against his shoulder, her eyes closing as she finally allowed herself to rest. Luke smiled and wrapped an arm around his sister, resting his head on top of hers. It was good to have Lariss back. He had missed her presence greatly. Without Lariss, Luke had felt a little lost. He had Leia, but she was still in the future. Thinking over everything Lariss had told him, Luke tried to piece together a possible cause for the imbalance. It was centered around both Anakin and Obi-Wan, but what had they done to cause it? Was it because of the distance Lariss had mentioned?
No, something whispered to Luke. It was something more than just distance. He highly doubted that distance would have caused his Father to fall to the Darkside. So, if that wasn't it, what was it?
He supposed he would have to wait to learn more. For now, he and Lariss would need to keep their Father rooted in the Light. They would need to help him fight away the promptings of the Dark Side. That, he would later find, would be easier said than done.
-CW-
Anakin and Obi-Wan left the Council Chambers in silence, both tired and weary from how long the day had been. The two couldn't wait to return to their apartments and sleep the night away!
"Another mission." Anakin muttered, dragging his feet along as they trudged down the Corridor towards their destination.
"Indeed." Obi-Wan tiredly hummed, running a hand through his hair. It had grown longer than he had expected, giving him a youthful look. He had yet to cut it, something Anakin protested against, claiming that by cutting his hair, he would appear older than he truly was. It was the same argument Anakin had given him when Obi-Wan had decided to grow a beard, but he did anyway. He had looked very young when he was Knighted after Qui-Gon's death, and it wasn't long after taking Anakin as his Padawan that Obi-Wan became a Master. Twelve years Obi-Wan had been Anakin's Master. Twelve long, but never boring, years. With Anakin as his Padawan, Obi-Wan was surprised he hadn't grown any grey hairs. The boy was a bundle of wild energy, always zipping here and there, fixing this or that, or causing this and that and the other. He was quite the troublemaker too. Thankfully, Obi-Wan knew how to cover-up any disasters that Anakin would create. Well, mostly. There were a few times Anakin had been caught, but Obi-Wan managed to salvage those situations. Never would Obi-Wan have imagined that one day, he would end up standing up against the Council and bending their rules, but with Anakin, that seemed to be impossible to avoid.
But if Obi-Wan were to be honest, he would admit that he enjoyed it. It had taken him some time to become the laid-back Master that he was instead of being the rule-abiding, strict Jedi Code follower he once was. Then again, he had Anakin to thank for that. After Anakin had been Knighted, Obi-Wan had vowed never again to take another Padawan.
And now here he was, with a second Padawan.
Lariss Solo.
That girl was an enigma to Obi-Wan. The same as her brother, Luke Solo. He frowned, deep in thought. He knew the twins were lying about their names. He had sensed that the name 'Solo' wasn't their name. They were hiding their identity, but why?
He shook his head, deciding to think about it later. He had felt the Force assuring him that they were of no danger. So he trusted in the Force. Lariss was quite a handful, but she was helpful and intelligent. She did, however, seem to struggle with reigning in her emotions, reminding Obi-Wan a lot about Anakin. She was reckless, something Obi-Wan had grown used to, but never too reckless. She did think before acting...Most times.
But it was most interesting to Obi-Wan. The fact that both Lariss and Luke Solo seemed to appear in their lives simultaneously. Anakin had explained to him earlier of when he had met Luke. The date coincided with the day Obi-Wan had first rescued Lariss, after finding her in a burning Separatist facility. Not only that, but Obi-Wan had asked Lariss to be his Padawan and Anakin had done the same with Luke.
Coincidence?
Obi-Wan didn't think so. There was more to this than the Force was willing to share. Luke, he had learned from the boy, had had two Masters before Anakin, both of whom had passed. He felt empathetic towards the boy, knowing full-well the pain of losing a Master. The boy also came from Tatooine, he had later found out when he and Anakin had showed the twins where their apartments were located. Anakin had been surprised, and a bit horrified, and even Obi-Wan was taken aback. Thankfully, much to Anakin's relief, Luke hadn't been a slave. He had lived on a Moisture Farm until his aunt and uncle were killed.
But, this...that piece of information nagged at Obi-Wan. Both Anakin and Luke were from Tatooine. He felt this information was important, he could feel it in the Force. Lariss, though, had only had one Master, but she wouldn't go into detail about her past. She, too, had lost her Master during a Rebellion. He hadn't learned anything else, since Lariss chose not to talk about her past. Obi-Wan often wondered why. He could sense the pain and nervousness she felt anytime someone questioned her about her past, and the girl would suddenly transform into a quiet, cold, person who would isolate herself from others for a long period of time. He had decided never to bring it up again, unless it was absolutely necessary. He couldn't help but feel suspicious. Why would Lariss feel nervous about someone discovering more about her past? What was she hiding that she feared?
"-Wan? Obi-Wan!"
Obi-Wan blinked several times, hearing Anakin distantly calling out to him. He found Anakin standing in front of him, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Obi-Wan? Are you with me?" The Knight asked, crossing his arms when Obi-Wan seemed to come out of whatever daze he was in.
"What? Were you saying something, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin huffed, falling into step with the Master as they turned a corner.
"I was asking you what you were thinking about."
"The twins." Obi-Wan answered, earning an inquisitive look from Anakin.
"What about them?"
"There is something about them..."
Anakin paused mid-step, looking to Obi-Wan. "You've noticed it too?"
"Yes." Obi-Wan nodded, slowing to a stop in the middle of the corridor. "I don't know what it is, but I feel that they are very important."
"And they're hiding something from us." Anakin added.
"You've sensed it as well, I see." The Jedi Master crossed his arms, thinking about the twins. "But I do not sense any ill will or danger from the two."
"Neither do I." Anakin agreed. "There's one thing, however..."
"Yes?" Obi-Wan gestured for Anakin to continue, wanting to know what it was that had caught Anakin's attention.
"He claims a Master Ben trained him." He shot Obi-Wan a doubtful look. "I've never heard of a Master Ben. Have you?"
"No." Obi-Wan shook his head, a thought coming to mind. "I searched for a Master Ben in the Records but found nothing. I even looked in the Records for the dead, but there was no 'Master Ben' marked among them. I also searched Lariss and Luke's names."
"And? Did you find anything?"
"Nothing." Obi-Wan's answer was not what Anakin was expecting. "Which reminds me...The most shocking thing I discovered about Lariss was that she had no record whatsoever."
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever I first met Lariss, she was severely injured." Obi-Wan began, recounting his story briefly to Anakin. He explained to Anakin how he and his men had been called out to explore an abandoned Separatist Base on the peaceful planet of Hyra. They had arrived only to find the base in shambles and burning. Obi-Wan and the Clones immediately set out to search for survivors, if there were any, when he stumbled upon Lariss.
"General!" Cody's voice called out to him. Obi-Wan turned to see the Clone Commander trying to make his way towards the Jedi, who had already slipped into the burning base. The Clone slipped whenever a piece of debris shifted underneath his foot, but managed to regain his balance and carefully drop to the ground nearby.
"What is it, Cody?" Obi-Wan asked.
"The radars picked up signs of life in the vicinity." Cody informed the Master. Obi-Wan hid his surprise. So there were survivors? Was this base, which was rumored to have been abandoned, not abandoned? Had the Separatists been secretly working in this base? If so, why did they have it destroyed? Was this survivor a Separatist?
"How far away?" The Master asked, carefully making his way through the debris and avoiding the fires burning around them.
"According to Oddball, they should be around here somewhere..." Cody answered, trailing off as he searched the area for the possible survivor. Obi-Wan expanded his Signature, using the Force to locate whatever life form the radars had detected. What he found, was not what he was expecting. Startled, Obi-Wan opened his eyes and hastily made his way towards the presence he had felt. "General?"
Obi-Wan didn't show any signs of having heard the Commander, moving large pieces of debris out of his way as he searched for what he had sensed. He suddenly came to a stop after removing a rather large portion of debris, staring down at the ground in shock. "Dear Force! There is a child here!" he exclaimed, rushing over to the child's side. It was a little girl, no older than fourteen, lying half-covered by heavy rubble, burns marring her fair skin, her hair singed and blackened by the ash. The fire illuminated her complexion. "Cody!" Obi-Wan shouted over the raging fire. "I need your men down here!"
"Sir!" Came the quick response as Cody rushed back to the small opening they had entered, looking up at the Clones stationed there. "You heard the General! Move, move!"
The Clones moved at once, sliding down to where Cody was and calling for a medic.
"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan found himself wondering aloud, reaching out to check the girl's pulse. Thankfully, it was there, but it was weak. The girl's eyes fluttered open to reveal piercing, familiar, blue orbs. They were glazed over and unfocused as she looked around herself. When her gaze landed on him, she visibly started, chapped lips parting as if to speak.
No sound came out, her youthful features twisting in pain as she harshly coughed.
"Woah, there, little one." Obi-Wan calmly spoke, placing a comforting and restraining hand on her shoulder as she tried to move. "You're too injured to be moving. Relax."
But she wouldn't listen. Her blue eyes locked onto his, pleading. "Br...Bro..." She tried to talk, but could only speak in fractions. "Brother..."
"Brother?" Obi-Wan repeated, catching onto what she wanted to say. "You came here with your brother?"
She managed a weak nod, clutching his free hand, silently begging for him to look for her brother. Obi-Wan hid a grimace, knowing that she was probably the only survivor.
"I will look for him, do not worry." He promised, casting Cody a look. The Clone Commander glanced over at the radar then back up at him, sadly shaking his head. Obi-Wan regretfully nodded, returning his attention to the injured girl. She was clearly in pain, but was willing it away using the...
Obi-Wan started. She was using the Force to ease her pain! And she was calling out to someone.
Her brother, he sorrowfully realized. But, who had trained this girl? He sensed no ill will from her. Did this mean that the Council had sent another Master-Padawan team to check the area out? If so, why hadn't they mentioned that vital piece of information with him? Had they already known that the Master and Padawan hadn't made it? Was that why he had been sent?
"Rest, child. We will get you out." He quietly uttered, sending a gentle Force Suggestion into her, urging her to give in and sleep. It didn't take much, and soon, the child was unconscious. "We need to get her medical attention, and fast. Cody," Obi-Wan looked up at the Commander, "Contact the Temple. Tell them we will be returning earlier than expected."
"Yes, sir!" Cody saluted and left to do as he had been ordered.
-CW-
"True to my word, I returned to the Temple and immediately brought her to the Med-Center." Obi-Wan continued with his tale, Anakin listening closely. "This is where things get interesting. Master Che performed the necessary tests and gave Lariss the treatment she needed, but when she returned, Master Che informed me that Lariss had no records."
"No records?" Anakin repeated, wondering what Obi-Wan meant.
"As in, there were no records for her birth, records of past history, or of past visits to any med-center whatsoever. There was absolutely nothing. She had searched, but Master Che could find nothing about a Lariss Solo. Even the blood tests revealed nothing of who she was."
"Really?" Anakin couldn't believe it. "But, how's that possible?"
"It's not." Obi-Wan deadpanned, staring out the nearest window, watching the Coruscant traffic. "It's as if Lariss doesn't exist."
The Force suddenly swarmed around him, singing that he was onto something crucial. Obi-Wan pursed his lips, wondering what exactly he had stumbled upon. What was the Force trying to say?
"How...strange." Anakin lamely commented. He caught onto the look Obi-Wan was wearing and narrowed his eyes. "There's more to it, isn't there?" It wasn't really a question, but Obi-Wan answered nevertheless.
"Vokara Che has asked me to bring Lariss back to the Med-Center tomorrow. Something about her blood test. Apparently, after testing it, Che found something that, as she put it, 'was absolutely impossible.'"
"Huh." Was all Anakin said, wondering what that 'absolutely impossible' stood for.
"She would like to question Lariss and if possible, have Luke brought down as well."
"Luke?" Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Those two have barely been here and already they're getting into a heap of trouble."
"Indeed. It must be something serious for Vokara Che to be concerned. She claims to have re-run the tests over and over again with peculiar results."
"Did she tell you what those results were?" Anakin asked.
"No. She chose to keep the information classified for now until Luke and Lariss can clear things up a bit."
"Hm. Luke isn't going to like it."
"Neither will Lariss." Obi-Wan said. "Speaking of those two," He glanced at the chrono, "We should get moving. Lariss and Luke are probably waiting for us to return."
"As long as they have dinner ready..." Anakin trailed off, following after Obi-Wan as the Master stepped onto the lift.
"Lariss has done well with have dinner prepared. I never even asked her to cook, but she has taken it upon herself to make the meals. Unlike some other Padawan I knew."
"Hey!" Anakin immediately retorted, "You refused to allow me to cook without supervision ever since I blew up the oven!"
"How you managed that, I will never know." Obi-Wan said, thinking back on the incident.
"It wasn't me!"
"Oh yes, do forgive me! I had forgotten that it was the oven's fault."
"It was!" And then Anakin launched into a detailed explanation of the mechanism of the old oven and how it was the oven's fault that it had chosen to explode.
"I find it funny that the oven chose to explode at the exact time you decided to cook, Anakin." Obi-Wan remarked, not believing a word Anakin had spoken.
"Hmph! I bet if you had chosen to cook on that night, it would've done the same thing!"
"Oh, I'm sure." Obi-Wan sarcastically agreed. "Of all the times I used it, and even Qui-Gon, the oven chose to blow up the moment you touch it."
"See! The thing's as old as dirt!" Anakin defended himself, walking through the lift doors when they reached their floor. They walked in sync to the apartment, arguing back and forth of who was responsible for the oven's explosion. Of course, neither of them won the argument.
"Wait a moment," Obi-Wan held an arm out in front of Anakin, pausing when they reached the door to his apartment. "Didn't you just say that I refused to allow you to cook after, and I quote, you 'blew up the oven?'" There was a victorious twinkle in Obi-Wan's eyes and Anakin's own widened at his own slip.
"No!" the Knight hastily answered, earning a disbelieving look from Obi-Wan. "You must have misheard me." His tone was not at all convincing.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. See, I told you you were growing old!"
"Mhm..." Obi-Wan shook his head, unconvinced. He quickly typed in his password to his quarters and the door hissed open. The two entered, Anakin about to speak again when they paused in the doorway, peering into the room to find that the lights had yet to be turned on. The apartment was also silent, as if it was empty. Obi-Wan and Anakin quietly entered, Obi-Wan turning the lights on. There was no one in sight.
"Where are the twins?" Anakin whispered, stepping further into the apartment.
"I have no idea. But I sense they're near." Obi-Wan replied. Anakin was about to speak when something caught his eye. His mouth formed an 'o' shape as he gestured Obi-Wan to come over. Obi-Wan did. He followed Anakin's line of vision to find two small bodies curled up on the couch in the Living Area. Both Luke and Lariss appeared to have fallen asleep while waiting for their Masters to return, Luke's arm wrapped around his sister and his head resting on her's. Their chests rose and fell steadily, and though they appeared to be sleeping, Obi-Wan could sense that they were still alert. Luke had, perhaps out of habit, stretched out his Senses, as if looking out for any kind of danger.
"They make for a peaceful picture." Anakin commented lowly, so as to not wake the twins.
"They do, don't they?" Obi-Wan silently made his way over to the twins, feeling guilty that he had to wake them. He placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, gently shaking the young boy awake. Luke blearily blinked as he came to, squinting against the sudden onslaught of light to see Obi-Wan standing in front of him.
"Master Kenobi?" He tiredly questioned, sitting up. Lariss shifted when she jolted awake, having felt Luke moving. She covered her mouth as she yawned, stretching her other arm up into the air.
"Master." She sleepily mumbled in greeting. "You're back."
"Yes, we are." Kenobi kindly smiled at the two teens, watching as the both of them stood but never once stepped apart from one another.
"Dinner's ready." Lariss informed him, still trying to wake herself up. Luke immediately perked up at the mention of food, and in the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan saw Anakin doing the same. He resisted rolling his eyes. Anakin was always hungry, no matter how much he ate.
"Good!" Anakin happily headed for the kitchen, searching for the food. "I'm famished!"
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called after him, shaking his head at his rudeness. He sighed and looked to the twins with a kind smile. "Well, let's go eat."
Lariss and Luke trotted behind Obi-Wan as he entered the kitchen to find Anakin already seated at the table, impatiently waiting.
"Bout time!"
"We were hardly a few seconds behind you, Anakin." Obi-Wan muttered.
"Seconds too long!" The Knight complained, though he didn't really mean it.
"You're such a child." Obi-Wan took his seat while Lariss checked the warmth of the food on the table.
"I will warm this up, Master." Lariss offered, taking up the meat and rushing into the kitchen before Obi-Wan could stop her.
"That child," Obi-Wan sighed, leaning back against his seat. "Does everything before I can say a word."
Luke said nothing, knowing exactly why Lariss did. He discreetly looked over at his Father who had placed his hands behind his head and was balancing his chair on one leg, using the table leg for balance. He didn't look bad...Not a man Luke would've suspected turning to the Dark Side at first glance. But one could tell he was susceptible to it. Well, if they had the Force. His Father, he knew, did have a temper and was impatient, but he was still a good man at heart. When Lariss returned and set the meat down, the four started to serve themselves. Luke and Lariss ate very little, having grown used to eating only what was necessary while on missions. Anakin and Obi-Wan flashed them concerned looks, wondering why the teens weren't eating anymore but chose not to comment. Anakin finished his plate first while telling Obi-Wan that the Council had given him yet another mission. Obi-Wan told him in return that he, too, had been assigned one near Anakin's. Lariss and Luke would be accompanying them, which Luke found exciting.
Anakin, while Obi-Wan was explaining his mission, stealing Separatists plans, was eyeing the roll Obi-Wan had at the edge of his plate. Obi-Wan didn't even glance over at him when he lifted the chocolate roll with the Force and zipped it over at the Knight, who eagerly snatched it and ate it.
"So, what plan did you have in mind?" Anakin asked after finishing the roll and reaching for one of the sweet fruits in the middle of the table. Luke and Lariss automatically gathered the plates and utensils together, heading into the kitchen and washing them. Anakin and Obi-Wan stared after them, a little uneasy as they watched the twins work in sync with one another. The two, they had noticed, walked in sync, worked in sync, and sometimes would finish one another's sentences. It was a little odd for the two older Jedi, though many claimed that Anakin and Obi-Wan were the same.
"Not sure, honestly." Obi-Wan finally answered Anakin's question. The twins reemerged from the kitchen and took their respected seats, listening as Obi-Wan went into detail about the geography of the land, the enemy they expected to be in the vicinity, and what plans they were expected to get. Anakin would throw in some ideas here and there, but Obi-Wan would suggest a few flaws in the plans that could prove fatal. Anakin took these into consideration, mentally drawing out plan after plan until he finally came up with one Obi-Wan figured would work.
"You do realize that it will never work, right?" Anakin crossed his arms, a knowing look gracing his features. Obi-Wan shrugged.
"It is to be expected." The Master agreed.
"So...What then?" Anakin tilted his head in question.
"What do you mean 'What then'? You will do what you do best." Obi-Wan replied.
"And what's that?" Luke and Lariss asked in unison.
"Improvise." Both Anakin and Obi-Wan said in return. "It usually works."
The four stared at one another after Anakin and Obi-Wan had finished before laughing. "This will be an interesting partnership indeed." Obi-Wan cheerfully remarked, the three Skywalkers humming in agreement. "Besides, we all know you won't follow through with the plan."
"What? I usually do!" Anakin objected.
"No, you don't." Obi-Wan retorted with a scoff. "Anytime I come up with a plan, or we manage to piece one together, you always go off and do whatever you want."
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do."
"It's not my fault! Something bad always happens whenever we go on missions."
"I wonder why..." Obi-Wan sarcastically murmured. Anakin rolled his eyes.
"It's not because of me! I listen to the plans."
"Really?" Obi-Wan said in mock-surprise. "You, listen?"
"What are you trying to say?" Anakin's eyes narrowed on the Master.
"I'm just shocked that you actually listen. You never listen to me."
"What?! I do to listen to you!"
"Sometimes, I wonder."
"Hmph!" Anakin fell back against the back of his chair, arms crossed. "I do listen..." He mumbled, mock-hurt that Obi-Wan wouldn't believe him.
Obi-Wan decided to take pity on the pouting Knight. "If you say so." Eyes flickering over at the chrono, he added, "It's rather late. Let's turn in for the night and meet together at the Landing Bay D6 tomorrow."
"Right. Tomorrow then." Anakin affirmed, the four standing and heading over for the door. Luke hugged Lariss goodbye, bid Obi-Wan a goodnight and jogged after Anakin to their quarters next door. "Well," Anakin started, clasping his hands together once they entered the darkened apartment. "I'd imagine we'll be getting up around six tomorrow, then. Be sure to have everything packed by then."
"Yes, Master." Luke gave a slight bow, distantly thinking about how odd it was to call his Father 'Master.' They went their separate ways, Luke into his room to pack and Anakin into his room to sleep. As Luke packed, he started to think over what Lariss had told him earlier. The mission given to them by Qui-Gon seemed much harder than he had previously thought. How would they keep their Father from turning when they didn't quite know what led him to turn in the first place? Lariss had mentioned a few things that could have led to it, but she didn't know exactly what made their Father suddenly join the Dark Side.
Would he and Lariss be able to save their Father? Would they be able to do what was required of them to keep their Father ingrained in the Light?
Only time could tell, he supposed. He just had one question.
'Lariss.'
There was nothing for a moment, then,
'What is it, Luke?'
'When did Father turn? What year?'
'Um...If I remember correctly,' Lariss paused for a moment, trying to remember. 'Approximately 19 years before the Battle of Yavin...So, 19 BBY.'
Luke's eyes widened marginally at this. 'That's two years from now!'
'I know it may seem like a long time, but it will be short. We need to tread with caution. We can't work fast, but we can't move slow. We need to decide what exactly needs to be done to prevent Order 66 from happening and how to keep Father in the Light.'
'This is not going to be easy...But how will we know what to do?'
'I'm not sure.' Lariss regretfully informed him.
Luke mulled over this for a moment. 'Maybe I can ask Leia if she can find out what we need to change.'
'Leia?' Lariss immediately perked up. 'She's here?!'
'No. But I can still contact her.'
Utter confusion trickled into Luke's mind from their bond. 'How is that possible? You shouldn't be able to...'
'That's what we thought...but for some odd reason, the future is still running with the past.'
'Oh...That's not good...Especially for Leia.' Dread crept into Luke upon hearing the tone of his sister's voice.
'What do you mean?'
'Luke...We're in the past, Leia's in the future. For some reason, both times are flowing together. Whatever we do here, whatever we change, will affect the future. The changes that occur here will occur there. Leia will be living in a constantly changing future. Nothing will be the same for a certain amount of time. She'll need to adapt to these abrupt changes and keep herself updated on what we did to the past that caused the future to shift.'
'Then that is what I will do.' A new voice interrupted their conversation. Luke would recognize it anywhere.
'Leia!' Luke and Lariss chimed, relief and excitement reverberating through their bonds.
'Oh Lariss! Thank the Force you're okay!' Leia ecstatically sent to both of them. Luke could sense Lariss smiling, a huge burden having been lifted off of her chest. 'What happened? Are you alright? And Luke? How did you find her?'
Before either Luke or Lariss could respond, Leia demanded, 'Tell me everything.'
So they did. Leia listened to everything intently, asking questions every once in a while. Her concern was evident when Lariss explained her tale of waking up in a ruined Separatist Base, but upon learning that both of her siblings were safe and uninjured (For the most part), was pleased.
'You overheard everything we said earlier, right, Leia?' Lariss questioned.
'Yes. And if that's what I need to do in order to help you, I will.'
'It will be difficult, but I know you can do it. Thanks, Leia.'
'Of course. Just be careful, you two. I have a feeling something is going to happen.'
Luke and Lariss knew what she meant, for they, too, had felt it. The ominous feeling that crawled over them when they pondered over the near future. Something big was going to happen, but whatever it was...
'You will need to be prepared for anything. Palpatine is powerful. If he should become even the least suspicious, he might strike earlier than expected.'
'We know.' Luke somberly nodded in agreement. 'Lariss and I promise to be careful, Leia.'
'You'd better be.'
-CW-
Okie. Finished! Not too exciting, but I hope the next chapter will make up for it!