Chapter Five

After a series of bizarre misadventures, including finding themselves trapped in the detention level with no way out save down a chute, Leia, Siria, and the boys found themselves above the Falcon. So far, Tag and Cail had been a great help and a bit of a nuisance as well. Once they were sure the Falcon was unharmed, Luke contacted Uncle Owen, who let them know when the coast was clear for them to come down. Han made a stop in the gantry office to retrieve his clothes and they made a run for it. Halfway across the hangar, Luke skidded to a halt, forcing Leia and Siria to stop before they plowed into him from behind.

"Luke?"

"Who is that?" Luke whispered, pointing across the hangar to a pair of figures locked in an intense battle.

"That's not General Kenobi." Siria murmured, watching the pair go back and forth. Lightsabers green and red clashed and threw sparks, crackling at the point of impact. A touch on Leia's shoulder startled her and she spun around to see Obi-Wan behind them.

"Ben!" She and Luke cried together, relieved. His smile was weary and sad.

"He can hold off against Vader as long as he must, but our time is short. Come." Still watching the duel going on at the other side of the hangar, Leia and the other two boarded the Falcon. As soon as they were safely aboard, Han shoved the throttles to full stop and shot out of the hangar. Getting away from the Death Star was a simple matter of a few maneuvers and Luke taking the lower gun-pod while Leia scrambled into the top, letting Han control things from the cockpit. They decimated three TIE-fighters before jumping to lightspeed, and the exhilaration of giving the Empire a taste of it's own medicine left Leia lightheaded. She scrambled from the pod and dropped down the ladder into Luke's waiting arms.

"We did it, Leia! We did it!"

"It made me dizzy!"

"Hate to crash the party, you two, but look what I found." Tag approached with a small device the size of his palm.

"What is that?" Luke took it and studied it. Leia frowned.

"A tracking device. They planted a tracking device when they searched the ship before the scanning team arrived!"

"Keep your head on straight, Princess. This is something I can deal with." Tag grinned, tossed the device into the air, and fired a single shot from his blaster. The resounding echoes brought everyone else from all quarters. All they had to do was point to the smoldering remains of the tracking device and the rest of them understood.

"When they realize the signal's been lost, it could take years for them to find us." Siria mused, kicking at the remains. Han returned to the cockpit and sent them to hyperspace bound for Yavin VI. Obi-Wan coaxed Luke away, citing a private matter, and Leia wondered what on earth the old man could want with Luke in the first place. As soon as they were alone, she looked at her sister, who grinned.

"They still think you're me?" Siria folded her arms.

"I haven't had the heart to tell them."

"We'll have to before we reach Yavin VI or I doubt any of them would speak to us willingly again."

"I think Obi-Wan will tell Luke." Leia shrugged, "I'm just glad we got to you before they executed you."

"You were pulling it awfully close, Lil." Siria grimaced, and Leia wondered just how close they'd cut the wires. Her sister smirked, "But I like this look. Who are you supposed to be?"

"Kip Rikki, the pirate who stole the Millenium Falcon from Han Solo just before they left Tatooine. Luke's my brother Agel Rikki."

"And whose bright idea was that ruse?"

"Captain Solo thought of it."

"Resourceful man." Siria hugged her, "I wasn't worried about me, Lil, I was worried about you."

"No need to. I can take care of myself." She looked in the direction Obi-Wan and Luke had taken, "I just wonder what Obi-Wan wanted Luke for, it looked serious."

"Hope he's not in trouble."

"I don't think he's in trouble." Leia shook her head and decided she would know whenever Luke felt like sharing, if he felt like sharing.

Luke followed Obi-Wan to one of the cabins and sat down when Obi-Wan motioned for him to do so.

"What's wrong, Ben? I didn't think I'd ever see you again, you even said goodbye. Why did you come back?" he was just a little confused. Obi-Wan sighed and sat down next to him on the bunk.

"I didn't think I would see you again, either, Luke. But when your Master's ghost comes to visit you, you have to listen."

"What do you mean?"

"The man you saw dueling with Darth Vader was the ghost of my former master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He and I had our differences, we still do." Obi-Wan grinned, "I used to nag him about going against the word of the Council and conveniently ignoring the mores of the Code when it suited him."

"He sure looked like he knew what he was doing back there. I wish I could thank him." Luke looked down at his hands, which still trembled from the adrenaline rush of narrow escape and blasting those TIE-fighters before the jump.

"He told me that under no uncertain terms was I going to play the martyr and get myself killed when I was needed."

"Who needed you?"

"Well, according to my long-suffering Master, you need me."

"Me?" Luke wondered if he looked as shocked as he felt. "Why do I need you?"

"Luke, do you truly want to be a Jedi Knight like your father?"

"Yes! I do, but…" Luke stopped himself, trying to temper the confusion that bordered on anger. Obi-Wan put one hand on his shoulder and nodded.

"You felt that coming, didn't you? And you tried to stop it."

"I'm sorry, Ben, so much has happened. I'm just a little overwhelmed." He put his head in his hands and stared at the floor between his feet, exhaling slowly. Luke closed his eyes and took a deeper breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out. The technique had worked before, usually after a fight with Uncle Owen.

"I didn't even have to teach you how to do that." Obi-Wan mused quietly as the tension seeped away in increments until it was gone completely.

"Do what?" he looked at the old Jedi curiously.

"Emotional control. It's a very vital part of any Jedi's training, some are better at it than others. I can help you make it easier to control." Obi-Wan smiled and Luke sighed.

"I'm really sorry, Ben. I'm just confused."

"Of course you are. I'm sorry, too, for making you think you would never see me again. But Qui-Gon convinced me that I had better things to do with my time than sit in another plane of existence and watch you from a distance, unable to do more than offer advice."

"Your master sounds like a very wise man."

"Unconventional but wise. He convinced me to do the right thing for you."

"How?"

"Well, I was hoping you would let me be your teacher."

"But you are my teacher, Ben." Luke knew the old man probably felt a little slighted by the way things had worked out.

"No, Luke. To his apprentice, his Padawan, a Master is more than just a teacher." Obi-Wan looked at him, "He's a guardian, a support, and friend. Sometimes he's more than just a friend."

"Was Master Jinn those things for you?"

"He was, Luke. There is a bond between Master and Padawan that ties them together until the day the Padawan is made a Knight, allowing them to feel each other and speak to each other." Ben smirked, "Although, knowing exactly what my master thought at times was not always a good thing."

"Then how do you keep that from happening?"

"Shielding, which I fully intend to teach you if you're to be the only Padawan I've taken since your father became a knight shortly before his death."

"You…" Luke was wondering if he'd heard right, "You want to train me?"

"Yes, and according to Qui-Gon, to do anything less would be unfair to both of us. Unfair to you because you deserve it and unfair to me because I need it." The hand on his shoulder tightened just a fraction.

"But what can you teach me?"

"Oh, there is so much about the Jedi and the ways of the Force, you might be stuck with me for quite a long time." The sparkle in Obi-Wan's eyes made Luke think if he said yes he was in for quite the experience.

"Alright, then." He decided there was no harm in at least trying, "Where do we start?"

"Is that a yes?"

"That is a yes…Master." He just wanted to try the word and see how it sounded. It sounded very right applied to Obi-Wan, and the chuckle he got in reply made him smile.

"Then we'll begin immediately." Obi-Wan retrieved something from his belt and held out a little holo-projector. Activating the thing, he showed Luke a three-dimensional image of a young man with a short, almost spiky haircut, a blunt ponytail at the back of his head, and a long braid behind his left ear that trailed nearly to his waist. The boy wore off-white tunics and trousers, sturdy brown boots, a brown cloak, and a belt with a lightsaber around his waist.

"Is that you?" Luke saw similarities between the young man in the image and the older man before him. Obi-Wan nodded.

"This is me about six months before my master's death. This is how a Padawan would dress."

"Does the braid mean something?"

"That was visible proof to others outside the Order that you were a Padawan, that you had a Master. If you did not wear a pony-tail but you did wear a braid, you were a lower-rank Padawan."

"There were ranks?"

"Junior and Senior, if I recall. There were levels within those as well. By the time I was knighted, I was already a Level Seven Senior Padawan."

"How far did you have to get before you were knighted?"

"Ten."

"Level Ten?" Luke gawked, "I could be thirty before we get that far!"

"I doubt that. If you're at all like your father, you should learn quickly." Obi-Wan smirked.

"How old was my father when he became a Jedi Knight?"

"He was twenty-two years old."

"Oh. I have a lot of work to do, don't I?"

"Yes. But if you listen to me, and do exactly as I say, you should find the years go by quickly. No, you will not follow me blindly, after all I'm taking a Padawan not a servo-droid. If I wanted blind faith, I'd pick one of the droids." Obi-Wan must have seen the look on his face, "Yes you are allowed to disagree with me, and do not be afraid of questioning if there is something you don't understand. After all, you don't have several years of training behind you."

"I have nothing to go on."

"Then you'll simply have to trust your old Master to know what's best for you."

"Poor Uncle Owen. The one thing he didn't want and here I'm about to do it." Luke had to smile. All his life, Uncle Owen had warned him away from Obi-Wan Kenobi. He knew now that his uncle had been afraid that Obi-Wan might start teaching Luke things he was better off not knowing.

"Your uncle will understand. He's come quite a ways from the stodgy old farmer scratching a living off the desert sand."

"I hope he does. He's lost a lot to the Empire." Luke scrubbed both hands across his face and laughed, "Oh, I can't believe I'm doing this! Is it really the right thing?"

"Yes, Luke. Like I said, just trust me."

"But not blindly."

"Never blindly."
"Yes, Master." He heaved a sigh that shivered into laughter and he knew it was nerves. Those were dealt with the same way he'd dealt with his emotions earlier.

"Good, Luke. Now let them go." Obi-Wan coached him through releasing the nervous emotions into the Force, and he felt much better afterward.

"Now what, Master?"

"Now we begin your training." Obi-Wan smiled, "Shall we do this the traditional way or go our own way?"

"What do I get from the traditional way?"

"That picture I showed you of myself?"

"Oh, first things first. I get a haircut. Won't they all be shocked." He raked one hand through his hair, wondering what it would be like so short. Obi-Wan coaxed him into the bathroom and located something they could use to cut his hair. A trimming razor was the best they could do, and Luke wondered what use Han would have for it. His hair was almost as long as Luke's! Or did he even use it? As soon as the cutting started, Luke squeezed his eyes shut and didn't open them once until Obi-Wan announced that the dirty work was done.

"I don't know if I want to look that badly." He said.

"I think it's actually quite becoming. But, on second thought, keep your eyes closed a little longer. I have a finishing touch for you." There was laughter in his Master's voice and Luke didn't dare peek. Obi-Wan tipped his head a little to the right, and Luke held his breath as the older Jedi did something to the left side just behind his ear. It tickled, whatever it was. Finally, Obi-Wan made a noise of approval, "There, now you can look." Luke cracked an eye open with a great deal of reluctance. He quickly closed his eyes again at what he saw in the mirror. It didn't even look like him! Did it?

"Open your eyes, Luke, and look." Obi-Wan prompted, chuckling at his reluctance.

"What am I going to see?"

"See for yourself."

"You're enjoying this far too much. What am I…oh…" Luke cut himself off as he finally opened his eyes with the intention of turning on Obi-Wan and demanding an explanation for what his master found so funny. Obi-Wan held something out to him, smiling at the shocked look on his face.

"Get changed, Luke, and come out when you're ready."

"Is that…me?" he peered closely at the strange reflection, "So that's what I look like with short hair." He grinned, a giddy sensation settling over him.

"Your aunt was forever pestering you to cut it, and now you have."

"Oh, poor Aunt Beru. I was she could be here for this. She would have laughed." Luke sobered at the thought of his deceased aunt. Obi-Wan squeezed his shoulder, laid a pile of clothes on the counter, and left. Luke got up, picking up the first item of clothing. It looked very much like what he had worn back on Tatooine, but the cut of the tunic was a little different. He found a belt and boots as well. He dutifully changed out of the disguise, exchanging it for the clothes Obi-Wan had left for him. A thought occurred to him and he paused. Grabbing the brown robe that had served his disguise, he peeked out of the bathroom, "Master?"

"Yes, Luke. You can take a shower."

"Thanks." He grinned and ducked back into the bathroom, wondering how long it would be before his master couldn't read every thought dancing through his head. But they were in hyperspace, did that matter? Deciding not to bother worrying, he took a shower. Not only did it get rid of any stray hairs that would get stuck under his collar and make him itch, but it got off a lot of other more unpleasant things. He did it quickly, not wanting to take too long, and when he got out he got dressed in the things Obi-Wan had left him. He pulled on the tunics and trousers, and the stoles to go over them, and fiddled with the sash for a bit before he figured out how it wrapped around. Then he picked up the boots, the belt, and the robe. Where had Obi-Wan found these clothes? They looked exactly like the ones in the holo he'd seen of his master. When he came out, he was surprised to see his master securing the sash of a new set of clothes just like his. These were not patched up like the robe and tunics he'd worn on Tatooin as a hermit. He paused, watching as Obi-Wan secured his belt around his waist, made sure his lightsaber was secure, and sat down to pull on his boots.

"Master, where did these clothes come from?"

"They were in a bin at the back of the closet. There were more, and I wonder if Captain Solo didn't once smuggle refugee Jedi."

"You think so?" he scrubbed the towel over his hair, marveling at how short it was now.

"I would recognize these uniforms anywhere outside the Temple, Padawan." His master smiled ruefully, "But you cleaned up very nicely." He shrugged, sitting down to finish getting dressed.

"Master, I was wondering something about Siria and Leia."

"They are not who they say they are?"

"Well, not exactly that, but I think maybe they switched places?"

"They are both Princesses, but it is Leia who has traveled with us from Tatooine, she is the one in the message Artoo brought to me, she's the one you saved from the escape pod that day."

"But…why did she lie to me?"

"She was protecting you, Luke. It was Leia Organa the Empire was hunting, and as Siria Keray she was safe for a while longer. Our brief stay on the Death Star terrified her because she knew how close she had come to being in Siria's place. Do not treat her differently, but you may call her by her true name now that we're safe."

"Are we truly safe, Master?"

"For a while, Padawan. It could be quite some time before the Empire manages to locate the Rebel base in the Yavin system." His master offered a reassuring smile. Luke couldn't believe he'd…oh god, he'd slept in the same bed with Leia! Oh what did she think of him now?

"Before we rejoin the rest of our ragtag band, Luke, I'd suggest we finish bonding and teach you how to shield your core consciousness." Obi-Wan must have caught some bit of that last thought, his expression was sympathetic and understanding. He thought maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea. It all went rather quickly, and before he knew it he had a permanent presence where before there had been nothing. It was a strange feeling, and Obi-Wan showed him how to shield off the central part of his conscious mind, what he didn't want his master to see or know. They would work on shielding, among other things, once his training truly got underway. With preliminary shields erected and the Training Bond firmly in place, Luke followed Obi-Wan out of the cabin. Something told him where to put himself in relation to his master when they were in public and fell back one step behind and one to the left. Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder and winked.

"I didn't have to tell you that either."

"It seemed appropriate, Master. I once saw a girl walking behind a man like this. I thought she was a slave, but he didn't treat her like one."

"So there are survivors."

"I never really talked to them, but I think they were Jedi."

"Most certainly. If you could tell them from others, then this adventure will be well worth the time it will take to train you. Not everyone knows a Jedi. They were not dressed as we are, I assume?"

"No, Master, they were dressed quite plainly, but there was just something about them." Luke remembered Adrai Rhal with a touch of remorse. For six years, from the time he was four to the time he was ten, he and Adrai had been best friends and nearly inseperable. He remembered how Adrai's guardian, a quiet man named Taiel, had treated him so nicely when other adults just saw him as a nuisance. Then one day, Adrai and Taiel had left Tatooine. He had never known why, but Adrai had promised they would see each other again.

"What are you remembering?" Obi-Wan asked gently.

"Did you ever know a master named Taiel? He had a girl named Adrai Rhal as his Padawan."

"Ah, yes! Taiel and I were great friends in our own childhood and I had dearly hoped they managed to escape the slaughter."

"Adrai and I were best friends for six years. When we were ten, she and Master Taiel had to leave Tatooine. That was…nine years ago. I haven't heard from or seen her since. I hope she's still alive."

"I would have to guess the Alliance had drawn in quite a number of undercover Jedi, you may be fortunate to find her once we have joined them ourselves." Obi-Wan said. Luke just nodded, hoping his master was right. He would give anything to see Adrai again, just to know she was alive. He would ask Leia and Siria if they knew any Jedi.

Leia looked up from a game of holo-chess with Siria and choked. Obi-Wan had come into the lounge, but he didn't come alone. Tagging along behind him was…Luke? Was it Luke? Yes, she recognized the lopsided grin and the eyes. She sprang to her feet and ran to Luke, "Luke! What did you do? You look so different!"

"I didn't want to look at my reflection when Obi-Wan…Master Obi-Wan told me I could look." He shrugged as if it meant nothing. Leia reached up and ran her fingers through his short hair, marveling at how different he looked. His hair was damp, and she knew he'd taken a shower.

"I like it." She smiled, "And this is a nice touch, too." She took the thin braid between her fingers, "I know your hair wasn't that long."

"No, this was a 'finishing touch'. He must have been saving it."

"I did. To remember." Obi-Wan watched them, arms folded.

"Oh, Luke, this is wonderful! Especially for you!"

"I know. Oh, Leia…" he sighed. She let him hold her, not caring what Siria or Obi-Wan thought. Leia knew that Luke had been told the truth and hoped it wouldn't change their friendship. She didn't think it would, but she could always hope.