AN: Angst warning ahead! Luke reunites with an old friend, but it's not quite the happy reunion he wanted. Thankfully, he has Leia to keep him company.

Chapter Six

When they arrived on Yavin VI, they were welcomed by the Alliance as heroes. Han was promptly paid for his services, exactly the amount Leia had promised him on the Death Star. Luke settled into a routine with Obi-Wan where he woke at dawn every morning, lapped the main base pyramid twice, took an obstacle course through the surrounding rainforest, and ended at the top of the pyramid, where Obi-Wan was always waiting for him. He took a break at noon for lunch, usually sitting with Leia, Siria, Han, and a small group of younger pilots, then went right back to work with Obi-Wan. The afternoon was spent learning the finer points of lightsaber forms, lifting objects and moving them, and meditation. Every night he fell into bed and slept the slumber of the exhausted. Every third day Obi-Wan gave him a day off of training and let him mingle with the friends he had made in the Temple, among them a small scattering of Jedi like himself. Within the Massassi Temple, there were at least four other Padawans and their masters. From them, Luke learned that the number of hidden survivors was quite a bit higher than anyone could have guessed. None of them, sadly, could tell him anything about Adrai Rhal.

One day, about two months later, Luke was at lightsaber training with a female Padawan named Angi Dyril when Obi-Wan came for him.

"What is it, Master?" he trotted over to his master, having excused himself from Angi.

"A transport is arriving in a few minutes. There are several Jedi aboard and I have reasons to believe that Taiel and Adrai Rhal are with them. You may end your studies early if you wish."

"Really?"

"I'm quite certain. Master Hoka made this known to me, so I pass it on to you. I know you valued your friendship with Padawan Rhal, and being with her again may be quite good for you."

"Thank you, Master!" Luke contained his excitement with some difficulty, and rushed back to tell Angi the good news. She hugged him tightly.

"I'm so happy for you, Luke! I didn't know you had been friends for six years!"

"She was my best friend for a long time, I've missed her so much. I can't believe she's coming!" he waved to his friends and dashed off to take a shower. He nearly floored Han Solo on his way.

"Whoa, kid. Where are you going in a rush?" the cocky pirate slowed him down with an arm across his path.

"One of my friends is coming in on this next transport, Han. I haven't seen her in nine years!"

"You're awfully excited, aren't you?"

"She was my best friend, of course I'm excited! I'll see you later!" he slipped under the smuggler's arm and kept going, waving to a baffled Han as he rounded a corner. Reaching the quarters he shared with Obi-Wan, he tore off his training clothes, dumped them in the laundry, and hopped into the shower. Water showers were still something new to him and he luxuriated in the warm water. He washed his hair, paying special attention to his braid, and soaped up before stepping under the spray to rinse. After he was about as clean as he would get, he turned off the water, got out, and wrapped a towel around his waist. Rubbing another towel over his hair, he looked for clean clothes. Getting dressed, he replaited his braid and checked himself in the mirror to make sure everything was straight and in it's right place. Pleased with his appearances, he made his way to the central hangar, where he joined Leia and Siria in a welcoming party assembled to greet the new arrivals.

"I thought you had saber practice this afternoon." Siria whispered as the transport landed.

"I did, but Master Obi-Wan let me go early."

"That's rare of him."

"Well, one of my best friends is supposed to be coming in on this transport, and he knew I'd want to be here to meet her."

"She'll be glad to see you, too." Leia smiled, "It's Adrai Rhal, right?"

"Yes, I've missed her since she left Tatooine." Luke resisted the urge to bounce on his toes as the landing ramp came down, "That looks like an Alderaani ship, doesn't it?"

"Commander Willard said there were some survivors, but he didn't know how many." Leia shook her head, "This one belonged to my father. There's the insignia painted on the hull, do you see it?"

"That's how I knew it. Master Obi-Wan showed me a picture in the archives here, so I would know what different ships looked like." He watched the people coming off and felt sorry for them. They all looked tired, and some were obviously wounded. The ship itself looked damaged, but not cripplingly so. Then, Luke spotted a familiar figure among the strangers.

"There she is!" he whispered excitedly, "She did come!" The girls smiled, but Leia suddenly lost all composure and broke away with a cry. Siria followed, and Luke watched the girls embrace a handsome, well-dressed man with streaks of gray at his temples and in his neatly-trimmed goatee. He tagged along at a distance, waiting for Adrai to spot him, then realize that she might not recognize him anymore. Even Biggs Darklighter had walked right past him the first time Luke had run into him in the outpost. And he'd known Biggs nearly his whole life. The fact that something as simple as a haircut and a change of clothes had so changed the way he looked continued to amuse him. He wandered closer to Adrai until he could have reached out to touch her, and she still didn't look at him! She looked everywhere else, and he realized that she was actually looking for him, but not this him. She was looking for the farmboy from Tatooine, not the Jedi Padawan. Master Obi-Wan was still inside the outpost, so he had to do this one alone. He could have wished for Angi or Yomi, but they were inside, too, still practicing.

Well, here goes absolutely nothing. He thought to himself as he reached out and tapped Adrai on the shoulder. She spun around, startled by the harmless touch, and he took two steps backwards, throwing both hands up.

"Take it easy, Adrai! It's me!" he watched the tension vanish, melting the mask of fear, and moved to catch Adrai as she collapsed in tears.

"Please, please tell me we're safe! Please!"

"Yes, Adrai. You're safe now. Don't worry, I've got you now." He hugged her tightly, wishing he could make her see that it was really him, not someone else. But she was so rattled by whatever had happened to her since her escape from Alderaan, for that's where she and Master Taiel had been for the past nine years. He stroked her hair, which was just a few inches longer than his. Her braid was much longer than it had been nine years ago.

"L-Luke? Luke Skywalker?" She stammered, blinking through tears. He nodded.

"Yeah, it's me." He whispered, falling silent as her hand moved across his face, through his hair, and down the braid.

"Oh, Luke. When did you do this?"

"Only a few months ago. Obi-Wan Kenobi is my master, and he's been good to me."

"I never thought you'd become a Jedi, but Master Taiel had faith in you. He knew you had it in you the day we met."

"Adrai, what happened?"

"I was captured by bounty-hunters at Cloud City and imprisoned in carbonite for transport, but Master Taiel finally got me back to Alderaan and let me out."

"How…long ago was this?"

"Two months ago. We returned just in time to leave again when we were warned that the Empire was coming."

"Oh, Adrai. That's terrible!" he knew Adrai didn't want his pity, "But that hasn't stopped you?"

"I try not to let it stop me, Luke, but it's hard." She choked up and he simply led her into the outpost, taking her to the wing of rooms occupied by the Jedi. The room next to his was vacant, he decided to move Adrai to that room. Once they had her things put away, he made sure Master Taiel knew where to put his few belongings, and took Adrai to the training rooms. Angi, Yomi, and the others were quick to make Adrai welcome. After watching for a while, Adrai wanted to go back to her room, so Luke took her and made sure she didn't need anything else. Master Taiel had moved in by that time, and stopped Luke as he left.

"Luke, wait."

"Yes, master?"

"Stay a moment, talk with me." Master Taiel sat down on the couch, and Luke sat in one of the chairs, "It seems a great deal has happened in nine years."

"Oh, no, I've only been a student for two months. I think Master Jinn's ghost had something to do with that. You might want to ask Master Obi-Wan."

"Interfering old busybody, even when he's dead."

"What was he like?" Luke knew very little about his master's former teacher, and wished he knew more.

"Qui-Gon? He was a man unto himself, a renegade of the worst stripe in the Temple. He liked to do things his own way and could never understand why others didn't appreciate his thinking."

"I think I would have liked him."

"It would have been mutual, young Skywalker. I knew your father when he was just your age, it was a sad loss when he died."

"Was he great?"

"One of the best pilots, and a fine swordsman. You weren't too shabby a pilot yourself last I heard from your master."

"You've talked to Master Obi-Wan?"

"To commiserate. Me because I had my hands full with Adrai, your master because he had nothing to do save watch from a distance. If your uncle had been more open to the idea, you would have been in training long before now."

"I know, master, and he still doesn't like it even now. I think he's still afraid I'll go off on some heroic whim and get myself killed." Luke wrinkled his nose, recalling how protective Uncle Owen was even now.

"Not knowing that your master isn't about to let you do such a thing without a thorough understanding of the risks and repercussions?"

"Exactly." he looked at the door leading to Adrai's room, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"It's going to take time, Luke. One doesn't recover from that kind of ordeal in just a short time."

"But that was two months ago. Shouldn't she be a little better?"

"Something happened to my Padawan while she was in the hands of the bounty hunters, something before she was put into carbonite." The tone of Taiel's voice warned Luke he was treading fragile ground, and he knew it was time to leave.

"I'm sorry, Master Taiel, I hope she feels more like herself sooner rather than later. I'll go and let you two settle in." Bowing to the exhausted Master, he left the quarters and tried to decide where he wanted to go.

"Hey, Luke! There you are!" he heard Biggs and turned to see his friend coming from the other direction.

"Oh, hey, Biggs."

"Is Adrai going to be okay? Disu said she looked pretty bad."

"I hope so, Biggs, but she's nothing like I remember. She's changed a lot." Luke shrugged, refusing to let that affect him too badly.

"Well, you're wanted by Senator Organa. It sounded pretty important, I'd hustle if I were in your shoes."

"What does he want me for?"

"Hmm, oh, I don't know. Maybe because you saved his daughter's life on Tatooine? I wonder. Scoot, Skywalker! They're in Res Level Five." Biggs shoved him down the hallway and he broke into a ground-covering trot. When he got to a lift, he took it to Residental Level Five, where much of the splinter council who ruled on Yavin VI lived. Finding the right door was easy, he just had to look for guardsmen wearing the insignia of Royal House Organa. He was admitted upon giving his name, and told to wait in the antechamber to be summoned. Luke tried not to fidget, but it was very hard. When Leia came out to get him, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"He's not going to eat you, Luke, you can stop looking so scared." She teased him as they went into the room beyond. Luke had never been up this high in the outpost, and couldn't help looking out the windows. The gentleman he'd seen down at the landing sat behind the ornate wooden desk. The wood was of alien origin unknown to Luke, worn with time and use.

"Father? He's here." Leia got the man's attention and Luke found himself held in place by nothing more than piercing gray eyes. He swallowed to wet his mouth and throat and bowed.

"Senator Organa."

"So you're Luke Skywalker. Please, be at ease here." Bail Organa got to his feet and Luke straightened, wondering how he could possibly be at ease in such a setting.

Just breathe, Luke. Remember to breathe. He schooled himself, using the deep-breathing technique to calm himself.

"There, that's more like it." Organa's friendly chuckle made him blush, knowing he'd been caught, "See, there's nothing to fear in this room. No one is going to hurt you."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I've never been in such refined company, at least not knowingly." He shot a look at Leia, who just shrugged. So she had conveniently forgotten to mention that she was Leia Organa, not Siria Keray. So what?

"Don't be sorry. I simply wanted to offer my thanks. If not for you, my daughters would both be prisoners of the Empire."

"Siria was, before we freed her."

"But it wasn't Siria they were looking for. It was Leia, and she's the one you rescued from the desert. That in itself is worth a great reward. If you have any needs, all you need do is ask."

"Thank you, sir." Luke didn't refuse outright. One thing he did know about the Jedi was that they never openly accepted a gift, of any kind.

"You're a good kid, Luke Skywalker. I mean my words. If there is anything I can do for you, just name it."

"Nothing right away, sir. But thank you." Luke bowed politely, trying to think if there was anything he could ever possibly ask this powerful man for.

"You're always welcome, Luke. My door stands open should you ever need another ear to listen." Bail sat down again and he left quietly, knowing he had been excused. Leia went with him.

"He approved of you, Luke."

"I felt so nervous, I'm surprised I didn't just fall over."

"What about your friend?"

"I don't know, Leia. She had some trouble before she got here. I don't think she'll be alright for a long time."

"I'm sorry. I know you were excited about seeing her again."

"It's hard to be happy when she's so miserable. I'm afraid to go anywhere near her as it is."

"Oh, Luke." Leia hugged him, offering her support when he needed it, "You must feel terrible."

"Selfish is more like it. Confused."

"I'm sure it will be alright in the end." Leia kissed him on the cheek, and they walked together for a long time, wandering the Massassi Temple's wide hallways. Whenever he was feeling stressed or out of sorts, Leia always made him feel more like himself. His master called it a Force Balance, which meant that Leia was sensitive just like he was. He smiled, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her just a little closer.