". . .and then one of my Ensigns gave her life so I could get out. I ran as long as I could, dodging the blasts as much as I could." Ana recounted, "I arrived at the lake house, and you know the rest"
Ariadné and Luke were silent for a moment, looking at each other. "Your story has given us some insight." Ariadné began, "We now know this General Faruq knows our weaknesses, and is exploiting them. He was obviously one of us, at one point." she told Luke.
"Is is possible to find out who?" he asked.
"Not without difficulty." she turned to Ana, "Thank you, Lieutenant, I am sure that you need some rest after what you have been through. You may go home"
Ana smiled, "Thank you Captain, I shall." she said, standing. For the first time, Luke noticed the lightsaber on her belt – uh oh, this could be bad. He shielded himself with the Force, surely with so many force-sensitives, no one would notice another. He hoped that was the case, and took note to be careful around her. Her eyes settled on him, and for a moment he thought she may have sensed him – but she shook her head and left, as if clearing her mind of whatever it was she thought of him. She walked out.
Luke was now nervous, this could spell bad things for him if she knew who he was. However, there was a Captain who needed his mind at her disposal at that moment, so he returned to the present.
"What do you think?" Ariadné asked him, rubbing her hands over her eyes. Luke sighed, shaking his head.
"How many troops do you have at your disposal?" he asked, she scoffed.
"Not many. I'm already drafting the Vogelfrei, withdrawing as many garrisons as are not essential to the defense of Liboria. My problem, Commander, is that I have no men. Women are not good warriors, we are not built for such a task" she replied.
"Is there anyone that can help us?" he knew that there was, but he knew that Ariadné would have to make her own decision when it came to contacting the Alliance. What would have to happen before then, he'd like to know?
"No, at least not on Tyrn" she said with a sigh. "I must see how things went with the senate. Surely Windress is done by now, meaning that I should be able to work freely." there was a knock at the door, "Come in" Ariadne called out.
A Private, who Luke had identified earlier as being named Yanet stuck his head in. "Captain," he began, "I just received two astrodroids that came in with Lieutenant Tathiss. What do you want me to do with them?"
"Two? I only left one at the lake house, where did the second come from?" Ariadné asked, Luke already knew and watched carefully between the two.
"The Lieutenant said that the second came from the Commander's ship, from when he crashed. R2-D2?" Yanet said.
Ariadné turned toward Luke, "You had an astrodroid?" she asked.
"We got separated when I was taken captive by the Vogelfrei, I didn't know what happened to him" Luke answered, he wondered if R2 had his lightsaber. The Private backed out of the door, and Ariadné entered the other office. Luke followed.
R2 beeped in excitement when he saw his master, "Hello to you too" Luke greeted, "Where have you been?" R2 beeped, "Oh? So you wandered for a bit" R2 chirped again. Luke laughed, "I see, that had to be interesting" R2 sighed in reply, Luke couldn't help but laugh at the droid.
"He belongs to you?" Ariadné looked on with astonishment, "Why didn't you tell me before, we could have found him and brought him here"
"I'm sorry, Captain, I suppose I didn't think of him" Luke replied aloofly. R2 chirped wildly. "What was that?" Luke asked, the droid continued to beep and chirp excitedly. "Yes, well, thank you for keeping that information" he replied, he wasn't quite ready to tell Ariadné that R2 had his lightsaber, and he was a Jedi.
"Private, get this droid cleaned up. We are very grateful for his service, I hear he helped Lieutenant Tathis?" Ariadné said.
"Yes, Captain, he did." Yanet replied, taking the droid out of the room and down to maintenance.
When they were gone, Ariadné turned to Luke, her hands on her hips. "What else are you hiding?" she asked him.
"Pardon?" Luke asked.
"Ambiguity is not your strong suit, Commander" she teased, "You didn't tell me about the droid, is there anything else I should know about?" Luke considered telling her the truth for a moment, after all, she asked. But he changed his mind, now was not the time.
"No, I don't think there is" he answered, the intercom beeped before Ariadné could say anything more.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Captain Llewellyn, Colonel Organa has requested that you come to the holoroom – we have another transmission" the voice on the other side said.
Ariadné sighed, "Very well, I shall be there shortly." she turned off the intercom, "Stay here Commander, just in case" she ordered as she left.
Luke nodded, and sat at his desk, hoping that the information wasn't too bad. Ariadné didn't need any more terrible things on her shoulders – but he already knew that his hope was in vain, and he looked at his datapad for any updates.
Leia was beginning to feel worried, although she was quite clear that it wasn't from her. Wherever Luke was, he was worried. She had to find Han, it had been more than a few weeks, and they needed to find Luke now. No surprise to her, Han was arguing with Chewbacca about the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon. "
"I told you it needed to be replaced!" he shouted, Chewbacca roared, "No, Chewie, don't you get it? If it isn't replaced, then there is no way in the galaxy we'll be able to get to Tyrn in one piece. Those starships that were in the Empire's fleet are still out there!" Chewbacca made some indescribable sound – not that a Wookie's sound can ever truly be described. Leia was touched at the fact that Han was thinking about it as well, he hadn't forgotten his promise. "Fine, just get it done before Leia finds out" Han said.
"Before I find out what?" Leia asked, bringing herself into the conversation. Han looked like he'd been shocked, while Chewie's rumbling sounded like he was laughing at the smuggler.
"Laugh it up Fuzzball" Han told his companion, who just climbed to the top of the ship, supposedly to fix the hyperdrive. Han went toward Leia. "So, any word from Luke?" he asked.
"None, but he's worried. I can sense it." she replied.
"About what?" Han asked, sitting down and pulling her down with him to sit on his lap.
"I don't know. I feel like he's going to need us. But why ever it is, we need to get to Tyrn after Chewie fixes the hyperdrive." she told her husband, waiting for his reaction.
His gentle caresses on her back froze, "You heard all of that?" he asked, she smiled.
"Its nice to know you keep your word, laser-brain. I thought you had forgotten." she said, pecking him on the lips, he smirked.
"Forgotten? Me? Psh, I wouldn't forget. This is Luke we're talking about, Luke and you. I wouldn't ever let you guys down. I love you." he promised.
"I know." she replied, kissing him again.
"Hey!" a voice broke them apart, it was Wedge Antilles. "You guys should get a room, we don't want to see that. It ruins Han's reputation as someone who has no soft spots - not that we don't already know that he has a weakness in her highness." the pilots around him laughed.
Han frowned, "Why is it we're always interrupted?" he grumbled.
"Well, as long as his weakness is for me, I don't mind. But isn't there something else you boys should be doing?" Leia quipped, the pilots didn't reply. "That's what I thought" she said standing and taking Han's hand. "Come on, we should get some rest before we go" she said. Han grinned, "Rest, Han!" his smile fell but he stood and followed her anyway.
"So long, boys! We're following your advice" he called back to the pilots.
"Good, we're tired of you making us jealous." his fellow Corellian replied.
"Oh Leia, I'd do anything for you" Gavin Darklighter mocked Han, pretending that fellow pilot Hobbie was Leia.
"Aw, Han, I know. Even though I was the one who saved you more than once, Flyboy." Hobbie mocked. The other pilots laughed.
Tycho soon joined in, "Now, now, Leia, Han does good sometimes" he imitated Luke, which with his blond hair wasn't very hard.
"Yeah, Its me!" Gavin puffed out his chest, perfecting Han's smirk. Tycho and Hobbie exchanged a glance, like Leia and Luke did sometimes.
Han growled, "Why you-"
"Han!" Leia broke up their little banter, bringing Han's focus back to her, "They're just trying to get at you. We need to get ready to leave." she told him, tugging on his arm a little harder. He looked between the mocking pilots and his wife.
"But-"
"Now Han!" her voice commanding, "They're just being idiots" she said quieter, he looked once more at the pilots and then followed his wife, grumbling all the way.
The pilots laughed at the couple, "Oh Han," Hobbie said, assuming Leia's persona once more, he clung to Gavin's side. "Lets go to our room, where we can – ooh, I'm too modest to say" he placed his hand on his mouth.
The roaring of laughter filled the hangar bay again.
Luke paced his office, an hour had passed, then two, then four. Ariadné had never taken this long in her meetings before. He heard the outer office door slam, she had returned – quite furious he might add. She opened his door, and he saw her appearance, yes she truly was livid. Her lips were drawn into a thin line, her brows were furrowed together, her eyes were narrowed in anger, and her overall attitude Luke tried to calm through the Force.
"You'll never guess what they're going to do." she said sardonically. Luke went to her side, working hard to calm her anger, but found it wasn't working well.
"Before you tell me, sit down. You need to be thinking clearly, whatever it is." he said, gently taking her arm and leading her to the chair. She began to relax, releasing a breath.
"They're sending someone to the other side of the river as a spy. As if that was the smartest thing to do." she told him.
"Why? I thought you said no one has dared enter Echtra since the Civil War" he replied.
"No one has, Lars, I'm going to be the first" she replied with a cynical smile.
Luke stopped, his breathing quickening, "You?" he asked in a faraway voice – she would get hurt. "That's ridiculous, they can't send you!"
"Its already done, I leave tomorrow." she said, "Dreadnaught's idea" her eyes told him everything. The Senator was punishing her, he wanted that shield brought down.
"You can't go alone" Luke said, she snickered.
"No, I can't. Lieutenant Windress is coming with" she said, Luke stood up. Give into your anger, Luke. He heard the Emperor say in the back of his mind, this was outrageous, they couldn't do that to her. But he let his anger go, and let determination set in.
"I'll go with you" he declared, she stood and went to his side.
"No, that you will not do." she said, "I have to do this, and you have to stay here. If you are lost as well as I, then there will be no hope for Liboria." she told him.
"Why would he send you?" Luke asked, she looked up at him, smirking.
"I don't know, thats partially why I'm leaving you. I need to find out why Dreadnaught is so determined to destroy the last bit of the Old Republic." she took off her ring, and put it in Luke's hand "You're our only hope right now, Lars. You must stay here, you must command in my place." she said, walking toward the door.
"Ariadne" Luke called, she turned to him, "May the Force be with you" she smiled.
"May the Force be with you Lars. Take good care of my family" she answered back, leaving the room.
Luke opened his hand, looking at the ring, it would never fit on his finger, so he went and grabbed a chain from his drawer. He placed the chain around his neck, putting the ring under his shirt. He sighed, placing his head in his hands.
"Don't be sad, Luke" he heard a voice say, he looked up to see Ben.
"Ben?" the ghostly figured of Ben Kenobi stood before him, "She's going to commit suicide by doing this. She won't make it back." Luke said.
"She will, she's much more attuned to the Force than you think." Ben replied.
"How can you say that? She's in danger, I can feel it Ben." Luke's voice was wavering.
"I know Luke, but do not dwell on it. Your father had those same kind of premonitions about your mother, and it destroyed them both." Ben explained to the younger man.
"But Ben, how can you tell me not to worry?" Luke asked, "She said herself that no one dares go to that side, or –"
"There are things beyond your knowledge, young one, she will not come to harm. You see, she – like yourself – is a child of a Jedi knight. Her natural intuition comes from this, it will help her on her mission" Obi-Wan told him.
"The daughter of a Jedi Knight?" Luke asked incredulously, that actually made sense.
Ben's ghost sighed, taking a seat at Luke's chair, ready for a long monologue. "Her father and your father knew each other well, but Jax Pavan – as was his name – was horrified when he saw his friend had turned to the Dark Side. Jax was an exceptional Jedi Knight, who after Order 66 came here with one of your mother's handmaidens – Dormé Llewellyn – to protect her from the Emperor. They eventually developed an attachment to one another and married; he using her last name and changing his first name to Xaj so as not to be recognized. For years the Emperor looked for them, trying to purge all the Jedi out of the galaxy, but never succeeded. Meanwhile they lived here, he trained his children in the ways of the Force; and his wife was elected by the remainder of the senate who had not compromised – who had also come here for safety – Queen. You know the rest, the Civil Wars broke out, and Jax was killed. But not before he saved several Jedi and brought them here. Drake Lo'gaan, who was a padawan, and another padawan named Ekria, came here and also changed their names. You know them, as a matter of fact; Ekria goes by the name of Taina Wyn; and Drake is known as Justiss Xavier."
"Corporal Wyn and Justiss?" Luke repeated, "Justiss was a Jedi?"
"Many Tyrnians were Jedi, that's why they're here." Ben explained.
"Does Ariadne know?" Luke asked.
"To keep Ariadne safe from the Dark Side, she knows nothing of her heritage." Obi-Wan answered.
"Why is it I never knew before?" Luke asked.
"Because they long since abandoned the Force, so as not to draw attention to themselves. It was for their own good, as Darth Vader believed them dead." Ben said.
"How do you know this? You were on Tatooine" Luke was confused.
"Since becoming one with the Force, I have been able to see many things which you would never expect." the Jedi master explained.
Luke paused, letting all the information he had received sink in. "Is there anything else I need to know?" he asked.
His mentor smiled, "Not right now. But know this, Ariadné will be alright, you need not worry. The Force will keep her alive, her time is not finished." Ben said.
"But surely I should be with her. She might need me to-" he looked up, but Ben was already gone.