I get up and go with amu (amu - mom) into the cargo bay after she asks me to come and meditate. She sits on the cargo bay's floor first, and I follow.

"Leeda, I didn't ask you to come to meditate with me. I asked you to come so that you could tell me how your emotions helped with the mission today."

I nod, then tilt my head in thought. "When I stayed calm, and didn't let my emotions take over, when I was focused, everything seemed to flow better. Even though I could feel..." I trail off.

"Even when you could feel the vode (vode - brothers) dying?"

I nod, tucking my head downward. "Does it make me a bad Jedi if I want to cry every time I feel one of the lights that's a vod (vod - brother) blink out?"

Amu (amu - mom) moves to sit beside me, and wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me to her side. "No, ad'ika. (ad'ika - little one) It doesn't, it just means that you feel. And you, Leeda, you feel so much."

"Why?"

"Because you have an amazing ability that is dying in our world. And that ability is compassion. Even many of the Jedi are losing that. But you, you have kept your compassion even through what has been thrown at you your entire life. And because of your compassion and your love and your light, you feel their deaths more than most. And that is a good thing, ad'ika (ad'ika - little one), as hard as it is to feel that, it is necessary. So long as you don't let it overwhelm you, and you are strong enough that if you don't want it to overwhelm you, it won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you. I watched you from the minute you entered the creche. And once you got a little older, the Force started to tell me that you would be my padawan one day. But to me, you are far more important to me than that. You are ner ad'ika (ner ad'ika - my little one). My daughter."

I hug her, and she hugs me back. Amu (amu - mom) and I stay like that for a while, before I feel the ship shudder. That's when we break from our hug, and go back up to the cockpit. The Jedi cruiser is firing on us. I should have seen this coming, they think we're an enemy ship. This will be fun.

We come in just as uncle Anakin says, "Jedi cruiser, hold your fire!"

"Who is that? Incoming ship, identify yourself. Repeat identify yourself."

We're approaching The Sojourner, amu's (amu - mom) flagship, so she steps up to the comm.

"This is General Ileema Kenobi. We have Jabba the Hutt's son. He needs medical attention. We must board immediately."

"Stand by."

"Stand by?" Ahsoka says. "That's helpful."

"Hang on!" uncle Anakin says. Flying us around the ship.

We turn upside down, and Artoo gets knocked to a wall.

"General Kenobi, we think we can lift the shield on the lower rear hanger."

"We're on our way."

Uncle Anakin starts to fly to the cruiser, when Ahsoka says,

"We've made it! We've made it!"

"Ahsoka! Gar ganar jinxed mhi jii!" (Gar ganar jinxed mhi jii - you have jinxed us now)

"Sorry!"

"General Kenobi, abort! Abort!"

Right after the message comes through, The Sojourner is blown up. I take a sharp breath in, and a step back as my senses are bombarded with pain. Then, the lights in the force that were the clones, blink out.

"Looks like we're gonna have to take this bucket of bolts all the way to Tatooine."

"We'll never outrun those droids with this much weight. Open the cargo bay's rear doors!"

Ahsoka gets up, and runs to the cargo bay. Even though there's a button right in front of the co-pilot's seat. Yelling, "Got it!" as she goes.

"Ahsoka, wait!" uncle Anakin says.

Stinky babbles for a moment, while I strap myself into the co-pilot's seat. Standing up while flying upside down, is not something that I want to repeat.

When Ahsoka yells through the comm that the doors are open, uncle Anakin takes us upward.

"That's better," uncle Anakin says, while Stinky yells happily from my lap. Then he yells, "Ahsoka, where are you? It's time to get out of here. Ahsoka!"

Stinky starts to fuss, so I start singing to him in Ryl.

"Berceuse et bonne nuit, (Lullaby and goodnight)

Dans le ciel les étoiles sont brillantes, (In the sky stars are bright)

Autour de votre tête, fleurs gays, (Round your head, flowers gay)

Mettez vox sommeils jusqu'au jour. (Set your slumbers till day)

Fermez les yeux maintenant et reposez-vous, (Close your eyes now and rest)

Que ces heures soient les plues belles, (May these hours be blest)

Allez dormir maintenant et reposez-vous, (Go to sleep now and rest)

Que ces heures soient les plus belles." (May these hours be blest)

I am so glad that Master Aayla taught me Ryl, because it seems to calm him down. By the time I've finished the song, Ahsoka has come back. She and uncle Anakin have a little debate about how long it took her, while I keep passing my hand over Stinky's forehead. He's burning up, if he didn't have one before, he definitely has a fever now.

"We're clear to make the jump to hyperspace. R2, program the navicomputer," uncle Anakin says.

"I don't think he's gonna make it to Tatooine, Master, uncle Anakin. There's gotta be something we can do for him."

"Leeda, Ahsoka, go and take a look in the back. See if you can find some medical supplies," amu (amu - mom) says.

"We're on it," Ahsoka and I say together.

Ahsoka and I leave to go and search. I find a medical bay that most likely hasn't been used in a while, and turn on a holo projection of a med droid. Ugh, Force, I hate those things... Well, I dislike any medical personnel, clone, droid, Jedi, or otherwise.

He mumbles until Ahsoka gets his attention. "Hey, Dr. Droid, can you hear me?"

"Yes. What seems to be the problem?"

"Great," I say. "We've got a sick Huttlet. You got a remedy?"

"Oh, yes I see. You must dispense on of these medical boosters into the infant's mouth. If you have any problems please call an actual doctor to assist you."

Once he shows us where the medicine is, Ahsoka grabs the syringe.

"I hope this works," she says. "Okay, sweetums. I've got some yum-yum for you." When he tries to spit it out, Ahsoka says, "You'll take this and like it!"

When that doesn't work, I grab the syringe from her, and slide in front of the Huttlet.

"Calm oown, beet widd make uba gushu cheespa bo coopa," I say.

When he stops thrashing around, I put the syringe in his mouth and quickly push down.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him to calm down and that it would make him feel better."

"Okay."

By the time we get back to the cockpit, the medicine has started to work because Stinky's fever has broken. During Ahsoka and Anakin's banter, she remarks,

"Master, if you, Luke, Leeda, and Chase have taught me one thing, it's that nothing is easy when Skywalkers are around."

I snort while they keep talking. It's quite true. Our family does have a tendency to be in the worst situations. Or create them ourselves. During the trip to Tatooine, when amu (amu - mom) and uncle Anakin are talking, Ahsoka comes to sit by me.

"You were born on Tatooine, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, for you and Skyguy, this trip is like going home."

"Sure, I guess. I mean, uncle Anakin surely remembers it, but most of what I know is from the holonet and the couple of recordings that my parents and grandmother sent with Luke and I to the Temple. He won't talk about his time there, and all I remember is that it was sandy with little rain."

"Oh. Sorry."

I shrug. "It's okay, I'd like to see my family again someday, but the life of a Jedi doesn't really allow for that. Especially not in these times."

"You're right."

"Always am."

Ahsoka snorts, but leans back. I fight sleep as I lean against the wall, until I feel amu (amu - mom) pushing a sleep suggestion against our bond. For most, this would be a strong one, but for me it feels more like persuasion instead of an order to sleep. I think that's because of my tight shields that I use to keep my Force presence from hurting anyone. Eventually though, I succumb to it, and fall asleep.

When I wake up, we're already above Tatooine. I don't normally sleep this long unless I've had no dreams, or unless someone is shielding my mind from the dreams that I have. Though, my visions aren't always dreams, sometimes they hit randomly during the day if I see or hear something. Or for no reason sometimes. Those are the worst, because I have a blinding headache beforehand, and after, and if no one sits me down before the actually vision hits, I fall over. Thankfully, all of the clones that I'm around a lot, my friends, the entire Jedi council, and the Jedi Healers know what to do if one happens.

"I was hoping I'd never have to lay eyes on this dust ball again."

"Okay. What happened?" Ahsoka asks.

"I don't want to talk about it. How's Stinky holding up?"

"He seems to be feeling much better. His fever is gone. Even you have to admit he's cute when he's asleep."

"I admit I like him better when he's quiet, but only a little."

Artoo beeps, and uncle Anakin says, "No, R2. I want the canon operational first. Leave the rear deflector shields for later."

"No rear shields, Anakin?"

"That's awful risky, Master."

"A strong attack eliminates the need for defense, Snips."

I snort at that, quietly, of course. So that Stinky stays asleep.

"Attack ships closing," I say from the co-pilot's seat.

"Somebody doesn't want Stinky to get home in one piece."

"Wow! Quite a welcome home party," Ahsoka says.

"Leeda, would you-"

"Set the approach vector and make ready to land? I'm already on it, uncle. Oh, and Artoo, see if you can unlock the guns. All of them are locked in the forward position. It really is too bad that someone decided to not repair the rear deflector shields."

"Not now, Leeda! Ahsoka, why don't you go secure your little Huttlet friend?"

"None of us are secure with you piloting!"

"Hang on back there!"

"Great! You woke the baby!" Ahsoka says after a flip, as Stinky's wails fill the cockpit. Ugh, this day is getting worse and worse. I might actually lodge a complaint. Against who, I have no idea. The Force maybe?

"I'm a little busy here!"

As if we all aren't! I just tune everyone else out and work on doing my job. Which is blowing up a fighter flying in front of us. While amu (amu - mom) and Ahsoka try to calm Stinky, because neither of them are necessarily very good at flying, I press the button and blow up a fighter.

When the other fighter blows off a part of the ship, uncle Anakin says, "I think we needed those rear shields after all."

"I told you so!" Ahsoka, amu (amu - mom), and I chorus.

Once Artoo takes care of the other fighter, Ahsoka straps in, saying, "You two've got that 'we're in trouble' look."

Uncle Anakin and I look at each other. "There's a look?" we ask.

"You can't miss it," amu (amu - mom) deadpans.

"Very funny, Master."

"Obi-Wan, come in! Do you copy?"

"Kenobi, here. Anakin, have you reached Tatooine yet?"

"Almost, but we ran into some old..."

"Anakin, did you get shot down again?"

Once again, Ahsoka, amu (amu - mom), and I all speak at the same time, "Yes!" Well, I say, "Elek!" But, same thing. (Elek - yes)

"This ship is too slow. I haven't had time to modify it yet."

"I'm still cleaning up your other mess, but I'll get there."

"So much for reinforcements. Hang on, this landing could get a little rough."

"Crashes are rough, Anakin. Landings are not."

Ahsoka snorts and says, "Then it's a Skywalker landing."

"There's a name for it now?" uncle Anakin asks.

"Oh, yeah. It's because of Leeda. She crashed the ships so many times in the flight simulation that she's been banned from using it."

"I did not crash the ships! I overloaded the simulation software."

"If you say so. We all say you crashed them."

"They were all still in one piece!"

Ahsoka just rolls her eyes at me as we continue to quickly descend toward the sandy surface of Tatooine. Uncle Anakin and I actually manage to land the Force-forsaken ship on Tatooine in... mostly one piece. Admittedly, it's a little, ah, smoky and fiery... but still in one piece.

We walk out to the cargo bay, and Ahsoka has to quint her eyes at the light. I close my eyes and enjoy the warmth. Even if i only spent three years of my life here, I still keep my quarters sweltering hot to most other Jedi. But to me, Luke, Chase, and uncle Anakin, the warmth only feels nice.

"Welcome home, Stinky," Ahsoka says.

"Jabba's palace is on the far side of the Dune Sea. We'd better hurry if we're to make it by morning," uncle Anakin comments, before Ahsoka places Stinky in the birikad (birikad - baby carrying harness) and he jumps down.

Ahsoka, amu (amu - mom), and I follow, but Artoo is a little more reluctant.

"Oh, come on, Artoo. It's just endless tracts of gritty, abrasive sand. I'll clean your servos later, and I'll give you a nice update while I'm at it."

"NO!" comes the shout from the other three.

"What?" I ask.

"The last time you updated Artoo, he ended up speaking like Master Yoda until I could figure out how to fix him! The time before that you made it so he would do the opposite of what he was told! And don't even get me started on the-" uncle Anakin shivers "-plague incident."

"No one was really sick! Except maybe Luke, but that was just because he got food poisoning. Which wasn't my fault... At least, not entirely."

"Still, no way are you updating him."

"Fine, you're a buzz kill, by the way, uncle Anakin."

"At this point, I don't even care."

Then, we start walking. I notice a couple of Jawas approach the ship behind us, but at this point, I couldn't care less. At least let someone get something out of the Force-forsaken thing.

During the walk, we go past several bugs and creature. Plus, what looks like the skeleton of a Krayt Dragon. Amu (amu - mom) and I walk beside each other, mostly talking to each other, but occasionally, throwing a comment in with Ahsoka and uncle Anakin's conversation. When she turns to talking about his past, we both get out of the conversation. I do wonder what happened. But before I can be sucked into my thoughts, amu (amu - mom) asks,

"Do you wish you could see your family here on Tatooine again?"

I sigh. "Yes... and no. I want to see them, to get to know the family that I was born to. But at the same time, I already have a family. So I'm not sure."

"I understand. I was presented with the chance to see my family again, many years ago. Back when I was just a little older than you. I had just been made a Senior Padawan, and Master Yoda presented me with a choice. I could see my birth family again, or I could see our lineage again. It was a difficult decision, but made easier by Obi-Wan. I chose the lineage because I had my brother. And I could still remember my family a bit, I was older than you were when I came to the Temple, but I felt like I didn't need to know them as I already had a family. You will one day have to make a similar decision."

"You'll offer me the same thing?"

"A version of it. All masters in our lineage do. I only wish you could have met Count Dooku before he Fell. He was the one who got Obi-Wan and I started on that tea we like, actually."

"The Panganat Tea?"

"Yes."

"Hm. Good to know."

Hours later, at around sunset, we stop.

"We're not alone," I say. Sensing things has always been a strong suit of mine.

"I sense it too," amu (amu - mom) says. "It's the Dark Side of the Force."

Stinky whimpers and draws the cloth top of the birikad (birikad - baby carrying harness) over his head.

"Whatever it is, it's coming for the Hutt. Which means it's time to split up."

"We'll all face it together, Master," Ahsoka says.

"No, Ahsoka. Anakin and I have a far more important mission for you and Leeda."

"More important than keeping the two of you alive," I retort.

Amu (amu - mom) nails me with a reproachful look, and I look down. My cheeks feeling warm with shame.

"Ahsoka, Leeda, Ileema and I need you both to trust us on this."

Amu takes Stinky out of the birikad (birikad - baby carrying harness) and hands him to me. While uncle Anakin finds a couple of large rocks and puts them in the birgaan (birgaan - backpack). Both Ahsoka and I hug our masters goodbye, then we walk off toward Jabba's palace. While I pray to the Force that nothing bad happens. To any of us.

It's pretty well into the night when Ahsoka and I are stopped by four beskar'ade (beskar'ade - droids) with an electrostaff each. Four against two, well three if you count our lookout. But since he can't fight, I'm calling it as four against two. The beskar'ade (beskar'ade - droids) soon engage us, and as I'm the one who doesn't have the Huttlet, most of the protection falls to me since my movement isn't as restricted.

I'm once again glad that I was one of the top in my lightsaber forms class, because of that, several of the masters who were considering me to be their padawan took me aside and taught me their preferred forms. Even Master Windu has sparred with me, but that was after a vision when I needed to let out my anger. He said if I managed to control my anger and my emotions to channel them, when I was older, he might teach me Vaapad.

I combine several elements of different styles to fight the beskar'ade. Soresu, preferred by ba'vodu (ba'vodu - uncle) Obi-Wan, for defense, Ataru, preferred by Masters Yoda and Mundi, for movement, and Niman, preferred by Master Drallig, for the use of the Force. For a bit, at least for me, I'd say it goes pretty well. I use the Force to make short bursts of sand blow up in the clankers faces, then jump over them before they impale me.

Soon though, despite my efforts, I'm pushed over the side of a sand dune. Ahsoka's already fallen over, but she slid down. I fall. I end up landing on my back, getting sand in my mouth and nose, and I apparently end up landing hard enough to knock the wind out of me. Thankfully, it isn't the first time that this has happened to me, because I spar with my ba'vodu'e (ba'vodu'e - uncles) on a semi-regular basis. So I know what to do.

First, I gently push myself up and then take deep breaths. It hurts like I don't know what, but after a few breaths, my breathing is mostly back to normal. Force, I hate getting the wind knocked out of me. When I finally don't feel like my lungs are going to give out from just doing their job, I slowly stand up. By the time I've got my breath back, the droids are back down with us again.

Uncle Anakin and amu(amu - mom) go over us on a speeder bike. Just great.

"Master! Over here! Master!" When uncle Anakin doesn't respond, Ahsoka grouches, "He never listens."

I bark out a huff of laughter. "Don't I know it."

We continue to fight the clankers. Though, there are only two now. One each.

While Ahsoka makes her own comment to the clankers, I do my own thing. In Mando'a too, so they likely have no clue as to what the heck I'm saying. But I know what I said, so who cares?

"Nar'sheb, beskar'ad!" (Nar'sheb, beskar'ad - shove it, droid)

After a few blows are exchanged, I use the move that ba'buir (ba'buir - grandfather) taught me to use against the Trouble Batch. When I'm pushed onto the sand, I sweep my legs underneath the droids legs, jump to my feet, using a bit of enhanced speed from the Force, and quickly stab the droid in the chest. Then, for good measure, I decapitate him. Just as Ahsoka has taken care of her droid.

Stinky babbles, and I let out a breath before saying, "Being a Padawan is harder than I thought it would be."

"Let's get you home, Stinky."

It doesn't take us very long to get to the throne room, and when we're in the doorway, I blurt out, "Graytoh Jabba, jee-jee doo uta-sha son!"

"What did you say?" Ahsoka hisses.

"I said, 'Mighty Jabba, we have your son'."

"Oh, ok."

Ahsoka and I walk forward, joining our masters in front of Jabba, before she hands him his son.

"Rotta! Pedunkee Mufkin!"

Jabba takes Rotta and holds him up to his face. When Jabba tucks him into his side he mutters something that I can't translate completely accurately. But it sounds suspiciously like, "Kidd bu jeedai ateema." When the translator droid speaks up next, I am proven right.

"You are to be executed immediately."

"What?" all four of us ask together. This is getting a little weird, I'm used to talking at the same time as Luke, and occasionally Ahsoka or one of the vode (vode - brothers), but not this much.

"Does this always happen to you?" Ahsoka asks as we stand back to back with our masters, our lightsabers ignited.

"Everywhere I go," uncle Anakin says

Rotta starts to fuss, an orb starts flashing, and the protocol droid speaks up.

"Your uncle Ziro is contacting us."

Instead of a Hutt calling, it's Senator Amidala. Who I guess I should call aunt Padmé because I did walk in on her and uncle Anakin kissing once. It was not a pleasant experience for eight year old eyes.

"Greeting, honorable Jabba. I am Senator Amidala of the Galactic Congress. I have discovered a plot against you by one of your own. Your uncle will admit he conspired with Count Dooku to kidnap your son, and frame the Jedi for the crime."

The comm whirls around to focus on a purple Hutt with yellow markings and feathers on its head. After Jabba says something in old Huttese, the other Hutt speaks up, in old Huttese, which is drastically different from the Huttese I know, so I barely understand a lick of it, until he says,

"It was Count Dooku!"

Jabba says something else, and the protocol droid says, "Ziro will be dealt with by the Hutt family most severely."

"Perhaps," aunt Padmé starts, "now you will allow the Republic to use your trade routes. And hostilities can come to an end."

Jabba laughs and says something, translated by the protocol droid as, "Jabba, agrees. A treaty is in order."

"You will not regret this Jabba."

Since I'm not used to hearing Jabba's dialect, which seems to be the more Nal Hutta dialect, rather than the Tatooinian dialect, I decide to let the translator droid do its job.

"The clone armies may move through Jabba's territories."

"Senator," uncle Anakin starts, "you have my undying," then a slight pause, "gratitude."

Aunt Padmé smiles at him and says, "No, Master Skywalker, it is I, and the Republic, who owes you thanks."

Her holo drops and Rotta jabbers.

"Jabba would be most appreciative is you would bring Count Dooku to justice for his crimes against the Hutts."

"You can count on it, Jabba," amu (amu - mom) says.

Once Master Yoda and ba'vodu (ba'vodu - uncle) Obi-Wan arrive, along with buir (buir -dad) and ba'vodu'e (ba'vodu'e - uncles) Rex and Kya, we meet them outside. For a first mission, I think it went pretty well. At least, with all things considered.

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." -T. S. Eliot

A/N: Finally! It only took me over two months to finish the movie. But I am finished with it now, and I hope you enjoy. Don't worry, there is more to come. And before I forget, the reason that I have 'old Huttese' and 'different dialect' is because I couldn't find Jabba and Ziro's lines in a script and I could't figure out the words for a translator. So, it works.