Chapter 131
AN: I am sorry for how long this has taken. I know I keep saying I will do it more often, but I will do better. Thank you so much everyone for continuing to read and review this story.
There were many reunions in the next few hours and Ari was happy to see all of then. Han greeted her with a small salute while Chewie almost crushed her in a hug. It was as if they had not seen each other in years, instead of just a few days. Lando, always suave, of course kissed her hand while Leia gave her a small hug. Even the droids seemed glad to see her. R2 beeped happily when she patted his domed head while Threepio had gone into a long winded explanation of how horrific battles were. It might have been a bit overly dramatic, but Ari knew she would miss the worried droid if something happened to him. Ari also was pleased that Wedge and many of the others were alright. They had lost comrades. But they all knew the risks of war.
The evening, Ari was glad to be retiring to her room. She had been told that the following morning they would be receiving new orders and it was possible they would be going to Coruscant.
"Have you ever been to Coruscant?" Ari asked R4 as she slid off her boots and into more comfortable tunic and pants that sometimes doubled for sleep clothes.
R4 beeped and she didn't have to glance at the translator to know that the droid was saying 'yes'.
"I have never been there," she admitted as she laid on the bed. "Naboo, Tatooine, Arbra, Endor, Hoth, Ord Mantell, Cloud City, but not Coruscant. What is it like?" she asked, shifting to look over.
R4 started to beep and Ari had to read the translator. R4 hadn't been there in a long time so the information would probably not be helpful.
Ari sighed, lying so she was staring at the ceiling again. "I know a bit about it, but not much. My parents were there before, but my father didn't like it discussed because he was against the Empire, and it was the capital about the time I was born."
R4 beeped and Ari nodded. "I know it was the capital of the old Republic too…" she trailed off as a thought came to her. "I bet we are going there not just to show the Empire has been destroyed, but because they are going to want to make it the capital of the Republic again."
"And that is where the Jedi Temple was," she added after a moment and glanced over at the holoprojector, which was turned off. She had asked it to be turned off, but she knew she had to finish it. She also knew it was something that Luke would have to see. He seemed different from Bakura, but when she asked, he said that he was just tired. Perhaps he just needed time.
Do you want me to start it again? Taga asked.
Ari nodded. While it had happened, they were only images and ones that she knew she should watch.
Taga clamored over and hopped up, using his furry paw to turn the holoplayer on again. Then, he came back over and curled up on Ari's lap.
"Once the Jedi were hunted down and killed, called traitors to the Republic, the Temple was taken over. It became a headquarters to some of the Empire officials." Siri's voice continued as a few other clips were shown before coming back to Siri. "My old Padawan got in there at some point and said that all the lightsabers were kept in boxes. A type of trophy of the Jedi that were killed."
Ari hugged Taga a bit closer. While Taga was very intelligent, it reminded her of how she sometimes would hug Saber, though her candido was much larger than Taga.
"There is one trophy though, that he did not deserve to have. Master Jedi Yoda's lightsaber was taken from him and I have heard that it was taken with a few other things to a special fortress, in the Horuset system, where he kept his important items."
Siri had explained about going to Ilum and how the Padawans of Jedi would go there to build their own lightsaber. Not for the first time did creating her own lightsaber come to Ari's mind. While she had changed her mother's a bit, she felt that perhaps it would do best to have one that was made to suit her. She knew that Luke had made his own at Ben Kenobi's old home.
The idea of a lightsaber of a Jedi Master being kept in the fortress of the now deceased Emperor made Ari frown. He shouldn't have all those lightsabers, or anything else of the Jedi. Even though not everyone might find it important, she did. There was a lot of change occurring and this was one change that was important for the Jedi of the past and future.
"There are other things in the fortress as well. The Temple was changed, but I do not think he would have allowed everything to be destroyed. Not if he kept all the lightsabers," Siri continued.
This got Ari's mind racing. Others might know about this place and if so, she wondered if they would go to get the things from there. She wondered if Siri had said all this for a reason. She had mentioned trials often, saying that was how Jedi actually achieved the rank of Knight.
Could it be that she was meant to find this place? Could there be things there that would help future Jedi?
Ari was startled from her thoughts Taga tapped her arm with his paw.
Are you watching? He asked.
It appeared as if Ari had missed some of what had been said, since Siri was talking about something else. " -from Naboo. Most knew this, but no one knew that he as truly a Sith."
Ari realized she was talking about the Emperor, who was from her homeworld. She knew this much from history and from what she had read in her mother's journal. There were still gaps, but she knew they could not expect the answers to all their questions immediately.
A knock came from her door and Ari turned off the holoprojector with just a wave of her hand, turning off the disk.
She set Taga down and then went to the door. With just a slight probe through use of the Force, Ari knew who it was.
"I wondered if you were going to stop by," she commented as she palmed open the door for Luke.
"I just wanted to stop in before getting some sleep," he admitted. He looked exhausted and Ari had a feeling it was more than just a physical exhaustion. "I heard we are going to Coruscant."
Ari nodded. "They were discussing it. I thought they would."
"I guess we are all going in groups. We should be there sometime mid morning, standard time."
"I'd like to see it. All of you have gone and I really find it hard to imagine a city-planet."
"It will take a lot to fix Coruscant and the rest of the galaxy," Luke sighed.
"We can do it. We have a wonderful group. Besides, this means we can rebuild it perhaps even better than it used to be," Ari remarked.
Luke finally smiled at this. "We'll need that optimism," he told her, brushing back a strand of her hair.
Ari smiled at this. "Well, I can offer that."
"And more," he told her, before leaning in, kissing her. Even though Ari had known him for most of her life, the change in their relationship was still quite new to her, which accounted for the odd fluttery feeling in her stomach. However, she enjoyed it and returned it.
Luke pulled back after a moment. "I'll see you in the morning. Perhaps we can meet for breakfast."
Ari nodded. "That would be nice."
Luke smiled and kissed her cheek. "Have a good night."
"Good night," she whispered, watching as he disappeared down the corridor.
The chrono went off and Ari sighed. It was hard to believe she used to get up with the suns. However, in space, it was nearly impossible to tell the time due to the lack of sunlight from any stars. She preferred natural ways of waking up, compared to this, but she had not wanted to risk being late meeting Luke.
She got ready quickly and headed to the mess hall with Taga and R4 following behind, the former trying to ride atop the latter.
When the trio arrived, they saw that Luke was already there. He looked much more rested than he had the night before.
"Good morning," he greeted her with a small smile as she sat down with her food. After being on Arbra, where a lot of the food was fresh, it was a bit of a disappointment to have processed food again. However, it was much better than the rations she had become almost accustomed to eating.
"Good morning," she smiled, sitting down across from him then glanced at the nearly empty area. "Where is everyone?" She knew that since the ships had broken apart for the trip through lightspeed that there were be less beings. This was even smaller than she had expected.
"I think they are sleeping, or getting ready to arrive in Coruscant," Luke replied. "I talked to Wedge and we have…" he glanced at the chrono in the mess hall, "less than half an hour."
Ari paused, mid bite of a piece of juma fruit that she had found among the other food. She took a bite, chewed and swallowed before speaking again. "We have to be on the bridge when we come out of lightspeed. I can't wait to see Coruscant. I hear it looks almost like a jewel with all those lights."
Luke nodded with a small smile. "I wasn't able to enjoy it last time I saw it, but I am sure it will be much enjoyable now that there is no need for a rescue attempt."
Ari nodded at this. She remembered hearing how Luke, Lando and Chewie had to help Leia after she was held captive by a criminal warlord. It had all happened on Coruscant and Luke had admitted that it was quite an amazing city-planet. Now that the Emperor had been defeated, they would not have to hide or sneak around.
Luke finished his meal, and then glanced at Ari. "Are you ready?" he asked.
Finishing her container of water and taking a final bite of her honeycrust bread, Ari nodded. She brushed her hands off on one another, getting to her feet. "Come on R4, Taga, I don't think you'll want to miss this."