Episode 17 – Freemaker
The New Jedi Order! Since the fall of the Old Republic almost fifty years prior, the restored Jedi Order under the leadership of Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker has struggled to restore the numbers once held by its predecessor! Knowing that they might need to evacuate at a given moment, Grand Master Skywalker has been laying the foundations for an elaborate emergency evacuation plan to protect the New Jedi Order!
In the Skywalker Family Quarters...
Luke was just finishing his morning routine, examining himself in the refresher mirror. He'd allowed some stubble to begin growing on his face, the early stages of what he hoped would become a beard. He did take note of some greying hairs that mildly worried him. He took a breath and looked at his cybernetic right hand, the black glove that usually covered it sitting on the counter. Years of only basic maintenance had caused the original synthiflesh to gradually tear away until finally it was just pure cybernetics and looked mechanical. He quietly made a few minor adjustments and did the daily recalibration, flexing it a little before picking up the glove, beginning to put it on. He looked back at his reflection in the mirror, pondering what a full-grown beard would look like on him or, more importantly, if Mara would approve. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he heard a loud ripping sound.
"Luke?! What was that?" Mara could be heard from the bedroom. Luke looked at his hand and saw that his cybernetic fingers hat torn right through the fingers and thumb of the glove.
"I think my glove just became one with the Force." Luke replied. He heard Mara approaching. She stuck her head in with a curious look and saw the glove.
"Finally. R2 and I practically had a betting pool going for how long until that moldy old glove would bite the dust." Mara said as Luke looked at her, almost insulted.
"Oh come on. This glove and I've been through a lot together. Jabba's Sail Barge over the Pit of Carkoon, the Second Death Star, the-." Luke said but Mara interrupted him, smiling at him with some pity.
"Luke, honey, it's a glove. A moldy old flight glove. They're dime-a-dozen. You can replace it, or don't and just go with your hand as is. Are you really so attached to a glove?" Mara asked but Luke shook his head with a smile.
"No, I'm just having a little fun." He said as Mara rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip.
"If you're worried about if Ben will be scared of it, need I remind you that he's seen it many times before." Mara said as Luke sighed and started pulling his hand free of the glove's remains.
"That is what I'm most concerned about though, legitimately. Fortunately, this is a low-power model so it's not like it'll shock him too hard. Might get the odd static discharge off it." Luke said before noticing that Mara was giving him a studying look with a smile.
"What?" he asked.
"Are you…trying to grow a beard?" she asked, Luke frowning slightly.
"No good?" he asked but Mara seemed undecided.
"I dunno, let's give it a shot. I think you might look good with a beard. Kinda gives you the air of authority and wisdom that's expected of the Jedi Grand Master." Mara said as Luke shrugged.
"Okay then." He said, stepping out of the refresher, pulling on his Jedi Robes. He'd selected an ensemble that more closely resembled something that Obi-Wan Kenobi had worn in the later years of the Clone Wars. He then entered the living area of his and Mara's quarters, where young Ben Skywalker sat watching a holo-recording of a small cartoon Loth Cat being projected by R2-D2.
"Come on, Ben, that's enough holo for one day." Luke said as he picked up a freshly brewed cup of caf that he'd had brewing. R2 immediately deactivated the hologram, Ben looking up at his father curiously.
"Where did the cat go?" he asked. He was only beginning to grasp certain concepts.
"It went away for now. It'll come back when it's time to play again. But right now it's time to play with us." Luke said in a fatherly manner. Ben seemed to be pleased with this.
"Okay daddy." He said, Luke looking at his right hand curiously before holding it up towards Ben.
"Ben, what do you see when you look at my hand?" he asked.
"Your hand?" he Ben asked back, confused by his father's questioning.
"It doesn't scare you?" Luke asked but Ben shook his head.
"Nuh-uh." He replied. Luke smiled with slight relief.
"Good. Would you be upset if I just wore it like this from now on?" Luke asked but Ben shook his head.
"Nope." Ben replied.
"Okay, one last question. Did your mommy tell you to say that?" Luke asked, sensing Mara's hand in this.
"No~o." Ben replied but his tone and slight rocking from side to side indicated he was lying.
"Ben Skywalker, you're lying." Luke said softly but scoldingly.
"Mommy made me do it." He whined as Luke looked over his shoulder to see his wife coyly smirking at him with her arms crossed over her chest. He shook his head at her with a smirk.
"He is definitely your son." Luke said as Mara's smirk tightened. Luke's comlink then beeped, Luke pulling it from his belt.
"Skywalker here." He said into the comlink.
"Sorry to disturb you, Grand Master, but we've just received a message from General Calrissian. He says he's got a lead on some ships for the flotilla. We're holding the message for you in the command center." X2 reported.
"Excellent news. I'm on my way. Skywalker out." Luke said, R2 beeping something as Luke pocketed the comlink.
"Well come on, R2. Let's see what we've got." Luke said, R2 beeping a confirmation as he started following Luke out into the halls of the Ossus temple but not before Luke gave his son a kiss on the forehead. Mara caught her husband at the door and pulled him by the collar into a kiss on the lips.
"You think that's going to get you off the hook, don't you?" Luke asked as Mara smirked.
"Does it?" she asked.
"Shields are down but hull is still intact." Luke said before Mara kissed him again.
"And now?" she asked.
"Ask me again sometime." He replied earning a purse lipped smile from Mara.
"Oh you're a sly one farm boy." She said as Luke gave a slight bow before turning and heading out the door.
…
In the command center, X2 was stood at a holotable checking some datapads as Luke approached, R2 close behind.
"Ah, Master, more info just came in on those ships." X2 said as Luke put his hands behind his back in a dignified pose.
"Excellent. What've we got?" he asked as X2 entered a few commands into the holotable.
"Two refurbished cruisers and a light frigate, currently being held for us in the Holl system." X2 said as Luke recognized the name.
"Holl system? Ah, the Freemakers." Luke said as X2 gave a nod.
"That's right. General Calrissian's been on a roll lately. Said the Freemakers were willing to cut a deal but said that you would have to finalize the deal in person." X2 said as Luke furrowed his brow.
"I sense that Lando's been up to his old tricks again. What exactly are the terms of this deal?" Luke asked as X2 looked at his datapad.
"Uh, well, he said that we could bring the necessary crew to man the ships. Apparently, they don't deliver." X2 but Luke shook his head.
"They never do. It's their style. What else?" Luke asked.
"Just that the details of 'our end of the bargain' will be explained when you got there." X2 said, Luke sighing slightly.
"Yep. Lando you're at it again. Alright, order the ship crews onto a Starspeeder. I'll bring Anakin. We'll fly escort for the Starspeeder." Luke said before turning and heading for the hangar facility, R2 rolling after him.
In the hangar area…
Anakin Solo had a pair of welding goggles on and a welding torch in hand as he knelt next to a custom blue painted Delta-7 Aethersprite Interceptor. The assassin droid, HK-47 stood guard nearby with a blaster in hand.
"Alright that's it for the starboard stabilizer. Now for the port." Anakin muttered to himself.
"Query: Master, might I make an observation in regards to your project?" HK-47 asked.
"Uh, sure." Anakin replied, unsure of what HK was going to ask.
"Analysis: Master, it would seem that you only have room for one inside the cockpit. Are you forgetting something, Master?" HK asked, almost coyly. Anakin deduced what he was asking and smirked.
"Well not really. The Delta-7s are built for only one person. Bu~ut if you'd like, I can always rip your head off and install you as the onboard astromech." Anakin said with a coy smirk, earning a glare from the assassin droid, his photoreceptors glowing red.
"Conflicted Statement: I am feeling a mixture of pride at your willingness to indulge in wanton violence, but simultaneously running simulations as to how to inflict bodily harm upon you that would not interfere with my programming to protect you from bodily harm. The paradox is straining my logic circuits." HK muttered in a low tone.
"Don't you dare." Anakin warned as they heard R2 beeping in amusement, he and Luke approaching.
"Uncle." Anakin greeted.
"Anakin. Is your starfighter ready to fly?" Luke asked but Anakin sighed.
"Not yet. Still need the astromech and a few other systems before she's space worthy." Anakin replied as Luke gave an understanding nod.
"Alright, well come with me then. We'll sign you out one of the two-seaters from the fighter pool for you and your…escort." Luke said, looking at HK.
"We're going somewhere?" Anakin asked curiously.
"The Holl system. We're going to take ownership of a few ships that some old friends of ours have been fixing up for us." Luke said as they started walking out of the maintenance wing.
"Any chance they might have some of the parts I need? Quartermaster doesn't have any that are compatible for the Delta-7." Anakin said as Luke smiled.
"They might. They're one of the Galaxy's best starship customization houses. They're real big into using scavenged parts to repair or upgrade their ships." Luke replied but Anakin wasn't convinced.
"They sound like a bunch of squibs if they use parts like that." Anakin said but Luke shook his head.
"I can assure you, they're anything but. They're an old family of Rebels and faithful friends to the Jedi. Some of the ships here came from them." Luke said, Anakin glancing over towards an old R-22 Spearhead that was undergoing maintenance for the ninth time that cycle.
"Explains a lot." He muttered before he noticed something.
"So where's your glove?" Anakin asked but Luke only scowled softly at him, leaving Anakin confused.
Later in the Holl System…
Luke's T-65 X-Wing, a Starspeeder 3000, and a Y-Wing dropped out of hyperspace near the large brown gas giant that was the planet Holl, the starships heading straight for the large space station in orbit over the planet. There were several ships docked with the station as well as some ships parked between flashing navigation beacons. Anakin recognized the station design right off.
"Ah, an Alliance Type-5 Space Station. Looks modified. Lots of docking rings and hangar bays from the looks of it. Not picking up many life signs though. Less than ten." Anakin said from the cockpit of the Y-Wing. Luke merely smiled from the cockpit of his X-Wing.
"That's because the Freemakers don't employ anyone but members of their family or droids. Keeps them honest when they call it a family business." Luke said, R2 beeping something excitedly. Luke merely smiled and laughed a little.
"Well, put it through R2." Luke said. A hologram of a woman with black hair worn mostly in a bun but with some of her hair worn freely appeared, a pair of goggles around her neck. She smiled at Luke when she saw him.
"General Skywalker, it has been a long time." The woman greeted.
"Kordi, it's always good to see you. We got your message and we're here with crew for the ships Lando said you had for us." Luke said, the woman nodding in response.
"Sending you docking instructions. Bay D-7. It's so good to see you again." Kordi Freemaker said before closing the transmission. The ships continued their approach to the station, heading towards one of the docking bays, beginning to touch down in one of the large bays, a long one that was meant for holding corvettes. A neighboring hangar even held a privately owned Tartan Patrol Cruiser undergoing customization by a veritable army of droids. The hangar they had landed in housed a ship that Anakin had never seen before. A large grey and blue vessel that was the size of a light corvette with two large wings and the bridge at the front and a large hull section behind it. On the top of the vessel was a blue triangle symbol with a spanner in the center of it. There were two teenaged humans about Anakin's age, a boy and a girl, working on the vessel, the two looking towards the newly arrived vessels from atop the ship. Luke, Anakin, R2, and HK gathered in front of the Starspeeder, the Temple Guards from the Starspeeder gathering outside the ship, standing by for Luke's orders.
"So who's Kordi?" Anakin asked.
"Kordi Freemaker, the unofficial matriarch of the Freemaker family. She handles all the logistical and day-to-day operations. Her older brother Zander is in charge of overseeing the customization and maintenance projects." Luke said as an old B1 Battle Droid with mismatched parts approached with a Datapad in hand.
"Greetings, and welcome to the Freemaker Shipworks. I am R0-GR, how can we serve you today?" the droid asked in its usual nasally tone.
"We're here on behalf of the Jedi Council. Kordi Freemaker is expecting us." Luke said as the droid entered some information into his datapad.
"Okay then. Ms. Freemaker will be with you momentarily. Can I ask you to hold this please?" R0-GR asked, handing Anakin the Datapad.
"Thank you. AHHH RUN! JEDI!" R0-GR screamed as he ran away only to be hit by an ion bolt and fell to the floor. Luke and Anakin both looked to see HK with an ion blaster pistol in his left manipulator. He looked at the two in confusion.
"Puzzled query: What?" he asked, confused.
"HK, put your blasters away. We don't need to cause an incident." Anakin grumbled.
"Nah, don't worry about Roger." They heard a male voice say from nearby. They looked and saw the two teenagers from the ship dropping down and heading towards the disabled droid.
"Yeah, we hit him with an ion charge about once every other day." The girl said.
"Twice on holidays." The boy added as they picked the droid up, reactivating him.
"Who~oa, what happened? Did I freak out again?" R0-GR asked as Kordi entered the hangar.
"Yeah, you kinda did." The girl said, R0-GR groaning as Kordi approached, walking past the three.
"Master Skywalker, welcome to Freemaker Station." Kordi said as Luke and bowed towards her.
"Kordi. It's been too long." Luke said as Kordi smiled.
"Far too long. Zander's on his way back in from doing some work on an old Lantillian short hauler. He'll meet us in the business office. He's been anxious to see you again too." Kordi said as R2 rolled up, beeping excitedly.
"R2-D2, you're looking quite good yourself. I see you've gotten those propulsion rockets repaired. Glad to see you're still rolling around." Kordi said before looking at Anakin suspiciously with a smile.
"Don't tell me this is yours." Kordi said but Luke chuckled.
"No-no. This is my nephew. Anakin Solo. He's also my temporary apprentice." Luke said as Anakin bowed to her.
"Ma'am." Anakin greeted.
"Ah, Han and Leia's boy. Yes, I remember reading the headlines. Hell, I still remember watching the live feeds of their wedding…speaking of which, I believe congratulations are overdue on your own marriage, Luke." Kordi said as Luke smiled.
"Thank you, Kordi. You as well I understand." Luke said as Kordi smiled and chuckled.
"That was quite a long time ago. But thank you. My husband's out on a salvage run to Raxus Prime right now, otherwise he'd be here to greet you in person. Ah, but that's for another time. You're here for the ships Calrissian paid for, right?" Kordi asked as Luke gave a nod.
"That's right. He did mention that there was something needed of me to help seal the deal?" Luke asked as Kordi took a breath, sucking air through her teeth in anxiousness.
"Yeah~h. Lando didn't mention what that was, did he?" Kordi asked but Luke shook his head.
"I'm afraid not." Luke said as Kordi took a breath.
"Let's go ahead to the business office. We can talk there. Roger!" Kordi called, the old battle droid hurrying up to her.
"Uh yes ma'am?" R0-GR asked as he approached, taking back the datapad from Anakin.
"Make sure that the crew that the Jedi brought are sent to the ships marked as 'donations.'" Kordi said as R0-GR saluted.
"Roger-roger." The droid said before walking towards the crowd of temple guards. Anakin then cleared his throat rather obviously. Luke looked at him for a brief moment before realization dawned on him.
"Ah, right. I don't suppose you have any parts you can spare? The Order's budget is spread a little thin since we've had to evacuate Yavin. We lost a lot of equipment and we've got a backlog of repairs that need to be made." Luke said as Kordi pondered for a moment.
"We've got some second-hand parts that we're not likely to use. I can't guarantee that any of its workable but it's yours. We'll consider it a donation in exchange for the favor Calrissian mentioned." Kordi said as Luke gave a nod.
"Most generous of you." Luke said but Kordi's mood seemed to darken at this.
"Well, considering the favor it's probably not enough." She mumbled before forcing a smile on her face but Anakin and Luke could both sense a sadness in her.
"Anyway, come, we've got business to discuss. I see you still favor the T-65. What, is that the Red-5?" Kordi asked, leading Luke and R2 into the station, leaving Anakin and HK behind, Anakin taking an interest in the starship near theirs.
"Nah, Red-5 blew up after Vogras Vas. I've considered upgrading to an XJ3 or even the new T-70 but that's on the backburners for a while. Budget's a bit tight." Luke remarked.
"So you said." Kordi replied, the two disappearing into the station. Anakin was looking the ship over curiously, marveling at its custom engineering.
"It's a StarScavenger Class Salvage and Repair Corvette, in case you're wondering." Anakin heard a voice say nearby. He turned and saw the two humans from earlier standing nearby. The girl had short brown hair kept in a braided and uneven bowl cut. She wore a black strapless crop-top under a blue maintenance vest, baggy red knee-length shorts, brown shoes, black workman's gloves, and a pair of welding goggles on her forehead. The boy had short brown hair and wore a blue flightsuit with red sleeves, brown tool belt, and black boots. Both were roughly Anakin's age if not a little older. Both were staring at the Jedi fighters curiously.
"BTL-4 Y-Wing Starfighter. Clone War Era model?" the boy asked.
"No, look, no locking mechanisms for the armor covering." The girl replied, the boy nodding in agreement.
"Virtually falling apart though. Yeesh, the welding on the starboard engine. That's a deathtrap waiting to happen." The boy said as Anakin looked at the Y-Wing he'd flown in on.
"Yeah well there's a waiting list for our welding torches. We go through them fairly quickly." Anakin said as the two looked at him almost sympathetically.
"We'll toss in a crate of fresh ones." "On the house, of course." "No excuse for not having the proper tools." "We overheard the finance issues." The two said, practically sharing each other's thoughts. Anakin looking at them curiously.
"You two wouldn't happen to be siblings, would you?" Anakin asked but the two looked at each other coyly.
"Cousins actually." The girl said.
"Lee Freemaker." The boy introduced.
"Go Freemaker." The girl said with a curtsey which contrasted starkly with her appearance.
"At your service." They both answered in unison.
"Anakin Solo, HK-47. He's defective." Anakin commented, earning another glare from HK.
"Objection: Master, my diagnostics have indicated that I am functioning at 97 Percent efficiency, rounded down for modesty." HK quipped as the twins looked him over.
"Hunter-Killer droid." "Early Jedi Civil War I believe." "A 47 model though?" "Ah but not the original body." "The Chassis is new at least." "Favorite word for organics?" the twins asked, HK looking at them.
"Answer: Meatbag?" he asked, confused. The twins looked at each other thoughtfully and took a step back from HK.
"Assassin droid." They both said in unison, Anakin cringing.
"Geez you figured that out just from looking at him?" Anakin asked.
"We build, customize, and repair droids and starships for a living." Go commented.
"We're Freemakers, it's in our blood." Lee added.
"We won't mention the a-s-s-a-s-s-i-n droid, though." Go added, as she looked Anakin over, Anakin looking at her curiously.
"You're a Jedi, aren't you?" she asked.
"Padawan, actually. I'm still learning." Anakin said as Go and Lee exchanged curious looks.
"You don't think he knows where-." "I doubt it, Go." The two said, Go seeming disappointed at her cousin's answer.
"Know what?" Anakin asked but Go seemed hesitant to answer. Lee though was more willing.
"It's nothing to be concerned about, really. We had an Uncle that was a Jedi." Lee said but Go glared at him.
"Have, Lee, present tense. Uncle Rowan is alive. I know he is." Go argued.
"But he's been missing since before we were born, Go." Lee argued back.
"Whoa, hold up. Who's this uncle of yours? What happened?" Anakin asked. The cousins looked at one another again and then turned to Anakin.
"Back during the war, my dad, and Lee's mom, along with their younger brother, our uncle, Rowan Freemaker, and R0-GR, were salvagers and starship builders much like we are now but back then it was a lot tougher." Go explained.
"One day they met this woman, a woman they called Naare. She claimed to be a Jedi, a survivor of the Clone Wars and the purge that followed. But she wasn't really a Jedi, apparently." Lee added, Anakin grimacing.
"Mmm I think I've heard of cases like this. Imperial Inquisitors, Force Sensitives and fallen Jedi Knights that joined the Empire after the Clone Wars. They'd sometimes masquerade as Jedi Refugees looking for other Force Sensitives or other Jedi Survivors and then either kill them or turn them into the Empire. So, what happened?" Anakin asked.
"Well Naare turned our family into the Empire, and they were forced to flee for safety. They joined the Rebellion after that." Lee explained.
"Ah so that's how my Uncle Luke and Ms. Freemaker know each other so well. War buddies." Anakin remarked.
"Pretty much." Lee added.
"We're not exactly sure what happened but our Uncle Rowan was a bit distrusting of the Jedi and other Force Sensitives after that and a couple of years after the Battle of Jakku, he just got up one day and left. Took a StarScavenger and disappeared. We've not seen or heard from him since." Go explained.
"He's probably dead." Lee added, earning his cousin's wrath.
"He's not! He's alive, I can feel it!" she argued.
"Now hold on, you said he left? Did he leave anything behind? Any clues?" Anakin asked.
"None that we've been able to find." Lee replied.
"If you want, we can show you his old quarters. No one's been in there since he left and that was almost twenty-five years ago." Go commented.
"Do you mind? Worst that can happen is we find nothing new." Anakin said as the cousins shrugged.
"Sure, follow us." Lee said, leading Anakin and HK into the station, but not without R0-GR noticing them.
…
Meanwhile in one of the station's upper levels, Kordi led Luke and R2 up into a large round conference room with a large round table, the room surrounded almost completely by windows overlooking the "parking area" for some of the ships awaiting maintenance or pickup. There was a man already waiting for them wearing a blue jacket, matching trousers, and with a cybernetic left hand shaped like a yellow metal excavator claw. The man smiled as Luke entered the room.
"General Skywalker, man is it good to see you again!" the man greeted excitedly, reaching out a hand. Luke smiled and shook his hand.
"It's good to see you again too, Zander. I-, oh sorry about the-." Luke said as Zander Freemaker, Kordi's older brother, started looking at Luke's cybernetic hand.
"Oh, please, it's what we do. Huh, you're three models behind, General. We've got a type four we can spare. Yours if you want it. Be warned though, middle digit's jammed and needs a new mobility piston but then the former user was a bit of a reckless pilot anyway. Probably why it got jammed in that particular position but anyway…" Zander said as Luke smiled appreciatively, almost laughing. Kordi however rolled her eyes and sat down in one of the chairs.
"Zander, he doesn't need one of your hand-me-downs. And it's your own kriffing fault that you fly like a drunken bantha." Kordi commented, Zander turning towards her with a snarky expression.
"Oh yeah, Kordi? Check out my latest modification. Ha!" Zander laughed mockingly as he raised his cybernetic hand towards her but they heard a snapping sound, a small metal panel breaking off the middle of the claw's hand, clattering onto the table.
"E chu ta." Zander grumbled, sitting down in defeat.
"Anyway, let's get down to business, Master Skywalker. Lando didn't say anything about the deal we made?" Kordi asked as Luke sat down in a seat between them.
"I'm afraid not. What's the deal, Kordi? Is it something the Jedi can help with?" Luke asked as Kordi and Zander looked at each other hesitantly. Zander motioned towards Luke with his head, motioning for her to go on.
"Well, you know that it's been almost twenty-five years since our brother Rowan disappeared. We've heard nothing from him since then." Kordi said as Luke gave a sympathetic nod.
"Yes I remember. There wasn't much we could do though. There were no clues we could follow to speak of." Luke said as Zander twisted his claw at the base, detaching it from the cybernetic stump on his left arm, setting the claw on the table.
"Well, that changed recently." Zander said, earning a curious look from Luke.
"In what way?" Luke asked as Kordi picked something up out of the chair next to her, setting it on the table. It was a grey metal box with crude markings on it.
"One of our customers gave this to us as payment for some maintenance work. We were going to contact you immediately about it but with the war on we felt it better not to mention that it still existed." Kordi said as Luke pulled the box towards him curiously. He opened the lid which revealed a soft blue glow from inside. He furrowed his brow curiously as he reached inside the box and pulled out a simple black cylindrical object with what appeared to be a broken blue crystal on the end. He could sense a strong Force aura about the object.
"What is this?" Luke asked. The Freemaker siblings looked at each other with apprehension before looking back at him.
"It is the hilt of the Kyber Saber. An ancient Jedi Artifact forged millennia ago and then shattered when the Jedi who made it realized its destructive power." Kordi explained as Luke looked at her with concern. He placed the hilt back into the box and closed the lid, the box seemingly containing its Force aura.
"Who was this customer?" Luke asked.
"A freighter Captain named Danungo. We asked him where he got it and he said he'd gotten it from an antiques merchant on Commoner before the war started. Unfortunately, the merchant was a dead end…literally. Someone killed him not long before Danungo gave us the saber. Danungo didn't seem to know what it was, just that it was valuable." Zander explained as Luke gave an understanding nod.
"The Kyber Saber had been destroyed, last I'd heard. Rowan told me personally that he'd destroyed it in the fires of Mustafar before you all joined up with the Rebellion." Luke said.
"Apparently, not." Zander said as Luke looked at the box, pulling the saber out again, looking at the broken blade portion. This portion started to glow with a shimmering blue light.
"Wait, why's it doing that?" Kordi asked.
"It's reacting to something. I sense a disturbance in the Force. There's something here that's reacting to it." Luke said as he rose from his chair.
"Maybe it's a clue that will lead us to Rowan." Kordi said as the Freemaker siblings rose to their feet, Zander reattaching his hand.
"Perhaps. Let's see what we can find." Luke said as they headed for the turbolifts.
Meanwhile in the living quarters of the station…
Anakin, the Freemaker cousins, and HK approached a door that had been cordoned off by yellow hazard tape.
"Is there some kind of danger in there?" Anakin asked.
"Nah, we just leave that up so no one disturbs Uncle Rowan's quarters. Come on." Go replied, pulling the tape off of one side of the door before pressing a button, the door sliding open with a groan, jamming when it was nearly open.
"Eugh, that's what we get for not doing the proper maintenance." Lee commented.
"Maintenance on a door we never open?" Go argued.
"Good point." Lee said as Anakin stepped inside. Rowan's quarters were a simple bunk room with a bed, workbench, metal wardrobe, and a desk. The room itself was quite barren though. No decorations, no personal belongings. A layer of dust covered practically everything. Anakin looked around with a curious expression.
"Well, do you see anything?" Lee asked, Anakin looking around.
"You know that feeling where you know there's something missing? I'm getting that feeling right now." Anakin said as the cousins looked at each other.
"Like what?" Go asked, a look of anticipation on her face. Anakin motioned to wait, closing his eyes and raising his hand in front of him, moving it around. In his mind, he could see through the Force, the blurry and hazy scenes of this room from long ago. His hand wavered towards the wall that the bed sat against, his hand finally steadying as he saw what looked to be some kind of desk or table where the bed should've been.
"There was something here when Rowan was still living here." Anakin said, opening his eyes and pointing at the wall.
"The bed?" Go asked, confused.
"No, like a desk or a table." Anakin replied but Lee was perplexed.
"But that's impossible, the bed is welded to the wall…two walls for that matter. It can't be moved without a cutting torch. And the bed's been here since before our family moved into the station." Lee said as Anakin looked and he could indeed see that the bed was welded in place.
"Then there's something off about this room. Something's missing." Anakin said as they looked the wall over.
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" R0-GR asked as he stuck his head in.
"Roger!" Lee yelped.
"We're trying to find clues as to where Uncle Rowan went." Go commented. R0-GR looked around the room, curiously.
"Well, he's not here." R0-GR replied.
"Was there a desk or something on this wall at one point?" Anakin asked, the old battle droid looking the wall over.
"Oh, you mean this?" R0-GR asked, reaching over and putting one of his manipulators up against the wall, pressing in on a small metal plate that sank slightly into the wall. They heard a mechanical clunking before a part of the wall started to fall towards them from the top down but stopped when it was perfectly horizontal over the bed. What it revealed were papers and documents, pinned to the interior wall most of them being images and depictions of planets and structures with annotations written on them in aurabesh. On the base of the interior wall was an old Imperial code cylinder and an object covered in a brown cloth. Anakin and the Freemaker cousins were in shock, the cousins especially.
"Where did this come from?!" Go asked.
"And how come you never showed us this before, Roger?!" Lee asked, the battle droid looking at him.
"You never asked." He replied, innocently. At this point the Freemakers and HK were glaring at him, HK's optics glowing red again.
"Query: Can I blast him now?" HK asked.
"No." Anakin replied bluntly as he looked at the strange brown cloth, picking it up and turning it over to reveal what appeared to be a cylindrical blue crystal that was broken and jagged at both ends.
"What is this?" Anakin asked, the crystal starting to glow brightly in his hand.
"Uh-oh, not that thing again." R0-GR moaned, Anakin looking at him curiously.
"Wait, you know what this is?" Anakin asked. R0-GR simulated a sigh.
"Don't even get me started on it. It's part of some old Jedi weapon. We spent a long time collecting all the pieces before Rowan just threw the thing in the lava rivers of Mustafar." R0-GR commented.
"An old Jedi weapon? Hmm. HK, you're old, do you know anything about this?" Anakin asked but HK looked at him.
"Statement: If I knew what it was, Master, I would've mentioned it. I am an assassin droid, not a historian." HK replied.
"Then that leaves Uncle Luke. He'd probably know what it is." Anakin said as he walked out into the hall, being followed closely behind by Lee, Go, and R0-GR. As they walked, the crystal started to pulse at an increasingly steady pace.
"We must be getting closer to something." Go said as they rounded a corner towards the turbolifts just in time for the doors to open, revealing Luke, R2, and the Freemaker siblings.
"Anakin?" Luke asked.
"Uncle?" Anakin asked back, both surprised.
"Is that a-…" Zander said, noticing the crystal in Anakin's hand.
"It's a piece of the Kyber Saber." Kordi said as Luke took the crystal from Anakin, placing it on the end of the saber hilt, the pieces lining up perfectly and suddenly fusing together on their own.
"It's the Kyber Saber alright." Luke said as Anakin looked curiously at him.
"The Kyber Saber?" he asked.
"An ancient Jedi artifact. It was forged millennia ago by an ancient Jedi Master. After he created it, he realized just how powerful and dangerous it was and destroyed it, scattering its pieces to the far corners of the Galaxy." Luke explained.
"During the war, Rowan found the pieces but a Dark Jedi named Naare tried to steal it from us. We thought Rowan had destroyed it but clearly that wasn't the case." Kordi explained.
"Maybe it can lead us to Uncle Rowan." Go suggested as Zander sighed.
"Go, honey, they're just a couple of fragments. They're not going to lead us to your uncle, no matter how much we wish they would." Zander said.
"Statement: A correct assessment from all appearances, meatbag, but perhaps a proper analysis of this might prove useful." HK-47 said as he rounded the corner, holding something out in his hand.
"What's this?" Anakin asked as HK deposited the old Imperial Code Cylinder into his hand.
"An old code cylinder? Where'd you find this?" Lee asked.
"Answer: In the missing meatbag's quarters. Perhaps your vision needs testing." HK remarked as Anakin knelt down to R2.
"Can you decipher this, R2?" Anakin asked, R2 beeping to the affirmative. Anakin plugged the cylinder into R2's slot, R2's holoprojector swiveling slightly before he started to project a holographic map of the galaxy, a flashing blue dot appearing over the Holl System. They all looked on anxiously as a series of hyperspace jumps were simulated on the map, a yellow line running from the Holl system to six other systems, each being marked with a red dot, before heading to a system near the outer rim, a flashing blue light marking it before zooming into the system, a hologram of a watery planet appearing.
"The Ahch-To system. Anyone familiar with it?" Zander asked as Luke looked at it in awe.
"I have. It's the location of the First Jedi Temple." Luke said as Kordi looked at the hologram, hope in her eyes.
"Rowan!" she said as Zander looked at Luke.
"You mind coming with us? Given what all we've found, we may need a Jedi." Zander said as Luke gave a nod.
"It would be my honor." He replied.
Later in the Ahch-To System…
The Freemaker Family's StarScavenger, Luke's X-Wing, and Anakin's Y-Wing dropped out of hyperspace, heading towards the planet's surface.
"We need to make this quick. Recent intelligence indicates that we're in Sith Space. We can probably expect some kind of welcoming committee." Luke said as they entered the atmosphere. On the StarScavenger, Go and Lee were sitting behind Zander and Kordi with a box containing the partially assembled Kyber Saber between them. They then noticed the blade on the saber starting to pulse with light.
"Uh, I think the sword is awake." Lee said worriedly.
"That must mean that more pieces of the saber are here…maybe even Rowan." Zander said as they started to approach a lonely mountainous island in the middle of the endless ocean.
"I sense a disturbance in the Force. Be careful." Luke said as they started to touch down on an outcropping. Once they had disembarked, they began to marvel at the ancient ruins dotting the island.
"What is this place? That Jedi Temple you mentioned?" Zander asked as R2, HK, and R0-GR stayed behind with the ships.
"Most likely." Luke replied softly as they cautiously made their way up the side of the hill, climbing to the top, the Kyber Saber's pulsing growing more intense and rapid the higher up they got. Suddenly, Luke motioned to stop. When they looked ahead, they saw it. Five freely floating shards of the Kyber Saber, floating in the air, slowly spinning around a figure seated on the ground in a grey cloak.
"Rowan?" Kordi asked hopefully. The figure glanced slightly to their left before slowly rising to their feet. The figure then slowly turned to face them but the face they saw beneath the hood made the Freemaker siblings step back in shock.
"No…no it's not possible!" Zander said as Kordi gasped, the figure pulling back her hood, revealing a head of white hair, a wrinkled face covered in grey tattoos, and a pair of yellow and red Dark-side infused eyes.
"Freemakers." Naare, the ex-Inquisitor hissed as the five shards of the Kyber Saber assembled themselves and floated into her hand.
"How?! How did you-…where's Rowan?!" Kordi asked but Naare merely stared at them before raising her arm, pointing at something near them. They turned and saw a pile of rocks nearby, all neatly arranged to mark a grave. The Freemakers looked at the grave in shock before Kordi bolted to it, dropping to her knees as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Rowan? Rowan! Rowan no!" she wept as Zander stood behind her, the shock of his brother's death shaking them all to their cores. Lee and Go were both stunned, Go crying into her cousin's shoulder. Luke however had his gaze fixed on Naare, Anakin staring at her too.
"You killed him?" Luke asked as Naare stared at him.
"He left me no choice. I followed him to this planet, seeking the pieces of the Kyber Saber but when I confronted him, he destroyed our ships, forever stranding us here. It was a long, hard fought battle but he was no match for the power of the Dark Side. In his final moments, he revealed that he had hidden the two remaining fragments of the Kyber Saber in two places. So that it would never be completed…and now you've brought it to me." Naare said, eyeing the Kyber Saber hilt in Luke's hand. Luke shifted it to his left hand, unclipping his lightsaber and igniting it, Anakin doing the same.
"Your overconfidence is your weakness, Naare. If you strike us down, we will only become more powerful." Luke said as Naare unfurled her lightsaber, activating it, it's red blade extending with a hiss.
"I sense the Force is strong with you, Jedi." Naare said as Luke adopted a defensive stance.
"I am Luke Skywalker, Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, and I am one with the Force." Luke said as Naare smiled darkly.
"Hmm, I shall make sure of that." She replied before she lunged at Luke, Luke blocking with ease. Anakin was waiting for an opening but the exchange was brief as Luke deflected two of her attacks before knocking her back and running her through the chest, a stunned look on her face. Naare's lightsaber and Kyber Saber fragments fell to the ground as she staggered back in shock, staggering towards the cliff's edge. She said nothing before falling backwards, her body tumbling down into the ocean below. Luke looked at the spot where she had fallen with a disappointed look on his face, deactivating his lightsaber before reaching down and picking up the broken saber shard, Anakin picking up her lightsaber. Luke then approached the grieving Freemakers as they gathered near Rowan's grave.
"I'm sorry." Luke said softly. Zander looked at Luke with a sad expression.
"At least his death has been avenged now. That's all we could ask for." Zander said as Luke gave an understanding nod.
"He is one with the Force now. He is at peace." Luke said. They then heard a beeping sound, R2 making his way up the path with his rocket boosters.
"What's that, R2?" Anakin asked, alarmed at R2's message. Luke immediately looked towards the sky. It was faint but he saw it. A Sith Star Destroyer in high orbit.
"It's the Sith. They're here. We must have tripped one of their sensor beacons." Luke said as the Freemakers all rose and looked skyward.
"Do you think they'll find us?" Lee asked.
"It's a safe bet." Zander replied.
"How do we escape? Can we outrun them?" Go asked.
"Doubtful. Three ships against a Star Destroyer and its starfighter contingent? I don't see all of us making it out alive." Luke said.
"But you will." A voice said. They turned and saw what appeared to be a young teenaged boy with scruffy and curly brown hair, wearing a yellow jacket and green trousers, smiling at them while he sat atop the grave, a soft blue spectral glow to him. Kordi and Zander both staggered back in shock.
"Rowan?!" Kordi gasped. The boy looked up towards the sky with a smile.
"Try to run, and you may not make it. Attack head on, and you surely won't. But there is a third option." Rowan's ghost said.
"Rowan, is it really you?" Zander asked as Rowan smiled at them, letting a chuckle escape him.
"In life, I was your brother. But no more. It's time to move on. There are more important things out there. Grieve if you want, but know that like the Force, I have never left your sides." Rowan said as the siblings looked at each other.
"Now go, there isn't much time. Master Skywalker…" Rowan said, Luke approaching the grave, looking at the two pieces of the Kyber Saber.
"What do you want me to do?" Luke asked.
"Complete the Kyber Saber, bury it with me. I will take it with me into the netherworld of the Force so that no one will ever be able to use its power ever again." Rowan said as Luke gave a nod, raising the two pieces together, the pieces fusing together into one with a burst of light. The Kyber Saber's blade suddenly shined with a volatile blue energy, the blade putting out so much energy it caused a powerful kinetic force to push at the others, a push with the force of a strong wind, their clothes fluttering and flapping in the wind. Rowan looked at his siblings and his family with a smile.
"Goodbye…and thank you." Rowan said before disappearing. Luke quietly ran the Kyber Saber through the grave, but when he did, the grave suddenly lit up from within, a soft blue glow shining through the rocks. Luke quickly backed away, everyone moving away from the grave.
"Come on, to the ships, hurry!" Luke yelled as the winds started to violently pick up, storm clouds quickly gathering overhead. They all turned and ran to their ships, the waves starting to crash violently against the rocky shores. The ships started taking off, passing over the island as lightning started to flash.
"This is getting dicey! We've got incoming fighters!" Anakin reported.
"Get to the guns! We need to hold them off!" Zander yelled, Lee, Go, and R0-GR running to the turret controls. HK-47 had already turned the Y-Wing's turret on the approaching Sith TIEs.
"I hope whatever Rowan's plan was will work!" Kordi said as they began to break atmosphere, the Sith Destroyer in their path. Down on the surface, the glow from within Rowan's grave was intense. Rowan's ghost then reappeared standing next to the grave. He pulled the Kyber Saber free from the grave, walking to the point where Naare had been meditating before looking up towards the sky with a smile.
"Thank you, for everything." Rowan said softly before he raised the Kyber Saber and began to twirl it around him, flourishing it as bolts of energy started striking around him, the ground shaking. He was glowing with a strong Force Energy, the glow getting even more intense. He then stopped flourishing and took the saber in both hands and pointed it straight up into the sky, straight at the Sith Destroyer. The glow around him solidified into a powerful beam of concentrated blue Force Energy that scattered the clouds. In orbit, as Luke, Anakin, and the Freemakers approached the Sith Destroyer, the beam struck the Destroyer from the underside, the Destroyer being ripped apart by the beam. Bolts of lightning arced from the beam and struck the approaching Sith Fighters behind them, obliterating them. They were all stunned as they saw the carnage from the beam, the beam disappearing.
"Rowan." Kordi whispered softly in stunned amazement.
"The way is clear, we need to jump, now!" Zander said, Kordi giving a nod before all three ships made the jump to lightspeed.
Back on the planet's surface, all was calm now. Everything as it was before, except, lying on the ground near Rowan's grave was the smoking black hilt of the Kyber Saber, the crystals nothing but dust being blown away by the winds.
Back on Freemaker Station…
"We can't even begin to repay you for the closure you have given us, Luke." Zander said as they stood in the hangar bay.
"Our family is forever indebted to you and the Jedi Order. If there's anything we can do for the Jedi, please let us know. We'll do it free of charge." Kordi said as Luke bowed to them.
"My thoughts are with you and your family, right now. We only did what we could. I'm sorry that it turned out this way though." Luke said.
"We've been coping with the possibility that Rowan was dead for a long time. It's…a relief to finally know the truth." Kordi said as Zander gave a nod.
"Yeah. Now we can focus on expanding our family." Zander said, he and Kordi looking towards their respective offspring as they spoke with Anakin near his Y-Wing.
"So can I. May the Force be with you, and thank you again for the ships. They will be of great help to us in the future." Luke said as Zander looked at him curiously.
"Not meaning to pry but, what exactly are you guys going to do with all those ships?" Zander asked.
"With any degree of luck, nothing. But then in my experience, there's no such thing as luck." Luke said before turning and heading towards his fighter. Anakin was standing with Lee and Go near the StarScavenger.
"I'm sorry about your Uncle. He seemed like a nice guy." Anakin said as the Freemaker cousins looked at each other sadly.
"It's a hard pill to swallow. But I guess I was just in denial." Go said but Lee shook his head.
"You couldn't have known. There was no way we could've known." Lee said as Go sighed.
"I suppose you're right. But thanks for your help in finding out the truth." Go said, Anakin shrugging.
"It's part of the job." Anakin replied as Lee put his hands in his pocket.
"If there's anything we can do to thank you, please let us know." Lee said as Anakin pondered.
"Don't suppose you have the parts for a Delta-7 Aethersprite, do you?" he asked as the cousins looked at each other with smirks.
"I think we might." Lee said.
"Bring it by the station. We'll fix it up nice." Go added as Anakin bowed.
"Much appreciated. I'll make sure to have the needed funds transferred over." Anakin said.
"It's on the house." Go replied.
"It's the least we can do for all you've done for our family." Lee said as Go stepped forward and suddenly kissed Anakin on the cheek.
"That…and you're kinda cute." Go said as Anakin blushed.
"Uh…well…I um, appreciate the compliment." Anakin replied, backing away towards his ship where HK was waiting patiently. Soon Luke and Anakin's fighters were flying away from the station, the Freemakers waving goodbye as they flew off into the stars.
Later on Ossus…
It was late at night as Luke and Anakin returned to the temple, most of the Jedi and Temple Guards asleep or on night watch. Anakin had already gone to his quarters while Luke headed on to his. He and R2 entered quietly so as to not wake Mara. He peaked inside their room to see Mara sound asleep, Ben curled up next to her. Luke smiled at the sight, closing the door to their room before plugging R2 into a recharge generator, R2 beeping softly at Luke.
"Hmm, yeah, just thinking." Luke said before quietly reaching out with the Force, testing his twin-bond with Leia. He then sat down at the couch near the table.
"R2, are you patched into the Temple Communications Array?" Luke asked, R2 beeping to the affirmatively.
"Open a channel to Leia's private comms." Luke said, R2 beeping slightly before activating his holoprojector, a hologram of Leia, her hair down, sitting at a table.
"Luke. What's wrong? You don't usually call unless it's urgent." Leia said as Luke took a breath.
"Not this time, Leia. For once, I just…wanted to talk to you." Luke said, Leia quietly taken aback by his answer.
"Oh…well, you've caught me at a good time. I can sense there's something on your mind though." Leia said as Luke took a breath.
"I just miss my sister, that's all." Luke said as Leia smiled at him.
"Well, I miss my brother. But come on, that's not the only reason you called me." She said as Luke sat back in his seat.
"I can't simply call you out of the blue?" Luke asked.
"You can, but it's unlike you. I sense a sadness in you. Did something happen?" she asked as Luke sighed.
"Remember the Freemakers? Well we just found out that their younger brother, Rowan, was killed years ago by a Dark Jedi on Ahch-To." Luke said as Leia grimaced.
"Mmm, that's terrible. But now I see why you thought of me. It touched a little close to home, huh?" Leia asked as Luke nodded with a deep breath.
"Yeah." Luke said as Leia smiled sympathetically towards him.
"So you wanted to talk to your big sister, huh?" she asked but Luke smiled and laughed.
"Oh-ho no, we are not having the argument as to who is older again." Luke said but Leia smiled at him coyly.
"Search your feelings, Luke, you know it to be true." She said but Luke shook his head.
"No they don't. We've got the medical records from Polis Massa to prove it." Luke argued playfully but Leia chuckled, the two siblings having a fun playful argument. Luke didn't even notice the door to his and Mara's room open, a tired red head holding a sleeping toddler in her arms, smiling at him warmly.
"I'm sure. Oh, Luke. Where would I be without you?" Leia asked as Luke sighed.
"Same place I'd be without you. I'd probably expect you to walk through the door with either an air of diplomacy or a snarky remark. I don't think I'd ever be able to think of you in the past tense. Nuh-uh. I just couldn't." Luke said as Leia smiled at him.
"Me to." She said before glancing over her shoulder towards something on her end.
"May the Force be with you, Leia. I love you. Always will." Luke said as Leia smiled at him.
"I know." She replied before ending the transmission. Luke took a breath, staring at the spot where her transmission ended.
"Goodbye, Leia."
End Episode 17
This Episode is Dedicated to the Memory of…
Carrie F. Fisher
(October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016)
This episode also brings the Freemaker family into Shadow Wars Canon. I own Lee and Go.