(10 years later)
Luke smiled at his twin across the hall as they passed by each other, following their Masters on their routine for the day. Both children had been chosen by their Master to be Padawans just three years ago, along with their good friend Ezra. Luke had been chosen by his father's own Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, while Leia had been chosen by her father's own Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka had returned to the Temple shortly after Palpatine's death and had been welcomed with open arms.
By that time Anakin had come clean about his marriage to Padmé and had left the Order, though it pleased him that Snips had returned, so Obi-Wan had completed her training. It had taken a lot to convince the Council to agree to let them train Luke and Leia, many feeling that they were too close to the situation and wouldn't be as objective with their training as one who hadn't really known Anakin that well would be. But Yoda was the one who finally announced that for the best it was, which made the four of them quite happy.
That same day, Ezra had been chosen by Depa's former Padawan, Caleb Dume, to be his Padawan. Unlike Luke and Leia, however, Ezra didn't know who his birth parents were, in fact nobody at the Jedi Temple knew. Ezra had been kidnapped by pirates under Hondo, who had surrendered Ezra to the Jedi after "aggressive negotiations" with Ahsoka. So even though he knew he shouldn't, Ezra did everything he could in his spare time to try to locate his parents. He had shared that information with Luke and Leia, who he knew he could trust never to tell his secret.
Of course, he knew that they would slip away to watch their mother in Senate meetings whenever they could. Their father often accompanied her, a white bladed lightsaber at his side, serving as her guard. Though they never looked directly at their children, Anakin would sense them and, via a secret motion he had worked out with Padmé, they would turn in their general direction as soon as they could and smile. The twins knew that smile was for them and would return them one of their own.
Anakin did worry that this small attachment that his children were forming with him and Padmé would cause them problems with other attachments later on in their lives, but he couldn't stop himself from indulging in this brief moment together.
So wrapped up in this whirlwind of thought was Luke that he hadn't noticed his Master had stopped walking in order to talk to Ahsoka and so he nearly knocked into his Master. Thankfully the Force screamed a warning and he stopped himself from taking that last step in time, though he could tell by his twin's eyes, which were sparkling with amusement that the near collision hadn't gone unnoticed by her.
"You two look like you're off on an adventure. Where is the Council sending you this time?" Obi-Wan asked Ahsoka. "Kashyyyk, they have had several Wookiees go missing so we are being sent to investigate." "Hmm that does sound strange. Let us know if you need any help, we don't have any assignments currently." Obi-Wan replied. Ahsoka smiled and said "Will do." before she and Leia continued on their way.
Luke looked after them, wishing that he and Obi-Wan would be joining them. Since both of them had been deemed too young to have their own Star Fighters, Ahsoka and Leia would have to hire a ship to take them there, as had become common practice since the end of the Clone Wars. It was always exciting to explore new ships, to see what made them tick.
He wondered what his Master and him would be doing until they were assigned some mission of their own. When he saw they were heading towards the library, he almost groaned. His sister was the one who really enjoyed the book and negotiation side of being a Jedi. Luke, however, preferred the mediation and practicing his forms side. As they entered the doors, he could have sworn he heard Obi-Wan chuckle at him.
XXX
Ahsoka and Leia walked the length of the spaceport, getting estimations for a lift to Kashyyyk and back. Leia nearly cried out in dismay as they stopped in front of a ship that seemed to have been past its prime when Yoda was a youngling. Ahsoka, either not noticing or not concerned with her Padawan's distress approached the young man working on something at the base of the ramp leading into the ship. Leia studied him and guess him to be a little younger than Ahsoka but definitely still old enough to be on his own.
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you are hiring out your ship?" Ahsoka asked. The young man stopped what he was doing, and turned towards them with a cocky grin on his face. "Who wants to know?" he asked. "I am Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, and this is my Padawan, Leia Skywalker. Who might you be?" Ahsoka said, using her polite tone. The young man leaned against the side of the ramp and said "Han Solo, at your service. Yes I am hiring out, though the cost will depend on where you are going."
After she told him Kashyyyk he listed a price which Ahsoka haggled with him over. Soon they had agreed to a mutual price and motioning for the Jedi to proceed him aboard, the three entered the ship he called the Millennium Falcon. Leia had thought it looked appalling on the outside, but the inside was just as bad if not worse. Ahsoka didn't seem to notice or was not bothered by it however and so Leia finally couldn't keep it to herself as she asked "Are you sure it will get us to Kashyyyk in one piece?"
Ahsoka gave her student and amused look while Han glared at her before saying "Not only will she get us there, but she'll get us back too." "I'm sure it will." Ahsoka spoke up, hoping to smooth any ruffled feathers. With one more glare in Leia's direction, Han headed towards the cockpit and started readying the ship for take-off. The two Jedi followed him in and Ahsoka, hoping to befriend him, asked "Do you fly this thing alone?"
Han nodded and said "Yep, I don't need any help flying her. I've done it so many times I could probably do it in my sleep." Since both Ahsoka and Han were facing forward, Leia allowed herself to roll her eyes, thinking he was being overly dramatic about it since she had dissed his ship. Soon Han had them in the air and out in space. After setting the coordinates, he told them to sit back and relax as the ship made the jump to hyperspace.
XXX
Before they knew it they were at Kashyyyk. Leia gazed out the cockpit windows at the home planet of the Wookiees as they drew ever closer to it. The last Jedi to have actually set foot on the planet was Master Yoda, back during The Clone Wars. He had been there soon after the Jedi had taken care of Palpatine and it was considered the last major battle of The Clone Wars.
Feeling Han's eyes upon her, she turned and gave him a faint nod before she headed off to inform her Master they had arrived, not quite comfortable in the presence of the older man. By the time she had returned with her Master, Han was already setting the Falcon down on the planet's surface. "We'll probably be here for several days. If you wish to go and get another job until we are ready to return, please feel free to do so." Ahsoka informed him.
"I might just hang around here. I mean, no offense or anything, but you never know if you'll need a fast flight out of here. Besides I might find some cargo that I can sell for a profit." Han said nonchalantly. Leia had all she could do not to roll her eyes, but Ahsoka just simply smiled at him and said "You are right. Good luck finding some cargo." And motioning for Leia to follow her, Ahsoka headed off in the direction they were to meet up with the Tarfful, who had been helpful to Master Yoda during the Battle of Kashyyyk.
Leia gave one last look over her shoulder at Han, who gave her a smart salute, complete with smirk. This time Leia allowed herself to let her eyes roll and she could have sworn she saw Han chuckling before she turned away. "Master, how can you stand that man? He is so full of himself!" Leia asked when she was sure they were out of Han's hearing.
Ahsoka gave her Padawan an amused look before replying, "You are forgetting I had your father as my Master. Han Solo reminds me quite a bit of Anakin, I have to say." Leia silently considered her Master's words. Not knowing her father anywhere near as good as her Master did, something she had to admit she was jealous of, she couldn't see what her Master was seeing as clearly as she did. Oh yes there were always stories of The Hero With No Fear floating around the Jedi temple, but those were about as useful as reading about the extreme temperatures of Hoth before visiting and thinking you knew what you were getting into.
Leia sighed, it felt like everyone knew her father better than Luke and herself did or ever would. If this Han was really anything like her father, maybe she should study him a bit. Then maybe she would feel like she knew her father, at least a little, beyond just the smile he and her mother would send their way and her lightsaber, which she had crafted to look as similar to his as she could.
Leia glanced down at her lightsaber, which when activated would glow with a blue light, unlike her twins green. She had studied as many specs and images as she could get on her father's to get it as close to his as she had. Ahsoka was trying to convince her to get a shoto to go with it and learn the form she preferred, but she also understood Leia's need for some connection to her father. After all, many of the Jedi of different species held onto something from their culture, including herself.
It was what she had argued when the Council had tried to get her to make Leia change her lightsaber. That how could they know that the Force itself wasn't guiding this decision of hers to make it so similar. Obi-Wan's eyes had been twinkling as the rest of the Council agreed that Leia could keep her saber design.
Suddenly she realized she had allowed herself to lose focus so that she hadn't even noticed they had arrived at a series of huts, etc built into and around the trees. Two Wookiees stood nearby waiting for them, the same two Wookiees that Master Yoda had befriended in his time there, Tarfful and Chewbacca. It was time she got herself focused so that she, and her Master, could swiftly discover what was leading to the disappearance of the Wookiees.
XXX
Darkness fell over Coruscant as Luke and Obi-Wan made their way to Dex's Diner. It had always been a favorite of Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Anakin's and Luke always felt a little closer to his father when he was there, much like when he was in the Senate building he felt closer to his mother. Any place either of them loved that he heard about he had to go to or visit, for while his sister found a closeness to them in replicating things of their parents from her lightsaber to her hairstyle, he found it in the places they had visited.
Just before they entered the still sturdy looking building, Obi-Wan stopped and said "I have something to take care of Luke, I'll be back soon. Why don't you go get us a booth?" Luke nodded, used to his Master's mysterious coming and going. Entering the building, he found it more crowded than normal, in fact you could say it was packed. Luke was greeted by Dex who told him it would be awhile before he could seat him, "Unless you don't mind sharing a table." He said as he motioned vaguely with his hand.
Luke was about to decline, after all he wasn't really in a hurry, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye that almost made his heart stop. Sitting at a booth in a darkened corner, almost concealed from his sight, sat his mother and father, staring at him. Tears filled Luke's eyes as he wandered over and came to stand next to them. "May I sit with you?" he asked, almost fearing that they would turn him down, yet worried what would happen if the Council found out he had met and spoke with them.
"Of course Luke." Padmé said, as she stood and gave her son a hug for the first time in forever. Anakin was right behind her, collecting the both of them in his arms. They finally broke apart, none of their eyes dry, as Anakin said "We don't have much time, we promised we would be gone by the time Obi-Wan got back. We had hoped to do this with your sister, but the Council had to go and send her and Snips to Kashyyyk today of all days."
Luke made a mental note to thank his Master, who he knew could get in trouble for not only allowing such a meeting to take place, but for setting it up. Luke knew that the Council didn't fully trust his twin and him, they had inherited their father's high midi-chlorian count and all, so they would never approve of them meeting with their father, let alone getting to know him a little. That would create a bond, a connection between them and Force forbid they would get an attachment to their parents, Anakin in particular.
"You will still get to see her, won't you?" Luke asked, worried that his twin wouldn't get a moment, a hug, with either of their parents. "As soon as she comes back we will arrange it with Ahsoka." Padmé replied, smiling to see the concern her son had for his sister. "Without the war, its hard to arrange a meeting where we don't have to worry about another Jedi seeing us or them growing suspicious of what you are up to." Anakin informed him.
"But enough about that, tell us how you have been and how your training is coming." Anakin continued. And Luke proceeded to do just that. For the next hour they all swapped stories and laughed and just enjoyed each other's company. Before he knew it, Luke was having to say goodbye to his parents, but they left him with the promise that they would meet with him again, hopefully with his sister next time so they could be a family for a few moments.
Minutes after they left, Obi-Wan slid into the booth across from his young Padawan. Luke looked up with eyes shining, both from the tears he had shed and shear happiness as he softly said "Thank you Master." "Whatever for?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to pass it off as if he didn't know, but his smile giving it away. Luke sat quietly as his Master ate his belated supper, reflecting on the time spent with his parents, and the promised occasion, dare he hope occasions, to come.