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Chapter Seven: A Peek Into the Past

Four Years Later…

ArielPOV

"Again!"

Ariel shot up to her feet once more as the revolving droid continued firing off blast after blast around the room, impacting the surrounding walls and leaving scorch marks. Ariel blew a strand of hair out of her face as she maneuvered herself around the room, expertly dodging the blasts as she jumped, roles and ducked, her senses on high alert the entire time. The droid kept firing and there was one point where it missed the top of Ariel's head by mere inches and she had to duck behind a metal crate in order to avoid the next one. Breathing raggedly, Ariel's eyes scanned the room and when she saw her perfect opening, she jumped out, did a front flip and the hoisted herself up onto a duvet in the flooring. Soon she found herself leaping through the air, missing the red beams of light as she landed on her hands and knees on top of the revolving droid. Without a moment's hesitation, she withdrew her metal staff from the sling across her back, held it high and then brought it crashing down through the surface of the droid and ramming its main circuits. All at once the droid ceased firing, and electric sparks starting shooting out of it as it went haywire. Soon enough the top head of the droid exploded and Ariel was thrown off her feet from the impact of it, landing on her side on the floor. It was quiet for a moment except for the sounds of Ariel's deep breathing and she smiled at the sight of the simmering scrap of metal.

Third time's the charm.

As she got back to her feet, Ariel saw the lights above the window high against the far wall light up to reveal a small group of men observing her through the glass. She stood straight at attention with her hands at her sides, ignoring the slight soreness in her muscles as she gazes at her superiors with determination and respect. One of the men, staring down at her with his usual stern and fierce glare was her mentor and instructor, Torten. He was observing with two other high ranking members of the guard, one of which was Milo Elvenore. Ariel had to suppress an amused smirk as she remembered the day Milo was promoted to Totten's right hand man, basically. His expression was a mixture of pride, enthusiasm, but also terror at the idea of working side by side with Alderran's most feared and respected general. Torten was a force to be reckoned with, and it takes a brave soul to willingly stand by him.

"Well, Lotus," Torten said with his deep frown. "You've finally gotten the hang of using your surroundings to your advantage."

"Thank you, sir," Ariel said, knowing that this was Torten's version of a compliment.

"That will be enough for this exercise, you may go," the third man, Mr. Bolen said. Ariel bowed her head to them before taking her leave through the door, placing her staff back in the sling on her back. Once she left, she let out a sigh of relief as she started walking through the corridors, feeling a bit proud of herself. This exercise was one of the tougher ones, but she managed to get through it. Her heart was still beating rather fast, but she was still able to smile a little as she walked, feeling the way she always did when finishing an exercise or a hard day's worth of training. No matter how difficult an obstacle seemed, if she pushed through it, she knew she would be able to overcome it. She kept smiling to herself as she continued walking, pondering over what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Leia was currently in her last lesson of the day at the University of Alderran, so it will be a little while before she would be able to see her, and Queen Breha was in an important meeting with her council, along with Bail. The Organas made it clear to her that she could come and visit whenever she liked, and while she didn't want to take advantage of her privileges, she took them up on their offer, as their hectic schedules made it hard for her to see them as often as she liked. But when she did, she always had a pleasant, fun time, especially with Leia. The two girls would always find something new to explore and would spend much of their time on the grounds or in the library. Ariel savored these moments, but she understood that they couldn't happen all the time.

Which still left the question of what she should do for the time being. After thinking for a couple minutes, an idea suddenly came to her and she smiled as she started making her way down to the training gym. When she finally got there, she walked through the doors to see that there was a bunch of boys and men there already, training by themselves or as a part of a group. Some were practicing hand-to-hand combat, others were doing laps around the perimeter of the gym, and others were coming g in and out of the side building connected to the gym that was where they practiced shooting their blasters. Ariel glanced around before going over to a secluded corner of the gym. Some of the boys called out to her in greeting, while others nodded their heads and some just ignored her completely. Ariel rolled her eyes, too used to this to care. When she had first started training at this facility, it was clear to see she wasn't welcome by almost the whole male population. In their eyes, a girl had no business doing what they were doing.

However, Ariel was more than happy to prove them wrong. She spent years laboring under her instructor's orders, going through back breaking exercises, and completing her weapons training in all kinds of weather, under any circumstances. Over time, when she showed them all that she had no intention of quitting or leaving, she started to gain some respect from her fellow classmates as well as a few of her instructors. Thanks to her determination, she was now one of the most skilled in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. She knew she still had a lot more to learn, but she was determined to see it all the way through despite those who still saw her as a weakling, or a nuisance.

When she reached her corner, she set up one of the stand-up dummies for her to practice on and once it was upright, she took hold of her staff again in both hands and then started slowly circling the dummy, her face set as she pretended that it was an actual opponent. Then, without a moment's hesitation she charged forward and struck the dummy in one of its most vulnerable spots before spinning around quickly and striking it in the back of the head. For a few minutes Ariel kept up with this, hitting the dummy in places that would surely leave a real human being on the ground in pain. She gave the dummy a few more hits before she suddenly had a strange feeling pass over her…a feeling like she was being closely watched. Ariel heard the sound of soft yet quick footsteps coming towards her and out of pure instinct she spun around, gripping her staff with both hands as she brought it straight up just in time to block the blow from another staff similar to hers before it came crashing down on her. Ariel looked to see the familiar face of her attacker, his lips pulled into a grin.

"Nice block, Lotus," Xander commented. "But you shouldn't leave your mid-section open like that."

As if to back up his statement, Xander raised his foot to strike Ariel in the stomach, but she managed to quickly side step to the left, twisting his staff away from hers and then moved lightning fast to use her foot to kick out his leg from under him, making him fall to the ground.

"And you should know better than to lower your defenses," Ariel replied as she went to strike him with her staff, only to have him block it and then roll over onto his side before shooting back up to his feet. The two of them stood off against each other, slowly moving around one another and never breaking eye contact. At this point they had gained the attention of some of the other trainees around them, who had stopped what they were doing in order to watch them. After about another minute of silent circling, Ariel tightened her grip on her staff and then charged over towards Xander her face set with determination. She aimed her weapon at all the best spots on his body, but he managed to block her blow for blow. They continued this dance for some time, moving around the gym while taking turns defending and attacking. At one point Xander managed to surprise Ariel with a hit to her side, and she was distracted enough so that he was able to smack her staff out of her hands. Without her weapon in hand, he swung his own at her but Ariel managed to duck and then began doing backflips in the opposite direction, with Xander swinging his staff expertly as he went after her.

When Ariel made it to the far wall, she gained enough momentum to make a great leap and snatch an old electric rod that was hanging on display before landing back on her feet. It wasn't nearly as long or easily manageable as her precious staff, but it could bestow a painful blow if the rod was at its highest setting. She made her way back over to Xander where the two of them spun around and clashed their weapons together, with Ariel's emitting tiny electric sparks. They fought for a couple more minutes until Xander had backed Ariel up against the wall and in a clever move, had pinned the hand holding the rod to it, while holding her other wrist tightly in his. Ariel was breathing very heavily at this point, her heart thumping rapidly in her chest as she stated up into Xander's face, which was extremely close to hers. He had a smirk on his lips as he looked down at her.

"What are you going to do now, Lotus?" he asked her. Ariel gave him a smirk of her own, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"This."

Without another word, she raised her knee and then struck him where the sun most definitely didn't shine. Xander let out a loud, sharp sound that was a mixture of a squeal and a groan as he released her hands immediately and went to cover his private area, falling down onto his knees. Ariel heard a couple of the other boys laugh at his expense and she looked around to see that they had a decent audience.

"Way to go Xander," Hune snorted. "That's the second time this week she got you."

Xander only grunted at him, but Ariel was sure there was in insult somewhere in there. She simply rolled her eyes before turning off the rod and staring down at Xander with an amused smile.

"Better luck next time, Gully," she said. Then she turned and left him there on the ground, deciding that that was a good place to end practice for the day. She could still hear a couple chuckles as she left and someone offering a hand to Xander to help him off of the ground. She left the gym with a small smile on her face, but it was bittersweet. While she had enjoyed their little sparring session, she didn't like how much she enjoyed it. Xander was so annoying, cocky, and irksome, thinking he's the greatest thing since instant bread. He was a brilliant fighter, there's no doubt about it, and she can see him becoming a fantastic leader in the future is he would just deflate his head a bit. On the other hand, his face alone of enough to make her grit her teeth, and dark memories would always resurface in her kind whenever she saw him. Memories of dark, cold nights, sneering faces, cruel laughter, deep waters, and a gut wrenching sorrow that gripped at her heart whenever she thought of it.

No, stop it Ariel. It's been years, and you know he's sorry.

However, no matter what Ariel did, the memory was still there, and she wasn't sure if she could ever truly forget it. She sighed to herself as she made her way out of the building and over towards the west end of the grounds of the palace, where there was a small hovel that belonged to one of the old gardeners who worked in Queen Breha's lovely garden before they passed away. It was a bit of a walk from the training facility, but Ariel didn't mind, and it was the best they could do, seeing as having her share quarters with the other boys was out of the question, and she didn't want to have the luxury of living in the main palace while her classmates lived in more simple dorms. Besides, it was a cozy little place Ariel could call her own, and she thought it was suited perfectly in between the palace and the training building. By the time she reached her hovel, the sun was beginning to make it's decent in the sky, and Ariel decided to make herself something to eat.

A half hour later she was sitting at her little table with an empty bowl in front of her that once held delicious soup in it, and she sighed as she sat back with a content smile on her face. Once she was all finished, she placed her bowl into the sink and then walked through the door that led into the small space in the back which she used for her room. She set her staff over by dresser where she kept her blaster hidden. Out of all the weapons she had been trained with, Ariel was mostly fond of and more skilled with her staff rather than a blaster. It suited her better, and while blasters could get messy at times, her staff was clean and quick, especially if you wanted to take down an enemy quietly. This staff in particular had been something of a gift from Torten, who insisted that it was just an old used up model she would have to make due with. Nonetheless, Ariel saw it as a cherished gift, and she has been using it ever since he gave it to her. When her weapons were safely set to the side, she sat down on the floor with her back pressed up against her bed, crossed her legs, placed her hands on her knees, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, allowing her tense muscles to relax, and feeling her mind empty, becoming much more at ease and she removed all thoughts. After a few more breaths, she could feel herself become calmer and almost peaceful, basking in the quiet that surrounded her.

"Remember, dear Ariel, the Force flows through us, binds us, and is a part of who we are. Feel it, and allow it to calm your spirit, and help you find peace within yourself."

The words of her beloved guardian came back to her as though he had only spoken them yesterday. Ariel knew he was connected to the Force while she was not, but that didn't stop him from helping her find her own strength from it. He had once told her that you didn't need to be Force-sensitive in order to learn from it, and that made her feel more connected with him, especially during the times when she felt she needed his guidance the most. Ariel concentrated on putting herself at ease and vanishing any stressful or negative thoughts she had. She imagined placing strong walls made of stone around d her mind, keeping away any intruders and keeping her emotions to herself. She wanted to make sure she continued strengthening her mind, as Mr. Kudo had wanted. For a little while, Ariel sat there in deep meditation, thinking of nothing but her breathing and listening to the light breeze that blew in from the window to her room. She didn't know how long exactly she sat there, but after some time she heard a knock at her door. Feeling refreshed, Ariel got up to her feet and made her way to the front door, looking through the peephole. What she saw made her grin and she eagerly opened the door to reveal a smiling Bail Organa holding Snow in his hands.

"Viceroy Organa," Ariel greeting with a bow, her smile still on her face. "It's a great pleasure to see you, as always."

"Ariel, how many times must I tell you? There are no formalities here," Bail said, shifting Snow in one hand and using the other to give her an affectionate tap on her nose. "When it's just us, it's Bail."

"Bail," Ariel said, nodding. "Please, come in. Snow, I was wondering where you went off to."

"Breha found her in the gardens again," Bail chuckled as he stepped inside the house and handed her off to Ariel. "She was asleep in the flower beds."

"Really Snow, what was the sense in me making you a bed in my room?" Ariel muttered to her precious pet, nuzzling her face into Snow's fur while the Loth-Cat made a quiet noise of content. "Would you like some tea, Bail?"

"That would be great, thank you," Bail replied as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "How are you doing, Ariel?"

"I'm very well, thank you," Ariel answered as she placed Snow down next to her and then went over to the stove to make some tea.

"Everything is going well at the training grounds I hope?" Bail asked.

"Better than good," Ariel said. "Torten won't admit it, but I think he's impressed with me."

"If he wasn't then I'm sure he wouldn't have kept you on for so long," Bail laughed. "And he should very well be, anyway. You are a talented fighter, Ariel."

"There are others more advanced than I am," Ariel said.

"Don't be so modest, I've seen you during your training sessions," Bail told her. "You've come such a long way from where you started, and you're one of the top students in your class. If you keep working like you are now, I know good things will come from it. I'm very proud of you, Ariel. We all are."

"Thank you, Bail," Ariel said softly with her back to him, smiling as she felt her heart swell at his sincere words. "I want to become strong so that I can be worthy to be considered for the royal personal guard."

"I know Leia wouldn't have it any other way," Bail said. "The two of you are as thick as thieves, I can't imagine how boring she would claim her life to be if she couldn't see you on a regular basis."

"It's more than that, sir," Ariel admitted as she turned around to face him. "You all have given me so much, more than I could ever ask for. I want to repay it the best way I can."

"Ariel, you are practically a member of our family," Bail insisted. "You do not need to repay us with anything."

"Forgive me, but I do," Ariel argued sincerely. "You…you all mean so much to me. The least I can do is make sure no harm comes to you, Leia, or the queen. I want to keep you all safe."

Bail was silent for a moment while Ariel turned back to the teapot, pulling out some cups from the cabinet and adding the tea leaves she picked from the nearby brushes close to her house. She could feel her eyes water slightly from her emotional declaration, but she held back any tears that threatened to fall. Crying is a sign of weakness, and she had to learn not to let her feelings get in the way. If she was to be an honorary warrior and member of the Alderran guard, she could not cry or be sensitive to certain topics. Once the water was ready, Ariel turned off the teapot and began pouring it into the cups.

"You are so much like your mother, it amazes me," Bail mumbled quietly. This made Ariel pause in her movements and she took a slow breath as she turned to look at Bail.

"Please, tell me something else about her?" Ariel asked him. Bail smiled at her.

"You're mother was a gentle soul, but also fearless," he said. "One moment she would be caring for an injured clone, and then the next she would be picking up a blaster to defend the medical base."

"Where was she stationed during the war?" Ariel asked curiously.

"She completed her apprenticeship on Coruscant about a year before it started, then she was transferred to wherever she was needed," Bail replied. "Karina was acknowledged in many forms of healing, which was why she was favored to treat the wounded on the more important bases controlled by the Republic. There was one time when the Seperatists attacked the medical center she was stationed at in the Nessel system, and she helped hold off the attack until her patients could be moved to safety."

"Wow," Ariel whispered, bringing the cups of tea over to the table and placing Bail's in front of him while taking the seat next to him. "I feel like there's so much I never knew about her."

"The war was a terrible time for many," Bail said. "It's something no one really likes to talk about, especially those directly involved and seeing the damage firsthand, like your mother. I'm sure she would have explained it to you when you were older, if she had gotten the chance."

"I suppose," Ariel said. "I'm not sure how I can be like her though. She healed people—I'm training to hurt them."

"No," Bail countered. "You are being trained in self-defense, and I know you Ariel, you don't like to hurt anybody if you can avoid it. Even when you give it your all, you never set out to truly harm or maim someone, preferring to disable or render unconscious, especially when it comes to certain boys in your class."

"But it's our job to do what it takes to fulfill our duty," Ariel said, ignoring that last comment.

"But you are not the kind of person to take a life in cold blood just because you could," Bail said.

"I would never do that," Ariel said fiercely. "There are too many monsters like that in the galaxy, and I refuse to be one of them."

"I know that, because you are a good person, and Torten has trained you well to think like that. He's very hard and stern, but he is not a heartless beast. He knows when to show mercy when the time calls for it. And as for being like your mother, it's true you chose a different path than her, but there are other things too. You're very kind hearted, you know what you stand for, and those you consider family come above all else. You are her, and so much more."

Ariel couldn't help but smile at this as she blew into her cup of tea before taking a small sip.

"Thank you, Bail," she said. "I want to make her proud by finishing my final trials next year."

"You never know, maybe you will get to take them early," Bail said with a smile.

"I doubt that," Ariel countered. "I just hope they don't go easy on me."

"They never have," Bail noted. "He will never admit it himself, but you are one of Torten's best students."

"I hope he never admits it, because I will start to think he likes me," Ariel chuckled, making Bail laugh as well. The two of them spent some time talking and drinking their tea, enjoying each other's company. Time passed by very easily, and at some point during their conversation they were surprised by the door suddenly opening and another guest striding through, her long dark hair pulled into two buns on the sides of her head, and her eyes bright as she stared around until her gaze finally fell upon them.

"Father. Ariel," Leia said happily as she entered the room.

"Leia," Ariel greeted with a broad smile as she stood up from her chair and went over towards the princess. Leia wasted no time in hugging her friend, and Ariel hugged her back, her smile never leaving her face.

"Leia, where is Madame Vesta?" Bail asked with a raised eyebrow, referring to Leia's teacher who was instructing her along with her aunts in the ways of behaving like a lady and princess.

"The last time I saw her she was walking along the west wing, Father," Leia replied innocently, but Ariel smirked, knowing Leia all too well to know that more than likely the princess left her there searching for her while she made her way down here to visit. From the look on Bail's face, he knew as well but he didn't say anything more on it as he finished his tea and stood to his feet as well.

"Well, I should probably take my leave, then," he said. "I know when the two of you are together there's no room for your withered, boring old man."

"Father, you are anything but withered," Leia insisted.

"Either way, I know you girls haven't seen each other in some time, so I'll just see my way out," Bail said. As he walked past, he dropped a kiss on Leia's head before he left through the front door. When he was gone, Ariel turned to Leia, her own eyes also bright.

"So, why did you leave Madame Vesta wandering around?" she asked.

"They wanted to stuff me in some other ridiculous puffed out gowns for the dinner Father is having next week," Leia answered with an eye roll. "I've tried telling them I like my white ones just fine, but it's like they don't hear me sometimes."

"They're just thinking about you," Ariel reminded her. "Typically your white dresses are not for such grand parties, but you have really been typical."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Leia said.

"How was your lessons at the University? And the trip your class made to the southern regions of the planet?" Ariel asked eagerly as she took Leia hand and led her over to the table she and her father were sitting at. "You must tell me everything."

"Only if you tell me of how you put those boys in their place today," Leia said with a grin.

"As you wish, Senator Organa," Ariel teased.

"Ariel—"

"Leia, you and I both know that it's going to happen someday," Ariel cut in before Leia could argue against it. "This is what you're passionate about, you have a reasonable head on your shoulders and a strength and wisdom that could lead millions. There is nothing to be nervous about, I know when the time comes you will be elected, and Alderran will have yet another great Senator leading it."

"How can you be so sure?" Leia asked. "I want this, I truly do, I want to do what is best for Alderran as well as others. Being in a position in the Imperial Court will help make my observations and input know, to try and make things better."

"And that is why you will win the election," Ariel stated confidently. "You are going to make such a difference Leia, I know it."

….

That night found Ariel and Leia sitting together in the library, looking over old holo-books and still chatting with each other. After spending some time in Ariel's home, the two young girls walked back to the palace in time for Leia to have late-meal with her parents. They had extended the invitation to Ariel, who generously accepted. Once she became an official member of the guard, such pleasantries like having late-meal with the royal family will become almost scarce, so she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could. Once late-meal was over, the girls decided to spend some time in the library before Ariel had to return to her house for the night. The main objective was to find material to help Leia with her history class at the university, but as per usual, they became just a little distracted with other holo-books that caught their eye. Bail usually liked to have his library updated, so there was usually new material to read every few weeks or so. Ariel herself was currently looking through a new section of history holo-books in the back east wing of the library that dated back to the Clone Wars. Her eyes scanned through the shelves, looking at the different recordings as well as the texts, marveled at just how many there were. Soon enough she came across one that was labeled "Speeches Involving the Sheltering of the Outer Rims." Curious, Ariel took it along with some others she had found and brought them back towards the table where she and Leia were currently seated. As she took her seta she saw Leia came out from between two aisles with her arms laden with holo-books.

"Leia, what are you doing with so many holo-books?" Ariel giggled. "I left you alone for only two minutes!"

"I found these in the very back section of the library," Leia replied as she sat down opposite of Ariel. "Towards the south side wing."

"What? Leia you know we're supposed to ask for permission for access to those holo recordings," Ariel said.

"Father says if I'm going to take his place as Senator I'll need to understand past issues as well as the present and future," Leia explained. "History is one of my favorite lessons in the university, and the best way to shape the future is to learn from the past. The empire wants most things about the Clone Wars under strict supervision, I'm surprised Father was even able to get his hands on these."

"Let's just hope that the Empire doesn't find out," Ariel stated worriedly. "I'd hate to see him get into trouble."

"The Empire can't make a fuss of something they don't know is here," Leia said with a reassuring tone. "And I'm sure Father won't mind if we look at these for studying purposes. He's had them for a while and he says we can look at anything in here."

"To a certain extent," Ariel reminded before biting her lip. "Although I am curious as to why the Empire doesn't like people delving into it."

"We'll just look at a few," Leia said with a gleam in her eyes. Ariel looked around to make sure they were really alone before nodding her head with a smile.

"I found something involving the Cone Wars as well," she said, holding out the holo-book she had been looking at earlier. "These are recordings of the speeches made to protect the Outer Rims during the fighting, I heard they were the targets for possible invasion for Seperatists bases."

"Let's take a look at it," Leia suggested. Ariel nodded again and then set up the holo-book in between them, turning it on. The faint blue images appeared before them in a hologram of different voices and faces, with labels along the bottom stating which speech it was and where it took place. Using her finger, Ariel navigated their way through the files on the holo-book, looking through them all with Leia in the quiet of the library. For a little while they sat there and listened in on the many talks about sheltering the outer rims from the advances of the Seperatists and giving aid to the civilians who are victims of the ongoing battles. It wasn't too long, however, before they came across a familiar face.

"Look, it's Father," Leia pointed out as they came across an image of Bail Organa speaking at a public conference on the planet Durin. Ariel paused here and tapped on the button would allow them to play the recording. Bails voice reached them in a confident, strong tone as he spoke out to the audience they couldn't currently see, wearing his usual senator's clothes with other leaders and senators sitting off to the side. They listened in as he spoke of the new guidelines and procedures they need to set in motion for the systems who do not have the means to protect their planets on their own, especially those with no sort of military protection. He also explained that some of the more dangerous crime lords live in the outer rim and they wouldn't hesitate to provide an alliance with the Seperatists if they offer a good deal. Bail's speech went on for a few more minutes, and Ariel smiled when she glanced up to see Leia enthralled by it, listening to her father's every word. She truly did admire him and wanted to make him proud of her one day. As the speech neared its end, Bail gestured to the other senators around him who are supportive of this action and would gladly take part in this effort. When he did this, Ariel looked into the faces of the senators to his left, which consisted of two men and one woman, who Bail introduced as Kal Marr, Denvee Boyd and Padme Amidala. Ariel had just enough time to think to herself that Padme Amidala was quite lovely, with her dark brown hair and violet senator's' robes before her attention was snapped to the person who was standing behind her. In a matter of seconds Ariel's face lost a little color and her smile was wiped away as she gazed into a face she has not seen in so very long. The person standing behind senator Amidala was a woman, and not just any woman. It was a woman Ariel knew very well and had thought about every day for the past nine years.

"Mama," she whispered.

"What?" said Leia.

"My mama," Ariel said softly, pausing the recording to point to Karina. "She's there, behind this woman, Senator Amidala."

"This is your mother?" Leia said as she peered at Karina with interested and awe-filled eyes. "Oh Ariel, she was beautiful. You look like her."

"Thanks," Ariel muttered. "But I don't understand, your father said she was deployed to medical centers during the war."

"The date here states that this was only about a month after the war started," Leia said. "This could have taken place before she was deployed."

"I suppose. But what would she be doing at one of these speeches?"

"You did say that she was a friend of my parents."

"But even good friends wouldn't be allowed on stage with the other senators," Ariel told her, shaking her head. "That's only reserved for family, or personal guard, or maybe physicians…"

"But your mother was a healer, right?" Leia said. "Maybe she was there in case of an emergency, you know, like a stand-by or something. It wasn't uncommon for assassination attempts to be made"

"Maybe, but she would be off to the side, not directly behind the senators," Ariel said.

"You said my father told you she would fight if need be, so she might have been there for some sort of protection."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she's not alone," Leia explained, her eyes wide as she pointed to a couple more shadowy figures in the background. "Look, there are others there too…I think they might be Jedi!"

"Jedi?" Ariel whispered sharply, her own eyes widening. "Are you sure?"

"I'm fairly sure, they're wearing what the Jedi used to wear and they even have lightsabres."

"What is a lightsabre? And how do you know what the Jedi used to wear?"

"I heard some whispers from the last time father took me out into the city," Leia said, lowering her voice and leaning in closer to Ariel. "They were from people who had lived during the war and remembered the involvement of the Jedi, or have seen them for themselves. Lightsabres are the weapons Jedi would use. See those silver cylinders on their belt? I'm positive that's it."

"Cylinders?" Ariel repeated, staring hard at the small weapons that were hanging at the waist of the men who were standing off to the side, watching silently as Bail made his speech, wearing familiar long brown robes with tan tunics underneath, keeping a guarded, watchful gaze at their surroundings. A sudden memory came to Ariel in that moment, a memory she had thought was long forgotten…

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Ariel was sitting on her bed, staring down at the silver object in her hands that felt very light and was reflecting the light of the lamps. She had found it hidden in the bottom of the cupboard under the sink, inside a wooden box. She had tried to do some cleaning while Mr. Kudo was away at work, he has been working so hard lately, she wanted to help out in any way she could. She had been looking for some clean rags to wipe down the tables when she found the box tucked away in a corner, with the lid slowly gathering dust. Ever so curious, Ariel had taken the box back to her bed and opened it up, amazed at the gleaming object that was inside. Holding it carefully in her small hands, Ariel observed the object from top to bottom, wondering what on earth it could be. She remembered vaguely the few times she had seen it underneath Mr. Kudo's cloak when he would visit her home on Lothal, but never thought to ask what it was. She spent a little time looking it over and noticed there was a bright red button set in the middle. Furrowing her eyebrows, Ariel moved her thumb towards it, thinking about what would happen if she were to touch it.

"Ariel, no!"

Ariel jumped a little where she sat and looked over to see Mr. Kudo walking through the front door, looking tired and weary but nonetheless cautious as he stepped through, his eyes on the silver cylinder in her hands.

"Don't move Ariel, and do not press that button," Mr. Kudo said calmly as he walked over to her and gently took the silver tool out of her hands.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kudo," Ariel mumbled, afraid she was in trouble. "I found it under the sink, I didn't mean…"

"It's all right, Ariel," Mr. Kudo said, placing the tool back inside the box. "But you must not play with things when you do not know what they are, they could be dangerous. You could have hurt yourself. You must never play with this, do you understand?"

"Yes," Ariel said. "What is it, Mr. Kudo?"

"It's something I once held dear. I suppose in a way I still do…but I have something much more dear to look after. For now, the past needs to be tucked away so we can focus on the present. It's best for us to leave this be."

Ariel watched as her guardian took the box and went into their little kitchen to place it back underneath the sink, even pulling one of the rags over it.

"Now, how about we start on late-meal?" Mr. Kudo suggested as he closed the door to the cabinet. "I'm making your favorite, hazelnut soup."

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"Ariel? Are you okay?"

Leia's voice brought Ariel out of her thoughts and she looked up to see her best friend's concerned face. So many thoughts were running through her head, along with an assumption that didn't seem real, but from what she could see, it was very possible that it was true.

"I'm sorry," Ariel said softly. "I just remembered something. Something I didn't really understand until now."

"What's that?" Leia said.

"I think…I think my guardian might have been a Jedi."

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