Yavin, 9 ABY
Rain poured over the mossy stone of the temple's sloping walls, cascading down to the jungle below. A distant wave of thunder rolled across the jungle's thick canopy, and a cacophony of birds answered its call to greet the dawn. The rising pitch of avian symphonics stirred Leia Organa-Solo out of a dream, and she shifted on her thin mattress, stretching her legs against the heaviness of sleep. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and gazed out the stone window, blinking against the ray of light shining over the edge of a billowing cumulonimbus cloud.
A resonant metallic gong reverberated over the treetops, briefly silencing the birds as the temple warden heralded the rising sun. Heeding the cue, Leia stretched her arms and arched her back, awakening her reluctant muscles as she worked up the will to roll out of bed. She swung her legs over the floor, leaning forward with her hands on her knees as she looked out the window and listened as the birds resumed their fugue. As the wheels of her mind engaged, the realization settled: it's today.
The day long discussed and much anticipated had finally arrived. After three years of sporadic, intermittent study amidst fighting the Empire to its capitulation, serving as Mon Mothma's all-purpose diplomat-extraordinaire, raising a child, and adopting a child from the depths of an Imperial hell, Leia's Jedi Trial had finally arrived. Closing her eyes against the intensifying sunlight, she turned her focus inward, feeling the current of Force flowing though her. She was pleased to notice only a scant, fleeting, ephemeral sense of anxiety. Shimmering alongside the anxiety was a palpable excitement that transcended the occasion; after months of intensive study under her Master, she would soon be reunited with her family.
Han, Chewie, Threepio, and Winter, her nanny, aide, and confidant, were currently en route from Coruscant aboard the Millennium Falcon, and both her son, Ben, and her adopted daughter, Kira, would join her following the first stage of her trial. Luke had advocated for allowing Leia's family to be present for the principle trial, but that allowance was one concession too many for the two older Jedi Masters serving on the Council, Master Oppo Rancisis and Master Coleman Kcaj. Both had served on the Council prior to the onset of the Clone Wars, and fierce debates had raged over various changes made to the Jedi Code.
The greatest of those departures had centered on Leia's training. Trained by a non-Jedi, allowed to raise a family and have children, and initiated as a Padawan while a full-fledged adult serving the Republic on a part-time political basis, Leia's training had broken virtually every principle of the previous Order. Luke, Ahsoka Tano, Cal Kestis, and Taila Zevala had all made impassioned cases against maintaining old orthodoxies, but Rancisis's and Kcaj's faith in thousands of years of precedent had proven virtually unshakable. Leia had further raised eyebrows when she had collaborated with scientists on developing a new healing protocol to help the younglings and surviving Jedi following decades of trauma. Master Rancisis and Master Kcaj maintained that traditional Jedi methods of healing centered on meditation were superior – all despite what Leia considered incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.
As Leia mused on the conflicts embedded within the new Council's dynamic, a soft knock on the door stirred her out of her pondering. Leia shifted her focus to her sense of the being on the other side of the door and smiled as she recognized a familiar, child-like energy. "I'll be with you in just a moment," she said, smiling.
She wrapped her robe around her shoulders and pulled her hair back and up into a loose bun, then glided to the door. Electronic doors were one of the few luxuries that Luke had installed into the new temple, and Leia appreciated his insistence on maintaining as natural an environment as possible – a welcome departure from the chaos and urbanity of the temple on Coruscant, which the Republic now maintained as a memorial.
The door slid open, revealing a 9-year old boy with green hair and an impish grin. "Good morning, Jacen," Leia said fondly.
"Master Skywalker sent me here to make sure you don't oversleep," Jacen said, his smile bright.
"Did he, now?" Leia asked, raising her eyebrows playfully.
Jacen shuffled on his feet and nodded as he struggled to contain his excitement.
"Well, then we mustn't keep Master Skywalker waiting," Leia said. "Will you accompany me to breakfast, Jacen?"
Jacen nodded, then bounced off down the corridor toward the stairs. Soft lights glowed along the cool, damp corridor, with water condensing on tufts of moss growing between the cracks. She glided after Jacen, who looked back at her before bounding down the stairs, unable to contain his excitement. Leia found herself reflecting his excitement; this would be the first formal Jedi Trial to occur since the great decimation at the conclusion of the Clone Wars, and Leia recognized the honor of being the first of the new Jedi.
Minutes later, Leia reached the mess, and she greeted the nearly two-dozen Padawans and a handful of Jedi Knights who had survived over the past decade of purges and persecution. A round of applause greeted her, eliciting a slightly embarrassed smile from Leia as Jacen raced toward her with a bowl of steamed rice, vegetables, and local herbs with sea salt. Leia accepted the bowl, and settled into her chair, digging into her breakfast as the younger Padawans gathered around to ask about the Trial.
"Is it true that you're going to go into the tree cave?" asked a young Twi-lek girl with bright, wide eyes.
"It is true," Leia affirmed between mouthfuls.
"I heard it's full of ghosts!" snorted an adolescent Ugnaught.
"Not exactly. The only ghosts allowed in this temple are those of Master Yoda and Master Obi-Wan," Leia said, her smile faltered slightly at the omission of her father, Anakin Skywalker.
"Aren't you scared?" asked a mousy five-year old human boy.
"You would think so," Leia admitted. "But if you mind your training, and you learn to understand your fear, it won't control you. You become its master."
"Whoa," the little boy replied.
"Anyway," Jacen interjected, "I just want to see the lightsaber test."
Leia smiled, and the Twi-lek girl blurted, "Are you going to duel Master Kestis?"
"No," Leia said, shaking her head solemnly. "Master Skywalker."
The girl's eyes went wider with admiration at the thought of a duel between her two heroes, the brother and sister who saved the galaxy.
"Master Luke is totally going to win," said a 13-year old Bothan boy confidently.
"Is he now?" Leia smiled, her eyebrow rising half an inch.
"Everybody knows boys are stronger," the Bothan retorted.
"Now, now. We all know that there's more than one kind of strength, Padawan Trel'yvia," spoke a woman's warm, serene voice.
The children turned toward the speaker, and Leia recognized Ahsoka Tano standing silently behind them. The children murmured and whispered among themselves in wonder at Ahsoka's sudden appearance. Leia rose from her seat and stepped toward her Master, embracing her. When Ahsoka disengaged, she beamed at Leia with pride.
She then turned toward the children and said, "Leia, I hope these children haven't prevented you from finishing your breakfast. A Jedi Trial is nothing to endure on an empty stomach."
A few children blanched sheepishly until Ahsoka smiled warmly. Leia asked, "Is it time?"
"Very nearly," Ahsoka affirmed. She turned to the children and said, "Padawans, please assemble in the main hall as I escort Padawan Leia to her Trial."
A clatter of scraping stone benches erupted after Ahsoka's words, and the children dashed away from the tables, racing each other to the hall. Leia and Ahsoka both watched them go, smiling at their glee and joy. Leia looked up to Ahsoka and noted a trace of sadness mingling with her joy.
Ahsoka noticed Leia's gaze, and Ahsoka said, "Even now, I still grieve the death of so many younglings. It is bittersweet to see so many once again."
Leia rose to her feet and took Ahsoka's hand. Ahsoka shook away the grief and smiled down to Leia, saying, "Shall we?"
Leia stood behind the great wooden door separating the antechamber to the great chamber of the temple, which now served as the seat of the Jedi Council. The faint tendrils of anxiety she had felt earlier had blossomed, and she fidgeted with her hands as she awaited the moment. The muffled murmur of conversation vibrated beyond the doors, and as Leia reached out through the Force, she had a fleeting sense of an older Jedi reprimanding the Padawans – Master Kcaj, most likely. As she felt the Force, she turned her focus away from the chamber and to the jungle beyond the temple. The rich pulsations and vibrations emanating from the vast tapestry of life resonated throughout the planet and within her, bringing a deep, soothing calm to wash over her anxiety. Gratitude flared in her as she thought of Ben and Kira coming to Yavin in the following year to begin their Jedi training; a peaceful jungle would be much better than Coruscant, especially for Kira.
Her focus snapped back to the moment as the heavy wooden doors creaked, opening outward into the chamber. Leia stepped forward into the chamber, which rose five stories into a darkened ceiling from a broad, circular area about half the width of the Imperial Senate. Directly ahead, seated on a dais surrounding a mosaic, sat five stone chairs, each occupied by a Jedi Master. Before the dais, standing near the center of the mosaic, cloaked in white and waiting silently, stood Ahsoka Tano. Leia walked toward the mosaic, passing through the arranged chairs upon which were seated over a dozen fidgety children, several older Padawans, and a handful of Jedi Knights who had survived the Empire and were later knighted retroactively. All eyes followed Leia as she approached Ahsoka and the Council. Leia glided forward, her eyes locked on Ahsoka to help her stay grounded.
Leia paused upon the center of the mosaic, and she lifted her eyes toward her brother. He wore a black robe with the hood pulled back. A slight smile cut through his solemnity, and Leia could feel pride radiating from him. To Luke's right sat Master Oppo Rancisis, his reptilian body coiled beneath him and hidden in robes of his own. His long, gray beard obscured most of his face, and a turban sat upon his head. To Master Rancisis's right sat Master Kcaj, another survivor of the Decimation, his inverted face rising from the eyes below his curved jaw up to the crest upon his head. The effect of his face would be alarming if not for his stoic placidity. To Luke's left sat Master Cal Kestis, ten years Luke's senior, his long, red hair pulled back with streaks of gray beginning to show at the temples. And to Master Kestis's left sat Master Taila Zevala, her graying hair short, and her face stoic but also radiating pride. As Leia considered the five Masters, Luke's central position seemed to serve as a pivot between the younger Masters – the more progressive of the bunch – and the older, more conservative Masters.
Leia bowed deeply, and the five Masters returned her bow. As Leia straightened up, Luke said, "Greetings, Padawan Leia Organa-Solo. Today, we gather to celebrate and honor Jedi Tradition, both old and new. In your first trial, you shall face the dark side of the Force, proving that you have mastered your feelings and will not let your attachments govern your actions."
Leia noticed Master Rancisis nod in agreement at the word 'attachments.'
"Leia Organa-Solo, do you enter Jedi service willingly?" Master Zevala asked.
"I do," Leia affirmed.
"Do you renounce the Dark Side and all of its temptations?" Master Kestis asked.
"I do," Leia said.
"Are you now prepared to face your dark side and reject its hold over you?" Master Kcaj asked.
"I am," Leia answered.
Leia looked to Master Rancisis, who sat silently, scrutinizing Leia. After the moment's scrutiny, he said, "Forgive me, Master Skywalker and Padawan Organa-Solo, but as we are about to take a momentous step that will break thousands of years of tradition, I must note my concerns."
Leia felt her own sequestered frustration mirroring her brother's. Luke hid it well as he turned to Master Rancisis and said, "Very well."
"Forgive me, Padawan Organa-Solo. I have served the Jedi Order for more than 200 years, and not once did we permit a Padawan to reach knighthood who was married and who had children," the Master said, his voice dry and reedy.
That you know of, Leia thought to herself, although she maintained silence as the Master continued to raise his objection.
"It is well known through the history of the Jedi that such attachments present a path to the Dark Side beyond what our training prepares you for. I have great reservations about allowing you to pass this threshold," he declared.
"The Jedi Order of the past 200 years is not the order of today, Master Rancisis," Master Kestis said, his irritation subtle, but sequestered. "As Master Skywalker has elucidated, if we strictly adhered to the rules of the old Order, there would be few Jedi left."
"Be that as it may, the old Order's rules on attachments existed for good reason," Master Kcaj interjected.
"Yet, many of the practices of the older Order have, quite reasonably and correctly, been abandoned. Need I remind you of the practice of removing Force sensitive children from their families?" Master Zevala countered.
"Now is not the time to debate that particular practice," Master Rancisis replied, his voice dry and papery.
"But it is the time, apparently, to remind all of us that just because something is a tradition, it does not make it good and correct," Master Kestis rebutted.
Luke held up his hand to silence the burgeoning debate. The rest of the Masters fell silent, and Luke said, "On this matter and on many others, we have debated, often vigorously and robustly. We disrespect our Padawan's accomplishments to rehash it here at this time." Luke turned to Master Rancisis and said, "Master Rancisis, I note and respect your objection, and I motion that we proceed with the trial."
Leia dropped her shoulders, releasing some of her tension as she noticed the older Master settling in his chair with some faint emotion akin to resentment radiating from him. And he's lecturing me on non-attachment? She thought wryly to herself.
"Padawan Leia Organa-Solo, you may proceed," Luke said soon after, closing the debate and commencing the trial.
Leia looked over her right shoulder. There on the far side of the chamber, a twisted set of roots entwined around a dark cavity, the entrance to a cave that had been excavated prior to the Jedi's settlement of the temple several years ago. A cold chill ran up her spine, and as Leia exhaled, she turned, walking slowly, but steadily toward the cavity.
It took Leia a short eternity to reach the mouth of the cave as dread and uncertainty arose within her. She ran through calming techniques to settle the emotions in her body, then paused at the threshold. She inhaled deeply then grasped one of the roots framing the cavity to lower herself in. The root had a slimy, cold consistency that sent a shiver down her spine, but it was sturdy enough to help her lower herself into the darkness of the cave. She stepped carefully over twisted roots, wishing that she was allowed to use her lightsaber to light her way. Twice she nearly tripped and fell on roots crossing the muddy floor, and she settled into a slow, steady shuffle, uncertain of when the true trial would begin.
Leia's next footstep settled on a hard, smooth surface. She looked down at the gray, sanitized floor, then looked up to see a thin man in a gray Imperial uniform gazing out a rectangular window at a blue-white sphere. With a rush of fear, Leia recognized the man and the planet. She blinked, and the scene shifted. A slow, mechanical breathing rose and fell behind her, and the man in the Imperial uniform turned toward her, his eyes alight with anger and zeal.
"You would prefer another target – a military target? Then name the system!" the man ordered.
Leia hesitated, feeling her response die in her throat. A sense of helplessness stole over her, and the man stepped forward. Leia retreated instinctively, backing into something solid and rough.
"I grow tired of asking this, so it will be the last time," Tarkin said, his voice low and menacing. "Where is the Rebel base?"
Leia looked past Tarkin at Alderaan, hanging peacefully in the vacuum of space, unprepared and possibly unaware of what was coming. Keeping her gaze locked on the planet and hoping beyond hope that this time it might somehow be different, she said, "Dantooine." She looked up at Tarkin, then unable to sustain eye contact, looked down and said, "They're on Dantooine."
Tarkin turned away, and in a light tone, said, "There, you see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable." He then turned to a nearby officer and ordered, "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."
"What?!" Leia shouted in disbelief as the old, familiar helpless horror flooded her.
"You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry – we will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough," Tarkin explained, his refined voice conversational.
Leia uttered, "No," as she pushed forward. She felt Vader's hands pull her back into his chest.
As the sense of helplessness washed over her, threatening to drown her in despair, a quiet voice inside of her said, It doesn't have to be this way. You can stop it.
Leia became aware of a weight hanging from her belt. Even as Vader held her, she knew she could reach down and touch it. Her hand found the object, and she felt the comfortable shape of her lightsaber in her hand. Her hand closed around it, and she removed it from her belt.
With a snap-hiss, Leia whirled, slashing into Vader. Vader leapt back instinctively, and with the space created by Vader dodging the attack, Leia twirled around and lunged forward, plunging her blade through Tarkin's chest. She turned to see Vader, recovering, his red blade ignited. Leia turned on Vader as shadows stole across the Death Star's bridge.
"It is too late," Vader growled, his mechanical voice larger and deeper than she had remembered it.
Leia thrust her hand forward and squeezed. Vader brought his hand up to his throat, and she heard his mechanical breathing falter. She squeezed, putting all of her hatred and anger into the gesture, and Vader dropped his lightsaber. The weapon extinguished, clattering to the ground.
"I would have done the same thing," a male voice said beside her.
In her surprise, Leia relinquished her grip. She raised her weapon again and turned to land a killing blow on Vader, only to find that he had vanished. In his place, a vast field of black stretched on forever, the only light the purple glow from her lightsaber. A blue light materialized from beside her where the voice had spoken, and she turned to see the ghost of Anakin Skywalker.
"You!" Leia hissed as she recognized her father standing before her.
"I did do the same thing," Anakin admitted. "Rather than risk losing everything I loved, I turned to the Dark Side."
"Is this a trick?" Leia asked, backing away.
"A trial, not a trick," Anakin explained cryptically.
"What is this?" Leia asked.
Anakin sighed, then said, "I wish we could have spoken sooner. This would have been much easier." He paused, then with his voice rich with sorrow, added, "I am sorry for what I did."
"I'm sure you are," Leia hissed, continuing to back away, only to find that Anakin did not appear to move any further from her as she did so.
"There was nothing you could have done," Anakin said soothingly.
Leia stopped attempting to back away, and she lowered her lightsaber. As she did, she noticed the anger and rage coursing through her body, flowing nearly unabated. She had expected something related to her family. She always thought that was the way to temptation for her. But to be back on the Death Star, before Tarkin and Vader. . .
"You said you did the same thing?" she asked, confused.
"I was certain I would lose your mother, and I did everything I could to save her. And look what it got me," Anakin said. His voice was not bitter, but his haunted expression told her everything.
As Leia looked at the weapon in her hand, she felt the heady rush of power subsiding.
"Who knows what you would have become if you had had the power to stop us. And the Death Star would have fired anyway," Anakin explained. "Maybe not that moment, but even you could not have stopped tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers."
In place of anger, Leia felt a curious sense of relief and embarrassment. She looked up at Anakin, and the two gazed at each other for moments that felt like hours. A sudden understanding – an affinity that she felt a twinge of shame for – emerged.
"Not a moment goes by where I don't feel some regret," Anakin said. "But look at you now. I am so proud."
The twinge of shame subsided, and in its place, Leia felt a blossom of emotion. She gasped, half-cry, half-laugh, as she said, "Father."
No sooner had she said the word did she come to. Her eyes flew open, and she stood on the center of the mosaic, surrounded by Jedi Masters, Ahsoka, and the Padawans. Disorientation unsteadied her, but Ahsoka grabbed her arm to steady her. Leia looked up at Ahsoka, awash in confusion.
"Congratulations, Leia Organa-Solo – Jedi Knight," Ahsoka said, her smile radiating pride.
Leia leaned over the balcony, watching the sun sinking into a billowing cloud on a far horizon. The brilliant orange glow tinged with yellows, purples, and reds washed over her face, reflecting the complex mix of emotions she had experienced that day. She sorted through them, attempting to separate what emotion belonged where and what each of them meant. But as the various emotional threads continued to re-tangle, she gave it up and simply focused on the sunset.
"Something on your mind?" a female voice asked.
Leia turned to see Ahsoka emerge from the shadows of the temple's uppermost chamber. She walked the short distance to the veranda and leaned against it, surveying the jungle unfurling toward the clouds on the horizon. Leia turned back to the sunset and stood beside Ahsoka silently for several minutes.
Leia knew that Ahsoka was giving her space to think through her response, and finally, when Leia found a modicum of clarity amidst the tumult of emotions, she said, "Why did you forgive my father?"
Ahsoka did not answer immediately, and Leia watched Ahsoka's eyes move back and forth as she surveyed the landscape. Eventually, she said, "I think I told him, 'If it's good enough for the Force, it's good enough for me'." She paused thoughtfully, then added, "But if I'm being honest, I think it's because I knew what it was like to be the black sheep in the family, so to speak. I identified with him more than I was ready to admit."
"I know the feeling," Leia said, sinking down to rest her chin on her elbows as she leaned against the railing. The sun began to sink behind the cloud, and the evening birds in the jungle commenced a tremendous racket.
"The trial wasn't what you were expecting," Ahsoka observed.
"No," Leia admitted. "I thought - my children."
"Was it Anakin?" Ahsoka asked.
"And Vader," Leia said, finally recognizing that Darth Vader, the man who held her back while Tarkin destroyed her home was a different man than Anakin Skywalker.
Ahsoka raised her eyebrows and said, "Of course. Both of them. Vader told me Anakin Skywalker was dead."
"Everyone thought so but Luke," Leia said.
"And your mother," Ahsoka added gently.
"During the trial, I felt I had the power to stop everything that happened that day," Leia said, gazing at the sun's rays radiating from behind a cloud. "Anakin told me that's what he felt when he became Vader."
"Anakin had nobody else to help him see. The only one who knew everything he was facing was Sidious," Ahsoka said.
"The older Masters are wrong," Leia said, her brow furrowing.
"Of course they are," Ahsoka smiled. "And they won't be here forever. One day, you'll be on the Council, and you can decide how this all goes. No Jedi ever has to find themselves in Anakin's position again."
Silence fell and remained with them as dusk followed the sunset. Her father's fall held many lessons, but perhaps none were so important to the future – to Ben and to Kira – than knowing that a Jedi does not have to be alone – no secrets, no lies.
The first star had appeared when Leia smiled. As the fog lifted from her mind, she smiled, asking Ahsoka, "Now that you're dealing with me, do you have a Padawan in mind?"
"Actually," Ahsoka said, turning toward Leia and straightening up. Leia mirrored the movement, her smile fading, as Ahsoka said, "I came to say goodbye."
"You're leaving?" Leia asked. The emotion was one too many on a challenging, triumphant day; tears began to stream down her cheek.
"Yes," Ahsoka said. "I believe I did what was right by both of your fathers. I'm not a Jedi, nor will I ever become one. There's no place for me here."
"Where will you go?" Leia asked.
"Shili," Ahsoka said simply. "It's free now. I may go back to help with the recovery. Or maybe I'll retire to a quite cabin in the northern woods; live out my life." She smiled wanly as she considered such a life.
"You've earned it," Leia said, then added, "But. . ." Her thought trailed off as she was unable to complete the thought.
"You're a Jedi, now." Ahsoka smiled. "You can do what you wish. You are welcome any time."
Leia turned to Ahsoka, and Ahsoka opened her arms to embrace her Padawan turned Jedi Knight. They held the embrace as dusk faded, and when they parted, Ahsoka held Leia by the shoulders, taking in the face that was a blend of both Anakin and Padme.
"Your parents – all of them – would be so proud," Ahsoka said. "As am I."
Leia smiled gratefully as tears welled in her eyes. She threw herself back into Ahsoka's arms, and they embraced again. When they broke apart, Ahsoka spared another glance at the darkening jungle and smiled, savoring the last glance. She squeezed Leia's hand, then turned away from Yavin's wilderness, passing back into the shadow of the chamber.
"May the Force be with you," Leia whispered before turning back to the night sky.
A light emerged in the distance, and before long, Leia recognized the familiar rumble of a sublight engine. She watched the ship approach, and she turned to follow the familiar form of the Millennium Falcon as it soared overhead toward the landing platform.