Star Wars: Cross Paths Part 3
Thanks to Anon, Guest, Daisy, LOVEM, Elen, Sue, DirksTalia, RedLigth16, JediLukeSkywalker, princesselsaamidala22 and Connors for reviewing. And to everyone who took your time to read it. You guys are great. Love you all.
Chapter 4 – A Sad Goodbye
The holo images of Ken Talia and Padmé Amidala were glowing inside the hut. That day they contacted Naboo, to know how was everything, and also to know the news.
Luke and Ines were looking to their parents.
"So how is everything there?" Ines asked them.
"Everything is calm, so far." Ken replied his daughter.
"Did you talk to the Gungans, already?" Luke asked his mother.
"Well, we spoke to the Queen, and she sent her ambassadors to seek an audience with them."
"And… Did they agree to meet all of you?" he asked.
"We are all heading to the their territory in a few days." Ken answered his son in law.
"That is a good sign, right?" Ines said looking at her father and then to her husband, who nod at her.
"Yes. They know me from the time I was Queen. So let's not lose hope." Amidala said. "But what about you. How are you doing?"
"We are doing fine, as you see." Luke said, shaking his head towards the twins who were jumping around with Grogu, since the child now could jump higher.
"What are you doing?" Ken asked his granddaughters, who looked at the holo.
"We are fogs." Padmé said, making Amidala and Ken laughed at their granddaughter remark.
"Frogs?" Ken frowned at that.
"Well let's say that Grogu loves frogs and the girls love to save them from him." Ines said giggling.
"I see." Ken laughed.
"And how are our two grandsons?" Amidala asked, looking at her youngest grandson who smiled at his grandmother and gave one of his high pitch babbles.
"Well this continue to drooling, as you can see," Ines started kissing his cheek. "As for our first born, since he saw his father training with his lightsaber, now he just don't stop waving his stick, pretending to have one too."
"Well wasn't why you were decided to be there in the first place?" Amidala asked, looking at her son.
"Yes, I will. Soon." Luke answered.
"Any news from Tatooine?" Ken asked them.
"Actually we are about to find out," Luke replied. "Din must be arriving any minute now from there."
The moment he said that, R2 started to beeped outside, and Ben came inside the hut.
"Daddy! Mommy! R2 just said a N1 start-fighter just entered atmosphere." the boy informed.
"Do you think is Din?" Ines asked looking at Luke.
"I believe so." Luke answered her.
"Well then we will go. Tell us what happened. Stay save okay. We love you." Amidala said.
"We will, we love you too" Luke said and the holo disappeared, while they went outside in time to see the ship just landed near the lake.
The moment they reached Din, Grogu jumped into his arms, making him surprised by that.
"Hey buddy. What a jump you just did!" he said to the small child.
"Papa is twaining him to do that," Padmé told him.
"We awe jumping too. Want to see?" Alli said and the girls jumped at the same time, but not that high.
"Very good," Din told the girls, and looked at Ben. "And what about you buddy. What is that stick in your hands?"
"It is a lightsaber like my daddy's." Ben replied waving it and making noises like a lightsaber.
"How are you?" Luke asked him.
"So far everything is great."
Ines looked at the ship that Din came in and she already saw those type of ship before, from a small book when she was a little girl back in Alderaan and remembering what her son said when he informed them a ship had entered the atmosphere, she gasped right away.
"Wait, a N1 – Starfighter. Is this the ships that were made as an order by the Queen of Naboo for her Royal Guard?" she said approaching the ship, holding her baby tightly in her arms.
"Yes, actually. How do you know that?" Din asked her.
"I never thought I could see one in person." she said smiling and looked back at Luke. "Sweetheart, this type of ships were order by your mother, when she was Queen of Naboo."
"What? Really?" Luke said approaching.
"Your mother was Queen of Naboo?" Din asked him.
"Yes when she was 14 years old. That is when she met my father."
"I recognized it right away because my father had a book of Naboo and there were pictures of these ships. I always wanted to see one. These are old, like 42 years old." She said, "Where did you get this?"
"From Peli Motto, in Tatooine. We did some modifications."
"I bet R2 recognize this for sure. Right R2?" Luke asked his little friend, smiling when the droid beeped. Looking back at Din, Luke decided to asked what he had in mind since Din. "Do you have any news from Tatooine?"
"Yes. Maybe we should get inside and I will tell you everything."
Nodding they all entered inside the main hut, where they sat by the table, where they decided to make a snack, because they guess Din was hungry from the trip he did.
"So what happened in Tatooine?" Luke asked him after let him eat in peace.
"It was a difficult fight between us and the Pikes, but in the end we were successful. And your two students helped a lot."
"Are they okay?" Ines asked.
Knowing that the battle was in Mos Espa where Ieneh and Alena lived, she was worried, because she knew they would help them for sure.
"Yes they are. They were amazing I have to say. You guys taught them well." he said making Luke and Ines looked at each all proud.
"And did you talk with Boba after that?" Luke asked. He really wanted to know.
"Well, he will help but he wants to talk with you in person first."
"That will be interesting, specially after the last time we saw each other it was not on good terms." Ines replied looking at Din and then to Luke.
"Well he is a different man since that time. But also I think you need all the help you can get, and I think you two should go there and talk to the Marshall."
"Marshall?" Luke asked.
"His name is Cobb Vanth. And apparently he will be the new Lord of Mos Espa."
"I thought Boba Fett was the Lord of Mos Espa." Ines said a little surprised.
"I think he decided it was not for him. But he passes the torch to Cobb, maybe it is for the best that you two talk to them in person."
Luke sighed and looked at his wife. In a way he knew Din was right. And since the conflict was indeed over, maybe it was for the best.
"Alright. Tell them that we will go in three weeks."
Nodding, Din looked at Grogu and taking something from inside his armor, he handle to Luke.
"Before I go, I brought this for him. It is a beskar chainmail. It will protect them since not even a lightsaber can cut it."
Once again Luke and Ines exchange looks. This was it. The time has come.
"Actually there was also a reason why I asked you to come here."
"Oh," Din said a little surprise.
"We wanted to talk about you and Grogu, and how every time you visit him and then have to leave how sad he becomes when that happens," Luke started to talk.
"So are you saying I need to stop visiting him?" Din started, not liking that idea.
"No, no, no," Ines and Luke said at the same time.
"Every kid needs to be close to their family, it doesn't matter if it is their parents, grandparents, uncle or even father figures, like you are for Grogu," Ines replied to him, making Din nod.
"Then I don't understand what you two are trying to say,"
Luke sighed.
"As you know, all of my students have time to be with their families. They go to their home planets and spend at least 3 times per year with their families," Luke started to explained. "Before I created the new Jedi Order, the kids were taking for their families and many times they never saw them again. Hey, Jedi were not allow to get married and have a family. I never liked that rule, so I decided to change. Family is important and love is not a bad thing. It was the love that Ines and I share that stopped me to turn to the dark side. Her love guided me all along. So that was one the reasons I decided that my students, would spend time with them and they are allowed to married and have kids."
Din looked at him and to Ines. She knew that he was following it.
"What Luke is trying to explain Din, is while our students have a fix place to be with their love ones, you on the other end as a bounty hunter, you don't have a fix day to see Grogu. Sometimes it passed weeks, months. You know what we are trying to say?"
"Yes, Ines I'm starting to understand." Din nodded.
"And, just like Ines said, when you come and visit him, it gets more difficult to say goodbye to you. And not only for him but I know for you too."
"I miss him." Din said.
"And he misses you too. And we are noticing this more and more." Ines told him.
"So, I decided that it is time for Grogu be with you again."
Din looked at Luke a little surprised by that.
"What about his training?" He asked.
"He learned a lot during the time he was with us. He is getting stronger and learned how to control more the force. I know he will fine with you."
Grogu looked at Din and jumped into his arms, clearly showing that he wanted to be with him.
"I'm happy too buddy." he smiled at him. Looking at Luke and Ines and nod. "Thank you."
The kids approached and Padmé look at her parents.
"Gogu is going away?"
Luke glare at Ines and then smiled sadly to his daughter.
"Yes sweetheart. Grogu will go with Din."
"Oh," the little girl said said.
"No… I don't want him to go," Alli said and started to sobbing, making Luke and Ines sighed. They knew from their kids, Alli would be the one who will take the news badly.
"Sweetheart don't cry," Ines told her but the little girl kept sobbing and the fact that Grogu and her were hugging each other didn't help. "He is my best fwiend."
"Don't cry Alli!" Ben said at his younger sister.
"Alli, sweetie, look at me," Ines said making the little girl looked at her, while she wipe the tears from her daughter's face. "Grogu misses Uncle Din. He wants to be with him. Don't you want him to be happy?"
Alli looked at her mother sobbing and nod.
"I un… ders… tand." the little girl said between sobs.
"Besides, Alli," Din said making the little girl looking at him, "I promise that we will visit you anytime you want."
"Pomise?"
"I promise."
"Okay." She said.
Walking outside, Alli hug Grogu one more time crying making everyone sad at the scene. Even little Luke, who was in his floating crib looked at his older sister in silence.
"I will miss you Gogu." the little girl said.
Grogu babble at her. Everyone said goodbye to him and as they stand there watching the ship rising up and left the planet.
Luke looked at his little girl who was still crying, and walked towards her.
"Sweetie," he said touching her shoulder, but Alli's reaction was not what he expected.
She shook his hand away from her and ran towards Ines, who picked her up while the little girl continue to cry.
Looking at her husband, Ines shook her head, showing to him to let their daughter calm down first.
Grogu is back with Din and it was a sad goodbye between Grogu and Alli. What do you think of Alli's reaction in the end towards her father?