Star Wars: Cross Paths Part 3

Thanks to Anon, Guest, Daisy, LOVEM, Elen, Sue, DirksTalia, RedLigth16, JediLukeSkywalker, yourlocal90simp and Connors for reviewing. And to everyone who took your time to read it. You guys are great. Love you all.

A/N: WARNING SPOILERS for Obi Wan Kenobi

Chapter 13 – Leaving to Tatooine

Ines was holding her baby in her arms, while they already had put everything inside their ship.

They are about to leave to Tatooine for more than 2 weeks, and right now they were having everything they needed, and ready to leave.

"Who is ready to make a trip to Dada's home planet?" Ines said to her baby, who was grabbing her cheeks with his little hands. "Who?"

"I am ready mom," Ben said coming from home, with R2 right behind him.

"You are really eager to go to Tatooine, sweetie."

"Yes I am. I want to know how dad lived. I know I was there, but I was 2, so I don't remember much," he said looking at his mother.

"I see," she smiled at him. Then Padmé appeared holding her dolls. "Hey sweetie."

"Mama, will you tell us a little more of your story while we go to Papa's home?" the little girl looked at her.

"Yes I will," she nod and then looked around. "Padmé, where is your twin?"

"Alli is saying goodbye to everything."

Ines frowned and spot her other twin daughter waving around.

"Bye, tree. Bye rock. Bye lake. Bye frog. Bye big creature inside the water. Bye bird."

Ines approached her daughter.

"Alli, sweetie what are you doing?"

The 4 years old turned around and looked at her mother.

"Saying goodbye to everything."

Ines was trying not to laugh at her daughter's, because she knew how sensitive Alli would feel.

"But why are you doing that? You will see them again. We will come back from time to time."

"I know, but in Papa's home it is all sand, so I will miss this."

Ines shook her head, when Luke appeared.

"We are ready to leave," he informed them. "What is going on?"

"Your daughter is saying goodbye to the trees, to the frogs, to the lakes, and so on."

Luke made a question look, not understanding what his wife was telling him.

"Because your planet is all sand and there is not these things there," Ines explained to him, making him trying hard not to laugh.

Looking at his 4 years old daughter, he said to her.

"That is very sweet from you, but you will see them again."

"Girls are so strange," Ben said making Luke looked at him.

"You know my son, when I was your age, I thought the same thing." Luke started making Ines frown.

"Oh really?" she said to him.

"But when your father saw your mother in his head when I was 10, trust me, my mind change and now I can't imagine my life without her."

"Nice one, mister," Ines laughed, looking at her baby laughed too.

"But you and mom were meant to be together. That's different."

"And who told you that there isn't a little girl out there meant to be with you too," Ines said to her son. "Just wait until you are, I don't know 50 for that."

"Mother," Ben said rolling his eyes.

"Come on people, lets go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Tatooine," Luke said.

Watching the three kids entering inside the ship, Luke and Ines looked at each other.

"Ready to go to my home planet?"

"Ready. Right sweetie?" Ines asked to their baby who waved his little arms. "You will love playing in the sand and put it in your mouth. I'm already seeing that," Ines laughed, while the entered inside the ship with R2 right behind them, beeping.

"Someone is eager too. Or not," Luke laughed.

After a while they ship lift off and left the planet, heading to Tatooine.

After the ship went to lightspeed, the kids were sitting on the table, eating, while Ines was giving her baby his soup.

"Mama, please tell us more," Padmé asked her.

Looking at her kids and to her husband who had his right arm around her shoulders, she nod.

"Okay. Where was I?"

"You just had left Daiyu with Ben and Leia and you were heading to Mapuzo," Luke informed her.

"Oh right. Okay. Since it was a cargo ship, we couldn't do anything but waiting for the ship to reach its destiny. So until that happened we just wait," she started to tell them.

Flashback

Heading to Mapuzo, 9 BBY

Ines was walking towards Ben, who was busy doing something. Looking at the old Jedi, she stood there for a while until she got the courage to speak.

"Are you okay, now?"

"Why do you ask?" Ben asked her.

"You seemed a little stressed a while go," the 10 years old replied.

"I'm fine." he answered her before continue to do what he was doing.

"You are Obi Wan Kenobi, one of the greatest Jedi of all time," she finally said.

"How…"

"That man in Daiyu, Haja, called you Obi Wan. And so was that lady back in the cargo port. I heard of you since I was a baby, by my father. Now I understand why those mean people are after you," she continue.

Ben nod but continue to look down.

"You don't talk much do you?"

"Well you are talking for both of us," Ben said, making Ines frown.

Then Leia appeared, wrapped herself in a gray type of blanket.

"Are we almost there?" she asked, but Ben didn't bother to answered her. "Can't you make this thing go any faster?" she continued.

"Is a trade route, Leia. I'm not in control of it," he finally replied.

"Can't you use the Force on it, or something?" Leia asked again.

"That's not how it works," Ben and Ines said at the same time, making him looked at the 10 years old.

"Sorry," she said to him.

"You seemed to know about it very well," he told her.

"My father told me. I liked to hear about them."

Nodding Ben looked down.

"He is preparing you to become a great one in the future alongside your husband," he thought to himself, before he looked back at the 10 years old.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he replied.

"How does it work?" Leia interrupted his thoughts, "The Force. What does it feel like?"

"Have you been afraid of the dark?" he asked facing the two girls.

They both nod at him.

"How does it feel when you turn of the light?" he asked them again.

"I feel safe?" Leia answered him.

"Yes, it feels like that?" he replied.

"How long did you not use it?" Ines asked him, making Ben frown at her. "You struggle when you were making Leia float when she was falling. So I figure you didn't use the force for a long time."

"You are very observant, Ines."

"Thank you. How long?" she insisted.

"Long time." he answered her, making the girl smile sadly at him.

Then he gave back Lola.

"Lola," Leia smiled. "You fixed her. Thank you"

"See, I knew you were a good person all along," Ines smiled at him.

Then a noise was heard.

"We are better get ready. We're on approach," he informed them, while he stood up.

Present Day.

"When the ship landed, we were able to be out if while some cargo was getting out of it. The storm troopers didn't even noticed us," Ines said cleaning baby Luke's face.

"How was Matuzo," Padmé said making Ines laughed.

"Mapuzo, sweetheart," she told her daughter. "It was like a desert, but not fully. At least not like Tatooine, your father's planet." she replied remembering the walked she, Leia and Ben made the moment they left the cargo ship.

Flashback

Mapuzo, 9 BBY

"What is this place?" Leia asked Ben.

"Mapuzo. It's a mining system," he explained to them.

Ines looked around. It was not like Daiyu and definitely not like Alderaan where everything was green and beautiful. Here everything was dry and hot.

"Coordinates say the meeting point is further north," Ben said looking at the device Haja gave to him. "That is if our new friend was telling the truth."

"Why would he lie?" Leia asked.

"People are not all good, Leia," Ben answered her in a harsh tone, making the girl stop in her tracks.

"Don't talk to her like that," Ines said right away. "And there are good people, yes. Not everyone is bad. Only because you had a bad experience, that doesn't mean everyone is like that either."

Ben looked at the 10 years old in front of him. Somehow he already could see her in the nearby future, and see how a strong woman she would be become.

Continue to walk, he looked around.

"Wasn't always like this here," he started to explain, "There were fields and families. And then the Empire came in and ravaged it all."

"Though the Empire was supposed to helping us," Leia replied, making Ines looked at her friend.

"Well, there are some, like your dad, who are trying to. Seems like a losing battle these days," Ben sighed.

"And you think that because you are royal, and your father is an Imperial Senator. For those who are not aristocracy, the Empire don't care if you are okay. Why do you think they hunting the last surviving Jedi, Leia? Because without them, they can do whatever they want, exploring the poor people who don't have the strength to fight them, and the ones they do, they are killed. That is why we need to fight back, and not lose hope," Ines said walking down the road, while Ben and Leia stop looking at her.

Noticing that, Ines turned around.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"Maybe you should be the Senator," Leia told her giggling.

"No thank you. I leave the boring part to you, while I handle the physical one," she giggled back.

Then Ben face changed. His expression felt like he was seeing a ghost. The girls notice that and looked at each other.

"Ben?" Leia asked.

"Are you seeing something?" Ines asked too, looking to where Ben was looking, but she didn't see anything.

Looking back at them, Ben said:

"Stay close, both of you." as they started to walked to the meeting point, but nobody was there.

"Now, remember, if anyone asks, we're farmers from Tawl. You two are my daughters and you don't talk," Ben started telling them.

"I can't talk, or I don't want to talk?" Leia replied.

"You don't."

"Got it," Leia nod.

Ines looked at him.

"I don't talk either? That is not suspicious at all, right?" the girl shook her head.

"This is it," he replied, stopping and looked around.

"Are you sure?" Ines asked.

"This is where he told us to come to," Ben said.

"Maybe, they're late?" Leia said looking around too.

"Yeah. Maybe they were busy and couldn't come in time," Ines nod agreeing with her friend.

"Maybe it was a lie," Ben said making Ines looked at Leia.

"Here we go," she whispered to her.

"I knew it. I never should've trusted him."

"We don't know, maybe…" Leia started but Ben looked down at her.

"No one is coming here, Leia," Ben said right away.

Ines sighed, then she looked away and saw something. Leia saw it too, and both girls looked at each other.

"We, if we are on our own, we're gonna need some help," Leia started and walking down the path she started to wave at some kind of transport that was approaching.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Ask for help," Ines told him.

"Maybe they can give us a ride to the spaceport," Leia said.

"But it's not safe," Ben continue to say.

"Have a little faith," Ines told him.

"He seems friendly," Leia nod in agreement.

"Girls, just keep your heads down," Ben said, "And remember, don't talk."

The transport stopped and Leia reached it first.

"Hi, I'm Luma, and this is my twin sister Iva and this is our friend… father. This is our father, Orden. We're farmers, from Tawl." Leia started right away.

"Hey there. I'm Freck," the mole alien said.

"Hey Freck," Ines said waving back at him,

"Father, aren't you going to say hello?" Leia said looking at Ben.

"Hello," Ben said making Ines looked at him. Boy this man sucked at pretending, she thought.

"We were going on a trip, and we got a little lost in this field," Leia continue.

"That's a weird story," Freck said looking at them.

"Well it is weird for you cause you know this place. We are not, so it is normal we got a little lost. Do you know every place?" Ines asked looking at him.

"We got a bit turned around," Ben said. "We're looking for the nearest port. We need to get home."

"Well, I'm going that way. Jump in," Freck said right away.

"Perfect," Ines said looking at him.

"Oh no, that's all right. Thank you, we need just direction," Ben continue.

"Come on Father, we've walked long enough," Leia said, "Thanks Freck," and she went to the back of the transport.

"My pleasure. Hop in," Freck said.

Looking at Ines, they also started walking to the back of the transport. The moment they saw the Empire flag, Ines and Ben looked at each other.

"That's not good," Ines whispered to him.

Helping the girl, they sat down.

"Don't worry. I'll get to the port in no time."

As they transport started to move again, Freck started talking.

"Now, where'd you say you're from again?"

"Tawl," They all said at the same time.

"Oh, good people out in Tawl. They pay their way, listen to the Empire," Freck said making Ines looked back at Leia and Ben.

"Absolutely. We love the Empire," Leia nod.

"Nice to meet like minded folk. Nothing wrong with a little order, right?"

"Yeah. A lot people were getting to much arrogant and over their heads. Now they know their place," Ines said.

"Exactly," Freck said nodding.

Then Ben straight up. Looking to where he was looking, Ines glare at him.

Some stormtroopers were passing by, and Freck just stopped his transport.

"Transport late again?" he asked them.

"As usual," One of them responded.

"Hop in. Meet my new friends," Freck said right away, as the troopers hop in and sat down near them. "This is Orden, Luma and Iva. They're hitching a ride to the port." he turned back. "Where are you all coming from?"

"They're moving us around, looking for a Jedi," one of them replied.

"A Jedi? Out here? I hope we're not in danger," Freck said right away.

"Ah, no, we'll find him. We always do," another trooper said, making Ines want to laugh at him.

The ride continue in a silence, until one of the troopers, looked at them.

"You're a miner?"

"Farmer, from Tawl," Ben said right away.

"What are you doing right here?"

"That's a long story," he replied.

"It's a long way," one the troopers replied.

The girls looked at each other.

"He brought us here to see the place where he met our mother before she…" Leia started.

"She's not with us anymore," Ben nod looking at the troopers. "Been a very difficult time."

"What about you? You have any information about a Jedi?"

"I wouldn't know if I saw one," Ben said.

"You haven't heard anything?"

"Nothing. Are you sure he is even on this planet?" Leia asked.

"They know what they are doing, Leia," Ben said making the girls looked at him.

Really? Ines thought.

"You called her Leia. I thought her name was Luma," the trooper said right away.

"That was her mother's name. I get confuse. Like I said is not being easy. Sometimes when I look at Luma, I see her mother's face. We all miss her very much."

The troopers looked at them. Then Ines had an idea.

"She was killed, by a Jedi. We would be dead too, if some of your colleagues didn't come in time and saved us. So thank you for your service," she said smiling at them.

"It is our job," he said. "Well, keep your eyes open. Report if you see anything. This is us. Thanks Freck" and they all started to hop off, leaving them alone.

The moment they were alone, Ines looked back at Ben and shook her head.

But Leia was staring at Ben.

"You knew her, my real mother, didn't you?" she said.

Ines looked down. She knew her friend always wonder how her real parents looked like.

"It was just a story," Ben said but Ines knew he was not telling the truth.

"The whole time I've known you, you've been hiding something. Lying to me."

"Leia."

"Are you my real father?" Leia asked him.

Ben glare at Ines and then back to Leia.

"I wish I could say I was, but no, I'm not."

"Sometimes I try to imagine what he was like," Leia said sighing.

Ines grabbed her friend's hand a smile at her.

"I know that feeling," Ben said to her.

"You do? You don't know who your parents are?" Ines asked him.

"As Jedi, we're taken from our families when we're young. I still have glimpses, flashes really, of my mother's shawl, my father's hands. I remember a baby.

"A baby?" The girls said smiling.

"Yes, I think I had a brother. Really don't remember him. I wished I did."

"That's sad," Ines said.

"Then I joined the Jedi and I got a new family just like you."

"Why would they do that?" Ines said looking at him. "That is wrong, taking the kids from their families. Any kid needs their family love. They shouldn't do that. They should allow them to visit once in a while. It is because of them we always want to do good. I wouldn't allow that to happen if I was a Jedi Master."

Ben smiled and for the first time he reached Ines and stroke her cheek. Then his face change when he saw they reached a stop.

Looking at it too, Ines stood up and sat down next to him, grabbing his left arm.

"Freck? Can we get off here?" he said.

"It is a standard inspection. Don't worry, won't take long. I know these fellas."

Ines looked at Ben.

"Ben, I have a bad feeling about this," she said.

When the transport stopped, and Freck got out, they knew something was not going well, when the trooper came around and ask him who were they and asked them to hop off the transport.

Helping the girls to get out, Ines gasped when a probe droid appeared. She knew they would find out who he was.

Then everything went to fast. Ben shot the probe droid and she hid under the transport, while shots were fired above her.

Looking around she didn't found Leia. That was when she heard and trooper, ordering Ben to drop the gun. He had Leia.

Approaching slowly the edge of the transport, she grabbed a rock and hit the foot of the trooper. That was enough to make him got distracted and allow Ben to shot at him.

Grabbing the girls, he went to the gate, pressing the buttons, but the laser beams didn't go off.

Ines looked at him and looked around. She knew it was a waste of time to talk to him, so she just went around the other edge of the gate and climbed to the other side.

When Ben shot the gate and made the laser beams off, he walked by it and stop when he saw Ines staring at him.

"How!?" he said.

"You could just walked around, you know," she said rolling her eyes.

"Come on," he said but they were stopped by a transport and a bunch of troopers came out of it.

"Get down! Get down of the floor," they yelled at them.

Doing what they were asking, they thought this was it, when they hears shots, but it was not at them.

Looking up, they saw, what it looked like an Imperial Officer staring at them.

"Come on," she said, making them stand up. "They'll have sent a transmission. We have to hurry. I'll take you the rest of the way."

Holding the girls hands they followed her.

Present Day.

"Was she undercover?" Luke asked his wife.

"In a way, yes."

"Freck is a bad guy," Alli said with a mad face.

"Well baby girl, not everyone thought the Empire was bad. And in a way, he got his work from them. Maybe his life got better doing this transportations." she said, making Luke nod. She was right.

"What happened next?" Padmé asked.

"Well I think I need a pause. I will tell you when we reach Tatooine and put you to bed. Okay?"

"Okay," the kids said sighing.

And Ines already telling the part where they reached Mapuzo. Next time they will reach Tatooine and Luke will see an old face that he was not expecting to see.