A/N: "Two Years Later" - Not dead. Two chapters, here you go. (Anyone still reading this?). Do excuse any errors, I do my best.
Reminder:
Italics without quotation marks are thoughts, no matter which person is thinking.
"Italics" with quotation marks are people from the Gate universe speaking. They are speaking the language of the Empire.
"Normal Text" , with quotations is Galactic Basic.
Previously...
While Luke remained in his coma, Princess Piña and company headed to the capital city of Sadera, where Piña aimed to report to the Senate that the dragon had wiped out the expeditionary forces. The Senate, seemingly believing her spun tale, is splintered on what to do next, with factions forming in the following days: One side wishes to send a force to defeat the Flame Dragon as a show of Imperial dominance, and the other wishes to fortify Sadera in the event of a dragon attack. Meanwhile, the Emperor proceeds with his own, unknown plans, sending a missive to the King of Elbe.
Amidst her deception, Piña is faced with uncertainty in the Empire's ideals and finds herself questioning everything she has known. Even then, above all else, she swears to protect the people, no matter the cost. She aims to do what she can to maintain the ruse and plans to sway uncertain senators as a means to do so.
The morning after Luke woke up.
Taungsday, Telona 32, 10 ABY || Emdies, 11 of Nonumensis, 687 IC.
0700 standard hours || Prima Diei Hora (First Hour of the Day).
Formal Family Manor, Italica.
Luke opened his eyes to a sunlit ceiling. He took a moment to recount the previous night. The talks with Han and Chewie, the revelation of his fifteen-day coma, and that this planet was not in a different galaxy but a different universe. Then the talk with Eluran and La.
The two gods were seemed filled infinite curiosity. They asked everything that came to their minds, some questions Luke could not satisfy. Not because he did not want to, but because he did not know the answer. Luke knew more than an average person when it came to science and space, but he was no expert. When dealing with the specific complexities of astrophysics and astrogation, Luke could only answer the basics — if that.
Either way, the gods seemed content with what Luke knew, and even when his answers were rudimentary at best, they listened with great interest. The mere fact that it was new information was enough to satisfy their hunger.
"One must start with the foundation if we are to properly understand," La told him.
Their impromptu lecture ended after the twins grew excited to experiment and see if what Luke said about physics and chemistry were true.
They left his dreams, and he opened his eyes. It was an odd transition, and although his body felt rested, Luke did not feel like he slept. Luke was sure Eluran and La would visit again, so he would need to grow accustomed to such a paradoxical sensation.
Luke dealt with his hygiene and quickly got changed, before heading out of the room. When he opened the door, he saw a maid opening the curtains. She noticed him, and gave a bow.
"Honorable Sir Luke, may I be of assistance?" The maid, who sported feline ears and vibrant violet hair, gave Luke a kind smile. Her equally vibrant, furry tail swayed behind her.
Luke shifted awkwardly, "No need for formalities, Luke is fine."
"If you insist, sir," The maid seemed unsure with her reply.
"Have you seen Rory?" Luke quickly changed the subject to ease an uncertainty.
"I believe the priestess awoke an hour or so ago, said something about watching the sunrise."
Luke gave a nod, "Thank you,"
"Do you need an escort outside, Sir Luke — or um, Luke? These halls can be a bit confusing."
Luke gave another nod in thanks, "Thank you for the offer, but I'll be fine. Sorry for interrupting your work."
"Assisting you is my work, sir, it was no issue."
Luke gave another nod in thanks before walking down the hall. He vaguely remembered the path through the manor, allowing the Force to guide his way. After a few minutes of traversing different wards and staircases, he turned the corner and was met with familiar faces.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, conversing with an air of familiarity, were two Warrior Bunnies. One was dressed in full maid attire, and Luke recognized her as Delilah. The other Warrior Bunny had dark hair and was missing one ear. She wore simple clothing: a white t-shirt, cargo shorts, and no shoes.
"Parna, it is good to see you well. I'm glad you and Delilah were able reconnected," Luke said in Falmart's common tongue.
"Sir Luke, it is good to see you awake and healthy," Delilah gave a respectful bow.
Luke gave a slight nod of his head in response, "I apologize for the trouble, but thank you for keeping me comfortable."
"So the maids weren't lying, you really do know our language," Parna added.
"It was a surprise to me too, but I'm sorry for interrupting, excuse me," Luke gave a simple nod before moving passed them.
"Wait," Parna stopped Luke before turning to Delilah. "I'll see you later."
Delilah gave a nod and smile, "Of course."
Luke watched the two excuse themselves before Parna caught up with him. They silently walked down the hall.
"I'm surprised you returned," Luke started.
"Me too, I thought I had nothing left here, seems I was wrong," Parna said.
"You and Delilah seem like good friends."
"We are—we were, more than just friends, but that was years ago. It's just good to know she's alive. When we separated after the war, I was in a dark place, we all were."
The way Parna spoke made Luke not want to pry into what seemed like a sensitive matter despite his curiosity. "Are things better now, at least?"
Parna thought for a moment. "A bit better, yes. I thought about what to do with my freedom, and decided to help you."
"Help me?"
"Well, more like I want you to help me free my people."
"That's why you returned? Other than Delilah, I mean."
"That is the only reason I returned, I did not know about Delilah until I got here."
Luke nodded. Of course, he fell into a coma before he could tell Parna that he met Delilah.
"As for why I stay, Delilah is a part of it, but so is the liberation of my people, the few that are left. Delilah and I have worked with your team as they gathered information about this world and my people's situation."
"Thank you for that, we will need as much information as possible for this to work."
"That's another thing," Parna stopped walking which prompted Luke to do the same. "I heard you seek a non-violent solution to our situation."
Luke was a bit surprised but nodded. "Ideally, yes, but realistically, I aim to keep the violence to a minimum."
Parna shook her head. "Your allies were right about your idealism. Truthfully, I think it is stupid and childish."
Luke chuckled a bit. "That's fair."
Parna nearly glared at him.
"I know what it is to face the Empire, I know its wrath and ruin. With all the horrors they committed, they do not deserve your peaceful solution," She spat. "Take it from someone who knows, they are not worth your mercy."
Luke could sense the hatred radiating of Parna. He could not blame her.
"Your anger is justified and what you say may be true, but we have no right to impose our will on these people. We would be no different from them if we did."
"Right? Your power is your right!"
"No, Parna, it is not. Those with power should not assume to have a right over others simply because of power. That power should be used to help not rule."
"Then help my people! Help all the people who are slaughtered by the Empire everyday!"
"I intend to, but I will not have anger and vengeance cloud our judgment as it has yours."
Parna scowled. "What? Do not pretend to know me."
Luke shook his head. "I don't know you, and I don't claim to. What I do know is that there is a deep hatred within you, and that hatred is driving you, but to what end? Do you really seek to help your people or is it merely vengeance that you crave?"
Parna scoffed. "We cannot all have the luxury of your righteousness. Your people were not driven to near extinction!"
Luke gave a somber look, understanding Parna's feelings more than she realized. "I know how it feels to hate — to be consumed by it. Such hatred may be well-founded but you cannot let it control you. Do not seek vengeance for the sake of vengeance."
Parna paused at that and scowled. "What does it matter? Enacting vengeance on the Empire would save my people."
Luke gave her a poignant look. "But would it save you?"
Parna froze at that, seemingly at a loss.
There was an awkward moment of silence before Luke spoke again.
"I'm sure you did not wake up seeking a lecture," He said humorously.
Parna gave a shrug. "I did not, but I have much to think about."
"Then perhaps I did some good after all. I should get going, I rather not keep the Reaper waiting," Luke replied.
He walked away, leaving Parna to her thoughts, but before he got too far, she spoke up.
"Thank you again, for helping me, I mean," Parna said awkwardly.
"All I did was release your chains, the rest was your own strength and resolve," Luke replied.
"Your humility is annoying," Parna said.
Luke smiled. "Showing kindness can fill a world with hope, or at least that is what I aspire to do. Thank you, Parna."
As Luke walked away, Parna watched his figure fade into the distance. The weight of his words lingered, leaving her with a subtle sense doubt and uncertainty.
XVII - | New Day, New Allies | - XVII
Luke would eventually make it outside, his senses leading him toward Rory.
He could make out her silhouette atop the wall surrounding the manor. Making his way up a small staircase, he approached her, whose sight remained on the eastern horizon. She sat atop one of the merlons, which made up the wall's battlements, with her feet swinging over the side. It was not a small drop, but Rory was unfazed by the height. As always, her halberd rested lazily on her lap.
Even though Luke understood that Rory was far, far older than she appeared, he could not get over the fact that someone who wore the face of an innocent child could be so threatening.
Luke followed Rory's line of sight, and he saw the early morning sunlight spreading across the land. A swift breeze carried the smells of flowers and nature, and the sound of shuffling flora. The shadows were still stretched long and the sounds of birds chirping accompanied the sun's rise over the horizon.
"A beautiful morning," Luke began.
"I cannot count the number of times I have seen the sunrise, but even then, I agree. Mornings are always beautiful," Rory replied, her sight still toward the east.
"If only I awoke earlier to see it. Up here, it would be quite the sight."
"For someone who did nothing but sleep for the last few weeks, you sure had a sound slumber," Rory gave him a cheeky grin, turning ever so slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye.
"Didn't really feel like I slept, Lord Eluran and Lady La had so many questions," Luke knew what he was here to do. Rory made it clear that she wanted to know about what transpired between him and the twin gods.
"They are known for their tenacious pursuit of knowledge. They spent their thousand-year tenure as apostles doing just that," Rory explained.
"And after a thousand years, there was nearly nothing in this world they did not know," Luke deduced.
"As such, you drew their attention."
"Not that I wanted to."
"Obviously, but they are gods, and the gods do as they please. With that in mind, how did you come to reject apostlehood?" Rory asked.
"I got lucky?" Luke said before explaining his experience.
He spoke of the grand library, of Eluran and La's offer, his rejection, and the ultimate deal he made. Rory listened quietly, as she took in the morning sights.
"Then, after I made the deal, the world went dark and I woke up," Luke finished.
After a moment of silence, Rory let out a laugh. It was the mirthful laugh of a young girl, befitting Rory's appearance.
"You are truly a strange man. Presented with godhood and you choose mortality. There are so many men who would kill for the chance," Rory spoke gleefully, finding the entire situation amusing.
"I am proud to say I am not one of those men. Am I really so strange?" Luke was genuinely curious to hear what Rory, an immortal being, thought of mortality.
"You are strange, yes, but not for your choice. For the fact that, even with great power, you maintain a certain nobility about you. I have met countless men and women in my life who threw away any sense of morality the moment they gained power, will you differ, I wonder?" Rory faced Luke, and her eye had a dangerous glint to it, which made Luke uneasy.
Appearances aside, Luke could sense that Rory was perhaps one of the deadliest beings he ever met, and found himself grateful that she was not evil, even if her god was subjectively immoral.
"I'd hope so, but I am not infallible. Like all sentient and mortal beings, I am prone to mistakes and prone to misguidance. I put faith in my allies to ensure I remain on the right path," Luke said.
"You trust them a great deal."
"At times, I trust them more than myself. Power or not, I would not be here without my friends, both alive and dead," Luke's mind drifted to his close friends and family, along with all the allies made in the Rebellion.
"Your allies think the same of you," Rory replied.
"Hm?" Luke was confused.
"Well, to be more accurate, they revere you a great deal, praising you anytime they get. You are quite the hero, aren't you?"
"My friends said this?"
"The new ones yes...I assume you have yet to speak with them," Rory said after noticing Luke's confusion.
"New ones?"
"In your slumber, your group has expanded a bit. Head down into the basement of the manor, they're held up there, an interesting bundle of creatures. Not the best with ale," Rory explained with a small chuckle as she finished.
Luke was still confused, but then remembered Tuck mentioned a base in the basement, "I will visit them if we are done here."
"Oh, yes. You are interesting Skywalker—"
"Call me Luke, all friends do."
"We are friends?"
"Better that than enemies," Luke replied.
Rory locked eyes with Luke for a second before giving a toothy grin. "Then 'tis only fair you call me Rory, but as I was saying, you are interesting and are bound to make the future interesting. Oh~, how exciting!"
Luke gave another respectful bow. "Well, I hope I don't disappoint."
He then departed, finding his conversation with Rory enlightening if a bit odd.
XVII - | New Day, New Allies | - XVII
Luke wasted no time making his way through the manor. He passed maids and butlers, who gave a respectful bow to which he replied with simple morning greetings and words of gratitude.
He entered the lower level, which once acted as his holding cell, and immediately noticed the extensive wiring lining the floors and ceilings. There were lamps, similar to those in his room, hanging from the ceiling and walls. Simple, portable things that were crucial when moving from base to base.
It was clear that this entire basement ward was made into a makeshift base. Reminiscent of all the bases the Rebellion had to quickly construct and deconstruct depending on whether the Empire discovered them.
The basement corridor had a few doors leading into various storage rooms and cellars lining the left and right wall. The staircase leading out of the basement was at the beginning of this corridor.
The large wooden door, no longer latched, was directly in front of the staircase. It led into the large cellar with pillars where Luke was placed after Piña had him and his allies arrested.
There was light coming from underneath the door, and Luke noticed shadows shifting.
"It's good to see you again, sir."
Coming from Luke's right was a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular Zabrak male in his early fifties. He had short, scruffy, dark hair surrounding his ring of horns. As common with Zabraks, he had intricate tattoos lining his face.
Looking at the man's clothing, or to be more accurate, uniform, Luke's eyes immediately fell on the patch affixed to the man's right shoulder. A three-by-three grid made up of three columns and rows, forming nine total squares. During the Rebellion, the squares were shaded in red, blue, and black to form a pattern that denoted the soldier's rank. In this case, three red squares down the left column, three blue squares down the middle column, and three black squares down the right column. A sergeant major.
Luke was struck with a sense of familiarity as he took in the man's features.
The Zabrak man stopped in front of Luke and gave a salute.
"Glad to see you in good health, General."
What?
"Sergeant Major Awuk Iroso, sir," Sergeant Major Iroso introduced himself, believing that to be the cause of Luke's trepidation.
The name also sounded familiar.
"Sergeant Major Awuk Iroso...ah—from Hoth." Luke gladly took Iroso's hand.
"I was staff sergeant then, but I'm glad you remember me, General."
Again with the "General", Luke thought.
"We didn't interact much, but I saw you enough around the base to recognize your face. It's good to have you, Sergeant Major." Luke returned the firm shake.
"It's good to be back under General Organa's command, and a privilege to serve under you as well."
"You called me general, I assume that Leia has something to do with that."
"Right, you wouldn't know. General Organa officially conscripted you to her militia and granted you the rank of general," Iroso informed.
Luke held the bridge of his nose in frustration. "She did it when I was asleep because she knew I would object. I'm not even a part of the New Republic military."
Iroso released a chuckle. "Neither are we, sir. This militia is private, in official records, we are part of General Organa's private security that is focused on protecting the Alderaanian royal family."
Luke nodded, knowing this. "And unofficially, you are a group dedicated to ensuring the Empire never returns."
"Now you are a part of that group, sir," Iroso said.
Luke released a heavy sigh. "I must speak with Leia about this, but I understand the reason. We need an official structure if were are to operate here."
Iroso nodded. "Militia or not, we are still military. Hell, almost the entire militia is made of former Alliance soldiers. Keeping the structure just makes things easier. With that in mind, I assume you are here to meet the team."
Luke nodded. "I'm interested to see who chose to come here, I assume you were briefed."
Iroso led them inside. "An unexplained portal opening to a planet in a different galaxy. Probably the craziest briefing I've ever heard."
"You are in for a surprise, Sergeant Major," Luke replied vaguely as they entered the large cellar.
Luke immediately scanned the room, taking in its inhabitants and furnishings. The cellar was wide, and was somewhat split down the middle. On the left of the room, directly in front of the entrance, was a setup typical of a makeshift Rebel base. Wiring and cables were visibly attached to a few computer stations. The stations were lined against the walls of the cellar, and surrounded a large holoprojector table. There was also a glass tactical screen, which usually mapped ship locations in space, but now displayed a topographical map.
The right side of the room was a contrast to the left. Rather than computers and holoprojectors, it was far more casual. A few sofas and table, and there was even a dejarik table, which was currently in use.
There were five people in the room other than Luke and Iroso. In the operation area were two individuals configuring the holoprojector table.
One was a young Nautolan man, pressing on the holoprojector's panel's, seemingly testing the input and out of the projector, while a Lannik man stood to his side — both mumbling back and forth.
In the recreational area were the three other occupants. They were huddled around the Dejarik table, with two of them facing off, while another watched from the side.
The two facing off were a young Twi'lek woman and a young Quarren man, while a human man watched the two with amusement.
"Are you going to move?" The Quarren asked, somewhat annoyed.
"Shut up, I'm thinking!" The Twi'lek replied as she focused on the board.
"Aya, I can help if you want," The human offered.
"Just move, we aren't even betting anything," The Quarren replied, exasperated.
Luke found this amusing, and chose to make his way toward the dejarik table. As he made his way, the two working at the holoprojector noticed him and tensed up. He merely raised a finger to his mouth to shush them, and they nodded silently.
The way the dejarik table was situated, the Twi'lek was facing away from the door, thus could not see Luke approaching. The Quarren noticed him, but Luke once again shushed him as he approached. The human also got wind of what was happening and sat up straighter.
Luke stood silently over the Twi'lek's shoulder, and focused on the board. The game was still early on, but the Quarren was definitely winning. He got the impression that the Twi'lek was not well versed in dejarik.
"If you move the Ng'ok piece, you'll be able to damage his K'lor'slug and Grimtaash. Those two don't have much health and the Ng'ok's special ability lets it hit two pieces in one attack," Luke suggested.
"Really?" The Twi'lek said as she looked closer at the table. She did as Luke suggested, and sure enough the Ng'ok managed to hit both the K'lor'slug and Grimtaash, effectively removing them from the board.
"HA! Take that! Hey, Than—" The Twi'lek's voice trailed off as she turned and realized Luke was standing over her.
"General!" The Twi'lek jolted in surprise, which caused her to slam her knee against the dejarik table, "Kriff!"
The other two at the table fought the urge to laugh. Iroso saw the commotion and sighed, "Everyone, fall in!"
The soldiers did as commanded, and they all lined up at the center of the room.
"You all right?" Luke asked the Twi'lek as she hobbled over to line up.
"Y-yeah, sorry I didn't notice you, General," She apologized as she rubbed her aching knee.
"No worries. I'm sorry for interrupting your game," Luke replied.
"You didn't interrupt much, sir," She said.
Luke took a position beside Iroso, and stared at the line of soldiers.
Most of them were relatively young, fresh-faced, and unfamiliar. Other than Iroso, Luke noted the Lannik seemed like the oldest among the five soldiers.
"Well, everyone, I doubt I need to introduce the man to my right, but just in case you forgot the briefing we had not twenty-four hours ago—" Iroso motioned toward Luke—"This is General Luke Skywalker, and he'll be leading this operation."
Iroso then turned to Luke. "General, we are the First Recon Team, assigned to you directly by General Organa herself. While you were in your coma, we were gathering intel on this world to help us successfully complete the mission at hand."
"Thank you, Sergeant Major." Luke paused to take in the soldiers in front of him. They all remained stoic and stiff, standing at attention in front of their commanding officer, "Hello everyone, I am thankful that you agreed to come here even after learning of the peculiar circumstances, sinc—"
"Luke, you're up already!" Han's voice came from the entrance of the cellar. All attention was drawn to the door. Arriving was Han and Chewie, along with Luke's original group: Gramps, Tuck, Sakas, Del, and Iden.
"Good to see you awake, Luke," Gramps patted Luke on the back.
The other gave similar greetings, and Luke smiled to each of them.
"I see you're checking out the new team," Tuck said.
Luke nodded, "I was about to when you arrived —" He stopped and eyed the five soldiers in line before his sight landed on the Lannik — "If we are to work together, then I should get to know your names at least."
"Sorry General, before we begin, we should probably get Sergeant Oruwaa here as well. She's currently in the infirmary," Iroso cut in.
"Infirmary?" This team really built a whole base down here.
"We use the term loosely. We just shoved a bunch of medical equipment and a 2-1B into the room next to this one. Corporal Todai, go fetch the sergeant," Iroso pointed out the young human who saluted and went to do as he was told.
A few awkward moments passed before Private Todai returned with Sergeant Oruwaa.
Oruwaa was a tall Mirialan woman of around 190 centimeters. She had light olive skin, and long, dark hair, which was tied into a pony-tail that hung over her right shoulder. Her attire was similar to everyone else, but she wore the red symbol patch on her shoulder, indicating her status as a medic. She also bore traditional tattoos on her face, as common with many Mirialans.
She seemed reserved, and gave a nod to Iroso and Luke before moving to stand next to the Twi'lek woman.
With everyone in the room, Luke refocused on the person furthest to his left. The Lannik soldier, who, as indicted by his grid patch, was a staff sergeant, froze at the attention.
The Lannik cleared his throat before giving a firm salute, "Staff Sergeant Rik Amoti, sir!"
Luke made his way over to the shorter man and went to shake his hand, "A pleasure, Sergeant Amoti, thank you for being here. I'm sure this operation is odd for all of you."
Amoti shook Luke's hand firmly, "It's a privilege to work under you, General, no matter the circumstance, and even then, a new galaxy is hard to turn down."
Luke gave the Lannik a smile. "Your not wrong about that."
Iroso stepped up, "Amoti trained as a ranger back on Lannik before he joined this militia, he was recommend by General Leia due to experience, so he became my second-in-command if that's all right."
Luke nodded at the information. "I trust your judgment, Sergeant Major. Thank you again, Sergeant Amoti."
The Lannik gave a nod of thanks as Luke moved on to the next in line.
The Nautolan who was working closely with Amoti gave a salute. The patch on his shoulder denoted he was another sergeant. He was young, with a yellow-orange skin tone.
The Nautolan was clearly nervous. "Sergeant Kaoe Turaa, sir!"
Luke shook his hand in an attempt to calm him down. "At ease, soldier. For you to be a sergeant at such a young age, you must be skilled."
Iroso stepped up again. "Sergeant Turaa is a master technician and navigator. A prodigy of sorts. He's been instrumental in helping chart this world."
Turaa shrank at the praise. "It's an honor, sir. I hope my skills can be of use."
Luke gave the young Nautolan a smile. "It seems they have already done wonders, thank you, Sergeant."
Turaa seemed elated at the praise as Luke moved on.
The next in line was a human male. The same one sent to get Oruwaa. He was young, probably just over twenty years old. A slight reflection in his eyes indicated slight cybernetic enhancements. Probably to alleviate bad eyesight. He had a buzz cut, and remained rather stoic as he saluted.
"Corporal Ekus Todai, sir," He introduced himself.
Luke took his hand. "Good to meet you Corporal. Is this your first big operation?"
"I've done a few missions back home, but this one is unique," Todai replied.
"Corporal Todai was part of the Stewjon Defense Force before he joined the militia. He's pretty skilled at using turrets and knows quite a bit on money management," Iroso informed.
"Money management?" Luke was unsure how that would be useful.
"We needed someone to help determine what money this country used and its value in comparison to ours if we are to properly provide reparations. All part of our reconnaissance," Iroso replied.
"Well, thank you, Corporal, for being here," Luke gave a nod of thanks.
"My privilege, General," Todai replied as Luke moved on.
The next in line was the Quarren who was playing dejarik. He was young, probably the youngest out of the group.
"Private First Class Aturu Sothi, sir!" Sothi said as he saluted.
Luke shook the Quarren's hand, "Nice to meet you, Private."
"I'm honored to serve under you, General Skywalker," Sothi said proudly.
"Sothi's got a good head on his shoulders, and he isn't a bad chef," Sergeant Major Iroso said.
Luke nodded at the information, "A chef? I'll be looking forward to your meals then."
"Thank you, sir. Count Formal was kind enough to let me work in the kitchens earlier this week, though I kinda made a mess of things. Their cooking methods are archaic but interesting," Sothi spoke with a clear admiration for the culinary craft.
"We all make mistakes, but if Count Formal allows, then keep at it, I'm sure it will prove a beneficial experience," Luke reassured with a firm pat.
Sothi gave another nod of thanks before Luke moved onto the next person.
He came face to face with the Twi'lek who played dejarik earlier. Young, with yellow-green skin, she gave off an air of excitement.
She gave a big smile, lacking the nervous air of her comrades, and saluted proudly, "Sergeant Kuria'yashi, though most call me Kuri Aya, Aya for short, General."
"A pleasure to have you here, Sergeant Aya," Luke took her hand, which Aya shook gladly.
"Sergeant Aya was a part of the Free Ryloth Movement before she joined the militia. Rambunctious, a bit short tempered, and a bit reckless—"
"Wow, thanks Sergeant Major, didn't hear criticizing them," Aya said as she nodded to her comrades.
"Snarky, with a tendency to speak her mind, but she has a good heart, and is an accomplished rifleman, combatant, and is a accomplished martial artist. Though she is a bit too enthusiastic when it comes to fighting," Iroso finished with a slight smile.
"She's already challenged each of us to a spar," Todai cut in.
"She handed me my ass," Amoti replied.
"I won five creds cause of that," Turaa added.
"And I reprimanded them for goofing around," Iroso cut in sternly. The team stood straight again.
Luke chuckled at the team's antics. Even though they knew each other for just over a week, this recon team seems to have grown accustomed to each other. Friendly banter was a good sign, and the best teams were ones that not only trusted each other, but found some comfort in each other's presence.
"A friendly spar never hurt anyone, though a martial artist?" Luke advised.
Aya nodded enthusiastically, with a bit of a sadistic smile. "A bit of an obscure Twi'lek martial art I learned back home. Fast and aggressive, with a focus on disorientating enemies before they realize what's happening."
"No one expects a head-on attack when everyone has blasters. Perfect for guerrilla warfare. Even then, you must be quick to not get shot," Luke said.
"It's easier at night, but I'm quick on my feet. Imps can't shoot for shit anyway," Aya boasted.
"Sergeant Aya, must I remind you that is General Skywalker you are speaking to," Iroso quickly chastised.
Aya straightened. "No, sir! Forgive my language, General Skywalker, sir!"
Luke shook his head and smiled. "That's all right, Sergeant. I would prefer if we could all be less formal, especially during downtime, but I understand formality has its place."
Aya gave a nod. "Of course, General."
"Thank you again, Sergeant Aya. I'm sure Leia chose you because of this operation's specific circumstances. We'll be dealing with close combat mostly if at all," Luke said.
Aya nodded a smile once more, "I know, I'm excited to see what they're made of."
Luke then moved on to the last person in the line. The Mirialan medic. Once Luke stood in front of her, she saluted. "Sergeant First Class Mari Oruwaa, medic of the First Recon Team, sir!"
Luke shook her hand, "Sergeant Oruwaa, we will be in your care."
"Sergeant Oruwaa comes from a line of accomplished physicians on Mirial. Her aunt was a surgeon for the Alliance, while her cousin was a field medic. It was under their recommendation that General Organa offered this position to the Sergeant," Iroso informed.
"I wanted to join the Alliance years ago, but was kept away from by my family. It is privilege to finally serve under General Organa, my aunt and cousin sang praises of her leadership and character—" Oruwaa paused momentarily before giving a respectful bow, which surprised everyone—"and it is a great honor to serve under a Jedi Knight."
Luke remembered that Mirialans were said to be incredibly spiritual, and had heightened connection to the Force. Specifically, as Luke learned in his travels, they were said to respect and listen to the Force, even with their limited understanding of its processes.
Luke returned the bow with equal respect, feeling the show of reverence a bit much for him, "The honor is mine, Sergeant. Thank you for accepting Leia's offer, we are in your care."
"Thank you, General," Oruwaa stood straight.
"No, thank you, all of you—" Luke returned to stand next to Iroso—"I can see Leia chose an exceptional group of people to help me, I hope I can lead you properly."
"Wow Luke, I've never seen you so stiff!" Han gave a hard pat on Luke's back, deciding to finally step in after remaining on the sidelines, snickering at Luke's awkward interaction with his new subordinates.
"I'm sorry, but I suppose seeing them so nervous, made me just as nervous," Luke replied.
"Give yourself some credit, kid—" Han placed an arm around Luke's shoulder and gave the new soldiers a smile—"Each and every one of these soldiers chose to be here, ya know? Sure, Leia recommended them as potential candidates, but ultimately the choice was theirs."
"If I may, General," Sergeant Oruwaa spoke up, seeking permission to speak.
Luke nodded. "Of course, Sergeant. Please, all of you, if you have something on your mind, feel free to speak. This will be a team effort, and I value all of your opinions."
This lifted their unease a bit.
Oruwaa nodded in thanks before continuing, "I apologize on behalf of my allies for our awkward display. Most of us were simply nervous on meeting you. We didn't want to make fools of ourselves."
Luke gave a somewhat forced laugh, an attempt to ease his own awkwardness. "I'm no one special, sure I have the rank of general, but I'm just like you guys, another soldier, or at least before the Rebellion ended."
Luke noticed how the soldiers gave each other unsure glances before facing Luke again.
"With all due respect, General," Iroso began, "You give yourself very little credit, especially in their eyes. They've been squirming to meet the legendary Luke Skywalker."
"We are sorry if we made you uncomfortable, sir. It's just incredible to finally meet you," Private Sothi said.
Luke nodded again. "Thank you, all of you. I can see what Rory meant when she said you spoke highly of me."
Luke noticed how some grew sheepish, especially Aya and Todai.
"I feel like I'm missing something," Luke said.
"Let's just say those two are banned from drinking for the foreseeable future," Sakas stepped in, with a bit of smile. Seemingly deriving joy from watching the younger soldiers squirm.
"In my defense, I did not realize we were not supposed to tell her about us, and I was also very drunk," Aya defended.
"Y-yeah," Todai started weakly, "I mean, she's an ally right? She seemed interested, so I just—we kind of just told her."
"We are trying to keep a relatively low profile, so recounting stories about the rebellion isn't helping," Iroso said.
"Sir, in their defense, Rory did sort of provoke them," Turaa added.
"By challenging you to a drinking contest?" Tuck stepped in, enjoying the chaos.
This seemed to be a sore spot for Aya. "How was I supposed to know that she has a high tolerance?! I mean, I'm not the best with human ages, but she looks twelve! Sue me for thinking I can drink a human twelve-year-old under the table!"
"Why did you agree to a drinking contest with a twelve-year-old in the first place?!" Todai said, garnering looks from everyone.
"But you also agreed to it," Sothi stated the obvious.
"I'm not one to leave a man behind," Todai said.
"Turaa didn't join the contest," Sothi stated.
"I have a low tolerance for yeast, so it would have destroyed me if I did," Turaa replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"You could have stopped it," Sothi replied.
Turaa shrugged. "It was funny."
They were drawn to Luke's laughing, "That does sound pretty funny. Wish I was awake to see it."
"You aren't angry, sir?" Oruwaa asked.
Luke gave a shrug and shake. "Just be cautious, us being here is still technically meant to be a secret. I doubt Rory will go around telling everyone, but be careful."
The soldiers stood straight and nodded, "Of course, sir. Won't happen again."
"Now that introductions are finished, I believe it time to finally brief the General on what we've found out about this world," Iroso said.
"Actually, Sergeant Major, before we do that, I believe I should brief all of you on what happened and what I've discovered," Luke said.
The recon team was a bit confused.
"Sure, General," Iroso agreed. The entire group made their way to stand around the holoprojection table. With everyone situated around the table, they all waited for Luke to begin his explanation.
Luke looked at all their expectant faces. He glanced at Han and the others who knew of his "different universe" theory, and about the gods before releasing a sigh.
"Just so you know if you wish leave after what I tell you, you may go without consequence or judgment," Luke stated.
The members of the recon team gave each other glances, confused and curious as to where this was headed.
Seeing no reason to delay, Luke began. "First of all, this is not just a new galaxy—I have good reason to believe that this is a completely new universe."
- To be continued -
