CHAPTER 2

Introductions and Insights

Robin woke up the following morning from what he knew had been a terrible nightmare. Mere fragments were all that remained, a recurring theme in his dreams these days. Sights, sounds and pain; physical, mental, and emotional. He checked his clock and groaned at the time. 4 AM. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep; he was pumped with too much adrenaline. Since he rarely dreamed, he felt that when he did, they had to have significance. "Pity that I can't remember anything cohesive," he thought, annoyed. He considered that maybe he wasn't quite ready for whatever the dream had entailed, so his subconscious spared him something he might not be able to comprehend. "Guess I'll train and work it out of my system", he thought as he got up from his bed and changed into his custom-designed navy blue gi; noticing Einstein's worried expression, Robin smiled and muttered groggily. "Don't worry, baby brother, I'm ok. Just another strange nightmare." He then proceeded with Einstein to his training area set up in the backyard. "It'll be nice to see the sunrise," he thought, as he began stretching his arms and legs, occasionally sighing contentedly when a joint or knuckle popped.

As he approached his training area, Robin began working on his martial arts on his training dummy. Slowly hitting its wooden arms and legs, causing them to spin back towards him, blocking some but mostly dodging the slow counters. After 30 minutes of taking it slow and getting into the rhythm, he upped his speed, and consequently, so did the dummy; its strikes became faster and harder. After an hour or so of mock sparring at high speed with his wooden opponent, Robin went to his equipment rack and chose a wooden practice sword, a cold bottle of water from the mini-fridge, and a towel to wipe away the sweat on his hands, since he wanted as firm a grip as he could get. He had a second dummy, almost the same but for the four wooden blades it held.

He felt eyes on him but felt confident that if the watching guests knew of his skills, they'd be even less likely to try anything. Robin had taken to combat as a fish to water since an early age, and while he wasn't a "perfect" warrior, he still could hold his own against most people. His old martial arts Sensei, Mr. Tzu, had not been big on compliments but had made an exception when he told Robin, "I have no more to teach you. That doesn't mean you don't have room to grow and learn". Smiling at the memory of the kind but tough man, Robin thought to himself, "Was that really a decade ago?"

Not wanting to lose his momentum, Robin began training his sword skills, something that he was naturally gifted at. Though he was self-taught through books and videos, (there are not many places that teach the way of the sword these days,) in other words, Robin was kind of nerdy. After an hour of slow movements to get into the swing of things; (blocking, dodging, parrying, riposte and so on), his body and mind remembered how to do it all as quickly as lightning. When he felt ready, he went stronger and faster. The yard was silent, but for the clack of wood meeting wood. He loved training, it made his mind sharper and he certainly didn't mind that it made meditating easier, not that he struggled with it, another thing that had always been relatively easy for him.

When his alarm went off, Robin dropped to the ground, exhausted. He was sweating buckets, and his long hair had come out of its ponytail. He knew that he had gone a little too far, (by several hours,) especially while lacking sleep, but training sent him to his own little world, hence his "Stop Now" alarm. He returned his practice blades to the equipment rack, grabbing a sports drink at the same time. After drinking most of it, he felt better, with the sugar and electrolytes doing their thing.

Instead of meditating then and there as he normally would, he thought it best to make breakfast and prepare for his mum's return. He had been very vague in his text to her last night and was looking forward to having her home again. Plus, they needed the two strangers to explain themselves in full; his mum was the people reader and human lie detector in the family, and he wasn't confident enough to question Luke and Ben on his own. From what he could sense, neither man was nervous, excited maybe, curious too, but not nervous. That was a good thing because nervous people sometimes do dumb, violent things.

Breaking out bacon, eggs, and homemade bread for toast, Robin began to cook. The smells made him acutely aware of how much energy he needed to compensate for his training regimen. "Breakfast is ready, get it while it's hot!" he called out to the two guests in the hall perusing the books on display; they both looked impressed at the books on quantum physics, philosophy, and forensics. Einstein, having been with him the whole time he was cooking, was struggling to keep the floor dry of his drool, and failing miserably, which made Robin smile. Without thinking about it, he had set aside a couple of slices of bacon for the pooch, giving them time to cool. The "visitors", for lack of a better term, arrived just as Robin set the table, unconsciously setting down his mother's plate and hot coffee, knowing, on some level, it would be at the perfect temperature when his mum arrived. He didn't know how, and he didn't really care, but he could always sense those close to his heart, as well as others, though it was intermittent when it came to strangers. Luke noticed the fourth spot and sensed a powerful presence approaching.

The next moment, Cindy Stace, Robin's mother, came in through the front door wearing a huge smile. She quickly received a bear hug from her boy, while Einstein barked joyously. It was obvious to the two new arrivals that they were as closely bonded as Luke and Ben, perhaps more so, Luke silently mused. Cindy proceeded to sit down for breakfast, admiring the food. Upon sitting, Cindy gestured for the others to sit and eat as well. For a little while, the only sound was the scrape of utensils on plates and the appreciative sounds born from a fantastic meal. "Wow, that was fantastic! Well done, sweetie, thank you!" Cindy said when she had finished. "Yes, that was wonderful. Thank you for the food," Luke said, genuinely having enjoyed the scrumptious meal. Ben said, "Yeah, it was really good! Do you mind if I have a second helping?" 'Teenagers and their appetites,' Robin thought as he chuckled, "Yeah, go ahead, help yourselves." "Want me to get 'em to save you a little, mum?: he asked. Cindy smiled and replied, "No thanks, I'm stuffed."

After a few minutes, Cindy said, "Okay. Let's get down to business. My son says you are from outer space. So let's start with introductions and then proceed to letting us see the ship, yeah? We can ask each other questions after." Her voice was very polite, yet strong and authoritative. The Force laced her voice with even more strength. 'Must be subconscious,' Luke thought. She raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'Well?' prompting Luke and Ben. As the two men introduced themselves, Robin couldn't help but ponder how he loved that his mum was very badass; a quiet, subtle badass. Luke and Ben knew that going against them would be a bad idea, Robin thought, not that they had shown any indication of ill-intent, but that's where he and Einstein would handle things if necessary. The duo felt like peaceful people; that was at least the vibe he got from them. Robin was pretty sure his mom agreed; they tended to think along similar wavelengths.

When the introductions were done, Luke and Ben proceeded to show their hosts, The Jade Shadow. They agreed that, as they had such good hosts who had not been afraid to help them, they owed nothing less than an equal show of appreciation and respect. The Shadow was also the ideal place to ask and answer sensitive, possibly dangerous questions, Luke thought. This was, after all, the first contact with people from elsewhere in space. The Stace family gasped at the ship when it was decloaked to allow them entry, but beyond that, they were, strangely enough, perfectly composed. In addition, it was also shielded from satellites, reducing the likelihood that any of Earth's authorities would get involved, as Ben explained with a smug look that only teenagers can get away with.

"Please get comfortable," Luke said with a smile, as he indicated the couch in The Shadow's lounge. "Why are you here?" Cindy asked, as she sat, cutting straight to business. Luke grinned and said, "Straight to it, huh? I can appreciate that."Either of you want a drink?" Luke asked, since he was closest to the modest collection of wines and spirits; He even spotted a couple of Rodian Ales, (think ginger ale or sarsaparilla, so no booze,) so that Ben could be included, feeling that this day would be a momentous occasion warranting a little something. Luke poured himself a brandy, as he waited for a reply. Cindy politely declined the offer, and then Robin said, "I'll take a whiskey, neat. Please." "Coming up," Luke said. "Me too, dad? Oh! C'mon, I'm gonna be 18 soon; seems kinda arbitrary." Luke chuckled at his son, as he handed Robin a golden drink saying, "No way kiddo! Besides, you wouldn't like it". Robin chimed in at that point, "Don't worry Ben, you'll have plenty of time to be a grown-up ruining your liver. Enjoy being a kid; it only happens once". Ben was handed the alcohol-free drink, shooting his father an annoyed look. "A wise young man", Luke thought once again, as he and Ben took seats on the couch opposite Cindy. Robin stood beside her, with his back resting against the wall, with Einstein in the middle of the lounge area, who seemed relaxed but ready for anything.

"So… questions?" Luke asked with a smile. "Why are you here?" Cindy asked again. Luke was anticipating the question and was ready with a reply: "There will be things we can't tell you… yet. But we shall answer to the best of our ability. As for your first question, the answer is simple: Damaged our ship in an asteroid shower. Your world was the only one supporting life. We have problems back home and thought to seek possible solutions out here in the Unknown Sectors." Luke said this with a small smile. "Do you mean our world is part of some unexplored frontier for you guys? Should we expect more visitors?" Robin asked, proceeding to take a sip of his whiskey. As it burned pleasantly going down his throat, he made an appreciative noise that Luke had heard Han make on more than one occasion. "I'm glad you are enjoying your drink, Robin," Luke said, addressing the young man by name for the first time. "We stock Whiskey for family and friends; my brother-in-law loves it." Luke smiled at the young man. "To address your question, yes, it's unexplored territory for us out here, and nobody followed us. This was my wife's ship. It's one of the fastest ships in the galaxy. So even if we were followed, we would've lost them." "I'm assuming you have a way to repair the ship but can't due to unforeseen circumstances?" Robin asked before proceeding with a slightly bigger sip of his drink.

He thought that Robin knew the answer, but confirmation is always appreciated. Ben replied with a grimace, "Yeah, but we ran out of parts." "Maybe we can find similar enough parts elsewhere?" Cindy suggested. "Perhaps, but where would we find the best technology on your planet?" Luke asked. Ben added, "Because that's what we'll need to have any chance at fixing our ship." "I think I might know a few places," murmured Robin. Luke and Ben had matching looks of surprise that flashed away as quickly as thought, while Cindy wore a small smile. "That's my boy, always surprising people," she thought.

Cindy had not batted an eye at having space people in the kitchen because she implicitly trusted her sons, (Robin and Einstein), a sentiment mirrored by Robin and Einstein. "Why don't you invite Ben to spar with you?" Cindy asked. "He looks capable. I've seen enough martial artists to spot talent since we've been to so many tournaments." Cindy added with a smile. Robin recognized a dismissal; he trusted she would be fine without him but left Einstein in case. His mother grinned at his protectiveness.

"That's a good idea, mum. You up for a friendly spar, Ben?" Robin asked with a wolfish grin, finishing his drink in one gulp. "You bet I am!" Ben grinned back. 'It'll feel good to spar with a new friend,' Ben thought, though he doubted he'd lose. He was a Jedi, after all, even if he wasn't knighted yet. "Don't go too hard on each other," Luke said, speaking more to Ben than Robin. Luke knew that Cindy had questions and concerns that she didn't want to ask around Robin, and so did he. Parents protect their children from anything and everything they can, after all. Ben led Robin to the sparring chamber on The Shadow, the door sealing behind him with a whoosh and a slight hiss. "Don't worry, it's not locked; it's just soundproofing so we don't disturb our parents," Ben said after Robin turned in reaction to the noise. Robin was visibly relaxed, walking over to stand opposite Ben.

"Conditions of combat?" asked Robin. "Weapons are allowed, set to non-lethal settings, of course. Let's just start now and see how things-" Ben was interrupted when he had to dodge a sharp jab. Robin followed it up with a sweeping kick. Ben jumped the sweeping arc of Robin's leg but was forced to block a roundhouse kick. In mid-air, he was momentarily helpless as the force of the block sent him flying 10 feet to Robin's left; most of the energy was evenly dispersed upon landing due to perfect footwork by Ben.

Ben was impressed, knowing he'd start bruising on that arm in a few hours; however, Jedi training and discipline allowed him to move the pain aside. "Sorry if I hurt you, but you said 'start' ", Robin said with a little mirth lacing his voice. He was impressed by Ben's skill, admitting to himself that he had been underestimating Ben a little because of his age. "Age means very little in true combat; take whatever edge you can get or make. Your life may depend on it someday," his sensei had said years ago.

Robin proceeded to close his eyes, straining his senses just as he noticed Ben taking advantage of the available shadows, effectively becoming invisible. "Neat trick" Robin thought. Suddenly feeling the air flow shift from movement, Robin ducked and rolled, barely dodging Ben's ludicrously fast flying kick, and ran towards a weapons rack labelled "non-lethal," grabbing what appeared to be a Bo-staff with a button; the button opened the ends into rotating blades that flowed with electricity. 'Alright!' Robin thought with elation as he considered how best to utilize his new armament.

Flourishing his staff with a grin, Robin didn't rush Ben, instead choosing to let Ben arm himself unmolested, spending the time growing accustomed to his armament's weight. Robin always harboured his code of honour and had yet to stray from his path. He was armed; it was friendly sparring, and therefore he would only fight if he and Ben were on (relatively) equal footing. Ben armed himself with a Rapier-looking weapon and tested the waters, no doubt attempting to provoke Robin into attacking. Robin sussed out Ben in turn. "Ahh, now you're starting to take this seriously; take me seriously," Robin thought, not that he could cast any stones.

Robin responded with a kind smile, "Confidence tempered by caution and reason produces the footholds of triumph, whereas arrogance destroys them." Ben realized that he had been arrogant before, believing his Jedi training would give him the necessary edge and be all he required. Normally he would be right, but in this match, he was forced to fight on pure skill, no Force abilities or augmentations; a very important detail he'd overlooked. Now he would take it slow, analyze his opponent, and respond accordingly. "No more underestimating you; my apologies; it was rude of me," Ben said, smiling back.

They resumed sparring, resting long enough to hydrate and switch weapons. They were on match 11, the agreed-upon last match, not that either would say no to more sparring, but the body gets tired well before the spirit does. Robin bent to pick up a cylindrical item, presumably a weapon, based on the vibe he got when Ben intercepted his hand and took the cylindrical item. "Yeah, sorry, but no. You aren't trained for it." "Ok." Robin shrugged easily. "What is it?" Ben activated the device, and with a snap-hiss noise, it began projecting a blade of the purest blue light.

Robin gasped at the simple beauty; the noise it made moving was comfortable and strangely familiar. Ben smiled at Robin's reaction and continued, "It's called a lightsaber." 'I have to ask Luke about lightsabers sometime.' Robin thought. Ben deactivated the lightsaber and put it away.

Then he brought Robin a cool high-tech poleaxe instead, having equipped himself with a whip-like weapon. 'Yes, I found a rival!' the two had unknowingly both thought. Robin was joyous since nobody he'd known had pushed him this far since Sensei Tzu, who had taught him rudimentary weapons skills that he had expanded upon over the years. The only weapon techniques he hadn't learned from Sensei Tzu were sword skills. Robin won the last match, but it was only because Ben had been holding something back; as such, Robin treated it as a tie (5-5).

They both sprawled on the cool metal floor, stretching soon-to-be-sore muscles and wincing at split lips, yet both young men were smiling. Ben found himself thinking perhaps he had found a brother figure in Robin, appreciating that he hadn't gone easy on him. Robin treated Ben as just Ben, not Ben Skywalker. Ben loved his dad but was often in his shadow, and that's not even mentioning the shadow cast by Anakin Skywalker, his grandfather. Ben had incredible expectations to live up to and exceed.

Always treated differently, Ben Skywalker, heir apparent to the Skywalker legacy, had been groomed by friends and instructors alike over the years, (unconscionably, he presumed,) to one day be as great as his father, or greater still, ultimately surpassing him and taking over as Grandmaster, an idea that made him pale from pressure.

"Want to come in and relax in my study? Robin asked. "It's in the cabin, so we can discuss finding stuff to fix your ship or whatever in relative peace and quiet. If you need a friendly ear besides your dad, I'll listen. It's one of my many talents". Robin said, smiling as he got up and offered Ben a hand, getting to his feet. Ben took it gratefully; as he chuckled, he said, "It sure was fun to cut loose. I could tell you enjoyed it too". "Yes, I did." Robin said. Robin felt that mentioning how it felt like Ben had held something back wouldn't yield anything of value, only ruining this moment of simultaneous rivalry and camaraderie.

"Let's go this way so we don't interrupt our parents," Ben said, indicating a different door from the one they used to enter the sparring chamber. "Wonder what they're talking about?" Robin asked, still smiling at having a sparring partner and friend in Ben. Ben shook his head before replying, "Nah, probably about us to a degree; otherwise, we wouldn't have been dismissed. But I trust my dad, and I'm pretty certain you trust your mother in a similar fashion. As for that offer, relaxing in that study you mentioned sounds great."

They walked off the ship into the cabin to a broom closet. Robin placed his hand on one of the walls, and then, a whir and click later, the wall split open. "Here we are," Robin gestured in, smiling. "Wow! A secret door in your broom closet, accessible only to you?! Sweet!" Ben exclaimed. "Checks fingerprints, blood, and facial recognition, right?" Ben asked. "I'm surprised that you noticed that on your first time here. But you're from space, so maybe I should raise my standards a bit more," Robin murmured. "My mom has access too, of course, but she rarely comes in here. Too masculine for her tastes… apparently." He chuckled, remembering how she had helped pick out the leather for the chairs and had helped choose the best wood for the bookcases and tables too. Almost all of his leather-bound books were original prints or journals from generals and other great strategists, (one or two were Stace family heirlooms found by chance and obtained via inheritance,) and bought by her when she happened to go to the little bookstores in town.

"An old family friend helped with the security measures. Home-made tech." Robin told Ben as he put on his smoking jacket and plopped down into a very comfortable leather-upholstered chair with a sigh. He took a hand-rolled smoke and lighter inscribed with his initials from the box on the table. No, it wasn't tobacco, but rather cannabis. He figured a spliff might help alleviate pain for them both, not to mention that Ben was way too energetic despite sparring, which he thought indicated stress and/or excitement. Either way, a spliff would definitely help.

"Please sit," Robin said politely but firmly. Ben quickly proceeded to sit. "Do you mind if I smoke?" he asked Ben. Ben shook his head, waving away any doubts about his smoking being an issue. Ben was cool. Ben, now calmer from the cushioning goodness of one of the best chairs he'd sat in, was looking at the study in further detail.

Two-thirds of the private sanctums books were on energy manipulation and spiritualism, and the remainder was devoted to past-life theory and regression with the odd leather-bound book here and there, (the Art of War, first edition by Sun Tzu, among other very notable authors such as Nicoli Machavelli, to name but two, for those inquiring minds out there,) as well as a dozen or so first-place martial arts trophies tastefully displayed throughout the room. The remaining third of the room was covered in weapons from various cultures and regions.

Robin offered the now-lit joint to Ben, figuring that the young man needed to loosen up, with the warning. "If you want to try it, take one puff; this shit's strong stuff." He chuckled as Ben took a drag. "It's homegrown. It's the only thing I can grow without help." He said taking the joint back from Ben and pouring them both a drink, (sparring with Ben earlier had sent his earlier drink through his system and he figured Ben deserved a little taste,) winking at Ben as the younger man exhaled and coughed from the first of what would be many puffs of ganja. "If your dad asks, you never had a drop," the silent thought was understood by Ben as Robin passed a glass over, roughly half as full as Robin's own. He wanted Ben relaxed, not shit-faced after all.

Noticing that Ben was taking his time with the cognac and not having asked for more smoke, he offered the young man another puff of the joint. "Stop at two, see how you do," he advised. "Anything you wanna talk about? I do have some ideas for tips and materials to fix your ship, but I thought you might want to talk about other stuff. Consider this room a vault of secrets; anything you say is safe with me, within reason, of course. I'm not covering you if you want to kill someone or something like that," he laughed, the infectious nature of laughter causing Ben's high to grow higher as words, secrets, and the pressures of life flowed; almost like the spirit and smoke.

Ben spoke of his love and respect for his father, as well as his fears of failing to meet the expectations of others and his high standards. "So your dad is a big wig back home, like… a celebrity? I have advice if you want it." Robin offered. Ben was dubious as to how helpful the other man's advice could be, but he accepted it all the same. "It can't hurt things," Ben thought.

"Be Ben, not your father; stop measuring yourself against your dad, or you'll drive yourself mad. Be the best version of yourself you can be, and you'll never let anyone down. Nobody can complain if you give everything 100%, and to those who try to compare you to your father, just remind yourself of this one absolute truth: you are Ben, not Luke, and you'll exceed everyone's expectations, including your own and your father's, by carving your own path. As long as you walk your own path and give everything your all, you'll never let anyone down. Especially yourself."

"How do you know that?" asked a slightly flabbergasted Ben, feeling more understood by a virtual stranger than he felt was normal; insight like Robin's was the kind most Jedi needed decades of experience to cultivate and attain, and Robin was only 27, but Ben masked his feeling of shock well. "I know a bit of what it's like to have a super parent," Robin said with a smile. "I aspire to be like my mother, just as you aspire to follow in your father's footsteps. What we need occasional reminders of is the fact that we aren't them, and never will be… and that's ok. There's nothing wrong with emulating your hero, as long as you don't forget yourself in the process." Robin said as he finished the joint and left the roach in the ashtray. He stripped off his smoking jacket, and as he was putting it away, he fished out a baggie of fresh weed with a nice lighter as well as a couple of smoking jackets that no longer fit him but might fit Ben. "Here, Ben, a gift for you; be good and share with your dad, the weed should help you both open up." He said, with a smile, genuinely hoping that the two would communicate better.

"Let's get back; they might be getting worried," Robin said. "You mean my dad, right?" Ben asked, rolling his eyes slightly. Robin replied, "No comment," withholding his laughter for a subjective eternity, (it probably was only a minute,) and then the dam broke and he laughed, Ben quickly joining in. The laughter and good vibrations reverberated throughout the cabin as the two headed outside into the brisk evening air and back to the ship.

With a whoosh, the hatch opened up on the Shadow, and Cindy, Luke, and Einstein came out. "It's been established by Luke and I that we're helping to fix the ship; in exchange, Luke offered his and Ben's help with various things we'll never have time for, mostly upkeep, so kiddo, let's hear those ideas you mentioned before. You're too damn smart to not think of some more useful ideas since then as well." Cindy said to Robin with pride that only a parent can know.

"On the ship," he said, sounding and looking a little wary, his eyes cast to the heavens, presumably to the various government spy satellites. "Damn Big Brother," he thought. Cindy understood and appreciated Robin's caution and nodded for them to go back on the ship; secure as his study was, it didn't measure up to the Jade Shadow's impressive otherworldly security measures.

Once back aboard the Jade Shadow, Robin and the others went back to the lounge area on the ship. "What did you two talk about when we were sparring, mum?" Robin asked. "Oh… parent stuff mostly; nothing you both don't already know. Like how far we'll go for our kids' safety. Like I said, parent stuff. Also, we talked about his and Ben's cover story and printed out birth certificates and passports. This ship can hack certain government programs, so it's legit, at least as far as cops or border security will be able to tell. I'm talking globally too." Cindy replied. "You said you had some ideas on possible information or materials we could use?" Cindy asked Robin. "Yes, I have a few ideas; global access is absolutely going to help." Robin said and then asked, "Luke, can you bring up a 3D model of the planet? I'm assuming you gave a cursory scan before landing." Luke just raised an eyebrow, and smiled at the young man's sharp mind, and proceeded to bring up a 3D holographic representation of Earth. "He might be good Knight material." Luke mused silently.

Robin continued, "I was thinking that NASA probably has information on space-related phenomena and perhaps crash sites where we might find materials or information on anyone who came before. I doubt you guys are the absolute first to find this world; perhaps we'll even find a fabrication device we can program with the new metals and stuff you need for repairs. We also have Area 51, known as a hotspot for spacecraft crash landing in the area; we can check it out after NASA, if necessary." Robin continued. "Perhaps we can find a way to temporarily borrow the James Webb telescope to better understand where we are in conjunction with wherever you came from; it's one of the world's strongest telescopes after all. Maybe we'll be able to modify your star charts at the same time." Robin concluded.

The 3D map lit up gold on each spot as he mentioned it and tapped the general location on the holographic Earth. Robin snapped his fingers and turned to Luke. "I almost forgot to ask, but how good are you at fighting, Luke, armed or unarmed? Hopefully, it won't come to that, but I need to know how capable you are." Robin said with a curious gleam in his eye. "I taught Ben and most of his teachers as well," Luke said with no small amount of pride while wearing a smile. Robin's eyebrows shot up high before returning to his more regular face. "Knew it, he's capable as fuck," he thought. "Impressive Luke, say no more. Your son is amazingly talented and it stands to reason you are too if you taught his teachers." Robin said with a smile of his own. "For the purposes of discretion, we should make it look like a road trip, and a vacation if we end up needing to travel overseas," Robin said. "Any questions?" he asked the others. "No? Ok, but if you think of anything, ask whenever. I'm out of ideas at the moment, but that'll change quickly I'm sure." he said. "I think we should go in the cabin now," Cindy said as she rose from her seat and headed out back home.

Robin made homemade pizza pies that were, of course, delicious. When everybody had had their fill, the father and son went to their shared room, probably to talk, just as Cindy and Robin would in the living room. "It's only been a little over 24 hours and they're already starting to feel like very good friends." Robin thought aloud. "So what did you and Luke talk about while Ben and I sparred?" He asked his mum. "He told me more about himself and Ben. About the mission they're on, and the organization they're with; as well as those who stand against them. He and Ben are members of a group of people capable of harnessing the power of the Force, the energy generated by all living things. Probably inorganic things too. They call themselves the Jedi Order. Luke is apparently a Jedi Master of some renown, while Ben is a Knight-in-training. Luke wanted to test my blood; he said it would determine if I could also use the Force, and I consented. The results will be available tomorrow. He will probably want to test you as well." Cindy told Robin. "That was pretty much it, oh, but we watched you and Ben sparring. Luke said your skill is in the top 3 percent in Advanced Combat classes at the Jedi Academy. He was comparing you to others in his Order." Cindy explained.

"Wow," Robin said, in slight awe at the revelations and compliment on his skills, though Cindy had to admit that her son's voice was a touch lacklustre. Robin's too tired for much more enthusiasm, not that I blame him, considering everything that happened (not taking into account what she didn't know about in the study, it was a powerful Indica weed Robin and Ben had smoked) that day and the previous evening, it was a wonder he was awake; let alone able to speak.

As if on cue from her thoughts, Robin was conked out, snoring. "Just sleep on the couch, sweetie." She said, smiling down at Robin. Draping a blanket over him, Cindy then went to her bed upstairs, hoping sleep would aid with her mental digestion. Her last thoughts for the night were: "Is this the hand of Fate at work? It felt like it just might be the case. Only time will tell, and there's still plenty of time left," she reassured herself, remembering the sheer amount of work in Robin's proposed ideas. And with these thoughts swirling through her mind, the sweet succour of sleep enveloped her in its comforting embrace.

Meanwhile, as the Skywalkers prepared to go to bed, Luke turned to his son to ask about his sparring with Robin. Watching a live feed versus hearing it firsthand was totally different. He was amazed when Ben described the matches they had as "intense" and "fast-paced." At one point, Ben had even admitted to "a little awe" at the prodigious level of skill and proficiency Robin had displayed. "If he were to join the Order, he'd be a very advanced, perhaps even expert initiate. Actually, that's probably underestimating him. Robin would probably be named Child of the Force like Grandpa, you, me, and Jaina." Ben said, as though he had been thinking along similar routes as Luke. Luke treated the two young men sparring as more than just a few friendly bouts; it had been a test of sorts. "I would definitely pass the fighting aspects of the admittance test back at the Jedi Academy, back home. Hell, I can see him making Knight in maybe three years tops, and probably Master in five!" Ben said, which surprised Luke. Clearly, Robin had left Ben with as good and powerful an impression as he had of Luke.

"I told Cindy about the Jedi, us, and our positions in the Order, though not ranks, and summarized the Force. No doubt she told Robin. I administered the blood test on her to see how much potential power she has. The results will be in by morning, though I think it's safe to assume she's strong. No doubt her son is just as strong, perhaps stronger." Luke said, smiling. "I plan to ask him if I can test his blood tomorrow as well, though I'm betting his results will be fine, definitely Force-sensitive. Also, based on your fight, he has good intellect and strangely advanced insights; and most importantly, his character. I think you're right, and Robin would make a fine new member of the Jedi family." Luke said as he and Ben went to bed. Ben agreed wholeheartedly with his father; they'd both make fantastic Jedi. But Ben just hoped their two hosts wouldn't feel pressured to join the Order; it was a calling, a lifestyle too, in a way, and not to be entered lightly. "I just hope they don't feel pressured," Ben murmured as he fell asleep. Luke looked at his son and thought, 'Perhaps they are why we are here. They should be trained in how to use the Force, for themselves, if nothing else. This must be the divine will of the Force at play; I don't believe in coincidence's. With that last thought Luke too, nodded off.