Star Wars: Cross Paths Part 3
Thanks to Anon, Guest, Daisy, LOVEM, Elen, Sue, DirksTalia, RedLigth16, JediLukeSkywalker, Elen and Connors for reviewing. And to everyone who took your time to read it. You guys are great. Love you all.
Chapter 88 – The Dinner
The Skywalkers entered the Temple, where everyone was already there, with the exception of the Solos.
The moment the girls saw Ezra, they ran towards him, screaming with open arms.
"Uncle Ezra!" they said hugging him.
"Hey, look who is here. The most beautiful twin girls in the galaxy," he said, making the girls giggle at that.
"Please, don't make them even more convince that they are," Ines laughed, hugging Ezra too. "Happy Life Day!"
"You too Ines. Luke!" Ezra replied hugging Luke.
"When did you arrive?" Luke asked him.
"I arrived 10 minutes after you left the Temple. When I came here, only Aurea, Noa and Cindel were here."
Looking at the table and seeing that food was already on it, Ines looked at her.
"Aurea, we wanted to help to. You spend all day here."
"They helped me when they arrived. And I didn't mind to stay here. After all everything was already done. It was quick. The only thing that is doing, are the fries that are frying."
"Where is Leia and Han and the kids?" Amidala asked, after hugging them and her grand kids.
"They ran a little late cause of the boys. But they wont take long." Luke answered his mother, while he hugged everyone else.
Looking at the kids, Ken Sr smiled.
"Look at you. You look like a gentleman," he said to boys.
"That suit looks so cute on them," Gracy smiled at her nephews.
"What about us?" the girls said twirling around.
"You two look very beautiful too," Gracy replied to them.
"Are you two wearing different dresses and hair style?" Aurea asked since it was the first time the twins were not wearing the same type of clothes.
"Yes, we are," Padmé nod, which made Aurea look at Luke and Ines.
"They are 5, and little by little they want to be seeing as different individuals even if they are identical," Ines smiled at her girls.
"They are growing up," Hera nod looking at them.
"Don't even say that, Hera," Luke grown, making Hera giggle.
"Trust me. I know the feeling. I still can't believe this one has 11 years old. It felt like yesterday he was a baby."
"Tell me about it," Ines tap her shoulder.
Then they heard running and looking behind they saw the Solo Twins running in their direction.
"Hey look who arrived?" Dan smiled at the boys.
"Oh look at you two, in that suit," Gracy smile at them.
The boys smiled. They were wearing a green suit with a white tie, matching their mother's green dress.
"They look so cute, don't they," Leia smiled at her boys.
"And Iris, look at you too." Ken Sr smiled at 13 years old.
"Thank you," she said blushing.
"But come on, you two look stunning in those dresses," Ahsoka nod looking at Ines and Leia.
"And so Luke and Han," Amidala smiled at her son and son in law.
"And I hate using this," Han grunt making Leia rolled her eyes.
"Everything is alright I see," she said but Luke and Ines knew that she was asking to them.
"Yup, as you can. Everything is perfect," Ines nod.
"Then let's start to eat," Noa clap, and everyone sat on their chairs, and the Life Day Dinner Eve started.
Hours later:
The desserts were already on table, and while the small kids were already playing around the Tree following R2, Chopper and 3PO and laughing, the adults were talking.
"Who wants some caf?" Noa rose from his chair.
"I do," the men said.
"I will want too, thank you?" Hera and Ahsoka said.
"I prefer a hot chocolate please," Luke replied.
"Me too," Alli approached her father, who picked her up and sat her on his lap.
"Here it is my hot chocolate companion, right sweetie?"
"Yup!" the 5 years old nod, making Amidala smiled at her granddaughter, before looked down at Lukey, the 18 months old toddler sleeping on her arms.
"Anyone else?"
"No thank you!" the others said, and Aurea, Noa went inside, with Gracy followed them to help, while the other kept talking.
"So, you are telling me, that you had plenty of chances to kill Palpatine, or let him being discovered!" Han continue. "That would solve a lot of problems in the future. Like I didn't need to have my butt kicked many times."
"You have no idea how Palpatine was an intelligent man, my dear son in law," Amidala replied looked at Han.
"Oh yeah," Ahsoka nod. "He was able to fool the most wise people on the galaxy."
"The Jedi, right?" Ines replied, making Ahsoka nod.
"Exactly. Master Windu, Master Yoda, two of the most wise men I ever met, and he fool them, easily. From the beginning."
"Palpatine was a man that I never in my life imagine could exist," Ken Sr, spoke, making everyone looked at him. "If you think he care about the innocent people, he didn't. He didn't even care about his own people. I remember that day when he screw one of his own officers, who simple took his orders, and he was able to use that to get what he wanted."
"You are talking about the time that he was able to make the Senate to get rid of the Clones and aprove the Storm Trooper program, right father?" Ines asked. "Cause I remember you telling me that story, and how godfather Bail was devastated about it."
"Oh yeah, I remember that story too. I hate to admit but Palpatine was a genius." Leia said.
"What happened?" Ezra asked.
"After the Empire rise, having clones as your soldiers was to expensive. So Palpatine, want to get rid of them, and creating a Storm Trooper program, where the Empire would recruit people and train them as soldiers."
"But wasn't that expensive as well?" Hera asked. "At least the clones were program to be soldiers. That is why they were so good at that!"
"You are right," Amidala spoke. "But having a training academy, instead of paying to created clones that were genetic modified was way more expensive. Don't forget that they aged quickly then a normal person. So in years they need to made more."
"And Palpatine need the money to build his great weapon, remember?" Ken replied.
"The death Star!" Leia answered, making him nod.
At that moment, Aurea, Noa and Gracy came from the kitchen with the cups of caf and hot chocolate.
"What are you talking about?" Noa asked.
"Palpatine!" Hera replied making Aurea grown.
"That old bastard," she said making everyone looked at her with wide eyes. "What? He was."
"We know, but…" Han said pointing at the Alli who was happily drinking her hot chocolate with her father.
"Sorry!"
"But continue to speak about the subject, why care about men who did massive genocide. They killed innocent people, including Jedi, who they fought side by side and knew for years." Dan spoke, making Ahsoka looked at him.
"It was not their fault. They had a chip on their brain, that made them do that."
"Ahsoka, I understand why you say that. Rex is a cool guy. But I heard that some clones fought the chip. Why the others didn't do the same?"
"Not everyone fought the chip Dan. Yes there was a group of clones that the chip didn't work somehow, liked the Bad Batch!"
"I know them. I met them along side with Omega on my planet when I was younger. They were awesome and nice guys."
"Yes, they were and with time many clones realize the mistake and started to go against the Empire. They were people who were brainwash."
"Just like he did with grandpa," Ben said making everyone look at the 6 years old boy.
"Even a 6 years old can drop some truth," Amidala smile at her grandson.
"I get it, but lets face it. He was not 100% smart, after all he did two big mistakes!" Han replied making Ahsoka frown.
"Like what?"
Han looked at her and to everyone on the table.
"Well, changing Clones to Storm troopers was not a smart idea. Clones were raised to be soldiers, that is why they were good. We all know Storm troopers couldn't hit s…" he started but Leia hit him on the arm with wide arms. "I mean hit nothing." he continue.
"And second one?" Ines asked.
"Thinking that your husband was like his father and wanted power, when he only wanted to turn back him to light and stop being Vader and become Anakin, which in the end it did happen."
Everyone stayed silence and looked at Han, especially Ezra and Hera, the only two people who didn't know about that little detail.
"What?" Han asked.
"Wait, Darth Vader is your father?" Hera asked.
"No, Anakin is their father. Darth Vader was a mistake that in the end Anakin won against," Amidala said looking at her.
"You knew?" Ezra looked at Ahsoka.
"Of course. I knew since that battle we had in that Temple, when Kanan got blind. When I fought him. I didn't tell you because it is not my job, that is Luke and Leia's decision."
Ezra looked at Luke and Leia.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell, and thank to my brother in law, now you know and it is not how we wanted you to know."
"I thought they knew, and besides why hide that. They understand right? They are like family."
"Like the Dr. Vina did in the beginning?" Ines asked crossing her arms.
"She is fine now with both of you."
"But it took a while for her to understand that Anakin and Vader are two different personalities."
"Well sorry!"
"It is okay. Now he is Anakin and that was the reason that the Emperor and the Empire is gone. And if Ahsoka understood, of course I will too." Ezra smiled at them.
"Me too," Hera replied.
"Besides grandpa is nice. He watch the clone wars with me every week." Ben smiled at Hera.
Jacen looked at his mother.
"Why dad can't show to me too?"
Hera sighed and looked at Luke, which putting Alli on the chair next to him, he stood up and walked towards the boy.
"Well Jacen," he said sitting next to the boy. "Because your father, even being a Jedi, he never learn how to become a force ghost. The first one was Qui Gon, who taught Master Yoda, and Obi Wan Kenobi, and then my father. But I learn from them, and because of that, all the new Jedi will know how to do it. Including you!"
"I just wish I could see my dad once in a while, like you see yours."
"I know buddy, but that is why Ines came with a great idea and our Life Day present for you two," he said looking at Hera who frown.
"What present?" she asked.
"Well follow me," he said standing up and walking towards the busts of the Jedi Master that were part of the council, that were through the main corridor of the Temple.
"What is this?" Jacen point to a bust that was covered.
"Well, we know your father was not part of the council. When Order 66 happened, he was only a Padawan, but he was one of the few Jedi that survived and he passed his teaching to others," Luke said looking at Ezra, that followed them to see what was going on too.
"So, I came with this idea and talk to Luke and Ahsoka, and well this is our present for you," she said and pulling the cover, Hera , Ezra and Jacen gasped when they saw Kanan face.
"Press the button," Luke said smiling.
Pressing it, Kanan figure appeared in the hologram with his info right beside him.
"That's dad!" Jacen smiled looking at his mother who had tear in her eyes.
"I know, just like I remember him," she smiled and looked at Ines and Luke. "Thank you," she said and hugged them.
"You're welcome," Ines smiled back.
"Now you can see your father any time now," Luke said stroking the boys green hair.
Then the heard the clock of the temple give the 11pm.
"Is it 11 already?" Ken Sr said.
"I guess," Gracy nod.
"Then we need to get home cause I want to be in bed before midnight," Padmé said looking at her parents.
"This is the only time they want to go to bed without us telling them a million times," Ines laughed and look at her. "We are going, we just need to help Aurea to take everything to the kitchen."
"Aww," the girl pout.
"Don't worry sweetie, all we need to do is to put the desserts in the fridge and the cup and plates in the other dish washer. They will turn off when they are done, it will be quick." the older smile at the little girl.
"Then lets do this right now and get home," Leia said standing up and everyone started to to grab everything and went towards the kitchen, while Amidala stayed in the chair, since she still had Lukey sleeping in her arms, which was something she loved, since he was the first grand child she watched growing up since he was a newborn.
30 minutes later, only the decorations were still on the table, when everyone came out of the kitchen and putting their coats since it was very cold outside.
"Well tomorrow all we need to do is put the plate and fry the chips and warm everything. It will be quick," Aurea said to them.
"Lunch is at 1pm, so we will be here an hour earlier to help you," Leia informed.
"So see you all tomorrow at 12pm," Amidala said passing the toddler to Ines.
"See you all tomorrow. Have a nice Life Day morning," Hera said leaving with Jacen, while the other followed them, leaving Luke to turn off the lights of the Temple, leaving only the lights of the trees illuminating the place.
The Life Day Dinner is done. And it is almost midnight. What did you think of the dinner?