I don't own Star Wars or its characters, but Nadia Aomori and my other OCs I own only.
Enjoy!
Fire of the Rebellion
Chapter 23: Out of the Past
In space, the Arcturus jumped out of hyperspace and arrived at Tatooine.
Once the XS stock light freighter touched down at the Mos Eisley spaceport, it's ramp lowered causing Ferus, Nadia and Ahsoka to step out.
RG-G1 let out a beep to his three companions.
"We won't be in Tatooine for too long, G-G."Nadia exclaimed with a slight smile."Just be sure to take care of the ship while we're away."
"And no mishaps."Ferus warned.
RG-G1 let out a grumpy beep before closing the ramp of the Arcturus.
"Nice to see G-G is still same."Ahsoka chuckled.
Nadia gave Ahsoka a smirk.
"You should've seen his reaction when I first told him to babysit Zack and Gwen."Nadia sneered."It was priceless."
Ahsoka let out a small laugh as Ferus carefully checked outside the Bestine Starport for any inquisitors.
"Looks like the coast is clear."Ferus complemented."Let's go."
Ferus, Nadia and Ahsoka headed into the city of Mos Eisley.
Mos Eisley was divided into the 'New Quarter' and the 'Old Quarter'.
The Old Quarter was originally wheel-shaped and contained a thriving marketplace. Jabba the Hutt also maintained a residence there, known as the Desilijic Complex since it was difficult to make business from his palace.
The trio were walking at the New Quarter which was more tourist-friendly and was a merchant district where tourists could relax (though there was still much crime).
"The city's history actually has a lot to do with a crashed starship, the Dowager Queen which crashed into the desert flats in the center of what is now the city of Mos Eisley."Ferus exclaimed."Though the spaceport called Mos Espa was the home of Anakin and his late mother Shmi Skywalker when they were Watto's slaves."
"Isn't that also where the annual Boonta Eve Classic pod races were held?"Ahsoka assumed.
Ferus nodded in agreement.
"That's right, Ahsoka."Ferus agreed."Anakin raced during the Boonta Eve Podrace and won his freedom from slavery beside the event."
"But when the Empire arrived on Tatooine, the pod races were outlawed and the city lost its illicit reputation and allure."Nadia declared."You be surprised to know Lisa is actually fond of pod races."
A wistful smile appeared on Ahsoka's face.
"Just like her father."Ahsoka added.
Ferus noticed a landspeeder nearby and glanced at the grumpy-looking man, who stood next to it.
"You will let me and my companions borrow your landspeeder."Ferus declared.
The Jedi Knight used his Mind Trick on the man.
"I will let you and your companions borrow my landspeeder."the man repeated.
"You will then go home to rethink your way of living."Ferus instructed.
"I will then go home to rethink my way of living."the man stated.
The man went away before Ferus gestured Nadia and Ahsoka to join him in the landspeeder.
"That was a sneaky and noble thing you did, Ferus."Nadia praised with a smirk.
"I learned that from watching you, hun."Ferus answered.
Ahsoka simply chuckled in respond.
"This brings back too many memories."Ahsoka commented.
Ferus then started up his landspeeder to drive him, Nadia and Ahsoka out from Mos Eisley.
Luke panted slowly as he removed his small sun hat to wipe away the sweat in his forehead.
The fifteen year old boy wore a white rugged shirt, matching ragged pants as well as a pair of mechanics goggles on top of his head, partially hidden in his shaggy dark blonde hair and he was very tan. He also wore a loosely-secured belt with a number of small tools and spare parts attached to it. A hydrospanner was bound on his hip via a leather holster, and a small blaster on the opposite hip.
He finished helping out his Uncle Owen on the farm for the day.
But alas, he wasn't allowed to go anywhere outside his family farm.
Luke slowly drank his bottle of water as he caught sight of a landspeeder driving off not far from where he stood and appeared to be heading off the southwestern edge of Tatooine's Dune Sea.
A glimpse of confusion appeared on Luke's face.
Who could ever want to visit there?
After arriving to the the southwestern edge of Tatooine's Dune Sea, Ferus, Nadia and Ahsoka came out of the landspeeder upon arriving next to Obi-Wan's hut.
That's when they saw him.
The figure reached up and pulled the hood back to reveal a painfully familiar face.
It was older than she remembered.
There was grey in the hair where there had been none.
The skin was tanned and weather-beaten.
"Obi-Wan?"Ahsoka asked.
A fragile smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face.
"Yes, Ahsoka."Obi-Wan replied."It's me."
Ahsoka gave a fragile smile as she gave Obi-Wan a hug.
"You've grown older."Ahsoka commented.
Obi-Wan let out a sigh.
"A lot has changed."Obi-Wan declared and gave a small smile."Though I see you've grown wiser."
Obi-Wan brought his attention on Nadia, only for the raven haired woman to suddenly tackle him in a hug.
"Hello, master. I'm sorry."Nadia responded with a bittersweet smile."I've missed you and I forgive you."
Obi-Wan hugged Nadia back.
"I've missed you too, Nadia."Obi-Wan declared.
Ferus and Ahsoka shared a small smile with each other upon seeing Nadia and Obi-Wan have reconciled with each other.
Ahsoka, Ferus and Nadia then joined Obi-Wan inside his hut.
The former Jedi Master poured cups of Naris-bud tea for his guests.
"The two of you have gotten married and have two children?"Obi-Wan said in surprise.
"That's correct, Obi-Wan."Ferus agreed with a nod."We have twins. A boy and girl."
"Their names are Zachary and Gwendolyn."Nadia declared."Me and Ferus named our son after my parental grandfather."
Obi-Wan nodded in understanding.
"You two deserve each other."Obi-Wan commented."I am happy for you both."
"So you live here by yourself?"Ahsoka asked.
"This small hut is close enough to the Lars farm so I could watch over Luke."Obi-Wan exclaimed."But also far enough away so I could be considered a hermit and nobody would take much note of me."
"Obi-Wan. Tell me."Ahsoka insisted with a hint of curiosity."What is Luke like?"
Obi-Wan stoked his beard thoughtfully.
"Bright, clever, compassionate. Fierce and unyielding at others. A little shy at times."Obi-Wan exclaimed."But his also a brilliant mechanic and pilot…like his father."
Nadia smiled in a fragile way while Ferus felt butterflies in his stomach at Obi-wan's declaration.
"It's nice to hear that Luke is doing alright."Ferus complemented, feeling a little sad that Padmé wasn't with her children."To think he, Leia and Lisa are fifteen years old now."
Nadia glanced at Obi-Wan.
"Has Luke shown any sign that he is Force Sensitive, Master?"Nadia asked.
"Not really. But when he was 10 years old, he ran away when Owen refused to tell him information concerning his father."Obi-Wan explained, surprising his three friends."Unfortunately, the boy became lost in a sandstorm. I wasn't able to find him. But I heard Luke attracted the attention of a krayt dragon that attacked him and on instinct, he killed the dragon by throwing a gaffi stick at its throat. Though it wasn't long until Owen and a rescue party found him."
An astonished chuckle came out from Nadia's mouth.
"Wow."Nadia remarked."Luke did that?"
"So his Uncle Owen is being unsuccessfully to discourage all of his adventurous tendencies?"Ferus assumed."Luke dreams of adventures beyond Tatooine and desires to fly among the stars to distant worlds."
"He is definitely his father's son."Ahsoka stated with a smirk."He wants to follow in his father's footsteps."
Obi-Wan let out a sigh.
"That actually worries me sometimes."Obi-Wan declared, remembering Anakin's fall to the dark side."I actually attend to train Luke in the ways of the Force, but at times I am a afraid that-"
Ferus shook his head as he placed his cup of tea down.
"No, Obi-Wan."Ferus interrupted with a firm look."He has the same ambitions that Anakin had. But he is his own person and he is Padmé's son too."
Ahsoka folded her arms.
"I am still a little shocked upon knowing that Anakin was married and has children of his own."Ahsoka admitted, her voice mixed with a hint of hurt and sadness."I was his Padawan. But he still didn't bother to tell me that he and Padmé were married."
An apologetic look appeared on Nadia's face.
"I wanted to tell you when you were on Naboo attending Padmé's funeral, Soka."Nadia stated."But me, Obi-Wan, Ferus, Senator Organa and Master Yoda promised not to tell anyone."
"We all swore ourselves to secrecy."Obi-Wan stated."If Vader learned his children were alive. The Emperor would hunt them down and force them to be trained in the ways of the Sith."
"That actually worries me for Lisa sometimes since she is Queen of Naboo."Ferus thought with a troubled look."Though I heard from my niece that Dalné is her shadow."
An unimpressed look appeared on Ahsoka's face.
"Still Anakin was like an older brother to me beside being my master."Ahsoka complemented and became confused."Still I don't understand why he now wears a mask and a suit? Doe he want no one to see his face?"
Both Ferus and Nadia fell completely silent at Ahsoka's question before the two of them glanced at Obi-Wan, who looked down in guilt.
"That is actually my fault, Ahsoka."Obi-Wan declared."I confronted him in Mustafar after I learned he was the one that led the Clone Troopers to attack the Jedi Temple. Unfortunately, Padmé was also there and Anakin thought she betrayed him which led him…to strangle her."
Ahsoka became silently disturbed at what Obi-Wan just told her.
Anakin strangled Padmé?
Is that why she died?
"While Ferus and Nadia looked after Padmé, me and Anakin fought in a lightsaber duel."Obi-Wan explained."I tried pleading with him that Darth Sidious was evil and the real enemy. But he didn't listen."
Obi-Wan paused himself from talking before continued to do so.
"In the end, our duel finished with me severing his left arm and both legs."Obi-Wan stated, covering his face."Anakin was then burned alive by a nearby lava flow before I retrieved his lightsaber and left him for dead."
There was now deadly silence at the hut.
Ferus and Nadia were completely silent while tears of anger and sadness developed in Ahsoka's eyes.
"You left my master to die in that hellish planet and made him into a monster?!"Ahsoka snapped."How could you?!"
"I had no choice!"Obi-Wan argued."If I didn't defeat Anakin on Mustafar, he could've killed Ferus and Nadia!"
"What kind of a mentor are you?!"Ahsoka shouted angrily."You trained him for so many years and you suddenly give up on him straight away?! He cared deeply about those around him and now I don't even know him anymore because of you!"
Ahsoka then stormed out of the hut while crying uncontrollably.
Ferus went out after Ahsoka while Nadia quietly glanced at Obi-Wan as she stood up.
The raven haired woman had sensed feelings of heartbreak and betrayal from her best friend.
However, she knew Ahsoka had to know the whole story of Anakin's downfall.
No matter how much it really hurt.
"Satine told me to forgive you. Though part of me is still angry at you for what happened in the past."Nadia complemented honestly."Then again, if I keep hating, I'll be miserable for the rest of my life. Then I'll say it again. I forgive you."
Obi-Wan looked at Nadia.
"It doesn't seem Ahsoka will for a long time."Obi-Wan stated."I don't blame her."
A firm look of sadness grew on Nadia's face.
"Despite what he is now, do you think Anakin can really be redeemable, Nadia?"Obi-Wan questioned.
Nadia closed her ruby red eyes for a moment before opening them again.
"I honestly don't know, master."Nadia answered."A lot has happened, so nobody knew what was going to happen next. We all have our regrets. But all we can do is keep trying to be better. And who knows? There just might be hope for us yet."
See you all in the next chapter and have a wonderful day!