History has taken over
The same mistake a million times
We're buried in the dark forever
—Sarah Fimm
PART 3 - Shadows and Dust
I was jolted awake by a loud bang and a shudder that ran throughout the ship. "Ion canon," I identified immediately as I rolled out of my bunk.
The cabin door flew open as a disheveled Bail Organa entered. "It's the Intrepid. Apparently, she was still patrolling the Outer Rim, looking for Jedi deserters."
My mind flashed an image of Aayla Secura. A pain pierced my heart as I thought of her, remembering when she stood in the centre of the Council chambers. I had recently been appointed Master and Council Member. Giving Aayla her assignment aboard the Intrepid was one of my first assignments in my new role.
I pushed the memory aside and went to pick up a squalling Luke. "Are we in orbit around Tatooine yet?"
"We are 200 klicks away. I'm not sure if we'll make it," Bail answered, looking worriedly at the children as I gathered things I would need for Luke planetside.
"It will have to do," I replied as I somehow managed to throw the survival sack around my shoulders while holding Luke. I paused and put a hand on Bail's shoulder. "Be careful, Bail. If Palpatine ever found out Leia is Anakin's child—"
"Don't worry," he attempted to reassure me. "I've already sent a coded message to my wife, Breha. Only she knows how to translate it. She will have the proper paperwork to back up the story that Leia is our adoptive daughter."
I nodded, hoping it would be enough. I glanced down at the little girl thrashing about in the bassinet, as if she knew her life was going to irrevocably change, never to know her true family. Considering in the end the terrible price that was paid, perhaps she wouldn't want to.
The ship shuddered again, this time it was a navigation correction to prepare for docking procedures.
"You better hurry," Bail warned. "You haven't got much time."
I nodded. "May the Force be with you," I spoke the blessing as I gave his shoulder a squeeze.
Clasping Luke's crying form close, I raced down the corridor to the lifepods. Hunkering down, I squeezed into a pod and took the controls.
Holding Luke close to my chest, the escape pod jettisoned from the Tantive IV and tumbled through space out towards the planet. It was difficult to say the least to steer one-handed while the boy's cry filled the tiny cabin. The Intrepid cast an ominous shadow over us as gravity drew us closer to the planet.
"Hold on, little one," I tried in vain to reassure the distressed boy in my arms. "Just a little further."
I had to time our entry into the atmosphere carefully, hoping that if we were detected, our pod would appear no more than a mere asteroid skimming the surface of the ionosphere.
When the hull of the pod reached its maximum heat tolerance, I fired reverse thrusters. The burn of the pod's engine would be masked by the fiery trail left behind from reentry. My practiced skill brought us safely down on the sandy surface of Tatooine.
I took the survival sack and emptied its contents into the folds of my cloak. Using the sack like a papoose, I placed Luke inside and looped the straps of the sack around my back, drawing the boy to my chest. Wrapping my cloak around the two of us, I kicked the pod's door open.
A rush of heat filled the cabin, some from the super-heated exterior of pod from our reentry, but mostly from the shimmering sands that stretched out endlessly before us. Both suns were high overhead, scorching the barren land. I threw the hood of my cloak over my head for some protection from the twin suns' glare, and checked that the boy was snugly secured round my torso before venturing out.
Using a pair of macro binoculars, I scanned the surface. Just as I planned, we had landed several kilometres from the outskirts of Mos Eisley, one of the smaller spaceports on Tatooine. It would likely take me a good portion of the day's light to trek across the blazing sands just to find shelter within the sprawling settlement.
Looking back up into the heavens, I shielded my eyes to catch a glint of light off the two ships now in orbit. I detected no firing between the two, and prayed that none of the clones aboard the Intrepid had detected our escape to the surface. I watched a moment longer to be certain there were no signs of pursuit.
I blinked away sunspots from my eyes as I returned my attention to Luke and peeked at him under the folds of my cloak. On the descent, he belted a terrifying wail from the top of his lungs, but now the babe was sound asleep. It felt strange to be looking upon the child's dusting of blondish hair and the shape of his pudgy cheeks. Already he was so reminiscent of his father.
I sighed and centred my focus on the task at hand, setting off for Mos Eisley.
Obi-Wan pumped his legs as fast as they would carry him. He was undeniably, unbelievably late. And all because he wanted to look at the stars in the observatory before classes began. Stupid, stupid, Kenobi! he chided himself as he rounded a tall column entering the Great Hall—
And suddenly collided with a very tall man trying to come out the same way Obi-Wan came in.
Falling backwards to the floor, Obi-Wan looked up...and up...and up, and finally saw the scowling face of what must have been a very perturbed Jedi Master. His chestnut hair cascaded down to his shoulders, framing his leonine face. Piercing blue eyes penetrated the boy's opalescent blue-grey ones as Obi-Wan gaped up in awe and fear.
"Where are you heading, young man, that you cannot pay heed to where you are going?" the man asked in a deep voice. To Obi-Wan, it might as well have been the growl of a nexu.
"Uh...ah, t—to class, Master," Obi-Wan whimpered a reply. He explained, "I am late."
The imposing figure bent down, a shadow casting over his face. "What is your name? Who is your master?"
"I—I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, sir. And...I have no master."
The gentleman looked somewhat surprised at the boy's answer. "How old are you, Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
"I—I'm eight standard years, sir," Obi-Wan stated. Realising he wasn't exactly telling the truth, he corrected, "Well, in a month."
The towering man's features softened as he regarded Obi-Wan who still remained on the marble floor, propped up by his elbows. Reaching out a hand, the man introduced himself, "I'm Qui-Gon Jinn." He helped pull Obi-Wan to his feet.
"Tell me, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon spoke, tilting his head slightly, "why you are almost eight standard years and without a master?"
"Master Yoda says it's because of my obstinate nature," Obi-Wan explained, clasping his sweaty hands before him. "I'm too headstrong, and im—im—impetuant."
Qui-Gon's lips curled upward. "Impetuous," he corrected.
"Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon's midnight eyes pierced Obi-Wan with a grave seriousness as he stated, "The way of a Jedi is very difficult. It sometimes requires you to walk down a path you are not always willing to walk. To become something you are not always willing to become. Do you really want the life of a Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
Nodding eagerly, Obi-Wan responded, "Oh, yes, Master! Very much!"
Qui-Gon's eyes flickered up and down Obi-Wan as if assessing him, then a look of decision came over him as he straightened up and placed his generous hands on the boy's shoulders. "Well, then...Obi-Wan Kenobi. I take you as my padawan learner."
Obi-Wan's mouth gaped open in surprise, his eyes wide with excitement and awe. "You—just like that?" he said in a slightly higher octave than he had spoken before. Then with a frown, he wondered, "Shouldn't we be in Council or...something?"
Qui-Gon's grin quirked to one side as he lightly shook his head. "It's not necessary." Taking a step back, the man's eyes flashed with amusement as the boy continued to gape incredulously up at him. "See? Now you're not late. You were right where you were meant to be—with me."
"Yes...Master," Obi-Wan replied, his mind unable to take the swift turn of events in all at once. He looked down and stared off into the distance. Should he excuse himself and continue on his way to Master Yoda's class? It seemed very strange to be someone's padawan now.
"Come, Padawan," Qui-Gon called out to him as he began walking in a completely different direction than Master Yoda's class.
Well, Obi-Wan pondered, I guess that answers that.
Taking a carefully-measured drink from my water skin, I quietly assessed the run-down hostelry that also seemed to be part mechanic's shop as well. The place looked like it was on its last legs, held together by shear fortune and the fact that the building hadn't been accidentally demolished by a passing ronto. Never in my younger days would I have entertained the thought of accepting room and board at such an establishment, although with amusement I realised it was exactly the type of place Qui-Gon would have chosen.
Opening my cloak, I peered at a squirming Luke who had tossed aside the torn cloth I had used to soak up water and milk to feed him on our journey. In my haste, I had brought enough milk, water and bottles, but not a single nipple. "Some father I would have made, hmm?" Luke gurgled at me and flailed his arms, cooing happily. I suddenly smelled the real reason for his joyful demeanour. I chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing I remembered to bring those."
I crossed the dusty street and entered the establishment. Speeder parts were strewn about, making it look more like a repair shop than a place for room and board. A young lady was sitting behind a counter held up by plastisteel piping, watching a HoloNet broadcast on a very tiny viewer.
"Hello, there," I greeted.
My voice must have startled the young lady, for she nearly jumped off of her stool and sent it crashing to the floor. "Oh! Ah...picking up or dropping off?"
"Um...actually, I was hoping for a room for the night. You...do rent them?" I began to second-guess my choice of accommodations.
"Uh..."
"Who is it?" a gruff man's voice called out from another room.
"It's an old man looking for a room."
Old man!
A portly man who had already passed the prime of his own youth came through a doorway, rubbing his greasy hands with a stained towel. His flat blue eyes assessed me carefully just as I was assessing him.
Just at that moment, Luke decided it was time to make his presence known. With a squealing cry and coo, Luke kicked and squirmed against me. My cloak opened, revealing his place in the makeshift papoose.
"Oh! A baby!" the young woman cooed and came round the counter, totally forgetting all else. She stood before me, her soft brown eyes peering up through dark lashes with a reverent plea. "May I?"
I felt only good intentions as well as her personal desperation for a child of her own. I nodded with a pleasant smile and eased Luke out of the sack.
"Oh! What an adorable little boy!" the woman cooed affectionately as she took Luke carefully in her arms. Her dry flaxen hair fell over her shoulders down to Luke's waving fists.
I looked back up at the man who still remained behind the counter. His face had drawn a hard, cold line with his mouth as he watched the young woman fuss over the boy. I realised then that this was the woman's husband. I sensed anger and frustration from the man, with a sad resignation of how things came to be. His eyes shifted as his gaze fell upon me. Suddenly, I felt very out of place and eagerly wanted Luke back so to make haste out of the establishment.
"You're such a sweet boy! Yes, you are!" the woman cooed at Luke nestled in her arms.
In the background, the voice from the HoloNet feed drew my attention. "...Despite a failed Jedi attempt to murder the Emperor-appointed Sith commander, Lord Darth Vader is reported to be in stable condition at an undisclosed medcentre. Imperial officials indicate Lord Vader sustained multiple Jedi-induced injuries, including amputation of several limbs and severe burns over 90 percent of his body. Although Lord Vader is expected to recover from these Jedi atrocities, medics indicated he would likely be dependant on life-support for the rest of his life..."
Everything in the world seemed to stop as I stared at the flickering glow of the HoloNet feed on the tiny receiver behind the front counter.
Anakin. Alive.
Could Anakin die? Would the Force allow it? He had been the Chosen One, hadn't he? Wasn't he? The balance between the Light and the Dark, the Jedi and the Sith, the endless struggle of good versus evil—where was its fulcrum now?
Feeling light-headed, I turned to look back at the young woman who smiled at Luke in her arms. She lifted her head to look at me, her expression changing to concern when she saw my pale face. I reached out for the counter to steady myself, but the world spun, and I knew only darkness as I fell to the floor.