Chapter 5

The freighter continued its way to Yavin. Leia had left a few whiles ago after he woke up but not before she revealed that he slept for only two hours.

Despite his Master's comments of remaining in the present and the now, Ani found himself wondering how Darth Vader had dealt with the loss of his quarry, Kenobi. And if the Sith Lord recognized Ani despite the distractions back then. Perhaps, if he was fortunate, nothing bad would occur if he maintained his anonymity.

Nevertheless, he forced himself to push his doubts to the back of his mind for he intended to address them when he was deeper into his meditation. His most pressing concern was understanding the role he would play and what to do to avoid any sort of detection by any who knew him… except Kenobi of course but that was a mistake Ani had committed under shock and surprise.

His bed, although rough now that he wasn't that tired anymore, would serve its purpose of helping him meditate. So he sat himself down, crossed his legs and straightened, closing his eyes as he did. Constant practice allowed him to slip in relatively quick despite his age and inexperience and soon, the noise of the engines and the faraway voices of his crew-mates melted away to leave white noise. The silence was comforting and he enjoyed the feeling of the scant currents of Light when they neared his projection.

In the Force, Ashla and Bogan circled each other in an eternal dance, forever at odds yet somehow peaceful at the same time. Calamities arose from each side and many would argue that life therefore, could only be black and white and not with shades of gray. Because of that, some arraigned themselves to one side of the Force and out of the divisions, the Jedi and the Sith were created as a physical conduit of the Force; one that always reflected the current balance. Or in this universe's case, imbalance.

Ani didn't know what to think.

He was still learning and his experiences led him to have a different perspective from most Jedi at the Temple. What he did know because he could feel himself choke under the strain of the imbalance, was that because there was a strong inclination towards the Dark, the Light had been quenched.

How strong was Darth Vader so that he could do this? And what had happened so that a massacre on the Jedi had been conducted and not a finger was lifted to help them?

And…if Darth Vader really was Ani, and not an apprentice that Obi-Wan took later on, was the Chosen One prophecy a lie?

Ani feared that if was true. It had been under the possibility that he was the Chosen One that earned him a spot as Jedi- if it proved to be false, Ani would no longer be protected and he'd be…there would be no purpose for him to fulfill. If he found out that it was a lie and he returned back to the Temple, how would he be able to look at Master Yoda in the eyes and tell him?

Abruptly, Ani swatted that thought away from him as if was the vilest creature instead of Vader. He could not afford a personal distraction set in the possible future to divert his attention from the matter at hand.

Leia.

She and her rescuers Han and Luke were meant to help. When they had met, the Force had seemed to shake briefly as if apprehensive but expectant. From her connection to the destroyed Alderaan, he could conclude that she had family there and given that she was a prisoner in a station such as the one they left behind, she probably was someone very, very important too. Perhaps the Force intended her to be a driving force in the top echelons of her Rebel's Alliance. Han and Luke were…mysteries to say the least.

Han Solo was a rugged man with little to no values concerning others namely himself and his companion Chewbacca, who seemed like a sweet creature if no one poked him with a stick. Solo was also a very blunt man who seemed like he did not appreciate lies despite his occupation and that was a very telling detail- Corellians were interesting individuals and Ani could go on and on about the many intricacies of their character.

Luke. Luke Skywalker…the boy who carried his surname and made no secret of it. The name Skywalker was a mere slave name, an invention of a mother who wanted to give her son a name so that whatever name she used to have before didn't mar him. If someone like Luke carried it, nineteen or so years into the future, then Ani was not so alone in the galaxy and his mother had thought of someone when she adopted the name or- or something happened down the line to make Ani forget his Jedi vows.

He was a recipe for disaster. All of them were.

And then there was Obi-Wan Kenobi himself. His attire, his mannerisms and his clothing suggested near-poverty and isolation and Ani had to assume that not only had the ordeal aged Obi-Wan but it had changed him on a fundamental level that whilst he still had the Light around him, it was the muted glow of regret and cynicism. No longer a faithful believer of the Jedi way as Ani had expected him to remain, Obi-Wan was pretty much suspicious of Ani's presence aboard.

'Never mind,' he thought forcefully.

Finally, there was the imminent question of 'what to do?' He was a child and although useful in theory and tactical knowledge, he wasn't very adept at combat which was what was required in these troubled times. He had the sense that he was not meant to be in the back of the scenes. That was if Leia's comrades allowed him to continue in her presence.

How troublesome.

The answer was if he was able to convince the superiors that he was worth more to their cause than back in some dingy planet or worse: in the enemies' hands. If Vader didn't kill him before he got within reach.

Yavin was uninhabitable and to the common sight, a world of danger and impressive yet worthless beauty due to the huge amounts of atmospheric gases. The numerous moons around the gas giant were even more so impressive given their size and the traces of old civilizations.

To Ani, who could hear noises and see the phantoms of the planet with the Force's help, this was a beacon of wild energy with untapped potential given that it was largely untouched by corrosive species such as humans and therefore, very pure.

Their welcome to one of these moons was largely based on Leia and Kenobi, both whom were revealed to be integral parts of the Rebel Alliance, as Ani had theorized. Leia's suggestion that perhaps they were being tracked was one he did not stop to consider yet was very worrying.

"Your Highness, the boy- why is he here?"

Every pair of eyes suddenly rested upon Ani and he felt himself flushing under the attention of these individuals. The man who had welcomed Leia first, Commander Willard, was the first to pause in his scrutiny before Leia stepped forward to cover for Ani.

"He was held in the same cell I was being held. Other than the fact that he does not remember how he came to be there, Ani is just another victim of the Empire."

"I…I see…"

There was no mention of him being a Jedi Padawan and for that, Ani owed Leia a debt of gratitude.

"Nevertheless, Commander, you must use the information locked in this R-2 unit to form a plan of attack. It's our only hope." Her voice acquired a tone that had shivers crawling up Ani's spine, "The station is more powerful than anybody expected. If the data does not yield a weakness, there will be no stopping the Empire."

With the foreboding statement stuck in mind, R-2 was taken away to allow the technicians space to acquire the knowledge the little bot had in his databanks. The rest of them were led to the central briefing room where other officers and superiors congregated alongside pilots, navigators, droids and technicians. It was interesting meritocratic community but he was more interested in the man who would present the data R-2 had saved.

He was old, tall and had the same airs as Obi-Wan did except the man still had some hope and determination. There was a fatherly soft of attitude that accompanied the dignified grace he had that Ani made sure he committed to memory of how it felt.

These were all people who really believed in their cause, he noticed curiously, and they would adamantly defend this alliance until their last breath. None were here because they had nothing to fight for; they had family, values and freedom in their mind.

The intel collected took only an hour or so to arrange into a plan of attack, a brainchild of the many dedicated strategists within the workforce.

The old man- General Jan Dodonna, a pilot so helpfully provided- stood and as if by instinct, the crowds hushed and he brought the little microphone closer to his mouth. "You all know these people, " he began steadily, "- they are Senators and Generals whose worlds have given us support, whether open or covert. They have come to be with us in what may well prove to be a decisive moment.

The Imperial battle station you all now have heard of is approaching us from the far side of Yavin and its sun. That gives us little extra time, but it must be stopped- once and for all- before it can reach this moon, before it can bring its weaponry to bear on us as it did on Alderaan."

The human physique was amazing in that it could support a being past great tragedy and even surpass it. It was also amazing in that no matter what, humans never allowed themselves to forget moments of great triumph and grief alike; the destruction of Alderaan would be one such and he had a feeling it would affect more than just this generation. As it was, upon the General's soft reminder, a great wave of earnest grief momentarily clouded his perception so that he too, felt like he could honestly grieve alongside them.

"The station is heavily shielded," Dodonna continued, "and mounts more firepower than half the Imperial fleet. But its defenses were designed to fend off large-scale, capital ship assaults. A small, one or two man fighter should be able to slip through its defensive screens."

One pilot rose instantly, his orange suit a contrast against all muted colors around him. Ani likened him to a leading light to the cause he served.

"What is it, Red Leader?"

The pilot motioned to the screens, "Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are our snub fighters going to be against that?"

There was a small moment of silence as Dodonna considered the statement and then he sighed, "Well, the Empire doesn't think a one-man fighter is any threat to anything except another small ship like a TIE fighter, or they would have provided tighter screens. Apparently, they're convinced that their defensive weaponry can fend off any light attacks.

But an analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has revealed what we think is a weakness in the station's design. A big ship couldn't get near it, but an X- or Y-wing fighter might. It's a small thermal exhaust port. Its size belies its importance as it appears to be an unshielded shaft that runs directly into the main reactor system powering the station. Since this serves as an emergency outlet for waste heat in the event of reactor overproduction, its usefulness would be eliminated by particle shielding."

It was only due to Anakin's lengthy experience and knowledge on ships and piloting that he was able to follow the conversation at all. He missed potentially important information as he wondered over how exactly the Rebels would find and pick the pilot who would make the daring swoop past dense circum-polar clusters and distortion to make a direct hit in a tight space like that.

"What if both runs fail?" A woman asked, "What happens after that?"

Smiling tightly, the General said, "There won't be an after."

Instead of demoralizing his troops, it only heightened their determination, eliciting another shiver from Ani.

The dismissal was just as foreboding but 'inspiring.' "Then man your ships and may the Force be with you."

The base was a flurry of activity after that and he made sure to grab one of the spare one-handed blasters from the offered crate before scampering back to the only familiar aspect of the entire base: the Millenium Falcon. As the preparations for the assault transpired, Solo and Chewbacca loaded durasteel crates aboard their freighter, single-mindedly going for the task.

They were leaving… If Solo was leaving, did that mean Ani miscalculated and the smuggler really had no business in the complex web of events that would take place?

The one more affected by this proceeding was Luke who, as Ani sensed, had become rather attached to the cocky yet courageous man who had helped them all. It made the Padawan wonder how the young man was able to establish bonds as quick as he had- perhaps more had occurred between them and Kenobi whilst Ani was stuck in a cell.

Still, he was close enough to hear the ensuing conversation between both men.

"You got your reward," Luke noted sadly, "and…you're leaving now?"

The satisfied sigh he got in return probably rankled the young farm boy more than he would ever admit. "That's right, kid, I've got some debts to pay. And even if I didn't, I'd be a fool to stay around." Solo hummed and then said, "Say, kid, you're pretty good in a scrape- why don't you come with us? I could use you."

"Why don't you look around you and see something else besides you for a change?" Luke challenged, "You know what's going to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot but you're turning your back on them."

Now that was highly unfair, Ani thought, because Luke was talking with a smuggler, not another sort. Yet, Han seemed unfazed by the outburst, merely quirking an eyebrow, "What good's a reward if you're not around to spend it? Attacking that station isn't my idea of courage- more like suicide."

And that was a remarkably astute yet obvious point.

"Yeah…" Luke admitted, "Take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's what you're good at, isn't it?" He made to turn but Solo's quick call had him stopping.

"Luke, wait!" There was a moment of silence and Ani was intrusive enough to taste the small amount of guilt and shame coming from the elder man. Finally, Han said, "May the Force be with you."

Nodding yet looking as if that hurt him, Luke disappeared from sight, flanked by droids and pilots.

Attention returning to Solo, Ani made note of the way he stared after Luke and the way Chewbacca watched Solo until the man himself noticed and glared, "What are you staring at, gruesome? Get back to work!"

Ani stepped away from the shadows he had hidden himself in, although he suspected Chewbacca had always known he was there, and stopped in front of Solo. The smuggler looked curious yet weary, as if Ani would also launch accusations at him. "Ani?"

"Anakin," Ani suppled earnestly, earning himself a surprised look from the smuggler and a knowing one from Chewbacca, "I s-s'pse you've e-earned it, H-Han."

"That's your name? Like…like the Jedi hero?" Han asked tentatively.

"I…think."

"Wow." The veiled wonder in the smuggler's tone restored some of the courage Ani had summoned just for this interaction.

"Still, I-I'd like to tha-thank you…for g-getting u-us this far."

"Aw shucks, kiddo." Han murmured, looking a bit abashed.

"T-try not to s-save too many princesses, H-Han."

Han laughed and rubbed his chin, "Would you look at that- I think I'm starting to really like you, kiddo."

Anakin beamed.