Blaze: here is the next chapter, which is NOT the first chapter of part two

Darth: so the next three chapters are merely interludes between part one and part two

Blaze: yup

Darth: ah okay

Voldy: damn you, you idiots

Severus, Draco and Harry: stay the bloody blazes away from us! (Stab Voldy three times with three lightsabers and stalk off)

Blaze: (laughs) here is chapter 25 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated

Interlude

The Wookiee Reunion

Mabac watched as his friend Luke sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. Azana sat down beside him, watching him and attempting to copy his movements. There was a long moment of silence before Ben walked into the main hold of the ship with Vader, er Anakin, just behind him.

'What are you doing?' Mabac growled to his friend as Luke opened his eyes.

"Meditating, Mabac," replied Luke. "So is Azana. Or, at least, she's trying to."

"It's not as easy as it looks," Azana muttered opening her eyes.

"That's why I've always disliked meditating," Anakin said with a snort. "Obi-Wan used to have to practically drag me by the ear to get me to meditate when I was his apprentice."

"I still had to do that after you became a knight," Ben snorted.

"Ah, we kind of had a war to think about when I became a knight. When was I supposed to have found time to meditate?"

"Make time."

"Why? I hate meditation. It's boring."

"Thirty one years old and yet complaining like a teenager." Ben sighed before shaking his head with a rueful smile.

Anakin glowered good-humoredly before glancing at Mabac. "We should be reaching Kashyyyk in a day, Mabac," he said.

'Okay,' Mabac growled in response.

"What do you plan on doing when you arrive on Kashyyyk?" asked Luke.

'Find my foster family,' Mabac replied. 'They said they were going to leave for Kashyyyk the day before Glips took me and Azana. I think they have left by now since they know the Emperor doesn't like non-humans and they'd feel safer on Kashyyyk.'

"They wouldn't have waited for you?" Luke sounded puzzled.

Mabac shook his head. 'I doubt it,' he growled. 'That's why I hope to find them on Kashyyyk.'

"You should be fine on Kashyyyk," Anakin said. "I convinced the Emperor to leave Kashyyyk alone because I owed them. A lot of the Wookiees were still enslaved, sorry about that, but most of them were left alone."

"You owed them?" Ben echoed raising his eyebrows.

"One of them, Chewbacca, saved Ahsoka's life when she had been kidnapped by those Trandoshans. It was thanks to the Wookiees that Ahsoka made it back to Coruscant in one piece." There was sadness in Anakin's voice that Mabac found odd; of course, he was still a bit confused by the whole Vader being Anakin and vice versa thing.

"I'll look for Ahsoka, Anakin," Ben said gently placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "If anyone could have survived the Purge then it's Ahsoka. You trained her very well."

Anakin smiled faintly. "Hopefully," he said softly.

"Who's Ahsoka?" Luke asked curiosity in his voice.

"Ahsoka was your father's apprentice," Ben explained. "He trained her for two years in the way of the Jedi before she went on a solo mission with another Jedi and, well, we never heard from her after that."

"Oh. What's the Purge?"

Both Anakin and Ben closed their eyes and did not reply.

"When we reach Kashyyyk," Anakin began, "I will remain onboard the ship. It would be better for everyone if no one knows I'm here. Besides, I know there are some Imperials on Kashyyyk who could inform Palpatine of my current position. Obi-Wan, it would be best if you disguised your appearance. You two, Luke, if you want to go with, since Palpatine knows what you look like and you bear an unkindly resemblance to me. Azana, I don't think you'll need much disguise. You may look like your aunt Aayla but there are plenty of Twi'leks out there who look like you."

"Don't worry, Anakin," Ben said. "I've hidden my appearance before."

Anakin's lips quirked into a slight smile although his eyes grew guarded. "Hopefully, you will never have to go that extreme again, Master."

Mabac was confused and he could tell Luke and Azana were as well. However, Ben seemed to have understood exactly what Anakin was referring to because he flinched and sighed. "I did apologize for that, Anakin. The Jedi Council and I both came up with the idea together."

"So you said when I first found out," Anakin growled.

Luke got to his feet before walking over to Anakin's side and wrapping his arms around his father gently. Anakin hugged Luke back, the anger in his eyes fading and he gently pressed his lips to the top of Luke's head.

Mabac growled softly. 'Lord Va…er, I mean Anakin, really loves Luke,' he barked.

Azana nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I wish my parents could have been like Va…er Anakin." She closed her eyes and Mabac growled sympathetically before placing a furry paw on his friend's shoulder. He knew she harbored bitter feelings toward her birth parents who sold her into slavery.

Mabac hoped she would be able to find her aunt and have a better life than the one she led in slavery.

Kashyyyk was a forest-covered planet with tall trees where the majority of the Wookiee population called their home. Mabac has never been to Kashyyyk before and he found the planet where his foster family was going to move to, and the planet where his real parents were likely born and raised, beautiful. The trees soared into the sky and, in their upper branches, stood homes where Wookiees lived. Bridges connected some houses together and, on the ground level of the forest, several Wookiees walked back and forth, their crossbows or other weapons slung over their shoulder or resting on their backs.

Mabac turned his gaze to Ben who was standing at his side dressed in clothing that could easily cause someone to mistake him for a smuggler or mercenary. Azana was at his side and Luke stood next to Mabac; he was also dressed to where he, hopefully, won't be recognized. Mabac wasn't sure if it would work but he doubted the Wookiees, if they saw something was off, would turn them over to the Empire.

The four of them made their way across the forest floor while Anakin, still onboard the Nabooian star cruiser, lifted the boarding ramp. Mabac noticed the Wookiees were eyeing them warily but they made no move to stop them as they moved away from the ship. He felt better about that; it meant that they weren't going to be shot. Now, all he needed to do was find his foster family.

He walked over to a wookiee standing nearby. 'Excuse me?' he growled softly.

'What is it, cub?' the wookiee growled back.

'I've never been here before and I'm looking for my foster parent. Can you help me?' Mabac barked.

'Over there.' The wookiee pointed to the other end of the landing pad. 'Ask her. She may be able to help you. Her name's Hakabacca.'

'Thank you,' Mabac growled before he walked over to the female wookiee and repeated his question to her before telling her their names when they asked.

'They arrived just yesterday,' she growled. 'I'm sure they'll be happy to see you.'

'Thank you,' Mabac growled before glancing at Ben, Luke and Azana who were walking to his side. 'I found my foster parents. They just arrived yesterday,' he growled.

"That's great," Azana said smiling.

Mabac barked in agreement.

Anakin's comlink was beeping erratically and he glanced at it before sighing and lifting it. He thumbed it on. "Yes?" he said into it.

"My lord," Ozzel's voice sounded. "I am sorry to interrupt, my lord, but the Emperor wishes to speak with you immediately. He wishes to know why you did not come back with me. I tried to avoid the topic but he brought it up almost as soon as he requested to see me. On a brighter note, Daren and Elia have returned to their families safely."

"Very well, Admiral," Anakin said. "Inform the Emperor that I am indisposed at the moment but I shall contact him as soon as possible."

"He will not take too kindly to being put off, my lord," Ozzel said, "but I'll tell him." Then he cut the transmission. Anakin closed his eyes before typing in the frequency to Obi-Wan's frequency into it.

"Yes Anakin?" Obi-Wan's voice said.

Anakin opened his eyes. "You need to hurry up, Master," he said quietly. "Palpatine has no doubt tracked my comlink the instant Ozzel contacted me. That means he'll be coming here soon. We need to be gone by then. Warn the wookiees but try to do so without letting them know I'm here."

"All right, Anakin. We've almost reached the house where Mabac's foster parents are staying so we'll be done here soon."

"Just hurry and be careful," Anakin said quietly before he disconnected the transmission and put the comlink away.

Obi-Wan put his comlink away before glancing at Mabac who was being embraced by his family. The Wookiee they had run into on the landing platform had called to Mabac's foster family and they agreed to meet up with them near their home. He placed a hand on Luke's shoulder as the boy smiled at the reunion between the two of them.

"We're going to have to go really soon, Luke," he said gently. "It would be best for both of you to say your goodbyes now."

Luke and Azana nodded before they walked over to Mabac's side. While they were saying their goodbyes, Obi-Wan slipped off to join a wookiee general nearby. The wookiee growled a greeting to Obi-Wan who inclined his head in greeting.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asked the wookiee.

The wookiee inclined his head once in reply.

"I need you to warn the clans that the Empire may be coming here. I fear the Imperials we ran into on the last planet we visited placed a tracking device on our ship. I'll find it but I fear the Empire already knows we have come here."

The wookiee barked his thanks before walking off to find the leaders of the wookiee clans.

Obi-Wan made his way to Luke and Azana's side as the two of them finished saying their goodbyes to Mabac. Mabac hugged Luke and Azana again before growling and barking again. Luke and Azana stepped away from Mabac before watching as the wookiee walked away with his foster family toward his new home.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: that was the first of three interludes before the start of part two

Darth: three? What are they covering?

Blaze: Mabac's reunion with his family, Luke and Anakin's arrival on Sheris and Azana and Obi-Wan's search for Aayla

Darth: ah cool

Blaze: yup, part two will cover the events of A New Hope but with many, MANY different aspects

Darth: cool

Blaze: Please review. I will post the next interlude tomorrow and the third interlude on Sunday.