“I said defend, not duck!”

“You were coming at me too hard. I would’ve lost my balance; I saw dodging as the only option.”

There was a sigh from somewhere behind him, “An answer for everything.” The ‘saber was ignited; “Again!”

This time, when the bladecame at him, he met it with his own weapon. He swung the ‘saber in an arc towards his opponent’s legs. Blinded as he was, he knew that his opponent had jumped over his blade.

Even before the lightsaber made to cut at his torso, a warning reached him through the Force and he flipped backwards, landing precariously on a small boulder. He quickly balanced himself and raised his lightsaber in a defensive position.

There was a loud humming noise near his ear and he stepped backwards, not realising how small the boulder was, and fell to the floor. He felt the heat of the lightsaber barely a centimetre from his throat.

“Do you yield?” his attacker asked, a hint of humour in his voice.

“I don’t have much choice, do I?” the loser murmured. He sighed, “I yield to your mastery, oh great Jedi.”

His acknowledgement of defeat was rewarded with a chuckle as the winner helped him up. He removed the blindfold from his face and used it to wipe the sweat off of his forehead.

“You’re sweating like a Hutt.” Obi-Wan Kenobi remarked, sitting down on the bolder, grinning.

“Yeah; well you look like one.” Luke Skywalker, his unofficial- as there was no Jedi Order left anymore- Padawan Learner retorted, sticking out his tongue. He pulled on a light-brown tunic and it immediately clung to his sweat-covered chest.

Obi-Wan threw a canteen at him, “Watch it. Or I’ll put sand in your bed.”

“There’s at least a quarter of the Dune Sea in my bed already, Obi-Wan.” Luke took a swig of water and then stowed the canteen in his pack.

He brushed his outgrown fringe out of his eyes, “It’s no real surprise I lost to you. That’s the sixth time we’ve sparred in the last hour. And it’s almost midday. We’re on Tatooine, if you didn’t notice; it’s hot.”

“Really, Luke; I thought we were on Hoth!” Obi-Wan smirked at Luke who rolled his eyes.

“You’re like a child.” Luke commented.

Obi-Wan slung an arm over his shoulders, “At heart, perhaps. Now, as you said, it’s almost midday. Off to school!”

Luke groaned, “’Saber practice and now school! Can’t I have the day off!”

“No. The Empire dictates all children under the age of eighteen must attend school.”

“I hate the Empire. I’ll be eighteen in, er…two years anyway!”

“You have two years more at school, then. Regardless of what the Emperor says, I dictate that you go to school, so; off with you!”

“I woke up late.” Luke lied easily.

“Uh huh.” Biggs gave him a disbelieving look, “What’s got you so tired that you sleep late three times a week?”

Luke stared at him, “What are you implying?”

“That Kenobi bloke of yours has a nice ass…even if he is a weirdo.” A girl sat behind them said, smiling slyly.

“Oh Force!” Luke looked only slightly less disgusted than he felt, “No! That’s just wrong! Ergh! He’s like my Father! Besides, he’s over fifty!”

“Over fifty.” The girl repeated, raising her eyebrows, “He barely looks thirty.”

Luke shrugged, “Aging doesn’t start until later for the humans of the planet he comes from.”

That wasn’t the truth, obviously. But he doubted they would understand anything about the life-bond Obi-Wan had with Luke’s deceased Father, Anakin and the way it had slowed down and even reversed the physical aging process. He doubted they even knew much about Jedi apart from the tales of heroic Knights told by parents to young children.

“Oh…He’s really over fifty?”

“Yes. He-“

“Skywalker., Darklighter; shut up!” the teacher said, walking to the front of the classroom.

“Yes, sir.” Biggs replied quietly.

Luke rolled his eyes, “Yes, sir.”

“Thank you, boys.” The dark-haired teacher leant against his desk, “Today, we’re doing history.”

The class groaned. Luke decided to hit Obi-Wan once he got home for making him come to such a tedious lesson.

He hit Obi-Wan hard on the arm, “That is for making me sit through a history lesson on Emperor Palpatine!”

Obi-Wan frowned, “You did a history lesson on the Emperor? Force knows he’s old enough, but I don’t imagine he’d want to reveal much about his past.”

Luke snorted, “Most of the material was just ‘the noble Emperor this’ and ‘the great Emperor that.’ We were told of all the great treaties he’s signed. Somewhere along the line they forgot to add in how evil Sith were; the way that lesson made it, the Sith are humble scholars. If Palpatine and that masked pet of his Vader are ‘scholars’ then I’m a gundark.”

Obi-Wan’s knife slipped as he said the last sentence, cutting into his finger, “Sith!”

He put his finger in his mouth and sucked.

“Clever.” Luke remarked sarcastically.

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, “You cut the vegetables then, if you’re so good.”

“Maybe I will.” Luke sauntered towards the counter, snatched the knife off of Obi-Wan and began dicing the food. Obi-Wan walked over to the stove and stirred a pot of pasta.

“Luke?” He said after a while.

“Hmmm?”

“Can you pass me the cooking oil; I need it for the vegetable pan?”

Luke blindly searched for the oil with one hand while he continued to slice with the other, keeping the vegetables in place using the Force.

“We’re out.” He told Obi-Wan.

Hesighed and wiped his hands on the front of his tunic, “I’ll have to go into Mos Espa.”

“We don’t have to fry the vegetables, Obi.”

“We’ll need it eventually. It’s only 1530; there’s plenty of time.” As he passed Luke, he ruffled his hair, earning him a glare, “Try not to burn down the house while I’m out, kiddo.”

“I’m sixteen, not five!” was the last thing Obi-Wan heard before he left the house.

“Where does this originate from?” Vader asked one of the technicians, staring at the screens.

“An Outer Rim planet, milord.” the man replied, “Tatooine. There was trouble with attacks on the garrison there.”

“Tatooine…” Vader repeated quietly, “Zoom in on the upper left corner!”

The technician did so and Vader stepped closer to the screens, his expression hidden by the thin black mask upon his face. He reached out and tapped the screen with one of the digits of his golden mechanical hand. It made a satisfying clinking sound.

“Isolate the image of this man here.” He ordered, still staring at the screen.

“Right away, milord.” The technician entered something into his computer and the screen went black and was soon replaced by a blown-up image of the man’s face.

“Can you make this image sharper?” Vader inquired; the man’s features were rather blurry. Still, he was almost certain it was him.

‘Please wait…’ appeared on the screen and, gradually, the face became clearer.

‘Got you.’ Vader thought, resisting the urge to whoop. That would be most undignified, not to mention un-Sith-like.

He turned, facing the technicians, “Send this image to every Imperial base in the galaxy. If he is spotted, they are to capture him. I don’t want him damaged, so stun only. Tell them to be wary, too; he’s a Jedi.”

“What’s his name, my Lord?” the supervising technician asked, stepping up beside him.

Vader looked over his shoulder at the face on the screen, “Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

After gazing at the screen for another minute in silence, he strode off. His assistant ran up to keep up with his long strides.

“Darenim.” Vader addressed his assistant.

“Yes, my Lord?” he replied in a tone too chirpy for Vader’s taste. The amount of PA’s he went through- most disappeared without a trace (or at least that was what the official reports said) - and they still insisted on sending him idiots like this.

“Inform the Emperor I am en-route to Tatooine. Tell him I have found Kenobi.”

“Yes, my Lord. Straight away, my Lord.” Vader spared his assistant a witheringglare before opening the doors of his personal hangar. They shut firmly behind him.

Obi-Wan frowned; the only people who had that code were Bail and Padmé and they were instructed to contact him in emergencies only.

‘Must be an emergency, then, idiot.’ He thought wryly, closing off the holonovel and standing. He walked over to the comunit and pressed the button to receive the call. There was a beep, indicating that the confirmation was being transmitted to the sender, informing them that he was ready to receive the call. Luke also stood, coming to stand at Obi-Wan’s shoulder.

There was a crackle of static and then a voice Obi-Wan recognised as Bail’s even though he had not actually heard it in almost sixteen years, “Obi-Wan?”

“Bail. “ Obi-Wan paused, “…This is certainly a surprise. Is something wrong?”

“Vader knows you’re on Tatooine, my friend. You receive holovision on Tatooine don’t you?

“I…yes.”

“Turn it on, Obi-Wan.” He gestured to Luke who nodded and walked over to the screen.

He switched it on.

The young female reporter onscreen looked down at the datapad in her hand and then looked back towards the camera, “News just in. Esteemed Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy and heir to the Imperial Throne, Lord Vader, has discovered that a member of the corrupt and dangerous Jedi Order has been living on the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine. The Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi-“ a picture of Obi-Wan’s face appeared behind her,”-seen here in a Tatooine town, should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Do not attempt to capture him and avoid any contact with him if possible. We are assured that he shall be captured soon, so please do not worry. Please note; any citizen seen to be aiding Kenobi will be considered a traitor to the Empire and shall be punished accordingly.”

Luke looked at Obi-Wan, who was gazing at the screen slightly disbelievingly. He raised an eyebrow, a calm gesture compared to the scared look his eyes had taken, “I told you not to go to the market that day! All for the sake of fried vegetables!”

Luke shook his head and walked down the small flight of stairs to where his bedroom was located. Obi-Wan heard a door slam shut a few seconds later and winced. He turned his attention back to Bail, “Where are you? You’re with the Alliance, yes?”

“Yes; we’re on Alderaan at present. Vader and the Emperor suspect us but they inspected- and by inspected I mean ten stormtrooper squads ripped the planet apart- the planet just a few weeks ago and found no proof. Have you any way to get here?”

Obi-Wan tapped his finger on the table. It was a nervous habit that he really wished he would stop. He’d never had it before he had met Anakin.

“Yes, I can get there.” He said, after a moment of thought, “There are few pilots in Mos Eisley that are friends of the Empire. I can find someone to take us.”

“Thank the Force.” Bail lowered his voice, as if he did not want people around him to hear what he said, “Will Luke be worried? Knowing his Father might find him?”

Obi-Wan’s tapping became more frantic, “No, he won’t. Bail…He doesn’t know Vader is his Father.”

“You haven’t told him?”

“Not yet.”

“What have you told him about his parents, then? Surely he must’ve asked?”

“I told him Vader killed his Father.”

“You lied to him, Obi-Wan?”

“No. It’s true…from a certain point of view.” Qui-Gon and Yoda were particularly fond of telling truth from ‘certain points of view.’ It was no wonder he’d picked such a bad habit up.

“A certain…” Bail trailed off, apparently too irritated to continue without saying something he may have later regretted. When he spoke again, his tone was clipped, “And what about Padmé; what have you told him of his Mother?”

“He thinks Vader killed her too.” Obi-Wan sighed, “Look, Bail; what was I supposed to tell him; ‘Luke, your Father’s the Dark Lord of the Sith and your mother lives on the other side of the galaxy with your twin sister.’? There was never a right time, Bail. And, honestly, knowing that he’ll be staying close to you now, would you want this to interfere with the perfect little life you’ve constructed for yourself?” Obi-Wan realised how bitter he sounded and closed his eyes, “I’m sorry, Bail, I-“

“No, you’re right, Master Kenobi. My ‘perfect’ life, running from that Sith bastard; your murderous ex-lover. The whole reason this galaxy is the way it is because you made yourself a perfect little life with Vader!”

Obi-Wan felt his temper rise, “Don’t bring him into this! You’d do well to remember that he is your wife’s ex-husband and Leia’s Father.”

There was a short silence.

“Force, Obi-Wan, I didn’t mean-“

“Yes you did, Bail. I’ll see you on Alderaan.” Obi-Wan pushed the button to hang-up with more force than necessary.

“Fucker.” He murmured, referring to several different people at the same time. He took a calming breath just as Luke stepped back into the room, shouldering a pack and carrying two cases.

“I assume we’re going?” he asked.

Obi-Wan nodded, “Are they the emergency cases?”

“Yes. You forgot to put your holograph album in.” Luke told him, taking a slim black device from the pocket of his tunic.

“I was looking at it recently.”

Luke nodded and slipped it into Obi-Wan’s case.

He stared around the room, “Will we be coming back?” His tone of voice made him sound very young. Sometimes Obi-Wan forgot how young Luke was, given the fact he had been trained more thoroughly and to a far more advance level than any Padawan of his age he was aware of; even Anakin.

He walked over to Luke and pulled him into an embrace, kissing the top of his blonde head, “Not for a long time.”

Luke looked up at him- he was a good few inches shorter than Obi-Wan, which always struck him as unusual, given Anakin’s height; he supposed Luke had inherited his height from Padmé- “I’m sorry for slamming the door and shouting at you. It wasn’t very mature.”

Obi-Wan smiled at him, “We all need a good shout and door-slamming session once in a while.”

Luke bit his lip, “I suppose.”

Obi-Wan gazed at around the room; looked for what could be the last time at his home for nearly the last sixteen years. It was small, simple and eternally sandy. But it had been home; his home with the young boy he had raised.

When he finally returned his gaze to Luke, the teenager was staring at him questioningly.

He laughed softly, “Just remembering, Luke. Now, do you want to pilot the speeder to Mos Eisley?”

“The good speeder?” Luke asked, a grin beginning to form on his lips.

“It’s faster…” Luke nodded, and rushed out of the house and down to the garage.

“Oh, no.” Obi-Wan realised that he had just offered a Skywalker the chance the pilot an especially fast speeder…a teenage Skywalker. As expected, Luke had inherited his Father’s superb piloting talent. Unfortunately, he had also inherited Anakin’s penchant for death-defying and nauseating piloting.

‘Forget Vader.’ He thought wryly, ‘I’m going to suffer death by suicidal Skywalker driving.’

“Are you alright?” Luke asked, not quite hiding his smirk.

Obi-Wan shot him a glare, “Was it really necessary to go over the side of that cliff, Luke?”

“It was the quickest route, Obi. Honest.” Luke looked the epitome of innocence.

‘Looked’ being the operative word; Obi-Wan wasn’t fooled, “Of course it was, you horrible child. Get our luggage.”

“Do I look like a slave?”

“I’m sure I could find a slave dealer soon enough to rectify that.” Obi-Wan pulled up the hood of his robe as Luke grabbed their cases out of the speeder, muttering darkly.

Obi-Wan stopped in the centre of a square created by several cantinas, none of which looked particularly wholesome.

“Which one?” Luke inquired.

Obi-Wan cocked his head to one side. He pointed to the oldest-looking of the cantinas, which had a large number of transports parked outside it. The building itself appeared small, but from the design, Obi-Wan knew part of the building was underground. He had visited it once or twice in the past when he first came to Tatooine and was trying to work the place out.

Luke turned to him as they began to walk towards it, speaking in a low voice, “Do you really think we’ll find a pilot here willing to take us to Alderaan?”

“Most of the good, independent freighter pilots frequent this place, though many can afford better. They can talk freely here. You should have learned by now not to equate ability with appearance. Yoda, for example, is below the waist-height of most beings, yet he is one of the most intelligent and powerful beings in this galaxy.”

As they reached the door, Obi-Wan pulled back his hood. He grasped Luke’s shoulder, “Be wary. This place can be rough.”

The interior was dark, smoky and smelled strongly of various alcoholic beverages and spice. There was a large variety of beings sat around the cantina. Obi-Wan, having been to thousands of systems across the galaxy, was used to such variety. Luke had rarely visited cantinas and had never been off Tatooine so was less well-acquainted with alien species. Obi-Wan did not have to worry about telling him not to stare. Luke was a smart lad, especially when it came to blending in and not drawing attention to himself.

The pair wandered over to the bar- Obi-Wan making use of his well-practiced swagger- and ordered drinks. The bartender slapped two beverages down in front of the, grunting the amount of credits they owed him.

A group of scruffy humans grouped at the other end of the bar caught Obi-Wan’s attention. He tapped Luke’s arm, nodding towards the group, who were now laughing uproariously, “Corellians- pirates, most likely.”

“I thought we were looking for an independent freighter captain with his own ship for hire. “ Luke said in an undertone, looking slightly puzzled.

“So we are.” Obi-Wan agreed, “There’s bound to be one or two adequate for our needs among that group. It’s just that in Corellian terminology, the distinction between who owns what cargo tends to get a little muddled from time to time. Wait here.” He downed his drink, pausing to enjoy the burn in his throat and then approached the group.

He quickly became aware of the eyes on his back and the conversations centred on him.

‘Probably think I’m an easy target.’ He knew he looked like an easy target. But, as Obi-Wan had said earlier, ‘You should have learned by now not to equate ability with appearance.’

Using a Jedi technique taught to him years ago, he found that Obi-Wan was now talking to a tall, rather vicious-looking Wookie, without actually appearing to have looked.

The Force warned him too late for him to avoid the rough push he received from a large, squarish, clearly unfriendly creature with multiple eyes.

“Negola dewaghi wooldugger?” it- what ‘it’ was Luke didn’t want to even try guess- challenged.

From the way it was swaying, Luke guessed it had digested one too many units of alcohol. Whether it was drunk or not, Luke didn’t understand one word of what it was saying.

He glanced at it and then faced the bar again, trying to project an air of indifference. An ugly human joined the creature, slinging an arm over its shoulder.

“He doesn’t like you.” The human informed Luke, as if Luke was supposed to care.

“I’m sorry about that.” Luke replied, inclining his head.

“I don’t like you.” The man continued. Luke couldn’t say he was particularly fond of him, either. A crowd had begun to gather around them now. Apparently, the clientele of this cantina enjoyed witnessing a good fight.

“I said I was sorry about it.” Luke said calmly. He turned away again. The human grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to face him.

“’Sorry,’” he mimicked, sneering, “Are you insulting us? You just better watch yourself, son. We’re all wanted.” He indicated his drunken companions and then jabbed his stubby finger towards himself, “I have the death sentence on me in twelve different systems.”

‘Well, if the empire finds out I exist, I’ll be wanted in every system.’

Luke smiled insincerely, “I’ll be careful then.”

One of the drunken folk- a rodent- gave a loud grunt. Every being that had been stood by the bar backed away, leaving only Luke and his new friends. Luke guessed that it had either been a warning or a signal.

The man, his square companion and the rodent had all brought out weapons and were now brandishing them threateningly in Luke’s direction.

“Is that really wise?” he said coolly, not putting any Force-manipulation behind his words yet.

The square monster gave a roar, flinging out a massive limb. It would’ve sent Luke flying across the room had he not flipped backwards, avoiding the agitated beast. He landed neatly on a table, causing the Twi’leks seated there to jump up.

“Sorry.” He said, flashing them a smile. The blue female smiled back. The smile turned to a scream as a blaster bolt hit the wall above her head. All three of the drunks were firing at Luke. He pulled up his poncho and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt in one swift movement.

He ignited the green blade, deflecting every one of the multitude of shots aimed at him. One of the deflected shots caught the human in the arm and he slumped against the bar, dropping his blaster to the floor. Upon realising that shooting at him probably wasn’t the best idea, the square thing holstered his blaster and advanced on Luke with surprising speed. His clawed limb swiped at Luke again, making to create what would’ve been a deep gash in his chest. Luke brought his lightsaber down in a slicing movement and severed half of the creature’s arm. It gave a pained howl and fell to the floor. Luke deactivated his lightsaber. There was complete silence in the cantina for a long moment, before conversations started up again. Luke jumped off the table, snorting to himself; he supposed this sort of thing happened all the time in a place like this. He picked up his luggage, which he had put down by the bar.

Obi-Wan appeared and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the other side of the cantina, “What did you think you were doing? Are you trying to draw attention to us!”

“I was saving my life. What else was I supposed to do? ‘Excuse me sir, could you please lower your blaster?’ I’m sure that would’ve worked!”

Obi-Wan scowled at him. He sighed, “I suppose we have attention, as it is. I’m sure everyone in here recognises me.”

Luke had noticed holonet screens on the way in and concluded that Obi-Wan was probably correct, as beings glanced at him pointedly as he passed.

“You’ve found someone then?” Luke queried as Obi-Wan led him to a booth. The Wookie Luke had seen him talking to earlier was sat across from handsome- if somewhat scruffy- human male, who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was sat in the manner of someone extremely arrogant and when he spotted Obi-Wan, he smirked.

“This the guy, Chewie?” he said to the Wookie, without looking away from Obi-Wan.

The Wookiee roared affirmatively.

“Sit.” The man said pleasantly, indicating the stools at the end of the table.

Obi-Wan sat, leaning forward and assuming a confident pose. Luke leant back, folded his arms over his chest and watching silently.

“You’re pretty handy with that ‘saber, kid. ‘S not often one sees that kind of swordplay in this part of the Empire anymore.” The man said, smiling at Luke. Luke raised an eyebrow.

The man smirked and spoke to Obi-Wan, “I’m Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie tells me you’re looking for a passage to the Alderaan system?”

“That’s right.” Obi-Wan answered casually. He shrugged, “If it’s on a fast ship.”

“Fast ship.” Solo repeated. He shook his head, smiling, “You mean you’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?”

Obi-Wan shared an amused look with Luke, “Should I?”

“It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!” Solo told him acrimoniously. “I’ve outrun Imperial starships and Corellian cruisers. I think she’s fast enough for you, buddy.” He took a sip from his mug and then wiped his mouth with his sleeve, “What’s your cargo?”

“Only passengers. Myself, the boy- and no questions asked.”

“No questions, right.” Solo smirked, “Saw you on holovision. In trouble for being a Jedi, huh? The kid here a Jedi too?”

“What don’t you understand about ‘no questions asked’?” Luke said, annoyed.

Solo ignored him, “So you’d like to avoid Imperial entanglements, huh?”

Obi-Wan nodded, “If possible.”

“These days that can be a real trick. It’ll cost you extra. All in all…about ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand!” Luke’s mouth fell open, “We could almost buy our own ship for that!”

Solo shrugged, giving Luke another one of those damned arrogant smirks of his, “Maybe you could and maybe you couldn’t. In any case, could you fly it?”

“You bet I could.” Luke shot back, narrowing his eyes, “I don’t-“

“We haven’t that much with us.” Obi-Wan interrupted placidly, sending Luke a wave of warning over their bond, which was akin to a bond shared by a close Master-Padawan pair.

“We can pay two thousand now and another fifteen when we reach Alderaan.”

Solo licked his front teeth with his tongue and leaned forward, “Fifteen…You can really get your hands on that kind of money?”

“I promise it- from the government of Alderaan itself.”

“At the worst, you’ll have earned an honest fee: two thousand.” Luke chimed in. Yet again, Solo ignored him.

“Seventeen thousand…All right, I’ll chance it. You’ve got yourselves a ship. Docking bay ninety-four. We’ll be there shortly. I’ve got something I need to sort out, first.”

Obi-Wan nodded, standing, “Very well. Thank you.”

He gestured to Luke and they began moving back through the crowd towards the door.

“Why’d you find the biggest asshole in the place?” Luke grumbled.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, “Arrogant pilots like him usually have a reason to be so confident. And mind your language.”

He pulled up his hood and stepped out of the cantina. Luke sighed exasperatedly and followed him.

Obi-Wan chose not to comment. Although- if he was honest- he couldn’t imagine the ship making it off the ground, much less jumping to lightspeed.

Solo emerged from the ship. Apparently noticing their expressions he said, “She may not look like much, but she’s all go. I’ve added a few unique modifications to her myself. In addition to piloting, I like to tinker. She’ll make point five beyond lightspeed.”

Obi-Wan approached him, regarding the ship with a slight smile, “I’ve seen worse. A friend of mine used to tinker and create, ah…masterpieces like this. They usually worked well enough, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Chewbacca entered the docking bay, babbling excitedly at Solo.

Solo nodded, “Got ya, Chewie.”

Chewbacca hurried onto the ship.

Solo smiled, indicating for them to follow, “We seem to be a bit rushed, so if you’ll hurry aboard, we’ll be off.”

Luke and Obi-Wan did as requested and sat down in vacant seats in the main hold. Solo carried on along the main passageway and entered the cockpit. He could be heard arguing about something with Chewbacca.

/Are you sure this guy is mentally stable/ Luke sent, sounding serious.

Obi-Wan chuckled/No. Are you entirely sure it would be a bad thing if he wasn’t? He’s more likely to attempt daring evasion manoeuvres if he’s slightly touched in the head./

The ship shuddered slightly as the engines were activated. Seconds later, it lifted off the ground and ascended into the sky above Mos Eisley.

“That was surprisingly easy.” Luke commented, frowning.

“Too easy, perhaps.” Obi-Wan agreed, “The Empire has had more than enough time to deploy a squad here. There’s a garrison in Mos Eisley. Vader will want to come himself…He could be here by now.”

“Let’s just be thankful he’s not, huh?”

The ship rocked suddenly, almost throwing Obi-Wan from his seat.

“I think we spoke too soon.” He said dryly. Stumbling as the ship was hit by more blasts, they made their way to the cockpit.

“What’s happening?” Obi-Wan asked Solo, falling ungracefully into one of the passenger seats.

“Somebody certainly likes you. Three destroyers…You know, I didn’t think there were any Jedi left. Thought Vader killed you all.”

“He did.” Obi-Wan replied coolly, “All but me.”

“And the kid? What about him?”

“I am here you know!” Luke reminded him indignantly, “Stop ignoring me you nerf-herder!”

“Yeah, that’s a real show of you maturity, kid; name calling. So what’s your story?” Solo’s hands flew across the computer input terminals without him even having to look at where his hands were going.

“My Father was a Jedi.” Luke told him, his voice quiet.

“So he died?”

Han Solo had to be one of the most tactless people Obi-Wan had ever met.

A muscle tensed in Luke’s jaw, “Yes. Now are you going to keep quizzing me about my life history or are you going to slip this junkyard reject out of here?”

Looking very offended at Luke’s description of the Falcon, Solo inspected one of the scanners, “They’re going to try box up before we can jump. Five ships…You must’ve been a talented Jedi, Mister.”

“Perhaps.” Obi-Wan gazed at the closest Star Destroyer, frowning. Something felt unusual…

His grip on the arms of his seat tightened as he felt an unwelcome presence brush across his mind.

“Vader is aboard the ship.” Someone had beaten Obi-Wan to saying the words at the forefront of his mind.

He turned to look at Luke, who looked confused at what he just said.

Instead of commenting on the fact that Luke could immediately sense and identify someone he had never met before, he merely nodded, “Yes. He is.”

“Does he know you’re on this ship?” Solo queried as the ship was rocked by another blast.

“Possibly.”

“Great.” Solo murmured, sharing a look with his Wookiee co-pilot. He glanced at the control panel again. Something beeped and he gave a small ‘Aha!’

“Here we go…” he flipped a series of switches beneath a row of flashing lights.

“Punch it Chewie!” he said enthusiastically. Obi-Wan unconsciously grasped Luke’s arm in a vice grip as a blast of enemy fire speeded towards the cockpit.

The ship lurched and the stars outside the window became streams of blue light.

“You okay?” Luke asked quietly.

Obi-Wan realised how tight his hold on Luke was and let go, somewhat embarrassedly, “Yes. Sorry…You know I don’t really like flying.”

“I thought it was just my flying you didn’t like?” Luke said, grinning in a strangely triumphant manner.

“Oh no. Yours is bad but…” Obi-Wan shook his head, “Your Father flew just like you, except we were on Coruscant so the obstacles were more frequent and dangerous; namely, other speeders and sky-scrapers. And don’t get me started on Qui-Gon Jinn or- Force forbid- Yoda.”

“Yoda flew?” Luke leant back in his chair, “He’s short, right? Could he even reach the controls?”

“He had a specially modified ship. He was fond of cutting the engines, letting the ship drop a hundred metres and then starting the engines again.”

“…Nice.” Luke said, smirking. He put a hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn.

Obi-Wan frowned at him, “Don’t you think maybe you should get some sleep? It’s late, if we’re going by Tatooine time.”

Obi-Wan was surprised when Luke agreed. The teenager bid him goodnight, making him promise to wake him up when they reached Alderaan and found his way to the nearest cabin.

He was walking across a darkened room- so dark, he could not see his feet. Strangely, his face seemed to be constricted by something; it felt as if he was wearing a mask. He dropped to his knees just as a gigantic- larger than life-size- holographic form emerged from the projector. He wanted to take a step away for the blue image that he easily recognised as the Emperor…but his legs wouldn’t move.

‘Get away, you half-decayed monster!’ he wanted to scream. As it was, his mouth did not want to cooperate and what came out as, “What is thy bidding, Master?”

That wasn’t his voice!

What the hell was going on?

“Nothing, my friend.” The Emperor replied in his oily voice, “I wished to hear of the Death Star’s progress. Is it operational?”

He felt a stab of irritation and disgust that was not his own.

“It is, my Master. I merely await your command.”

“Good.” The Emperor purred, “Our first target shall be Alderaan.”

“My Master?”

“Oh, come now, my friend! You know as well as I that Organa and his wife are key members of the so-called ‘Alliance.’”

“But surely destroying such a prominent planet would cause outcry…cause more to join the Rebellion?”

The Emperor’s eye narrowed, “Are you questioning me, apprentice?”

“No, my Master.”

“Good. Make sure that the Death Star is in range of Alderaan within a week. Do not fail me, Lord Vader.”

The image disappeared. He felt himself stand and turn, walking back across the room. He paused, turning to look out of a large window into the peaceful ocean of stars beyond. His masked face was reflected back at him. In the darkness, only his eye- the colour of fire; yellow, orange and red-were clearly visible.

He screamed.

“Luke! Luke! Wake up!” A sharp slap connected with his cheek and he awoke, staring frantically around the cabin, reaching for the lightsaber clipped to his belt.

“Luke! Calm down; it’s me! Obi-Wan!” Luke felt his shoulders being shook and his gaze fixed itself on the concerned face of his mentor.

“What…?” The blood drained from Luke’s face and he leapt out of the bunk, ignoring Obi-Wan’s startled cry. He stumbled into the ‘fresher and rushed to look into the mirror.

He almost laughed in relief; his eyes were blue- blue!- and not yellow.

“Luke?” Obi-Wan appeared behind him, looking increasingly worried.

“It was just a dream. My fear taking hold of my subconscious.” Luke told him, trying to keep his voice calm, “At least, I think it was. Have you heard of the Death Star?”

Obi-Wan frowned, “No. Why?”

“It was in my dream. Vader and the Emperor were talking about it.”

Something stirred in the depths of Obi-Wan’s eyes, but it disappeared before Luke could identify it, “Perhaps it is a weapon. ‘Death Star’ sounds like a name one would give to a weapon.”

Luke leant against the sink, cocking his head thoughtfully, “That’s sounds possible. The Emperor told Vader to attack Alderaan with this Death Star thing.”

“Alderaan?” The elder of the pair ran a hand through his red-gold hair, “Did they give any indication as to when?”

“Not a definite time, no. Palpatine told Vader to have the Death Star in range of Alderaan in a week.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “I’ll inform the Alliance once we land.”

“We’ve arrived?”

“We were just given permission to enter the atmosphere. I’m quite surprised, given the fact that our esteemed Captain is fond of using his ‘wit’ to ‘charm’ the controllers.”

Luke snorted. After a moment, he glanced at Obi-Wan, “Obi, I thought you were friends with Bail Organa?”

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“I just…I thought I heard you arguing on the com. Back on Tatooine.”

“We had a disagreement, that’s all.” Obi-Wan gave an obviously forced smile. Luke sighed; he knew from experience that when Obi-Wan did not wish to talk about something, there was no point trying to pursue the issue as he never gave in.

‘Sixteen years.’ she thought ruefully. Had it really been that long? That long since she had seen Obi-Wan, that long since she had seen her little boy…It had been longer than that since her husband had turned and the Empire had begun. Yet, oddly, it seemed just yesterday that she and Anakin had gotten married on Naboo. That was probably just wishful thinking on her part.

“So, who is on this ship?” she heard Leia ask Bail to her left.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi and his charge, Luke Skywalker.” Bail replied, a muscle in his jaw twitching slightly. Padmé had the feeling that Obi-Wan and Bail were at odds. Due to harsh words said during their last communication, no doubt.

“Why are they so important?” Leia queried.

“Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master. Luke is training to be a Jedi.” Padmé answered before Bail said something unpleasant, “Obi-Wan is an old friend of mine and Luke is this son of Obi-Wan’s former apprentice.”

“What happened to his former apprentice?” Leia asked.

Such an innocent question, yet the answer brought so much pain. Odd; she had not felt so low about Anakin in years. She had not even thought of him.

“He died.” Padmé replied, eyes distant, “He was killed along with the rest of the Jedi in the purges.”

Bail took her hand and she smiled gratefully.

“Oh.” Leia said, looking at her mother with a strange expression. The three- who were surrounded by several of Bail’s personal guards and Padmé’s handmaidens- turned as the ramp lowered.

Obi-Wan descended first. Padmé was shocked to discover that he looked not a day older than when she had last seen him. His hair and beard were darker and redder than they had been during the Clone Wars, but lighter than they had been when she had first met him. He was dressed in a Jedi robe, although it was a darker brown than she had ever seen him wear, but not quite black. Underneath he was wearing a high-collared, fitted tunic, not unlike those worn by the non-Jedi Generals during the Clone Wars, with matching pants, tucked into knee-length black boots. He paused, turning to call to someone inside the ship. A teenage boy of average height and slender build exited the ship. His blonde hair was collar-length and the fringe fell into his eyes. He- like Obi-Wan- wore a dark-brown robe, although his tunics were cream and much looser-fitting.

‘Luke.’ Padmé thought, her eyes brimming with tears. He features were slightly more feminine than Anakin’s, but apart from that, they were nearly identical. Same hair, same eyes, same nose, same mouth. Luke even had Anakin’s walk; a confident stride just short of a swagger.

They began walking towards the party, with Luke assuming the customary Padawan position, behind and slightly to the side of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan and Luke bowed in unison once they reached them.

“Greetings Viceroy Organa, Lady Organa, Princess Leia.” Obi-Wan said, ever the diplomat.

“It is wonderful to see you.” Padmé declared sincerely, stepping forward to embrace him.

“As it is to see you, milady.”

Obi-Wan stepped back and put his hand on Luke’s shoulder, “This is my apprentice, Luke Skywalker.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Luke.” Bail said, holding out his hand.

Luke did not even look at the hand, but, instead, nodded respectfully.

Obi-Wan glanced at him and then turned to face the Organas.

“I hope I find you well?” he said, his voice stiff all of a sudden.

“Indeed, you do.” Bail looked past him to the freighter they had arrived in. A human male of roguish appearance was stood on the ramp.

“Ah.” Obi-Wan said, noticing the direction of his gaze, “There’s a little matter of his fee. I was hoping you could perhaps help out?”

“Of course.” Padmé said immediately, “I’ll send one of our aids to sort it out. Won’t you come inside?”

“Yes. Just a moment.” Obi-Wan took Luke off to one side. For a moment, Padmé was eerily reminded of Anakin and Obi-Wan years earlier.

And then the moment was gone.

“Hmmm. Well, he’s an ally; he doesn’t have to actually like me, does he?” Obi-Wan smirked for a second before indicating Solo.

“Tell him he shall wait here until we need to leave.”

“You think he actually will? I doubt there are any cantinas for him to bum about in on Alderaan.”

“He will once Bail’s people pay him the money. I trust you will be able to find your way to the palace once you’ve finished?”

“If not, I shall ask for directions. I’m not completely helpless, Obi-Wan.”

“That, my young friend, is a matter of opinion.” Before Luke could muster a witty reply, Obi-Wan winked and strode off, chuckling to himself.

He cleared his throat.

“Give me a second.” Solo said to the woman. He turned to Luke, “Yeah, kid?”

Bristling at being called ‘kid’, Luke nodded toward the Organa’s aid, “Have you been paid?”

“Yeah. Very handsomely, actually.” Solo looked very pleased with himself.

Luke wanted to wipe that triumphant look of his face.

‘Peace…Control.’

He took a deep breath to clear himself of his irritation; as justified as it was, he was a Jedi and would not give in to such emotions.

“You won’t mind hanging around until we’re ready to leave then, will you?”

Solo stared at him, “Look, kid; I have places to go, people to-“

“Listen to me, you pompous ass!” Luke snapped, more out of the desire to get the idiot to listen than actual annoyance, “You will stay here until we are ready to leave or that money will be going straight back into the Organa’s bank account!”

“Wait just one second, kid! Who are you to-“

“Keep talking, Solo, and I’ll so you just how handy I am with my ‘saber!”

To his surprise, Solo laughed, “That sounded an awful lot like an invitation, kid. Aren’t you a little young? But if you’re offering, I’m game…”

“What-“ Realising what the Captain meant, Luke promptly turned scarlet.

He narrowed his eyes, “You wish, nerf-herder! I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t include me in your sordid fantasies!”

He pivoted on his heel stomped- rather childishly, he later reflected- away. Pausing at the doors which led off the landing platform, he looked back at Solo.

“And stay by that poor excuse for a ship!”

“-believe a dream!” The Viceroy shrieked just as Luke walked into the room.

“A Force vision, no mere dream, Bail.” Obi-Wan said, his tone disdainful.

/I’m guessing you told him about my dream./

/Good observation./

Luke came to stand behind the armchair Obi-Wan was seated in /He didn’t take it well/

/For some reason he thinks I’m lying. How an intelligent man like Bail can be blinded by his hatred of Vader./

/How does that blind him/

/He doesn’t trust anyone who uses the Force anymore./

“Viceroy? Might I comment on the matter?”

Bail looked at Luke and then looked away almost immediately, “It can to no harm.”

Frowning, Luke spoke, “There is always the possibility that what I saw was just a dream, brought on my thoughts of Vader. It is, however, more than likely that it was a vision, given the clarity. Consider also the fact that I have never had a vision that has not come to pass or was a precise vision of the past or present. Whether you choose to believe me or not, are you willing to gamble Alderaan?”

“And what would you have me do?” Bail asked, closing his eyes. He walked over to a large window which had a view over the nearby city, “Are you suggesting that I evacuate the entire planet in a week? We may not even have a week!”

“We need to do something.” Lady Organa remarked softly. Luke had not noticed before, but she was not as plain as he had first perceived; in fact, she was beautiful. Her face was set in a regal expression- the title ‘Queen’ came to mind- but her brown eyes were warm and intelligent.

“We need to find out what this Death Star is.” Obi-Wan said after a pensive silence.

“How do we do that?” the Princess asked, “If it’s as important as it sounds it’ll have impenetrable defences.”

Luke took a moment to study her. She looked a lot like her mother, although her face held a slight arrogance that her mother’s did not. Maybe she was just not as adept at masking it.

“Everything has its weakness, Princess.” Obi-Wan replied, “You say that the Alliance spotted something that may or may not have been this Death Star, Bail?”

“Yes. It was large- larger than any ship ever recorded.”

“A space station.” Luke mused aloud.

“That can travel like a ship? It may be possible, give the advances in technology the Empire has made.” Obi-Wan rubbed his beard thoughtfully, “How could that be considered a weapon?”

“It could house thousands of stormtroopers and TIE fighters.”

“Why come all the way to Alderaan in the Death Star then? It would be quicker for them to come by themselves. No…I think this is something different.”

“A bomber?”

“Possible…” Obi-Wan snapped his fingers suddenly, “Some sort of laser or energy gun! Large enough to destroy a planet!”

“Impossible.” Bail was quick to dismiss the idea.

“No… No it isn’t! Oh sweet Force; they were right…”

“Who were right, Obi-Wan?” Lady Organa questioned.

“Years ago, on a mission- I must’ve been in my mid-teens- somebody prophesised a weapon with the power to destroy a whole planet. I can’t remember what Qui-Gon said- I can’t even remember if he told me what he said- but they replied ‘Perhaps our destruction will come from an explosive device sent to destroy an entire planet without a shiver.’”

“What do we do?” Lady Organa straightened a nonexistent crease in her elaborate skirt and Luke idly wondered if it was a nervous habit.

“Somebody needs to destroy it. One person. Not a squad or even a small team; they will be noticed.”

“One person to destroy this apparent super weapon? You’re mad!” Bail declared.

“The biggest thing can be destroyed by the smallest piece of genius.”

/Obi-Wan? What are you thinking/ Luke sent, becoming suspicious.

Obi-Wan did not send a mental reply.

“I am wanted by the Empire. If I were caught, they would be distracted. Add to that the fact I would be brought to the Death Star-“

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Luke exclaimed, eyes wide, “There is no guarantee that you would be brought there!”

“It is the only plan we have, Luke.” Obi-Wan replied, looking into Luke’s eyes.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“You’re staying here.”

“No, I’m going with you. I won’t let you go alone.”

“Luke! As your Master I am telling you that you will stay here!” There was a silent battle of wills before Obi-Wan sighed and grasped the teenager by the shoulders.

“Luke, I need you to stay here. I cannot take any com devices; I will have to contact you through our bond.”

“Vader will kill you as soon as he has the chance.”

“Not likely. I am the last of my kind- to his knowledge anyway- and I have no doubt he’ll want to toy with me first.”

Luke fell silent, staring at his boots. He did not look up as he spoke, “What are you going to do? Walk right into the nearest Imperial garrison!”

“No. I’m going to fly right up to the Death Star. Have the coordinates sent to one of your fighters, Bail.” He clapped him on the shoulder and then walked away. Luke wanted to tell him to stop and yet…his mouth wouldn’t work. He wanted to act like a child calling for his Father- ‘Come back!’- and still, he could not form the words.

Luke watched Obi-Wan’s retreating back until the doors slid closed.

The Viceroy and Lady Organa conversed for a moment before both leaving the room.

The Princess came closer, “He’ll be alright.”

“All due respect, Princess; but do you have any idea what he’s about to do?”

“He’s trying to save my planet.”

“He’s committing suicide, Princess. Forgive me for sounding callous, but I don’t give a damn about your planet right now!” Unnoticed by Leia, his eyes suddenly appeared a darker blue.

He bowed, “I’m going for a walk, Princess Organa. Good day.”

“I thought Jedi were meant to be compassionate.” She called, angered by his comment.

Luke shot her a humourless smile over his shoulder as he palmed the door control, “True, Princess; but I’m not a Jedi yet.”

He pulled up his hood and left the room.

Leia narrowed her eyes.

“Bastard.” she muttered.

“I assume my Assistant gave you the security code?” said a quiet voice that sent shivers down Vievene’s spine. She never heard him enter; the only time she realised he was there was when he chose announce himself.

“Yes…He said you would be along shortly.” She looked her favourite client’s tall form up and down. He was dressed in loose black pants of some light material and a black sleep tunic. His face, as ever, was covered by the black mask, but she could just about see his eyes- all the colours of fire- in the darkness. She often imagined what he looked like under the mask; handsome with a permanent smirk. He would look young, she was sure, if the condition of his body and bright-blonde of his shoulder-length hair was anything to go by.

“And indeed, I am.” With swift, silent steps he was beside her, running his skilled hands across her shoulders and down her arms.

His lips always felt like ice, but his hands trailed fire all over her skin. She had been Lord Vader’s private ‘companion’ for nearly three years, since he had picked her up on Coruscant and taken a liking to her. All her peers had been jealous; after all, she wasn’t the prettiest of them.

But she obviously intrigued Vader.

And Vievene welcomed his favour; the second most powerful man in the Empire was the man she slept next to every night.She was not foolish enough to believe he had any feelings for her- he didn’t have any feelings- but she was almost certain that she wouldn’t be getting choked anytime soon.

His strangely cool lips were touched to her bare shoulder whilst his hand untied the knot around her neck that kept up the straps of her dress.

His hand remained at the back of her neck as he pushed her to lay on her back-

‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’

Vader made a noise halfway between a growl and a sigh. He looked at Vievene, “One moment.”

He stood and pressed the button that activated the com unit next to his bed.

“This had better be important!” he snarled.

“…I believe it is, my Lord. We have a prisoner.”

“Oh, a prisoner.” Vader said sarcastically, “I was not aware I was the resident Prison Warden.”

“No, my Lord. It’s just…It’s Kenobi, my Lord.”

Vader just stared at the com unit, silent for so long that the person at the other end spoke again, “My Lord?”

“Have you put the Force-suppressing binders on him?”

“Yes, my Lord. He only had one weapon with him, my Lord; a lightsaber, nothing else.”

“Bring him to my quarters. Now!”

He stood and addressed Vievene, “Put on something decent and come into the lounge. This should be amusing…Oh yes.” He turned smartly on his heel and left the bed chamber.

Slightly confused- why would Vader want her to witness one of his infamous ‘interrogations’?- she pulled on a tunic over her dress and tied up her hair. She reapplied her lipstick- she didn’t want to look like a complete dog- and wandered into the lounge. Vader was sprawled across one of the large black couches, his body language unusually smug. He had pulled a black robe on over his casual attire and put on some boots.

“Come and sit.” She did so, seating herself opposite the Sith Lord.

“Do you know of Kenobi?” he inquired.

Vievene answered carefully, “I was a young girl during the Clone Wars…I remember seeing him on the HoloNet.”

“Mmmm. And now, he is at my mercy. The last of his kind. You shall witness history this day.”

He abruptly got to his feet and went over the door, opening it. It must’ve been his ‘powers’ alerting him to the arrival of Kenobi and the Imperial soldiers, because they had not even pressed the chime.

Vievene strained to get a look at Kenobi.

He was younger than she had thought he would be and better-looking, although she had never been a big fan of beards. He was short and slim and a guarded, yet oddly amused expression on his face.

“Bring him over to the couches.” Vader ordered the stormtroopers, his eyes trained on the Jedi.

“I can walk.” Kenobi said, raising an eyebrow.

“I aware of that, Kenobi. I just want the satisfaction of watching them drag you.”

“If you are amused by such things…” Kenobi voiced no further objections and allowed himself to be roughly pushed into an armchair. Vader commanded the stormtroopers to wait outside and then returned to the couch.

“You look well.” Vader remarked, sounding amused. Vievene wondered if she was missing something, due to the fact Kenobi laughed.

“I imagine you do, too. Underneath that mask you cower behind.”

“A do not cower.”

“Disguise then.”

“What the public does not know, will not hurt them.”

“Imperial Code of Conduct, I suppose. Is that above or below the rule that states that terrifying the masses is the way to get votes? Oh, sorry; I forgot! You don’t allow them to vote!”

“You’re not helping yourself, Jedi.” Vader spat, prowling closer.

“I don’t intend to.”

Vader narrowed his eyes as he reached out to grip Kenobi’s forearms. Kenobi flinched as Vader lowered himself until they were on level with each other.

“You’re hiding something.” Vader said, softly.

“Not as much as you. Does your precious Master know about me and Anakin? About what it is we share!”

Vader snorted softly, “I did not ask for questions. I want answers.”

And he closed his eyes.

For almost a minute, he knelt completely still, his eyes clamped shut. Vievene was utterly confused.

And then, Kenobi began to twitch. His mouth curled into a grimace of pain.

“Get out!” he hissed. Vader’s eyes flew open, wild with anger.

“What are you hiding, Obi-Wan!”

“Nothing that belongs to you!”

They became silent again, but strain was visible on their faces. Nearly ten minutes later, Kenobi gave a yell and became limp, falling forward into Vader’s arms.

Reflexively, Vader caught him.

“Bastard…” he whispered. He called for the guards.

Once they arrived, he addressed the Captain, “Put him in the isolation cell. No light, minimum food and chained. Don’t take the binders off.”

Vader walked right past Vievene, not even seeming to notice her, and slammed the door to the bedchamber shut.

Vievene did not dare disturb him. She just curled up on the sofa, Kenobi’s agonised scream ringing in her ears. It sounded like emotional not physical pain. What had Vader done?

Something felt…wrong.

/I’m sorry, Luke./ floated over his bond before his head exploded in pain.

/MASTER/ he cried out/MASTER/

There was no reply.

Obi-Wan was dead.

His eyes rolled back and he fell forward.

Funny how, at that exact moment, Han Solo was there to catch him when he fell.

“Damn kid…” Han muttered to himself as he cradled the teenager to his chest.

"Told you..to...stay by..ship." the kid murmured. How could he remember that even when he was half-concious? His eyes fluttered closed.

Han shook his head, “Should’ve never accepted this damn job. Force, Solo; you’re an idiot…A damn idiot. Damn Jedi…What have you gotten yourself in for?”