Master Apprentice
Archive
Good Intentions on the Road to Hell #9: A Present from the Past
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Archive: MA, SWAL, my website http://www.redrosepress.co.uk/clarence
Category: pre-TPM OW/post-RoTJ Luke, action/adventure, drama, angst
Rating: R
Warnings: None.
Spoilers: RoTJ
Summary: Just as rebuilding the Jedi alone becomes too much for Luke, The Force steps in to help. Or does it?
Feedback: yes please, any comments very welcome.
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
Author's Notes: Part of my 'Good Intentions on the road to Hell' series but it does stand on its own - however reading 'A Change of Heart' first would be a good idea.
Chronological order:
A huge thanks Mave for the Beta, and an extra large thank you to Gloriana who has been a wonderful beta and has done great things for this story - as well as being very patient with the time it's taken me to write it. However all mistakes are quite definitely mine.
If I'd ever realised how long this rebellion business was going to take I'd have told the old man and the boy exactly where they could put their money. But I didn't and now, two years after I risked my neck and ship to blow up the Empire's latest toy and send the Emperor to Hell, it's still going on! Only instead of fighting, I'm now supposed to fly around the galaxy and suck up to each and every politician living between Coruscant and the outer Rim. They keep on saying that it's all 'for the good of the New Republic'. Personally I preferred the gunfights.
I tell you, if it wasn't for the power, the money and the fringe benefits I'd have left this gig long ago and taken Chewie and my ship back into the smuggling business.
Well, that was what I was saying to myself as I flew the Falcon to another of these diplomatic trips, when the main fringe benefit walked onto the bridge. She wasn't looking happy and I take that as a personal challenge.
"Bad news?" I asked over my shoulder.
"Not really," Leia replied distantly. "I've just been speaking to Admiral Ackbar. He's unhappy that you, Luke and I are travelling together. He says that we make too good a target."
"Hey," I said. "I take that as an insult. There's nothing this ship can't handle. Target! Pirates or Ex-Imperial troops, bring them on. This is the safest place in the New Republic."
Leia couldn't stop herself from smiling down on me. But, hey I'm good and she never had a chance. "And that's exactly what I told him," she said.
I nodded, happy to see my ship being shown the proper respect, but Leia's smiled faded as she sat down behind me. I looked at Chewie, he looked back. This was going to be tougher than I thought.
"So what's the problem?" I asked.
Leia continued to look into space. There's only one thing that makes her ignore me.
"So it's Luke."
Chewie growled in agreement.
Leia gave in. "It's just something that the Admiral said and I've noticed it as well." I turned in my seat to take her hand and she reluctantly continued. "Luke is under strain. I think he still needs to prove that he won't turn to the Dark Side as our father did. That's why this Jedi Academy he's setting up is so important to him." Leia sighed and held my hand tighter. "Luke is getting such opposition. People, and I'm including a lot of good people, blame the Jedi and Force Users for the Empire. They aren't happy to have them back. I've heard the term witchcraft used more than once."
"I've tried setting him up on a few dates," I said helpfully. "Just to get his mind off the problems, but I can't seem to find someone who interests him."
"Han," Leia said sharply, dropping my hand. "Luke's problems are not about to be solved by a pretty face."
"Maybe not, but I've found a night with a beautiful woman always cheers me up." I leaned over the back of my seat and leered. "So what are you doing tonight?"
"Han Solo, you are the most impossible man I know. I can never have a serious conversation with you." Leia gave Chewie and me one of her 'Haughty Princess' looks and stormed off the bridge. I sat staring after her; we've been together long enough that I know when not to follow.
"Yeoowww," said Chewie.
"I agree, that is one screwy family," I said as I turned back to the controls.
"Eyoww."
"Yeah, I wouldn't change the two of them either."
She came back to the bridge a few hours later when I was calling into planetary control. Luke was already there, watching over my shoulder. I decided just to get on with my job.
"This is the Millennium Falcon requesting permission to enter the Dantooine system."
"Millennium Falcon, this is Dantooine control," the com announced. "We have a situation. The transport 'Destiny' has just sent out a distress call. They are under attack from pirates, their reactor is down and they're adrift in space. Our fleet is tied up escorting the diplomats for the conference. Lando Calrissian is on his way but he's a long way out and they need help now."
Looks like the Falcon to the rescue once again. I don't know how this New Republic of theirs would manage without me.
"Give us the position," I said, "and we're on our way."
They sent the co-ordinates to the navi-comp and the Falcon jumped.
"We'll be manning the guns," Luke said as he and Leia headed aft. Boy, those pirates were in for a nasty surprise.
The Destiny was actually very easy to find, just turn left at the five pirate ships. I wouldn't have missed her anyway. She was big, easily big enough to hold the Falcon, all the pirates and any friends we cared to invite along. But she hadn't had a chance - those pirates had known how to take out her reactor quickly and leave her adrift. Just what I needed: bad guys who actually knew what they were doing. At least she'd put up a fight. These large transports are often heavily armed and I could see some blaster damage on the attacking ships. Time for me to hope she'd hit something important and finish off the job. But I had to get a move on; the largest pirate ship had already docked. It could already be too late.
At least there was some good news. Wedge was waiting for us in an X-wing. Good, someone who knew to hit the bad guy and miss me.
"Nice to see you," Wedge said over the com. "Ready to teach these pirates the error of their ways?"
He's so full of it.
"Right behind you," I said.
Wedge turned his X-wing and dove towards a pirate ship which had strayed from the others. I decided not to mess about and headed straight for the main group of three fighters circling around the Destiny.
The Falcon flew like a dream. I dived spinning towards the pirates. Blaster fire exploded close, but not close enough. One of the pirates dropped down behind me and fired. He missed. I swooped under the stricken transport on a collision course with another one of the bad guys. Time to play chicken and I bet my nerve was stronger than his.
I was right.
He panicked, swerved the wrong way and crashed into the boarding ship. I powered my engines and sailed through a cloud of debris. The second pirate followed me through but he'd just made a bad mistake; he was now in my sweet wife's sights. She fired and hit his port engine. The ship twisted uncontrollably in space until Luke fired. He blew it up just before it impacted on the 'Destiny'.
"Got it," yelled Luke.
"No contest," called Leia.
"Hold the congratulations - it's not over yet. There's still one out there," I warned. They've got to learn to be less cocky.
"Where?"
"It's ..." I said but the com interrupted me.
"Millennium Falcon, this is Lando. I'm close - I should be with you in ten minutes."
"That's great, Lando. Perhaps we can chat about it later when we're not fighting for our lives," I said and cut the channel. These days I can't even get in a dogfight without someone hassling me.
Suddenly a blast shook the Falcon and several red lights started to flash on the control panel. At first I couldn't see where in hell it had come from. Then a new pirate ship, closely followed by Wedge's X-wing, flashed by.
"Hey Wedge," I called out over the com. "I thought that one was your little problem. If I have to come over there and sort him out you're gonna regret it."
"Sorry, Han. He's just playing a little hard to get."
"Well just try and be a bit more persuasive."
But the damage was done. Chewie growled at me, pressed a few buttons but couldn't get rid of the red lights. This was serious. Chewie unbuckled himself and headed aft to fix the damage. I was going to have to get us through this alone. Worse, I'd lost track of the last fighter.
I looked at the sensor but it was no help. There was too much debris.
"Right, guys," I called to Luke and Leia. "We need to nail that ship and fast."
"I can't see it," Leia said. "Luke, can you see it?"
"No, it must be..."
A blast shook the Falcon. It looked like our missing pirate had found us.
"We're hit," I said. "Get that ship before it fries something important." This was bad. I'd only just got the Falcon back from an overhaul - these pirates were messing up my expensive new paint job.
"I still can't see it," Luke said. "It dropped back behind the Destiny. It's using it for cover."
Well, two can play at that game. I flew straight towards the Destiny and kept right on going. The transport filled my view screen and then some. But hey, I knew what I was doing. I waited until Leia screamed; then pulled up to skate along just above the Destiny's surface.
"Hey, take it easy flyboy," Leia called out. "Try and remember which side you're on."
I ignored her. She might be a princess and a leader of the New Republic but she hasn't a clue in a space battle.
The Falcon sped round the Destiny inches above the transport's decking. Suddenly there was a turret dead ahead of me. I twisted and turned to avoid it and just skimmed past. At last I got where I wanted to be. If I was right, and I usually am, that pirate was just ahead behind the next turret. I put my engines hard into reverse and went in slow. Then I cut the power and coasted up the side of the transport.
"Okay guys, get ready," I warned and gunned the engines and dodged round the side of the turret ahead. Once again the Solo instincts were right on the money - the pirate was dead ahead and facing the wrong way. Luke and Leia fired but he dodged just in time. Damn, they couldn't have done much damage. I sped in but he didn't hang around and headed straight for an array of antennas. He dived through a gap that the Falcon was too big to fit through and we had to go the long way round. I tried to catch him up, but he was fast and I lost him. Now I had to guess which way he'd gone. I went left.
I was wrong. It happens.
Suddenly the fighter rose up behind us and headed in, guns blazing. I pulled the Falcon up to avoid the incoming fire. Damn, but he was good and we were in trouble. I ducked, I dived but I was still in the maze of antennae and couldn't get away. We took another hit and sparks exploded in my face. I spun the Falcon. Luke had to get a bead on the attacking ship or it was all over.
Then, suddenly, the pirate ship blew up behind us.
"That's an apology for earlier," called Wedge over the com. "Now if you could give me a hand with the one on my tail."
"Wedge, I take back everything I was thinking about you," I said and looped towards his attacker.
The last pirate didn't have a chance against both of us. We got him just in time for Lando to arrive and avoid getting his fancy new ship all dirty.
"Heard you headed off to a party without me," Lando said over the com. "I hope it isn't all over yet."
"Don't worry, Lando," said Leia. "We're just heading in for the main event. If Han ever works out how to turn this bucket around."
Why does everyone always pick on my ship? Deep down they're just jealous. I don't normally put up with that kind of language, but there was a little matter of the Destiny still to sort out, so I brought the Falcon round in a perfect turn and led the others back to the action. Now for the hard part. Pirates on board a ship would kill prisoners if their escape was cut off. This could easily turn into a blood bath.
The last pirate ship was still docked with the Destiny. It must have been damaged when that other pirate crashed into it. Things were starting to look up. The Destiny even answered when I called in asking to dock. They weren't having a great time, but at least they'd managed to contain the boarding parties on the cargo decks. I told them to expect us and headed in.
Lando and I docked with the Destiny but Wedge stayed spaceborne to guard our backs. I knew I should have got some heavier blasters on that last refit. Right now I only had my side blaster - well, it would just have to be enough.
"Right," I told everyone as we stood at the Falcon's docking port. "This could get messy. Let's not have any heroics."
Luke sighed noisily, Chewie growled but Leia just rolled her eyes at me.
"Cut the speech and open the airlock, Han," she said.
Despite feeling really unappreciated I opened the airlock and ran through, Chewie right behind me. I ducked for cover in the opposite alcove. Lando was already there but the corridor was deathly quiet.
"So where's this party you promised me?" he asked as Luke and Leia joined us.
"Don't worry Lando, you'll get to play the hero - we just have to find the cargo decks."
"Then follow me. I actually bothered to look up the layout for this ship," Luke interrupted and ran off without waiting for the rest of us to follow. Sometimes he's just so impulsive.
"Yeah, maybe you did," I said as I trailed Luke down the corridor. "But you get lost inside the Falcon. We could end up in a waste compactor, again."
But Luke knew where he was going after all. I heard the blaster fire long before we found a hatchway to the cargo decks that was still working. I opened it and looked inside and nearly got my head blown off by a stray blaster bolt.
Startled, I dropped to the floor and found a safer place to check it out. This had to be the main cargo bay; the Falcon could've parked inside with room to spare. But we weren't seeing it at its best. Cargo containers were everywhere. Most had been toppled, destroyed or piled up to form barricades, and blaster fire was ricocheting round the walls. This little disagreement had already done terrible things to the decor: at least four different groups were trading fire with each other. Leia, who doesn't know when to keep her head down, looked over my shoulder.
"So, which ones are the pirates?" she said.
I looked around. Someone's aim was good: a guy in the nearest group took a hit. He screamed as he sprawled forwards across some crates.
"Well, we had better decide soon or there's going to be no one left to save."
Lando leaned in to get a better view. It was all getting very cosy. Meanwhile in the cargo bay the fight raged on and a group just across the bay lost one of their members as he was blown backwards into a wall.
"I recognise those men, they're ours," Lando said pointing.
Of course they were. Our guys are always in the weaker position, or taking heavier losses, or, as in this case, both - especially when I'm supposed to be rescuing them. Why couldn't a mercy mission just be easy for once?
But we were here now and there was no point in hanging around, so I started crawling round the edge of the cargo bay using the crates as cover.
"Han Solo, where on Alderaan do you think you are going?" I heard Leia say in a desperate whisper behind me. Where did she think I was headed? I'd have thought it was obvious I was trying to get behind the pirates! As I set off I saw that Luke and Chewie had the same idea but were trying a different route.
I don't know about them but I was doing great until I came across a boot. I'd just gone around a barrel and there it was, right in my path. Looking slowly up, I saw it came complete with a leg, body and even a whole guy standing over me.
"Hi," I said as I smiled and waved. He didn't wave back. Instead, he pointed his blaster at me in a very unfriendly way. It was definitely time to be elsewhere.
"Bye," I said and dived back the way I had come, and crashed into Leia and Lando coming the other way. We sprawled and landed behind another pile of crates.
"I thought you said they were our guys?" I shouted at Lando over the scream of new blaster fire hitting the crates.
"I didn't say them," Lando said pointing at our attackers as a bit of container exploded above his head. "I said them," and he pointed further down the bay.
"Oh, sorry."
"Well this was a wonderful plan," Leia said as she lay flat on the floor and shrapnel fell around her.
"I don't remember suggesting you come along," I said. The blaster fire headed towards us was so intense that I couldn't even attempt to return fire.
"Don't worry, I seem to have a problem with letting you die alone," she shouted over the noise of the battle.
Suddenly a strangely familiar buzzing sound started up on the other side of the crates and the incoming blaster fire started ricocheting around the bay in new and interesting directions. "What's happening?" Leia asked
So now I'm psychic? "I don't know. Why don't I look? After all, I'd only risk getting my head blown off."
I didn't wait for Leia's reply but looked around the side of what was left of one of the crates anyway. There was this young guy standing in the middle of the bay. He had to be very brave or very stupid for he avoided all cover and wasn't using a blaster, but a... It was a lightsabre! Was this guy some kind of Jedi wannabe? Whatever, it certainly looked as though he was taking this whole thing personally.
Now, as everyone knows, I'm not out to die a hero but once someone has tangled with me I'm not about to hang around in the shadows and miss all the action. So, tired of just watching, I made a break across the cargo bay towards some crates behind the pirates.
"You idiot!" Leia shouted at me. Yeah, well she's the one who fell for a smuggler.
It took some pretty fancy footwork to get there alive but I'm known for my fast shuffle out of trouble. I ducked behind the crates and aimed at the nearest group of bad guys. Then Chewie started firing from the other side of the bay and Luke jumped out and joined the other guy in waving his lightsabre about. What is it with these lightsabre people? Whoever teaches them to use those things sure doesn't include the use of cover in battle situations.
Suddenly more blaster fire erupted and started hitting them from a new direction. I looked over. It was Leia and Lando. Was that woman mad? She could've got killed! Why couldn't she have stayed where she was safe? The stupid things she'll do to impress me. At least the pirates were now surrounded. I hoped that they'd be smart and surrender soon. If they were dumb, and they probably were, we'd have to kill them all.
I looked over to the new guy with the lightsabre. Whoever he was he'd rattled the pirates. He might be mad to get into a fight with that ceremonial weapon but he was also fast and deadly. Yeah, he and Luke were sure putting on quite a show out there. The boarding party were in deep trouble and they had to know it.
Suddenly, just as I was thinking this was going to end very messily, there was shouting and the enemy blaster fire stopped. Slowly, one by one, the pirates stood and dropped their weapons. I guessed that their leader had been killed and his deputy, less stupid, had had enough. I'd have done the same in his place. After all the New Republic doesn't even execute pirates anymore. Cautiously, I walked towards them, blaster at the ready just in case. I hadn't survived this long by being the trusting sort. If they wanted more trouble I had plenty left to give them.
Fortunately, they gave up their weapons like good little boys and the Destiny crew had little trouble rounding them up. But I stood around and looked threatening anyway - it's one of the many things I'm great at.
"Glad you could make it," said a guy with captain bars on his shoulders. He had some nasty burns on his arm and was trying to pass it off lightly.
"Anytime," I replied, smiling. I could do casual with the best. Now that it had gone quiet I had time to look around for the lightsabre guy. Without him this could have been a great deal less pretty. He wasn't hard to find: he hadn't moved and wasn't looking any happier. Time to say 'Hi,' I thought, but Luke beat me to it. I should have known the kid would get there first.
As I got closer our mystery rescuer began to seem vaguely familiar. I heard Luke asking him his name but I didn't catch the reply. Then the guy collapsed. Luke was close and caught him before he hit the floor.
I ran to join them. "Medic, over here," I shouted, and signalled to the Destiny's medical teams who were just turning up. Luke was gently lowering the guy to the decking with the strangest look on his face. It was some kind of cross between disbelief, wonder and hunger, I guess. I didn't get long to watch him before the med teams turned up and pushed us both away. Then Leia arrived and looked angrily at me - I could tell I was in trouble for my little break across the cargo bay.
"Take him to the Millennium Falcon med bay," Luke said to the medics, thereby distracting Leia.
"Hey, take him where?" I said. He may have helped us out but that doesn't mean he gets to ride on my ship.
"He's Ben."
Okay the kid has finally flipped. Yeah, the guy was familiar. But even supposing that that crazy old hermit had got a major reverse-ageing job done on himself, he's still been dead for five years. Luke might not think that was a problem but I've always found that death tends to be pretty terminal.
"Luke, Ben's dead," Leia said softly. That's my girl, ever the diplomat.
"I know that, but all the same it is him. He could help me, he knew what they used to do."
"Luke..."
I haven't lived this long without being able to spot a storm brewing. I'll live with the guy on my ship if I can just stop a family row in the middle of the Destiny's cargo bay. The medics had ignored us anyway. They'd put this 'Ben' on a gurney and were floating him away. I assumed they were taking him to the Falcon. This fight would keep.
"Look, let's just clear this mess up and sort that out later," I said.
The twins turned to me and nodded. Sometimes it's great to work with people with an overdeveloped sense of duty.
And that was how Han Solo perceived what history considers to be The Beginning. Luke Skywalker, however, saw it quite differently. To him it was little less than his salvation. Before this incident he was but one young man carrying the hopes and future of the Jedi alone. The strain of so many expectations and fears had already started to exhaust him, so who could blame him for wanting a companion to help shoulder the burden? And that was his weakness. Princess Leia was able to consider the possibility that this man was an impostor but Luke was not. Her warnings were effectively ignored - but this is understandable. He might be a Jedi, but even they are affected when their deepest, most unrealistic fantasy suddenly becomes flesh.
But the situation was more complicated than that. Luke also felt a little guilty; that somehow he was being unfaithful to his old mentor to want this new version so much. After all, Obi-Wan Kenobi had never really left him. In fact he had often appeared in the ethereal form he now inhabited. But, although in the beginning he had been a regular presence, these comforting visits had become infrequent and now only when a crisis loomed. Luke knew Obi-Wan could not hold his identity in the Force forever, and his greatest fear was of the day when Obi-Wan could come no more. And on that day the last Jedi would be truly alone, desperately trying to survive with only Obi-Wan's and Yoda's expectations to keep him company.
But then Luke had seen the young man across the cargo bay. He hadn't realised who it was at first - even though the attraction had been instant. Anyone wielding a lightsabre would have got his attention, true, but the feeling had been so much more than that.
So, as soon as the battle was over, Luke had raced over to speak to him. The stranger was very familiar in an indefinable way and Luke struggled place what he was recognising. The dark robe over a light tunic? The poised stance of an athlete who was prepared for anything? The obvious self confidence? Perhaps if the stranger had not been so young or if his hair were different? Luke found himself wondering what the boy would look like when older or worn by tragedy and sadness. Then the stranger spoke and Luke was keenly reminded of a precious night where a kind old man had accepted the nervous request of a frightened young boy, and had firmly chased away all the demons surrounding him. It had been a glorious night that Luke would have given anything to repeat. He just had time to wonder if these much younger hands were equally as skilled before the man collapsed.
Luke was a Jedi, but he was under a great deal of stress and had all the desires and needs any man has. The feeling he got holding this young man in his arms must help to explain why he was so sure his mentor had come back to him. Certainly it make Luke determined to prevent this man from suffering as Old Ben had. After all, this time he would be there to protect him.
Sorting out the Destiny turned out to be easy; if only everything else had been as well. While Lando and Wedge took turns on sentry duty in space, we patched up Destiny's reactor. It took a while and wasn't pretty but it would get her to Dantooine easily enough. I sent Wedge and Lando into hyperspace first so they would be around if Destiny had problems after the jump. Naturally I insisted the Falcon go last; it's the only ship that could handle more pirates turning up. Trust me, I was looking forward to teaching a few more a lesson they wouldn't forget. I'd certainly have preferred pirates to all the trouble I got from Luke and Leia disagreeing about who this new guy was.
Luke had barely waited until the jump before he headed down to the med bay. Leia didn't hang around either. I decided a cooler head was going to be needed around those two, so I left the flying to Chewie and headed off after them. I got there to find that my med-droid, MD-56, was having a tough time too. It was trying to find out what why this 'Ben' guy was still unconscious, but Luke kept getting in the way. Surprisingly Leia wasn't there - but she wasn't missing for long. She arrived holding an Old Republic style holo of the guy from the Destiny.
Luke looked amazed by it.
"How did you get this?" he said taking it from her. "I thought most of the Jedi records were destroyed in the Emperor's purges?"
"All right," Leia said, ignoring Luke's question; I always enjoy seeing her do that to someone else. "I'll admit he does look like General Kenobi as a young man, but that doesn't mean it is him. You have enemies, Luke. People left over from the Empire, even people in the New Republic who don't like the idea of the Jedi being re-formed. It's easy to alter someone's appearance. This could be an attempt to stop you setting up your Jedi Academy."
"Leia, it's not that he looks like him. He feels like him too. He feels just the same here and here," Luke said, pointing to his head and heart. "I feel him in the Force. You could too."
I was worried by that. I'm not crazy about the idea of Leia suddenly getting this Jedi religion, but she's never seemed really interested in trying it so I watched her with interest. It's hard for me to know but I don't think she tried this time either. Luke certainly looked unhappy with her efforts, but he wasn't about to give up now.
"And there's this," he said and showed her a lightsabre. He ignited it and the blue blade extended, crackling, far too close to the med bay's ceiling panels.
"Hey, watch that thing," I said. Luke looked over to me and lowered the end a little.
"It's different from the one he had when I knew him, but it feels the same," Luke continued.
"Luke, I'm not going to pretend that I'm convinced," Leia replied. "It's just too convenient. You're starting to rebuild the Jedi and just when you need help the most he suddenly appears? Just how did he get here, anyway?"
Just at that moment of peace and harmony between brother and sister, Ben chose to wake up. At least the guy's got a sense of timing. Luke quickly turned off the lightsabre and got in MD-56's way again, but by now the droid had had enough and pushed him out of the way.
"Master," Ben said groggily.
He woke slowly, looking dazed and confused, then he saw us and tried to sit up quickly. That turned out to be a mistake and he almost blacked out again, but MD-56 caught him and helped him sit up. He looked as sick as a dog and you could see him trying to pull himself together.
"I... I'm Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said with authority, then ruined the effect when he paused to catch his breath. "I am grateful for the care you appear to have given me but I request that you tell me who you are and where my Master is. I respectfully ask what have you done with Qui-Gon Jinn?"
Leia took charge. Luke was off somewhere in la-la land.
"We've haven't done anything with anyone. You appeared here, alone and have been unconscious for hours."
Ben looked at her strangely, then at the rest of us, pausing when he saw Luke. Luke tried to go to him but I just happened to be in his path.
"What can you remember?" Leia asked.
Ben looked at her suspiciously but he answered.
"If this is an attempt to get restricted information, then I must warn you that you are wasting your time." His voice was steady now. "However, as our mission was heavily publicised I can tell you that my Master and I were part of a Republic investigative team, looking into reports of illegal time travel experiments on Theliope."
"Time travel! But no one has ever built a time machine," I said, but no one was listening to me.
"As was reported, we had persuaded the government to give us access to a particular lab," Ben continued looking vaguely over Luke's shoulder. He was having a hard time staying awake. "The chief scientists themselves were taking us on a tour of the installation when there was an explosion in the building. We ran to investigate, I was separated from my Master and then..." he paused and looked confused. "Everything was different. After that I vaguely remember a ship and fighting. Then, I don't know."
Exhausted, Ben lay back down on the bed. I didn't know who he was but he wasn't faking this bit.
"What date was it?" Leia asked quickly.
"On Theliope?" Ben answered vaguely. "They had such a strange dating system. I believe it was the 35th cycle of the Laughter of the Animals."
And that was that. Leia tried to question him further but he was already asleep and even she can't get answers out of the unconscious. Naturally she wasn't pleased and it's at times like this that I envy Luke - he's just got her as a sister.
"So who is Qui-Gon Jinn and when was the Laughter of the Animals?" she asked angrily. I shrugged.
"We'll have to wait until we reach Dantooine. I don't keep that kind of information on the Falcon's computer."
Leia looked ready to explode so I gave her one of my best grins.
"Sorry," I said lightly.
"Then we'll just have to wait," she said. "Until we know more, I'm putting a guard on him when we reach Dantooine. And we'd better keep this quiet. The last thing we need is false hopes and rumours." She looked sharply at us; I nodded, so did Luke. Then she stormed out of the med bay and it all went very quiet.
"Captain Solo," MD-56 said. "I need to conduct some more tests to evaluate the patient's condition. My previous tests have given abnormal results."
"Sure, whatever. Knock yourself out." MD-56 nodded and set to work.
Luke, meanwhile, had taken advantage of the distraction to sit by Ben's bedside and take hold of his hand.
"It is him, Han," Luke said. "No one could fake this connection between us - not the way it sings out to me. And that voice! It has to be the most beautiful in the New Republic."
"Sure, kid," I said, but Luke was off daydreaming again and wasn't listening. Then I looked at the two of them again. I didn't like the way that Luke was holding the guy's hand. And that comment sure didn't sound like the kind of thing a student normally says about his old teacher.
"Ahmm," I said subtly. No response.
"Look, " I said and stood across the bed from him. "Don't take offence, but from the expression on your face I don't think that you're remembering a crazy old man who found you in the desert."
Luke briefly looked up at me. Then he leant his elbows on the bed and took Ben's hand in both of his. I was getting a bad feeling about this when, with Ben's hand pressed to his cheek and his eyes closed, Luke deigned to speak to me.
"That night on the Falcon, just before we reached Alderaan. I asked Ben to spend the night with me. He did. Had he lived I was hoping that, well, that it would have been more than just one night."
Okay, that was worse than I was expecting. I decided that shouting at him wasn't going to do the trick. If Leia can't pull that one off then it's not going to happen. So I went for the gentle approach. I pulled a chair over next to Luke's, sat down, grabbed his shoulder and turned him round to face me. He didn't let go of Ben's hand so he ended up looking at me over it.
"Okay," I said after a moment in my calmest voice. "Let's just assume that I don't think that he took advantage of the situation and that this is him conveniently spirited here by hokey mysticism. Whatever, this man is not the man you knew. He is over thirty years younger, younger than you now, and he won't know who you are. He certainly won't remember a 'precious' night on the Falcon."
Luke turned to look down at the man on the bed. He didn't look worried.
"I understand that," Luke said. "But he'll feel the connection between us though, Han. He'll feel something."
If the games of childhood could tell tales, then Princess Leia's would be most eloquent. One in particular is worthy of note because, although she had many playmates, she would only play it alone and when the spirit moved her just so. Because, in this game, she would sneak off to a secret place somewhere and pretend she had a brother upon whom she would lavish love and affection.
So, it is rather sad that when she acquired a real brother she spent so much of her time planning his demise. But no one else was much surprised. After all, Princess Leia was a strong-willed woman and the brother she cared so much for had an unpleasant tendency to rush off unaccompanied into danger. Indeed, many were irked by that particular habit of his.
But for Leia this situation was worse than usual. This time she couldn't make Luke admit that the danger even existed or that the future of the Academy, and thus thousands of years of history, tradition and everything he had spent the last few years trying to build, was in peril. And all of this because of a spiky-haired boy who had appeared from nowhere. She was sure it was a trap and that Luke had been, all too willingly, ensnared by it.
And to make it worse, Luke seemed to think that he was the only one who had cared for Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was as if the tales she'd heard as a child of General Kenobi, from the man she had loved as her father, didn't really count. But Bail Organa had loved to tell stories of Obi-Wan Kenobi and how they had fought together in the Clone Wars. She knew how close they had been and how they had never let anything prevent them from carrying out their duty, regardless of the cost. Leia felt that those stories had shaped her and made her the woman she was: a woman with ideals and determination. The holo she had shown Luke was her only surviving picture of the two of them together. It was doubly precious to her, since very little else had survived the destruction of Alderaan.
So, regardless of what Luke might think, she did care. If the boy was genuine then no harm would come from a little caution but, whatever else happened, she wouldn't allow General Kenobi's name to be blackened by a heartless attempt to sabotage the Academy.
Can anyone tell me why someone as talented and handsome as me always gets dumped with the worst jobs? I mean, who else would agree to stay in this basement and check out our 'Ben's' story when there's sunlight and food upstairs? Why the basement? Because, of course, that's where they put Dantooine's main information archives. I could have said no. I should have said no, but Leia just looked at me - in that 'you're my only hope' kind of way - and I am such a sucker for that look. I just didn't realise I'd be abandoned to the job, and that everyone else would suddenly become too important to miss the conference as well.
I suppose I should be grateful Dantooine has pre-Empire records. I don't know what Leia would have had me doing if they hadn't. But is it too much to ask for surface level access? No, that would make my life far too easy. Sure, I'm taking this personally, but there can't be any other reason for the restriction - it's not as if they're in danger anymore. Okay, okay so I was getting paranoid but they haven't even put in decent lighting and I was going stir crazy and in need of a little help.
Somewhere upstairs there was a conference going on. Someone had to want a break from it. I'd asked Chewie to find Lando or Wedge. I was sure he'd gently persuade those two to give me a hand. Yeah right, as if I'd send a wookie to do a job like that! I was looking forward to see Chewie turn up with one under each arm. But until he did I had work to do. It took me a while, but I was finally getting somewhere when Lando appeared and leaned over the top of my datascreen.
"Hey Han," he said. "Don't tell me you finally decided to try and get yourself an education. This is what comes of associating with your betters. Well, you be careful: studying at your age could be dangerous after a lifetime of neglect."
I just looked at him with the contempt he deserved.
"Hey, didn't know you couldn't take a joke," he said grinning and holding his hands up in surrender. "If that's how you welcome visitors, then it's no wonder that you're all alone down here."
"Do you want something, Lando, or are you just out to lose a few teeth?"
"It's good to see that the lovely Princess Leia hasn't tried to change you since your marriage. Your manners are just as charming as ever. Here am I," he said gesturing in a flowery way at himself. "An old friend, just coming to say goodbye, and all I get is threats."
"Goodbye? Where are you going?" That's bad. If he's off that's one less person to share this job with.
"To Yavin. I should have left a couple of days ago. I was only here to set up the conference, not take part in it. If it wasn't for the Destiny's run-in with those pirates I'd be back already getting the next diplomatic triumph organised." He grinned again but suddenly I wasn't feeling up to taking the bait. I was stuck down here and the cobwebs, the dinginess and the rows of empty desks had got to me. Lando's grin faded. Baiting me was a hobby of his, but it was no fun if I wasn't playing.
"What are you doing down here anyway?" he asked suddenly concerned. "Don't tell me you've finally really upset some bigwig and they've banished you down to the bowels of the planet."
I decided to let him know. He wasn't going to help if he didn't.
"I'm trying to check out the story from the lightsabre guy we picked up on the Destiny. He says he's Obi-Wan Kenobi transported from the past or something. He told us a couple of things when he woke up and I'm checking them out."
"Why?"
"Leia thinks he's a look-a-like impostor sent to sabotage the Jedi Academy."
Lando looked stunned but he recovered quickly to laugh a little. "Believe me, Han," he said sincerely, "I keep my ear to the ground. If someone had set up something that elaborate to stop the Academy then I think I'd have heard about it."
I called up another record that had looked promising and started skimming through. "Luke's sure he's Old Man Kenobi sent through time to help him," I said. "He says he knows because of something to do with the Force. It didn't make much sense to me."
Lando starting rubbing dust off the top of my datascreen. "Luke has a lot of crazy ideas."
I looked up. "What are you saying here?"
Lando didn't move. "Hey, don't get so defensive. I'm just saying that maybe this Jedi Academy isn't the best thing to do at the moment. The New Republic is just that, new, and people are saying that Luke's getting ready to train up a new Emperor when we've barely got rid of the old one."
I leaned back in my chair and looked straight at him. "The Emperor wasn't a Jedi."
"But Darth Vader was. It's not as if most people even understood the difference between the Sith and the Jedi anyway. It's all the same to them. Spooky powers and an attitude."
I sighed and slumped forward. Why was I defending the Jedi Academy? Lando had a point and it's not as if I cared much about it. Luke's easily capable of defending it himself. Still, Luke is my brother-in-law and he did save my life, but then again so did Lando. "How do you hear these things?" I asked.
Lando gave up leaning on my screen, pulled over another chair out of the gloom, gave it a quick dusting then sat down. "Like I said, I keep my ear to the ground. Although bad feeling about the Academy doesn't take a lot of hunting out."
"Some people think it's going to help the New Republic."
"Some do," he admitted then continued. "Look, I'm not dissing the kid, and I know Luke did more than most to get rid of the Empire, but he can't see things the way a lot of people out there do. He's too close. To him Darth Vader, his father, redeemed himself at the end but I don't know many people who would agree."
I nodded. Luke was a more forgiving guy than most but Lando had just talked himself into trouble. He may be right but not even Lando can give Luke a hard time to me and expect to get away with it. Not that it had anything to do with me needing help with this research. Of course not.
"If you're right, then this Kenobi guy's story needs to be checked out immediately."
"What?" Lando looked surprised at the change of topic.
"If either Luke or Leia are on the right track, then it could change everything. It sounds as though the situation is bad and we need to know, either way, right now. The records are in a mess but don't worry, it'll only take a day or so with both of us working on it."
Lando stood. He looked more shaken up than I thought he would by the prospect of a couple of days down here, but then he always was a dandy. He was probably scared that his clothes would get dirty.
"But I have to get back to Yavin," he said. "It's very important."
I stood and grabbed his arm. He wasn't getting away that easily.
"But you said that all you're doing is setting up the next conference. They've probably already started without you. I'm sure they'll let you know if there are any problems, which you can sort out from here. Unless, that is, you have to go back for another reason?" I said conspiratorially, and leaned forward to get a better view of Lando's trapped look.
"No, no, there's no other reason," he said quickly.
Yeah right, I believed that. If I knew Lando, then it was a woman he didn't want me to know about. Now I think of it, he's often on the com to a 'Salin'. Must be serious if he didn't want me to blow it for him. I must find out more about her when we get back to Yavin.
"Then you'll be able to help me after all," I said. Sometimes Lando is so easy.
"This is the last time I'm coming to say goodbye to you," he said as he sat down at another station and powered up the datascreen in front of him. I grinned. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.
The Dantooine Conference - such a bright idea. It was to be one of the final stages in cementing the New Republic together. Most hoped that it would be little more than a ceremonial affair where all the details would be agreed with ease. After all, virtually everyone wanted the same thing: stability, protection from leftover Forces of the Empire or other aggressors and, most importantly, a chance to rebuild what the Empire had destroyed.
But why, if it were such a joyful event, did Luke find it one of the more difficult experiences of his life? He should have found it uplifting as generally he was very well received. Most of the delegates congratulated him on his new student, who had been vital in saving the Destiny, and many wanted to know when the Academy would be producing enough Jedi to make the space lanes safe again. That a significant group avoided him or accused him of breeding a new generation of Sith, however, was only to be expected; and that group was smaller than he had feared.
But every moment Luke was at the conference he wanted to be at Obi-Wan's bedside, and every moment he was in med-bay he couldn't understand what he was doing wrong. Luke had thought that it was going to be so easy. Obi-Wan would wake up, recognise Luke and they would have an immediate meeting of minds. Then Obi-Wan would tell Luke what to do to overcome the Academy's current problems. And, as soon as Obi-Wan was well enough, Luke would take him somewhere very private to re-enact that particular night in the Falcon.
So, imagine Luke's confusion when, instead of advice and caresses, all he got was disbelief and avoidance. It just didn't make sense. Suddenly, Luke realised the problem. This time he was the older, more experienced man who knew what to do next and it was Obi-Wan who had been flung unexpectedly into a strange and confusing world. Now, rather than being the follower, Luke had to be the driving force. It wasn't a situation that Luke had even considered, but he was determined to overcome it.
However, despite such confidence, it was no easy task. At first Obi-Wan wouldn't even believe 'when' he was and, somehow aware that he was under guard, apparently thought himself a prisoner of captors who were trying to get privileged information about the Jedi. Determined, Luke told him of the terrible fall of the Jedi and rise of the Empire, but all to no avail. Soon Obi-Wan, although still weak, was up and, under close supervision, exercising in one of the base's gyms. But, despite his best efforts, Luke could still not convince him. Additionally, Luke became concerned that Obi-Wan, after being kept isolated and having few people even speak to him, was becoming increasingly withdrawn. So Luke persuaded Wedge to represent him at the conference, thus enabling him to spend more time in the med bay, but then he felt guilty for not doing his duty whenever he saw Leia. Frustration was mounting on every side and a confrontation was imminent
But the Force intervened in the shape of Old Obi-Wan's lightsabre. Luke had found it on his father's body and realised that Anakin must have always carried it with him. It made the lightsabre doubly precious and one of his prized possessions. Desperate, Luke had gone to Obi-Wan's room in the med bay and had handed it to this young Obi-Wan in the hopes that he would recognise it as his but know that he had never made it.
Obi-Wan looked intently down at the Lightsabre that Luke had placed into his hands. Luke felt his hopes raise.
"Where did you get this?" Obi-Wan said in wonder.
"From the man who survived all that the Empire could do to him to teach me about the Force and what it means to be a Jedi."
"But this Lightsabre - it's mine."
"It would have been."
Obi-Wan looked up and Luke knew his old mentor finally believed the truth.
And it so it had worked. But Luke had seen how lost Obi-Wan had been and he'd wanted to tell him that it was better like this, that this was the only way they could be together. But even Luke, lost in his dreams for the future, realised it was too soon. He'd finally decided that even Obi-Wan Kenobi was bound to feel shaken by being suddenly flung into a completely new world. But Luke was not worried - he could wait. Obi-Wan would recover and then together they would rebuild the Jedi.
(continued in part 2)