Master Apprentice
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(continued from part 2)
Coincidence? I don't believe in it. All it means is that Luke and Leia also noticed something screwy going on. Well, it made my life easier, that's for sure. I was just trying to figure out how to raise them on the com without alerting anyone when I run into them sneaking around the Academy. There wasn't time to chat so I just told them that the shipment had been taken inside. Leia instantly called for reinforcements on her 'special' secure line. It's really hard to trace or intercept and the New Republic won't give me one.
The bad news was that help was half an hour away but the worse news was that we couldn't wait that long. I could easily set up the explosives and get out in that time and I bet our friends inside could too. Luke didn't want to wait and, for once, I agreed. After all, I was sure that Luke, Leia, Wedge, Chewie and I could handle anything that a gang of desperate, gun wielding fanatics wanted to deal out. Yeah, I wasn't worried. How the hell did I get involved with this revolution again?
"Okay, if we're going in - let's at least find another way. They're likely to be watching the front door," I said.
Luke nodded and took us round the back. At least he'd thought to add a few secret entrances to his Academy. The wind was picking up - could be that there was a storm on the way - which was good as it would help to cover any noise we made. Luke crept in first but I was right behind him and once inside we made our way to the main entrance. Good choice as that's where all the fun was going on.
Ben was standing, ignited lightsabre in hand, surrounded by crates of half unpacked explosives. Lando and a group of men and women stood between him and the door.
"Just put the weapon down and move away from the crates and no one is going to get hurt," Lando was saying as we crept in.
Okay, it looked bad but making assumptions can get you killed and neither Luke nor Leia were going to be thinking clearly here. So I grabbed Luke, pulled him back and dragged Leia with me too.
"Look, let's play this cool," I said into their ears. "Surround them while they're distracted, get everyone to drop their weapons. Then we'll find out who's what."
They weren't happy with the idea. Luke looked white and Leia wanted flesh but they knew I was right. I let Luke go and he headed off, Wedge at his heels, but I grabbed Leia again.
"Let me do the talking."
She looked furious but nodded. She was just too close. I was going to find it tough to keep my cool, but she was just one step away from an explosion and that was the last thing we needed.
Out by the entrance Ben hadn't moved. Lando and his friends were looking more unfriendly by the minute. They certainly didn't notice us get into position.
"Okay everyone," I said as I stood up. Sometimes I am just so stupid. But the others were worse and nobody thought that it would be a bright idea to stay hidden in reserve. "Let's just keep calm. Everybody drop your weapons and we'll have a little chat about what the hell's going on here."
Lando looked over. He'd been completely surprised. His backup swung round and suddenly I had six blasters pointing at me. Most recognised who I was and pointed their blasters back at Ben but one woman looked a little nervy and didn't back down. Ben was playing it easy; he merely glanced casually over his shoulder at us.
"Han," Lando said. "Am I glad to see you."
"I don't know, Lando, are you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I am. You're just in time to help stop this madman blowing up Luke's Academy."
I looked at Ben. He just shook his head.
"Naturally, I wish to deny this accusation and say that I am the one preventing sabotage but I am aware there is little I can say to make you believe me."
"Try us," I said.
Ben shrugged. "In my own time I was a Jedi and trained to investigate sabotage. Fifty years doesn't change the galaxy so very much. It was obvious that whoever planted the first bomb was not about to give up. So I used what skills I have to investigate and found out about this shipment and arranged to be here to prevent further trouble."
It was then that Luke stepped forward. Why does nobody ever follow the plan?
"Well if nobody brought these crates then I suggest everybody puts down their weapons and we can discuss this calmly."
"I'm sorry, Luke," said Lando, "but that guy is dangerous. I'm not letting go of my blaster until he's safely locked up somewhere."
"Obi-Wan," Luke said, extending his hand. "Give me your lightsabre."
Ben visibly hesitated. I heard somebody arm a blaster.
"I believe you," Luke continued. "I've always believed you but you have to give me your lightsabre. Then we can sort this out."
Ben sighed heavily and deactivated his weapon and held it out towards Luke. I paused. There was no way I was going to get close enough to Ben to take that thing. He was fast enough to turn it back on and kill me before I could stop him, no hassle.
Just as I was deciding what to do Luke gestured and Ben's lightsabre flew through the air to land in his hand. At that everybody relaxed a little and stopped pointing blasters about in quite such an unfriendly way. I was pleased too. Maybe Luke didn't have a complete blind spot about Ben after all. It must have surprised Ben too, as he gave a sigh of defeat and stood with his head bent down toward the ground. He was good. I might even have felt sorry for him - if I hadn't known how he'd used Luke. But I did and, believe me, if Ben felt bad now it was nothing to how he would feel when I was through with him. But I was saving that for later - when people weren't standing around pointing blasters at each other.
However Leia, always jumping in when she shouldn't, decided not to wait and walked up to Ben and slapped him hard.
"You bastard. I knew from the minute I saw you, you were some kind of unfeeling scum. Believe me, you're going to pay for everything, and I mean everything, that you've done."
"Leia," said Luke, but it was no good. She was off and there was no stopping her. I certainly wasn't going to try. That is until Chewie leant down and whispered in my ear. I froze. Of course, suddenly it all made sense.
"Hey Lando," I said in a gap in Leia's tirade. "How come you stopped him? You don't agree with the Academy. You think it's a bad idea. Why didn't you just let him do it?"
"Han..."
"And," I continued not giving him a chance to speak, "how come two of the people Chewie saw unloading the explosives are among your guys?"
Well, I misjudged that one. For some reason I'd hoped that Lando would give up rather than fight us. But we weren't going to be that lucky. Lando pulled up his blaster and pointed it at me and all his guys and gals followed. Leia responded a little slowly but Chewie, Wedge and I had our blasters pointed quicker than they did. Not that that really helped. We were outnumbered and the reinforcements were taking their time. We had the better position but I didn't want to bet my life on it. Time for a little persuasion.
"Lando," I said. "You're really going to try to kill us? You betrayed us in Cloud City and we gave you another chance. Now you're trying again?"
"I trusted you," Leia said.
"I haven't betrayed you!" Lando said indignantly. He really wanted to convince us and either he'd brushed up on his acting skills or he wasn't kidding around on this one. "It's because of Cloud City that I'm doing this. I owe you for that and now I'm the only thing keeping you from disaster. This Academy spells the end for the New Republic. You're all too close to understand. You think the Jedi helped prop up the Old Republic and that they fought the rise of the Empire. But most people, people you want to work with, are convinced that it was the Jedi's hunger for power that destabilised the Republic. Some even think that the only good thing the Emperor did was to save us from the Jedi."
"Not everyone believed the Emperor's lies," Leia said. "He spent thirty years destroying the Jedi's name. Yet people still managed to ignore the propaganda to see the truth."
"Perhaps, but most thought that the Jedi had grown corrupt and schemed with the Emperor and he betrayed them when he didn't need them anymore. However you look at it, most people see them as a danger. You can't wipe away thirty years of history just like that."
Lando paused and looked round at us. He lowered his blaster a little. "I've tried to tell you all this many times but you wouldn't listen. You've all got your head in the clouds. I know what the real people in the New Republic are like and what they fear. Do you know how many planets won't join us if the Academy exists? Don't you realise that they might band together against us because of it? It has to be stopped and I'm trying to do it without hurting anyone."
"Lando," Leia said in her most persuasive voice. "There will be problems because of the Academy, it's true. But it's for the best in the long run. We can't let the Emperor's poison live on after his death. The Rebellion was built to oppose the evils of the Empire in whatever form they took."
"You just don't see, it's too soon. You can't suddenly make people stop fearing the Jedi." Lando looked round at us. He wasn't happy with what he saw. "Don't make me do this," he said as he raised his blaster again. "I don't want to do this but I will if I have to."
This was bad, this was very bad. I prepared to duck for cover. I made eye contact with Leia; she was ready and I could feel Chewie tense up beside me.
"No," said Luke firmly. The utter idiot was just standing there. He hadn't moved since Lando pulled the blaster. "No," he repeated. "This isn't going to happen."
Then he moved to stand right in front of Lando. Lando's blaster was pointing straight at him.
"Luke," Lando said. "I have to stop the Academy. It will destroy the New Republic. How can you be sure you're not about to create another Darth Vader? He was a Jedi, how many more will there be?"
"Lando," Luke replied serenely, "I believe that the New Republic needs the Jedi, and as long as I live I promise that it will never develop another Emperor, or even someone like my father. Come and watch us. We have nothing to hide and everything to give. Perhaps the Jedi did make mistakes, perhaps they could have done more to stop the rise of the Empire, but even so they were the one thing that the Emperor feared; why else did he destroy them so completely?"
Luke's words had become passionate and it was a good speech. It wasn't enough to make Lando and his guys lower their blasters, but they hadn't started shooting. Things could have been worse, but not much. "We have learned from their mistakes," Luke continued. "We have been taught a hard lesson in complacency. We might be the only thing that holds the New Republic together and prevent a second Empire."
Luke took a step closer to Lando.
"Besides, the Jedi Academy is more than just buildings. It is an ideal, a dream, and as long as I live it will survive and grow. But I won't let it cause division. I know I'm right and I'll die to prove it. Will you kill me for what you believe? It's the only way you're going to stop it."
Luke raised his arms towards Lando. "You have to decide now because it finishes here. Kill me or let me work. From here the New Republic goes on, with or without the Academy."
And there was silence, apart from the howling wind outside. Lando had a death grip on his blaster and if he shot now there was nothing I could do to stop the blaster fire from tearing Luke apart. Any sudden move could scare Lando into action. If he fired then he wouldn't live another minute, but that wouldn't bring Luke back. I cursed the kid for putting himself in that position.
"Lando," I said calmly. "I don't know if the Academy is a good or a bad thing, but killing Luke isn't the way to go."
"You're going to tear the New Republic apart," Leia added beside me. "It's barely had a chance to start and already we're killing each other! Think, nothing good ever came out of a blood bath."
Nothing, no response. We didn't seem to be getting through.
"No," whispered Wedge in the silence. "Lando, remember, we all fought together to destroy the Emperor. Luke lost more than most in the rebellion. This isn't the way."
Then Ben decided to join in the fun and walked to stand between Luke and the blaster. Lando, looking nervous at the way things had gone, backed up a step but Ben seemed to want to keep the tension high and walked forward until the muzzle of Lando's blaster brushed his chest.
"Do not forget me," Ben said speaking in his most disdainful voice and raising his arms to show he was unarmed. "I have promised to devote the rest of my life, however long or short, to this Academy. As long as I live I will work to ensure that it succeeds. To destroy it you will have to kill me too and you will have to kill me first."
Luke put his hand on Ben's shoulder and the two of the looked straight into Lando's eyes. They looked good standing proud and tall together in front of that blaster. It almost made me forget how stupid they were being.
I looked hard at Lando and I could see the sweat break out on his forehead. I bet he had planned on a quick in and out job, just plant the explosives and run. He hadn't counted on getting messed up with my crazy family. It must have seemed so simple when he'd thought of it.
We waited. Nobody moved. Lando's blaster caressed Ben's chest and everybody else just looked on. I swear even the wind outside had dropped as the room had gone completely silent. No one even appeared to be breathing. If this went on for much longer I was going to get cramp. I quietly wiped the palm of one hand on my trousers. The tension was getting to me and if Lando fired, I wasn't going to mess up my answering shot with a bit of nervous sweat.
Suddenly Lando threw his blaster to the floor and jumped on it. I was so surprised I nearly shot him.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Lando said as he stamped on the blaster. "No one was going to get hurt. I came here to help the New Republic not to tear it apart." He kicked the blaster into a wall and looked to Luke. "You've got to promise me, promise me with your life that I won't regret this."
Luke stepped forward and grasped Lando's hands in his. "I promise," Luke said as he looked Lando in the eyes. "You'll never regret this."
Lando then grabbed Luke in a bear hug and I put my blaster back in its holster. Then I pulled my wife into a deep kiss and I could hear sighs of relief from all over the room. I guess Lando's guys and gals hadn't really wanted to kill Luke. After all he was a hero of the rebellion. It must have been hot in there because my eyes were wet, it wasn't that I was getting soft or anything. Then Chewie grabbed me and Leia and gave both of us a wookie style hug. I looked round the room through red fur and I've rarely seen so many happy people.
Wedge had walked over to Luke and Lando and was pounding them both on the back. I hoped he was telling them both how stupid they'd been. Ben hadn't joined in the celebration, though. He was just watching Luke and the others - he was the only one who didn't look happy. Well, just him and...
"So that's it? He makes a useless promise and you think that's enough?"
...the woman who hadn't put her blaster down.
Everyone went very still. Then Lando stepped away from Luke and turned towards her. "Salin," he said. "It's over. The New Republic has to survive. We might have been about to do more damage to the Rebellion than the Emperor ever did. Luke knows that we'll be watching him very closely."
"And you think that is going to make a difference? He's used some mind trick on you and made you think it's okay to let this evil continue."
Luke stepped to stand beside Lando. I never realised he had this big thing for standing in front of guns.
"The Jedi Academy isn't evil and I don't need any tricks to prove that," Luke said. "Stay with us and I'll show you."
"No!" Salin screamed. "The Jedi are evil and none of your lies are going to change that."
Salin raised her blaster to point at Luke. Lando walked towards her. I started to move round the edge of the room to come up behind her.
"They weren't lies," Lando said. He'd nearly reached her but Luke was still in her sights. "And we must be able to trust in each other if the New Republic is to have a chance."
"No, they've got to you," she shouted and fired.
I'm still not sure what exactly happened but I know that I jumped for her, even though I was too far away. But Lando grabbed her blaster and knocked her out with it just as I arrived and pinned her to the floor. I looked round. Luke was getting up and I immediately thought that she'd missed, but then I noticed Ben on the ground.
"No," Luke said as he pulled Ben into his lap. "I couldn't get out of the way in time and he... Obi-Wan, can you hear me?"
Amazingly Ben's eyes opened to look up at Luke. It was amazing because his side was a complete mess. Leia ran up and tore away what was left of his tunic. He wasn't bleeding heavily. Not externally anyway, because the blaster had cauterised most of the wound.
"You idiot," Luke said. "You could have Force Pushed me out the way. You shouldn't have been hurt."
"You... the... one standing in front... gun. You should... learn... move faster." Obi-Wan managed to say but he was grinning. It was strange, as if this was what he'd wanted all along. No wonder he'd looked so upset when he'd lost his chance earlier.
"We have to get him to the Academy's med bay," Leia said.
"There's no point. It hasn't been repaired yet," Luke said without looking away from Ben.
"Keep him still," Leia said. "I'll look. There must be something there." And she ran out but Luke didn't seem to notice.
And there was silence. I crouched next to Luke but couldn't think of a thing to do. We'd kill Ben even trying to move him to the transport I'd come in. After a while Luke glanced quickly over to me.
"I've been trying to put him in a healing trance but it won't work."
"Never good... with healing trances. Master... disappointed. Sorry. Don't... worry. I am fine. And you... Wedge will look... after you... for me." I suppose he was trying to help but Luke didn't look reassured and just clutched Ben to him. Ben looked even paler against the black of Luke's tunic. I wanted to tell Luke that Ben ought to be lying down flat but stopped myself as I looked at the hole in Ben's side, the white-knuckled grip of their clasped hands and their desperate eye contact. There was no way that Ben was going to live until help arrived and if their last moments together wasn't in a medically approved position, then I wasn't going to tell on them.
I looked over to Wedge - he was whiter than Ben. This sure wasn't what he'd been hoping for either.
Leia ran back in, pushed her way past me and sprayed something on the mess that was Ben's side.
"It's all there is," she said. I supposed it was either anaesthetic or something to prevent infection but if the hitch in Ben's already deliberately controlled breathing was anything to go by it hadn't helped any.
"They've sent a ship with emergency medical facilities. It will be here soon. You're going to be fine," she added not quite looking at Ben. Not that he noticed as he hadn't glanced away from Luke. I wasn't surprised. She hadn't convinced me either - and I married her.
"You have to believe that it wasn't meant to happen this way. No one was supposed to be hurt," Lando said.
I restrained Leia from replying. I could guess how she felt. Nobody had given Ben a harder time, except for perhaps me. We'd been proved wrong in the worst possible way.
"You're going to be fine," Luke said, ignoring us, his voice firm and sure. "I'm not losing you again."
Ben smiled again and tried to reply but could only manage a bloody gurgle. Then he went back to concentrating on breathing but - although he fought all the way - his eyes slowly closed.
"No, stay with me here. Please stay, Obi-Wan," Luke begged.
"Luke, his time has come. There was only so long he could stay out of his time and reality."
I whirled and nearly fainted. Old Man Kenobi was standing there, faint, glowing blue and slightly transparent but definitely him.
"Ben! I thought you'd gone. I mean...," Luke said. He was blushing as if he'd been caught screwing around, but then he held Ben tighter. "There must be something we could do? We have the Force to help us. Ben...?"
I looked around. Leia was as stunned as I was but Lando and the others were just looking confused. The ghost, or whatever it was, was now kneeling by Luke and the younger version of himself.
"His life force is fading and he has stopped fighting. He knows this is neither his place nor his time. There is little that can be done."
"Ben, please," Luke said desperately. His hope was obviously fading with young Ben's every breath. "If I thought this was the Will of the Force then I'd accept it - but it doesn't seem right. You say he doesn't belong here but even you can't stay with me for much longer. How many times do I have to lose you? Why should we always have so little time together?"
"I'm sorry," Old Blue Ghost Kenobi or whatever said. "The Force can seem cruel. But eventually you will find that it was for the best." Then he just sat there and, with the rest of us, watched Luke's heart break. There was nothing to do until help arrived. Luke was looking desperately between the old and young Ben. He was devastated. Believe me, it was enough to melt even the hardest heart.
"However, there is one thing that might work and perhaps it is meant to be," the Old Blue Ghost said suddenly and Luke's head shot up and he glowed with hope. "But, if it doesn't work you must go on. This must not stop your Academy. Whatever happens, Luke, I will miss you."
Luke didn't get a chance to ask what the hell the Old Guy was talking about, as he instantly started to lose his shape and flowed into the dying body of young Ben. And his side! It just sort of glowed blue and started to reform. Bone, muscle and flesh replacing that gaping hole! Then slowly his eyes opened.
"Obi-Wan!" Luke said delightedly.
But Obi-Wan didn't seem to hear and got to his feet, ignoring Luke's attempts to help him, and stared in amazement at his hands. Then he walked to the window to stare to the jungle beyond. Next he slowly turned and gave us all the once over. It was a more assessing look than I'm comfortable with.
"The Kessel Run in nine parsecs! Were you really trying to justify your price with that nonsense?" he said, smiling at me in a way I'd only seen the old version of him do.
At first I didn't have a clue about what the hell he was talking about. Then I remembered the first time I met Luke and the old man. I'd fed them a line to see if they knew anything about spaceships. Had the old man possessed the boy?
"Ben?" Luke said. He sounded as unsure as I felt.
"In some ways perhaps, but not really," Ben, or whoever, replied. "I now feel that I belong here and I can remember everything he did - but it's not as if I have lived it. He experienced terrible things and suffered great anguish. I can remember it all and easier than he ever could. Everything makes so much more sense now."
Then Ben looked round and saw Leia. He smiled broadly and walked towards her. I didn't like it. I wasn't used to this sunny guy who was showering my wife with charm and infectious smiles. Worse, when he took one her hands Leia, my wife remember, starts blushing. "One of the regrets of his life, Princess Leia," he said, "was that he never got to meet the woman the beautiful baby turned into. And now he can, in a way." And he looked her in the eyes, smiled again and shook her hand. "We are both very pleased to meet you."
I was just getting a little bit possessive when the reinforcements arrived and saved me making an ass out of myself. It took a little while to convince them we were okay and then to let them know about the explosives. Eventually they got it straight and we set about clearing up the mess. In the confusion I suddenly found Ben's hand on my shoulder. I turned towards him as people ran around us.
"You have my word that Luke will never come to harm or hurt because of me," he said looking deadly serious.
"That's great," I said, still smarting from the way he'd charmed Leia. He wasn't going to find me so easy. "Why tell me about it?"
"Because anything that involves Luke is your business and he is not some lonely farm boy who's just lost his family, but a man with powerful friends who will be on me like a 'legion of stormtroopers' if I mess him around."
Yeah, well the guy's got a good memory, whatever bit of him is doing the remembering.
"Well, just keep it in mind." I wanted to keep the smile off my face but it was impossible to stay mad at him. That guy is going to be trouble. There are times that you don't have to be a Jedi to see the future.
Then I got back to the business of putting the New Republic back together. But later I saw him talking to Wedge. That was one person he wasn't going to charm round with a little chat that was for sure. Which makes me think I'd better have a 'chat' with my wife about what she found so charming about that Jedi - and then use a few smuggler tricks to show her just how much of a catch she's got already.
In history it is often from such incidents that progress occurs. Without doubt it relieved many people who felt that their concerns had been ignored. Certainly afterwards, Luke endeavoured to satisfy his detractors by encouraging them to visit the Academy whenever they pleased. Once there they were permitted to check for any seditious activity or power-mongering. Usually most left satisfied, but Luke sometimes found that Obi-Wan's newly acquired charm was needed to placate the few remaining hard-line campaigners.
As far as Luke was concerned, Ben was the Academy's secret weapon.
"They were so different, Han. Barely the same person at all and now I get to have them both."
"Yeah, kid, yeah." I don't really need to say anything. Luke is happy to carry on both sides of the conversation. I'm just proving I'm still awake. But it's all my fault. I just wanted to check that everything was okay before we finally moved to Coruscant. Luke was due to come into town the day before the big leaving party, so I suggested he give me a hand checking out a few systems on the Falcon. He's going to miss her and I wanted to be sure - you know, that Ben was keeping his word and keeping Luke happy. Right now I'm thinking of calling Ben and asking him to tone it down. So far we've checked about three systems and I know much more about Luke's private life than I ever really wanted to.
"Obi-Wan was suspicious and withdrawn and Ben was so full of peace and wisdom but both were wonderful. I just can't describe it." Luke grins very broadly at me and I nod back. Just as long as he doesn't start on again about the wonders of a partner who manages to combine youthful vigour with age and experience. There's only so many times you can hear those sort of details.
"He was telling me about my father - what he was like growing up. He remembers everything, Han, nothing has been lost. He's got loads of great stories. He even told me a little about why Anakin turned to the Dark Side but it upset him terribly. What must it have been like Han? What must it have been like if second-hand memories can make a Jedi cry?"
"I don't know, kid."
"He looks around, though, and says that it was worth it - that civilisations have to die and be reborn if they are to continue and grow. He says that the Republic was old, complacent and needed change. But he still cried when he talked about the fall." Luke looked down at the panel in front of him and I looked around the Falcon's cockpit. I'm doing a power test so it's dark with just a few indicators lit, and I think about what must have happened. I didn't have an easy ride but others sure had it worse.
"Well, they got change all right and now with your sister in charge everybody better be happy or she'll want to know the reason why," I said and Luke looked round at me and smiled again.
"She certainly will," he said, and actually got on with checking out the system he was supposed to be working on.
We were going to be fine.
And that was apparently that. But such is never the case. Events rarely have neat endings or even beginnings, and eventually all this became just one more step in the New Republic's rise to power. Luke, however, never diminished its importance. He felt it had changed his life completely: his dearest wish had been granted, his ambition to rebuild the Jedi was becoming reality and he was happier than he'd ever thought possible. But it doesn't take a Jedi to foresee that there would be difficulties ahead. However, with Obi-Wan at his side, Luke no longer feared the future. He braced himself to meet the trials that still awaited him and the people he cared about - whatever they turned out to be.
Epilogue
Leia wasn't sure when the noises first woke her. Initially she'd thought the voices part of her dream but awareness slowly dawned that no way had *that* conversation come from her subconscious. Cautiously she opened one eye and quickly shut it again, only to open it very slightly to confirm that this was no hallucination. Then, slowly, so as not to startle him, she gently elbowed Han lying at her side.
"He won't wake up, I'm afraid," said the blue apparition sitting semi-reclined on the end of the bed.
"However, he wouldn't be able to see us even if he did," added the other blue ghost as he turned towards her apparently bored with looming over his insubstantial companion.
Leia, realising that the time for subtlety was passed, sat up and demanded in her best authoritarian voice.
"What have you done to my husband?"
"Nothing, only suggest that he sleep, that's all. Luke kicked us out and we weren't in the mood for a 'who are you talking to' routine."
Leia, suddenly dumped with an array of incomplete information that she hadn't asked for, decided to start from the top.
"Who am I talking to?"
The ghosts smiled at each other and the standing one folded his arms and bowed politely.
"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn and this is..."
"Bruck Chun," interrupted his white haired companion with a wicked grin.
"Han saw General Kenobi - why wouldn't he be able to see you?"
"He knew Obi-Wan before and is strong enough in the Force for that to suffice."
"You, however, are much stronger - you know, you really ought to do something about harnessing that skill - and are capable of seeing any Force Ghost."
"So what are you doing here? Aren't Jedi supposed to end up one with the Force or something?"
Leia watched as her two blue companions exchanged a pained look.
"Well we were, with Obi-Wan, but now Obi-Wan has combined his life Force with the younger version of himself and..." Qui-Gon trailed off and looked down at his feet.
"We missed him," Bruck finished.
"You're one with the Force and you miss him! Aren't you supposed to be at one in understanding with the whole of life in the universe?"
"Less of the superior tone, if you please," Bruck said, sounding slightly offended. "Yes and no. You can delay certain aspects and be able to interact with the corporeal world. But, frankly, I'm getting fed up. We've already waited thirty years for Obi-Wan and then he wouldn't go until he was sure Luke was okay. And now it's going to be at least another thirty years before we're together again. I could have gone off to being one with the Force with several other people you know. I don't have to stay."
"No one's preventing you."
Bruck gave Qui-Gon a sour look and continued.
"And now when he eventually does turn up again we're going to have to share him with Luke as well!"
"Pah, Luke that boy! He doesn't even know what he's doing. How many times did I tell him that Obi-Wan was much more sensitive on his earlobes. Did he listen?"
"As if you'd know. You never even did it with him while he was alive. You wouldn't know his sensitive areas if he labelled them in red."
"I'll have you know I'm intimately acquainted with his Force essence and there are many things a man of my experience can extrapolate from that."
"Well, I have intimate experience of his everything and I can tell you..."
"If you're so knowledgeable, how come Luke was taking up any of your suggestions either?"
"Some kind of misguided pride, No one likes to find out that someone else has made their lover meow."
"I didn't believe that either."
Leia, realising that she'd been forgotten and knowing far more about Force Ghosts than she'd ever wanted, lay back down on the bed. She curled around the insensate Han and decided that Luke had an unbelievable sex life ahead of him. And he was very, very welcome to it.
"What I don't understand is why Obi-Wan didn't speak up for us when Luke asked us to leave."
"The least he could have done was to stop laughing so much."
Leia heard just before sleep claimed her again.
End