Chapter
V – A ghost from the past
Every opportunity she had, Leia opted to visit Alderaan
with her mother. It had no bearing on what the agenda
entailed, only that she could visit her Uncle [who had an
endless supply of fabulous tasting tidbits] and spend time
with him. On the other hand, who could pass up the
continuing exploration of his palace? With each visit,
Leia seemed to find something new and it peaked her
interest to no end. Luke was her steadfast companion on
these little jaunts providing he could be peeled away from
Obi-Wan and his Jedi training long enough to actually get
him on a ship and off of Dagobah.
“You wanna pass up going to Alderaan?” Leia asked, an
incredulous look on her pretty face, her long brown hair
draped over her shoulders.
“I was going to train with Uncle Ben and then he was
going to take me fishin’.”
Leia rolled her eyes at her brother. “Uncle Ben won’t
be here, remember? He and Daddy had a last minute
assignment.” Leia tapped her foot and folded her arms
across her chest.
Luke smirked and nodded, “Oh, I forgot.”
“Brothers!” Leia sighed in exasperation then turned
and walked away.
“Hey! Wait!” Luke shouted and ran to catch up with his
twin.
Padmé and the children boarded the ship Bail had
thoughtfully provided some time ago. He had equipped it
with not only the latest technology, including navigation
systems and weapons, but he personally hand picked the
crew, ensuring Padmé’s safe passage and anyone else who
would utilize the ship.
As soon as everyone was settled in and the coordinates
set, the ship, dubbed the Korsar, took to space.
“How soon before we enter hyperspace, Captain Keeg?”
Padmé asked as she approached.
“A slight glitch in the controls – we should have it
repaired within a few minutes, ma’am.”
Suddenly alarms began to sound all over the ship and Padmé
quickly moved out of the way. “What is it?” She
shouted over the noise.
“Looks like a pirating vessel is being rather bold and
stupid.” The Captain replied as he busied himself with
the ship’s controls. “I’ll take care of it but you
better secure yourself, this may get a little bumpy.”
Padmé knew there was nothing she could do and had full
confidence in the Captain and his crew. Turning on her
heel, she made her way from the bridge to the cabin she
shared with her children.
“Mom! What’s going on? Why are we being attacked?”
Luke asked as his mother entered the room.
“Pirates,” Padmé answered, “I’m sure the Captain
will take care of matters.” Just as the words escaped
Padmé’s lips, a large explosion could be heard and the
ship rocked forward.
“I guess we’re in hyperspace now, huh? I guess those
nasty ol’ pirates won’t be bothering anyone
anymore.” Leia chirped.
************************************
“Uncle Bail, Uncle Bail!” Screamed the voice as she
dashed forward and embraced her godfather.
Prince Organa bent down, his arms open wide and embraced
the energetic nine year old as she flew into him. “Hello
Princess.”
“I’m so glad to be here!” Leia exclaimed, her entire
being full of excitement.
“I can tell.” Bail laughed merrily. “Hello Luke, my
how you’ve grown! How was the trip? Uneventful I
hope.”
“Hello Uncle Bail.” Luke smiled shyly as he stood
nearly on top of Padmé’s toes he was so close to her.
“It was a little rocky,” Padmé answered. “but
nothing we couldn’t handle.”
A worried expression crossed the Prince’s elegant face.
“ Are you sure? Nothing additional we need to do?”
Padmé shook her head, “No dear, the ship you provided
has a very impressive arsenal.”
Nodding, Bail redirected his attention back to an
impatient little girl who was beginning to get vexed from
her lack of attention. “Have you been a good girl for
Mommy?”
Leia bobbed her head up and down and proudly stated,
“Yes, I have. Luke is the one getting in trouble. Mommy
got mad at him just before we got off the ship.”
“Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
“Well…” Leia began, haughtiness to her tone.
“Mommy told him to put the practice lightsaber away and
he wouldn’t listen and then he was racing around the
ship with it and, and –”
“Leia!” Padmé calmly scolded. “That is enough. Why
don’t you and Luke go run off and play?”
“But –” Leia stammered but a look from her mother
quieted the youngster.
Luke looked up at his Mother with pleading eyes, knowing
full well she would understand his silent plea. A look
that made Padmé roll her eyes at her son.
“And what makes you think that Mrs. Oskara is baking?
All you think of is food! You just ate a short time
ago.”
“I’m hungry again.” Luke smiled mischievously at his
mother.
“And when is that something new? Besides, you
have been naughty and I don’t think you need any treats
right now.”
Bail Organa winked at his longtime friend, trying to
entice her to let the children visit his wonderful baker
and her cupboards of delectable morsels.
“But Mom!” Luke whined.
“Does that mean I can’t have any either?” Leia
asked, slightly miffed.
“Oh, go play. You know I have important matters to
discuss with Uncle Bail. This may be a social visit for
both of you but not all of us have such a luxury.”
“Can I listen in?” Leia’s eyes opened wide. “I
could help make a plan to attack the icky Empire or-or
–.”
“No, not this time.” Padmé interrupted, suppressing a
laugh at her daughter’s interest in politics. “Now
shoo – off with you both.” She gestured with a wave of
her hand and began to walk away.
Prince Organa turned to walk beside his friend but first
gave a discrete ‘thumb’s up’ to the children and
watched their eyes brighten before they ran off.
************************************
“Mmmmm, these cookies are the best Mrs. Oskara.” Luke
stated as he grabbed another handful of the chocolate
delights.
“I’m glad you like them dear. Leia, would you like
another glass of milk?” Mrs. Oskara asked.
“Yes, thank you.” Leia ate much more dignified than
her brother, taking gingerly bites to his monstrous ones.
Mrs. Oskara was a tender-hearted woman who had been in the
employ of the Organa family since she was young. Her
husband had passed away a number of years before, leaving
her alone but Bail’s family treated her as one of their
own. She was an exceptional baker and chef and could make
a sumptuous dish out of nearly anything. Her once dark
hair was now streaked with white and her face was full of
life but it was her eyes that always made the twins stare
at her in amazement for one eye was blue and the other was
green. The older woman adored the twins and made sure they
always had food in their stomachs, and being childless
herself, she showered them with limitless affection.
Mrs. Oskara set the drink in front of Leia and asked her,
“And what else do the two of you have planned for
today?”
Luke shrugged, his mouth full of food.
Leia thought for a moment. “Hmm, I guess we could go
exploring. An adventure!”
“Oh my, that sounds exciting! Where do you plan on
finding this adventure?”
Leia looked to Luke for suggestions but he was to busy
sampling more caramel brownies. “Well…” the little
girl pondered, “We could look for hidden treasure!”
Mrs. Oskara laughed heartily. “Oh, I don’t know if
you’ll find anything like that but such a quest requires
nourishment. I’ll make you a basket to take along, just
in case you get hungry.” She smiled and winked.
A few minutes later, Leia was tugging on her brother’s
arm and nearly dragging him out of the kitchen. “See you
at dinner Mrs. Oskara.” Leia waved and ran off with her
brother and their basket of goodies.
************************************
Luke and Leia eventually found their way outside into the
bright sunshine and reveled in the warmth of the peaceful
day. Leia put the basket on the grass and began skipping
about when Luke called to her.
“Leia! Come look at this!”
Leia joined her brother who she found squatting down on
the grass and wondered what was so fascinating that he
would be staring at so intently.
“Eeeeewwww!” She squealed. “That’s disgusting!”
“It’s just a horned toad – an ugly, slimy toad, but
nothing to scream at. Here, wanna hold it?” Luke picked
up the orange and black amphibian and held it out for his
sister.
“Noooo.” She thrust her arms out and through the
Force, accidentally sent the horned toad flying through
the air only to land somewhere in the distance in the
green grass.
“Hey!!” Luke exclaimed and ran after his new
‘pet’.
Leia shivered in protest. “Ugh. Boys.”
Leaving her brother to examine the toad, Leia decided to
stroll through the garden that seemed to stretch the
entire back length of the palace. She had been in the
garden before, filled with exotic flowers from all over
the universe – red, yellow, blue as well as many other
colors – their shapes ranging as much as their multiple
hues and engaging scents. Plants as distinctive as their
brethren mingled throughout the garden and left a peaceful
euphoria in their wake. In all, it was a glorious place to
spend an afternoon. Remembering her idea about a hidden
treasure, Leia walked to the back of the garden and sought
out the walls of the immense palace. She began to run her
hands slowly over the combination of stone and wood,
hoping to discover her ‘treasure’.
Noticing his sister’s long absence, Luke abandoned the
toad and went to search for her. He entered the garden and
looked around but saw no sign of Leia. As Obi-Wan had
taught him, he relaxed and reached into the Force,
searching for his twin’s unique signature and found it.
With a sigh of relief, he followed after her and hoped she
had found something entertaining for them to play with.
Leia pressed further along the wall and was surprised too
see the Organa royal crest cast in iron and set upon the
wall.
“I’ve never seen that before.” She wrinkled her brow
in wonder then reached up and touched the emblem, feeling
along its smooth edges and unintentionally turned it to
the side. “Uh oh…” Her wonder now transformed into
apprehension. Just as she was going to turn the emblem
back to its original position, she heard movement to her
left and glanced over.
A portion of the wall, no more than one and a half meters
in height and less than a meter in width, began to slowly
open.
“What’s that?” Luke inquired as he came upon his
enraptured sister.
Startled, Leia turned around and saw Luke grinning at her.
“I don’t know. I just found it.”
Luke took a step forward, apparently unafraid of the
opening before him. “C’mon, let’s see what’s
inside.” He beckoned with his hand and stepped through
the dark opening.
“Wait!” Leia shouted to late. Resigning herself, she
followed after her brother only to have the door shut
after she was inside. “Oh, this is great. We’ll be in
a lot of trouble now.” Leia openly chastised.
“You opened the door, not me. I just wanted to look
around.” Luke defended himself. “It’s all dark
–”
Miniscule lights embedded in the upper portion of the
walls suddenly activated and shed a sliver of light up and
down the corridor the twins stood in and appeared to have
no end in sight. Luke turned and tried to open the door
they had entered but it was sealed tight.
“Now what?” Leia asked, annoyed to be trapped in such
a place.
“You wanted treasure, remember?”
Leia only glared at her brother.
“Well, we can’t get out this way, maybe if we follow
the lights it’ll take us out.” Luke suggested.
Leia nodded and the duo began walking down the tunnel.
************************************
“I hope the children aren’t causing Mrs. Oskara too
much trouble.” Padmé frowned as she scanned the datapad
in front of her. “They certainly can be a handful.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry,” Bail nodded and smiled,
“she adores them and loves it when they visit.”
Suddenly Bail realized he had been caught and stifled any
further comments.
“I thought so!” Padmé tilted her head to the side and
glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye. “What?
No more confessions?” Padmé teased.
“Ahem, about this brief…”
Padmé sighed in resignation. “I don’t know who is
worse – you or Obi-Wan.”
************************************
“How long have we been walking?” Luke inquired, his
legs aching.
“A long time. My legs hurt and we haven’t found
anything yet except for passageways. I need to sit and
rest for a while.”
“Me too.” Luke sat down in the dirt-riddled floor next
to Leia. “What do we do now? I don’t know if we could
get back to where we came in.”
“Oh, don’t be such a gloomer. Mom or Uncle Bail will
find us.”
“We could use the Force.” Luke suggested.
“How?”
He shrugged, “I dunno.”
“My brother – the great Jedi wannabe.”
A sudden gust of wind blew through the passageway,
stirring up the encrusted floor and causing the twins to
cough against the onslaught of dirt that invaded their
nose and mouth.
“Who are you?” The twosome asked in unison.
Hovering before the children was an apparition the likes
of which they had never seen.
“You-you look like a Jedi.” Luke stated, taking note
of the full Jedi attire the ghost wore.
“That is because I am.” The ghostly image responded.
“Then where is your lightsaber?” Luke quizzically
asked.
“It is not allowed nor needed in the realm I dwell
in.”
Seemingly unafraid, the children stared at the Jedi before
them without quite knowing what to think – or do.
“Who are you?” Leia began.
“And why are you a ghost?” Luke finished the sentence.
The image smiled and bowed before the curious children.
“I have been watching you both for a long time and your
parents. I was your father’s first mentor.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of you!” Luke said excitedly.
“You’re, um, a, Qui-Gon Jinn!”
The Jedi bowed again. “You are correct young Luke. I am
one with the Living Force. I have come to help you and
your sister. Already your mother and Senator Organa have
noticed your absence and have been searching for you.”
“They have?” Leia’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yes Leia, they have. The two of you have been missing
longer than you think.”
The twins exchanged uneasy glances and uttered, “Uh
oh.”
Qui-Gon chuckled at the look on their faces. “Come
now,” he gestured with a transparent hand, “I will
guide you out.”
“Why didn’t you help us before?” Leia inquired as
she stood up and brushed herself off. “I never thought
I’d see a ghost.”
“Me either.” Luke nodded in agreement and got to his
feet then glanced at the Jedi Master, a questioning look
on his face. “I don’t fear you? Why?”
At this question, the Jedi smiled. “Because I come from
the Living Force. You sense the serenity in my presence
therefore, there is nothing to fear.”
“Ohh, I understand. Like when Master Yoda makes me
meditate and I feel all calm.”
“Yes, something like that young Luke.”
“So how come we’ve never seen you?” Leia wondered.
“I have watched you both from afar, from within the
Living Force. You may not see me but I am there. Watching
you – and your father. I am very proud of all of you.”
Qui-Gon turned and began floating down the passageway.
“Really?” The twins said in unison, following after
the ghost.
“Yes,” he chuckled, “really. Your father is near to
achieving his potential and you both must do the same.”
“I don’t really want to be a Jedi though, Master Qui-Gon.
Daddy says I have to learn though.” Leia shyly stated.
The Jedi turned his head and smiled, “You must chose
what path is right for you.”
“I’m going to be a Jedi, like my father and Obi-Wan
Kenobi!” Luke boasted.
“Indeed, the Force is strong in your family.” The
Master spoke as he continued leading the children. “Your
father has it, your mother has it and both of you as well.
Always remember the temptation of the dark side – the
lust for power and hatred. Anger and aggression are the
ways of the Sith. Never let the dark side invade you.”
“I won’t Master Qui-Gon.” Luke stated proudly.
************************************
“Have you found them yet?” The look in Padmé’s eyes
were one of terror as she confronted her longtime friend
in the hallway.
“No, not yet. We’ve thoroughly searched the inside and
Mrs. Oskara mentioned something about an adventure.”
Bail said, out of breath from searching the vast house.
Suddenly his comm. link beeped. “Yes?”
“Sir, we’ve found a basket outside on the lawn. The
one described by the baker.” The lieutenant reported.
“Excellent. Search the entire area. They can’t be
far.” Bail looked at Padmé, she was filled with worry
and shaking. “We’ll find them Padmé, trust me.”
************************************
“And here we are at last, back where you both came
in.” Qui-Gon exclaimed.
Luke looked behind him then back again. “It doesn’t
seem as far now.”
“I’m tired.” Leia rested her head on her brother’s
shoulder.
“Thank you for bringing us back, Master Qui-Gon.” Luke
beamed at the apparition.
The ghost simply nodded, his hands hidden beneath his
brown Jedi robe.
“How do we get out? Once the wall shut we couldn’t
open it again.” Leia asked, tired from her adventure.
“Use the Force. Your mother will feel you. The Force
will be with you…always.” Slowly the apparition began
to fade until no trace of the Master Jedi was left.
“We have to try.” Luke prodded.
A sigh escaped Leia as she mumbled, “Okay.”
As one, the twins merged into the Force and called upon
the powerful ally. Their strength magnified through the
distinctive bond they shared, the children concentrated on
their mother and reached out to her.
************************************
Outside Padmé was searching the lawns with Bail and his
security team. They had found the aforementioned basket,
its contents intact and had been looking in every crevice
imaginable. Suddenly, Padmé jumped as if some insect had
stung her. “BAIL! I feel them!” She shouted.
The Prince ran over to her immediately. “Where?” He
was a firm believer in the Force and he knew all to well
how gifted the Skywalker family was in regard to the
mystical energy.
“I-I don’t know. I can just feel them.” Padmé
closed her eyes and thought of her children and her desire
to find them safe. Slowly she turned and began walking,
her eyes still closed. Bail took her hand, making sure she
didn’t stumble and let her lead him. She turned again
and walked toward the garden. She inhaled the multiple
scents as she glided through the garden and smiled.
“Yes, they were here.” She said softly.
“You can do it my friend. You can find them.” Bail
encouraged her.
Padmé continued to walk through the garden, stopping
occasionally to adjust her direction until she came upon
the cast iron Organa royal crest set upon the wall. She
opened her eyes and looked around, somewhat confused. “I
feel them nearby. Where could they be?”
“Of course!” Bail smiled brightly.
“Of course what? Enlighten me please.” Padmé
grimaced.
“I’ll do better than that!” The Prince grinned as he
reached up and turned the crest to the side. As before, a
portion of the wall began to slowly open.
Upon seeing the wall open up, Luke and Leia rushed out
into the open air and into Padmé’s waiting arms.
“LUKE, LEIA!” Padmé exclaimed as she knelt down and
threw her arms around her children. “You’re safe!
Thank the Force!” Tears of joy now replaced tears of
distress, evidenced by the smile upon Padmé’s face.
As the heavy secret door began to close, a lone
translucent image re-emerged. He couldn’t help smiling
at the happy reunion and made one last remark before
fading once more. Feel, don't think. Trust your
instincts.
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