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Smokey Quartz
10 ABY Hanna City, Chandrila
Hearing his twin sister get lectured on politics was not exactly what Luke was expecting when he arrived back at the Alderaanian Complex after his year long journey to discover lost Jedi knowledge. He hadn’t found much, but he had returned with three teenage students who were eager to learn how to use the gifts that they had spent most of their lives hiding. He hadn’t intended to take students so soon, but they were eager to go and their parents had spoken to him of how it was when they were children. They had said that before the Empire to have a child of their family or clan be chosen to become Jedi was a great honor. So, he had three students now and no where to train them.
The three teens, a sixteen year old Mon Calamari girl and a pair of thirteen year old non binary twins from Haruun Kal, were wide eyed as they followed behind him through the hallways to where the raised voices of his sister and another woman were arguing. Turning a corner, he spotted where the noise was coming from, identified not only by the open door, but by the beskar clad Mandalorian leaning against the wall opposite and a familiar gray bearded commando who was openly grinning standing next to him.
Confused, he reached out in the Force to feel what was going on and was able to discern that there were three people in the room. His sister was a bright well of swirling agitation and disgust, while a second presence that was also angry was a darker splotch of mixed emotion. The third presence was calm and seemed to be trying to balance the other two.
“I don’t care what you think of him, he was your father and your son deserves the truth.”
Whatever his sister’s answer was to the other woman’s words, he did not hear it since her reply was too quiet for him to hear, though the following growl of anger was not.
Striding up to the two men leaning against the wall, he pointed at the open door with a questioning quirk of his eyebrow and a tilt of his head.
The grey bearded man turned his grin to him and shrugged. “Don’t worry Commander, Ahsoka will keep those two in line. Her majesty is just getting a bit of a talking to about the General.”
The General. Luke could practically hear the capitalization on the beginning of the word. Given what he had heard as they had neared the room, he could understand that they were arguing about his father General Skywalker. “Did you know him Gramps?”
“I did.” Reaching out the jovial man laid a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “And I’m Rex to you Commander. General Skywalker was one of the greatest Jedi I ever knew and I am proud to say that I served with him.” His smile faltered and fell away. “Palpatine did horrible things to all of us. Turned brother on brother, and forced my vode to turn and kill the Jedi we loved. Turned General Skywalker against General Kenobi, Senator Amidala, and the others. The whole thing just broke our hearts.”
“Senator Amidala?” That wasn’t a person he had ever heard of before.
Rex nodded as his expression turned sad. “Aye. She was the Senator from Naboo. Her and the General had a thing. It was an open secret that they were together. They thought they were being sneaky, but us vode from the 501st and 212th… well we covered for them as best we could. General Kenobi knew of course, but he had his own thing going on with Duchess Satine of Mandalore. Nearly broke him when she died. If it weren’t for her sister Bo-Katan giving him a good talking to, he might of.”
“Was he Mandalorian?”
The softly spoken question drew their attention to the formerly silent beskar’gam wearing man who was still leaning against the wall next to Rex. “Aye. General Kenobi might have been a Jetii, but at heart he was a Mando’ad.”
“It’s possible to be both?”
Reaching out his other hand, Rex placed it on the younger man’s shoulder. He could well understand the anxiety the other man was feeling. There had been so much tension and bad feelings between their people and the Jetiise that they had been enemies for a great many years. “It is. Remember, our first Mand’alor was a Jetii. If he and General Kenobi were able to be both, you and your son can be both too.”
The younger man’s helmet tipped sideways as he looked at the older Mando. “I’m not a Jetii.”
After a quick squeeze, Rex released the other man’s shoulder. “Maybe not, but you are Force sensitive. At least that’s what Ahsoka says.”
“Is that who is in there arguing with my sister?” Luke asked quietly after their conversation was interrupted by another round of shouting.
“No. She’s trying to keep the queen and Jade from killing each other.” The silver beskar helmet turned to look at the Jedi Knight. “What’s your name?”
“Luke Skywalker. Leia’s my sister.”
“You can call me Mando.” He shrugged. “Who are the kids?”
Looking back at the teenagers, Luke motioned them forwards. “This is Vre Imbos of Mon Cala and these are Dosa and Lesi Tiptu of Haruun Kal. They are here to learn…”
“That monster was not my father!”
The six beings standing in the hall turned to look at the open door at Leia’s loud shout.
“He bloody well was!”
Luke could feel his jaw drop as he flinched.
“Whither you like it or not majesty, he was your birth father and if you hide it like a dirty little secret, it will destroy your political standing and any hope your twin has of rebuilding any sort of new Jedi order.” Though the words were soft spoken, they carried out into the hall. “I may not agree with Master Jade on many topics, but she is a fully trained political operative as well as being an assassin. Sidious fully trained her in both arenas. My grand-master was Obi-Wan Kenobi and he always told me to never trust a politician because they will take any weakness they can find to tear you apart. It was true during the Clone Wars and it’s true now. No matter what ideals Bail taught you, he would tell you the same if he were here. There is a reason that the Jedi were so easily vilified by the Senate at the end of the war. They were secretive and played too much politics. Religious orders should not play politics and secrets always have a way of coming out. Especially when we don’t want them to.”
Creeping closer to the door, Luke carefully peeked his head in just enough he could see the three women inside his sister’s office. There was a gray cloaked Togruta standing with her back to him, Leia stood behind her desk glaring at a ginger haired human woman dressed in black. Just as he thought that his sister might seem to start arguing more, she huffed and deflated. Sitting heavily in her chair, she crossed her arms and turned her attention to the Togruta.
“And how exactly to expect me to tell the Republic that my birth father was Darth Vader? The government is in a fragile place right now and many of the negotiations are in a critical stage.”
“It doesn’t need to be a major announcement. Just put it in a small paragraph in your bio. ‘Leia Organa and her twin Luke Skywalker were born to Senator Padme Amidala and former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. She was adopted by Queen Breha and Vice-Roy Bail Organa on the day of her birth after her mother’s death at the hands of her partner, while her brother was sent to live with family on Tatooine. Her birth father went on to become the Emperor’s infamous enforcer Darth Vader, while she herself followed in her birth mother and adopted father’s footsteps in the Senate.’ Enough said. No need for anything massive.” She waved a hand to where Luke was standing in the doorway behind her. “And this way no one can claim you two were hiding anything.”
Finally noticing her twin’s presence, Leia waved him in. “Luke, may I introduce you to Master Ahsoka Tano and former Emperor’s Hand Mara Jade. They have decided to help you re-establish some sort of Jedi Order and lecture me in politics in the mean time.”
Luke grimaced slightly at the bitterness in his sister’s tone. He well knew that she was stubborn and did not take criticism well when she was sure that she had the correct stance. The fact that she was even accepting the advice of the two women was a big thing. Most of the time she didn’t even listen to him or Han. He bowed and greeted the two other Force users. “So is there a plan for this new Jedi order, or a place for it?” Gesturing to the hall he shrugged. “I mean, I have three teenage students with me that were sent by their parents and I don’t know where to take them. I’m not sure how or what to teach them.”
Master Tano hummed as she crossed her arms. Looking at Jade, she smiled softly. “Between the two of us, we have three students as well. Though two of them are just younglings and the other has yet to be told that we want to train him.” She looked back at Luke. “The order that we build will not be like the one that taught me. It is something that we will build together Knight Skywalker. For now, your sister and the New Alderaanian government has granted us a house to use on the far side of the Complex. I suggest we take our students there, so that we can all get settled in. And we will leave your Majesty to your politics.” She bowed and then calmly swept out of the room.
“Jade. Don’t make me regret this.” Leia’s voice was hard as she addressed the younger woman.
With a smirk the former Hand bowed. “As long as you do as Master Tano advised, you won’t. Force be with you majesty.”
After the door closed behind Jade, Luke turned to his sister with a confused expression. “So, it looks like I missed a great deal.” Taking her in his arms after she came around her desk, he kissed the top of her head. “How are you all doing?”
She burrowed her head into his shoulder and squeezed him tightly around his ribs. “Better now that you’re here.” Pulling away, Leia gave him a wan smile. “They have only been here a ten night and I am already at my wits end. I owe Jade for the help she has given Ben, but she also has very strong opinions on politics and where I stand in them.”