On the Wings of Valkyrie

Chapter CXIX

"....So Luna is Valkyrie."

"Umhum."

"I guessed as much considering this is Valkyrie's ship," Luke said, attempting to break the tense air his Father had created with his earlier statement and Ahsoka's reply. The call with Command had finally ended with the promise they'd be receiving some sort of directive soon enough.

"And you didn't think to mention it?" Vader asked, turning to fix the boy with a look.

"Wasn't going to say anything if I wasn't sure. For all I knew Valkyrie could have just been borrowing it that one time. And you're the one who hypothesized it being a three person team rather than two."

"I suggested doing that once," Ahsoka commented. "Luna tossed it before I could even suggest a few names. Said they might not be able to keep up with us."

"She wouldn't be wrong," Luke admitted. "How'd you and Luna meet anyways?"

"Long story short, she walked in on a friend of mine in Lothal City trying to steal a crate of food and decided to pitch in," the Grey Jedi explained. "We offered her a place to stay for the night since we thought she had nowhere else to go. Not long later she decided to depart. I'd been meaning to get back into a larger range of operation and asked if she didn't mind me tagging along. Been working together ever since, though she didn't officially join the Rebellion until after we moved off of Nar Shaddaa."

"So she went to Lothal," the Sith Lord muttered, voice low enough Luke barely heard it. If Ahsoka noticed the words, she didn't react.

"How about you? Luna's never really explained how you two met, only said Vader more or less organized it."

"Uh, it's a bit complicated," Luke responded. "I mean, first time I saw her, she more or less stormed Jabba's Palace. Second time there was this entire thing with some Imperial Hands. We didn't really talk until the second time she snuck into the Rebellion."

"The second time?"

"Apparently it's scarily easy for Luna to sneak into the fleet without being found out."

"That's a bit worrying considering the Hands."

"The Emperor's Hands have nothing on my apprentice," Vader stated, voice firm.

"For now," Ahsoka pointed out. "The longer this goes on, the more advanced those creations of Palpatine's will become. He made someone of Luna's power once. What's going to keep that from happening again?"

"The Force," a voice somewhat familiar to Luke stated. Ahsoka jumped out of her seat, spinning around, lightsabers out, to face the speaker. "Wow! No need for that, Ahsoka!"

"What is that?"

"'Sup, Apollo," Luke said, waving at the ghost, at this point more or less desensitised to the whole idea thanks to Ben appearing semi-more frequently ever since Yoda had come out of exile.

"Put the sabers away, Ahsoka. He's harmless," Vader added. The Grey Jedi looked at the Dark Lord, her expression clearly asking if he was sure of that particular fact.

"I'm not harmless," Apollo said with a pout, crossing his arms.

"Your lightsabers would do nothing to him anyway."

"Who are you?" Ahsoka asked, relaxing from her stance as the double blades retracted into their hilts.

"I'm Luna's big brother, Apollo," the youngling answered.

The Grey Jedi blinked and then looked at the two Skywalkers, clearly wanting some more clarification.

"Apollo's been dead awhile," Luke explained with a shrug, wondering how much farther they were going to go into it. Considering Ahsoka had been both his Father's apprentice and Luna's partner/best friend for several months, he wouldn't be against giving her the whole Earth-Star Wars rundown. Maybe avoid the time travelers, but otherwise, why keep it from her? "Welcome to the chaos that is this family."

"Speaking of family, Sophie says Hi," Apollo stated. "She finally figured out it was me! Also, where's Luna? I got that info she asked for last time I appeared."

"In her room," Ahsoka answered, still sounding rather shell-shocked.

"Wouldn't you know that?" Luke asked.

"If she cuts herself from the Force, it's hard to see her. Only figured she was over here because Angelica was around. What the hell did I miss? Last time I was on this side of the universe, she was still on the whole running away and staying away thing."

"Uh, ask Ben?"

"I tried. Still on the whole Thou Shalt Not Interfere deal. Maybe I'll get something out of Qui-Gon."

"You do that," Vader responded, sounding not all that interested in the conversation. "What did Luna ask you to research?"

"How to get to a planet called Exegol. Apparently you need a Sith Wayfinder, which, good news, there should be one on Mustafar that was originally supposed to be for you. Should in theory still be accessible since I doubt anyone else has won it."

"I suppose one of us will be making the trip then. Why was she interested in this Exegol?"

"....Spoilers?"

"Spoilers?" Ahsoka repeated with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of spoilers?"

"....Remember that World Between Worlds thing? Like that but not."

"How do you know about that?!"

"World Between Worlds?" Luke asked, glancing at the Grey Jedi.

"Long story," Ahsoka said, glancing at them then back to the ghost. "How could anything be like that?"

"Uh, so say there's a book," Apollo began. "And in that book there is a storyline of everything that's supposed to happen. And say someone reads that book. And say—"

"Apollo, why don't you leave the decision of the necessity of explanations to Luna?" Vader questioned though his tone leaving no room for argument.

"No, please continue," Ahsoka argued. "I'm interested."

"Well, as I was sayi—" Apollo began, but a different figure Luke had never met before metrulized to one side of the boy, hand appearing over the smaller ghost's mouth to prevent him from speaking further, while Ben took shape on the other. The two older ghosts shared a look even as the younger began fighting against the woman's hold before they picked him up.

"We were never here," the old Jedi stated before marching off of the visible plain and into the wall with his companions.

"....What just happened?" Ahsoka asked, sounding more confused than ever.

"That other one Angelica?" Luke questioned, glancing at his Father who only hummed an affirmative, his mind apparently already on other matters.

"Again, what just happened?"