Star Wars Episode IV: A New Beginning

Chapter 31: Head in the Game

Three years later...

Five years. Five years was all it had been since the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Those five years treated the Rebellion as best it could, with a stagnant war occurring on the backdrop of all sectors of the galaxy. A skirmish here, a loss there, a win even further over there seemed minuscule enough to the maturing galactic powers. With General Padmé Amidala-Skywalker returning as one of the prime helms of the Rebellion, the rag-tag group seemed to have a slight edge to win. However, the Empire, led by fearsome Emperor Palpatine, and his formidable associates, would not surrender without a fight.

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Luke and Leia stood back to back in the middle of a battlefield, completely alone and outnumbered. Both children were out of breath, but Luke continued to clasp his father's lightsaber tensely. As a volley of bolts whizzed past the twins, Luke positioned the blade to deflect the shots, sending them ricocheting away harmlessly. This continued for minutes and, Leia, not having her own lightsaber, relied on other tactics to disable the adversaries. She leaped at the droids, snatching them from the air and manually powering them off. However, the bolts became faster and faster and Luke, not able to block fast enough caught a blaster bolt to the cheek. He yelped in surprise at the unexpected sting.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on and the twins were rattled from their fantasy. "What are you two doing?" Anakin asked, stepping into the Varykino training room. He noticed Luke with his lightsaber and frowned. Pressing a button on the wall panel, the training droids deactivated and clattered to the floor.

"Huh?" Luke extinguished the lightsaber in surprise, "Dad! What are you doing here?"

"Coming to check in on you. I heard someone scream."

"Oh," Luke tried figuring out a way to explain himself so that he and Leia would not get in trouble, but that tactic wasn't working out. "We were just training."

"Without supervision?" Anakin crossed his arms.

"We were fine!" Luke said. Leia elbowed him in response.

"You could have gotten hurt," Anakin said plainly. "Luke, can I have my lightsaber back?" Dejectedly, Luke handed Anakin the lightsaber and he hooked it onto his belt. "What did Mom say? You two are in so much trouble."

Luke thought of a quip; something to protect himself but accidentally sabotage his sister. It was now every man, woman, and child for themselves. "But Leia wasn't using a lightsaber! She wasn't able to defend herself!"

"But you were. As I said before, you are both in trouble," Anakin clarified, "Luke, you used a lightsaber without supervision, and Leia, you weren't careful with a training device. You both could have gotten really hurt from this." He was aware as to keep his tone gentle yet slightly reprimanding since they were only five. He wasn't mad at the twins, just disappointed.

"But Dad! You and Mom don't let us do anything! How are we going to protect ourselves?" Luke pouted. He had wanted proper Jedi training for months but Leia was much more reserved and preferred to stay on the political aspects of the Rebellion, much to her brother's disapproval. He knew Anakin would have to agree to train them if both twins were interested, but Leia was not helping Luke's cause.

"We are doing this to keep you two safe," Anakin reiterated, "You're still so young, and don't know half the dangers of the galaxy."

"Then when will we be ready?" Leia sighed, "Luke has a point." She was still mad at Luke for tattling but was already devising a way for him to make it up to her.

"One day," Anakin said.

"When is one day?"

Anakin sighed like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and wasn't sure why he was arguing with two five-year-olds. Noticing the burn on Luke's cheek, his eyes softened. Anakin knelt and produced a bacta pad from his utility belt. "Hold still," he said, tearing open the packet and wiping his son's cheek.