LOST KINGDOM ─ star wars

V. The Falcon

Chapter Five
Jayce

I slip on a pair of brown pants, black boots, a black shirt, and my favorite dark brown jacket. I hook my lightsaber onto my belt next, then the blaster Dad gave me a few years ago.

I find myself staring around my room, getting an odd feeling as I do so.

As I had said last night, Luke and I had always dreamt of leaving Tatooine. But now that I am, I feel quite sad. I've grown up here, this has been my home. This house, the one Dad built for us just outside the Mos Eisley caves, holds nearly every happy memory I have. There's a chest in the corner of my room that holds all my old toys, the ones Dad built and carved for me himself. Outside is the remainder of the first ship Luke and I ever tried to build, I remember how proud Dad was of us. On the walls there are holograms of Luke and I at different stages of childhood, along with ones of Dad and I. My favorite is a hologram of me when I was a baby, and I reach out to grab onto Dad's beard, making him chuckle.

Dad knocks on my door all of the sudden, pulling me from my thoughts. He smiles softly at me, looking around my room with the same amount of nostalgia. I sit down on my bed and he does the same, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I've always complained about wanting to leave, but now that we are I think I might miss it here."

Dad rubs my shoulders, leaning his head against mine. "I will, too. This wasn't the life I wanted for you, but I can't say that I regret the memories I have here watching you grow up. It still feels like yesterday I brought you here as a baby, and now you're a grown man."

Dad's voice is strained as he says that last part, and I find my own voice growing strained as well as I say; "We aren't coming back home are we?"

"The future isn't set, Jay. I don't know."

I smile at my father, taking in a deep breath as I say; "You and Luke are my home. As long as we have each other I don't care where we are."

Dad kisses the side of my head, rubbing my shoulders gently. "Me too, Jay," He says lowly, using his free hand to wipe at his eyes. "You ready to get going?"

I nod. "Let's do this."

-

As Dad had predicated, Han has returned from his trip today. As Luke, Dad, and I make it to the shop, we find the Falcon parked out back in the hanger. Chewie, Han's co-pilot and best friend, is making a repair on one of the panels on the side of the Falcon. He roars in delight to see us, asking how Luke and I have been.

"Better than ever." Luke replies, running up to embrace the big hairy mass.

"Did you have a good trip?" I ask Chewie, but before he can reply, Han walks down the ramp of the ship, that signature handsome grin on his face. Han Solo is the definition of suave and charisma. Luke and I have always wanted to be him, not only because of his near perfect physique and charm, but because of his adventure filled life. Thankfully that part at least is about to change.

"It was alright," Han answers. "I certainly got a story to tell you both. Chewie and I ran into an old smuggler friend and it certainly wasn't pretty."

"Before you do that," Dad begins, walking up towards Han, looking very reluctant to tell Han what we are going to do and who we really are. "I have to ask you to do a job."

"What cargo and where am I taking it?"

"The cargo is the three of us and the destination is unclear, but Jayce and I will figure it out shortly."

Han creases his brow confused, crossing his arms. "Why the sudden trip? You three in trouble?"

"No, but we are trying to save someone who is."

Han blinks a couple times, his voice dripping in confusion. "You're gonna have to stop talking so vaguely, Ben. Tell me what's going on."

Dad is very calm, very frank as he tells Han; "My real name isn't Ben, it's Obi Wan. I was a Jedi before the Empire gained power. I came here with my son to hide from the Empire's wrath along with Luke, the son of a fellow Jedi. A young woman apart of the rebellion against the Empire is captured and we are going to rescue her because I am friends with her parents, the leaders of the rebellion. We need you to fly us to her location and then bring us to the rebel base to return her to her parents."

Han stares at Dad for a long moment, trying to let everything he just learned sink in. Han looks between Luke and I, giving us a searching gaze, trying to get assurance that what he has been told is true. I nod to him, as does Luke, making Han say this;

"I always thought you were a man full of secrets, but those weren't the secrets I thought you were keeping."

"Will you fly us?"

"I'm assuming I'll be paid a bit extra than I usually am."

"How much extra do you want?"

"Double my salary."

Dad lets out a sigh, his expression as hard as stone as he nods his head. "Deal. When can we leave?"

"Chewie is fixing up a few faulty wires but nothing too serious. We'll be ready in maybe twenty minutes. Maybe in the mean time you should figure out our actual destination."

Han makes his way over towards Chewie while Dad walks back over to us, rubbing a hand over his beard as he says; "We will have to reach out with the force again and find her location. But to do that I'll need both of your help, the dark side is surrounding her, it's clouding my vision. She'll be harder to find."

Luke and I both nod, following Dad over towards an empty space on the ground. We sit down with our legs crossed, linking our hands so we are a connected chain within the force. Dad's voice is calm, peaceful as he directs us; "Think of Leia, think of her and let the force guide you to her."

I do as my father says and think of the young woman I saw in that vision. I think of her dark brown eyes and hair, I think of the rosy hue to her cheeks, the strength and courage in her demeanor, I think of the fire within her that I can feel even from all the way out here. I try to hold onto that fire, reach out towards it and allow it to become a tether that can lead me to her.

I reach out for her more, feeling the presence of Luke and Dad reaching out with me. It's like all three of us have one hand on the tether and we are yanking on it as one, trying to find Leia in the vast darkness of space.

I see flashes of her, I see her sitting in a cell like I had seen her before, although this time she is crying. Her cheeks are wet with tears, guilt and agony written across her features. I see images of stormtroopers, lots of stormtroopers. I see a dark figure, a figure of smoke and death. I feel a cold feeling creeping up inside me as I see this dark figure, this feeling increases as a moon of sorts comes into my mind. But what moon? I reach out further, hearing a weird mechanical breathing noise as my eyes burst open, with one word on the tip of my tongue.

"Dantooine."

"I felt it too...but that's not what I saw," Luke begins, his eyes open but glazed over, lost in thought. "I saw a moon...or at least it looked like a moon."

Dad nods, letting go of our hands, looking in deep thought as well. "I agree that Dantooine is where we should go. I feel that we will get answers soon, all will be revealed in time."

I nod to him, glancing up to see Chewie finishing up with his repairs on the Falcon. As I look back at my father, I feel a small smile creep onto my lips. "Lets go save Leia."

Dad returns my smile, but it seems halfhearted. Something about the vision has him distracted, I can sense it. That figure of shadow that we saw, the icy cold feeling surrounding it, it lingers in my father's thoughts. As we make our way towards the Falcon, I am left wondering what the figure of shadow is, and if I should be prepared for it when we arrive on Dantooine.