What Could Have Been Part III: The Destined Warriors

City of Shadows

      Luke

     The sun was sinking behind the horizon of Onderon as Luke reached the outskirts of the uninhabited city. The urban capital seemed so out of place among the overgrown forests that surrounded it. Luke was amazed that a city could be so vacant. What was once a booming capital, was now nothing but abandoned ruins left to the oppression of weeds.

       The hum of his speeder was the only thing that echoed off the walls of crumbling buildings. The durasteel structures of towers jutted into the orange-brown sky as Luke journeyed deeper into the city. The empty streets were blanketed with undergrowth and as Luke rode by, he imagined life forms filling the streets. He imagined Rex leading troops through the capital. And he imagined the young senator and Ahsoka too. He wandered what it would have been like to see all the excitement for himself.

       It seemed the deeper into the city, the stronger the Force pulled at him to continue further. Every time he considered turning around and returning to camp, some invisible being insisted he press on. Maybe I'm just going crazy. He wondered as he turned down a narrow street.

       The shadows cast by the untamed plant-life against the disintegrating city buildings only added to the unease growing in the pit of Luke's stomach. The young Jedi made countless double-takes around every corner he passed; each time realizing that it was all in his head. But still, he couldn't shake the feeling... Was some one following him? And then out of the corner of Luke's eye, he saw a shimmer of light. When he stopped to look, he was startled to find a human figure before him. Not of flesh, but of metal.

        Luke hopped off his speeder without taking his eyes off the figure which was nothing but a silhouette against the falling sun. As he stepped closer, Luke could see that the figure was perched atop a fat stone pedestal about a foot off the ground. The figure was firmly mounted with hands at the hips and head turned toward the sunset. Catching the light at just the right angle sent the figure shimmering in gold and Luke was able to identify the statue as a young man.

       The figure's facial features were well-defined, even though the gold was extremely tarnish. His angled jaw was set firmly on his round face as he stared forward. His lips were pursed in an eternally unsettled fashion and despite being inanimate, his wide eyes were lively and intense. Luke was close enough now to read the inscription at the foot of the golden man.

       Senator Lux Bonteri

       His bravery lives on

       Senator. Luke stepped back. Was this the senator who liberated Onderon? It was strange. He didn't look much like a senator. Definitely not a leader of a rebellion. Luke guessed he couldn't have been much older than himself. But Rex had said that the senator was young. And it made sense that the citizens of Onderon would have built a monument in honor of their lost leader.

       Before the young Jedi Knight could studying the mysterious golden senator any more, his instincts kicked in. He was no longer alone. Luke was too late to recognize this however, because before he could reach for his lightsaber, two pairs of hands came down on his body. He was immediately pressed to the ground; his head connecting with the hard stone as he went down. Restrained and disoriented, Luke struggled to make sense of what was happening. All he heard was a gruff voice from above him laughing. "Boys, it looks like we have a guest," he announced to the men around him, including those who were holding Luke down. The voice continued. "Make him comfortable," he instructed with a low cackle.

       "After all... he is a Jedi."

       Anakin

      At the edge of the Alliance camp, Anakin sat quietly on a crate of medical supplies. The makeshift base appeared vacant as most of the crew was asleep. Other than a hand full scouts on night-shift, Anakin was the  only one awake.

       The loss of Han had left everyone with very little to say. There was no body to give a proper burial to and no known relatives to inform of the young man's death. The only "family" he had was the Wookiee. When Chewbacca learned of the lost of his friend, the fury beast ran off is despair. It was as if Han Solo had left the galaxy without a trace- as if he had never existed.

       But the Alliance was still left in mourning. At Padme's suggestion, a funeral was held at Han's crash sight. The remains of the ship were devastating. The cockpit was unrecognizable as it sat underneath a destroyed wing. The entire front deflector shield was missing. There was no way Han could have survived. Obi-wan gave a short speech to all the soldiers. Anakin had tried to listen but his master's voice faded in and out. He remembered only his last words. "Han's sacrifice will not be in vain. Let this loss today push you to continue the fight for peace, justice, and safety for the galaxy."

       Peace, justice, and safety for the galaxy... Anakin stared at the navy blue sky. If that was what they were fighting for, then they were wasting time. Peace seemed like an unobtainable object to a galaxy that thirsted for war. Justice was impossible after the loss of such a young life. Would justice bring back Han? Would it return all of the years he hadn't had a chance to live? Would it satisfy Leia? And safety. Anakin had learned that safety was the biggest lie of them all. He thought he had found safety once while raising his children in hiding on Naboo. During the year after the twins were born, Anakin had assumed trouble was over for him, but even that was stripped from him. The galaxy had pulled him back into chaos, and with him, his children. Safety was the kind of thing that you can only have when you stop living in the real world. It exists inside your head and as soon as you leave your head, the rest of the world is waiting for you; trying to destroy you.

       But maybe living inside your head wasn't so bad. Anakin thought. And maybe one day, when all of this was over, he would be able to live without fear. He, Padme, and the kids could go back into hiding. Not on Naboo this time- somewhere even quieter. Somewhere that know one could find them. And maybe then he could truly know safety...

        "General Skywalker, we've just received an urgent message from Captain Rex," a scout said. Anakin turned around. The soldier's distraught face seemed to match his weary, yet desperate voice. "What is it?" Anakin asked with all ideas of safety quickly slipping his mind.

       "It's Luke, Sir. He's missing."