Hearts of Rebels | Star Wars Fanfiction

Chapter III

The trio rushed back to where they found the golden droid. Ben sat the droid up as Luke flipped a hidden switch on his back, his eyes flickered as his head turned, not recognising where he was.

"Where am I? I must have taken a bad step,"

Luke took a breath of relief and pointed to the droid's legs.

"Can you stand? We've got to get out of here before the Sand People return,"

"I don't think I can make it. You go on, Master Luke. There's no sense in you risking yourself on my account. I'm done for,"

"No, you're not. What kinda talk is that?" Luke dusted the sand off the droid as best he could, trying to be reassuring to its apparent dramatic programming.

Ben and Luke helped the droid to his feet as the little R2 unit besides Rhea watched from above, his head swivelled as it beeped worriedly. Rhea tightened her grip on Luke's rifle as Ben looked around the canyons himself.

"Quickly son... they're on the move,"

Ben had taken them to his small hovel in the Dune Sea, Luke fiddled with C-3PO trying to reattach his arm whilst he and Obi-Wan talked about Luke's late father.

Rhea sat in the corner opposite the two men being entertained by R2-D2 who had warmed up to her quite quickly. Ben and Luke had previously been debating about his father's role in the Republics Era when Rhea lost interest, but a sudden swoosh as blue light travelled across the hut brought her attention back to them.

She looked up to see Luke holding a short, silver handle with a light blue igniting from it. The air hissed around the blade as Luke flaunted it about. Eventually, he pressed a red button causing the blue light to rush back into the handle with a fizzle.

"Whoa" Rhea murmured amazed, she walked over to Luke and sat down, examining the strange object in his hands.

"How did my father die?" Luke asked.

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy, the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced, by the dark side of the Force," Ben explained grimly.

"The Force?" Luke and Rhea questioned in sync, earning an amused look from Ben.

"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together,"

R2-D2 let out a string of beeps and shuffled over to the middle of the room, bringing the young adults out of their mystified states.

"Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend. And where you came from" Ben leaned over to press a small button under the R2 units main eye.

"I saw part of the message he was-" Luke was cut short as a blue beam shot from the R2 unit and projected the image of a young woman.

"I seem to have found it," Ben noted.

The image flickered just as the woman began moving, her voice emanating from the body of the astromech.

"General Kenobi, years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this Artoo unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope," The woman's image flickered and ended as R2-D2 cut the hologram from replaying. After moments of silence, Ben turned to Luke.

"You must learn the ways of the force if you're to come with me to Alderaan,"

Luke laughed, thinking the man was joking.

"Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late I'm in for it as it is"

"I need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing," Ben pointed to where the image once played to get his point across.

"I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here!" Luke explained, trying to justify himself.

"You'd really throw away a chance to get off this dust bowl?" Rhea asked, astonished.

Luke looked at her surprised, she had been quiet during their whole conversation, but his later expression seemed to agree with her. He was being offered the chance to bring information of the utmost importance to Alderaan for the Rebellion, but she wasn't.

Not to mention a ride off this place with a familiar face. She felt a slight resentment for the young man.

"That's your Uncle talking," Ben observed, bringing Rhea out of her brooding. Luke let out an excessive sigh at the mention of his family.

"Oh, God, my Uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?"

"Learn the Force, Luke," Ben suggested.

Luke scratched the back of his head, attempting to think of an answer other than yes that wouldn't disappoint the exiled Jedi.

"Look, I can take you both as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going"

Rhea took her attention away from Luke and watched Ben's reaction. He appeared to look disappointed, but the way he glanced at Rhea before speaking told her their adventure together wasn't entirely over.

"You must do what you feel is right, of course,"

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