A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Away

Chapter 66

"So, Luke, how the hell did you manage to find your lightsaber?" Han asked as the skiff continued to sail over the dunes in what was hopefully the direction of the ships. He, Padmé, Chewie, and Leia had explained what had happened during and to cause their capture, during which Luke had practically said "told you so" in all of its different forms to the smuggler. Luke, Anakin, and Obi-Wan had then explained how they had found out and come up with a plan to rescue them. Han asked who had come up with the ridiculous plan, and Luke, blushing, had explained it had mostly been his idea. From there, Anakin asked if anyone thought Jabba may have been able to have made it out alive, as unlikely as the possibility was, secretly wishing he had found the time to storm the barge himself. If it weren't for Luke following him, he would have. Leia then explained that she had kind of killed Jabba to the wide-eyed gazes of those around her. Anakin had been proud and glad, although admittedly somewhat disappointed he hadn't done or seen it himself. He shared the feeling with Luke and Han. Obi-Wan, being Obi-Wan, was regretful that they hadn't managed to find another way, but was not too upset. Jabba wasn't exactly his favorite person either. Padmé thought that, while it wasn't the best path, it still worked.

And so now, they were on their way to the ships to get off planet. Anakin had fixed Threepio's eye during the talk along with Luke's right hand, which now had a black glove on it to cover the mechanical parts, and was now leaning against the railing, one arm wrapped around Padmé, watching the dunes slip by. Han's question drew his eyes from the never-changing, endless scenery, to his son.

"Yeah, I thought you said you lost it on Bespin," Leia commented, wrapping Anakin's cloak tighter around her so it wouldn't lift up in the wind. Han was holding her close despite the glares Anakin was sending his way. The only reason the Jedi hadn't broken the two up himself was that Han was also doing his best to help Leia keep her decency in the wind.

"Well, that's what I thought," Luke replied, a thoughtful yet sorrowful expression playing across his features at the mention of the planet. It was gone in an instant as he unclipped the lightsaber and looked at it.

"Your lightsaber? I was under the impression you haven't gotten far enough in your training to make one," Obi-Wan noted, curious.

"Yeah, well, it's not exactly mine," Luke explained, running his free hand through his hair. "It's Father's, I've just been....well, using it the past three years." He held out the weapon towards Anakin who took it, careful to hide his reaction.

The lightsaber was identical to his own. Seeing an exact copy was more than unnerving.

"Yep, that's mine," Anakin finally confirmed, unhooking his own lightsaber and holding it up in compare.

Han came over to look and whistled: "No kidding, they're identical."

"You're welcome to keep using it," Anakin said with a smile, handing back the future lightsaber to Luke.

The boy gave a small smile as he took back the saber: "Thanks."

The skiff was silent for a moment.

"Hold on, if Luke thought he had lost it, how does he have it now?" Padmé asked. Anakin frowned, thinking. Anakin and Luke looked up at each other at the same moment as realization dawned on both of them.

"Luna!" the two Skywalkers said at the same time.

"Luna?" Obi-Wan asked. "And how would she manage that?"

"She was right with me. Maybe Luna somehow grabbed it in the exhaust shaft we got sucked into," Luke therorized.

"Then why did she give it to Artoo instead of you? How would she even know to give it to Artoo?" Leia asked.

"How would I know? I haven't seen her since Bespin!"

"Come to think of it, neither have I," Obi-Wan muttered, earning surprised looks from Anakin and Padmé.

"What do you mean you haven't seen her? Didn't you check up on her after we left?" Padmé asked.

"No, I was busy," Obi-Wan replied. "Besides, you two said you'd take care of her once we got back."

"We aren't technically back until we're in our time period, and you knew we were busy," Anakin argued, mentally slapping himself for his own idiocy.

"How was I supposed to know that neither of you had checked on her before you left?"

"Stop arguing. Whether or not we like it, none of us checked on her, and we don't know where she is," Padmé pointed out, worriedly. "Luna's never been on a space cruiser in her life!"

"I'll help look as soon as we get back to the fleet," Luke volunteered.

"So will I," Leia agreed.

"We will too," Han said, volunteering himself and Chewie.

At that moment, Artoo decided to interrupt, tootling something that caused Anakin to look at him incredulous.

"You know where Luna is?" Anakin asked.

Atroo beeped an affirmative along with an explanation.

"Artoo says that Miss Luna was injured," Threepio translated for everyone. "He lead her to the medbay on the Redemption long after everyone departed to the medbay for Master Luke's injury. He visited her right before you left for Tatooine, at which point, she gave him Master Luke's lightsaber."

"When did she get hurt?" Luke asked, surprised. "Vader didn't touch her."

"She got hurt back on Earth," Anakin explained with a groan. How had he not thought about that sooner? Of course Luna would have first gone to the medbay because of her leg.

But how could they have just forgotten her like that? Guilty didn't even cover how bad it made Anakin feel.

"Can you show us where she is when we get back?" Padmé asked.

Artoo tootled a yes.