A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Away

Chapter 164

Hours and a snowball fight later, Luna and Anakin returned to the base. Luna was a little cold and damp but otherwise full of joy. The worries that had been plaguing her ever since Palpatine's defeat had been sent to the back of her mind for the moment.

She didn't know how long that would last, but for the moment she didn't care.

What Luna did care about was getting some nice, hot food. Immediately. As did Anakin.

Needless to say, they stopped in the cafeteria as soon as they got back.

Luna had begun to eat what looked like a hamburger but tasted kinda like chicken, she assumed it was a nerf burger, per say, when Obi-Wan came to their table looking rather happy.

"Guess what happened," he told them.

"We're going back to Coruscant?" Luna asked.

"The war ended?" Anakin questioned.

"Not yet, and I wish. This happened," Obi-Wan replied, putting a datapad on the table. Anakin moved it slightly to the side to get a better view as he read over it. It didn't take long for a look of shock and surprise to appear on his features.

"What is it?" Luna asked, leaning over the table to get a look herself. It was, of course, upside down meaningless symbols to her, but part of it looked familiar.

"They changed it...." Anakin breathed.

"Changed what? What does it say?" Luna questioned as she finally managed to recognize the title. "Hold on....I've seen those characters dozens of times, that's the Code, isn't it?" She looked up at Oi-Wan. "You got them to change it!"

"The attachment rule among other things. It was difficult, but Master Yoda, and apparently the Force, were rather insistant it got through. No one dares argue the point with him any longer."

"Among other things? What else?" Anakin asked, as he peeled his eyes off of the spot that had caused more than a few headaches throughout the past few years to skim the rest of the document.

"Well, taking younglings away from their family at birth, unless it's for the child's own protection, is now off the tables. There's a few other alterations, mainly having to do with outdated rules. With the addition of the Senate allowing us more freedom with our decisions and actions, not to mention allowing us to petition on the behalf of planets outside of the Republic, I believe we are headed in the right direction."

"That's wonderful!" Luna exclaimed. "I think we are officially in the clear now."

"We weren't before?" Anakin asked, glancing up at her from the datapad.

"Not until we figured out if you'd have to leave the Order or not. I didn't even want to consider where that rabbit hole would lead us."

"I doubt it would have been a good path, that's for sure," Obi-Wan replied. "Thankfully, we don't have to go down it."

"So, now that's settled, how long until we're back on Coruscant? I doubt Padmé's been too happy with the craziness, and it's not like I've been able to comm her," Anakin said.

"I'm sure she's fine. Besides, it should be a matter of days—if that—before we're all back home. I, for one, can't wait."

Luna couldn't help but slightly tense at the statement.

Home: a word more alien to her than any planet in the galaxy.

Home planet: not as alien, but currently over a million times more unwelcome.

She couldn't help but hope Obi-Wan was wrong when it came to her.

Luna thought for a split second she saw Anakin glance at her, but figured it had just been her imagination.