Chapter Text
Training Tale
“That’s enough training for today,” Obi-Wan said. He could sense that Luke was getting tired.
“No!” the boy said stubbornly. “I know I can get this right!”
Obi-Wan shook his head and smiled faintly. Well, Anakin, Padmé, both of your children certainly inherited your stubbornness, he thought. “I have a story to tell you, Luke,” he said firmly.
Luke gave him an odd look. “I’m too old for stories, Ben,” he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“This one is about your parents,” the old Jedi said.
As he expected, this quickly got Luke’s attention. “You knew my mother, too?!”
“I did,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “Not as well as I knew your father, but still, relatively well.”
“What did she do?” he asked.
“She was a leader,” he replied.
Luke quickly came and sat down across from him. “Tell me,” he said eagerly.
Obi-Wan smiled. “Well,” he said. “We were on a mission to Alderaan, actually. Your father, myself, and your father’s apprentice, who I’m going to call Arduna, since I can’t tell you her real name. Also accompanying us, alongside your mother, was Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, the father of Leia, who sent the message through R2, though of course this was before she was born,” Obi-Wan continued. “His wife, Breha Organa, who was the Queen of Alderaan, had contacted him to tell him that there had been Separatist unrest on the planet, and he had requested we accompany him there. Feemor Yegger, an earlier student of my own Jedi Master, Strask Kre, a Bothan Jedi Master who had found me and brought me to the Jedi as a small boy, and Halagad Ventor and Aayla Secura, two other Jedi, also came along. We arrived to meet with the Queen, who explained that a Separatist faction had formed on Alderaan, led by a member of one of the planet’s leading noble houses.”
“Her name is Terene Alde,” Queen Breha explained. “She’s a member of House Alde, Alderaan’s original ruling house. Now, she’s allied with the Separatists to try and take it back. She’s gathered a group of followers, and they’ve been threatening to storm the capital. They’ve taken over Alde Palace, an old royal country estate in the mountains. We’re hoping we can negotiate terms with them.”
“With people who want to overthrow the government?” Anakin asked doubtfully.
“Now, Anakin, diplomacy first,” Obi-Wan reminded him firmly.
“I know, I know,” Anakin sighed. “So, what’s the plan?”
“They’re demanding to meet here,” Breha replied. “We’ve agreed.”
* * *
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Anakin muttered, as they sat in the audience-hall, waiting for the guests to arrive. They soon did – a woman, a man, a girl, and a boy, along with several guards.
“I am Terene Alde, the rightful Empress of Alderaan,” the woman said coldly. “And this is my husband, Orveg, our daughter, Tenra, and our son, Olvun.”
The visitors exchanged looks all around. “We were hoping to negotiate terms with you,” Queen Breha said, not rising to the bait. “We would like to find a way to resolve this issue peacefully.”
“There is nothing to be resolved,” Terene replied icily. “My family are the rightful rulers of this planet, it is as simple as that. We will reclaim our birthright.”
Before anyone could respond, there was a loud BOOM, and the palace shook violently. Instantly, the Jedi were on their feet, scrambling to usher people under furniture. Then, the sound of something hitting the ground outside echoed. Glancing toward a window, Obi-Wan saw flames shooting up. “Evacuate! Now!” he shouted.
Anakin had seized Padmé and Ahsoka each by one arm and was ushering them toward the door. Obi-Wan was doing the same with the Organas. “Are there any children here?!” Anakin demanded of the Queen.
“No, but there are people on every floor of the building!” she answered. “We need to get them out!”
“We’ll go!” Master Strask exclaimed, gesturing at himself, Feemor, Obi-Wan, Halagad, and Aayla. “Anakin, Ahsoka, you take care of the people on this floor! I’ll take the second floor! Feemor, you have the third! Obi-Wan, you take the fourth, Halagad, you have the fifth! Now go!”
Everyone did as they were told. After ushering everyone in the room out (except the Aldes and their companions, who were being led out by their own guards), Anakin told Ahsoka to stay and get people away from the burning building, while he went back and continued evacuating the first floor. He had ran back inside before she even had time to argue. “Alright, everybody, get moving!” Padmé shouted. “We need to get away from the palace, quickly!”
“Fortunately, we managed to get everyone out of the palace safely,” Obi-Wan went on. “However, we soon found that the city was under attack as well. It appeared that several cloaked ships had gotten in, and were laying siege. What was more, multiple battle droids had already reached the ground, and were taking part in the battle.”
The Jedi managed to contact their ships, on which their troops were waiting in case anything went wrong. However, they found that the ships were also under attack. Anakin, Aayla, and Halagad instructed their troops to contact the Jedi Temple for backup, as well as send troops to the ground if they could spare any and could manage it.
“We have to lure them away from the city,” Anakin said to Obi-Wan as they continued batting away blaster bolts with their lightsabers. Between them, Ahsoka stood doing the same thing, while on either side, Padmé and the Organas continued firing their own blasters.
“And how do you propose we do that?” Obi-Wan demanded between swings. “Even if we retreat, only some will follow us, Anakin, if any at all do. They want to overtake the capital.”
“Then we need to find a way to evacuate,” Anakin replied, knocking away another bolt. “Wait, I have an idea.” He beckoned the others close and whispered. They listened, then nodded. “Right,” he said. “Ahsoka, Padmé, you’re with me. Your Highnesses,” he added to the Organas. “You’d better come, too, so we can get you safely off Alderaan.”
“I’m not leaving,” Queen Breha said stubbornly. “This is my planet, and I intend to defend it.” Her husband nodded in agreement.
There was no time to argue. Anakin and Ahsoka ducked away. Padmé hesitated. “I should stay—” she began. Anakin turned to look back at her. Breha shook her head. “You can appeal to the Senate for help,” she said. Padmé hesitated a moment longer, then joined Ahsoka and Anakin.
They soon found Aldera’s shipyard, and Anakin clambered aboard a shuttle. Padmé and Ahsoka followed him. Anakin took the pilot’s chair. “Please make sure she actually buckles up,” he said without turning to look back.
Padmé rolled her eyes. “I always do, Anakin.”
He turned to look at her now. “I know you do, I was talking about Ahsoka.”
“Right.” She stood, and Ahsoka fastened her seatbelt. “Everybody good?” Anakin asked. The other two chorused “Yes,” and Anakin started the shuttle. “Ahsoka, comm Rex, and tell him what to do,” Anakin instructed his Padawan.
Anakin flew the ship carefully between the battling ships above the city until they reached the planet’s atmosphere, and they made it safely to the Resolute, with very little damage, and found Rex waiting for them in the docking bay. They then retreated to safety, with Anakin and the clone pilot Swoop flying them out of the line of fire, set about putting Anakin’s plan in motion.
After two days, the plan was ready.
“And I believe that’s where we’ll end the story tonight,” Obi-Wan concluded.