DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
"Luke?"
Luke Skywalker pressed his face into his pillow and groaned. He was tired, his head ached, muffled by the sleep that was creeping into his mind. He did not want to respond to the deep, cultured voice that called him...
"Luke, wake up. I know you can hear me."
One blue eye peeked open slightly. A shimmering figure stood by his bed, arms crossed over its chest sternly. "I do NOT want to get up," Luke murmured, not loosening his grip on his pillow. "I deserve an uninterrupted night, after all that's happened."
Qui-Gon Jinn uttered a soft chuckle. "If you're called on to make a difference, Luke, you have to do it. You've been on Coruscant for... how long?"
"Two weeks, five days, three hours, and an uncounted number of minutes," Luke replied, his face still buried in the pillow.
"Well, you've done well," Qui-Gon commented, clasping his hands and sighing. "And now it's time to rebuild."
"What?" Luke raised his head suddenly, his blond hair sticking out at odd angles. "Rebuild what?"
Qui-Gon spoke as if he were keeping his patience firmly in check. "Luke, you must be with Leia tomorrow when she greets the Sovereign of the planet Aladell."
"All right," Luke replied slowly. "But why?"
Qui-Gon smiled a little. "Because she is the keeper of something from the Republic. Something that is virtually irreplaceable. Once she sees that you are a Jedi, she'll let you know what it is. She's a remarkable woman, Luke."
Luke sat up as the Jedi's spirit flickered from sight, spiralling out the window like a faint bluish-green mist on the breeze. He watched for a long time, thinking, curled up in bed like a little boy. Then he swung his legs to the cold floor and padded gingerly to a computer terminal, near the sprawling windows of the luxurious suite Leia had given him.
He quickly called up information on Aladell. It was a small, ancient planet near the Rim, famed for its arts and culture, much of which had been despoiled by the Emperor. But with the restoration of the Republic, they had recently sent huge archives of information to Chancellor Mothma.
Luke stifled a yawn. He knew that their queen, the Sovereign Saleil, was arriving to help organize the Senate. If Qui-Gon wanted him to talk to her, then he would.
Luke leaned against the doorway of the ornate audience room, wishing that the tan Jedi outfit he now wore weren't so blasted comfortable. He had almost fallen asleep standing up twice. After Qui-Gon had woken him, he had spent many wakeful hours wondering what in heaven's name the Sovereign could have for him.
"I'm bored too, kid," Han spoke up, yanking Luke from his reverie.
Leia was clad in a flowing white silk dress, much like the one Luke had first seen her in, her long brown hair carefully styled and bound on top of her head. She shot a warning look at Han. "The Sovereign is a personal friend of mine, General. If you say one word out of place-"
"You'll have my eyes made into earrings?" Han asked languidly. Chewie chuckled hoarsely.
"Something like that," Leia replied with an odd cant of her head.
There was a soft whistling sound, and four red-armored guards appeared in the doorway, with security chief Captain Akori. The guards stiffly walked to flank the door, followed by a slender woman in a cowled red cloak—a maidservant of some kind, he guessed.
Luke took a curious step forward, his fatigue forgotten for the moment. Standing in the doorway was a tall, beautiful woman, dressed in a silvery sheath and cloak. Her face, ornamented by large dark eyes, was lined with worry. The curly hair that touched her shoulders was a creamy white, but not from her age, which Luke judged to be no more than fifty-five.
She smiled a little and held out her arms as Leia walked toward her and stepped into a strong hug. "How are you, Leia?" the Sovereign asked quietly, in a lilting accent.
"I'm all right," Leia said, stepping back. "We need a good deal of help setting up the Senate—someone who had your amount of influence in the Republic before could make a huge impact." A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Oh, and Chancellor Mothma says she wants to beat you at multi-dimensional squares."
"I'll do my best," the Sovereign replied, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. Her eyes fell on Luke, and the lightsaber that hung from his belt, and widened in surprise. Then she smiled at him, and followed her bodyguards from the room.
The public gardens of Coruscant were famed across the galaxy, and they deserved every ounce of their reputation. Luke took in a breath of the misty, perfumed air as he stepped into the huge greenhouse, facing a huge wall of greenery.
Only when he saw the silver woman watching him did he start.
"I'm sorry," he said, taking a step back as the Sovereign rose from a crouch amidst the creeping carnivorous flowers that Han referred to jokingly as the "Empire's kisses." "I didn't know anyone was here..."
"It's all right," the Sovereign replied serenely, dusting some dirt from her fingertips. "The gardens bring me peace—as they do for many."
Luke took a tentative step forward, relaxing a little as he glanced at the bucket of water at her feet. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
"Watering the flowers," she replied with a smile.
"But they're carnivorous, ugly little..."
"Every living thing has its niche, Luke," the Sovereign replied with a shrug, brushing at a water stain on her skirt. "I was told that by another Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn."
"You knew Qui-Gon?" Luke asked, astonished.
The Sovereign looked up and smiled. "Yes, I did. He was very dear to me... and now he speaks to you?" she asked, her eyes widening a little.
"Yes, sometimes," Luke replied lamely. "When he has something to say. Sometimes when I just need someone to talk to..."
The Sovereign's smile widened, and Luke felt his discomfort start to ease away. "Will you speak with me?" she asked quietly. "I would like to hear how you became a Jedi."
Luke sat down on a barrel of insect repellent and stared at the panoramic sweep of towers and lights outside the gardens. "There's not much to tell," he replied awkwardly. "I was raised on Tatooine, and my training was started by Ben Kenobi. Then, when he died, I joined the Rebellion and finished my training with Master Yoda." He looked up suddenly. "Did you know them?"
She smiled and nodded, the gold beaded ornament intertwined with her creamy hair crinkling a little. "I knew Yoda briefly, but Obi-Wan was a close friend of mine." She canted her head to one side. "He was the last apprentice of Qui-Gon... did you know that?"
Luke's blue eyes went wide. "No... apprentice?"
"It will all be explained to you," the Sovereign replied with an enigmatic smile.
Something had been nagging in the back of Luke's mind. He frowned, rubbed his chin absently. "I was told... last night... that you were the keeper of something from the Republic. What does that mean?"
The Sovereign Saleil uttered a low chuckle and ruffled her white hair with a long hand. Then she rose and touched a small compad hanging on her belt. "Men, Aeril—please come in," she said quietly.
Luke's brow wrinkled in confusion. Aeril—that wasn't an Aladell name.
The doors to the garden whooshed open, and five figures walked in. One was the scarlet-robed attendant, whom Luke had noticed previously, and the Sovereign's four bodyguards. Their plasteel armor clanked as they stood in a row. "My lady," they rumbled as one.
The older woman nodded graciously, and the attendant pulled back the cowl of her robe, revealing a strong face with piercing blue eyes, framed by long brown hair. She wasn't actually pretty, but as she smiled Luke found himself smiling back.
One of the guards reached up and detached his armored helmet, revealing a rather pale face topped by a mop of dark hair. He squirmed a little at the humid air, unused to it.
Another guard pulled off his helmet, revealing the horns and mottled yellowish skin of a Zabrak. The third and fourth revealed themselves to be a young Aladell with solemn eyes, and a blond human with a sheepish grin.
Luke had a suspicion creeping into his mind, but he didn't dare look at the Sovereign, focusing fully on the five people before him. He could sense her amusement. "These are the five remaining Jedi," she said quietly.
Aeril spoke now, in a soothingly throaty voice. "The Sovereign hid five young Knights twenty years ago, at great risk to herself."
The Sovereign watched as Luke rose to his feet, stepped forward toward the other Jedi. As they welcomed him into their circle, she sighed and slipped away, into the dusky corridors of the garden building. As she stepped onto a luxurious air taxi, she smiled with tears in her dark eyes.
That evening, she stood on the balcony of her suite, and smiled sideways at a bright blue figure standing at her side. Qui-Gon smiled, and slipped his arms around her, holding the woman whom had always been like a mother close.