Alternative Universe: Vader Undone/Epilogue

Fifteen years later

A small ship was descending through the clouds.

“Here it is; Coruscant,” the pilot said to his passengers. “Whole planet is one big city. Look over there; it is president Naberrie’s shuttle. They are already waiting for you on the landing pad.”

The passengers – a man and a woman – looked at the city around them with wide eyes. This was their first trip on the capital and even they had known what to expect they were not fully prepared.

“There we are,” the pilot said when the ship touched down. “And remember, Mister Lars; if you ever need a good pilot just call Han Solo.”

“Thank you, Captain Solo,” Owen Lars said shaking hands with the man.

“Always at your service, Ma’am,” Han Solo said bowing to Beru. “Sir.”

The pair went down the ramp and was welcomed by a group of humans – two men and two women. The older female was dressed in decorated blue clothes; she was relatively short but her every movement heralded her experience in diplomatic circles. The other three wore simple brown robes but there was an aura of power around them.

“Welcome to Coruscant,” the blue-dressed woman said formally. “We have been expecting you.”

“It is a pleasure to see you again, president Naberrie,” Owen Lars greeted. “My wife and I were happy to receive your invitation.”

“Pleasure is all mine,” Padmé said smiling. “Let us go away from public eye. You of course know my little Jedi family; my son Luke, my daughter Leia and their Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

All three Jedi bowed simultaneously.

When the party stepped inside Padmé shuttle and the hatch slid shut all formality disappeared in a blink of an eye; all six started to hug each other smiling and babbling. Leia especially threw herself on the arms of her ‘aunt-Beru’ and started to tell her about the trip she had made to Naboo after their last visit on Tatooine.

“She is going to be a fine Jedi diplomat one day,” Padmé told Beru. “She has all the patience and discipline her father lacked. And Luke is more like Obi-Wan instead of Anakin.”

“I would rather say he is like Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan corrected. “There is the same good-willing disregard of rules in him. Anakin had that too but he was able to take it to extremes; and over them.”

Padmé’s smile was bitter-sweet when she was looking at her son who was just disappearing towards the cockpit of the shuttle Leia in tow.

“You have great kids, Padmé,” Beru said admiringly. “I was disappointed when we found out that Owen and I cannot have children of our own; that is why we have always been so happy to have Luke and Leia on Tatooine, and you and Obi-Wan, of course.”

The women went on their conversation remembering good old times they had shared on Tatooine. Obi-Wan and Owen sat together speaking politics.

“The Republic seems to be in good hands,” Owen said. “It has been a long time since planets and sectors were this united last time. Padmé has been doing great and Bail Organa before her.”

“It is true,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But I’m happy that her term is nearing its end; she is more stressed than she looks. Some free time back on Naboo without politics and children is what she needs. And Leia is old enough to have some diplomatic missions without her mother watching over her shoulder.”

“I thought that only full Jedi Knights could have own missions,” Owen pointed out.

“Once it was like that, when there were thousands of us,” Obi-Wan said. “We cannot afford that now. There is still less than a hundred trained Jedi Knights; the oldest Padawans must be able to work on their own. We have only little over two hundred younglings in training now. Republic seems to be in order for now but we will be needed again.”

“Do you think the former separatists still plot something against the government?” Owen asked.

“Might be,” Obi-Wan said shrugging. “But there is something else; a growing dread. Many Masters have sensed it in their meditations. We don’t know what it is all about but it is there; looming before us like a storm cloud.”

“Do you think it is the Emperor’s doing?”

“No, I don’t believe so,” Obi-Wan denied. “I have not seen any connection and I have been meditating it even more than the others; leaving Master Yoda out, of course. It is something larger and even more evil; but at the same time it is elusive and distant.”

“Are you going to put out an alarm?”

“There is no point doing that,” Obi-Wan said shaking his head. “I would not have even told you if you had not asked. Putting out an alarm without a clear reason might gnaw down our credibility; we Jedi and some trusted Senators are only ones who are aware of this mysterious threat. We will be ready when the time comes.”

The motors of the shuttle went quiet when they landed outside the Jedi Temple and the systems were turned on stand-by; Skywalker twins appeared from the cockpit side by side.

“Unfortunately we were not able to save everything from the original Temple,” Padmé told Owen and Beru leading them towards the main doors. “The original attack and the fire destroyed large sections of the building. After the battle came the robbers and they stripped down everything that had even little value. Only good thing is that Emperor decided to take possession of the old Archives; we found them when we raided Palpatine’s apartment in 500 Republica.”

“There is no way for us to tell the differences from the original Temple,” Owen pointed out. “We never saw the old one.”

“The newest additions are the great statues next to the main door,” Leia explained. “They are only just finished…”

Obi-Wan stopped paying attention to the conversation and turned his eyes to the statues Leia had mentioned; two huge lumps of stone standing side by side and holding lightsabers in salute. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile looking at the large faces of Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker; both ghosts had argued against raising the statues insisting that it was not the way they wanted to be remembered. Finally the living Jedi had won the argument and the statues were raised.

Obi-Wan had tried to stay neutral in the matter; he was the one who had known both Qui-Gon and Anakin best. Qui-Gon had always been modest; he had been a Jedi Master who wanted to go on his own way and do things differently. He wasn’t happy about being now considered as some kind of an ultimate Jedi; the old Council had not appreciated his ways but now some of those same masters treated him as an example.

Anakin, on the other hand, was ashamed of the attention. He had tried to remind the Jedi from his part in their destruction but the only answer had been that it was a part of the prophecy; he had only followed the will of the Force. Obi-Wan felt sorry for his friend; he knew that Anakin had not even yet been able to come to terms with his actions. Anakin considered the statue to be a tribute to something horrible; something he had never wanted to be.

Passing between the two statues Obi-Wan still felt happy to have them there; they would be a lasting reminder for the Jedi from their near-destruction. Jedi should concentrate to the present, be mindful of the future but never forget the past; he was the present, Luke, Leia and other young Jedi were the future and Anakin, Qui-Gon and the old Jedi Order were past to be learned from.

Feeling utterly warm and happy he entered to the familiar passages that had now been cleaned from the taint of the dark side. Walking ahead of him Padmé, Owen, Beru, Luke and Leia chatted happily laughing from time to time; Obi-Wan smiled and quickened his pace to catch up with the others.

The bright passageways rang from the chatting and laughter of the numerous Jedi moving about in their business. Walking through the commotion Obi-Wan had a very good feeling about their future.