Redemption - A Star Wars Fanfic

Chapter 7

Anakin barely covered up his wince, "I apologize Master Yoda, I was attending to Luke here in the medwing. He sustained a few injuries and left me distracted for a time."

The Masters all hummed in understanding, all eyes turning back to Luke once Yoda's question had been answered. "Yes...Luke...tell us more about yourself can you?"

"Particularly where you come from," Master Windu said, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the nervous young man. No matter how hard he tried to shield, things still leaked through, yet only barely.

"Uh..." Luke cleared his throat, instinctively looking over at Anakin, who offered only a smile in encouragement. "Well Masters, my name is Luke Starkiller and I am a Jedi."

"And you were on the Invisible Hand aiding Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, correct?" Master Fisto inquired, coming from the side of the room.

"Y-yes that's correct."

"Master Kenobi said you appeared. Care to explain that?" Master Allie asked, getting nods from the other Masters.

Luke was beginning to understand exactly what Anakin had been talking about when he had described the Council as intimidating; each question made his throat close tighter, the painful screeching of the truth floating in the back of his head and making him want to explode. A memory of Leia's voice suddenly rang in his ear, loud enough that it was as if she was standing right next to him.

Remember Luke, if you're ever captured, you say nothing. The Empire will do anything and everything to get you to talk, but do not let it break you. It will be hard, but it is too vital that our secrets stay secret. Lie a little if you have to to stay alive, but never give in.

Lie. He could do that. Obi-Wan did it for years with him so how hard could it be to return the favor? Or maybe...he could border the truth without telling the whole story...a certain point of view.

"I was flying my ship in a nearby sector to meet a few of my friends. I was only maybe halfway into preliminary checks in the cockpit before a light overcame my viewport and I blacked out. Next thing I knew I awoke on the Invisible Hand, just as confused as Masters Skywalker and Kenobi. I'm confident that it had something to do with the Force."

There was a brief silence as the Jedi took in his story, their minds still attempting to probe his. He mentally swatted each one away, swallowing as he maintained a straight face while doing so.

"You're still hiding something," Master Windu said slowly, his eyes gradually hardening. It was hard to convince war-weary Jedi into believing a lie, especially when Luke could so easily be a Separatist or a Sith, but he had to convince them. At least he currently had Anakin on his side. It was a start.

"Let's say we go with your story for now. You said you were a Jedi. And since you are so obviously Force-sensitive, explain to us how you were trained, if not at the Jedi Temple?" Master Mundi asked, his cylindrical head bobbing as he talked.

Luke couldn't help but let his eyes skirt over towards Obi-Wan before he cleared his throat, holding an image of Old Ben in his mind and wondering what the man would say right now. "There was an old hermit living in the Jundland Wastes just outside my homestead on Tatooine where I grew up. He dabbled a bit in the Force, was known as a local crazy man, but he taught me everything he knew, including how to construct my first saber."

"And you're certain this man wasn't a Sith?" Master Koon rumbled, his bass-filled voice making Luke's spine tingle due to the similarity to Vader's mask.

"Positive, Master. He knew Jedi philosophy, told me stories about the great defenders of the galaxy. After all, we don't see much of the Jedi out on Tatooine. I only knew stories," Luke explained.