How to Take an Empire

Chapter Twenty-Two: Same

"Mama."

"Yes, Luke," Ahsoka said without opening her eyes.

"How much longer do we have to do this? It's boring."

"Yes," Ahsoka agreed. "Meditating can seem boring. But it'll help you strengthen your connection with the Force and help you learn to keep yourself safe from bad people."

"But Mama, you keep us safe from bad people," Luke said earnestly, causing Ahsoka to smile.

"Yes. I do. But for when I'm not around."

"Like when you go on missions," Leia asked.

"Yes. Now no more talking. Think about something that makes you want to be quiet. Something that makes you feel safe," Ahsoka instructed, opening an eye open to make sure the twin's eyes were still closed. "Got it?"

"Yes," they both chorused.

"Okay. Focus on that. Ten more minutes, and we'll be done for the day."

"Ten minutes! Mama, that's such a l—"

"Quiet," Ahsoka reminded Luke gently.

She heard him sigh, but he did as she instructed or, at the very least, tried to as far as Ahsoka was aware. Sometimes she worried about the twins, both so bright and powerful in the Force. But because it was too dangerous to give them any proper training, they were so behind where they probably would have been at four years old if they'd had a chance to train in the Jedi temple. She tried not to compare their upbringing to her own in the Jedi temple, but it was the only Force teaching way that Ahsoka had to compare. In the temple, at their age, a youngling would have been able to sit in meditation for an hour. But the twins would barely just sit still for thirty minutes on a good day. Today she was struggling to get them to do just twenty.

Ahsoka resisted the urge to sigh, not wanting to disturb Luke's and Leia's maybe meditative state. The twins weren't at the temple getting regular, daily instruction from a multitude of instructors in the Force. Just her when she had the time and patience to instruct them and when it wasn't interrupting their daily tutoring. Frankly, Ahsoka didn't want them to have an upbringing that was like her temple one. They'd eventually learn to control their powers. For now, they had her.

"Mama."

Ahsoka did sigh then. "Yes, Luke."

"Can we be Jedi like you when we grow up?"

Ahsoka didn't immediately answer. How did she tell her four-year-old son that she really would prefer that he didn't?

"I don't know," Ahsoka finally decided on. "And I'm not a Jedi anymore, little one."

Luke ignored the last part. "Why don't you know, Mama?"

"Because there are some other things that you should learn before you make that decision." Never mind that being a Jedi wasn't a decision anyone in recent history got the chance to make. If you were discovered and taken to the temple at a young enough age, that decision was made for you. Not many walked away from that life, even when they had a good reason.

Ever curious, Luke asked, "What things do I need to learn?"

"Things that only growing up some more can teach you. And Jedi meditate daily." They were supposed to anyway. Anakin hadn't—not in any way that the High Council would have approved—and he'd passed down the bad habit to her.

"Well, I don't know if I want to be a Jedi," Leia piped up.

"And that's fine. You've got plenty of time to figure it out," Ahsoka said, deciding they were getting nowhere with meditation today. "Okay. Enough meditating."