I couldn't sleep at all last night. The racing thought of traveling the galaxy continued to make my heart pound. It gave me a rush, the excitement pumping through my veins. I speedily cleaned my whole hut and packed all my belongings for the morning. Which was not much, just clothes, my books and other knick knacks from the island. Little momentos that'll remind me of home.
I even thought about bringing my favorite stick, but it seems to primal for where I'm headed. I place it back at it's designated spot by the door and take a seat on my cott. I clutch my packed bag tightly as I wait for the sun to rise. Which frankly, didn't last long.
Maybe I should explore a bit, get a last feel for the island before I leave it. Lantern in hand, I walk out quietly passed the died out fire and into the plaines of the island. I take this time to head towards a place I've only been to once since I've been here. The old tree.
It's just as spooky as I remember it many moons ago. It's also much more erie in the dark. The lantern giving it a malicious glow, yet the atmosphere is not one of fright. It's calming, nurturing almost like a giving tree. The force is one to give mixed signals, yet in this case its almost as if its teaching me a simple lesson. Looks can be deceiving. I make my way inside and shine my light on the infamous jedi texts. They almost pulse as if to give in to my temptation.
Yet I resist and place my lantern on the shelf along with them. Rubbing my hands together to rid them of the slight chill in the air. I settle my self down upon the ground of the tree. Finding a confortable position to sit and rest my head. I sit and watch the fire in the lantern flick and flare as I wait for time to pass.
It's alright if I close my eyes for just a moment...
"I'm telling you as a friend, Qui-Gon. What you are planning is insane. It's not natural."
I flutter my eyes to the sounds to voices to notice I'm in another vision. It's in a grand room, seats around in a cresent shape facing the center. Large grand windows behind them, each facing out to a lustrous world of bright lights and speeders. And I must say these seats are quite comfortable.
"Why? Is it because of the Jedi's fear of the unknown. The uncontrollable? You of all people should know how important this is Mace."
I notice one man right off the bat. The man that had shown through the mirror in the dark cave. He worn the same jedi attire and gruff beard, I suppose his name is Qui-Gon. The other in similar yet darker robes is I assume Mace. He doesn't have a beard nor hair for the matter.
"Not with this cost. You heard the council, this discovery is more in line with the Sith. Nothing is worth sacrificing a life for another."
"Mace... She wants this. She dying and willing to try. Why can't the council see reason, we need to do something!"
"Jedi Master Tahl knew the risks and she's suffering the consequences of not listening to the High Council. Take this time to enjoy her time here before thinking of schemes hidden underneath justice."
With that Mace leaves the grand room with fiery passion. Qui-Gon looking on as his 'friend' leaves him alone. This vision is not a happy one, for the feelings of despair shine through his exterior. He's vulnerable and grieving. Tahl must be someone important to him and he is taking her state hard. But what is all this nonsense of sacrifice? Does this man have relations to the Sith? So confusing.
I bang my head on the side of the chair to the point where the comfy exterior turned into wood. Ow. I rub my temple as I look back at the wooden tree wall I'm familiar with. Groaning, I look to see the shimmering of light shining through the tree's entrance. The suns are up, its time. I stand up and blow out the flame in my lantern heading out. Journeying to the ship, I place my bags down and sit atop it to watch my last viewing of the rising suns. It's beautiful across the gleaming ocean.
"The end to a new beginning..."
I look down to see Luke watching the same sky as I, taking in the multicolored hues. He's dressed in his white robes, the ones he trained me in.
"A new hope if you will... I knew you'd be here early in the morning."
"Of course, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
I slide off the ship and walk towards Luke. He brings out a small package from inside his cloak, it's wrapped in cloth and twine.
"The caretakers made you a little going away present."
I grab the package carefully as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Which to me it was. Unwrapping it to lay my eyes on green and tan cloth. It can't be...
"You can't be wearing thousand year old jedi robes now can you. So I had them fix you up something more official as you become a Jedi."
I hold the beautifully crafted robes as I give Luke the biggest hug ever. It even has its own flowy cloak. I shed a tear as I take mine apart to apply my new gifted ones.
"Thank you so much."
I say while holding back happy tears, yet they fall anyway.
"Wow, who knew the Jedi were such crybabies."
"Stop....."
I shove Luke away as he makes a laugh at my tears. I end up joining in on the laughter anyway.
"Come on kid, it's your time."
He leads me back to the freighter as I put myself and bag into the cockpit. Getting myself situated as Luke gets a small makeshift ladder and leans in aswell directing me to the buttons.
"I've hooked the navigational system to take you to the main resistance base there on D'Qar. All you have to do is get off the ground and jump into hyperspace, okay?"
I nod as he shows me each of the buttons for going into hyperspace.
"I've also erased this location off of the ships memory so they won't know this planet exists. Although it still shows your trajectory path so promise me once you make it to the base to fry the system."
"How?"
"Just hit it a couple times with something heavy, usually short-wires it. And when you get there ask for General Leia Organa, my sister. They won't trust you but if you scream my name out a bunch then they will just have to listen."
He says it confidently with a side of hope. Not very reassuring.
"That doesn't sound very fool proof. What if they think I'm a liar and just toss me out."
"That's why you'll need this."
Luke pulls another object out of his cloak and I almost scream.
"No, no, no, no, no. You can't give me this! Not your lightsaber!"
I push the metal cylinder back into his hands as he continues to shove it into mine.
"You need it more than I do Jude. You know it to be true. Plus I'm an old man now, I have no business waving around a light stick anymore. So take it."
I resist giving it back as I clip it to my belt. Feeling like a complete Jedi.
"Master Skywalker I can't thank you enough..."
"Just Luke."
"Then Luke. I promise I'll come back."
"I'm counting on it."
With that he shuts the top for me as he backs away from the ship. I do as I was told and hover my ship above the ground. Getting higher and higher till I have clearance to take off. I look back at Luke now a mear speck in the distance with two other bright blue lights shining beside him. May the force be with me.
·~·~·~·
I pull back the the lever to get out of hyperspace as the navigational system blinks me back into existance. I feel nauseated as I hold in a needed release of nausea. Proceeding not to do that in such an in closed space I then jump at the sound of a voice coming from the ships speaker.
"T-65 X-Wing what's your designation number."
What designation number? Luke never brought this up! I scramble looking around the cockpit for any set of numbers in general. Panicing as the voice repeated their instruction.
Fear sets in as newer looking starfighters surround the ship. Looking around I spot a small metal plate that read the code 'AA-589'. It's better than nothing, I press the speaker button on the dash.
"Designation number AA-589."
"State your visit."
Ugh, why couldn't this be easy.
"I have important information for General Organa. It's urgent."
I hope I didn't mess it up there, I tried to sound more confident.
"You are clear, descend into base for further instruction."
I let out a breath as I follow suit, the other ships staying close behind. I hope I can land this thing.
The view from behind the ship must look rather terrible as I swerve every minute. I must look so untrained at flying, which technically I am. I suppose I never really thought I would get this far, especially flying into a base no less.
Reaching the atmosphere is when the panic of my terrible flying skills really sets in. I didn't really do laps around Ahch-to so I'm not used to the change in pressure when flying in planet. I try to slow down my starfrighter as it goes faster the nearer I am to the ground. The other x-wings out of my mind as I try desperately to get the ship to stop dipping towards the floor. I manage to pull up just a bit to make it horizontal as I crash land drifting my ship across the planet. Finally stopping the ship tips and creaks as it totters on the uneven surface.
I wipe the very evident sweat from my face as I do Luke's instructions, smash that Nav. I grab the hilt of Luke's lightsaber and smash it into the navigational system, it sparks and flashes as I do it repeatedly. Once its last lights go out I open the hatch of the ship and gasp for air. I barf out the nausea I had kept in, as I wipe my face from the trama. I hear multiple clicking sounds coming from behind me as I wipe the last bits from my mouth. I hate flying.
"Come out now with your hands in the air!"
Sighing, I step out of the ship and once I turn around it's a sight to see. Mutiple men in brown garbs point their ready weapons at me. I count around 9 as they inch closer to me and the x-wing.
"I know this looks crazy, but I need to see General Organa!"