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Discovery

By: Aloysius Flyte

Rated: PG

Summary: Luke and Lucillia travel back to Umdalla in search of clues about Lucillia's true lineage

Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars. No copyright infringement is intended. These stories are purely for my enjoyment and (hopefully) the enjoyment of those who visit this page. I am not making any money in this deal, just havin' a good time writing.

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Lucillia glanced around the small room she shared with Luke Skywalker at the

Jedi academy on Yavin IV. Nothing much had been changed since she moved in, save

the addition of a small chest containing the few outfits she had removed from

Innocent, her ship. The Jedi Knight smiled fondly as she thought about the year

since she and Luke realized they loved each other.

The other cadets were happy that they were happy. Luke treated her no

differently than anyone else while teaching, and she worked as hard as every

other student to learn the ways of the Force. Now like her fellow student

Tionne, Lucillia occasionally assisted Luke in training new arrivals. Though

Tionne’s power was small, she knew more Jedi lore than anyone and showed her

usefullness constantly.

Slipping her Jedi robes over her head, Lucillia stepped out of their room. She

walked slowly toward the Great Temple’s main entrance, savoring the memories

held in every smell, every corroded stone block, every whispering noise.

Yes, Lucillia thought confidently, I belong here.

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"We’ll be going in Innocent, Lucillia explained to Tionne and the other cadets.

Luke was leaving the musically-inclined student in charge of lessons for the

duration of their trip. After over a year of wondering, Lucillia had decided the

time had come to return to Umdalla and discover the truth of her lineage once

and for all. If Obi-Wan Kenobi was indeed her grandfather, she needed to know.

"Be careful, please," Tionne replied. "You don’t know what’s out there."

"We will be."

Tionne hugged Lucillia briefly and whispered, "Come back to us," in her ear.

Together Luke and Lucillia boarded her ship. Lucillia felt pleased to note how

natural it felt sitting in the pilot’s chair. And how wonderful it was to glance

at the copilot’s chair and see the man she loved instead of the wasted space the

pilot was used to. Lucillia reached out her hand and Luke clasped it tightly,

the reassuring strength of his love surrounding her. I love you. Always.

The Jedi Master smiled. And I you.

"I know we’ll find something." Lucillia paused. "I haven’t been to Umdalla since

I was a little girl. Father took me to the palace. He said gram lived there when

she was my age. He showed me the gardens. After my great-grandmother died, gram

watched over them in her memory. When the Imperials overran the palace and

forced them out, gram hated leaving those flowers behind more than anything.

"I saw a door we hadn’t gone in yet and ran for it. Father shouted for me to

stop, but I wanted to find out what was in there." She shuddered. "Darth Vader

was inside. I was only about five at the time, and... I have never been so

scared at any other time in my entire life. He just-just stood there, staring at

me. Through me.

"Father ran in then and picked me up, babbling an apology and an explanation in

the same breath. I heard Vader say something about ‘the child.’ I just wanted to

leave. For some reason, no one followed us. Maybe Vader told them not to."

Lucillia shook her head. "I still wonder if it had something to do with Obi-Wan.

If he really was my father’s father, maybe Vader sensed it."

Then she noticed that Luke was crouched in front of her, holding her hands in

his. "Maybe he did." He reached up and caressed Lucillia’s cheek. "I’m sorry

this is bringing back such unpleasant memories." Despite the fact that Luke had

long ago accepted Anakin Skywalker’s actions, each time he learned of a new

atrocity, it pierced his heart. Seeing tears in the eyes of the woman he loved

hurt most of all.

She smiled at him then, the love they shared lightening her heart so that her

old fears seemed even further away. "It doesn’t matter anymore. That was a long

time ago. Now I have you. Not matter what happens when we reach Umdalla, know

that I love you."

"And I love you." Childlike joy lit Luke’s pale blue eyes as he reached into a

pocket of his robe and withdrew a small silver band inlaid with dark blue

stones. "Since I’m already on my knees . . . Lucillia B’a’ru, will you be my

wife?"

Throwing her arms around his neck, Lucillia whispered her answer into the Jedi’s

ear. Luke pulled her out of the chair and into his lap, then slipped the ring

onto her finger. She laughed and looked around. "Well, we’re both on the floor.

Now what?"

"I’m sure we’ll think of something," he said as he began planting a trail of

kisses from the base of her neck to her lips.

"Mmm... I’m sure we will."