Zelina stood alone in her room at the house, the few things she was actually going to take with her strewn across her bed. Luke was in his room hopefully doing something similar and getting ready to leave as well. After nearly twenty years living here, Zelina felt the stirrings of bitterness that they were going to have to leave, even if Tatooine was high on her most despised planets. It had still been home...more than once. How many times was she going to have to have to flee from this planet, though?

At least one more time, she couldn't help but think, turning her attention back to pulling on her sturdy pair of boots. She made sure her breastplate was in place before she picked up the wrap she always kept somewhere on her person in case she was caught in a sandstorm. She wrapped it around her chest, from shoulder to the opposite hip, wrapped it around her waist, did the same with the other shoulder, wrapped around her waist, and let the rest remain hanging in the back. Next came her belt, complete with her thigh holster for her blaster. Once that was securely in place, she clipped her lightsabers to their respective sides and slipped her vambraces onto her arms, making sure the edges of the armor weren't bothering her elbows before grabbing her cloak off of the bed and draping it over her arm for the time being.

Kneeling down, Zelina uncovered her small lockbox she kept buried in the center of her room, opening it up to reveal the contents within. She gathered up the holochips and the holocrons, all the teaching materials she'd been able to study or use for Luke's training over the years, and put them in the same bag she'd brought them to Tatooine in, deciding it was best to preserve the knowledge, especially since Luke still had things to learn. She also had a stash of Imperial Credits in the lockbox, meant for a situation just like this in case she didn't have time or enough security to drain her account.

After emptying the lockbox, she reached up and grabbed her heavily modified and very illegal DC-17 blaster. Thank the Force for Han's smuggling skills, trips, and contacts. She kept it here so that she would still have it when they left the planet, since she didn't want to run the risk of it getting confiscated or destroyed if she brought it every day to the cantina.

And now, she thought smugly, securing the blaster in her thigh holster, I'm finally going to be able to use it outside of basic practice.

After so long away from war, she hoped she was still fit for the front lines. She was twice as old as she'd been when the Clone Wars ended...

"Mother? Are you ready?"

Zelina looked over her shoulder to see Luke standing packed and ready. He was holding a poncho bunched up in his hand, about to put it on once he had a confirmation from Zelina. He wasn't wearing anything a Tatooine native would wear anymore, but rather something Zelina had bought him with the intent that it would be worn after they left. It was a long sleeved black button up, but made of a thinner material—enough to keep him warmer in space and provide some protection against cooler climates on other planets without tormenting him too much in the Tatooine heat, however long they stayed on the planet. Knowing him, he probably had a tank top underneath in case he got too hot. He also had the sturdy boots, light brown pants, a belt that had a holster complete with a blaster and his father's lightsaber already clipped to his side...

"Almost. Just want to check a few things before we leave," she murmured, running through the pockets on her belt and making sure she had everything.

Comlink, grappling hook, a small glowrod, lightsaber repair kit, a pocket with a few credits stashed inside, extra power packs for her blaster...

She only kept some of what used to be standard on a Jedi's utility belt, but this wasn't the same galaxy anymore. She'd tailored her utility belt to what she hoped was what she would need the most.

One hand reaching up to graze her mother's necklace—still there, hidden under her breastplate, even after all these years—she nodded to Luke, who immediately pulled on the poncho and adjusted it so it hid his lightsaber. Zelina pulled on her cloak, keeping the hood down for the moment as she made her way for the exit.

"Do you have everything?"

"Everything I need."

Zelina paused at something in his voice, turning to look at him halfway up the steps out of their home. She could still see it, for the most part—it hadn't entirely disappeared.

She used to train him in the central chamber, before they'd moved to the canyon as his training grew more complex. She'd told him so many stories about his family in his room, in the living room...She raised him here. This was where he grew up. And it hadn't had the negative ties Zelina and Anakin had when they grew up—he'd grown up comfortable, happy, loved...even if he didn't have his real parents, even if he had to keep part of him secret. Plus...this is where she'd grown to love him.

It was their home, but it couldn't be home any longer.

Zelina reached out and put a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "We have to go now. While we're still ahead. We have what matters."

Luke nodded, and the two of them hustled their way up the steps and to the speeder waiting for them outside, complete with two rebel droids straight out of Zelina's past.

***********************************

"Ameenah, I don't care if he's asleep or in a meeting with Jabba the Hutt, I need to speak with Solo now," Zelina told the Trianii woman in a hushed tone at the back of the cantina, sticking to the shadows with Luke close by her side. "Tell him I need a favor from him, one that will wipe clean any debt he has to me and pay him well in the process."

"If you're in some kind of trouble, Zel, I'll help for free," Ameenah said with a frown, studying Zelina and Luke's clothes. They did look like they were dressed not only to leave but ready for a fight, Zelina especially.

"It's not the kind of trouble you can solve with a hit, I'm afraid," Zelina said with a wry smile. "It's the kind that involves getting smuggled off planet."

Zelina reached out and gently touched the other woman's shoulder, even if she had to reach a bit to get her hand up there. "I appreciate everything you've done for me. Maybe some day we'll run into each other again. But right now...I need Solo, so we can leave."

The woman huffed. "If I get my arms ripped off for waking up a Wookiee in the middle of the night—"

"Just don't wake up the Wookiee—wake up the human," Zelina suggested smugly.

Ameenah unfolded her arms, pushing away from the wall. "I'll find him. Just don't get yourselves killed in the meantime."

Zelina nodded. "We'll meet him here," Zelina told Ameenah as she left, turning back to Luke once Ameenah's tail flicked out of sight. "I don't want to stay in one place too long. We'll sell the speeder while we're waiting for Han, and drain our accounts if we get the chance."

"I thought the material wasn't something a Jedi concerned himself with?" Luke asked pointedly, arching a brow.

"No, he doesn't, unless he's about to get launched into a war and might need some funds to get, oh, I don't know, some armor, rations, transportation, weapons or weapon parts, a bed for the night—"

"I get it," Luke said with a roll of his eyes, following Zelina as she led them back out of the cantina.

"Don't worry, I'll resist the urge to spend it all on armorweave to wrap you in like a protective bubble...Maybe I'll use some of it to get you a nice armorweave shirt or something."

"Mother!"

**********************************

Several thousand credits richer but slightly jumpier, Zelina and Luke returned to the cantina after selling Luke's speeder first and emptying the accounts second. If any Imperials were looking for that sort of activity as a red flag someone was going to try and run, she wanted it to be the last thing she did so it didn't cut them short of time.

Besides, they needed the credits in case Han needed some incentive to take a dangerous job like this. Being partially paid up front always helped.

Those were the answers his mother gave him when he asked, anyway.

With the droids hiding in the back room, all that remained was Han and Chewbacca's arrival. Luke was sitting undisturbed in a back booth while his mother spoke quietly with Benon at the bar—sorting out some last minute cantina issues before she left so the place didn't immediately go to the Void, from what he'd gathered.

Luke shifted uncomfortably with the three layers he wore, resisting the urge to wipe the sweat gathering along his hairline, knowing his mother had a perfectly good reason for having him wear so many layers but still disliking how uncomfortable he was at the moment. Sure, he'd probably be grateful come colder temperatures, and he only needed the poncho long enough to hide his weapons, but it still bothered him now.

At least the patrons at his mother's cantina knew better than to mess with him, so he didn't have to worry about being bothered while he tried to lay low, as his mother had instructed. Then again, why they knew better than to mess with him still sent a small chill down his spine.

It had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with what happened to the slaver who'd once tried to snag him in the bustle of the cantina not too long after Han signed on to run shipments for his mother every now and then. It was one of the very few times his mother had scared him, and her anger hadn't even been directed at him. He hadn't even seen it all because she had Ameenah remove him from the cantina until Zelina came to get him herself.

Her ferocity could be terrifying, and was in direct contrast to everything she taught him about the Jedi.

Luke looked up as a Wookiee suddenly towered above the crowd of late night patrons, the familiar figure of Han Solo standing just in front of him. After a few moments, they seemed to pick Luke out of the crowd and made their way over, Chewbacca sliding into the booth first with Han situating himself on the edge. "All right, Kid, what's so important I just got drug out of bed in the middle of the night?" Han griped.

As Han spoke, Luke reached out to his mother's presence in the Force and gave her a gentle nudge to get her attention. "My mother's taking pretty firm control of everything going on, so I'll leave the explaining to her," Luke said with a nod as Zelina abruptly wrapped up her conversation with Benon, pushing away from the bar and heading towards where the others sat. Luke scooted to the side so his mother could join them, watching as Han's eyebrows rose at the sight of Zelina's battle-ready gear.

"Sorry for waking you, Solo, but this is important," Zelina said in a low tone, folding her hands on top of the table. Considering she'd been keeping at least one hand by a weapon all night, it was an interesting choice. Maybe she was trying to assure Han there wasn't any funny business going on.

"I'm starting to get that," Han said sarcastically, nodding towards Zelina's armor. "Ameenah said something about a job when she barged into our room?"

Luke tried to stifle a snort of laughter at the mental image of the Trianii woman bursting into the room and scaring Han Solo awake, though didn't entirely succeed in hiding his mirth, considering the disgruntled look the smuggler sent his way.

"We need smuggled off the planet—as soon as possible," Zelina said, instantly drawing Han's attention back to her. Han seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"For a quick trip, or—"

"It's a one way trip," Zelina said, cutting him off. "To Alderaan."

"Did you two find yourself in some kind of trouble?" Han asked in concern as he glanced between Zelina and Luke.

"The Imperial kind. It's probably best if you don't know more than that if you want to avoid getting too tangled in our problems," Zelina said with surprising patience. "As long as you get us off this planet past the Imperials, I don't care if I have to cram myself into a crate, I'll do it."

I mind, Luke couldn't help but think.

"Be careful what you wish for, I don't think you'd really appreciate being in a crate for hours," Han warned.

Zelina shrugged. "I've done it before." Han gave her a strange look, but she continued before he could ask what she was talking about. "It will be me, Luke, and two droids. We can give you five thousand when we leave, and another fifteen when we arrive.

Han's eyes widened. "Twenty thousand?"

Zelina nodded. "The first five will definitely be in Imperial Credits, though I can't guarantee the currency of the fifteen. But you'll still be paid enough to get you out of trouble for that dropped spice shipment with Jabba, if I'm correct?"

Something tingled down the back of Luke's spine, and he turned instinctively towards the front of the cantina. A pair of stormtroopers had entered the establishment, and were making their way to Benon at the counter.

"Mother..." he said quietly, gaze remaining trained on the stormtroopers.

"I see them," she murmured back. "What do you say, Solo—sound like a deal?"

"It's not a bad deal at all," Han agreed, gaze flickering towards the stormtroopers they'd been muttering about. "The Falcon's in docking bay seven at the local space port. We have a few repairs that need done before we can leave, so the earliest we can leave is dawn. Are you two going to be all right until then?"

"Just fine," Zelina answered before Luke's uneasy look could even finish playing across his face. He glanced at his mother, worried she might be acting a little cocky.

Or maybe he just needed to have a little more faith.

His mother was already getting up, pulling her hood up to hide her face. "We'll see you at dawn," she assured Han, touching Luke's shoulder to make sure he was keeping right behind her as she led them through the cantina towards the back, away from the stormtroopers. Luke caught a glimpse of Ameenah covering their flight out the back from the stormtroopers before the main room of the cantina disappeared from view.

Once in the back, Zelina only paused long enough to snatch a canteen off the rack and fill it with water, calling the droids back to their side in the process. She hardly waited for the canteen to be full before she ushered the group out the door and they disappeared into the dark back alleys of town.

*********************************

"Are you sure we're not going to be noticed out here?" Luke asked as he surveyed the sand dunes around him and the town they'd left behind in the distance.

"Until dawn, if we're careful," Zelina said quietly, undoing her cloak and gesturing for the droids to come over to her. "We won't be able to do anything that would draw too much attention, so no fire, and we'll have to cover the droids. We might want to stay close together--if we do that we might be mistaken for a rock formation from a distance if someone does manage to notice us. I'll need your poncho for that, by the way."

Luke handed her the poncho without question, glad to be rid of the extra layer and standing in the middle of their small group as he waited for further instructions. Zelina kept her attention on the droids for the time being.

"You two might want to go into standby mode—we're not going to be doing anything until a little before dawn," she told them, Artoo giving a small beep in agreement while Threepio muttered something about less than ideal conditions before also powering down. Once the droids were on standby, Zelina threw the poncho over little Artoo, situating it so his dome was covered before throwing her cloak over Threepio and making sure he was also covered, tying the cloak at the bottom to keep it from billowing wildly if any winds picked up. Once that was done, she turned her attention back to Luke.

"Go ahead and get some rest, Luke. You're probably going to need it," Zelina told him softly as she moved closer, getting down on her knees to find a comfortable position she could be in for hours at a time. She caught him looking doubtfully at the ground and had to stifle a smile. "We're probably going to be sleeping on the ground more often than you'd like to believe once we're with the Rebellion. Think of this as practice," she suggested.

Luke sighed, but thankfully she didn't get any complaints from him. "I guess that's one way of looking at it," he murmured, getting down on the ground and attempting to pillow his head on his arm. She would have offered him her cloak as a blanket and suggested he use the poncho for a pillow, but they needed them to hide the droids for now.

"If you feel up to it, I can wake you for the second watch," Zelina suggested casually.

"I can do that," he answered without hesitation. Zelina nodded.

"I'll wake you when it's time. For now, try to sleep."

Luke squirmed to try and get situated, and Zelina turned her attention away from the young man, turning it inward, instead. Now was as good a time as any to take a few moments to meditate on what was happening and what she needed to do. It was the best way to pass the time, and would help deepen her connection to the Force in case they caught any attention, though she didn't think they would. Not Imperial, anyway—there was always the risk of Tusken Raiders.

Zelina let out a long breath, gently easing herself into the ebb and flow of the Force, allowing herself to sink far deeper into its eddies than she had in a long time, partially because, since they were about to burst onto the galactic stage, she wasn't too worried about causing any ripples in the Force. It wasn't like she'd still be on the planet these ripples came from if anyone sensed them and decided to investigate.

The Force had changed after the deaths of all the Jedi during the Purge, which she now realized was part of the reason she'd fumbled with it when she'd first woken up from her injuries, and for some time afterward as she tried to readjust to the new feel of a dark-side dominated Force energy in the galaxy. Once she adjusted, her abilities came easier once again.

For a brief moment, Zelina took the time to find some comfort in Luke's bright presence so close to her own, something she'd done far more than she wanted to admit. For years, he'd been the only other Force sensitive close to her, and sometimes, she just needed the comfort of being reminded she wasn't the only one, even if the only Force sensitive near her was half her age.

Tearing her attention away from Luke, Zelina turned her attention to the Force itself, a small frown gracing her features as she decided to turn to it for answers, and to get a sense of the path they were currently on. She didn't go into the search with specific questions, but rather opened herself up to receive answers to anything she might have swimming around in her subconscious--maybe there was a question she wasn't even aware she needed to ask yet.

For some time she couldn't quite measure while she was so deep in the Force, Zelina didn't find any kind of direction, answer, or feeling, other than the peace that tended to come with such a deep immersion and meditation. She didn't mind--sometimes when she went to the Force for guidance that's all she got, and all she ended up needing. Sometimes the questions she wanted answered only needed her to have a bit more clarity of thought, not direct intervention. Part of her hoped this particular session wasn't one of those, because they were diving headfirst into quite the uncertain situation.

Finally, she got a trickle of something different. Without hesitation, Zelina followed it, and did her best to try and understand what she felt as a result.

Darkness--there was a disturbing amount of darkness waiting for them, that much was clear. But she could have guessed as much. Both herself, and Anakin's son joining the fight against the Empire? That was bound to draw Palpatine's attention, and if that didn't draw his attention, she'd assume he'd gone soft in the head after all these years.

Very unlikely.

She could sense something else, too...it was familiar, but it had been so long since she'd sensed this it took her a moment to realize she was getting the sense of war that she'd grown so accustomed to during the Clone Wars. Again, something she expected going forward. She expected to sense everything that came with a war lying before them. Terror, adrenaline, danger...loss...

And a time to stay the blade rather than strike.

That last one made Zelina pause out of curiosity, but prodding the thought didn't give her anything more, so she left it alone, for now. Surely when such a moment came, the Force would be a lot clearer on the subject.

She also sensed great challenges--great personal challenges--ahead for both herself and Luke. They were going to be tested during this war, both with their relationships and their own personal limits. She hoped she'd prepared Luke enough that he would overcome those challenges, but that, too would be an answer to come with time.

She didn't bother looking for a sense of their own fates--knowing too much of the future could be dangerous, and there were far too many choices that lay ahead of them that would determine what happened to them.

She also sensed that her own path might soon become a lonely one. That...that in particular worried her, considering she was supposed to be taking care of Luke still. Again, any prodding towards that sense came up empty, and she was only left with the sense of loneliness in her future.

Troubled, but not deterred, Zelina brought her attention to a lighter meditation, one that would allow her to keep a hyper-aware sense of her surroundings until it was time to wake Luke and let him take the next watch.

Hours seemed to bleed away effortlessly as Zelina spent the time immersed in the Force, glad that she hadn't sensed anything turn its attention towards them in that time. Eventually she got the sense that Luke had been asleep more than half the night, and it was time to wake him to let him take over.

Quietly, Zelina got to her feet, taking a moment to drink some of the water in the canteen before shuffling over to where Luke was lying sprawled on the sand, apparently having fallen asleep despite his earlier reservations. She kneeled down beside him, placing a gentle hand on his back, giving him a gentle kiss on the head. "Luke...Luke, it's time to wake up."

A low hum resonated in his chest before his eyes opened, a bleary glaze over his eyes signaling he wasn't entirely awake.

"It's your turn to take the watch," Zelina told him softly, a part of her wondering if she should just stay up the whole night. Some part of her told her that wasn't the best idea, however, so she decided to stick with waking him up. She was already halfway there, anyway.

Luke mumbled something unintelligible, but started to get up, prompting Zelina to move out of his way and see if he would get up on his own. After some stretches, and a few times rubbing his eyes, Luke got to his feet, taking the canteen Zelina offered him and making his way over to where Zelina had been sitting while she was on watch. When he fell into a loose standing at the ready position, hands clasped in front of him, Zelina decided she could trust he wasn't about to fall asleep on the job and settled down to get some sleep of her own.

Before she fell asleep, she couldn't help but think of how Luke's chosen position was so close to what Anakin used to do when he meditated standing, the image of him standing on the veranda of Varykino before deciding they needed to go to Tatooine flashing through her mind.

*************************************

It took Luke a little while to fully wake up, still shaking off the sleepy feeling when he heard his mother's breathing even out to signal she'd fallen asleep. Part of the reason he stayed standing instead of sitting or anything else was to try and help him avoid falling asleep, especially since the only things around him were the droids in standby mode and his sleeping mother...and lots of sand.

Meditating was the best thing he could think to do. He didn't have the patience to meditate for long periods of time, yet, but he could do short bursts of it. Now was the best time to practice meditating for a longer period, though, since there was quite literally nothing else for him to do. He could go through lightsaber forms, but he didn't want his father's blade to catch any stormtrooper's eye when they were supposed to be lying low in the desert, which meant not waving around a brightly glowing weapon that screamed I'm a Jedi!

With more effort than he cared to admit, Luke managed to work himself into a light meditation, one that would help him sense any promptings from the Force but wasn't about to reveal the inner workings of the Force in greater nuanced detail, like his mother seemed capable of.

His meditation did allow him to sense it when his mother's sleep turned uneasy, and for a few moments, he turned to look at her, worried she was about to descend into nightmares. It wouldn't be the first time she had them, not by a long shot, and it wouldn't be the first time he was present to witness them.

Whatever was going on in her head seemed to ease, however, and after a few moments longer spent waiting to see if the turbulence in her presence would escalate again, Luke turned back to staring out at the dunes and trying to achieve a more time-passing meditation.

After hours of struggle and a few drinks from the canteen, he finally saw light start to fall across Tatooine's sky again, which he figured was one of the things he was supposed to be looking for. Turning back to his mother, he placed a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake.

"Mother...It's almost dawn."

Zelina was awake far faster than Luke had woken, and he had a suspicion it had everything to do with her experience with war, and the fact she'd been rather silent since Luke showed her the droids. She'd probably been getting back in that kind of mindset as they tried to get off of the planet.

"Wake the droids. We'll go to that docking bay Solo mentioned and hopefully get there before the suns rise," his mother murmured, getting to her feet.

Luke did as she asked, taking his poncho off Artoo and waking the little astromech droid first before relieving Threepio of his mother's cloak and reactivating him next. "We're going back into town," he told the two of them before Threepio had the chance to start questioning them about what was going on.

Artoo whistled in approval as Luke pulled the poncho back on and gave his mother her cloak back, watching as she tied it in place. "Do you think we'll be able to get back into town without any stormtroopers noticing?

"If we're careful. I expect we'll run into some kind of trouble before we leave Tatooine, but nothing we can't handle," she assured him, gesturing for the droids to follow them as she started to lead the way back into town, her steps sure and quick across the dunes.

Luke followed after her silently but with an air of nervousness, fully prepared to run into some kind of perimeter parole of stormtroopers as they tried to enter town. His mother didn't seem to be too worried, but again, he was worried she might be a little too cocky about their chances of getting through the town with no incident. They'd already narrowly missed running into stormtroopers once, and by now the stormtroopers might know who they were looking for, or at least be better organized in their search.

The tension crackled in the air between the two of them as they drew close to the town's borders, his mother's steps slowing and becoming far more cautious as they came within range of any possible patrols. She gestured for Luke to move closer, prompting him to come almost even with her, the droids trailing behind them.

Voices drifted towards them from off to their left, and his mother's pace suddenly picked up to a silent sprint for cover. Her longer gait caused Luke to fall a few paces behind, but he still managed to duck into the alley his mother had sprinted for a few seconds after her. He turned to see where the droids were, and was pleasantly surprised to see that his mother was already pulling them swiftly forward in the Force so they wouldn't be left standing out in the open. Artoo only beeped once in surprise before realizing what was happening and quickly quieting down.

Threepio, on the other hand...

"Oh! Oh dear—what's happening? Put me down!" he cried out, loud enough Luke cringed. Before he could even look at her, his mother moved past him in a fast crouch.

"Shut him up," Zelina hissed through clenched teeth as Threepio came to a slightly rough landing in the alley a little ways behind Luke, who hurried to quiet the panicking droids as his mother flattened herself against the alley wall.

"Threepio, quiet, you're gonna get us caught, and you'll be turned to scrap," Luke warned in a whisper, bringing both droids deeper into the shadows of the alley and watching the other end as he did so. His mother was clearly waiting to see if the approaching patrol had heard Threepio—which they probably had—to take care of them if necessary.

"Oh my..." Threepio muttered in response, though Luke was quite pleased the droid was much quieter this time.

Holding still until his mother could catch up to them, Luke looked back towards the mouth of the alley, keeping close to the shadows and positioned with the intent to use his own figure to try and hide the majority of the droids' reflective surfaces, waiting in tense anticipation to see what his mother was going to do.

A small ripple went through the Force, and Luke barely saw a flash of white before his mother lunged out of her hiding spot, sweeping the legs of the closest stormtrooper out from under him and grabbing the arm of the second in the few moments she had where they were caught off guard. She yanked the second soldier's arm up to expose one of the few unarmored points a stormtrooper had, firing a stun blast into that small space. As the second was crumpling to the ground with a cut off grunt of surprise, she moved the other soldier's arm with a well-placed sweep of her foot and fired another stun round at the trooper on the ground.

His mother holstered her blaster, glancing back to see Luke still standing in the alley with the droids, about to head her way. She held up a hand before he could get too far. "Don't bother—I'll hide them, you keep going—you know the way. I'll catch up."

"We shouldn't split up," Luke argued, knowing his mother was perfectly capable of handling herself, but also that they had more security moving together.

"The faster those droids get out of sight, the easier it will be to get out of here—go on, Luke, I'm only going to be hiding these two so we have a bit more time," his mother scolded him, already in the process of dragging one of the two stormtroopers into the alley.

Not wanting to vex his mother more than he already had, Luke reluctantly went back to the droids, leaving his mother to hide the two stormtroopers as he took the lead to get the droids to the town's small spaceport. "Come on—try not to make too much noise," he murmured, his order mostly directed at Threepio, since the golden droid had already caused them to run into stormtroopers once.

Sticking to the back alleys in an effort to avoid the stormtroopers, Luke did his best to stay in the shadows and blend in, keeping his pace slow enough the droids could keep up even though he was tempted to race to the spaceport as fast as he could. With each passing minute the darkness was giving way to light as Tatooine's twin suns slowly started to rise, dawn gradually erasing the cover of darkness Luke would have preferred to keep when he was trying to be sneaky. One hand hovered near his blaster in case he ran into some of the many criminals that populated Tatooine, hoping if he did get caught in a scuffle that it wouldn't attract any Imperial attention.

He passed a few of the unfortunate poor that were at the very bottom of Tatooine's food chain, just above those that were unfortunate enough to get sold into slavery. Most of them were asleep, and since he was in a hurry, he didn't bother any of them, only rushed past them in his haste to reach the spaceport. Not far from his goal, someone lurking in the shadows of the back alleys reached out and tried to grab him, a slight warning from the Force his only chance to move out of the way before they could. His dodge was quickly followed by the sound of a blaster's safety clicking off.

"Whatever money you've got, throw it on the ground. A-and no funny business," A strained voice suddenly demanded. Luke focused on the dark hole the figure was standing in, making out a spindly and slightly taller figure trying to stay in the shadows, the only part exposed to the rising dawn's light the end of the blaster that was pointed at Luke.

"Oh my," Threepio exclaimed, immediately putting his hands up.

"I'm afraid I don't have any money," Luke said steadily, eying the blaster and taking a quick sweep of the area and what was around him. His hand was itching to fly to his lightsaber or the blaster at his side, but he worried he wouldn't be able to draw either before the stranger managed to shoot him.

"I'm not s-stupid!" the figure—definitely a man, from the sound of his voice—spat. "No one comes into town d-dressed like that w-w-with two fancy droids and no credits, so...just s-set the money down nice and slow."

"I'm in a group," Luke said honestly, hands raised high enough in the air to show he wasn't reaching for a weapon. While he spoke, he carefully tried to reach out for the blaster that was aimed at him through the Force, intending to pull the weapon into his own hands before the other could shoot. "Someone else is carrying the money since they're doing the buying. I was—"

"One more lie, and I'm gonna shoot you. Just h-hand over the credits before y-you end up dead!" the figure shouted.

Luke's jaw tightened as he accepted the man wasn't going to believe that he really didn't have any money, tensing as he prepared for a hopefully quick scuffle and—

"Hey! What's going on here?"

It was an odd feeling to be glad to hear a voice with the telltale stormtrooper helmet distortion, at least with his current situation. The would-be thief made a break for it, shoving Luke aside as he bolted down the alley in an attempt to outrun the stormtrooper. Luke backpedaled again as the stormtrooper rushed forward, opening fire on the fleeing criminal and gunning him down only a few paces into the alley.

Luke felt a pang of trepidation to see the thief get shot down, since he'd only had the intention to stun the man himself, knowing he was likely someone just trying to get by.

Or maybe one of the many spice addicts this planet seemed to harbor...

After the stormtrooper checked to make sure the man was really dead, he turned his attention back to Luke, who had been trying to subtly slide out of the alley to escape being the center of the stormtrooper's attention.

"Don't you go anywhere, either—what was all that about?" the stormtrooper asked suspiciously. Luke reluctantly turned back around to face the Imperial trooper, giving a small shrug and allowing a sheepish smile to appear on his face.

"He jumped me—wanted credits I don't have. See, I'm part of a cargo ship crew that made a delivery here, I was just trying to make it back to the ship before our captain takes off. He's got more deliveries to make, so we're on a tight schedule—"

"What about the droids?" the stormtrooper asked suddenly, suspicion suddenly lacing his tone.

Ah, chuba.

"Them?" Luke asked innocently, gesturing towards Threepio and Artoo.

"I am See-Threepio, Human Cyborg Relations, and this is Artoo-Detoo," Threepio said cordially, with Luke letting him finish. "We most sincerely thank you for your timely rescue—"

"They've been with the ship for a while now," Luke said, interrupting Threepio before the droid could accidentally say something that gave them away. "The astromech for obvious reasons, and the other for translation. They wanted out of the ship for a while and I drew the short straw to keep them with me."

The stormtrooper was silent for a moment, and then, "Let me see some identification."

He didn't have any. That had been something he not only left behind, but his mother had destroyed as soon as they got home, since they were off to join the Rebellion and probably wouldn't want people to know who they were.

He could only think of one thing to do in response.

Luke casually waved his hand in an almost dismissive gesture in front of the stormtrooper, a small smile on his lips. "You don't need to see my identification," Luke said with a small laugh, just in case it didn't work and he needed to pass it off as something else.

The stormtrooper that had quite possibly saved his life moments ago raised his blaster to level it at Luke, and considering he had already gunned down one civilian, Luke didn't doubt he would hesitate to shoot Luke if he felt it necessary.

"What kind of idiot waves his hand around and says—"

Another ripple through the Force caused Luke to step back just as a cloaked figure pounced on the stormtrooper from above, ripping off the soldier's helmet as two blaster shots sounded over another exclamation from Threepio. One was the stun blast that took out the soldier, and the other was a reflexive shot that Luke barely ducked in time. As quickly as it had started, the scuffle was over, with his mother standing up and stepping over the stormtrooper as she adjusted her cloak.

"Leave it to you and that Skywalker luck to run into the one stormtrooper that isn't weak minded."

"I could have handled that," Luke protested, already moving forward to try and drag the stormtrooper into the same shadowy corner the thief had been hiding in.

"Of course you could, but we don't have time for circular conversations. We've got a trail of four bodies, now, we need to go. We'll be lucky if the Imperials aren't already aware someone is sneaking into town trying to leave," she replied, waiting until he drew even with her to resume the trek forward. "Come on, Solo should be there by now."

The poor excuse for a spaceport the town had wasn't that far from where Luke had been jumped, and within minutes, Luke, Zelina, Threepio, and Artoo had all slipped inside. Chewbacca was waiting for them just outside docking bay seven, offering a warm chuff of greeting as they approached and waiting for the four of them to step inside before taking up the rear, either to watch their backs or shield them from any prying eyes with his towering form. Maybe both. Zelina let her hood drop once they were inside, pulling Luke up to walk beside her as if she was afraid of getting separated from him when they were this close to getting off-planet.

Han looked up as they approached the lowered landing ramp, a grease-covered rag in hand to clean up the mess left over from whatever he'd been working on before they arrived. "When you said at dawn, you really meant it. I don't think the suns are even done rising, yet," Han commented.

"Yes, well, promptness is probably in our best interest right now," Zelina replied. Han glanced between the two of them, a flicker of concern flashing across his face.

"You didn't run into any trouble getting here?"

"We ran into a few stormtroopers, but if we leave now it shouldn't be an issue," Zelina said pointedly. Han nodded, gesturing for the pair to head on up the ramp.

"Right—we're in a hurry, anyway, so go on inside and strap in," Han agreed. Zelina was already pulling Luke towards the ramp, gently pulling him up the ramp behind her as she led the way inside.

"Go get strapped in," she told Luke softly, making sure both droids were safely up the ramp as she undid her cloak, shrugging her bag that she'd been stashing her things inside off her shoulder as well.

Luke did as he was asked, part of him stirring anxiously as he got settled in, the droids following him and finding their own places to secure themselves. Chewbacca was next to enter the ship, passing Luke's mother and growling something softly to her that caused her to smile and gently pat Chewbacca on the shoulder before the Wookiee continued towards the cockpit. Zelina made her way to Luke, who was gazing at her curiously.

"What was that about?" he asked. Zelina shook her head, a small smile still on her face.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," she said quietly. As she was strapping in, Han strode confidently into the ship, passing the pair as he made his way towards the cockpit.

"Alderaan here we come," he quipped before disappearing again. Luke looked over at his mother, a bit of doubt starting to gather on his features.

"I would have expected a little more resistance," he admitted, feeling the ship warming up beneath them to take flight.

Zelina glanced at him briefly. "We had a head start. If you hadn't thought to show me the droids, or we'd been delayed in any way, we would probably have stormtroopers chomping at our heels the whole way here. But there's still whatever's waiting for us above the planet to get through. They know those droids are here, which means they're probably going to try and stop us from leaving," Zelina said pointedly.

Luke felt the ship shudder before it lifted up into the air, signaling that they were about to find out if his mother's guess was going to be right.

A few minutes later, Luke felt the ship shudder much more violently.

"Oh my, I'd forgotten how much I hate space travel," Threepio complained as another shudder came through the ship. Luke reached for his restraints so he could undo them and race for the cockpit, but Zelina's hand on his stopped him.

"It's the blockade. Solo's a good pilot, he'll get us through it," she attempted to sooth him.

"Can't I at least see what's going on?" Luke asked. He was itching to see what Han would do to outmaneuver the Imperials, as well as see the ship jump to lightspeed.

His mother gave him a small smile. "There will be plenty of time to see space battles and learn about jumping to lightspeed, later—right now, let them focus on getting us out. Solo probably won't appreciate us crowding up the cockpit and would send us right back here, anyway," she said pointedly.

Luke deflated slightly, knowing she had a point but still wanting to see what was happening from the cockpit.

Soon, a small voice whispered inside him, and he partially wondered if it was actually some feeling sent to him from his mother.

The ship took a few more hits and made a few steep maneuvers they could feel even in their seats before, suddenly, the ship gave a different kind of shudder. A soft hum wafted through the ship, and the strikes came no more.

They were on their way to Alderaan.