5: MIRRORBRIGHT
New Alderaan, 8005 C.R.C.
“Well, there she is. Ain’t she a beaut?”
Jaina Solo stared up at the YT-1300 light freighter that Chance Calrissian had brought her and her brothers to. She had to give credit where it was due; it was certainly a lot more stylish and “clean looking” than the Millennium Falcon. The ship appeared to have a fresh coat of light gray paint with blue stripes accenting it, giving it an almost patriotic look. The space in between the freighter’s front mandibles made for moving cargo was filled out with a new modular component that she had never seen on YT-1300 before, although she wasn’t sure if it served any purpose besides mere style… which, knowing the Calrissians, probably was its main purpose.
Making his way to the ship’s lowered ramp, Chance spun around to face them and spread his arms to gesture at the modified freighter. “I call her the Best Chance. Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?”
“You named your ship after yourself?” Anakin asked.
“Well, no.” Chance smiled sheepishly. “After all, my name’s just Chance, not ‘Best Chance.’”
It took everything in Jaina’s power to not roll her eyes. “Whatever,” she huffed. “Let’s just go already.”
“Should we tell Mom and Dad that we’re leaving?” Anakin asked as the four of them stepped onto the ship.
“Why?” replied Jacen. “We’re not kids anymore. We’re Jedi Knights. We can do whatever we want; go wherever we want.”
“I know, but you know they’re going to get worried about us.”
“Relax. I’ll just transmit a message to Artoo and he can deliver it to Mom. She’ll probably be too busy to notice we’re gone.”
This seemed to do little to assuage Anakin’s concern as he shook his head. “I still have a bad feeling about this….”
Jacen did not seem to care as he followed Chance to the ship’s cockpit. Jaina lingered behind in the main hold with Anakin and decided to take a seat on one of the cushioned seats that encircled the holographic game table. The ship’s layout was more or less identical to that of the Millennium Falcon, albeit with a more clean and upkeep look to it. The seats even had a golden sheen to them, rather than the dirty, torn gray leather that was on their father’s ship.
She turned her attention back to Anakin and watched as he packed back and forth, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “Okay,” she said gently. “What has you so worried?”
“I don’t want to go back to Vjun,” Anakin whispered.
Jaina frowned. “Was it really that bad when you visited it all those years ago?”
“I’m not sure. I mean, I had others with me—Tahiri, Artoo, Masters Tionne and Ikrit—so I felt safe. Even when we encountered that weird mage. But even back then, I could sense a darkness in that place. In Vader’s castle. Now that I’m older and more experienced… will the dark side try even harder to tempt me?”
Jaina sighed quietly. Her younger brother had always been haunted by the heritage of his given name, often fearing that he would follow the same path as his grandfather. No matter how many times she and Jacen, as well as their mother and Uncle Luke, had tried to reassure him, he continued to doubt himself. Going to a place like Vjun, former home to Darth Vader himself, certainly wasn’t going to help matters.
“Well,” she said, “maybe think of this as a test. If you can resist whatever temptations you find on Vjun, then you can tell yourself that you’re not like him. That you won’t follow the same path Vader did.”
Anakin nodded but Jaina doubted that he was fully convinced by her words. Regardless, he finally stopped pacing and sat down across from her at the game table. He switched it on, and Jaina fully expected it to light up with the holographic forms of dejarik pieces. Instead, the tiny figure of an immodestly dressed Twi’lek materialized and started dancing in front of them. Anakin scoffed in disgust before hastily switching the table off.
“I can’t help but wonder if this is all an act he’s trying to put on,” he muttered, putting his arms on the table as he slumped forward.
“If that’s the case,” Jaina murmured, “then who is he trying to impress?”
Within moments, the Best Chance hummed to life and took off from the ground, heading towards the sky of New Alderaan.
* * *
“…pretty confident that we have a solid lead on whoever these ‘Children of Vader’ are. As soon as we find something on Vjun, we’ll let you know. Love you, Mom. Bye.”
Leia stared at the tiny holographic figure of her son Jacen as R2-D2 played the message he had left her. Almost as if on cue, a stylized YT-1300 light freighter launched from the New Aldera Spaceport, falling in with the other ships that were departing now that the lockdown had been lifted. She watched it vanish into the cerulean sky before taking in a deep breath and exhaling it.
Children. No matter how old they get, they still find ways to surprise you.
“Thank you, Artoo,” she said softly.
The astromech droid put away the hologram and tilted himself up to look at her, swiveling his dome side to side as he whirred in a questioning manner.
“No, it’s fine. They are Jedi Knights, after all. I’m sure they know what they’re doing.”
Straightening up, Leia decided to take one last look at the city of New Aldera. The celebrations had been brought to a premature end and most of the vendors had all but packed up and left, or were in the process of doing so. A sole Zelosian musician remained behind, plucking the strings of a tri-harp as his soft voice carried through the near-empty streets.
“Mirrorbright, shines the moon, its glow as soft as an ember.”
Leia stiffened as the familiar notes reached her ears. She swallowed hard as her eyes began to water against her will as painful memories washed back into her mind.
She smiled down at the baby bundled in her arms. Curious brown eyes stared back up at her and cooed as she serenaded her firstborn child.
“When the moon is mirrorbright, take this time to remember.”
She looked on proudly as Ben held his small arms out at the toy bantha, making it float towards him as he tapped into the power inherent within him.
“Those you have loved but are gone.”
Han squeezed her shoulder as she buried her face in her hands, refusing to believe the words being spoken by the solemn detective.
“Those who kept you so safe and warm.”
She stood with her family as they watched the floating memory moths, echoing the name of her fallen brother.
“The mirrorbright moon lets you see.”
A green beam of energy lanced out into space and obliterated everything she had known and loved.
“Those who have ceased to be.”
A quiet whine from R2-D2 brought Leia out of her reverie. Sobering herself, Leia dried her eyes before looking back down at the white and blue astromech.
“I’m fine, Artoo.” She smiled weakly. “It’s just been a long day.”
She beckoned him to follow her as they made their way to the awaiting Millennium Falcon. In the distance, the Zelosian singer’s words continued to carry through the solemn air.
“Mirrorbright shines the moon, as fires die to their embers. Those you loved are with you still.”
Leia closed her eyes and sang to the last words of the song as she stepped onto the Falcon and closed its landing ramp behind her.
“The moon will help you remember.”
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