Hope's New Dawn

[Selena Uhopria]

(This is my first Star Wars Story.. If you see any spelling errors let me know ) *edit I changed the name from Jade seeing as it to closely mimic the book about Mara Jade


Han and Leia are arguing about wedding plans again and it made Luke laugh. He thought back on the last couple of years and was amazed on how his life had changed. He had gone from a farm boy on Tatoonie to a Jedi knight. He had a sister he had never known and some great friends. He had finally found his father and turned him back to the light side although he still died. That was a wound that still ached with in him. All though things were going well, something in him still felt empty perhaps it was the happiness he sees with his friend Han and his sister Leia.

Today they are traveling to an unknown planet Allora. There are many planets in the galaxy that don’t know they are free from the emperor and are still trying to fight and are causing problems. Allora is one such planet. Leia, Han and Luke step off the ship.
“What a beautiful planet.” Leia says.
It truly is Luke thinks. It has beautiful waters and warm beaches and seems ideal, but one can feel the pain running through this planet. The emperor had used this planet as his get away and had abused the residents here to do, as he wanted. Luke and the others walk toward the Residing leader’s house. When they knock on the door they are met by a surly young boy who yells at them telling them Imperial officers are not wanted here.
A voice calls out. “Jason no stop that and move away.”

A young attractive lady steps into view. She looks young about Luke’s age with long Amber red hair and leaf green eyes she is medium height and curvy, but is toned enough that one can tell she could fight if needed be. She looks at them they can see she trying to hide the fear in her eyes.
“Hello my name is Merissa and you are?”
Leia steps forth trying to ease her fears. “I am Princess Leia and I bring you good news the Emperor has been defeated.”
Merissa looks behind her and steps out of the door and closes it behind her.
“Please if this is a joke don’t do this.”
Leia looks her in the eyes. “No this is no joke.”
Tears fill her eyes, but don’t fall. “Thank you so much.” She looks lost at what now to say.
Leia smiles “may I know who you are really I mean Merissa is nice but..?”
Merissa looks at her and Luke feels the force swirling around and knows instantly that Merissa is strong in the force he steps in front of Leia to protect her, which with brings him close to Merissa. A current flows between the two causing Merissa to jump back in shock.
“Who are you?” she says looking at Luke.
“You’re strong in the force.”
Fear fills her eyes and she quickly places her hand over his mouth. “Quiet are you trying to get me killed?”
Luke stares at her stunned. His lips tingle where her fingers are. As if realizing just now what she has done she blushes and snatches her hand back.
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that, but it dangerous to say such things even if the emperor is dead.”
Luke is trying sort this all in his head. Who is she and why was he reacting to her so strongly?
Leia looks at Luke and a smile brightens her face. “May we please come in?”
“Yes please quickly.” she ushers them in the door. “James” she calls out “come quickly.” An older man appears and stops staring at Leia strangely then and smile breaks over his leathery face.
“Well is it’s isn’t Princess Leia Organa.”
“You know me?”
“Yes I was a friend of your mother Padmé Amidala before she died.”
“You knew my mother?”
“Yes” he says sadly “and your father.” He looks at Luke. “You look so much like him.”
“James” Merissa quietly interrupts “what the heck is going on?”
“Ah the time has come.” He walks up to Merissa and touches her face “your destiny awaits my dear girl. Your mother and father I told you about them.”
“Yes you said the emperor had killed them.”
“Yes because they were one of Jedi who tried with Obi-Wan Kenobi to stop him, your parents were powerful Jedi not as strong as Anakin, but still. When they were killed I promised Obi-Wan Kenobi I would get protect you. So I took you here to my families home planet to keep you safe. Obi-Wan Kenobi said one day Leia, Luke and your paths would cross.”
“Oh is that what he said?” Merissa asks getting angry.
“No but the rest is for you to deiced.” He smiles knowing right now Merissa is mad. That girl is so passionate and stubborn that poor boy isn’t going to know what hit him. “Luke” he says “your going to need to train her. With both Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi dead you’re her only hope.”
Merissa gasped in outrage. “I don’t need..”
“Yes you do!” James interrupts. “You are too strong in the force and it could kill you being untrained.”

[Selena Uhopria]

Merissa won’t look at them. Luke can see she is upset, but is trying it hide it.
“I will train you if you let me.”
Merissa looks up. “It seems I have no choice.” She walks off.
“Please be patient with her. She has been alone all her life. Afraid and lost she has never fit in. Her force powers are what have made her alone and it has made her dislike her powers. It was dangerous for her to show them with the emperor always coming here. So she spent a lot of time hiding her self and is afraid to let others close because of it. I blame myself but knew no other way.”
“I understand.” Luke says looking in the direction Merissa has left.
“I’m sure you do.” James say’s with a knowing smile that Luke doesn’t see but Leia does and can’t help smiling back.
“Tell me about my mom.” she says,
“Come this way I have pictures of both your parents and stories.”
“Luke?” Leia asks, “are you coming?”
“No I think I should talk to her. I can feel her pain from here.”
“I understand.”
After he leaves Leia looks at James “their future is tied together isn’t it?”
“Yes Obi saw it and that’s one of the reasons he ask me to protect her, but I assure you it is going to be a bumpy ride, Merissa is afraid of her powers but most importantly afraid to love. I hope Luke isn’t a quitter.”
“No he isn’t.” Han smiles “this is going to be fun.”
“Oh hush you” Leia says gentle “or I’m going to give you a bumpy ride till we get married.”
“Aww honey I was just having fun.”

[Selena Uhopria]

As Luke walks out side he can see Merissa on the beach. He walks up to her and sees her stiffen.
“I won’t call you Master or anything got it!”
“Well Luke has always work for me.”
Merissa turns around and stares at him. Honest blues eyes in a handsome face, but she had known many handsome faces that had hide a cruel heart and wasn’t about to buy what his eyes said. She takes a deep breath, still there is no need to be rude.
“So you’re going to train me huh?”
“Yes I would like to will you let me?”
“I suppose so just don’t lie to me ok?”
Luke looks at her with understanding in his eyes “Sure I promise. Do you have a light saber?”
“Yes my mothers. My father’s was destroyed.”
“Where?”
“Come I’ll show you.” She walks toward another section of the beach near a cove. “We keep all these things out of people’s sight so they couldn’t destroy them.”
In the cove she deactivates a force shield.

A door appears and she walks through it. Luke follows her and is surprised at what he sees. They are in a controlled environment. The outside elements are kept out perfectly preserving everything here. There are many Jedi artifacts and such.
“My mom had a vision something was going to happen so she transferred as much as she could here for me before she died. I love wearing her outfits they make me feel connected to her.” She reaches down and unlocks an old beautiful box and pulls out a unique light saber. She handles it with expertise and careful hands it to Luke.
Luke admires it “this is lovely.”
“Thanks my mom loved her light saber it was made especially for her as a gift, from who I don’t know. I’m just glad to have it.”
It looks right in her hands Luke thinks. “Have you had any training with it?”
“Yes James showed me how to use it, Obi had shown him first. So how does this training go?”

Luke thought back on what Yoda had told him years ago. “We’ll have to train alone and you have to learn to trust me and learn from me.”
“Alone?” Merissa asks.
This causes Luke to blush, but he knows it is the only way. With others there the proper bond for training would be hard to form and she was too reluctant as it was.
“We will go to Dagobah were Yoda trained me.”
“Dagobah yuck what an ugly uninhabited planet.”
“Yes I know and that is why we much go. Please pack and be ready in two days.” With that Luke walks off. Jason walks around the corner.
“What is going on?” he asks,
Merissa has to remind herself he is only eight years old. She was there when he was born she has raised him after Sarah, James wife had died. He was so smart but was still so young.
“I’m going to have to leave Jason there things I have to do”.
Jason gets angry at this and walks off

[Selena Uhopria]

When Luke comes back into the house Leia and James are still talking. Leia sees him and stops.
“So?”
“So we are going to Dagabon.”
“We?”
“Yes her and I it is the only way.”
James laughs “boy I hope you know what you’re getting into.”
“Do you know any other way?” Luke asks him.
“No for one to be trained they have to trust the one training them and with Merissa the only way to do that is take her away from everything she knows where others aren’t around so she can learn how to be all over again. Wise decision Luke. Just remember what I said about patience you’re going to need it.”
“Yes I can tell.” Luke says smiling.
“Look Luke our parents.” Leia holds up a picture of a handsome couple who look very much in love. The woman is very pregnant and the man has his hands protectively over her womb as if trying to protect his children. Some thing warms in Luke at the sight. Love is the most precious and rare thing in the galaxy.

Merissa has been going through all her things the last day. She knows they leave tomorrow and is running out of time. She makes a decision and decides to take all her mothers outfits and none of hers. After all they are Jedi outfits made for fighting and training in. They are either made of cool cotton for breathing or leather to protect. She goes and packs them as well as her moms various sword and knickknacks and light saber. She leaves all her fathers stuff hoping that she shall see them again, but knows it does her no good to bring them. Her one vanity is her hair trinkets she can’t help it, her hair is long and she keeps it that way in honor of her mother. All that is left is to say good-bye. She walks up to Jason who has been sulking all day.
“Now stop that be a big boy.”
“I don’t want to be a big boy I want you to stay.”

Merissa knows Jason is very upset.
“I have to go but I will come back and see you I love you and I always will.”
“I love you too.” the boy says sobbing. Merissa takes him into her arms.
“I will come back I promise. Have I ever broken a promise?”
“No” he says.
She hugs him tight and walks off. Luke and James are in the living room. Luke looks up and something in her responds to him. She takes a deep breath and ignores it.
“James you are all the family I have ever known I shall miss you.”
“Me to Spitfire.” he responds “me to.”
Merissa smiles at the nickname. She hugs him tight trying not to cry.
“It will be all right trust Luke” he whispers.
“I’ll try” she whispers back. They pack all her stuff and the supplies they need and are off. The others watch until the ship is gone. James is smiling
“Let the battle began” he says laughing.

[Selena Uhopria]

She hasn’t said much since we left
Luke thinks to himself.
I know this is right thing, but I hate that she is hurting.

He checks the chart to make sure they are headed in the right direction then goes to check on her. He finds her staring out the meeting room window. She senses him as he walks in.
“I’ve never been on a ship that I can remember before. I mean I know I had to be on one to get to Allora, but it was so long ago I don’t remember. It is so quiet here. What is this ship’s name?”
“The Millennium falcon and its Han’s I’m surprised he’s letting me use it. He’s rather protective of his ship I’m suspecting my sister had a hand in him letting us use it.”
“They seem very much in love.”
“They are” he says “but they are like oil and water those two.” he can’t help but laugh when he sees her smiling.

“Tell me how they meet?” She asks.
Over the next couple hours Luke tells Merissa about Tatoonie and Obi and all that has happen since that fateful day that a certain R2-D2 dorid ran away looking for his previous master. Merissa touches his hand as tears run down her face as he tells her what happen to his Aunt and Uncle. Luke keeps his hand still , silently hoping she keeps her hand over his. She laughs at some of the moments like the one were he tells her, how he at first didn’t know Leia was his sister and had developed a crush on her. When all is said and done Merissa stares off.
“Wow what a life you have had Luke. There is a wound in you that need’s to heal, if you’re ever to feel whole. There is a piece missing and I don’t know what it is but you need to find it. I’m tired and would like to nap are you okay by your self?”
Luke responds “Yes I’ll be alright.”
“Well if you need anything wake me I’m a light sleeper.” She says. Then she walks off to sleep and Luke walks to the Cockpit.