The Summer Strikes Back, Part 25

Luke shouldn't have been surprised to see Yoda and Uncle Ben sitting in Yoda's kitchen when he and Leia arrived there late the next day. Uncle Ben's crutches lay next to his avocado green metal and vinyl chair. “Uncle Ben,” Luke started, “why didn't you tell us about Adam?”

“You said that Vader betrayed and murdered our brother,” Leia added, glaring at him. “Vader said he is Adam! Uncle Ben, you lied to us!”

“What we said was true...from a certain point of view.” Ben sighed. “Adam was my best friend. He had amazing promise as a surfing protege, at least until he came back from the Army. Simon Palapatine seduced your brother with promises. He claimed he could earn three times as much money doing his dirty work as he would running the Cottages or working in Owen's hardware store.”

“But why?” Luke's heart fell further and further into his chest. “Why? Ahsoka told us Adam loved us and our parents.”

“Part of it was Vietnam.” Ben finished his own tea. “The things he saw over there...he'd never talk about it. He was moodier after he came home. More prone to violence and anger.”

“Your parents' death in that car crash was the beginning of the end.” Ben pushed the tea cup aside. “Adam adored them, especially your mother. He never got along with Owen all that well. Bertha tried, but she couldn't smooth over the fights between them.” He shrugged. “Owen blamed me for almost everything. For Adam going bad, for him meeting Patti Mae, for him getting into trouble.”

Leia frowned. “Why? What did you do?”

“Not see the trouble coming, we didn't.” Yoda was something close to ashamed. “Thought he was letting off steam. Left the Jedi Knights, joined the Imperial Gang. Petty thieves, they were, until Adam joined. Did worse things after that. Burned businesses, robbed them. When business gone, move in, Palpatine could. Take over, he could.”

Ben's voice was strained. “Ahsoka called me after she got out of the hospital. Said she'd mentioned Patti Mae Anderson. Patti was pregnant with Adam's child. He wanted to keep it. Wanted a family more than anything. Used to talk about how their child would grow up playing with you two in the Cottages. He wanted to raise both of you with Patti, but once he started robbing convenience stores and burning businesses here, he was declared an unfit parent, and you two were turned over to Owen and Bertha.”

Leia and Luke exchanged confused looks. Luke shook his head as Yoda brought them green tea. “I don't remember any of this.”

“I don't, either.” Leia sipped her tea. She made a face at the oddly bitter taste, adding honey from a plastic bear. “Uncle Owen and Aunt Bertha won't talk about Adam. Owen said he died in a hold-up after he came back from Vietnam. Why didn't he tell us the truth?”

“Owen was afraid Vader would come after you.” Their uncle stared at both of them intently. “He threatened to have a restraining order slapped on him at one point. Adam finally promised he'd have no contact with you. I don't think he's been in Philadelphia for over a decade. Your uncle only tolerated your visits here because the Cottages were your parents' too, and because Bertha thought it would be good for you two to still have that connection to your family.”

Luke bit his lip. “Uncle Ben...what happened to Patti Mae? Ahsoka said she died in the early 70's, but she didn't know any details.”

“Died in childbirth.” Ben looked down at his cup. Anywhere but the twins. “She was there the night the Order 66 Diner burned to the ground, taking the Mufasar Hotel next-door with it. We'd heard Adam had been involved in several arson cases in the area. She didn't want to believe it. She was still hoping that he'd give up on being Palpatine's flunky and marry her.”

His voice dropped to a whisper. “I came to find Adam trying to strangle Patti over what was left of the counter. There had been a major rumble in the alleys behind the diner earlier that day between the Knights and the Imperials. The Knights weren't ready for the attack. Most of them died, either from being shot or caught in the fire.”

The soft voice broke down, becoming choked with emotion he'd hidden for thirteen years. “I got Patti out to her friend Bail Organez. His family used to own Alderaan Island, before they died in a mysterious boat crash a few years ago. She made it to the hospital, but Adam...”

Yoda handed him a pink tissue; he wiped furiously at his eyes. “Adam was still in there. He said he wanted Patti and me to join him. We'd build a new town from the ashes of the old city. We fought, right there in the fire. I...I...” He finally looked up at the horrified twins. “I hit him...he fell...beams fell on him...” His soft voice broke all together. “They pinned him down. I couldn't...I couldn't get him out. I tried, but I had already inhaled more smoke than was healthy for a human. I...I left him there. I told one of the firemen on the lawn there were others trapped inside...then I ran...”

Luke rubbed his uncle's shoulder, but Leia glared at him. “You left Adam to die. No wonder he's pissed as hell at you!”

“There wasn't anything else I could do!” Ben shot back. “Leia, I'm a teacher, not a god-damn firefighter!” He bit savagely into an almond cookie in an old Premium Saltines tin on the table, then continued. “Patti Mae went into early labor, probably from the stress. It was too early. She'd always been a delicate girl. Used to take ballet lessons as a child. Hid a will of steel, though.”

He finished the cookie, wiping his fingers on a napkin. “In many ways, she was a lot like you, Leia. Had mentioned going into politics after the baby was born.” His face seemed to have aged ten years since he started talking. “She lived long enough to see her daughter's face before she died from the blood loss. The baby only lasted a few hours longer.”

Yoda finished the story. “Went to Palpatine that night myself. Fought too, we did. Let's say, went well, it did not. Wanted him to stop arson attacks. Shown the door, I was.” Yoda gave them a tiny smile. “Was kicked off the City Council three years later, Palpatine was. Wanted to raise taxes, he did, and build large mall, like on mainland. Too many small business owners in Council then.” Yoda frowned. “May be more open to it now. Walking Mall is doing well, but like malls on mainland, it is not.”

“Maybe not.” Ben looked up at Leia. “I got a call from Senator Mothma while you were away in Atlantic City, Leia. She says she'd be interested in speaking on behalf of the cottages, and even judging the surfing contest.”

“She did?” Leia's face broke into a grin. “I knew she wouldn't let me down! I need to talk to her about that internship anyway, if I can.”

“Join her, I will.” Yoda gathered the tea cups. “Been surfing for eighty years, I have. Experience, I have.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you're up to it? You're awfully...seasoned.”

Yoda smirked. “Look I so old to young eyes?” He poked at Luke with his wooden cane. “When 92 years old you reach, look as good, you will not, hmm?” Leia giggled as her brother rubbed his arm.

“We've rounded up a few other judges.” Ben slid the cookie tin onto one of the shelves over the counter. “Carl Rieekian, Jan Dodanna, and our mayor Hector Thrawn. Thrawn's all in favor of building that mall. He was when Palpatine first brought it up in the early 70's. Dodonna and Rieekian own small businesses – Dodonna runs the Green Yavin Motel on Hamilton Street – and are totally against the project.”

Luke looked at his hand. “I can't do it. I don't know how I held on to the trapeze. Sheer fear, I guess.”

“You can, Luke, and you will. You just need to cover it with plastic.” His twin took his good hand in hers. “Hank and I will be cheering you on from the end of Maz' pier. And don't forget the boat pageant entries will be out there, too. Not to mention dozens of cops. It'll be Labor Day Weekend. We'll be ready.”

Ben nodded. “Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but Vader could use them against you.”

He just stared at his hand. What was he doing? Why had he accepted Vader's challenge? His own brother. He loved them. Even after everything that had happened, everything Ben and the others did, he still loved his siblings. Luke was going to find his older brother under that damn helmet if it took him the entire weekend. If it took him the rest of his life.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“I want you to take her.” Hank waved his hands at the Falcon, anchored behind them at Brentwood Marina. “She's the fast ship in Ocean View, faster than the Ghost. She could definitely outrun anything the Imperial Gang has. We don't know what Vader has planned.”

“All right, old buddy!” Lance laughed. “It's the least I can do for you. You and the old man have been great about letting me stay at your cottage while I figure out what to do next.”

“I don't think we have a choice right now,” Hank admitted. “It's either we stay where we are, or sleep in the Falcon. As small as they are, the Cottages have more room.” He patted Lance's shoulder. “Kenobi says one of the cottages should be open after Labor Day Weekend. You could take over that if you want more room. I'm thinking about asking Leia if she wants to find a place together, anyway, or at least move up to Philly to be closer to her.”

Lance grinned. “You're that crazy about her.”

“Well, yeah.” Hank pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose. He really wished he'd been able to find his spare prescription sunglasses. His other pair made him look geekier than Chip. “She's a good girl. She'll do great in college. She's so smart. She saw through Jasper. She's...she's a really great girl”

“Now I know you're in love.” Lance laughed heartily. “You're talking like a goofy 13-year-old who has a crush on a girl twice his size and age.”

“That's kind of how I feel.” Hank shrugged as they started back towards the Falcon. Lance scooped up two boxes of Christmas lights and pirate decorations as he followed him. “Leia may be tiny, but there's just something about her that makes her...I don't know, strong. She's got the eyes of a doe and the balls of a samurai. Jasper was a freakin' nut if he thought he could treat her like some puppet.”

“Yeah.” Lance chuckled as he went up the plank. “I've seen her in action. Let's just say I don't want to get on her bad side again after what she did to the Hutt.”

Hank nodded and started stringing Christmas lights around the outside of the wheel house. He didn't really want to discuss the last couple of days. Not that he remembered much about them, anyway. They'd gone straight to Dr. Felicia Kalonia, Ben Kenobi's long-time physician, after getting back into Ocean View. She'd said he was fine physically, but Jasper doused him with so many chemicals, those couple of days he was in his clutches would more than likely remain blacked out for the rest of his life. It was probably just as well. After hearing what Jasper did to his previous mistress and tried to do to Leia, he didn't want to know what went on in the Hutt's warped little mind.

“Oh yeah,” Lance added as he strung up a black flag with a yellowed skull and crossbones onto the mast, “and I turned the money from hocking Leia's gown, shoes, and jewelry over to the old man. For a guy with no taste, Jasper at least knew what money could buy. I got a nice chunk of change at that shop in Philly. Should cover everyone's doctor and hospital bills, including your chat with Doc Kalonia, with just enough left over to contribute to the Save the Cottages fund.”

Hank gave him his famous little smirk. “Good. The Hutt would probably blow a gasket if he knew his expensive Barbie clothes were being used to save a bunch of old houses in Ocean View. These folks need it a hell of a lot more than he ever did.” He ran his hand lovingly over the wheel. “Maybe after the contest, there might even be enough money leftover for some real repairs to my baby.”

Lance rubbed his shoulder. “It'll be ok, buddy. It's just one night. I'll take good care of her. She won't get a scratch.”

“Yeah.” Hank shrugged his hand off, turning around. “Maybe we ought to get moving. The last City Council meeting of the summer's tonight. Gonna be a really big deal. Senator Mothma's gonna be there. She's Leia's idol. Leia, Luke, and Ben are bringing some old guy who's a friend of theirs. Even Ackbar's supposed to show up, and during the dinner hour, too.”

He watched Lance as he went to gather more lights. “I got your promise. Not a scratch!”

Lance laughed. “Would you just get working?”

Hank nodded with a grin of his own. “Sure, buddy.” Lance just snorted as he disappeared into the ship, looking for more electrical cords.