Way of the Sword-
By Matt Moore

Disclaimer: SW and all of it's characters belong to GL and his
lisencees. I am just having fun.
Also, this story was inspired (somewhat) by The Last Samurai
Have fun!

Chapter 1: Friends

Luke Skywalker knelt slowly in the predawn hours of Naboo. He loved
it here. It was so peaceful, so full of life, so vibrant. He came
from here, and his mother, whom for so long he had thought dead, was
waiting patiently for him to finish his meditations.

The son of Anakin Skywalker, slowly let his mind drift, then moved
his focus to his breathing. He slowly let that focus go, and his
mind focused on nothing, the void being his goal. As his breathing
slowed, visions began to run through his head. Nothing in
particular, but more of a kaleidoscope of people and events. But
one vision disturbed him. His good friend, Mara Jade, was about to
be excecuted for something. He tried to hold on to the vision, but
it eluded his mental grasp.

He slowly opened his eyes. A presence was getting nearer. `Mara!'
he suddenly called out. `Where are you' she sent.

`I'm on the other side of the hill. Mom is making breakfast, and we
need to talk.'

`I'm on my way.'

Two minutes later, a bright crest of flaming gold hair came over the
hill, followed by a lithe female body, clad in a black flightsuit.
Her lightsaber hung from her hip, her aura one of cool confidence.

Luke looked up, and waved her over.

"So, what's up with you this morning, Skywalker? Aren't you up a
little early?"

"Nah, I always get up this early, I love the dawn. It is so
peaceful."

"That it is. And beautiful."

"So, what dragged you out of bed? You usually aren't awake till 9
or so."

"I had some errands to run this morning, and I have something to
give to your mother."

"Well, if your hungry, Mom is making your favorite." Luke grinned
at her. One of the most amusing things he had found out about Mara
Jade, is that they had almost the same exact tastes in food.
Somewhat ironic, considering the differences where they were raised.

The both got up, and walked down the grassy hill, towards the
Skywalker Residence, just as the first rays of light broke the
horizon.

As they walked inside, Padme Skywalker greeted them with a
smile. "Mara, you're looking better."
Inside, Mara winced. She didn't want to remember how sick she had
been last week, and hearing it from Padme, didn't make it any
easier.

"Thank you, I feel a lot better. Luke was a big help with that. He
and Anakin showed me how to do the Healing trance. It worked
miracles."

Padme smiled at that. She turned to Luke. "Where is your father
this morning? I thought he would want to be here for breakfast."

"I think he said he was going for an early morning swim. The
students tired him out yesterday, and he said he needs something to
relax him. Where's Leia? I thought she would be coming over
today?"

Leia Organa Solo lived only 3 miles away from the Skywalkers, with
her husband, Han, and their three children. Leia worked now as the
Senator from Naboo, in the New Republic. Her duties kept her very
busy, but she always made time for her family.

"She said that Anakin kept her up last night with his crying, so she
wanted to sleep in a bit, she will be over around mid-meal. When
is your first class, Luke?"

"Uh, I think it is around 830, Mara?"

"Yep, and that's the other reason I'm up early. I'm now in your
class for fencing."

"What? Did Father promote you?" Luke had a look on his face
halfway between confusion and glee.

"Yes, and Master Windu is going to work with me on Vaapad." She had
a smug smile on her face. She would soon be caught up to Luke, who
had learned Vaapad some months before.

"Sounds fun. So you will be evenly matched with me now?"

"Of course, Farmboy." She already was almost evenly matched as it
was, but he had knowledge of the more advanced techniques, and she
did not. But both agreed that the other was a perfect person to have
at your back in a fight.

Padme carried over several plates and utensils, along with the food
warmers. Luke and Mara sat down, and grabbed what they wanted.
Padme sighed. Those two fit just perfectly together. She sat down,
and got her own food, as Luke and Mara hungrily dug in.

Anakin Skywalker slowly pulled himself out of the warm water, his
bulging muscles the antithesis of his son's form. Where as Luke was
short, and taught as a durasteel cable, Anakin was big, and broad,
like a holoball rammer.

He remembered the first time he had met his son. How he had cut off
his hand in the fight. How his son had jumped. How he met him on
Endor, the fight in the throne room, and the death of the Emperor.
How he had blocked the Emperor's last orders to Mara Jade. He
remembered how Luke had steadfastly refused to remove his helmet,
and put him in a healing trance instead.

He remembered the search for Mara, after he was better. He knew she
would recognize him in the armor, but not as a regular being. He
and Luke found her, and they patiently helped her to overcome the
loss of one of the two people she had ever really trusted or
believed in, the other being Vader himself.

He remembered the long hours of surgery, the weeks spent in bacta
tanks. But in less than a year, he was back to his old self again.
He looked as if he had never turned.

Probably the most amusing part of that, was seeing Mace Windu's
face, when he saw Luke and himself walking to gather the refugee
Jedi. Over 50 were in that camp alone, and when they had seen
Anakin, they all almost simultaneously drawn their sabers. Then
Luke spoke up, and Mace prodded both minds with the force. Then
the strangest thing happened. Mace walked up to Anakin, and hugged
him, with the words, "welcome back, my friend."

Since that day, Mace and Anakin were like brothers. Despite the age
difference, they both respected the other, and would always turn to
the other when a problem came up. When Anakin suggested founding a
new Jedi Academy on Naboo, Mace had agreed, as long as the main
base, was on Courescant. But both had agreed that that would be a
while, as it would take many long years to rebuild the public's
trust in the jedi.

And so here he was, relaxing after a trying day of teaching young
Jedi the ways of the lightsaber. Two of his most gifted students
had been promoted yesterday, Mara Jade, whom he looked after as a
daughter, and Kyp Durron. They would now be taught by his son, who
was teaching the intermediate/advanced group. Both would also get
special tutoring from Master Windu, on Vaapad. They were strong
fighting Jedi, and were the only two students, who weren't knights
yet, whom he would entrust with his children's lives.

He slowly stood up, brushing the water off of his body, and moved to
the riverbank where he had set his tunic. He saw a turtle, moving
slowly away from a small forin, who seemed intent on making the
turtle it's lunch. He smiled, and used the force to turn the forin
away from the turtle, whom he noticed, was protecting it's nest.
Life was of the light side, as was love, and he had sworn himself to
the light side of the force.

He turned, and started his walk home.

Chapter 2: More than Friends?

Kyp looked over at the younger Master Skywalker, and grinned. He
hadn't seen his old friend Luke in about 2 weeks now. Ever since Luke
and Kyp had met, they had always managed to help out the other.

Luke had garnered Lieutenant Page and his team of commandos to go
break out Kyp's brother from the Imperial Training Center on Caridia.
Kyp had gone along, and at one point, he and Luke got separated from
the team of commandos. The two Jedi found themselves in a large
hallway when two squads of stormies rushed them from front and behind.
Both fought back to back for nearly 5 minutes, until the last of the
Imperial stormtroopers lay incapacitated on the floor. They had
forged a combat force bond then, and Kyp was as close to Luke as Han
was.

And then there was the bond between himself and Han Solo, who had come
to rescue him from captivitiy on Kessel, when Luke had heard his
pleading through the force.
Han, Luke and Kyp were known as the Three Musketeers, a name one of
the Jedi from Terra had given them, after telling them the
three-millenia old story about the 3 famous swordsmen.

Yes, there was a bond there. That knight from Terra had many
wonderful sayings and quotes to encourage his students. His people
came from a long warrior tradition, and also a long oratory tradition.
Kyp recalled when before one of the battles for Naboo, when the Jedi
were outnumbered 200 to 1, Knight Musashi, a knight of no small
ability himself, recalled a similar fight in his worlds history, and
had quoted a famous play about that battle. He referred to them as a
`band of brothers'. Yes, that was it. Kyp, Luke and Han were a band
of brothers, all ready to fight for the others.

"Kyp, I asked you, are you ready?" Luke Skywalker laughed, mirth on
his face as Kyp started.

"Sorry Luke, I was kind of out there..."

"I noticed. Are you ready to begin?"

Luke's advanced lightsaber course had only five students, so Luke was
always paired with one or another for the excercises. It kept him on
his toes, and let him teach the way he loved to do, by example. Luke
looked around, noting the pairs, and nodded towards Kyp.

Kyp's blade flashed from his hand, blazing in towards Luke's shoulder.
Luke held his own blade, very softly, so as Kyp's swung in and caught
Luke's, he pushed it up and twirled under it, kicking his leg out in a
sweep that knocked Kyp flat on his back.

He held out his hand, and helped his friend up. Mara and Corran had
noticed the how fast the fight ended, and walked over to investigate.
Just as Luke was ready to call a new match, Mara tapped him on the
shoulder, and asked him to show what he had done.

Mara looked on with admiration at the simplicity and grace of the
movement. Moreover, when he demonstrated on Corran, and Corran
planted himself, Luke simply rode up Corran's arm, and put him into a
wrist throw, spinning his lightsaber away from him, and ending up on
Corran's back, with both his hands pinned, Corran's own saber pointed
at his neck. She was impressed. Farmboy's moves rivaled many
professional dancers, and he kept with his philosophy of causing no
harm. The move would have prevented an attacker from doing anything
else, but not injured him.

Yet while Mara was busy concentrating on Luke, she completely missed
Kyp's question. He repeated himself, and Mara spun around in
annoyance. "Mind your own business, Kyp Durron." She turned and
stalked away from the small group.

Luke turned to Kyp, "What happened?"

"I asked Mara if she agreed that you look very good at that. She
didn't hear me, so I repeated myself." Kyp grinned. "I guess I should
have repeated myself exactly, because I think she took it as if I was
asking her if you look `good'."

Luke grimaced. "Kyp, if you agitate her like that, she might just
kill both of us. At least save me, ok?" Corran went off to rejoin
his partner, laughing the way back.

"What's so funny, Horn?" a very annoyed Mara Jade asked her sparring
partner.

"You, that's all." He lauged even harder at the look on the young
woman's face. "You really got it bad for him, don't you." Mara
scowled.

"Unless you would like a deathmark, I suggest that you keep that line
of thinking to yourself."

"Well, you pretty much confirmed it to Kyp and Luke just now, didn't
you. All Kyp was asking was how you thought of the move." He grinned.
He was Mara's one confidant, one of the few people she trusted enough
to go to for advice. She had been coming more and more often as of
late, always asking about what Luke thought of this or that, how he
viewed her, what did certain feelings mean, that type of thing.
`Yeah, he thought to himself, she really is in love with the kid.
Poor him.'

Mara looked up sharply at that, having heard Corran's thoughts clear
as day. Apparently so did Luke, as he quickly turned in their
direction. Corran mouthed to Kyp "Oh sith." Just before Jade dropped
him with a leg sweep, and left him in the dust. She stalked off,
headed away from Luke and the others before Kyp caught up with her.

"C'mon Mara, let's spar." He grinned mischievously.

"Fine." She glowered at him. She usually liked Kyp, but sometimes he
had the most annoying tenacity. Come to think of it, so did Luke.
"Did he send you after me?"

"Yep." Kyp replied, covering a smile.

"What, is he too afraid to fight his own battles?"

Kyp looked around to make sure no one was near enough to hear them.
They stood on top of the hillock, with everyone else at least twenty
feet away. "Nope, but he is afraid to contemplate his own emotions.
He cares about you Mara. I think he figured that it would be better
if he stayed away for a little while. So that is what he is doing."

Mara looked down at her feet, the trodden grass giving way to dusty
soil. "Yeah, well tell him this. If he wants to talk, then he has to
do it himself. Tell him I will wait down by the lake, after class.
We still have that advanced weapons course to teach later."

`Lake?' thought Kyp. He grinned to himself. He definitely would pass
this along to Luke. It would be worth it to see Luke's face when he
heard that Mara wanted to meet him near the same spot where his mother
became pregnant with him.

"Done. Come back to the class, ok?" he jogged down the side of the
hill, heading back towards the group of people.

She slowly followed. She was worried about what Luke would think.
`Worried? When am I ever worried?' A little voice in her head
reminded her `since you fell head over heels in love with Skywalker,
that's when.' She couldn't deny it, she knew that she was in love,
but his feelings were still a mystery.

Hope you all enjoy it. Next post with some Angst and some fun for our
characters.