______Life can be traced as a thread of interwoven cause and effect relationships ultimately leading up to one moment. This moment. ______All her life, she had been raised on stories of heroes, of adventure-of exploration into the uncharted depths of the galaxy. ______Now, as she pulled herself along the cold, rough surface of the tunnel's steep incline, perhaps she exaggerated the danger to herself because she longed for a hero's existence. ______But she was an intelligent girl, intelligent enough to realize that she and her friends had escaped detection primarily because no one was really looking. ______Growing up among the rebellion against the Empire, she was surrounded by men and women who fought what many considered to be a losing battle. They didn't have to use their imaginations to conjure up stories of heroism, but merely to look amongst themselves. ______She was living in the midst of real heroes who battled every day against overwhelming odds, and never lost hope. ______She was living in the midst of someone else's heroic story. ______At least that's how it felt most of the time... ______“We're lost,” she heard whispered behind her. She didn't recognize the voice, so she knew immediately it was Gates Lighter. He was new to their circle, and she'd been hesitant about bringing him along from the start. ______“We're not lost,” another voice answered. ______Gates protested. “But, I think we should have turned--” ______“Aeon, are we lost?” the other voice asked her. ______“Nope,” she assured them. ______“But back there--” ______A girl's voice piped in from the darkness: “If she says we're not lost, we're not lost. Aeon doesn't get lost.” ______She smiled in spite of herself, but it was true. She could navigate the complex network of tunnels with her eyes closed, guided by some instinct that she didn't understand, yet had never failed her. Where she had developed this instinct she didn't know, but she never remembered having such an uncanny sense of direction before she came to this planet. ______Her fingers fell along a crack in the stone, and again she marveled at the architectural skill of the Massassi. The hairline fracture that ran across the width of the corridor wasn't a flaw in the masonry, but a seam separating adjacent blocks. They had been cut and laid with such precision that a leaf of paper could not slip between them. ______The floor of the tunnel was worn and just slightly uneven, the state of the stone's surface as it had been quarried thousands of years ago. The labyrinth of tunnels that honeycombed through the temple had not been hewn out of the rock, but instead incorporated into the original design of the structure as it was built around them. ______She continued along quickly, challenging the others to keep up. ______ ______She covered her hands with her sleeves, and tried to keep warm despite the chill radiating from the walls of the tunnel. Even in the heated chambers of the ancient temple, the stone was always cold. It had been that way for centuries, perhaps millennia. ______She hated the cold, preferring the warm environment of Yavin that most others found so disagreeable. It didn't help matters any that she was outfitted for the humid clime of the planet's midday, not the arid subterranean interior of this mountain of stone. ______Admittedly, there was no one to blame for that but herself. It was simply a matter of poor planning on her part, and poor planning, as her father was all too fond of saying, led to poor execution. That was one of his favorite epigrams, and in this instance it was totally justified. Despite whatever promises she may have given him to the contrary, she had planned this little reconnaissance mission all along. ______She spied a metal grate on the floor ahead of them, the ambient light from the chamber below diffusing into the narrow shaft. That was their destination. “Keep quiet,” she whispered out to the darkness behind her. ______Beneath them, the Alliance leaders had convened to discuss and plan for what appeared to be a very bright future. She approached the grate quietly, and they positioned themselves around it. ______“Let's begin,” her father said, and the leaders of the Rebel Alliance gathered around the long table. The echo of their chairs scraping along the stone floor resonated throughout the vacuous chamber. ______The entire population of the Alliance notwithstanding, the temples still seemed vast and empty. Save for these huge stone edifices, virtually no trace remained of the civilization that had once flourished here. ______The lush landscape of the forth moon of Yavin was dotted with complexes of massive stone pyramids, once the habitat of a long dead race known as the Massassi. It was in one of these temple clusters that the Rebel Alliance had made its headquarters. ______It had been just days since the Alliance scored its first decisive victory over the Empire: the destruction of the Death Star, a massive space station with the capability to destroy a planet. ______The victory over the ultimate symbol of the overwhelming might of the Empire lent instant credibility to the fledgling Rebellion. The number of allied worlds doubled nearly over night, and twice that number pledged-albeit in secret-the vital financial and military support that would keep the battle going. ______The Alliance had never been stronger, and yet the mood on Yavin IV was shifting quickly as the euphoria of the last few days gave way to apprehension. ______The Empire was far from finished. This was only the beginning of a long journey. It could take years, even decades, to vanquish the Emperor. And, despite their outward confidence, all within the Alliance knew that it might never happen at all. ______Those who gathered in the makeshift war room beneath her knew that it was possible to win the battle and still lose the war. ______Below, her father deferred to an older man standing at the head of the table. He had white hair and a beard, and looked more like a benevolent grandfather figure than a master tactician. But that he was, and more. He was a key figure in the formation of the Rebellion, and its operational leader. In the hierarchy of the Alliance, he was second only to Mon Mothma. ______With a nod, General Jan Dodonna accepted the floor. “Thank you, General,” he said, and began the briefing. ______Aeon Quatorz smiled upon hearing her father addressed as 'General'. She couldn't help it. ______Aeon had also decided to attend the Alliance briefing, albeit from a distance, and hers was one of four sets of prying eyes that jockeyed for position around the small grate overlooking the meeting chamber. The four of them were cramped into a small shaft that ran over the length of the chamber, giving them a spectacular vantage for spying. ______She moved her head to different positions to try and get an angle on everyone seated. Her Father, Revel Quatorz, was seated just to the left of General Dodonna. She couldn't make out who was at the opposite end of the table. ______The muscles in her jaw quivered involuntarily, a physiological reaction to her body's falling temperature. She clamped her mouth shut tight, preventing her teeth from chattering. She held firm against her trembling jaw. ______Instinctively, she understood that she shouldn't show weakness in front of the others. It wasn't becoming of a leader. ______She also understood that, like it or not, she had acquired that instinct from her father. ______She studied him as he listened intently to the briefing. His mouth was pressed thin, pulled downward at the corners into a slight frown. Two heavy lines creased between his furrowed brow. He appeared to be in extreme concentration. ______He indeed may have been, but his expression was of little indication. He always looked that way, it seemed. That was the expression he wore when Aeon asked to sit in on the briefing as a quiet observer. He forbade it, of course. ______Aeon tried to think back to when she saw her father happy-genuinely happy. As she conjured up the memories of those occasions, she realized that she was seeing them through the eyes of a little girl. ______It's been years, she thought to herself. Years. Why, she hadn't even seem his smile since-- ______Since before Mom got sick... ______She heard a whispered “Ow!” and looked up to see Cammie and Tam rubbing the sides of their heads. Cammie stifled a giggle, but her occasional bursts of laughter were echoing the length of the tunnel. ______Aeon shot her a look that in no uncertain terms meant to be quiet. If her father found them after he had specifically forbade her to come, he'd make her wish the Death Star had succeeded in destroying the planet. ______“Guys!” Aeon growled at them. Cammie wilted beneath her stare, and stopped laughing. She grinned sheepishly at Aeon. ______Cammie glanced over at Tam, and looked away quickly when he met her gaze. She was smiling nervously. Lately, she'd been acting strange when Tam was around, and Aeon couldn't figure out why. ______Tam looked at Aeon, and mouthed the word: “Sorry.” He rubbed the spot where Cammie had collided with him, tousling his brown hair. ______Tam Formossa was fifteen-going on sixteen, he'd be quick to interject- and the first lasting friend she'd made in the Alliance. They'd met when her father's ships joined the rest of the fleet on Dantooine, and had been close ever since. He had thick brown hair, and radiant brown eyes that expressed his kind-hearted nature. He was actually quite handsome when she cared to notice-which wasn't very often. ______The great thing about hanging around Tam was that, being a boy, the pilots and soldiers had a natural tendency to show him things. That was how knowledge was passed down in the Rebellion. It was like apprenticing in a trade guild, and that was how many of the current pilots had begun their training. ______Tam had already used a blaster, and had been for a ride in a Y-wing fighter. He loved it, but his enthusiasm made Aeon apprehensive at times. Growing up, the pilots had always seemed so much older to her. But they weren't: most of them had only a year or two on Aeon, and the youngest pilot was less than six months her senior. Soon, Tam would be of fighting age, and that scared her a bit. But she tried not to think about that too much now. She would worry about that later. ______Of course, she made him teach her everything he learned. The two of them would sneak down to the target range regularly, and Aeon prided herself in the fact that she wasn't half-bad with a blaster rifle. She hadn't finagled a ride in a fighter yet, but she was working on it. ______“Aeon, I can't see,” Cammie whispered. She gestured to Gates, who was stretched out over the grate, blocking Cammie's view. Aeon didn't really know Gates all that well. He seemed nice enough, but he was very quiet. He hardly said anything when he hung out with them, and Aeon had a tendency to forget about him. But he was Tam's friend, and Tam had vouched for him, so that made him okay. “Aeon, tell him to move over!” ______“But I think I see--” Gates began to protest. ______“Move over so Cammie can see,” Aeon interrupted him. “And keep quiet-they'll hear!” Gates obliged, frowning, and Cammie smiled at Aeon in thanks. ______Cammie Shosa was a true orphan of the rebellion. Both her parents had died because of the Empire. Aeon wasn't really sure what the particulars were, and Cammie didn't talk about it much. From what she could gather, it was the death of Cammie's mother that prompted her father to join the Rebellion. Then he died too. ______Cammie caught Aeon staring at her, and met her with a puzzled expression. Aeon just smiled at her. Once reassured that everything was all right, Cammie returned her attention to the briefing. ______Cammie looked up to her. They all did. ______ ______She was their leader, and not simply because of age, but by nature. Though it was easy telling kids what to do. Getting adults to listen to her was another story. And one adult in particular... ______She glanced involuntarily at her father. At 17, she was the oldest of their group, and, although she didn't feel like a child, in some circles she was still treated as such. One thing Aeon had learned-that her father didn't seem to understand-is that the children of the Rebellion often had to grow up too quickly. ______The advantage of being a child was that these temples still had secrets to be revealed for those who took the time to look. Their shaft was one of a network of tunnels that ran throughout all the temples. The tunnels gave them almost unlimited access, and the adults either didn't know, or didn't care about their existence. What other secrets could be lurking within these walls? ______The four of them returned their attention to the meeting below. The officers were discussing the positions of the Imperial Fleet. From what Aeon could gather, none of the Imperial ships had started this way. That sounded like good news to her, but for some reason it had them worried. ______“Perhaps,” a voice suggested, “that the destruction of the Death Star dealt them a more serious blow than we thought?” ______“Or perhaps they've finally started to take us seriously.” That was chimed in from the other end of the table, and Aeon couldn't tell from whom. ______“We can't assume that,” a strong female voice asserted. ______“I think Leia's right,” a young man's voice piped in. It was a familiar voice to all of them. Although speaking boldly, the voice was tentative. The speaker sounded unsure of whether or not he belonged there. ______“Is that him?” Gates wondered aloud. “It is! Its Luke!” ______“Luke?” Aeon bubbled excitedly. “Where!?” She shoved Cammie and Gates out of the way to get the different angle. She looked down, and-- ______And there he was. Aeon's heart fluttered as she took in the details of his person. He had sandy blonde hair, and was wearing a yellow jacket over a black shirt. She recognized the outfit-it was the one he had worn to the award presentation after he almost single handedly destroyed the Death Star. Him and that 'pirate' person-Solo, something. She had been at the ceremony, of course. Everyone had been there to greet the new heroes of the rebellion. ______Aeon stared at him as he spoke, only dimly aware that he was saying anything at all. He was so handsome with his bright blue eyes, youthful smile, and the little dimple in his chin. ______Her eyes caught sight of a small silver cylinder dangling from his belt. In her capacity as an invisible person in her father's circle, she had overheard some of the Generals talking about it. It was called a lightsabre. There weren't many around anymore. They had been the weapons of the Jedi Knights, but no one had seen one of them, or their weapons, since well before Aeon was born. ______The talk around the base was that Luke could be a Jedi Knight. The problem was that no one knew for sure-not even Luke himself from the impression Aeon received. ______It was the speculation that fueled the fire, and everybody was talking about him. How powerful was he? Was he a Jedi Knight now, or would he have to train further? And where would he go? The Jedi Knights didn't even exist anymore, save for the bad ones. ______She smiled dreamily as she stared at him, contemplating his future. More important and pressing than his status as a Jedi, Aeon wondered: did he have a girlfriend? ______Aeon Skywalker. It had a nice ring to it. ______Aeon looked at the small figure in white sitting beside Luke. As much as she was enamored of Luke, it was Princess Leia whom Aeon really admired. Look at her, Aeon thought. Only a few years older, and yet they seemed worlds apart. She was an adult, and Aeon wondered what she had to do differently to achieve that status. There was the Princess seated as a member of the ruling body of the Rebel Alliance, giving and receiving counsel from men like her father. Before being discovered, she had been a member of the Imperial Senate-the youngest ever. ______Aeon looked down at Leia and saw the person she wanted to be. Inside she sank a little, suddenly very aware that she'd been reduced to watching them from a secret tunnel. Would she be a spectator forever? ______“I'm confident that Yavin is secure,” she overheard her father say. “Our ships have detailed reports on all Imperial movement, and not one fleet on this side of the galaxy has even started gearing up for activity. ______“I think losing the Death Star rattled them even more than we expected. The resources they lost--” ______“I disagree, General,” Princess Leia interrupted. Aeon perked up immediately. This could get ugly. “The Empire, as vast as it is, can't be everywhere. Their power is built upon terror-upon the continuous presence of fear. If they lose that, they lose much more than just the physical resources that constructed the Death Star. ______“The Empire has to strike swiftly and decisively, if for no other reason than to save face. And don't forget, gentlemen, they managed to get the Death Star over eighty percent complete before we even found out about it. If they can construct that monstrosity in secret, they can launch a counter offensive. ______“The Rebellion existed as long as it did because we never took chances. If we become overconfident now, after a few victories, I fear we won't last very long as an Alliance. ______“We have to assume that our defense has been breached, and start immediate evac.” ______Wow, Aeon thought to herself. But what would her father say? If he stayed consistent, he would sigh, and possibly rub his chin for a second while he pondered the right phraseology. Then he would begin: “Aeon...” or in this case, “Princess Leia...” and then he would continue on and gently explain to the Princess that she was a) wrong, and b) just a girl. ______“She's right,” her father nodded. “For us to begin making assumptions now would be foolhardy. Playing it safe has gotten us this far. To change now wouldn't make much sense.” The other Rebel leaders murmured their assent. ______Aeon just stared. ______“Wow,” Tam said quietly. “Why doesn't he--?” ______“Tam!” Cammie interrupted by striking him lightly on the arm. ______Aeon didn't say anything. She couldn't tear her eyes from Princess Leia. She's only a couple of years older than me, Aeon protested to herself. Why...? she began to ask herself, and stopped. ______She looked down at the Princess, standing at the table in her perfectly while gown, and her porcelain smooth skin. Her chin was elevated ever so slightly. She knew who she was, and she simply radiated just standing there, demanding the attention of everyone at the table. They couldn't help but be captivated by her. ______It wasn't the years, Aeon thought to herself. ______It was as plain as the stone lying beneath her hands, and beneath the temple itself. Having the same point of origin, a precious few were gems: beautiful, radiant, flawless jewels. The vast majority was chunks of solid rock, like the millions of anonymous blocks that made up the Massassi temples. Every one the same as the others. None considered special. ______Her eyes stung, and her vision became misty. Its just a matter of knowing your place, Aeon thought. ______“Its okay,” Cammie said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. No, it wasn't, she wanted to reply. But she couldn't explain that to Cammie. ______“Let's get out of here,” she said. The others nodded, and started shuffling back. Aeon blinked back tears. She hoped that the others didn't notice. ______An offhand remark from down below caught her attention: “I for one will be glad to leave this world. You don't know what it's like in that far temple. I swear its haunted.” ______Aeon paused. “Hold on,” she said. Beneath them, the Generals laughed. Aeon couldn't see who'd made the remark, but she didn't really care. ______“It's that Crystal Chamber,” another General chimed in. “My lieutenants complain that they can't get the men to patrol down there. They're all afraid.” There was more light laughter from the group. “I'm serious,” the General said. “They dare each other to spend the night in the haunted chamber.” ______Haunted chamber? Aeon smiled at the others in the group. She could feel her enthusiasm rising again, and could tell by the look of anticipation on their faces that they were thinking the exact same thing. They knew what their next stop was. If there were two words that could lift Aeon's spirits, those words were 'Luke Skywalker'. ______But close seconds were 'haunted chamber'.