CHAPTER FIVE
CAS LEOCH

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Aliss became only more determined to get to Cas Leoch in the wake of her dream. She had to hold onto any piece of the life she was trying to get back to. Nearly three months there and it was already getting difficult to remember that the world around her wasn't real, that it was supposed to be fictional. She didn't want to think about what would happen if time continued to tick on and she remained here.

In opposition to her plans, Obi-Wan remained steadfast in his belief that returning to her home planet was a bad idea. She insisted that she didn't recall the abuse he spoke of and so there would be no issue in going back, but he didn't believe her. She tried to explain that going back to the place where she lost her memories could be the only thing that triggers them to come back, but he said it wasn't worth the risk if they couldn't be sure that it would work. Aliss was beginning to get infuriated with how hard it was to change his mind.

She didn't want to go behind his back, she really didn't. She really wanted him to be her ally in this, to have him by her side as she tried to convince the other masters, but if he wouldn't come around to her point of view... she had to do what she had to do.

There wasn't any way for her to even properly explain why this wasn't just for her benefit. When she had arrived here, she hadn't just popped into existence. There had been a person here with her name and appearance and a nearly identical backstory to her own. There had been someone here who's life she had taken over. Someone who had been a friend to Obi-Wan and Anakin. If she never managed to get home, they'd never get that friend back. But she couldn't tell them that. They didn't understand where she was really from. They never would. It was impossible to comprehend. How did you tell someone that, though they felt entirely and perfectly real, they were only fictional? Or, better yet, how did you explain that they were fictional without causing them to lose their minds?

So she did the only thing she could think of doing. Aliss went behind Obi-Wan's back and went to talk to Yoda.

Aliss went to a classroom he was using to teach a group of Younglings to reach out and sense the world around them with the Force. She recognized the exercise as one that Obi-Wan walked in on during his search for the planet of Kamino in Attack of the Clones. When she entered the room, the Younglings continued to practice while Yoda's eyes found her and his expression turned inquisitive.

"Ah, Master Kade," he said. "Enough practice for today, that is, Younglings."

"Hello, Master Yoda, Younglings," Aliss greeted with a bow to the Master and then another to all of the Younglings.

"Hello, Master Kade," the Younglings called out.

"To your next lesson, you must go," Yoda instructed the Younglings.

With a chorus of agreements, the Younglings all stowed the helmets they'd removed earlier and filed out of the room. When the last of them had left the room, Yoda motioned for her to join him on some small stools near the large windows on the outside wall of the room. Aliss followed and sat down cross legged on one of the stools as the elderly master sat down across from her, leaning his little wooden cane against his knee.

"Bring you to me today, what does?" he asked her.

"I've been thinking about my amnesia," she said. "About what caused it and what might bring my memories back."

"Finally agreed to allow us into your head, have you?"

"No! No, no, no," she said, shaking her head. "I still don't like that idea."

"Then what?"

"I believe going back to the site of my accident would be beneficial," she explained. "This was the place where my memories were lost, after all, and I think seeing it, or perhaps just being there, might be the key I'm looking for to unlock my memories."

"Worry you not, your history does?" Yoda asked.

"I cannot remember it," she pointed out. "Though there are things that could become problems if I do get my memories back, I think there are things we can do to avoid any problems. My parents, for instance. If I do get my memories back, seeing them could impact me negatively, but we don't have to see them before leaving the planet. We can take precautions like this to ensure that, should my plan work, I am not hurt by being there."

"Thought this through, you have," Yoda said.

"Yes, I have."

"Believe this is a good idea, you do, despite Master Kenobi believing the opposite?"

Aliss deflated. "He's already come to talk to you?"

"No. Sensed his worry, I did."

"He doesn't need to worry," Aliss insisted.

"Truly believe that, do you?"

"I—" she cut herself off. "No. I think things could go wrong. But that's always possible and we shouldn't dictate our lives on the small chance that things could go the way we didn't want them to."

Yoda gave her a smile. "Go, you may. Go anyway, you will, if I don't give you permission."

"Thank you, Master," she said, avoiding responding to him calling her out on her plan to go whether she was allowed or not. "May I take Anakin and Obi-Wan with me?"

"Best at comforting you, they are, so be there, they should, when things go wrong."

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Aliss surprised herself by not feeling any anxiety or worry as they made their way to Cas Leoch. She felt a sense of calm, a feeling of this whole ordeal almost being over. When they landed on the planet, it would take only a few short pleasantries with "her" parents before they'd be in front of the meteor once again. Then Aliss would be home with her Ivan, the proper Ivan, and Obi-Wan and Anakin would have their real friend back. This whole thing was almost over and she couldn't be more relieved. She was excited to tell Ivan all about it, to tell him what had happened to her. He had always wanted to believe there was more to the world than it seemed, hearing her story would be like a dream come true for him.

The planet of Cas Leoch reminded Aliss of her home country of Scotland. As they came out of hyperspace above the planet, they could see patches of dark clouds covering the green land. And as they came even closer, she saw, not the futuristic metal buildings that she'd expected, but what more resembled old stone castles dotted across the landscape. When they finally touched down near where her family's estate was — because yes, that was a detail they'd neglected to mention to her, her family had an estate here — she was able to see workers in what she could only describe as kilts across the fields, working away.

As the three Jedi approached the front of the house, the door opened and two people came out. Aliss recognized her father, Avery, and her mother, Meredith, in seconds. They were dressed exactly like what she expected the kinds of people to have an estate would be dressed but the looks on their faces and in their eyes as they saw her was the very same she'd grown up with. After all the work they'd done, she had thought she would never have to see such disdain and hatred in the eyes of those who should love her the most.

"Come to cause more chaos on our lands?" Avery questioned them.

"No," Obi-Wan said sternly. "That is not why we are here. A missive was sent to you after we were last here, did you not read it?"

"The silly letter about a supposed accident?" Meredith asked. "Why should we pay any attention to that? She's not our responsibility any longer."

"I'm your daughter and you don't even care that I almost died?" Aliss accused.

"You don't look almost dead to me," Avery shot back.

"Yeah, that's because it's been months since then. But if you'd bothered to read over the whole message they sent, you'd know I wasn't just hurt physically. I lost my memory."

"You're a Jedi, shouldn't that be easy to fix?"

As anger boiled in her veins, Obi-Wan stepped in front of her and Anakin put a hand on her arm, turning her towards him. She felt a wave of calm wash over her and she looked up at him, finding his expression one of worry, his eyes searching her face for a sign that she was okay. She gave him a nod and turned her attention back to the conversation that Obi-Wan was having with her parents.

"—We believe returning to the site of the accident will trigger her memories. We only stopped here to allow you to see how your daughter was doing. If you don't wish to know how she is, we'll be on our way."

"You can't go back there," Avery said.

"Why not?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's been cordoned off for everyone's safety. If you want to get near it, you'll have to petition Laird MacKenzie to allow you access," Avery explained.

"What danger does it pose?"

"How should we know? It's inaccessible, that's all you need to know."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and plastered on an amicable smile. He was beginning to get as fed up with the attitude her parents were giving them as Aliss herself already was. That alone was indicative of just how poorly they were being treated. It took a lot to get to Obi-Wan that way.

"Very well, we shall depart for the capital to meet with the Laird now," Obi-Wan said, giving a nod of his head.

Perhaps sensing that they would not go easily, when Obi-Wan turned to walk away, he put an arm out towards both Aliss and Anakin, guiding them in a not quite gentle manner away from the Kade Estate and back in the direction they'd come from. They had landed the ship not too far away, so that was where they were heading back to so that they could decide what to do next. Aliss had no doubts in her mind that, though this was an unexpected hurdle, it would only be a little while longer before she was in front of that cursed meteor once again and on her way home.

But as they got into the ship once again, it was revealed to Aliss that Obi-Wan did not share her sentiments.

No, she had realized with a sense of rising bitterness, he wanted to do the "proper" thing, the "diplomatic" thing. He wanted to fly to the capital of Cas Leoch, to give notice to the Laird's court that they wished for an audience and then wait for their wish to be granted.

Aliss couldn't believe it. They had come here for answers and it seemed that Obi-Wan didn't even want them. Who knew how long it would take for the Laird to see them, how long it would be for him to want to look upon and talk to the two Jedi who had been there when the meteor had crash landed in the first place. They had no way of knowing if Laird MacKenzie felt the same way her parents felt. It could be ages for him to finally deign to see them.

"We could be in and out of there before they even know!" Aliss argued, her voice rising in volume in her agitation.

"It is not the Jedi way to push our way into places the locals have cordoned off," Obi-Wan answered, his voice agitatingly calm. "Aliss, we don't even know why they won't let anyone near the meteor, it could be unsafe!"

"Do you even want me to get my memories back?" she demanded of him. "Is there something you don't want me to remember?"

"Aliss, come on," Anakin said.

"Are you accusing me of something?" Obi-Wan questioned her.

"Why else would you constantly come up with obstacles to me getting back to that meteor?"

"Because I am worried about you, Aliss!"

"Or maybe because you had something to do with the accident!"

Silence hung heavy in the air as her words settled between the trio. Her blood was pounding like a drumbeat in her ears as she stared down Obi-Wan, watching as her accusation sunk in. Anger flashed briefly across his face before sadness replaced it and Obi-Wan sighed.

"This is exactly what I feared would happen if you came back here," Obi-Wan told her. "Just because you can no longer remember the trauma your parents inflicted on you does not mean that it isn't still affecting your actions."

"This has nothing to do with them!"

"I think it has everything to do with them."

Anger shot through Aliss like a spark of electricity racing down her spine. Without another word, she turned and started heading towards the exit.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"To get some fresh air! Is that okay with you, Master Kenobi?" she spat at him.

She didn't wait for an answer, simply turned away again, not stopping until she was out in the fresh air once again.

She didn't wait for an answer, simply turned away again, not stopping until she was out in the fresh air once again. No one followed her, and for that she was thankful. She leaned against the side of the ship, taking deep breaths of the clean air. She looked down and spotted a rock that was about the size of her palm, immediately kicking it with her foot and watching as it sailed through the air before disappearing into the distance and the tall grass.

Taking deep breaths, Aliss stared out at the hills where the rock had disappeared. After a few beats, her brow furrowed, a flash of what might have been a memory passing through her mind. Where she was standing right now, it was almost familiar. She could see Obi-Wan looking back at her, gesturing for her to hurry as the skies above them darkened in what could only be a meteor shower.

She was close to the crash site. And she knew what direction to go to get there.

Aliss looked back at the ship, knowing that Anakin and Obi-Wan were within, then she looked back in the direction of the meteor, of her way home.

Without a second thought, Aliss took off running towards the meteor. She didn't stop, she barely even thought about what she was doing. All she could think about was finally being able to get home, back to Ivan, her Ivan, the one who didn’t work for an evil man and try to kill her. She would finally get to be back with the Ivan that just loved space and his nerdy movies about space. She was done with having to live through this.

It was simple to get past the guards once she got there. Just a little influence of the Force, they looked the other way, even encouraged her to go on through. She supposed that was one thing that she would miss, when she was home again.

And then she was there, she was standing at the top of the crater again, looking down at the thing that had caused this all. It was a little eerie, how similar the two looked. She could almost see Ivan jumping down into the crater and offering her a hand down. The only difference was that the crater here wasn't nearly as deep and there was a foul, burnt smell that she didn't remember there being before.

"Aliss?"

She gasped, looking up and around her in alarm, in surprise at hearing Ivan's voice. She was filled with hope, perhaps naively so, and expected to see him appear at any moment.

"Ivan?" she called out.

"Aliss?"

His voice was more frantic this time, he'd heard her, he'd actually heard her voice calling out to him. Her heart swelled and she reached out to touch the meteor, to finally go back to the man she loved that was waiting for. Her hand got closer and closer until she could barely feel the rough rock beneath her fingertips, she was going to go home, finally—

She was seized her around the waist and pulled away from the meteor before she could touch it. She heard a distant cry, most likely her own, as she struggled to not be pulled  further away. Just as she turned to see who had grabbed her, she felt pain in her head and everything went dark.