Chapter 1: Arrival

I was excited to finally be going on his big trip, a world tour that would last two whole years. I saved my entire life and had no family to provide for, so this would be an all-expense luxury extravaganza. I checked my bags the day before, and now I just needed the damn plane to get here. The weather was acting up again, <i>Damnable global warming!! </i>Even my thoughts sounded excited and a little anxious.

"Now Boarding, Flight 52 out of JFK." The gentleman at the desk announced.

I was first in line, and my heart was pounding. "I can't wait," I muttered under my breath right before my arm went numb, and my chest seized with pain. SERIOUSLY<i> I have a fucking heart attack now!!</i> I screamed in my mind as blackness enveloped me.

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<b>WELCOME CARL!! You have died for the final time. Your soul is now going to move on, but we can grant you another chance in a different cycle if that is your wish. </b>

The voice BOOMED through my consciousness. "I'm dead?! I thought they'd revive me at the hospital?" he was unnaturally calm, only reacting to fading emotions. "I guess this is it, but you said a new chance?"

<b>Yes, you have suffered dramatically in each of your lives here on Earth. We will place you in a new reality, one you choose so that you may have a second chance.</b>

"Any reality? Hmm..." I put a great deal of thought into it, and several hours later, "I'd like to be reborn in the Star Wars Universe. It might be a harsh place, but it has more opportunity."

<b>Very well, this is within our power. We gods wish to grant you three boons for your new life. Please take into account that you will only retain your most recent life's memories this one time, and life is as you said, Harsh.</b>

"Firstly, When and where will I be reborn?"

<b>Once we have selected the boons, if power remains, some fine-tuning can be done, but we will place you within the stories most common to your world. The fine-tuning will only let you be specific.</b>

"I'm glad I asked. I could go for all-powerful but end up with a less than optimal start or husband my resources a bit and select a good one. Tricky, but fair." I thought for what seemed to be days, "Let's go with Super-Genius Level Intelligence for the first one. I'm talking like a Marvel Hank Pym/Victor Doom level if you know what I mean. The Star Wars Universe is incredible, but there could be some tech improvements with superhero level smarts. Second, I want Healing Factor around the Wolverine level. Finally, I want a Dimensional Space, like an inventory power that will grow stronger as I do."

<b>All within our power. We are surprised that you did not choose to be a Force User, that would be the dream of many.</b>

"I figure that everyone in the SWU has some level of Force ability, but most people make do without Jedi Master level. I'll figure it out, better to be smart, and heal fast."

<b>Interesting. We have some power left to us, where would you like to be reborn?</b>

"I would like to be born on Rori, the moon of Naboo. And if we can manage it, I'd like to be born in 50BBY."

<b>It is done! Good luck, Carl!!</b>

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It was dark and quiet, with only the rhythmic beating of what I had come to believe was my mother's heart. A gentle <i>thump.....thump....thump </i>soothed my weary mind. I had died and now would be reborn on Rori 18 years before the events of Episode 1. Rori was one of Naboo's three moons and held the distinction of being the only currently colonized moon. It's completely capable of sustaining life and colonized initially to be a breadbasket world. Unfortunately, not many were interested in living on the moon, and it never produced more than a small amount of Spice. This drug had potential medicinal properties, but pirates controlled the mining. I'd have to see about taking that over after a few years. Right now, I needed to clear my mind and see if I had any force ability at all.

Being a super-smart fetus is a tedious job. I have spent three months, calculated based on mom's heartbeat, trying to commune with the Force. It's been a mixed bag. At first, there was nothing at all. I got into the groove of meditating, something I hadn't done seriously since my Tai Chi days, and started to feel the world around mom. That's the impression anyway, it's tough to explain it, but it's a lot like that opening the third eye b.s. from Earth. Let's see what happens with six more months of this.

Update, I am moderately Force-sensitive, YAY! I'm able to sense and move little things at night when Alice, that's Mom's name, sleeps. It's pretty cool, and I look forward to testing it out more once I'm born.

I'm alive!! Yesterday was my 0th birthday, I'm out of mom, and that's not something I ever want to think again. Gross! Alice is a single mother. My dad was some pirate junkie that left her when she got pregnant. She works for a cantina as a waitress/bar wench, but the pay seems reasonable, and we live in a small room above the bar. My life is falling into a routine. I sleep when mom sleeps, and the rest of the day, I sit in my crib. I train my Force power as best I can while she's at work. Currently, it consists of floating everything I can around the room and trying to connect with the holonet system, basically cable news with internet built-in. Once I can get access to that, I'll be able to really start learning, but no big moves until I hit at least ten.