breeches then sat on the edge of his bed. He ran his paws through his fur, rumpling it further. “Sounds like a disease or something.”

Anakin chuckled. “Not exactly, midichlorians are those parts of our cells that both produce the energy we need to live and connect us to the Force. Many of the old Masters theorized they expressed the will of the Force as well, working through our physical bodies. They – or some equivalent – occur naturally in all life forms. The amount varies from species to species, and between individuals of the same species. In dogs, the level of midichlorians you have now puts you squarely into the ranks of the Jedi.”

“These midi-chlorian things are in all our cells?” Balto sternly resisted the urge to scratch at his fur. The thought of having new, hitherto unknown, internal passengers made him feel thoroughly crawly, as if sand-fleas had gotten into his uniform.

“Yes, they have to be, or the cells would die. Jedi just happen to have more of them than most people. You started out with enough extra to be considered Force-sensitive, so you already had more than the average human being.”

“But you increased the amount I had?”

“Yes, in you I doubled their number.” Anakin added this information helpfully.

“How deep do these changes run?” asked Balto, staring at Anakin as if he still couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

“Pretty deep.” Anakin looked at the floor for some time, a gesture which Balto was beginning to understand meant embarrassment. Anakin’s eyes met his own. “Let’s put it this way – I was very thorough when I increased your Force-sensitivity. When you have puppies, they’ll probably be Jedi, too. Have them with another Force-sensitive like your mate Captain, Jenna, and I guarantee it.”

Balto uttered a low croak of surprise. “You changed all that, too!?” meaning his reproductive system.

Anakin’s grin was like a sudden flash of lightning. “Well, I couldn’t leave the job half-done, could I? Everything had to balance out.”

“I don’t feel terribly well-balanced at the moment.” Balto gave Anakin an unhappy stare. “Everything’s turned upside-down.”

“Are you angry then?”

“I… don’t know. I think maybe I’m in shock. I don’t feel much of anything right now except numb and cold.”

“I’m sorry,” said Anakin. It sounded as if he meant it.

“So am I.” Balto sighed.

“You are still recovering from your wounds. This was a heavy burden to lay on you now, but I felt it best not to wait – you needed the full story to make a proper decision for your future.” Anakin began to fade away. “Once you have rested, I will return to answer any questions you may have.”

A sudden thought made Balto sit up quickly. “Wait!” Anakin paused. “You said ‘my Captain’ – did you mean Jenna has the Force?”

“Yes, indeed she does. Several of your men do as well.” Anakin put a hand through the wall separating Balto’s small room from the larger dormitory and nodded. “Six of them, I’d say.”

“Did you… improve them also?”

“No, no, they’re none of my doing. They are simply naturally sensitive to the Force, as you were. It could well be that their survival was due to the enhanced reflexes the Force grants those who are so gifted.” Anakin spoke gently. “You are not alone, Balto. If you relax and stretch out with your feelings, you will know the truth of that. The Force is with you, always.” Anakin faded away, leaving Balto alone.

With a deep sigh, Balto lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. Hovering at the edges of his mind was a soft susurration, as of people speaking softly among themselves. He could not distinguish exact words, but the feeling was one of closeness and sleepy calm. “Not alone”, he thought as he let his anxiety drop away into that ocean of presence. “Not alone at all.”

The next morning Balto set about quietly finding his fellow Force-sensitives. Anakin Skywalker had told him the number, but with the exception of Captain Jenna, had not given him names. Balto interpreted this as an unspoken command to ferret them out on his own.

While he took a break in the exercise room, Jenna joined him.

“So you’re definitely staying?” she asked as she toweled the sweat from her hands and face.

“Yes, I must. There is training I need, and only Commander Skywalker can supply it.”

“Training from Skywalker?” Jenna shot him a startled look. “What can he give you that you can’t get back home in Nome? Granted, he’s a great pilot,” she continued quickly. “But I didn’t think you really wanted to go that way.”

“I don’t. But he’s the only one who can train me to control…this.” Holding his paw palm out, he gave an experimental Force-push at an exercise ball sitting on the floor. It bounced away as if pushed by an invisible hand.

Jenna watched it go, her face holding wonder. “I thought you said you weren’t a Jedi? That you couldn’t be one?”

“It is what I believed at the time, yes. But I’ve since found out I was mistaken.”

"That's amazing news," she said, kissing and nuzzling him.

"Well, that isn't exactly how I first received the information. To tell the truth, I was utterly appalled." Balto looked down at his paws, unsure how to proceed.

Jenna put a paw on his paw. "You shouldn't feel bad about it. Luke Skywalker seems to be a fine man, I’ve only heard good things about him and it seems to me having Jedi back in the galaxy is a good thing too."

Balto placed a paw over hers and smiled as he felt the connecting threads of the Force weaving between them. "I'm very glad you feel that way. Will you walk with me around the track?" He indicated the jogging track which formed the perimeter of the large exercise room. "I want to discuss when we have pups and I have a few more things to share that you need to know." He walked toward the track and smiled again as Jenna took up a position by his side. "And once I have told you, perhaps you can help me figure out how to tell the others."

“I’m very glad you and some of your people decided to stay, Commander Balto,” Luke Skywalker said with an easy smile. “The galaxy needs all the Jedi it can get.”

"I now find I must agree. I have this feeling we all should be working as hard as we can to learn the ways of the Force." The corners of Balto's mouth turned up in a wry grin. "It took me some time to come to grips with your offer of training, and the better part of this week to persuade the others to give it a try. If it wasn't for Captain Jenna’s assistance, I don't think I would have been able to persuade half of them. Most of them were pretty leery of the idea at first. Corporal Star took it very well, but Private Kaltag thought it was some kind of horrible prank. His misgivings were not that much different from my own. I'm just not sure if the galaxy is ready for a contingent of Imperial Jedi."

Luke chuckled. "Imperial, New Republic, Dogs, or anyone in between, all are one in the Force, and all are welcome." Luke shifted his position within the confines of Balto's small room. "I've decided our former base on Yavin IV will make an excellent place to teach students. It'll need work of course, but the core facility is livable now, and no one else has a claim on it. We leave tomorrow."

"Very good then." Balto offered Luke a salute before he could stop himself and decided he wasn't about to feel embarrassed for saluting someone who was in effect now his commanding officer. "My people and I will be ready."

"You didn't say; I'm ready for anything." Luke's eyes sparkled with humor, as if he were remembering an old joke.

"I know better than that," said Balto. "All I can promise is that we will do our best."

"Then you’ll be fine." Luke placed a hand on the door in preparation to leave, hesitated, and turned back to face Balto. "Just a moment, I almost forgot this." Opening his outer robe he rummaged around inside and pulled out a cylindrical object. Laying it across the palms of his hands he offered it to Balto. "Take this, and keep it with you at all times. Instruction on how to use it will begin immediately in the forward exercise room."

Gingerly, Balto accepted the piece of equipment. Light glittered on bright metalwork as he carefully turned it over. “This is a lightsaber.”

"Yes. I took it with me when I left the Death Star. It was pretty damaged, but I repaired it, and put in a new crystal. I hope you don't mind."

Balto stared at the weapon, holding it as if it were made of spun glass. "This was your father's?"

"Yes it was. The lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi. Eventually you will learn how to make your own, but for your training I think my father would want you to have it."

Balto looked up. Anakin Skywalker stood a little behind Luke; his expression was both pleased and thoughtful. Noticing he had Balto's attention, Anakin pointed at the lightsaber, nodded, and spoke. "Keep it. You’re going to need it. May it serve you well. I'm off to see how the others I gifted with the Force are faring; I'll let you know once I have found them." 

Anakin's teeth flashed in a quick smile. "Until then, attend to your studies, young Jedi. There will be a test later. There always is."

"Very good, my Lord," Balto answered with a bow as Anakin faded away.

Looking at Luke, Balto nodded. "The answer to your speculation is yes, he does." Balto breathed out a long sigh, looking at the lightsaber in his hand. "Well, off to work."

EPILOGUE

“Good Balto, you’re progressing fast. You learned as quickly as I did.” Balto deactivated his Lightsaber and Jenna deactivated hers as well.

Luke smiled “Well done, that’s enough for today.”

Balto