Here's the story. Enjoy.
--T.
Sunsets and Roses
Chapter one
The middle-aged secretary approached Luke with a kindly smile. "Can I get you something to drink while you're waiting, sir?"
Luke shook his head, glancing around at the rich furnishings of Senator Glin Farzhaa's inner office. "No thanks, I'm fine."
The woman smiled pleasantly. "Okay, then. The senator is due back at any moment. I'll send him in as soon as he arrives." With that, she left, shutting the door behind her, leaving Luke alone to stare somewhat impatiently at the office's expensive-looking relics, wishing Farzhaa would hurry.
He thumbed through a handful of documents and scanned through the information he had uploaded into his datapad. After a couple of months of vague threats to and pointed attacks on various important landmarks of the New Republic, a small warring faction stationed in the outer rim had gone suspiciously silent. Investigations by NR Intelligence hadn't revealed anything very helpful, and many officials had begun to grow increasingly worried at the apparent lack of inactivity. It had been barely a week since the New Republic's Inner Council had assigned Luke, as a Jedi Master and sworn protector of the peace, the somewhat overwhelming task of heading an investigation to find out what was going on.
Perhaps his anxiety stemmed from the fact that he knew much about combat and fighting tactics, but significantly less about the politics and liability where government began to be concerned. He also felt frustrated about the prospect of being so busy that he would not be able to spend as much time with his wife as he would like to, especially now, when their first child was due to be born in less than a month.
Sighing audibly, Luke checked his chrono. Today was his and Mara's one day off from their hectic schedules, and they had both been anticipating it all week. I thought of going on a picnic, Mara had announced cheerfully that morning. Somewhere in the Manarai mountains. It's supposed to be beautiful this time of year. Luke had laughed and kissed her and told her he thought it was a good idea. But he should have anticipated that his day would be taken up instead by a haughty bureaucrat who valued no one else's time but his own.
Farzhaa had volunteered his assistance to Luke in organizing and recruiting for the mission, help that Luke had gratefully accepted. But now that they had finally arranged to meet for the first time, the senator was late. Luke hoped that the cause was some extenuating circumstance and not the indication of a habit. He did not know Farzhaa personally-only by reputation-so he hoped his vague first-impression of the man was accurate enough to assure that they'd be able to get along.
Luke thought back to Mara. His wife was eight months pregnant with a baby girl and was, to Luke, more beautiful than ever. He had a flitting vision of both of them on their picnic, sitting in a grassy field as the cool, aroma-laden breeze stirred their hair. He imagined one day taking their children to that same spot, smiling, happy, and relaxed. The Jedi smiled in spite of himself. He almost couldn't believe he was going to be a father. He and Mara, in their elation and great anticipation, had remodeled the guest bedroom of their apartment into a beautiful nursery, complete with music boxes, plush stuffed animals and an old-fashioned rocking chair. Realistically, it was far more than one baby would ever need, but they didn't care. Han had enjoyed reminding them, however, that they were set and ready to spoil their baby rotten.
Small warning bells suddenly went off in the back of Luke's mind, pulling him away from his daydreaming. He glanced up sharply, eyes scanning the room. Everything was still and silent. From the outer office, he could hear the steady murmur of conversation and the tap of a keyboard-nothing out of the ordinary.
But the warning of danger didn't leave. If anything, it seemed to intensify, growing to a ringing in his ears. Cautiously, brow knit with concern, Luke gathered his things and stood, leaving the elaborate office.
"Excuse me," he murmured to the preoccupied secretary. She glanced up from her computer, eyebrows raised in query. "Have you contacted Senator Farzhaa?"
"I haven't," she replied. "He's due back at any moment, I-"
"Could you try to get a hold of him?" Luke cut her off. "This is important." The very urgent sense of danger was now virtually shouting in his mind for him to do something. But he didn't know what to do. Even straining his senses against the distraction, he could not see or detect anything out of the ordinary.
Farzhaa's secretary did not take her eyes off Luke as she keyed the comm. Frowning she tried again. "Senator Farzhaa doesn't seem to be answering," she murmured. "I don't know why. Perhaps-"
It was at that instant that Luke's danger sense-clamoring in his mind for attention-heightened to the point that he saw what was about to happen a split second before it did. Luke opened his mouth to shout a warning-only it was too late. A tooth-jarring rumble began to shake the floor, walls and ceiling. Amidst startled and frightened screams, a deafening crack split the air, causing the world to shudder violently before it seemed to disintegrate before his eyes.
It was the last thing Luke remembered before the darkness took him.
**************
--T.
Sunsets and Roses
Chapter one
The middle-aged secretary approached Luke with a kindly smile. "Can I get you something to drink while you're waiting, sir?"
Luke shook his head, glancing around at the rich furnishings of Senator Glin Farzhaa's inner office. "No thanks, I'm fine."
The woman smiled pleasantly. "Okay, then. The senator is due back at any moment. I'll send him in as soon as he arrives." With that, she left, shutting the door behind her, leaving Luke alone to stare somewhat impatiently at the office's expensive-looking relics, wishing Farzhaa would hurry.
He thumbed through a handful of documents and scanned through the information he had uploaded into his datapad. After a couple of months of vague threats to and pointed attacks on various important landmarks of the New Republic, a small warring faction stationed in the outer rim had gone suspiciously silent. Investigations by NR Intelligence hadn't revealed anything very helpful, and many officials had begun to grow increasingly worried at the apparent lack of inactivity. It had been barely a week since the New Republic's Inner Council had assigned Luke, as a Jedi Master and sworn protector of the peace, the somewhat overwhelming task of heading an investigation to find out what was going on.
Perhaps his anxiety stemmed from the fact that he knew much about combat and fighting tactics, but significantly less about the politics and liability where government began to be concerned. He also felt frustrated about the prospect of being so busy that he would not be able to spend as much time with his wife as he would like to, especially now, when their first child was due to be born in less than a month.
Sighing audibly, Luke checked his chrono. Today was his and Mara's one day off from their hectic schedules, and they had both been anticipating it all week. I thought of going on a picnic, Mara had announced cheerfully that morning. Somewhere in the Manarai mountains. It's supposed to be beautiful this time of year. Luke had laughed and kissed her and told her he thought it was a good idea. But he should have anticipated that his day would be taken up instead by a haughty bureaucrat who valued no one else's time but his own.
Farzhaa had volunteered his assistance to Luke in organizing and recruiting for the mission, help that Luke had gratefully accepted. But now that they had finally arranged to meet for the first time, the senator was late. Luke hoped that the cause was some extenuating circumstance and not the indication of a habit. He did not know Farzhaa personally-only by reputation-so he hoped his vague first-impression of the man was accurate enough to assure that they'd be able to get along.
Luke thought back to Mara. His wife was eight months pregnant with a baby girl and was, to Luke, more beautiful than ever. He had a flitting vision of both of them on their picnic, sitting in a grassy field as the cool, aroma-laden breeze stirred their hair. He imagined one day taking their children to that same spot, smiling, happy, and relaxed. The Jedi smiled in spite of himself. He almost couldn't believe he was going to be a father. He and Mara, in their elation and great anticipation, had remodeled the guest bedroom of their apartment into a beautiful nursery, complete with music boxes, plush stuffed animals and an old-fashioned rocking chair. Realistically, it was far more than one baby would ever need, but they didn't care. Han had enjoyed reminding them, however, that they were set and ready to spoil their baby rotten.
Small warning bells suddenly went off in the back of Luke's mind, pulling him away from his daydreaming. He glanced up sharply, eyes scanning the room. Everything was still and silent. From the outer office, he could hear the steady murmur of conversation and the tap of a keyboard-nothing out of the ordinary.
But the warning of danger didn't leave. If anything, it seemed to intensify, growing to a ringing in his ears. Cautiously, brow knit with concern, Luke gathered his things and stood, leaving the elaborate office.
"Excuse me," he murmured to the preoccupied secretary. She glanced up from her computer, eyebrows raised in query. "Have you contacted Senator Farzhaa?"
"I haven't," she replied. "He's due back at any moment, I-"
"Could you try to get a hold of him?" Luke cut her off. "This is important." The very urgent sense of danger was now virtually shouting in his mind for him to do something. But he didn't know what to do. Even straining his senses against the distraction, he could not see or detect anything out of the ordinary.
Farzhaa's secretary did not take her eyes off Luke as she keyed the comm. Frowning she tried again. "Senator Farzhaa doesn't seem to be answering," she murmured. "I don't know why. Perhaps-"
It was at that instant that Luke's danger sense-clamoring in his mind for attention-heightened to the point that he saw what was about to happen a split second before it did. Luke opened his mouth to shout a warning-only it was too late. A tooth-jarring rumble began to shake the floor, walls and ceiling. Amidst startled and frightened screams, a deafening crack split the air, causing the world to shudder violently before it seemed to disintegrate before his eyes.
It was the last thing Luke remembered before the darkness took him.
**************