If it hadn't been for the terrible hot or the clothes, stuck and wet, it could look like a trip. The sand was glittering as if someone had scattered a fine stardust all around. After another dune the only form of life visible in the blinding glare stopped and in the silence echoed a strange sound. A PLICK!
The slim figure took a look around and started searching with the electrobinoculars in the desolate landscape. Something had attracted her attention and the woman pointed at the sparkling point in front of her. A city!
Running as fast as she could the woman climbed down the dune, headed toward the oasis.
The first houses were now before her and Uma stopped running and walked, full of an unspeakable joy, through the street. The woman had to stop suddenly: in front of her had appeared a mountain, a brown and smelly mountain. Uma swallowed and rose slowly her eyes.
"Welcome at Anchorhead, miss...?" Uma's blue eyes looked up in the dark and sharp eyes of the Heran in front of her. His aspect wasn't reassuring and Uma noticed the long and white canine teeth while the alien smiled to her. A swarm of flies was buzzing around his head but the creature seemed not to be disturbed by it.
The humanoid drew out a hand to shake it with Uma but the girl hid her hands behind the back.
"My...my name is Uma...but I don't need help..." the young woman clenched her hands to be more courageous.
"Don't think wrong about me... I only wanted to make friends..." but the girl didn't listen to him and walked across the street. Without taking the eyes off the golden and blinding sand, Uma roamed about Anchorhead. But someone had to have a speeder for rent!
***
After a long walk through the dusty streets of the city it appeared. Red, covered in sand, and the engine that was coughing and creaking, but it wasn't important.
As quick as lightning, she went to the flat where the speeder was, got into and looked around. A workshop. Parts of android stacked on a table, another android lying down on something like a butcher table...but no people.
"Is there someone?" asked Uma taking a step inside. A coming creaking drew upon her attention. From a near room came out a funny droid, made by recovered pieces, with some hanging cables.
The droid looked at Uma with is big metallic eye then came back in the near room. Uma wanted the landspeeder and followed the droid.
The room was a big piece store. Something moved behind a table covered with robotic arms.
"Where is it! Damn..."
"Excuse me..." called the girl and a head grew up behind the table.
"Who is there?"
"Hello..." a pair of gray eyes looked at her, silently.
"Who are you? What do you want? Out of here!"
"Listen..."
"I told you to go away...this isn't a hotel!"
"But I..." the man came towards her but Uma didn't move gazing at his eyes.
"What do you want girl! Are you stupid?"
"No! I want a speeder for rent!" the man opened his mouth but the young woman went on "And I won't go away without it!"
"You could say it before..." answered sardonically the mechanic. The tall and robust man turned and his ocher cloak rustled. He went out.
"Come here..." said the man with a bothered voice, shaking his hand. Uma sighed. If she hadn't needed the vehicle, she would have been out of there...vexed by the uncomfortable journey to Mos Eisley, the passage offered by a gang differently matched whose track fused the engine at about two km far from Anchorhead. She walked across the desert and now she deserved a speeder! She was intractable, but she couldn't do anything about it.
When she went out her eyes didn't see what was in her expectation. It was a speeder, of course, but it was going to fall down! The color had disappeared, the seats had changed color, how much they were worn out, but it worked, and it's the only right thing. Sighing the woman went near the vehicle
"I have this one...20 credits..." announced the mechanic. 20 credits? It was a crime for that piece of junk!
The man noticed the face of the girl and looked at her for a moment
"10..." murmured examining with a quick eye the vehicle, she wasn't born an hour before.
"But it's a crime! I did you a favor..." cried the man.
"Ah...15, it's my last word..." she needed that speeder and, even is she still thought it was a crime, she would pay a reasonable sum.
"Ok!" he shook her hands than stood silently waiting for the money. Uma counted the credits and, reluctant, gave the money to the mechanic.
"Excuse me, do you know how many farms are there in this area?"
"Well...I don't know exactly...20...perhaps more..." Yon's face became curious "Why are you asking me this?"
"Oh...nothing..." her evasive answer didn't convince Yon, but the man didn't replace. Uma got into the speeder. Finally she had the vehicle, now she only had to wander between the dunes and the sandstone peaks looking for the right farm...
"But, miss, if you go around dressed in that way, you'll cook yourself...come in. I have the right clothes..." Uma looked at her clothes than looked up at Yon and followed him in the house again.
***
The man took her at the first floor and pointed at a room, in the bottom of the passage, "You go there, I'll come back in a minute..." Yon went downstairs and disappeared in the shadows of the ground floor. Uma went to the room and entered the door. It was a small bedroom. There were sand and dust everywhere, but not on the foot of the bed. Strange, thought Uma, taking a step into the room. Like someone put something on it. In fact, there was a pair of sand color trousers on the ground, slid from the bed. The girl swallowed and knocked.
"Yon, wait a minute I'm com..." the words stopped. A young man with a towel tied at the waist and short wet hair came out of the bathroom. Uma felt her cheeks become suddenly hot.
The guy stood motionless, uncertain about what he could do, thinking of holding the towel where it was.
"Miss! No, don't enter!" Yon arrived breathless, holding hardly some clothes.
"Too late..." whispered the man, looking at Uma and the guy.
"Yon, who is she?" asked Majkew pointing at Uma, but suddenly he had to hold the towel that wanted to fall down.
"I...my name is Uma...and I only wanted a speeder...then he told me to change my
clothes...OH! What a shame!" Uma couldn't remember another situation so embarrassing. Waved a lock of hair that had fallen on her forehead. Yon smiled kindly and did the presentations
"He, miss, is my nephew, Majkew..."
"Nice to meet you...listen... I think it's better if I find another room to change my clothes..."
"Oh no, you haven't to..." the guy went at the door and smiled. Uma remained enchanted by that smile and didn't hear the guy who was leaving her the room. She saw Majkew disappear, absorbed by the dark passage
"Well...I'll come back to my work." A nod was the answer of Uma. Yon got out and closed the door. The effect of Majkew's smile slowly passed while Uma was paying attention at the choice of a jacket and a pair of trousers. All the clothes were made by a pale and soft stuff.
Tatooine. Thinking of where she was, a volley of adrenaline ran up and down her backs. Uma got dressed and smiled, happy like never before that moment. Tied up her belt and the metallic cylinder, attacked to it, tinkled.
"Don't worry..." said caressing the cylinder " You'll have your part soon"
The young women ran down the stairs and looked around. Yon and Majkew weren't there. She went to the workroom and met the young guy, who was repairing an articulation to a droid. The hair were still humid and drops of water were falling from the forehead, glittering in the light.
"Well...good-bye Majkew..."
"Are you going to leave us?" the sorrow in his voice was plain, but Uma didn't let it convince her.
"I have an important thing to do..." answered calm and passive.
"You are searching for a farm...aren't you?" Uma bent the head to left and half-closed her eyes.
"Who did tell you?"
"My uncle did..." the young man came back to his work looking now at the articulation now at Uma.
"I had to suppose this..."
"Uma...can I ask you who or what are you looking for?"
"I must encounter a person"
"If you tell me his name, I'll help you..."
"No, it's not necessary...I can find him..." Majkew desired to make the beautiful and mysterious girl stay but she had already reached the door.
"I hope we'll meet again, miss..." Uma smiled but the only thing she were thinking of was the meeting with that important person who had made her do her long journey and who would change her life.
Uma said good-bye to Majkew. Yon was waiting for her near the landspeeder
"Thanks for all..."
"Oh...and for what?" then smiled and, with a tender voice, added, "Be careful with the Tusken Raiders!"
Uma nodded and made the speeder go as fast as it could, bumping on the crests of the dunes. Soon the city became a small glowing point hardly to identify in the glare of the twin suns of Tatooine.
***
All that could be seen of the farm, was a kind of dome, half burnt and darkened by the smoke...two droids were carrying some work-items. They threw themselves on the ground when a speeder ran towards them. Uma turned her head one moment but had to look in front of her immediately, because of the moisture vaporator that she was going to crash to. Stopped the speeder a moment before. Convinced she was going to do another stupid conversation, Uma got off the speeder.
Other farmers again...She had met 8 family but nobody seemed to know the most popular pilot of the Rebels and the firs Jedi of the New Order. She would have smiled if the situation hadn't been so bad.
Sighing she stood at the door of the house. In the silence she could only hear the noise of the vaporator and the creaking of the droids, seemed not to be someone else. No light excluded the sunlight that entered by the windows. She turned around the small building, the only outside part of the house, then she looked down in what seemed to be a chasm. The sight wasn't nice. A big black machine was creaking in the middle of the open space, long the wall there were doors closed with curtains. All was desert. Uma kept seeing down for a while.
No people! No voices!
All was very discouraging and Uma cleaned her face from the perspiration and wore on the hood to protect herself from the suns. A strange noise made her alert, someone was walking behind her! Then a buzz and something hot pressed gentle her back.
"Who are you?" her heart beat was so fast to made her hardly hear the man's voice. She turned back slowly, with the hands in the air and looked at the green light blade of the lightsaber that now was at her stomach. Gradually she looked up and
"I asked you who you are..." Uma swallowed, she couldn't say anything. Suddenly the tiredness made her fall down.
Luke quenched the lightsaber and replaced it at his brown belt then knelt to control the stranger and saw that the young woman wasn't dead. Smiling he decided to take her at his home.
***
The star cruiser was inert in the dark space. All was full of wait.
"Star Cruiser W-28". The commander was sitting on his seat and, bathed in sweat, had contacted the flagship, light-years far from her.
"Commander Renes, well?"
"General... We chased the fugitive to Tatooine, but we lost her at the spaceport."
"I understand..." his voice was strange and the commander was out of breath, with a pale face.
"I sent other men to look the area around the spaceport and more are going to Anchorhead...she can't go away!" added immediately the man, trying not to stammer.
"I hope you're right, Renes. Tredemar out." thundered the general and ended the communication. Renes relaxed a little and called his soldiers.
"Capt. Larson..." for the magnetic field the voice screeched in the comlink
"Yes commander...what do you request?"
"I talked to the General...he wasn't satisfied for your operation..." there was a silent moment "Neither do I!" shouted unexpectedly the commander
"Don't worry, sir, two people at the spaceport told that a young woman was looking for a transport to Anchorhead, and on the road we found tracks left by a tank, which went to that city."
"Excellent. You must find her."
"Yes commander..."
***
Progressively Uma opened her eyes. The girl expected the intense light of the twin suns but she realized, positively, that the light was covert. She was lying on a soft couch. Looking around Uma found out that she wasn't in a Jawas' tank, and not nearby the terrible pirates of the desert...then where were she?
The green light...that face...A hand ran to the metallic cylinder hooked to her belt. Made sure the cylinder was there, she woke up and sat on the couch. The feet touched down the ground and...Where are my boots? The boots where near the sofa, someone had taken them off.
A good food's smell came from the outside and made her mouth water. She slipped the boots and got up with a large yawn . She looked around again. The man who had taken her there had apparently disappeared. She was in a kind of living room. The furniture was new but the walls were burnt, like the dome. With a last yawn she was definitely awake.
Then she went to the curtain, which closed the room, and the sunlight pierced through her eyes and made them close.
***
Protecting her eyes with a hand the woman got out the room and understood where she was: the open place with the rusted machine. Heavy curtains closed the doors.
Following the smell, Uma found the kitchen. Someone was humming. She carefully passed the door and the lucid head of an android rapidly moved
"I see you are awake, Sir Luke will be glad" the voice was happy, but changed timbre "even if he doesn't like strangers..."added the droid sad
"Sir Luke?" that name sounded in his mind like a thunder. He was that man!
"Where is he right now?" Uma hold her breath, waiting for the answer
"He told me he would like to visit his relatives' tomb...he also told me to do the lunch, I'm not a cook, but..." Uma stopped him, didn't matter what the droid could do...
"Where is the tomb?!"
"Sir Luke ordered me to keep you here, until he come." the droid answered upset
"It doesn't matter!" shouted Uma. She had to find him! Talk to him!
"He told me to..." the seraphic voice of D-9ki was too much
"I'll find him!"
The girl got out, furious with the droid and whit Luke and with the entire universe!
"Human..." sighed D-9ki, stirring the food
Uma looked around searching for a way to go out.
"But where's the exit?" cried out, beating the foot on the ground. The echo of the walls was the only derisive answer she received. The woman closed her eyes to be serene. Progressively the anger passed, what sort of help was being angry whit a robot?
***
Her stomach asked its lunch and, like a wounded lion, Uma came back to the kitchen.
"If you were hungry, the lunch would be done..." the droid knew how to make someone upset, but Uma didn't want to be angry. Without words, she sat down on a chair and D-9ki served her the lunch
"What is this?" asked dubious the girl, observing the green mixture from all of the perspectives.
"Well, it's a soup...believing the recipe..."
Uma tasted the soup and her face became pale and disgusted. The good smell had taken her out of road.
"What is in it?" she was trying not to retch
"The poor things Tatooine gives...Is it not good?"
"No...not very good...do you have something to drink, which doesn't taste like motor oil...?"
The droid went to the freezing unit and took a carafe of crystalline water.
Uma drank a glass of water and moved the plate away from her to rest her knees on the table. Drank another glass of the fresh liquid
"Thanks'...what's your name?"
"My name? Well..." D-9ki was confounded by the change of Uma' behavior
"I'm the droid 9ki... protocol droid, co-pilot, translator, space engineer..." a nod of Uma's head stopped the droid
"I understand...what sort of person is Sir Luke?"
"What sort of person miss?"
"Yes...he is kind or choleric...gentle..." The droid started but someone at the doorstep stopped him.
"He likes people but sometimes becomes untouchable. He loves his sister... Gets angry if you call him Sir and you are a friend...He's a good listener..." D-9ki was going to move but the man stopped again him. "Who does want to know what kind of person Luke Skywalker is or isn't?"
"I do...princess Uma from Teti...I'm here to become a Jedi Knight. The Force runs in me..."
"Yes, yes...I know the rigmarole..." said with a deep sigh the man, thinking about all the people who asked him the same thing and gave up at the first wall... "But Luke doesn't want to see you..."
"Why did he invite me for the lunch then?" Uma had felt, who the man was...
" I didn't invite you for the..." the voice shut, he betrayed himself. Marking his defeat, Luke took away the hood of his Jedi cloak. He let the curtain come back to its position and take a step.
The droid prepared the table for the Jedi Master.
His face was mature and the hair was short but in his eyes was still burning a flame of the bravery and the strength that all in the galaxy talked about. His light blue eyes glittered.
"Ok. Tell my why you want to be a Jedi Knight..."
"I must save my people" answered serious Uma
"Save your people?"
"A stranger Lord wants to be the Emperor of my kingdom. He's going to arrive at Capital and I must do something...my father left me the kingdom and this..." Uma took the cylinder and gave it to Luke, who looked at it for a few moment
"It's a lightsaber...but I don't know any Jedi come from Teti..."
"My father had been disciple of Lujan, one of Yoda's apprentice ".
"So, you want to be a Jedi...you want to learn the Force, her power..." the Jedi played with the lightsaber turning and returning it. Like my sister, Leia...thought Luke smiling lightly
"Yes, like you did from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda..." she was full of euphoria and courage.
Luke felt the Force strong in her.
"Ben...had passed a long time before someone call him again..." the voice betrayed the tenderness of that memory. Ben was with him always but it was strange hear someone else pronouncing his name...
"Then?" asked apprehensive the girl, looking in his eyes and moving toward him. Luke leant against the back of his chair, to make a distance between the young woman and himself.
In the silence that came Uma looked at Luke's face. Luke didn't seem to see her. He was thinking. Another war against a bad Lord, he had to teach that young woman so well to make her win...They probably had no much time and he had to do all as well in a little breath of time
"I'll do..." Uma's eyes shone joyful. So, at least there was a probability... "Thanks a lot...from all of my people."
"Don't think it will be easy..." advised Luke with an austere voice, pointing her with the quenched lightsaber.
"I don't..."
"You'll have to work hard, with your body and your mind...The Force is strong..."
"I'm here to be instructed" apparently the young woman was invincible, but Luke felt inside her the cry for her father death and the revenge...
"Now shall we have lunch..." the Jedi took the sponge to eat and he was going to taste the soup.
"No!" yelled Uma, making the sponge fall down. A little greenish tear was on his cheek. Luke looked her askance.
"What have you done?" Luke cleaned his cheek. Under the brown cloak and the beige shirt Uma could see a black shirt. Dark outside, light inside...
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to dirty you, Master...but the soup is awful."
"If you don't like my food, cook you!" creaked the droids, angry. D-9ki threw a rag on the table and got out the room.
Uma smiled and Luke looked at her for a minute. The power that had assisted her till now will support her in the difficult way to be a Jedi?
"I don't know...Ben".
"Follow your heart...son, like you've done till now..." Ben's voice made him more calm and relaxed.
"Princess..." began Luke, waiting for her attention
"Call me Uma, Master..."
"You call me Luke then...Master makes me feel older!" laughing together the afflictions ran away. How excellent Jedi! So open...like a relative...
Like a good housewife, Uma took the plates and cleaned them
"No, Uma you don't have to do it..."
"Don't worry..." smiled the girl "I used to do things like this during the war..."
"Give up, we'll start your exercises with your lightsaber..."
"Wow!" yelled Uma with a bright smile
"Wow? Are you so happy to learn how to cut arm and kill people? A Jedi Knight fight only for defense..."
"I know but I fell so strange thinking about that weapon..."
"I'll wait for you outside..."
Uma cleaned well the plates; ready to learn...She wanted to scream cheerful. The entire world had to know her purpose.
"The talker!" the girl ran out the kitchen and entered the living room.
Luke looked at her with an interrogative expression.
***
The Jedi Master followed the girl in the living room. Uma had the head in her sack, searching for something
"It is!" Uma opened the talker and dialed the access code
"Here is New Moon...can you hear me Red Sun?" a man answered
"Here is Red Sun" the voice was exultant but there was no time for hello
"General Sar...I'm glad to hear you"
"Princess..."
"General...news from Teti?" Uma's voice became grave.
"The Troupes have occupied Hon's Island..."
"Please endure General...I'll do my best...but you...endure" sobbed the Princess and Luke thought about what he had seen. He had to do his best too, for her, for the people...
"Don't' worry, we'll fight until we have the strength to resist..."
"General. If I don't come for the term, say to my sister to give our world to the enemy..."
"No! Princess, I can't do this..."
"General...promise...now" tears ran down her cheeks but voice was resolute.
"Ok...I'll do...bye..."
"Bye..." Uma closed the talker and sat down on the sofa, looking the ground
"Ehi Uma, you can't give up before starting!" her sad eyes looked at Luke
"Yes...but how long did it take to you to be able with the lightsaber to beat a better man?"
"I don't know, two years...I don't know..."
"I must be able in shorter time...it's impossible..."
"Can you clear my curiosity?"
"Talk..."
"Why do you want to be a Jedi Knight?"
"Because Lord Fgar, our enemy, told us to find a Knight capable to beat him, and he'll leave us..."
"And you want to be that knight...don't you?" Uma nodded. An immense tenderness filled Luke's heart, the Jedi sat down near Uma, hugging her. Her head lying on his chest, his hands around her shoulder. Luke tried to give her his strength, with the Force. Uma looked up.
"Now, it's better for us to go..." the tears were over, now the determination was glittering in her blue eyes. Uma stood up and got out the room, she didn't hear Luke's promise, made to Ben and Yoda lighting his lightsaber in front of him. The green pale light shone on his face, full of mystery and mysticism.
"I promise, Masters. I'll teach her like you've done with me..."
Luke breathed and quenched the lightsaber. Now he had done a promise and he had to keep it!
***
Luke took Uma in the outside, under the sapphire sky of Tatooine.
"Ignite it..." Uma grab the lightsaber and found the ignite button. A blue blade shone. Uma looked the blue blade enchanted, but suddenly Luke called her
"Shall we start?"
"Yes...we can..." Uma prepared herself like Luke had done. The position was the same and the expression was the same: calm but ready to fight
"Begin!" shouted Luke before starting the fight. Luke tried to hurt Uma, keeping in mind that he hadn't to hurt really her. Slashes up and down, parries and thrusts, Uma was rapid and Luke thought the lightsaber would be the last thing to think about.
Luke took a step away from Uma and quenched his lightsaber. Uma did the same.
"You're a very good warrior...you're agile...very agile..."
"I don't' know why I'm so able to use the lightsaber..."
"Don't think about it...but remember that a Jedi Knight serves and protect, doesn't run around killing..."
"Ok...I understand."
"During this 'battle' you were very furious and angry with your enemy...I wasn't Luke I was Fgar...tell me if I'm wrong..." it was a gentle admonition and Uma looked down, thinking.
Luke waited in silence until Uma nodded "Yes..." hesitantly Uma looked up. Luke's eyes smiled "It's important that you don't let Fury and Fear lead you to the Dark Side of the Force. It would be the end for you and for your earth..."
"I understand...Master" the respect pervaded her 'Master'.
"Don't worry now...if you pay attention it won't be your destiny..."
Luke surrounded Uma's shoulders with his arm. Uma smiled. The force, which Luke was giving her, made her heart full of calm and pain ran away. Luke felt Uma like she was a little sister who needed protection.
"Shall we do it again, Master?"
"I think it would be useful...feel the Force and let her guide you."
"I'll do..." Luke went in front of Uma and prepared himself for the fight. Uma lit her lightsaber, repeating in his memory Master's word...
"Begin..." Uma sighed and attacked.
Luke felt in her heart the effort to be calm, and smiled a little. It's good, young Jedi...Rapidly Uma attacked up and down. Left leg. Right arm. The hand with the lightsaber. Left shoulder. Down. Attention! Luke combated whit half attention, monitoring in the same time Uma's feeling. When, at least, Uma's lightsaber fall down, a red sunset colored them with an ardent orange.
"You haven't paid much attention, but your heart was more calm."
"Thank a lot again Master..."
""I told you to call me Luke..."
"But you are my Master, my Guide..."
"Do as you want." Uma picked up the lightsaber and followed Luke inside.
***
The soldiers in his black uniform was running to the compound.
"Captain!" he shouted moving fast the arms in the air. The electrobinoculars in his hand
"What's going on soldier? What have you seen?"
"Captain..." panted the soldier "I found her..."
"What?" asked surprised the Captain. The other soldiers had surrounded them and were listening with attention.
"Yes...I found her. She was fighting against a Jedi Knight..."
"Where are they now?"
"They are probably in the house of the man..."
"We must catch her..." said the Captain banging a fist in the open hand, "Tenant Hans...come here!" shouted searching with the eyes the man. A tall and thin guy came out of a tent.
"At your service..." saluted the Tenant.
"Prepare your men...we are going to catch the fugitive"
"Dark Troupe 1 and 2...ready to go in two minutes!" barked the thin man. The soldiers ran and shouted to be ready as fast as they could. When all of them were ready, the Tenant spoke.
"Men, we must catch her...don't kill her, use the stun guns. Questions?"
The silence was their answer.
"Go!" rapidly the soldiers took the speeder, pale like the sand with the Tenant and the discoverer at the head, heading for Luke's home.
***
"Someone is coming..."whispered Luke. Uma, who was trying her best to be concentrated and calm, blinked her eyes and looked at Luke.
"How can you say it?"
"I feel it...you'll learn this and other things the Force can do."
"Who are they?"
"Man...are near...dangerous!"
"The soldiers!" Uma ran up and lit her lightsaber
"Master..."
"Uma...calm..." said with a sweet voice. The hands of the girl relaxed.
"We'll go away, but you must stay calm..." the hypnotic sound of his voice filled her whit calm, all was calm and relaxed...
"Ok..."
"9ki!" shouted Luke. The droid came and Luke explained the situation
"What! We're lost!"
"Don't cry like a baby droid!" sometimes 9ki made a Jedi loose his calm too
Luke took Uma's hand and lit his lightsaber. It was not the first time he was in trouble and he could control his emotion.
"This way..."
Luke carried Uma and 9ki underground, in a small subterranean passage. It was dark but Luke used the lightsaber like a light. After a few minutes they are out.
"Where are we?"
"Near the speeder...now shut up and follow me...quickly!" Luke ran out the passage and looked around, searching for the soldiers. Their voice weren't distant and Luke ran to the speeder.
"Come on!" whispered, soliciting them with his hand. Uma and 9ki ran to Luke but a soldier saw them and shot. Uma avoided the laser and jumped in the vehicle, helping 9ki. Rapidly the speeder was far from the soldiers.
"Pffiu..."sighed Uma quenching the lightsaber.
"Damnation!" the anger turned her face red.
"Don't be angry...we are save and safe..."
"Yes...but I'm sorry, you could be hurt..."
"No..." smiled Luke. Uma's eyes were trying to see the soldiers
"I saw what you've done...good, very good answer." Said Luke with a real admiration
"Do you think so?" her surprised eyes looked at Luke.
"I always say what I think...always."
"Now where are we going?" asked Uma looking around in the darker skyline. All around the speeder was getting darker and darker...
"To Mos Eisley. I have my spaceship there."
"I think I'll take some rest now..." the girl closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"Sleep dear...you need repose." whispered Luke looking at her calm face, she was just a young woman, but in her there was a strong soul.
The city was dark and people were away, sometimes someone ran or shouted and an animal cried. Luke's eyes danced from side to side. Uma was asleep, lying on the droid's legs.
It was an unusual image. Ninekeiai looked at the girl, with a feeling unexpected from a droid. He smiled and sighed.
"Sir Luke..." whispered the droid.
"Yes..."
"Are we going to your sister, Senator Organa Solo."
"Yes...I think is a safe place to make clear our mind...9ki...do you know where is Teti?"
"Yes. It's a little planet far away from here."
"I want Uma to win her battle, she would be a very good Jedi Knight..."
"If I can say it, you're talking like she were your sister...or your daughter..." the droid looked at the man and noticed his face. A little smile curved his lips. Luke paid again attention to the street.
***
Soon the speeder stopped and Luke opened the door of the dock 76/b. His spaceship was sleeping in the darkness.
"Dear...wake up...we arrived..." whispered gently the man touching her shoulder. Uma woke up, not very sure about where they were. Luke took her hand and led the girl inside.
The spaceship was opened and illuminated.
"Come on dear..." Uma let her feet go on the ramp. Luke was behind her, looking
apprehensive the open door.
***
"Have you found them?" the blond head of the Tenant shocked
"What?" yelled the Captain. The Tenant sighed
"I...I'm sorry..." apologized Hans.
"Ah...you're sorry...I don't know what to do with your 'I'm sorry'."
"But..." Hans waited for the Captain's attention
"But...?" asked the man, looking the Captain with hope
"We know where they are going..."
"Where?"
"Mos Eisley...the man who took her away is...Luke Skywalker...the Jedi Knight..."
"Luke Skywalker..."repeated incredulous the Captain, lowering his head.
"Inform the Star Cruiser to catch them when they will be in the open space..."
"Yes." answered Hans, without moving.
"Now!" the Tenant ran out the tent. Larson now had a moment for himself. He thought about what the tenant had said. A Jedi Knight...the Lord will be not happy to know that the most respected person, with the Senators of the New Republic- and good for us Teti isn't in the Republic- help the Princess...I've a bad feeling...a very bad feeling.
***
The Killer found the spaceship and a swarm of little fighters flew to it. Lights and beeps filled the spaceship. The Stars Horse flew as fast as it could but the fighters were too quick and Luke left the controls to the droid. He had to destroy the enemies. Uma woke up at the first blast and called for help. Luke was passing there.
"Can you shoot to a fighter?"
"Yes...sometimes I did..."
"Come on then..."
The Horse was a small but respectable spaceship. Had the arms to defend itself and a very good pilot...probably the best one. The deflector shields were up and the spacecraft was relatively protected.
Luke led the princess to a fire towel. The space was limited but Uma found out that the seat was comfortable. Buttons around her were beeping. Luke called her with the comlink.
"Are you ready Uma?" asked from the other side of the spaceship.
"Yes of course...let's roast these little insects!" her voice was full of revenge but Luke didn't have the time to tell it to Uma. A laser burst hit the spaceship and both of them had to rapidly come back to the fire controls.
Luke, with his Jedi calm, smiled a little when his first victim blew up with a little intense cloud. Uma yelled, glad for her first fighter...
"Look the spark fall. The only right thing they can do, disappear in..." Uma silenced herself because she had to destroy another fighter.
"How many are they?!"
"Too many for me..."
"Master...why don't we ran away? Go to the Control Cabin. I'll keep them busy."
"Ok..." Luke gave up shooting and ran up to the Controls Cabin.
***
"We are ready to the hyperspace, Sir..." said the droid from his seat near Luke. He controlled for the last time the co-ordinates, sitting on his chair
"We can go...Uma..." announced the Jedi in the comlink
"I'm coming." Uma left the fire position and went to her seat, locking her safety belt.
Luke sighed and cut in the power. The stars became little glowing lines and soon they were away from the Star Cruiser and the fighters.
***
***
Immense. This was the word that the high white walls of the Senate said. People were going and coming, guards, dressed in blue, looked around with a colorless face and above all of them: the Senate. Uma was in front of a big window, looking down the street. How peaceful was that place.
Luke's apartment. Uma placed her back against the glass and examined the room. Clean and simply, but gracious and silent. Luke was everywhere. In the beige sofa which was in the center of the entrance and which said 'Relax yourself, you're welcome...'. In the living room, where Uma was, so bright. Remembering his palace and comparing it with what she was seeing, Uma thought that the big and multicolored building was so awful. Jedi linearity facing Teti tortuous life. She thought that being a Jedi Knight would resolve her problems. Someone knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" asked Uma, with a passive voice.
"It's me...Luke..." Uma ran to the door and opened it
"Why have you knocked the door?" Uma let Luke enter inside and closed the door.
"I forgot the pass in my bedroom..." answered Luke with a bright smile.
"Ah...Luke you're a very lucky person..." the man looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Don't look at me that way..." Uma put her hands on her waist. Luke blinked his eyes twice.
"Can we go on?"
"Ok...where have you been? You left me four hours ago!"
"I have to talk to Leia and to General Carlissian..."
"Why?"
"Because they had to know who are you...you probably don't know my sweet sister...she was interested on you..."
"Ah...well..." silent came between them. Luke unbuttoned his Jedi cloak and placed it on a chair.
" Was the General Carlissian interested too?"
"No...he haven't known you were here till I told him."
"What have you said to him?"
"You are curious...aren't you?"
"Yes..." answered with a red face Uma looking down.
"I explained him the situation...he and Han are influent and if they said, 'we must help Teti', everyone would answer 'yes'..."
"Really?!...But I told you what I have to do to make Fgar go away..."
"I know, but you however need help...think for a moment what could happen if you win and Fgar don't go..."
"He made a promise..." answered Uma with a certain voice.
"Ok...he made a promise...but a promise can be broken..."
"No!"
Luke lowered his head. A lock of hair came down, in front of his nose, and Luke replaced it with a hand. Uma was still looking at him with wild eyes and nervous hands.
"You trust him so much...how can you do?" Luke looked in Uma eyes and, even if she wanted, Uma couldn't lower her eyes. The pure blue sea in his eyes calmed down the young Jedi, "You need help..."
"You're right. I'm so stupid!" the girl fell down on the sofa with the head between the hands and the first tear rolled down on the white pavement.
"Don't cry now..." Luke sat down near her and put his hands on her shoulder. Uma hung down the head on his chest and Luke hugged her gently. She was so fragile, like a flower in the storm.
"I'm...I'm afraid..."cried out Uma.
"Don't worry. I'm here...I'll be with you...now stop crying, I have a surprise for you..."
"Really?" asked with new energy Uma, looking up to Luke's smile. The girl let him go near his cloak.
"This is for you..." a little pendant lighted in front of her. A blue gem in a gold cage.
"It's beautiful...." yelled excited Uma.
"And useful. All the Jedi learner have it."
"I'm a Jedi learner...sounds good!"
"Let me put it around your neck." Uma stood up and Luke, with solemnity, settled the gem.
Uma smiled and looked at Luke. She would express gratitude to his Master but she didn't found the words. Luke hugged her and a big smile opened her mouth.
***
The Star Cruiser was like a zoo. People and droids right and left, up and down, in the passages, in the rooms. Everywhere. Sounds of war and shouts came from that big and dark engine.
"Stupid!" The commander was yelling against his men
"But..."
"But, but, but. Instead of but say me yes!"
"Yes..." whispered the captain. The irritation of Renes grew up
"Stop! Go and find her!"
"Excuse me sir..."
"What do you want?"
"Where do you think they would be?"
"What have I done to stay with these little stupid?"
"Sorry." The men got out. All of them sighed and smiled when the door closed
"Luke Skywalker... sure!" exclaimed Larson.
"Ehi!"
"Tenant... Luke Skywalker!" repeated the man, perhaps Hans had understood, because he
nodded and ran to a turbolift.
"We'll catch them!"
***
"Dear sister...she is Princess Uma from Teti...Jedi apprentice."
"Nice to meet you Uma..." smiled Leia. Uma smiled back and saluted.
"Come in, don't stay on the door..." invited the senator. Inside was warm and Uma took away the brown cloak. Luke looked at her while, with care, she was placing the cloak on the back of a chair.
"So you're the princess..."
"Yes...I'm..."
"Luke told me what you want to do...you are brave. I don't think I could keep calm during a Jedi training, knowing that I must do it in a short time."
"Leia, we are here because Uma wants to thank you for what you'll do..."
"Yes...I...you don't' know how it is important for me..."
In the silence Uma looked around. The apartments were similar, but Leia's one was joyful and happy, not like Luke's...it was a strange feeling. Suddenly an alarm cried in the Senate.
"What's going on?" yelled Uma looking out of the window
"Luke?" asked Leia
"They found us, Uma..."
"Oh no!"
"Leia...take care of your family..."
"But..." Luke had already been at the door, Uma was putting on the cloak, near him.
"Dear, stay calm. You're a Jedi Knight...stay calm. We have to go now." Said so, Luke and Uma ran out the apartment.
***
Uma was furious but Luke looked in her eyes and a strange calm filled her.
"Uma don't get angry...promise me..."
"I promise Master..."
***
The door of the turbolift opened and Luke and Uma ran out. Luke burst into the apartment and came out with their bags.
"Luke, I'm sorry..." whispered Uma while they were going to the spaceport.
"Master! Don't take your spaceship!" Uma suddenly looked up.
"What?" yelled Luke with an astonished voice.
"We could escape with a little fighter..."
"The little fighter don't go in the hyperspace Uma!"
"We don't have to...a spaceship is behind the moon..." Said smiling Uma.
"Ok...let's see what happen..."
***
Luke opened the door of the hangar where were placed the fighters.
" A fighter for two please..." asked to the soldier with a smile.
"Master Skywalker...but"
"We need it!"
"Ok, with me...you have to change first...this way!" the soldier took Luke and Uma to a deposit. Soon the man found the uniform of Luke and one uniform for Uma.
"You change here, I'll prepare your fighter..."
Luke changed dress outside the deposit while Uma was trying to make up her uniform.
The intercom talked.
"Sir...hangar 5/34." shouted the soldier in the intercom. The alarm filled the Senate and an energy shield was growing, slowly, from the top of the Senate. The other buildings were disappearing under the ground.
Two orange pilots ran to the hangar 5/34.
"Good luck..." wished the soldier giving them their helmet
"Thank a lot...we'll need it." The fighter was bigger than a normal X-Wing and there was space enough to change clothes.
***
The Star Cruiser had covered the sunlight and the day had become night. The alarm was crying his anger when the fighter took off, under the black shadow of the Cruiser. The energy shields were up and the Senate glowed of a red light for a moment.
"We've done!" Uma laughed looking the dark space was coming in front of them
"Yes...but look there..." Luke iced her happiness. Four fighters were flying to them.
"Come on little insects...I'll give you what you're searching..." murmured Uma, ready to change the fighters in stardust...
"Calm dear." Replied Luke pushing two red buttons on the control board. The auxiliary power made the fighter dash out in the darkness.
Two fighters turned to follow them but a third fighter came between them and...BOOM!
The explosion illuminated the space and Uma watched the sight with a diabolic smile
"Don't smile Uma...their death is not so funny..." admonished seriously Luke, turning his head a little
"I know...but..."
"Don't think about it...the moon is near."
The blue little moon was in front of them.
"Here's the moon...I hope the spaceship is there..."
While the fighter were veering to right to reach the moon, Uma looked at the watery moon. Brilliant like a sapphire in the dark space, the planet gave her a calm that her planet hadn't.
Sighing Uma looked down, the control column was there, beeping and blinking, and she hadn't touched it to destroy the enemy...Destroy. Probably the pilots who died had family and now they were crying for them. War kills friends and enemy, what a stupid thing!
In the shadow of the little moon a spaceship had found protection.
"Ehi...here there is a spaceship!" smiled relieved Luke.
"You wasn't sure?"
"No...but it's a good sight, really. But probably we have to tell them we're coming..."
"You're right..." Uma dialed her code and General Sar asked with a worried voice "Princess? Where are you?"
"On the fighter which is blinking on the screen..." smiled Uma. Luke smiled too; the princess was always a surprise
"Why are you here?" the tone was furious and worried at the same time
"Can I explain it later?"
"Yes...are you alone?"
"No...Luke Skywalker, my Jedi Master is with me..."
"Ok...give me a moment to open the energy shield."
"Don't run General..." kidded Uma but Sar replied with a grave voice
"Yes Your Majesty."
Uma turned off the transmission. Luke's eyes were looking at her.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"You're like a present with a lot of boxes..."
"But I don't have the red cockade." Uma and Luke laughed. When silent came back a tractor beam led to the big spaceship.
***
The hangar was full of people; a lot of soldiers with their best uniform were waiting their princess. Many people had known the princess not like a queen but like a pilot, a good pilot and like a doctor, ready to go in the middle of the night or at lunchtime to aid people.
The fighter landed and the soldiers did two rows to salute her.
Uma buttoned her Jedi cloak and came down. The soldiers did their military salute. The princess, followed by Luke, smiled and nodded with grace.
Sar, with a bow, welcomed Uma.
"General Sar...I hope you didn't take my joke like an order..."
"No, don't worry about this Princess...we are all happy you are here..." Sar and Luke looked in each other's eyes.
"OH...I forgot the presentation...General Sar..." proudly Uma took Luke's arm and said
smiling "I have the honor to present you my Jedi Master, the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker..." Sar bowed with respect but Luke took his hand, and shook her. Sar smiled uncertain, then he surrounded Luke's hand with his other hand.
"It's a big honor for me."
"Don't think I have to be considered like a king..."
"But you are a Jedi Knight, Guardian of the Galaxy..."
Luke shrugged his shoulders, smiling.
"Please, this way. Her Majesty, Princess Dala, is waiting for you in the Throne Room." Sar took them to a turbolift and asked for the 7th floor.
"Dala will be happy you're here now..." said Luke with a bright smile. He could feel the jealous glance that Sar made him. He loved the princess it was clear like the sun, and the young man, he was around twenty-one or two, though he could be an impediment for him...
"Yes...I left her three weeks ago..." Uma looked up, like she would see over the roof of the turbolift
"But in this time you have done your training...I'm proud of your progress..."then, looking Sar, Luke added "She made a lot of progress General Sar..."
"She's very brilliant..." Uma covered her face with her hands, smiling
"Don't make my face turn red..." everyone laughed. Luke noticed the expression of Sar's eyes; he could die for his princess...
The turbolift stopped and the door opened. A long corridor, which Uma did with a crazy heart, took them in front of the room. With an unexpected gesture, in front of the Throne Room, Uma grasped Luke's arm with panic
"Uma?!..." Wished Luke
"I'm afraid...Luke..." the door opened and Uma felt her heart in her throat, beating so strong that Uma sensed her head was going to be broken. What could make her so? Uma had a strange feeling, something wasn't right.
"Her Majesty Princess Uma..." called a man near the door.
Luke looked around, he had had the same feeling: like a dark cloud into the room.
***
At the end of the chamber, sat on her Throne, there was Dala, dressed with a splendid blue dress, on her head the princess crown. Sitting on the King's throne there was a man, dressed in black, with a crown too. Uma grasped with energy Luke's arm. The man looked at her and saw in her eyes the fear, a fear strong enough to vanish her training. Luke tried to calm her with his Force but the fear made her shudder; Sar was behind her, silent and passive. The dark cloud became bigger and bigger while they were walking through the big room.
Luke tried to find out who the man was, when Uma whispered trembling
"Fgar..." her voice was like a silent scream and Luke took his lightsaber, covered by the cloak. Uma noticed his movement and did the same. The battle was near, that was the feeling that filled the room. Dala stood up and walked forward Uma
"Dear..." said but her eyes were dark and empty.
"Dala..." Uma left Luke's arm and hugged her sister.
"Then you are a Jedi now..." Dala looked at her brown cloak
"Not yet..." Luke, with one hand still around his weapon, bowed and saluted the princess, "Princess Dala, it's a honor for me..."
"You're the Jedi Master...aren't you?!"
"Yes. I am..." but Dala stopped him.
"I know who you are..." said with a strange voice. Like a frozen wind came into the room, Fgar's voice iced Uma's soul. Luke with his Jedi knowledge made his heart calm, even if Uma was giving him all of her fear.
"My dear princess...let our guests talk..."
"As you want Milord."
"Please, come here. Princess Uma...how much time! You left us three weeks ago...and now you are a Jedi Knight...good!" Fgar tried to be friendly but his voice was full of his obscure feelings. Luke held Uma's hand and made her walk; Dala was in front of them. The strong princess, full of happiness and satisfaction, was now like a frightened child.
"Don't let the fear lead you to the anger and the fury...to the Dark Side." murmured quietly the Jedi Master.
"But...he is..." cried out Uma
"Control your emotion, be calm, the Force is with you, is your ally..."
"Master..." whispered sadly Uma with gloomy eyes.
Now they could look, if they wanted, in the dark and evil eyes of that man.
"Your Majesty..." bowed Luke, making Uma do the same.
"You're the famous Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker..."
"Yes it's me..." Uma wouldn't look Lord Fgar, but Luke got up and Uma had to do the same.
"Princess Uma...we are proud of you..." even if he had smiled, his smile was like a smirk
"Thanks Lord..." said Uma with a sigh. The Force she was drawing to made her stronger and braver. She didn't' shudder anymore. I'm proud of you young Jedi, thought Luke with a mental smile. Rising in all of her height Uma looked up following Fgar's movements. Lord Fgar took a step forward them and Uma looked inside his eyes, bravely.
"I'm sorry..." apologized Fgar, with his satanic smirk. Luke felt the danger and held Uma's shoulder, to make her draw back. A big cavity opened where there had been Luke and Uma. Dala was unluckily there and fell down in the cavity with a scream.
"Dala!" yelled Uma, looking her sister falling down in the dark hole. She would cry but it wasn't the right moment
"Fgar!" roared the young Jedi with all her dolor and anger
"Young Jedi...you had more fortune than your sister...but you'll have the same end!" laughed Fgar.
"I'll kill you now!" shouted Uma, lighting her lightsaber.
"A lightsaber...what do you want to do?"
"I'll..." Uma shut her mouth with one hand. Luke was behind her, with his weapon lit.
"I don't get angry..." shouted suddenly more to herself than to Fgar.
"Angry? You're already angry..."
"No!" Fgar was trying to demolish her but Luke couldn't do anything. He was going to touch her shoulder when in his mind he heard a familiar voice.
"She must do it by herself..."
"Ben!"
"Luke...let her go on..."
"But..."
"Don't worry, she is strong...you've made a good training with her..."
"But..."
"'But' wasn't your word, son...be calm, I have to tell you this!"
The voice disappeared, like an ancient echo and Luke came back to his position.
Fgar laughed and picked up from his black cloak a lightsaber.
"You're a Jedi Knight?" asked Uma with large and afraid eyes, drawing back of a step. Fgar lit the lightsaber, but Luke, Uma was still too young to feel this, didn't sense the power of the Dark Side of the Force in him and in his weapon. It was a lightsaber but who was holding it wasn't a Jedi Knight.
"Who are you?" asked Luke and Uma turned back looking him with a confounded expression
"What? Don't you see what I have here?"
"I see and feel...you aren't a Jedi..."
"What does give you this conviction?"
"You haven't the Jedi Force...who are you?"
"Ok...my mask didn't work I thought you could be more stupid than you're really...you ask me who I am...prepare yourself..." announced Fgar before he disappeared, leaving the black cloak.
Uma was terrified and searched support inside Luke's hug. The Jedi quenched his weapon and embraced her.
A terrifying laugh pervaded the room and, with a thunder, appeared a monster. A big and dark body, like an immense snake and a lucid black head: the most horrible creature Uma had ever seen.
Uma screamed but Luke surrounded her and lit his lightsaber
"You wanted to see me...here you are."
" A Spinbes..."
"Good Jedi Knight...so you know who I am..."
"Yes the most terrible parasite in the Universe..."
Uma came out the Luke's embrace to fight with the Spinbes.
"Uma..."
"Keep calm Master...this is my fight..."
"Are you sure?"
A pair of deformed arms was born from the horrible body; the beast open his arms and screamed out a terrible noise.
Uma and Luke had to cover their ears with the hands, suddenly in the room entered armed soldiers, their eyes were empty. Uma looked the soldier and noticed Sar...
"Sar..." called running to him but the General, under the power of Fgar, shot and Uma had to defense her, deviating the laser blast.
"Sar!" cried out Uma. Luke ran to her and surrounded her waist, taking her away from the fire, behind a big column
"Let me go..." Uma was like a wild horse and Luke did a thing he had never done before to calm someone: he slapped her face. Uma put one hand on the cheek
"I'm sorry Uma..." the girl looked at him with angry eyes but instead of a shout or another slap, she started to cry. Luke caressed her hair and put a finger under her chin to make her see his eyes
"I must save him...we must go. I don't want to leave him here."
"Ok...I understand. Uma now you do what I say...promise."
"I promise...what are your order?"
"You run long the wall, and reach the door. I'll keep the guards busy."
"Then?"
"Disarm all the guards you can. We must have a way to go through..."
Fgar hit the column and a big piece of rock rolled down, near Uma
"Go...May the Force be with you..."
Uma ran long the wall and instantly the guards shot her. Protecting herself with her lightsaber she reached the door. Luke shouted to the guards and they looked at him. Fgar was laughing, the scene was very funny.
Uma killed a guard but her heart didn't insist on that feeling. Another guard, but Uma didn't kill him; she hit him with the butt of the gun. A third guard looked at her and a blast hit her leg. The dolor was terrible.
"Help me..." Cried.
Luke's plan was vanished. It wasn't a good plan but it had been the first idea he had had... The soldier grabbed her, he was going to take her to Fgar but someone shot and the guard fell down. Another blast and the soldiers who surrounded Uma were on the ground.
"Sar..." whispered the girl looking up. Sar was there in front of her, with a smile
"Princess..." Uma smiled and, with new energy woke up. Sar rapidly was by her side.
"Come on, let's leave this spaceship..." a soldier shot but Uma protected Sar with the light blue blade.
"No... Luke's there!"
"Luke?" asked Sar. He helped her and what she was thinking about? Luke!
"Sar...there's a thing you must know...but now help me..."
"Ok..." agreed the man. Side to side the two young lovers killed other soldiers. Sar sometimes looked the man who he was shooting to, he was a friend, but the necessity killed the friendship. Fgar was still looking Luke who defended and attached, laughing and beating the ground with his big and viscid tail. Luke noticed Uma and Sar and smiled. Finally...they were together...
"Luke!" yelled Uma, while Sar was killing the remained soldiers.
The terrifying laugh stopped when Luke, left the soldiers and the battle, ran to the door. Uma and Sar were there, waiting for him.
"What's going on?" shouted, beating the tail on the ground, making the depths shake.
The soldiers stopped shooting and looked terrified at the alien.
"Let's go..." said Uma when she could hold Luke's arm. Sar was ahead them, looking for other soldiers. The spaceship shook again and Uma, whose leg was making her cry, fell down, rolling against a wall. Luke carefully reached her and held the unconscious girl in his arms. Sar looked at him, first with anger then with a smile.
***
The hangar was full of soldiers and Sar stopped a minute before they saw him
"Wrong way..."
"Uhm..." Luke was thinking and Sar looked at him eager. After a long minute Luke nodded and whispered
"I could create a diverting, and you can go to the spaceship."
"But Master Luke..."
"Don't call me Master Luke, we are friends...aren't us?"
"Yes..." agreed the boy lowering his black and ruffled head.
"Go...take care of Uma" said tenderly Luke leaving Uma in Sar's arms. The boy looked surprised at Luke, who smiled and added
"Wait until they will be occupied..."
Luke's blue eyes closed slowly, his breath was calm and his body was relaxed. In his mind, the Jedi tried to see a big box, that was in the hangar, and slowly he thought the box rose. The soldiers shouted, looking the box in the air. One shot but the box was going forward them. Sar waited until the soldiers were turned and gave him the back then ran in the hangar, silently and fast. Reached the spaceship Sar stopped. Uma opened her eyes and looked at Sar
"Where are..."
"Stsss..." whispered Sar.
"Where are we...where is Master Luke?" asked whispering Uma, looking around.
"He's behind that wall...he told me to go..."
"And what will happen to him?"
"I don't know...Uma we must go now."
"No! I won't abandon him here!" the spaceship shook and Uma fell down. Her leg was seriously wounded and she couldn't stand up. Sar surrounded her waist with one arm and with the other put her left arm around his neck
"Hold on dear..." Uma looked in Sar eyes. Dear. Yes dear. She was dear for him and for her he was...Uma smiled and caressed his cheek.
"Ok...Uma, you won. We won't go without Luke..."
"Thank you Sar..." with tenderness she kissed him on the lips.
Sar felt his heart beating like a drum in his throat; he hadn't the words...
An old spaceship was sleeping not far from them and Uma pointed at it
"That one..."
"Ok...I don't know if she can fly but we can try."
"Don't say try...do or not..." it was a phrase Luke said often to her and now she really understood what was her meaning.
"We'll fly away with that spaceship!" repeated convinced Sar.
The soldiers were away but they could come in every moment. Sar ran to the spaceship, holding Uma, and opened the door. Then Sar searched a place for Uma but the girl left his hug and sat down on a seat near the control cabin
"Go Sar...save him..." smiled the girl. Sar didn't want to leeave her here, so near to the door, but her words made him ran out, holding his weapon, to Luke. One soldier saw him and shot, Sar shot back and killed him.
"Master Luke...come on!" whispered Sar touching Luke's shoulder.
"Why you are still here?"
"Scold me later! With me!"
Sar held Luke's arm and made him run to the spaceship. The propulsion roared and screamed, but started working. Sar entered and looked around.
"This spaceship is old but can still fly. Come on I need a co-pilot. Would someone like to seat here, near me and help me?" Luke looked Sar and pushed him
"I need repose. Sar will help you."
"Ok! Sar come on!" the little guy sat near Uma
"Uma, when you want..."
"Come on baby, make me hear your additional power..." Uma lit the additional propulsion to make the spaceship fly while, at the doorstep of the hangar, the black body of Fgar was coming out and his tail hit the ground near the ship. The Spinbes screamed and beat the tail in frustration. The spaceship took off and flew out.
***
Fgar screamed until the spaceship became a little point in the darkness.
All in the spaceship were happy. Luke smiled and Uma embraced Sar with a big smile.
Sar felt unexpectedly all the weight of Uma's body on his chest and called
"Uma..." but the girl didn't answer. Sar's face became pale.
"Master!" cried out. Luke stood up and ran to the Control Cabin.
"What's going on?" Sar held Uma's shoulders and moved her. Her brown head, covered by the hood, hanged down without life.
"Uma!" yelled Sar.
"Sar...take her to the sleeping compartment." Sar held her in his arms and reached the bedroom.
Placed her on a bed, Sar looked at Luke.
"Don't worry, she is only in a faint."
"When will she get up?"
"Patience son...her leg is hurt...it's an ugly wound..." Luke shook his head
"What can you do?" asked anxious
"Let me examine her...you should go to the control..." Sar put one hand on the forehead, shouting.
"The control!" the young guy left the bedroom quickly and Luke sighed, looking at Uma. Gentle he took her cloak off, putting it on another bed. Her face was suffering and Luke took a lock of her hair away from her face.
Under the Jedi cloak the orange suit was burnt around the wound. Luke tested Uma's leg and got up searching for the first aid kit. Found it, opened the white box. Uhm...bandage...scissors, what else? Ah, a lenitive solution...
Sar was looking, out of the porthole, the sparkling stars in the darkness. How calm they were... His heart was full of love and preoccupation. He felt guilty for the situation of his beloved Uma. Why didn't you tell her who was on the spaceship? Stupid! You had to!
The intercom diverted him from his remorse.
"Sar... dial the co-ordinate for the hyperspace. Uma is sleeping..."
"Master Luke...would you like to come here...I need help..."
"I'm coming."
Sar sighed and looked at the computer, where could they go?
Luke entered the cabin and sat down, in the co-pilot seat.
"No...you'll seat here..."
"If you want to..."
"Yes, now I haven't the power to do anything" Luke put one hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be sad...Uma is strong. She's studying to be a Jedi, the Force will help her..." said smiling. Sar looked at him and got up. Luke did the same and they changed their seat. Luke dialed the co-ordinate and the computer did the operations to calculate the best way. After five minute, a much more long time for Sar, Luke smiled and announced
"We can go now...Sar the hyperspace awaits us..." Sar hardly smiled and pull the hyperdrive lever: bright lines filled the space in front of the windshield.
***
The Killer landed, gently, in the Military Hangar, not fat from the Senate.
The hangar seemed to be too little to contain the colossal ship and the space where the soldiers, the personnel and the Senators were waiting, was limited. Two short rows of soldiers saluted Renes. At the end of the human corridor, the commander could bowed and shook his hand with Mon-Mothma and the other Senators. His face was pale and the eyes, long and gray like the rainy cloud, were like two sharp menacing blades. There were all the Senators of the Restricted Senate, excepted Leia who, apologizing herself using her busy schedule, avoided the unpleasant meeting. The Commander of a spinbean war ship was the last person she wanted to meet.
***
***
All was dark. Uma was in the darkness and was floating. Around her: nothing. A terrified scream opened her mouth but she didn't hear her voice. Where I am? It was like a black sea: no lights, no noises. An emptiness. Where I am...Sar help me please!! A current was transporting her, but where?! All of a sudden a voice echoed in the darkness. With new hope Uma looked around searching for the person who had called her. Again...Luke's voice, in the distance. Luke I am here!!
Warm tears rolled down on her cheeks. His voice was like a whisper but in the darkness was clear and filled the emptiness. Then, like the sunshine, a bright light broke the darkness. Uma followed the light. Luke's voice became louder
"Uma dear, wake up we arrived..." a big and glad smile opened his mouth when Uma's blue eyes opened and looked at him.
"Luke...oh Luke!" cried out Uma, hugging the Jedi.
"Why are you crying now?"
"All...all was dark...oh!" cried the young woman.
"It's gone...calm now." Sar entered and stopped on the doorway.
"Excuse me, Master Luke..." Uma looked up at him. Smiling Uma drew out her arms to embrace Sar. The young guy didn't know what to do but his heart moved him. Smiling he surrounded his beloved princess and caressed her hair.
"Sar..."whispered Uma. All the jealousy disappeared. She was safe and was hugging him.
The universe could be green for him now...it wouldn't matter. Luke smiled and left them alone. For a moment his heart cried his solitude but the Jedi truing hissed it and Luke got out the spaceship.
***
Ah...Dagobah...the last place where their enemies could search them. The swamp was noisy and full of life. All was like he had left when, three months ago; he felt the necessity to come back to Tatooine. Three months...a long time... Now, thought Luke sitting down on a big rock, we have to repose ourselves and think. What can we do? The touch of something warm on his shoulder diverted the Jedi Knight from his thoughts.
"Master Luke...this is..." Luke nodded before Uma finished talking.
"What a beautiful place!"
"Yes, it's beautiful and peaceful" avowed the Jedi, nodding.
"Luke!" called Sar from the spaceship and Uma looked at him disapproving
"Sar be more respectful with the Jedi Master!" reproached Uma with an irritated voice.
"Don't worry Uma...I told Sar to call me Luke..." informed Luke. Uma opened her mouth to say something but closed it instantly.
"Ok...if you have the permission..." said with a red face.
"Uma...you have the 'permission' too..."
"No, you are a Jedi Master and you merit respect." the Jedi smiled, he couldn't change her mind. And, in the deep of his heart, the name which Uma call him with, made the Jedi Master proud of himself.
Smiling at that thought, the Jedi stood up and walked through the swamp.
Sar and Uma followed him with a little bit of difficulties. The young guy helped her beloved princess, but who could help him?! The ground was muddy and unknown animals were all around them. Luke walked slowly to let them follow him.
***
Senator Organa?!" Yana knocked the door again. Leia was on her bed looking the white roof. The Star Cruiser that had been in the sky till two minutes ago now was in the spaceport. Sighing the princess stood up and went to the door.
"Senator Organa?!"
"Wait a minute!!" yelled Leia, irritated. The door opened while the Corellian woman was going to knock once again.
"What do you want Yana?!"
"The Senators await you, Senator..." announced the thin woman with a professional tone.
"Why?!"
"Because of the Commander Renes..."
"Who is this Commander...Renes?" something inside her had already answered
"The commander of the Star Cruiser that is now in our spaceport." informed the Corellian.
What a surprise!
"Refer to the Senate that I'll be there in a minute..."
"As you want Senator Organa...good-bye."
"Bye." Yana went away and Leia closed the door. Her Jedi training imposed her to be calm. Jedi training...she was a Jedi...she would meet the enemy, because enemies they were, like a Jedi Knight.
Slowly Leia got dressed.
They have waited until then, they could wait another minute!
Her two bodyguards were out of the door, waiting silently. Put on the brown hood, Leia looked at her mirror image. Her lightsaber was at her sight and the cloak was perfectly arranged around her.
The door opened and the guards with the back leant against the wall, stood up and salute her. Silently the group reached the turbolift and still silently the elevator took them to the highest floor.
***
All was quiet. Four heavy-armed guards were near the door. Leia sighed and arrived at the doorway. A guard saluted her and she answered smiling. The guard opened the door and Leia entered the Council: there were all the Senator whose planet worked continuously in the Rebel Alliance and had survived the Death Star attacks, it was more like an informal reunion than a public congress.
Everyone in the room looked at her. Leia didn't notice them and, taking off the hood, sat on her chair. Mon-Mothma looked at her and saluted her friend, nodding. Leia nodded back
"Senator Organa, we're all impatient to have you here..." started the Senator Hermed'l Bar, deputy of Dantooine.
"But I don't understand the meaning of my call..."
"You saw the spaceship in our air fly-zone..." the Senator nodded
"And you know that your brother, the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker have gone away with a fighter. Do you know who was with him?" Leia looked silent at Senator Bar
"To make your memory back, I'll tell you...with him was the Princess Uma, from Teti..."
"Then?!..."Asked Leia noticing the man near the Senator, dressed in a military uniform.
"Then...the Commander Renes, who is now here, near me, wants to know where are they now."
"Why don't they use their technology to find them?"
"Senator Organa..." thundered Renes with a deep voice
"Yes?"
"We knew that the fighter had landed on a Tetian spaceship but that they had flown away with one of our mercantile spaceship."
"Are you sure?" there had to be a reason. What had happened?
"Yes...now, do you know where are the thieves or not?" asked upset the Commander.
"I can't help you, I'm sorry. I'm not in my brother's brain" with those words, Leia stood up and turned toward the door.
"Senator!" thundered very upset Renes. Leia turned back, looking in his eyes.
"I haven't anything to say..." the Senator took another step forward the door
"Senator Organa..." the voice was not Renes's. Leia turned back again. Two yellow eyes were pointing on her. The Chigan deputy didn't like human, especially women, especially that woman. He wanted to see the Alderaanian princess confessing the implication of her brother in an obscure plan. He had heard Renes' words and he was convinced that the two humans would be imprisoned; Alderaan and Chiga had ever been not friendly in their relations, and the involvement of the princess would be a victory for Chiga. Gharhad had waited a long time and now he could win
"Senator Gharhad..." answered Leia with a cold glance.
"Senator Organa, please sit down. Commander Renes wouldn't be rude..." she had to stay and confess!!
"He hasn't been rude. I just don't want to stay if I can't give him help. I have a busy day..."
"Ok...but if your brother contact you, you'll have to tell us..." Bar's voice filled the room like an order.
"I'll do...now, with your permission. Good-bye Commander Renes."
Leia left the Senate, smiling and sighing cheered up. The guards followed her to the turbolift, saluting their companions.
***
The Star Cruiser rolled dreadfully and a lot of soldiers were shunted from one place to another. Fgar's fury was terrifying. His screams filled the space.
Cadavers rolled everywhere. The Spinbes beat his tail in frustration. The princess had gone and he didn't know where she could be in that moment. Progressively his anger was pacified. His deformed body changed and the Spinbes was now Fgar, Lord Fgar the Conqueror.
The man came back in the Throne Room. The hole had disappeared; all the cadavers of the soldiers were scattered on the ground in mortals sculptures made for the Lord. Fgar stepped over two, maybe they could be three or four, cadavers, with an impassive expression. He was there not to count the dead soldiers but to pick up his cloak. Taken the black cloak, Fgar went to the Control Room.
Of all the people who were in the room only two were still there, not because they were more diligent than the others were but because they were too frightened to go somewhere. A red head appeared from behind a control panel but instantly disappeared.
"He's here..." whispered Tomas to Iulaon, near him with a blaster pistol in one hand and a comlink in the other hand. Iulaon nodded. Fgar had sensed them but he didn't want to see the two frightened soldiers and sat down on his seat. If there weren't anybody to make the spaceship go, he would do it himself, and dialed the co-ordinates, destination: Teti.
***
Yoda's home was little and Sar gave up entering where Luke instead had penetrated without difficulties.
"Yoda's home..." murmured Uma, looking around, sat on a fallen trunk. A compact fog surrounded the open space like a white ring.
"Sar...Uma come in..." called Luke from inside the house.
"It's too small!" shouted back Sar but Luke called them again.
"Come on, if I can come in, for you'll be a kid..."
"Sar...help me..." asked Uma drawing out the arms. She was still weak because of her leg, and couldn't stand up without help. Sar supported her and surrounded her waist with his arm. On the doorway Uma moved gently him away and fell down on the knees. Her face became a grief mask but no cry came out of her mouth. On all fours she came in and Luke welcomed her with a smile
"Where's your boyfriend?" Uma looked up red like a tomato
"Who?" asked trying to be calm
"You understood well..."
"Oh...well he's out and doesn't want to come in..."
"When the Rekaw find out that he was a good food, he'll run in..." said loudly.
"I'm not a good aliment..." Sar was in, trying to become as small as he could.
Luke smiled and went into the kitchen.
"Please have a seat...the dinner will be done in a minute..." announced form the little kitchen
"I hope he cooks better then his droid..." whispered Uma but Sar looked at her
interrogatively
"I'll tell you it another time..." smiled Uma, touching his shoulder and hanged her head on his chest.
"When all of this will be finished..." Uma nodded and closed her eyes, inhaling the smell of his body, in a total and universal calm, like they were on another planet far far away from Teti, Tatooine, Dagobah, the universe...
Sar caressed and kissed her brown hair. Luke looked up and smiled: how sweet was that sight! But in his heart something cried again. His solitude for the first time appeared like it really was. Immense. The only woman he had ever loved was light-years away from him. If only he had stopped her at the spaceport. They loved each other but they hadn't had the courage to show their love. Oh well...at the first occasion I'll go there and say " Irene will you marry me?"...I'll do...
But then, unconvinced, he shook his head.
I don't know if Jedi Knights get married...
"Your heart follow..." Luke's head rose and the hood fell behind. His eyes were gleaming.
"Yoda!!" whispered. looking around searching for the Master's spirit.
"If don't you try never will you know..."
"But..."
"You doubt!?!" yelled Yoda's spirit menacing the Jedi with his walking stick and Luke shook his head convinced.
"Now go..."
"And Uma? I'm her Master..."
"Proud you are...aren't you?" Yoda grinned.
"Well...a little..." admitted Luke, smiling.
"Like of you are we..." the spirit disappeared and Luke inhaled, something was burning...
"The soup!" shouted jumping up and beating the head against the roof. Uma ran, as fast as she could, to him and then looked at the fire. The soup was dark and it hadn't a very good aspect.
Luke shook his head.
"I'm sorry..." apologized with a sad voice.
"Don't worry!" smiled Uma touching his shoulder. Luke looked up. "The spaceship we came by is full of food...we can use that eats..."
"Ok...go and take the dinner..."
"Cheer up Master!" her happy voice made him smile a little. Uma disappeared and the Jedi Knight felt something he wouldn't feel. A cry, someone was crying desperately. Luke concentrated his mind on the cry, to make it clearer. Irene! One hand closed his mouth and the other ran to the lightsaber. Why was she crying? Suddenly the cry stopped and Luke was astonished, the blue eyes lost in the vacuity of the empty kitchen.
***
"You can't do this to me!" yelled Irene while two black dressed guards were pushing her in her cell.
Damn...I'm a Jedi Knight!
Sighing, the brown dressed woman used her Jedi Instruction to be calm. How can I be calm! A sad face looked up to the dark roof of the cell. The only little window was two meters upper her. The darkness was all around. In that moment so unhappy a person came in her mind...Hot tears rained on the gray deck. Sat on the knees, the head bent down covered by the hood.
Jedi, I'm a Jedi... repeated her mind.
But if she were a Jedi why now she was so frightened...
Suddenly her gloomy eyes looked up, then they closed and Irene clenched her hands.
"Luke!" screamed at the top of her voice. Slowly the body bent down, like a dying flower.
"Luke." repeated sighing. The echo of her scream died passing the heavy barriers around her.
No one answered but, even if someone had answered, Irene couldn't listen to him. With a sigh, prostrated and defenseless, the Jedi fell asleep.
***
Two levels up from the cellblock, Larson was speaking to Renes's hologram
"We have her..."
"Good..." the image trembled a little but was still clear.
"But and if he doesn't come?"
"He'll do...don't worry Larson...it's a sure information. Luke and that...what's her name? Ah...Irene Trounal are fond of each other...He's a Jedi Knight, he must sense that she's imprisoned."
"And...what will we do when the Jedi comes?"
"Behave following the plans we've done. We don't want him, we want the princess." The hologram disappeared. Larson looked around unconvinced. He had heard Irene screaming, minutes before, and had felt a strange feeling...They had taken her, in the middle of the night, stunned her and locked up. That had made her scream desperately that name.
***
***
The corridor was empty, no guards and no droids. Leia was running long the wall. There was another Comsys to use to talk to his brother. She knew exactly where they were and Renes had convinced some of the Senators that they had to help him, so she had to tell Luke not to come back.
"The princess must come back to his planet." Excepted for her and Mothma, the Senate didn't know who Renes really was.
The Senator touched the control panel of the door and slowly the door opened. Inside was dark.
"Turn the light on..." said Leia and the computer did. Now she had to be silent, as silent as possible. The Comsys was in a box, ready for the Recycle Dept., but it still worked.
Every personal comlink, and Leia hoped Luke had it with him, had a code for all the other comlink but, and this is a private information, every comlink had a secret channel, which couldn't be intercepted by the Communication Control System. Dialed the secret code, Leia waited for the blue light.
After two minutes of that awful waiting, the sleepy voice of her dear brother answered.
***
"Leia? What...do you want in the middle of the night?" whispered Luke trying to see in the darkness around him. He didn't want to disturb Uma and Sar and, on all fours, got out Yoda's house.
"Luke...You mustn't come back...Renes is here, he told the Senators you've robbed a ship..."
"That son of..."
"Don't get angry Luke" reacted Leia before he could say what he was thinking, "How are you?"
"Fine, considering that we escaped from Fgar..."was his sardonic answer.
"Fgar?"
"The Lord who wants Teti...but he's not a person...he's a Spinbes and he killed Uma's sister." His heart was distant now. Hesitantly Luke told Leia what he had felt and Leia promised to find information about Irene's condition.
"Where will you go? Yavin4?" asked painfully Leia.
"No, I think it's safer for us to stay here by now..."
"Don't' worry, I keep your position secret...Bye..."
"Bye" whispered the Jedi and yawning end the transmission. He couldn't sleep. Irene's scream was still in his mind.
What had happened to her beloved Irene?
Sat on a rock not far from the little house, Luke's memory came back in time. Irene had been the second Padawan he had had, after his sister Leia. Smiling, in front of his eyes appeared her sweet smile and her happy face when he had given her the Jedi cloak. Then those stupid words and Luke's heart seemed to be passed by a sword. "You're a Jedi Master...You've learned all I could teach you..." if he hadn't tell that phrase, probably now they had been together... Irene had disappeared in the darkness inside the spaceship that had taken her so far...and now she was in trouble and he didn't know where she could be. Where's now the Force, that Force which made Jedi so strong?
That thought was the most stupid thing he could think. But, if nothing happened by chance, what was the obscure message inward? Without he could prevent it, Luke closed his eyes and fell asleep on the cold rock, in dangerous balance near the dark swamp.
***
"Luke...please come here..." in a heavy darkness Irene was floating in front of him. He tried to run to her but something stopped him, a cold hand held his arm and dragged him down in a dark sea. He floundered for a while then impotent let the cold hand make him die. In the deep of his heart, in that unsure a fearful part of his soul, that was what he wanted: die, leave that Universe too big for him, with too many responsibilities. Being a Jedi had become too difficult; he wanted to give up.
***
Sar was taking breath down on the knees, with a cover on the shoulders. The gelid water he had swum into had frosted him till in the bones. Uma was near him but her eyes and her hands were on Luke's gelid body. Frenetically the woman tried to make him breath again, how pale was his face!
"Master please...don't die..." cried Uma and one tear fell on Luke's cyanotic lips. Like the best medicine in the cosmos, that little salad tear awoke him. Gradually his light blue eyes opened and the chest moved he was alive. Uma, too much happy to say anything, cried and hugged Luke. The Jedi coughed and moved a hand to caress her. Every movement was difficult, so difficult that, when finally he could touch her head, he had to take breath. Sar came near him and placed the cover on his shoulders.
"Don't cry Uma..." whispered Luke and her brown head rose from his chest, the face ruled by tears. His still cold hand caressed her, Uma's head curved to make that touch last.
"Oh Master..." cried softly. Sar helped Luke to stand up. Uma was near him, warming her Master with her arms around his chest.
Inside was warm and Uma left Luke for a moment to prepare some warm drink. Sar made him sat down near the fire.
"What did you want to do Master?" said under his breath Sar with an irritated tone.
"Die." Answered in the same silent way Luke and Sar's eyes became large, the eyebrows up in a shocked expression. The person he had known, so strong and brave, wanted to die...
"But...Why?" asked painfully.
"I'm alone...Irene...I don't know..." Sar, at the top of his endurance, slapped him. He wanted to leave Uma and it wasn't right! Luke, with empty eyes looked at him, then the emptiness changed in fury and Luke looked at Sar with an evil expression. Sar became pale, he knew Jedi power and if Luke wanted he could kill him.
"Leave me alone..." said slowly. Uma was coming back in that moment. "Leave me ALONE!" shouted then the Jedi.
The cup Uma was carrying fell down. Sar stood up and went to Uma to make her calm but the woman wasn't frightened. Her Jedi Training kept her calm. She understood Luke and held Sar hand, mute.
In Luke's soul there was a battle: the fear and the courage, the Jedi and the man. Whoever would win, Luke couldn't be the same nevermore. A part of him wanted to die and the other half part wanted to live. Being a Jedi had taken away the woman he loved and his adolescence; but being a Jedi was what he had conquered passing by Yoda's training, Obi-Wan 'lessons', his father death. How could he refuse all that?
Death became a stupid solution and slowly, like the high tide, his heart found the calm and the serenity he had lost. Even if he couldn't help by now Irene, he could give her his support with the Force.
In the warm light Luke's face smiled and in the gentle shine he cried his victory. Gleaming crystals rolled on his cheeks.
***
Teti was one of the planets that thought to be able to go on without the Republic. The kings and the queens who reigned were all calm and their behavior had been always peaceful. Lord Fgar wanted a new home for his people, after the other planets and moons they had squeezed till their end. Teti, that what the Spinbes thought, was the perfect place and began his conquest.
The Royal Palace was now his home. The elegant corridors, the beautiful rooms, all the green garden, were full of Spinbes. Even if the people were their servants, in their heart was still strong the devotion for Uma and her sister, who no one knew dead.
"Your Highness..." bowed the Particular Secretary. The horrible face of the new king turned and two little eyes looked down to the man.
"I hope you're going to tell me good news."
"Yes...we've the female Jedi who Luke Skywalker loves..." explained with a smile the secretary and Fgar smiled too.
"Where's now?"
"On the Star Duke. It would be here in ten minutes..."
"Good..." Grwender bowed again and got out the Throne Room, leaving the jolly Fgar to his thoughts.
"Master Luke!" Uma called the Jedi but he didn't turn. The woman ran to him and grasped his arm, making him turn.
"Where are you going Master?" asked Uma looking up at him. His face was in the shadow of the hood and Luke's eyes were mysteriously looking down, to deviate her glance.
"You can't come with me..." said Luke freeing his arm from the grip of the young Jedi
"Tell me why!" roared then the girl
"It's too dangerous..." was the whispered answer. Uma looked down then, with an angry face, looked up.
"What do you think I am? A baby?"
"No...but it's a personal problem..."
"I won't let you go alone...we can help you."
"No Uma..."
"Master! What the hell have you to do that we can't come?"
"Calm down..." with his persuasive voice and the movement of the hand, Luke convinced Uma.
The woman nodded and turned heading to Yoda's home.
"I'm sorry Uma..." whispered sadly Luke looking his Padawan disappeared in the green swamp.
The hatch closed and the ship took off, rumbling.
***
The sky was blue and clear. Luke's apartment was empty and silent. A Jedi, with the hood on the head, was sitting near the big window of the living room. The Comsys was on the gray ground. The personage sighed and a crystal tear watered the ground.
"Luke...why...tell me only why!" cried the individual.
Then with a sigh he took away the hood. Long brown hair shone in the light and the sad Jedi stood up and looked down the street.
The comlink buzzed and she pushed the answer button.
"Senator Organa..." Leia sighed, the familiar voice of her secretary was like a whisper.
"Ehi...Yana..."
"Senator, excuse me but the Senator Was wants to talk to you..."
"Tell him to come in Luke's apartment...I'll wait here."
"Ok...bye..." there was silent for a moment "Hold on Leia..." Yana end the transmission and Leia smiled for her encouragement.
The first thing to do was to make the Comsys disappear and Leia looked around, with the machine in her arm, searching for a good place...
Someone knocked the door and Leia looked at it, fearful.
"I'm coming, just a minute..." said then, trying to be calm. With a quick movement Leia threw the Comsys in the bedroom, running then to the door.
"Please Senator, come in..." smiled Leia. Was saluted her and entered.
"Yana told me you're coming but I didn't think you would be here so rapidly..."
"I'm here to talk to you about Irene Trounal..."
"I think not to understand..."
"Don't think I'm stupid Leia..." reacted Was with an angry voice.
"No...really I don't know..." her voice was calm but her heart beating was accelerated
"Leia...Yana told me that you've asked her to search information about that Jedi Knight..."
"Yana? You're wrong..." tried to defend Leia.
"I know all about Irene and Luke...now he's going to Teti..." her face became pale and she sat down on a chair.
"Why are you so pale Leia?" was the sardonic question. Leia looked up to the happy face of the Senator. Then, with a deep breath, got up and looked at Was.
"Now..." started Leia with the convincing voice Jedi could use. Her hand moved under Was' eyes "You'll forget whatever you know about Irene and Luke...everything."
The Senator nodded and Leia pushed him out of the door.
When the door closed Leia's heart was full of opposite feelings: she wanted go to Teti, but she didn't want be the involuntary spy who told to Fgar that Luke was coming there.
From Dagobah to Teti wasn't a not very long journey and if she left now she could be on the planet before her brother.
Leia called Yana and explained what she wanted to do and what she had to say to the other.
"Ok...I'll do..." after all, Leia still trust in Yana's fidelity.
***
The little ship and the co-pilot were waiting for her at a service dock, far from the spaceport and especially far from the Senate.
Leia ran to the ship and knocked the hatch two times, it was the signal for the co-pilot who lighted the propulsion and opened the hatch. Leia ran up the ramp and took a sigh of relief, when the hatch closed.
"Capt. Derek at your service, ma'am." Said with a formal voice the co-pilot.
"Nice to meet you, Derek..." Leia took away her hood and smiled to the captain, sitting on her pilot seat. Yana had done a good work. No one saw them take off and disappear in the blue sky.
***
The spaceport was empty and lifeless, and Luke expected this. At the doorways, armed guards controlled whom land and who fly. He had to pass by them. Sighing and using his Jedi training, Luke remained calm while the guards were controlling him.
Using the Force, he could hide his lightsaber from the metal detector they used. After the formalities, Luke could leave the spaceport to reach the King Palace.
The Capital was a calm city, excepted for the Spinbes, and Luke walked slowly and relaxed till the Palace was in front of him.
With his eyes closed and sat down near the big and beautiful building, Luke searched Irene using the Force and his love. She was there; he felt it and he wanted to rescue her.
A warm touch on his shoulder made him open his eyes.
"Leia?" whispered looking up to her face.
"I'm coming with you..." announced the Jedi before Luke could open his mouth and react. "I found a secret passage to enter...Uma told me..."
"Uma?" asked confounded Luke.
"I'll explain it later. Now, come on..." Leia ran behind a broken wall and Luke followed her, looking around.
***
Uma was on the rock, near Yoda's home, waiting for Leia's communication. The Jedi had promised her to contact them when they had entered the sewer system.
Sar came out of the house, taking a cup. He sat near Uma and offered her the warm tea he had done.
"Thank you Sar..." Uma smiled, warming her hands with the hot cup.
"Why don't you go inside, I'll call you when Leia contact us..." Uma shook her head, she put on the hood and drank the tea.
"Ok...I'll wait here with you then..." Uma embraced him and Sar kissed her hair. The voice of the swamp was the only sound.
The comlink buzzed and Uma left Sar to push the answer button.
"Blue pearl..." Leia's voice made Uma relax.
"Here Blue Pearl...Leia, nice to hear your voice!" answered Sar.
"Hi Sar...don't you have a map of this labyrinth?" asked sardonic the Jedi.
"Tell me what you see..." Leia sighed and the choleric voice of Luke roared in the microphone.
"Nothing!" Luke's voice made Uma startle.
Leia grasped the comlink from Luke's hand.
"Keep calm brother!" reproached Leia trying to keep the comlink out of Luke's sight "Uma? Sar?" said then and Uma answered
"Leia...where is the secret passage considering your position?"
"I don't know...It's dark here, the lightsabers can't light much space around us."
"Try to see...I can't help you if you don't say me what you see..."
"Ok...the passage is behind us...four meters I think...the road splits in two parts..."
"Go left...following the green conduit..." said Uma, drawing what she knew about the sewer system on a light board.
"Where are they?" asked Sar looking the picture
"Here." answered Uma, pointing a line on the drawing
"Do you know exactly their way?"
"Yes...don't worry Sar...I used the sewer to escape..." her voice was calm and Sar thought there was no reason to be preoccupied.
"The green tube is disappeared!" the alarmed phrase made Uma pay attention at the comlink.
"Ok...now are there three holes in the rock?" asked the young Jedi, trying to visualize the three holes.
"Yes..." whispered Leia.
"Well...now enter the first hole but..." a SPLASH! Covered her words "be careful...there is a deep cistern..." finished Uma, shaking her head while Sar was laughing.
"Leia? Luke?"
"Damn!" a known voice echoed.
"It's Luke..." said smiling Sar, pointing at the comlink.
"Luke?"
"Uma..."
"Where's Leia?" asked the young Jedi. In the comlink resounded Luke's voice
"I found her!" splashing Luke reached her.
"I'm fine...wet but alive...Uma now where we have to go?"
"Don't worry...you are already wet...now swim in the cistern, on the wall against the entrance there is a tube which take into another cistern...go into the cistern."
"Ok..." the communication end and Uma looked the drawing...
***
"How much time will it take them to the prison?" questioned Sar yawning and distending his arms and legs.
"If they are good swimmers five minutes..." answered Uma, worried.
"But it is not that part the most difficult. They have to rescue Irene and found an exit from the Palace...you know how hard it would be..." continued after a sigh.
***
The cistern was cold and Luke tried not to think that his hands, his face and his legs were like a block of ice. Leia was near him. He looked around, where were they? Leia activated the comlink, dry and ready to be used.
"Uma..." called the Jedi, swimming to the metal wall of the cistern.
"Leia...can you see now a big tube that goes up..."
"Yes...Luke where are you going? It's not that way! Come down!" Leia looked at her brother who, without his cloak, was climbing up the tube.
"Do the same Leia...climb up the tube..." invited Uma.
"Ok..." Leia took away the Jedi cloak, binding it around the waist, and started the climbing. The comlink taken by the mouth.
"Leia...there's a passage!" shouted Luke two meters up.
Leia smiled and reached her brother.
"We are in the passage...now?"
"Walk till you find a grating, remove it and you'll be near the prison...from there you'll have to do all by yourself..."
"Thank you very much Jedi Knight Uma..." Luke's voice was happy and what he said made Uma happy too. Her training was going on and her Master had called her Jedi Knight! Uma, smiling and relaxing, ended the communication. Now what she could do was wait, wait and hope for the best...
***
The two Jedi reached the grating and Luke destroyed it with his lightsaber. Their clothes were still wet but the warm air that was in the channel had dried them a little.
"Since you were...you could shout 'Hey we are here!'" reproached sarcastically Leia.
"Sorry Sis'" sighed the Jedi, they were twins but Leia demonstrated much more
concentration and calm. Luke, even if he was a Jedi Knight and a Jedi Master, was still impulsive, like the younger brother.
Luke jumped down and helped his sister doing the same. Both of them wore the Jedi cloak and put on the hood. The brown cloak was surprisingly dry.
"Where could she be?" asked whispering Leia, looking inside a cell
"She's near..." Luke closed his eyes and inhaled. Removed all from the mind and focused on Irene, her presence. Then he moved a step and another and another, until he stopped in front of a cell. Leia arrived and looked inside. Someone was sitting on the floor.
"Irene..." called the Jedi, while Luke was opening again his eyes
"Leia?" said hesitantly Irene, looking up then jumped up and reached the door "Leia!" shouted happily. "Luke!" said then looking his beloved and unforgotten Jedi Master. A cold hand came out of the grating and Luke took it smiling and caressing it.
"I know you'd come..." whispered Irene.
"I couldn't leave you here..." was Luke's tender answer. In their eyes glittered tears but someone's steps made them come back to the present
"Luke, Leia, hide yourself!" Irene sat down on the floor again and the two Jedi found a safe place, in the shadow of a column.
Two guards stopped at Irene's cell and opened the door.
"The King wants to see you..." the voice of the guard resounded in the corridor till to Luke and Leia. One of the guards entered to handcuff the prisoner. Luke couldn't watch anymore and ran silently behind the guard. The other guard was giving him the back and he hit the guard, taking him behind the column.
"Stay here..." were the only words Luke said to his sister before he wore the guard's suit. Leia couldn't say anything. Luke was far.
***
The Throne Room was empty excepted the King and four guards.
The two guards and the prisoner entered and five pair of eyes looked at them. Irene was between the two tall guards, with the hood on the head and the hand shackled behind the back.
Her eyes were calm and were taking a look around. She hadn't notice that Luke had been the guard and it was strange for her: her right arm was held with delicacy, while her left arm was squeezed by the guard's hand.
She couldn't linger on that thought no more. The guards, responding the King's signal, were taking her to the Throne.
Fgar sniggered and looked at the Jedi with conceit. How stupid the Jedi are! They think to be the best people in the universe, they protect, they serve. They are like the fortification of the universe. Their Light Side it's nothing!
The two Jedi could feel that thought and both of them smiled. Irene looked up, slowly. Luke, whose face was behind the guard helmet, wanted to demonstrate that parasite how strong a Jedi could be, but his heart had to calm down. The moment would come but he hadn't to hasten it. Patience...Learn the patience.
Fgar took a step to the prisoner and the two guards, Luke did it thoughtlessly, bowed making the prisoner do the same. Irene wouldn't but the two hands around her arms were too strong.
"So you're a Jedi Knight?" asked sardonically the Spinbes, the arms folded across his viscid chest.
"Yes..." Irene's voice was cold, her mind and her heart were distant.
"Why don't you ignite your lightsaber and kill all of us?"
"I'll do, don't worry..." her acid tone made Fgar smile.
"I don't think you can do anything...your life is in my hand..." he showed her his right hand, on the palm one of his rings, "And if I say it," the hand clenched instantly, "You'll die..." the hand opened and the gold ring fell down in a bright dust. Irene kept calm. She was a Jedi and she could always rely on the Force. "You're trembling...aren't you?" the triumphant voice resounded in the room but Irene shook her head
"No, I won't never give you this satisfaction." answered the Jedi firmly. Fgar became pale.
"Do you think I'm joking?"
"Yes..." replied sarcastically the Jedi. Luke looked at her. What did she want to do?!
"Guards!" shouted Fgar angrily "Take this stupid Jedi to the Arena!" that last word iced all the guards in the room. Irene looked down, smiling. Luke and the other guard turned back and took a step to get out the room. Irene talked one more time.
"Fgar, you can't do anything against the Force..."
"Take her out of here!" shouted Fgar, indicating irate the door
The two guards accelerated and escorted Irene to the worst place in the Spinbes' culture could exist.
***
How much time had passed since he had gone?
Leia was sitting behind the pillar. Lost in her thoughts, didn't notice the guards who were marching in front of her. One of them looked absent around and noticed a person in the darkness.
Yen pointed the pillar and all the guards looked in that direction; the group stopped. Leia felt something wasn't right and jumped up, ready to run. The guards shot and the Jedi blocked the blaster fire rapidly using the lightsaber. One guard died, hit on the rebound. Another blaster burst and a chip of stone hit Leia. Her right hand had to open because of the ache. The guards surrounded and cuffed her "Another Jedi, another female Jedi. We could ask the King to take her to the Arena with the other Jedi..."
"It's a very good idea!"
Leia ignored what the Arena was but knew well who the other Jedi was. A part of her heart was glad because her brother was still safe, but at the same time she was alarmed because of Irene. If she were in trouble, Luke would do everything, especially stupid things, to save her.
***
The Arena was full of agitated Spinbes and suspicious guards. The building had been built quickly and some stands were still under construction. The podium, the first finished part of the Arena, was more elevated than the rowdy stands. When Fgar sat on his throne, moved for the event, the bystanders clapped and acclaimed him. The king nodded gently (gently within Spinbes' limits!) and saluted the spectators with a movement of the jeweled hand.
Loud blares announced the arrival of Irene and Leia.
Luke was behind the Throne and his face became pale when he recognized his sister.
"Leia..." whispered but no one heard him behind the helmet.
A short man, with a long black dress and a lengthy knotty staff with a big black crystal took Luke and other four guards under the Arena where were placed the Kids.
***
The cells were the biggest Luke had ever seen roars and shouts occupied the space. The helmet attenuated the horrible smell of death.
"You..." said the little man pointing Luke's chest with his staff
"Me sir?"
"Yes, are you stupid? Take Rejhed and conduct her at the Arena's left access." Luke nodded speechless and started searching for Rejhed. The others guards disappeared, everyone had a Kid to take. When he finally found the right cell he stopped a moment.
"Rejhed...Hope in Spin, the name is nice, let's hope the Kid is nice too..." whispered Luke before his right hand touched the grating panel. There were two gratings. He had passed the first.
In the heavy darkness two gleaming green eyes opened and gazed him. A breath and a low roar followed the eyes. Luke stopped, studying the animal that had moved and now was all in the light. Big. That was Luke could think seeing the creature. The body was like a horse and the tail was long, like the reptile's, beating afraid the dark sand. The head was a mix of different animal's face. The Kid had the eyes of a lizard, the nose of the horse, the ears dangling at the side of the long head and long lock of hair interlaced with brilliant gems and a bloody ribbon, in the middle of the face.
Luke looked around searching for the tools to conduct out the Kid. In a corner there were all the necessary to...RIDE?! Luke's eyes became larger looking astonished the saddle and the reins, all the ceremony harness. Sighing, the Jedi Knight, declassed to only Knight, took the saddle and tied it up around the Kid's chest. The animal was calm and Luke was great to the creature for this.
When the Kid was ready for the entrance in the Arena, Luke smiled
"Ok pal, now don't be nervous and make me cut a fine figure, right?" the Kid nodded and Luke swore by animal's understanding. The roof was too low to mount and Luke took the Kid to the doorway.
***
A guard was waiting for him at the left access.
"Come on..." solicited upset the guard. Luke looked up to see him. Mounted, the two guards waited for the blares. Luke could see Irene and Leia in the middle of the Arena. They seemed to be not nervous.
The so much waited blares filled the air and the spectators started calling the Kid.
"Kid Kid Kid!" called three times before the animals entered the Arena.
Luke did the same thing he saw the other guard was doing. The Kids paced, calmly, in the clamor of the observers, until they formed a row under the Royal Podium. The guards made the Kid bow. Fortunately Rejhed did the bow without Luke's help. When it bowed, the Jedi fighted not to fall down elbowing on the saddle. The bow ended and Luke took a look at Leia and Irene. They answered with a cold glance.
The parade went on. After two turns under the stands the Kids took their position: four at the curves of the Arena and, unlucky, Rejhed was the Kid chosen for the central position.
An attendant gave Luke a long pole with a blade at the top. The cutting end of the pole shone in the sunlight. Luke was behind the two women. An anxious silent lowered on the Arena. What the hell are they waiting for?! Luke was there, speechless, motionless, without the pallid idea about what he had to do. The spectators started to beat the fists on the parapet. The noise grew up. Then, like the sun in the darkness, the same servant who had given him the pole called him moving the arms in the air. The movement he showed him was clear.
First the poles up in the air then down between the two women, forward the Royal Podium. The noise stopped. The servant did another motion and Luke did the same. The blade was stuck in the sand. That was the signal all were waiting for. The guards spurred the Kid that ran forward the woman. Leia and Irene stood impassible, waiting for the end. Luke rode Rejhed away from the women, while the Kids were stopping suddenly before the impact with the two women. The four guards held their pole, the same Luke had used before, and started turning around the women, pointing the blade against them. A wrong movement and they could die. Luke took the Kid near the servant.
"Thank you very much..." appreciated Luke.
"I saw you were embarrassed. It was the least I could do."
"What are they doing?!" asked then the Jedi looking the guards turning around the women.
"You really don't know?!" Luke shook his head
"Well...it's strange you don't know, but I won't tell you, if you don't know, see and surprise yourself. Don't forget your moment..."
"What?!" One more time in the middle of the Arena?! NOOO!!
"Don't worry, look at me..."
"Thank you again then..."
"Stsss..." the servant pointed the group in the Arena and Luke looked at them. Irene and Leia were in the center of that mortal choreography. The Kids' movements were calm and potent.
Their paws beat the sand making it fly, in a pallid cloud. The blades were shining in the light and were so near Irene could feel the displacement of the air on her face.
Leia looked around, searching for her brother but all the things she could see was the chests of the Kids.
The group stopped and the guards drove the animals away from the victims.
Luke's heart accelerated when he saw the guards pointing the blade forward the women.
"Now we'll see a lot of blood..." the excited voice of the servant bleached his face. The Jedi training, his interior calm, the echo of Ben's words, couldn't stop this.
Another blare and the Kids ran to the two women. Leia and Irene jumped before the four blades could cut them. The guards changed their position. Leia now was near the south stand and the Spinbes shout her to go in the middle, throwing what they were holding. Leia ran to Irene, who had fell down two meters left from the middle.
"What do they want?!" asked Irene looking Leia with a painful expression
"Probably kill us..."
"They won't...Luke is near and his heart is going to guide him, I feel it..." her voice was, instead of her face, calm and full of hope. Leia smiled and nodded. The guards were ready for another attack and prepared the poles. Once again the blare and the charge, and once again the Jedi jumped up but something went wrong. A blade cut Irene's left side and she fell down, beating the head on the ground. Leia ran to her and embraced her inert body.
The spectators roared their satisfaction. Fgar smiled triumphant. Luke drew out his hand when he saw his beloved on the ground. The servant called him
"Ehi, it's your turn now, go..."
"What do I have to do?!"
"Go now, I'll tell you..." Luke spurred Hope and drove it to Leia.
Her sister was embracing Irene and was trying to help her using the Force. Her eyes were full of anger when they looked up to him.
"Dear..." whispered Luke sighing and Leia's eyes changed expression, now they were surprised.
"Luke?!" asked hesitantly. The Jedi nodded and Leia smiled, "Help us out! Invent something!".
Before he could talk a crying alarm filled the Arena.
"Intruders!" shouted someone in the microphone and the Spinbes got up. Thousands and thousands of soldiers surrounded the Arena. Luke took a look at the doorways. Ten, probably more, soldiers closed the accesses. What could he do now?
The Spinbes shouted and yelled, exited. Fgar smiled, pleased for his success. An unexpectedly noise covered the Spinbes' voice. The Star Horse was on the Arena, rumbling. All the people looked up. Luke smiled then his face became serious. He could feel Uma's presence in the ship and her interior battle. She wanted to save them, to kill Fgar and the other Spinbes, and she wanted to do all at once!
The ship lowered gently in the Arena and Uma came out, jumping down from the starship.
Fgar laughed loudly and Uma, lighting the lightsaber, looked up gazing the beast. Luke took a step forward her, but Uma's hand rose and stopped him. "That is a private battle Master..."
"Oh! Look at who came back home!" bantered Fgar, pointing the Jedi in the Arena
"I'm here to keep my promise. I want to fight with your knight, for my people and friends' freedom. Accept it, if you dare!" her firm voice resounded in the Arena, icing the Spinbes. Fgar smiled again, a terrible smile.
"Are you so convinced?!" asked sarcastically.
"I'm a Jedi Knight. The Force is my ally. I win, because the Light wins always the Dark!"
"You're like the other Jedi Knights who tried to keep us on a planet! I'll destroy all of you, because you've destroyed my people!"
"You can't go around and squeeze planets to live!"
"Ok," the tawny teeth shone for a moment, in a terrible smirk "You'll fight my best knight."
"I'll do! And if I win, you'll leave Teti not to come back again!"
"So be it, Jedi, but if I win, you'll leave to me your planet!"
"I promise..."
The silence came in the Arena, filling the space. Fgar called with a move of the hand his secretary.
"Tell our friend that is his turn, he can come and kill the Jedi, like he wanted."
"Sure sir." The thin man disappeared.
***
The room was dark, an evil darkness. The man was sitting on the ground, covered by a black cloak. A quenched lightsaber in his pale hands. A sleeping revenge would be shown soon. Ah, now Master Luke, you'll see what your renegade apprentice can do. I'll kill your new Padawan. The Force is strong and I use it against you and your friends.
The secretary knocked the door and diverted the Renegade, as he wanted to be called, from his obscure thoughts.
"Who's there?"
"The King told me to say you that is arrived your turn...the Jedi is here."
"I'm coming..." the dark-worn Jedi stood up and opened the door. The secretary followed the taller man with a worried expression.
***
The left door of the Arena opened, creaking. Lukas was there, covered by his black cloak, with the hood on the head, and the lightsaber in the right hand.
Uma looked at him. The Jedi could feel the hate of the black-dressed man; he was there to revenge his honor. Luke felt it too but he sensed something that Uma couldn't feel. Who was in front of them had been his Padawan. He was Lukas! Luke ran to Uma. The Jedi looked at him
"Master?!"
"Uma, I know who that man is..."
"Really?!"
"He had been my Padawan but I told him not to go on with the training because his heart was too dark and viscid, I mistook: I shouldn't give up with his training...revenge was guiding him already before my admonishment to give up. He wanted to kill a person and revenge was filling his hearth then like now. The anger had grown up. Be careful Uma, he's strong. The Dark Side is strong, but the Light will win if you are more strong than him." The words came out gentle, softly whispered. Uma smiled and took Luke's hand in hers.
"Don't worry Master Luke. I'll do my best."
"May the Force be with you, dear..."
Uma smiled and looked at the black Jedi.
The two gladiators took away the cloak and threw them down. Uma was hardly keeping her heart calm and the Renegade smirked. Step by step they were now near, they could see in each other's eyes clearly. Lukas lit his lightsaber and Uma did the same, the battle anxiety was surrounding them and was growing up like a dense fog. Once another Luke would help his Padawan but he hadn't to. This time he didn't need Ben's voice, he knew what he had to do in that difficult moment: look, wait and hope. It was cruel but if Uma won that battle, she would be a complete Jedi and would govern her planet with the serenity it deserves. No one spoke; the Arena was like a dead desert. There were only the two people in the middle of the oval space, facing each other with the gleaming weapon between them. Lukas smirked before his dark blade, and that was the first time the four Jedi saw a lightsaber so dark (it could be blue, but a dark blue, dark like the deepest sea), tried to cut Uma's right hand. The girl drew back a step and parried the blow with a sparkle cascade. Uma had begun with a guarding tactics but now she could attack the enemy. Lukas was unbalanced and, with a rapid movement, Uma redeemed her lightsaber and Lukas hardly parried her violent cutting blow. After the firsts blows the combatants had changed position. Uma now could see Luke, Leia and an unidentified person who Leia was embracing. Luke had an anxious expression and was following the battle with an uncomfortable feeling. Uma smiled a little and Luke tried to smile back. Lukas noticed the moment of inattention and assailed the Jedi on the left side. In Uma's eyes there was a flash of panic for the unexpected attack but her Jedi truing moved her hand. The Force guided her action. Again the blades creaked. Uma attacked immediately. Up and down, rapid as a thunder. Uma stormed with a strange fury. The Freedom was burning her heart, the hate for the Spinbes was rising like a boiling sea, and she wanted to kill the man in front of her, and Fgar and all the Spinbes she could. No one of those murderers could escape. Lukas drew back under that blow storm. It was what Luke wanted to avoid. She hadn't to let the anger and the fury guide her hand!
Lukas fell down and Uma with a sarcastic grin put the top of the blade under Lukas's jugular area.
" Do you surrender?" asked after a big breath of relief. She couldn't see the pallid face of the King and his hand that was destroying the arm of the throne with the nails. The dark lightsaber was on the ground, Lukas called it using the Dark Side and the weapon flew in his hand.
Immediately Lukas hit Uma's leg and the girl fell down on the knees. Luke drew out a hand, but he knew he had not to move. Uma was strong and could win...
Uma was looking down.
How stupid I've been! Once again the leg. I haven't got the power to get up. I've failed.
Lukas looked at his ex-Master laughing evilly. Uma was crying silently, on all fours with the head defeatedly bent forward. The dark figure was above her, impending upon her like a dark hawk. The dark lightblade rose from the ground, buzzing menacingly; Lukas raised the weapon above his head, ready to cut Uma's head. Luke was motionless. It was as if the whole planet was taking his breath, waiting for the cruel end of the duel.
The blade buzzed but hit nothing. Luke had drawn out his hand and had carried Uma away. The woman took a look around and called her lightsaber. He Master ran to her and helped her up. In his hand flew graciously the lightsaber. Luke nodded and Uma turned to face his enemies.
The man took a step forward Uma, who was lighting the lightsaber, ready to parry the blow, but the Renegade at the last instant changed his target. Instead of Uma he hit the Master. The man rolled to the side avoiding the blow. Uma rose her weapon and hit Lukas's arm.
The man cried desperately, the smell of the burnt flesh was disgusting. A terrible light lighted in his eyes. With all his fury, the Renegade swept away his enemy like a falling river. Uma was hardly parrying the blows. Luke was helping her a lot attacking Lukas and the man was now starting to pant for the effort. Uma wasn't in better condition: her leg was making her cry but, gritting her teeth, she resisted.
"You're two and I'm only one, it will be more gratifying killing both of you!" laughed the Renegade. Luke tried to hit the man but Lukas was fast and parried the attack. Uma attacked. Up and down quickly. Lukas drew back a step and another, once again in Uma's heart was the fury, a wild fury, like the stormy wind. Luke hoped Uma didn't go on with that fury. The Jedi Master focused on Uma's mind; he had to reach her heart and made it calm.
Uma...called the Jedi Master but the furor covered his voice.
Uma, please hear me... this time something reached the Jedi. Uma looked at her Master; she had heard his call.
Master?!
Uma listen to me, don't be angry, you're too furious, you'll die if you go on...
But, I must win; he is the last obstacle...
Never let the anger make you so violent, you're fighting for your people, but what sort of queen will you be, if you choose the Dark Side? The limit between the Light and the Dark is weak and can be easily broken. You're still in the middle but you can fall in the wrong part.
I'll try not to think about all the death they had taken to my people.
You'll be a Jedi soon, if you win this battle.
Lukas was tired, the Dark Side couldn't help him anymore.
Finally, and this time Uma paid more attention, Lukas fell down. The lightsaber rolled away.
Luke pointed the blade against his throat, near the Uma's blue blade. A warm wind made the sand up, in a gleaming cloud. The battle was over. The Light had won.
From where he was, Fgar had seen all the battle and now was looking around, down, searching for an idea.
"Men! Kill the intruders!" the soldiers began to shoot and under a heavy gunfire the little group tried to avert the blaster fire. Uma and Luke had left Lukas, who was running behind a wall, and reached Leia and Irene.
"What shall we do now?" Luke searched inside his pocket and drew out a comlink. After a rapid work on it, the comlink was able to talk with the Star Horse.
"Han, we need help!" shouted Luke.
"Don't worry, two squadrons of X-wing are coming, we can't land, it's too small for this big baby..."
"Ok..." the man ended the transmission. The noise of the gunfire was covered by the roaring engine of the Jade1, a little medical ship that landed and took Leia and Irene. The blasts hit the deflectors shield of the ship exploding in a sparkling cascade. In the sky, then, gleamed the fighters and soon the noise of the blaster pistols was covered by the louder noise of the engines of the X-wing.
Like little mortal butterflies, the fighters flew down, near the Arena's stands and shot. Spinbes and soldiers died, while the animals were yelling terrified, running crazy around.
The soldiers, after the panic moment, shot back and a fighter exploded, colliding with the sand. The Star Horse had gone away, Solo had taken the ship away to let the fighters work in a free space. After a long long hour the soldiers who were still alive, ran away, leaving the Arena and the arms. Fgar had disappeared, but Lukas was still there.
Was like an evil apparition in the thick clouds, surrounded by a dark and dense smoke. The face was dirty and a red line divided it into two symmetrical parts. Um left the group.
"I must beat him, by myself. No Luke. You won't come..." the man agreed silent.
"You're stupid, like all the Jedi." Lukas said sardonically, looking at Uma.
"You're a stupid too, then..."
"I'm not a Jedi, I am a Lord of the Sith, the Renegade..." cleared up the man.
"Like you want Renegade...but being a Sith Lord won't save you, the end of all the Sith Lords is written in the Story, the Dark Side can't win..."
"I will be the exception of the rule! Prepare yourself, you'll be one with the Force soon..."
Uma wasn't frightened: Lukas could say all the things he wanted...
The battle began immediately, furious like the waves that tried to break the reef, but who would be the wave and who the reef?
The Arena was full of the noise of the lightsabers that screamed and made bright sparkle cascades.
Luke was following apprehensively the fight.
How distressing was that wait!
Down and up, left and right, jumping and lowering, the battle was like a mortal ballet in which a little error would signify the death.
During the conflict Lukas and Uma had traced a circle in the Arena and now were under the royal podium. Uma was a good warrior but was in a bad position and the leg had started to ache again; the wall was too close to her and Lukas was attacking like a storm, she had to escape that situation. A Jedi can do things other people could only dream, using the Force, had said Luke. Counting on the Force Uma bent her legs, careless of the terrible pain, and jumped. Now she was on the parapet of the podium. Lukas jumped too.
"You're escaping your destiny...a minute or two won't do the difference, you'll die and after your death, I'll kill Luke, and my training will be done!"
"No! You are too sure of yourself! Don't forget I'm his apprentice, I'll be a Jedi soon..."
"You'll die soon!" barked back Lukas.
The fight lasted for other five minutes, when at least Lukas did a fatal error and Uma used it. The Sith Lord, too young for that name, looked for a moment down and didn't see Uma's mortal jump forward him. The moment after, Lukas was death, the head rolled away. Uma looked without emotion the decapitated man. She quenched the lightsaber and sighed. A known voice reached the Jedi.
"You won...your people is safe...you're a Jedi..." a liberating cry watered the ground and Luke's chest.
The sunset colored the sky with a warm red caressing the two Jedi softly, with the purple and blue light of the early night. The day was over, so the menace of Fgar, who had ran away as fast as he could. Uma would be the new Queen of Teti a new member of the Galactic Senate.
The slim figure took a look around and started searching with the electrobinoculars in the desolate landscape. Something had attracted her attention and the woman pointed at the sparkling point in front of her. A city!
Running as fast as she could the woman climbed down the dune, headed toward the oasis.
The first houses were now before her and Uma stopped running and walked, full of an unspeakable joy, through the street. The woman had to stop suddenly: in front of her had appeared a mountain, a brown and smelly mountain. Uma swallowed and rose slowly her eyes.
"Welcome at Anchorhead, miss...?" Uma's blue eyes looked up in the dark and sharp eyes of the Heran in front of her. His aspect wasn't reassuring and Uma noticed the long and white canine teeth while the alien smiled to her. A swarm of flies was buzzing around his head but the creature seemed not to be disturbed by it.
The humanoid drew out a hand to shake it with Uma but the girl hid her hands behind the back.
"My...my name is Uma...but I don't need help..." the young woman clenched her hands to be more courageous.
"Don't think wrong about me... I only wanted to make friends..." but the girl didn't listen to him and walked across the street. Without taking the eyes off the golden and blinding sand, Uma roamed about Anchorhead. But someone had to have a speeder for rent!
***
After a long walk through the dusty streets of the city it appeared. Red, covered in sand, and the engine that was coughing and creaking, but it wasn't important.
As quick as lightning, she went to the flat where the speeder was, got into and looked around. A workshop. Parts of android stacked on a table, another android lying down on something like a butcher table...but no people.
"Is there someone?" asked Uma taking a step inside. A coming creaking drew upon her attention. From a near room came out a funny droid, made by recovered pieces, with some hanging cables.
The droid looked at Uma with is big metallic eye then came back in the near room. Uma wanted the landspeeder and followed the droid.
The room was a big piece store. Something moved behind a table covered with robotic arms.
"Where is it! Damn..."
"Excuse me..." called the girl and a head grew up behind the table.
"Who is there?"
"Hello..." a pair of gray eyes looked at her, silently.
"Who are you? What do you want? Out of here!"
"Listen..."
"I told you to go away...this isn't a hotel!"
"But I..." the man came towards her but Uma didn't move gazing at his eyes.
"What do you want girl! Are you stupid?"
"No! I want a speeder for rent!" the man opened his mouth but the young woman went on "And I won't go away without it!"
"You could say it before..." answered sardonically the mechanic. The tall and robust man turned and his ocher cloak rustled. He went out.
"Come here..." said the man with a bothered voice, shaking his hand. Uma sighed. If she hadn't needed the vehicle, she would have been out of there...vexed by the uncomfortable journey to Mos Eisley, the passage offered by a gang differently matched whose track fused the engine at about two km far from Anchorhead. She walked across the desert and now she deserved a speeder! She was intractable, but she couldn't do anything about it.
When she went out her eyes didn't see what was in her expectation. It was a speeder, of course, but it was going to fall down! The color had disappeared, the seats had changed color, how much they were worn out, but it worked, and it's the only right thing. Sighing the woman went near the vehicle
"I have this one...20 credits..." announced the mechanic. 20 credits? It was a crime for that piece of junk!
The man noticed the face of the girl and looked at her for a moment
"10..." murmured examining with a quick eye the vehicle, she wasn't born an hour before.
"But it's a crime! I did you a favor..." cried the man.
"Ah...15, it's my last word..." she needed that speeder and, even is she still thought it was a crime, she would pay a reasonable sum.
"Ok!" he shook her hands than stood silently waiting for the money. Uma counted the credits and, reluctant, gave the money to the mechanic.
"Excuse me, do you know how many farms are there in this area?"
"Well...I don't know exactly...20...perhaps more..." Yon's face became curious "Why are you asking me this?"
"Oh...nothing..." her evasive answer didn't convince Yon, but the man didn't replace. Uma got into the speeder. Finally she had the vehicle, now she only had to wander between the dunes and the sandstone peaks looking for the right farm...
"But, miss, if you go around dressed in that way, you'll cook yourself...come in. I have the right clothes..." Uma looked at her clothes than looked up at Yon and followed him in the house again.
***
The man took her at the first floor and pointed at a room, in the bottom of the passage, "You go there, I'll come back in a minute..." Yon went downstairs and disappeared in the shadows of the ground floor. Uma went to the room and entered the door. It was a small bedroom. There were sand and dust everywhere, but not on the foot of the bed. Strange, thought Uma, taking a step into the room. Like someone put something on it. In fact, there was a pair of sand color trousers on the ground, slid from the bed. The girl swallowed and knocked.
"Yon, wait a minute I'm com..." the words stopped. A young man with a towel tied at the waist and short wet hair came out of the bathroom. Uma felt her cheeks become suddenly hot.
The guy stood motionless, uncertain about what he could do, thinking of holding the towel where it was.
"Miss! No, don't enter!" Yon arrived breathless, holding hardly some clothes.
"Too late..." whispered the man, looking at Uma and the guy.
"Yon, who is she?" asked Majkew pointing at Uma, but suddenly he had to hold the towel that wanted to fall down.
"I...my name is Uma...and I only wanted a speeder...then he told me to change my
clothes...OH! What a shame!" Uma couldn't remember another situation so embarrassing. Waved a lock of hair that had fallen on her forehead. Yon smiled kindly and did the presentations
"He, miss, is my nephew, Majkew..."
"Nice to meet you...listen... I think it's better if I find another room to change my clothes..."
"Oh no, you haven't to..." the guy went at the door and smiled. Uma remained enchanted by that smile and didn't hear the guy who was leaving her the room. She saw Majkew disappear, absorbed by the dark passage
"Well...I'll come back to my work." A nod was the answer of Uma. Yon got out and closed the door. The effect of Majkew's smile slowly passed while Uma was paying attention at the choice of a jacket and a pair of trousers. All the clothes were made by a pale and soft stuff.
Tatooine. Thinking of where she was, a volley of adrenaline ran up and down her backs. Uma got dressed and smiled, happy like never before that moment. Tied up her belt and the metallic cylinder, attacked to it, tinkled.
"Don't worry..." said caressing the cylinder " You'll have your part soon"
The young women ran down the stairs and looked around. Yon and Majkew weren't there. She went to the workroom and met the young guy, who was repairing an articulation to a droid. The hair were still humid and drops of water were falling from the forehead, glittering in the light.
"Well...good-bye Majkew..."
"Are you going to leave us?" the sorrow in his voice was plain, but Uma didn't let it convince her.
"I have an important thing to do..." answered calm and passive.
"You are searching for a farm...aren't you?" Uma bent the head to left and half-closed her eyes.
"Who did tell you?"
"My uncle did..." the young man came back to his work looking now at the articulation now at Uma.
"I had to suppose this..."
"Uma...can I ask you who or what are you looking for?"
"I must encounter a person"
"If you tell me his name, I'll help you..."
"No, it's not necessary...I can find him..." Majkew desired to make the beautiful and mysterious girl stay but she had already reached the door.
"I hope we'll meet again, miss..." Uma smiled but the only thing she were thinking of was the meeting with that important person who had made her do her long journey and who would change her life.
Uma said good-bye to Majkew. Yon was waiting for her near the landspeeder
"Thanks for all..."
"Oh...and for what?" then smiled and, with a tender voice, added, "Be careful with the Tusken Raiders!"
Uma nodded and made the speeder go as fast as it could, bumping on the crests of the dunes. Soon the city became a small glowing point hardly to identify in the glare of the twin suns of Tatooine.
***
All that could be seen of the farm, was a kind of dome, half burnt and darkened by the smoke...two droids were carrying some work-items. They threw themselves on the ground when a speeder ran towards them. Uma turned her head one moment but had to look in front of her immediately, because of the moisture vaporator that she was going to crash to. Stopped the speeder a moment before. Convinced she was going to do another stupid conversation, Uma got off the speeder.
Other farmers again...She had met 8 family but nobody seemed to know the most popular pilot of the Rebels and the firs Jedi of the New Order. She would have smiled if the situation hadn't been so bad.
Sighing she stood at the door of the house. In the silence she could only hear the noise of the vaporator and the creaking of the droids, seemed not to be someone else. No light excluded the sunlight that entered by the windows. She turned around the small building, the only outside part of the house, then she looked down in what seemed to be a chasm. The sight wasn't nice. A big black machine was creaking in the middle of the open space, long the wall there were doors closed with curtains. All was desert. Uma kept seeing down for a while.
No people! No voices!
All was very discouraging and Uma cleaned her face from the perspiration and wore on the hood to protect herself from the suns. A strange noise made her alert, someone was walking behind her! Then a buzz and something hot pressed gentle her back.
"Who are you?" her heart beat was so fast to made her hardly hear the man's voice. She turned back slowly, with the hands in the air and looked at the green light blade of the lightsaber that now was at her stomach. Gradually she looked up and
"I asked you who you are..." Uma swallowed, she couldn't say anything. Suddenly the tiredness made her fall down.
Luke quenched the lightsaber and replaced it at his brown belt then knelt to control the stranger and saw that the young woman wasn't dead. Smiling he decided to take her at his home.
***
The star cruiser was inert in the dark space. All was full of wait.
"Star Cruiser W-28". The commander was sitting on his seat and, bathed in sweat, had contacted the flagship, light-years far from her.
"Commander Renes, well?"
"General... We chased the fugitive to Tatooine, but we lost her at the spaceport."
"I understand..." his voice was strange and the commander was out of breath, with a pale face.
"I sent other men to look the area around the spaceport and more are going to Anchorhead...she can't go away!" added immediately the man, trying not to stammer.
"I hope you're right, Renes. Tredemar out." thundered the general and ended the communication. Renes relaxed a little and called his soldiers.
"Capt. Larson..." for the magnetic field the voice screeched in the comlink
"Yes commander...what do you request?"
"I talked to the General...he wasn't satisfied for your operation..." there was a silent moment "Neither do I!" shouted unexpectedly the commander
"Don't worry, sir, two people at the spaceport told that a young woman was looking for a transport to Anchorhead, and on the road we found tracks left by a tank, which went to that city."
"Excellent. You must find her."
"Yes commander..."
***
Progressively Uma opened her eyes. The girl expected the intense light of the twin suns but she realized, positively, that the light was covert. She was lying on a soft couch. Looking around Uma found out that she wasn't in a Jawas' tank, and not nearby the terrible pirates of the desert...then where were she?
The green light...that face...A hand ran to the metallic cylinder hooked to her belt. Made sure the cylinder was there, she woke up and sat on the couch. The feet touched down the ground and...Where are my boots? The boots where near the sofa, someone had taken them off.
A good food's smell came from the outside and made her mouth water. She slipped the boots and got up with a large yawn . She looked around again. The man who had taken her there had apparently disappeared. She was in a kind of living room. The furniture was new but the walls were burnt, like the dome. With a last yawn she was definitely awake.
Then she went to the curtain, which closed the room, and the sunlight pierced through her eyes and made them close.
***
Protecting her eyes with a hand the woman got out the room and understood where she was: the open place with the rusted machine. Heavy curtains closed the doors.
Following the smell, Uma found the kitchen. Someone was humming. She carefully passed the door and the lucid head of an android rapidly moved
"I see you are awake, Sir Luke will be glad" the voice was happy, but changed timbre "even if he doesn't like strangers..."added the droid sad
"Sir Luke?" that name sounded in his mind like a thunder. He was that man!
"Where is he right now?" Uma hold her breath, waiting for the answer
"He told me he would like to visit his relatives' tomb...he also told me to do the lunch, I'm not a cook, but..." Uma stopped him, didn't matter what the droid could do...
"Where is the tomb?!"
"Sir Luke ordered me to keep you here, until he come." the droid answered upset
"It doesn't matter!" shouted Uma. She had to find him! Talk to him!
"He told me to..." the seraphic voice of D-9ki was too much
"I'll find him!"
The girl got out, furious with the droid and whit Luke and with the entire universe!
"Human..." sighed D-9ki, stirring the food
Uma looked around searching for a way to go out.
"But where's the exit?" cried out, beating the foot on the ground. The echo of the walls was the only derisive answer she received. The woman closed her eyes to be serene. Progressively the anger passed, what sort of help was being angry whit a robot?
***
Her stomach asked its lunch and, like a wounded lion, Uma came back to the kitchen.
"If you were hungry, the lunch would be done..." the droid knew how to make someone upset, but Uma didn't want to be angry. Without words, she sat down on a chair and D-9ki served her the lunch
"What is this?" asked dubious the girl, observing the green mixture from all of the perspectives.
"Well, it's a soup...believing the recipe..."
Uma tasted the soup and her face became pale and disgusted. The good smell had taken her out of road.
"What is in it?" she was trying not to retch
"The poor things Tatooine gives...Is it not good?"
"No...not very good...do you have something to drink, which doesn't taste like motor oil...?"
The droid went to the freezing unit and took a carafe of crystalline water.
Uma drank a glass of water and moved the plate away from her to rest her knees on the table. Drank another glass of the fresh liquid
"Thanks'...what's your name?"
"My name? Well..." D-9ki was confounded by the change of Uma' behavior
"I'm the droid 9ki... protocol droid, co-pilot, translator, space engineer..." a nod of Uma's head stopped the droid
"I understand...what sort of person is Sir Luke?"
"What sort of person miss?"
"Yes...he is kind or choleric...gentle..." The droid started but someone at the doorstep stopped him.
"He likes people but sometimes becomes untouchable. He loves his sister... Gets angry if you call him Sir and you are a friend...He's a good listener..." D-9ki was going to move but the man stopped again him. "Who does want to know what kind of person Luke Skywalker is or isn't?"
"I do...princess Uma from Teti...I'm here to become a Jedi Knight. The Force runs in me..."
"Yes, yes...I know the rigmarole..." said with a deep sigh the man, thinking about all the people who asked him the same thing and gave up at the first wall... "But Luke doesn't want to see you..."
"Why did he invite me for the lunch then?" Uma had felt, who the man was...
" I didn't invite you for the..." the voice shut, he betrayed himself. Marking his defeat, Luke took away the hood of his Jedi cloak. He let the curtain come back to its position and take a step.
The droid prepared the table for the Jedi Master.
His face was mature and the hair was short but in his eyes was still burning a flame of the bravery and the strength that all in the galaxy talked about. His light blue eyes glittered.
"Ok. Tell my why you want to be a Jedi Knight..."
"I must save my people" answered serious Uma
"Save your people?"
"A stranger Lord wants to be the Emperor of my kingdom. He's going to arrive at Capital and I must do something...my father left me the kingdom and this..." Uma took the cylinder and gave it to Luke, who looked at it for a few moment
"It's a lightsaber...but I don't know any Jedi come from Teti..."
"My father had been disciple of Lujan, one of Yoda's apprentice ".
"So, you want to be a Jedi...you want to learn the Force, her power..." the Jedi played with the lightsaber turning and returning it. Like my sister, Leia...thought Luke smiling lightly
"Yes, like you did from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda..." she was full of euphoria and courage.
Luke felt the Force strong in her.
"Ben...had passed a long time before someone call him again..." the voice betrayed the tenderness of that memory. Ben was with him always but it was strange hear someone else pronouncing his name...
"Then?" asked apprehensive the girl, looking in his eyes and moving toward him. Luke leant against the back of his chair, to make a distance between the young woman and himself.
In the silence that came Uma looked at Luke's face. Luke didn't seem to see her. He was thinking. Another war against a bad Lord, he had to teach that young woman so well to make her win...They probably had no much time and he had to do all as well in a little breath of time
"I'll do..." Uma's eyes shone joyful. So, at least there was a probability... "Thanks a lot...from all of my people."
"Don't think it will be easy..." advised Luke with an austere voice, pointing her with the quenched lightsaber.
"I don't..."
"You'll have to work hard, with your body and your mind...The Force is strong..."
"I'm here to be instructed" apparently the young woman was invincible, but Luke felt inside her the cry for her father death and the revenge...
"Now shall we have lunch..." the Jedi took the sponge to eat and he was going to taste the soup.
"No!" yelled Uma, making the sponge fall down. A little greenish tear was on his cheek. Luke looked her askance.
"What have you done?" Luke cleaned his cheek. Under the brown cloak and the beige shirt Uma could see a black shirt. Dark outside, light inside...
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to dirty you, Master...but the soup is awful."
"If you don't like my food, cook you!" creaked the droids, angry. D-9ki threw a rag on the table and got out the room.
Uma smiled and Luke looked at her for a minute. The power that had assisted her till now will support her in the difficult way to be a Jedi?
"I don't know...Ben".
"Follow your heart...son, like you've done till now..." Ben's voice made him more calm and relaxed.
"Princess..." began Luke, waiting for her attention
"Call me Uma, Master..."
"You call me Luke then...Master makes me feel older!" laughing together the afflictions ran away. How excellent Jedi! So open...like a relative...
Like a good housewife, Uma took the plates and cleaned them
"No, Uma you don't have to do it..."
"Don't worry..." smiled the girl "I used to do things like this during the war..."
"Give up, we'll start your exercises with your lightsaber..."
"Wow!" yelled Uma with a bright smile
"Wow? Are you so happy to learn how to cut arm and kill people? A Jedi Knight fight only for defense..."
"I know but I fell so strange thinking about that weapon..."
"I'll wait for you outside..."
Uma cleaned well the plates; ready to learn...She wanted to scream cheerful. The entire world had to know her purpose.
"The talker!" the girl ran out the kitchen and entered the living room.
Luke looked at her with an interrogative expression.
***
The Jedi Master followed the girl in the living room. Uma had the head in her sack, searching for something
"It is!" Uma opened the talker and dialed the access code
"Here is New Moon...can you hear me Red Sun?" a man answered
"Here is Red Sun" the voice was exultant but there was no time for hello
"General Sar...I'm glad to hear you"
"Princess..."
"General...news from Teti?" Uma's voice became grave.
"The Troupes have occupied Hon's Island..."
"Please endure General...I'll do my best...but you...endure" sobbed the Princess and Luke thought about what he had seen. He had to do his best too, for her, for the people...
"Don't' worry, we'll fight until we have the strength to resist..."
"General. If I don't come for the term, say to my sister to give our world to the enemy..."
"No! Princess, I can't do this..."
"General...promise...now" tears ran down her cheeks but voice was resolute.
"Ok...I'll do...bye..."
"Bye..." Uma closed the talker and sat down on the sofa, looking the ground
"Ehi Uma, you can't give up before starting!" her sad eyes looked at Luke
"Yes...but how long did it take to you to be able with the lightsaber to beat a better man?"
"I don't know, two years...I don't know..."
"I must be able in shorter time...it's impossible..."
"Can you clear my curiosity?"
"Talk..."
"Why do you want to be a Jedi Knight?"
"Because Lord Fgar, our enemy, told us to find a Knight capable to beat him, and he'll leave us..."
"And you want to be that knight...don't you?" Uma nodded. An immense tenderness filled Luke's heart, the Jedi sat down near Uma, hugging her. Her head lying on his chest, his hands around her shoulder. Luke tried to give her his strength, with the Force. Uma looked up.
"Now, it's better for us to go..." the tears were over, now the determination was glittering in her blue eyes. Uma stood up and got out the room, she didn't hear Luke's promise, made to Ben and Yoda lighting his lightsaber in front of him. The green pale light shone on his face, full of mystery and mysticism.
"I promise, Masters. I'll teach her like you've done with me..."
Luke breathed and quenched the lightsaber. Now he had done a promise and he had to keep it!
***
Luke took Uma in the outside, under the sapphire sky of Tatooine.
"Ignite it..." Uma grab the lightsaber and found the ignite button. A blue blade shone. Uma looked the blue blade enchanted, but suddenly Luke called her
"Shall we start?"
"Yes...we can..." Uma prepared herself like Luke had done. The position was the same and the expression was the same: calm but ready to fight
"Begin!" shouted Luke before starting the fight. Luke tried to hurt Uma, keeping in mind that he hadn't to hurt really her. Slashes up and down, parries and thrusts, Uma was rapid and Luke thought the lightsaber would be the last thing to think about.
Luke took a step away from Uma and quenched his lightsaber. Uma did the same.
"You're a very good warrior...you're agile...very agile..."
"I don't' know why I'm so able to use the lightsaber..."
"Don't think about it...but remember that a Jedi Knight serves and protect, doesn't run around killing..."
"Ok...I understand."
"During this 'battle' you were very furious and angry with your enemy...I wasn't Luke I was Fgar...tell me if I'm wrong..." it was a gentle admonition and Uma looked down, thinking.
Luke waited in silence until Uma nodded "Yes..." hesitantly Uma looked up. Luke's eyes smiled "It's important that you don't let Fury and Fear lead you to the Dark Side of the Force. It would be the end for you and for your earth..."
"I understand...Master" the respect pervaded her 'Master'.
"Don't worry now...if you pay attention it won't be your destiny..."
Luke surrounded Uma's shoulders with his arm. Uma smiled. The force, which Luke was giving her, made her heart full of calm and pain ran away. Luke felt Uma like she was a little sister who needed protection.
"Shall we do it again, Master?"
"I think it would be useful...feel the Force and let her guide you."
"I'll do..." Luke went in front of Uma and prepared himself for the fight. Uma lit her lightsaber, repeating in his memory Master's word...
"Begin..." Uma sighed and attacked.
Luke felt in her heart the effort to be calm, and smiled a little. It's good, young Jedi...Rapidly Uma attacked up and down. Left leg. Right arm. The hand with the lightsaber. Left shoulder. Down. Attention! Luke combated whit half attention, monitoring in the same time Uma's feeling. When, at least, Uma's lightsaber fall down, a red sunset colored them with an ardent orange.
"You haven't paid much attention, but your heart was more calm."
"Thank a lot again Master..."
""I told you to call me Luke..."
"But you are my Master, my Guide..."
"Do as you want." Uma picked up the lightsaber and followed Luke inside.
***
The soldiers in his black uniform was running to the compound.
"Captain!" he shouted moving fast the arms in the air. The electrobinoculars in his hand
"What's going on soldier? What have you seen?"
"Captain..." panted the soldier "I found her..."
"What?" asked surprised the Captain. The other soldiers had surrounded them and were listening with attention.
"Yes...I found her. She was fighting against a Jedi Knight..."
"Where are they now?"
"They are probably in the house of the man..."
"We must catch her..." said the Captain banging a fist in the open hand, "Tenant Hans...come here!" shouted searching with the eyes the man. A tall and thin guy came out of a tent.
"At your service..." saluted the Tenant.
"Prepare your men...we are going to catch the fugitive"
"Dark Troupe 1 and 2...ready to go in two minutes!" barked the thin man. The soldiers ran and shouted to be ready as fast as they could. When all of them were ready, the Tenant spoke.
"Men, we must catch her...don't kill her, use the stun guns. Questions?"
The silence was their answer.
"Go!" rapidly the soldiers took the speeder, pale like the sand with the Tenant and the discoverer at the head, heading for Luke's home.
***
"Someone is coming..."whispered Luke. Uma, who was trying her best to be concentrated and calm, blinked her eyes and looked at Luke.
"How can you say it?"
"I feel it...you'll learn this and other things the Force can do."
"Who are they?"
"Man...are near...dangerous!"
"The soldiers!" Uma ran up and lit her lightsaber
"Master..."
"Uma...calm..." said with a sweet voice. The hands of the girl relaxed.
"We'll go away, but you must stay calm..." the hypnotic sound of his voice filled her whit calm, all was calm and relaxed...
"Ok..."
"9ki!" shouted Luke. The droid came and Luke explained the situation
"What! We're lost!"
"Don't cry like a baby droid!" sometimes 9ki made a Jedi loose his calm too
Luke took Uma's hand and lit his lightsaber. It was not the first time he was in trouble and he could control his emotion.
"This way..."
Luke carried Uma and 9ki underground, in a small subterranean passage. It was dark but Luke used the lightsaber like a light. After a few minutes they are out.
"Where are we?"
"Near the speeder...now shut up and follow me...quickly!" Luke ran out the passage and looked around, searching for the soldiers. Their voice weren't distant and Luke ran to the speeder.
"Come on!" whispered, soliciting them with his hand. Uma and 9ki ran to Luke but a soldier saw them and shot. Uma avoided the laser and jumped in the vehicle, helping 9ki. Rapidly the speeder was far from the soldiers.
"Pffiu..."sighed Uma quenching the lightsaber.
"Damnation!" the anger turned her face red.
"Don't be angry...we are save and safe..."
"Yes...but I'm sorry, you could be hurt..."
"No..." smiled Luke. Uma's eyes were trying to see the soldiers
"I saw what you've done...good, very good answer." Said Luke with a real admiration
"Do you think so?" her surprised eyes looked at Luke.
"I always say what I think...always."
"Now where are we going?" asked Uma looking around in the darker skyline. All around the speeder was getting darker and darker...
"To Mos Eisley. I have my spaceship there."
"I think I'll take some rest now..." the girl closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"Sleep dear...you need repose." whispered Luke looking at her calm face, she was just a young woman, but in her there was a strong soul.
The city was dark and people were away, sometimes someone ran or shouted and an animal cried. Luke's eyes danced from side to side. Uma was asleep, lying on the droid's legs.
It was an unusual image. Ninekeiai looked at the girl, with a feeling unexpected from a droid. He smiled and sighed.
"Sir Luke..." whispered the droid.
"Yes..."
"Are we going to your sister, Senator Organa Solo."
"Yes...I think is a safe place to make clear our mind...9ki...do you know where is Teti?"
"Yes. It's a little planet far away from here."
"I want Uma to win her battle, she would be a very good Jedi Knight..."
"If I can say it, you're talking like she were your sister...or your daughter..." the droid looked at the man and noticed his face. A little smile curved his lips. Luke paid again attention to the street.
***
Soon the speeder stopped and Luke opened the door of the dock 76/b. His spaceship was sleeping in the darkness.
"Dear...wake up...we arrived..." whispered gently the man touching her shoulder. Uma woke up, not very sure about where they were. Luke took her hand and led the girl inside.
The spaceship was opened and illuminated.
"Come on dear..." Uma let her feet go on the ramp. Luke was behind her, looking
apprehensive the open door.
***
"Have you found them?" the blond head of the Tenant shocked
"What?" yelled the Captain. The Tenant sighed
"I...I'm sorry..." apologized Hans.
"Ah...you're sorry...I don't know what to do with your 'I'm sorry'."
"But..." Hans waited for the Captain's attention
"But...?" asked the man, looking the Captain with hope
"We know where they are going..."
"Where?"
"Mos Eisley...the man who took her away is...Luke Skywalker...the Jedi Knight..."
"Luke Skywalker..."repeated incredulous the Captain, lowering his head.
"Inform the Star Cruiser to catch them when they will be in the open space..."
"Yes." answered Hans, without moving.
"Now!" the Tenant ran out the tent. Larson now had a moment for himself. He thought about what the tenant had said. A Jedi Knight...the Lord will be not happy to know that the most respected person, with the Senators of the New Republic- and good for us Teti isn't in the Republic- help the Princess...I've a bad feeling...a very bad feeling.
***
The Killer found the spaceship and a swarm of little fighters flew to it. Lights and beeps filled the spaceship. The Stars Horse flew as fast as it could but the fighters were too quick and Luke left the controls to the droid. He had to destroy the enemies. Uma woke up at the first blast and called for help. Luke was passing there.
"Can you shoot to a fighter?"
"Yes...sometimes I did..."
"Come on then..."
The Horse was a small but respectable spaceship. Had the arms to defend itself and a very good pilot...probably the best one. The deflector shields were up and the spacecraft was relatively protected.
Luke led the princess to a fire towel. The space was limited but Uma found out that the seat was comfortable. Buttons around her were beeping. Luke called her with the comlink.
"Are you ready Uma?" asked from the other side of the spaceship.
"Yes of course...let's roast these little insects!" her voice was full of revenge but Luke didn't have the time to tell it to Uma. A laser burst hit the spaceship and both of them had to rapidly come back to the fire controls.
Luke, with his Jedi calm, smiled a little when his first victim blew up with a little intense cloud. Uma yelled, glad for her first fighter...
"Look the spark fall. The only right thing they can do, disappear in..." Uma silenced herself because she had to destroy another fighter.
"How many are they?!"
"Too many for me..."
"Master...why don't we ran away? Go to the Control Cabin. I'll keep them busy."
"Ok..." Luke gave up shooting and ran up to the Controls Cabin.
***
"We are ready to the hyperspace, Sir..." said the droid from his seat near Luke. He controlled for the last time the co-ordinates, sitting on his chair
"We can go...Uma..." announced the Jedi in the comlink
"I'm coming." Uma left the fire position and went to her seat, locking her safety belt.
Luke sighed and cut in the power. The stars became little glowing lines and soon they were away from the Star Cruiser and the fighters.
***
***
Immense. This was the word that the high white walls of the Senate said. People were going and coming, guards, dressed in blue, looked around with a colorless face and above all of them: the Senate. Uma was in front of a big window, looking down the street. How peaceful was that place.
Luke's apartment. Uma placed her back against the glass and examined the room. Clean and simply, but gracious and silent. Luke was everywhere. In the beige sofa which was in the center of the entrance and which said 'Relax yourself, you're welcome...'. In the living room, where Uma was, so bright. Remembering his palace and comparing it with what she was seeing, Uma thought that the big and multicolored building was so awful. Jedi linearity facing Teti tortuous life. She thought that being a Jedi Knight would resolve her problems. Someone knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" asked Uma, with a passive voice.
"It's me...Luke..." Uma ran to the door and opened it
"Why have you knocked the door?" Uma let Luke enter inside and closed the door.
"I forgot the pass in my bedroom..." answered Luke with a bright smile.
"Ah...Luke you're a very lucky person..." the man looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Don't look at me that way..." Uma put her hands on her waist. Luke blinked his eyes twice.
"Can we go on?"
"Ok...where have you been? You left me four hours ago!"
"I have to talk to Leia and to General Carlissian..."
"Why?"
"Because they had to know who are you...you probably don't know my sweet sister...she was interested on you..."
"Ah...well..." silent came between them. Luke unbuttoned his Jedi cloak and placed it on a chair.
" Was the General Carlissian interested too?"
"No...he haven't known you were here till I told him."
"What have you said to him?"
"You are curious...aren't you?"
"Yes..." answered with a red face Uma looking down.
"I explained him the situation...he and Han are influent and if they said, 'we must help Teti', everyone would answer 'yes'..."
"Really?!...But I told you what I have to do to make Fgar go away..."
"I know, but you however need help...think for a moment what could happen if you win and Fgar don't go..."
"He made a promise..." answered Uma with a certain voice.
"Ok...he made a promise...but a promise can be broken..."
"No!"
Luke lowered his head. A lock of hair came down, in front of his nose, and Luke replaced it with a hand. Uma was still looking at him with wild eyes and nervous hands.
"You trust him so much...how can you do?" Luke looked in Uma eyes and, even if she wanted, Uma couldn't lower her eyes. The pure blue sea in his eyes calmed down the young Jedi, "You need help..."
"You're right. I'm so stupid!" the girl fell down on the sofa with the head between the hands and the first tear rolled down on the white pavement.
"Don't cry now..." Luke sat down near her and put his hands on her shoulder. Uma hung down the head on his chest and Luke hugged her gently. She was so fragile, like a flower in the storm.
"I'm...I'm afraid..."cried out Uma.
"Don't worry. I'm here...I'll be with you...now stop crying, I have a surprise for you..."
"Really?" asked with new energy Uma, looking up to Luke's smile. The girl let him go near his cloak.
"This is for you..." a little pendant lighted in front of her. A blue gem in a gold cage.
"It's beautiful...." yelled excited Uma.
"And useful. All the Jedi learner have it."
"I'm a Jedi learner...sounds good!"
"Let me put it around your neck." Uma stood up and Luke, with solemnity, settled the gem.
Uma smiled and looked at Luke. She would express gratitude to his Master but she didn't found the words. Luke hugged her and a big smile opened her mouth.
***
The Star Cruiser was like a zoo. People and droids right and left, up and down, in the passages, in the rooms. Everywhere. Sounds of war and shouts came from that big and dark engine.
"Stupid!" The commander was yelling against his men
"But..."
"But, but, but. Instead of but say me yes!"
"Yes..." whispered the captain. The irritation of Renes grew up
"Stop! Go and find her!"
"Excuse me sir..."
"What do you want?"
"Where do you think they would be?"
"What have I done to stay with these little stupid?"
"Sorry." The men got out. All of them sighed and smiled when the door closed
"Luke Skywalker... sure!" exclaimed Larson.
"Ehi!"
"Tenant... Luke Skywalker!" repeated the man, perhaps Hans had understood, because he
nodded and ran to a turbolift.
"We'll catch them!"
***
"Dear sister...she is Princess Uma from Teti...Jedi apprentice."
"Nice to meet you Uma..." smiled Leia. Uma smiled back and saluted.
"Come in, don't stay on the door..." invited the senator. Inside was warm and Uma took away the brown cloak. Luke looked at her while, with care, she was placing the cloak on the back of a chair.
"So you're the princess..."
"Yes...I'm..."
"Luke told me what you want to do...you are brave. I don't think I could keep calm during a Jedi training, knowing that I must do it in a short time."
"Leia, we are here because Uma wants to thank you for what you'll do..."
"Yes...I...you don't' know how it is important for me..."
In the silence Uma looked around. The apartments were similar, but Leia's one was joyful and happy, not like Luke's...it was a strange feeling. Suddenly an alarm cried in the Senate.
"What's going on?" yelled Uma looking out of the window
"Luke?" asked Leia
"They found us, Uma..."
"Oh no!"
"Leia...take care of your family..."
"But..." Luke had already been at the door, Uma was putting on the cloak, near him.
"Dear, stay calm. You're a Jedi Knight...stay calm. We have to go now." Said so, Luke and Uma ran out the apartment.
***
Uma was furious but Luke looked in her eyes and a strange calm filled her.
"Uma don't get angry...promise me..."
"I promise Master..."
***
The door of the turbolift opened and Luke and Uma ran out. Luke burst into the apartment and came out with their bags.
"Luke, I'm sorry..." whispered Uma while they were going to the spaceport.
"Master! Don't take your spaceship!" Uma suddenly looked up.
"What?" yelled Luke with an astonished voice.
"We could escape with a little fighter..."
"The little fighter don't go in the hyperspace Uma!"
"We don't have to...a spaceship is behind the moon..." Said smiling Uma.
"Ok...let's see what happen..."
***
Luke opened the door of the hangar where were placed the fighters.
" A fighter for two please..." asked to the soldier with a smile.
"Master Skywalker...but"
"We need it!"
"Ok, with me...you have to change first...this way!" the soldier took Luke and Uma to a deposit. Soon the man found the uniform of Luke and one uniform for Uma.
"You change here, I'll prepare your fighter..."
Luke changed dress outside the deposit while Uma was trying to make up her uniform.
The intercom talked.
"Sir...hangar 5/34." shouted the soldier in the intercom. The alarm filled the Senate and an energy shield was growing, slowly, from the top of the Senate. The other buildings were disappearing under the ground.
Two orange pilots ran to the hangar 5/34.
"Good luck..." wished the soldier giving them their helmet
"Thank a lot...we'll need it." The fighter was bigger than a normal X-Wing and there was space enough to change clothes.
***
The Star Cruiser had covered the sunlight and the day had become night. The alarm was crying his anger when the fighter took off, under the black shadow of the Cruiser. The energy shields were up and the Senate glowed of a red light for a moment.
"We've done!" Uma laughed looking the dark space was coming in front of them
"Yes...but look there..." Luke iced her happiness. Four fighters were flying to them.
"Come on little insects...I'll give you what you're searching..." murmured Uma, ready to change the fighters in stardust...
"Calm dear." Replied Luke pushing two red buttons on the control board. The auxiliary power made the fighter dash out in the darkness.
Two fighters turned to follow them but a third fighter came between them and...BOOM!
The explosion illuminated the space and Uma watched the sight with a diabolic smile
"Don't smile Uma...their death is not so funny..." admonished seriously Luke, turning his head a little
"I know...but..."
"Don't think about it...the moon is near."
The blue little moon was in front of them.
"Here's the moon...I hope the spaceship is there..."
While the fighter were veering to right to reach the moon, Uma looked at the watery moon. Brilliant like a sapphire in the dark space, the planet gave her a calm that her planet hadn't.
Sighing Uma looked down, the control column was there, beeping and blinking, and she hadn't touched it to destroy the enemy...Destroy. Probably the pilots who died had family and now they were crying for them. War kills friends and enemy, what a stupid thing!
In the shadow of the little moon a spaceship had found protection.
"Ehi...here there is a spaceship!" smiled relieved Luke.
"You wasn't sure?"
"No...but it's a good sight, really. But probably we have to tell them we're coming..."
"You're right..." Uma dialed her code and General Sar asked with a worried voice "Princess? Where are you?"
"On the fighter which is blinking on the screen..." smiled Uma. Luke smiled too; the princess was always a surprise
"Why are you here?" the tone was furious and worried at the same time
"Can I explain it later?"
"Yes...are you alone?"
"No...Luke Skywalker, my Jedi Master is with me..."
"Ok...give me a moment to open the energy shield."
"Don't run General..." kidded Uma but Sar replied with a grave voice
"Yes Your Majesty."
Uma turned off the transmission. Luke's eyes were looking at her.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"You're like a present with a lot of boxes..."
"But I don't have the red cockade." Uma and Luke laughed. When silent came back a tractor beam led to the big spaceship.
***
The hangar was full of people; a lot of soldiers with their best uniform were waiting their princess. Many people had known the princess not like a queen but like a pilot, a good pilot and like a doctor, ready to go in the middle of the night or at lunchtime to aid people.
The fighter landed and the soldiers did two rows to salute her.
Uma buttoned her Jedi cloak and came down. The soldiers did their military salute. The princess, followed by Luke, smiled and nodded with grace.
Sar, with a bow, welcomed Uma.
"General Sar...I hope you didn't take my joke like an order..."
"No, don't worry about this Princess...we are all happy you are here..." Sar and Luke looked in each other's eyes.
"OH...I forgot the presentation...General Sar..." proudly Uma took Luke's arm and said
smiling "I have the honor to present you my Jedi Master, the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker..." Sar bowed with respect but Luke took his hand, and shook her. Sar smiled uncertain, then he surrounded Luke's hand with his other hand.
"It's a big honor for me."
"Don't think I have to be considered like a king..."
"But you are a Jedi Knight, Guardian of the Galaxy..."
Luke shrugged his shoulders, smiling.
"Please, this way. Her Majesty, Princess Dala, is waiting for you in the Throne Room." Sar took them to a turbolift and asked for the 7th floor.
"Dala will be happy you're here now..." said Luke with a bright smile. He could feel the jealous glance that Sar made him. He loved the princess it was clear like the sun, and the young man, he was around twenty-one or two, though he could be an impediment for him...
"Yes...I left her three weeks ago..." Uma looked up, like she would see over the roof of the turbolift
"But in this time you have done your training...I'm proud of your progress..."then, looking Sar, Luke added "She made a lot of progress General Sar..."
"She's very brilliant..." Uma covered her face with her hands, smiling
"Don't make my face turn red..." everyone laughed. Luke noticed the expression of Sar's eyes; he could die for his princess...
The turbolift stopped and the door opened. A long corridor, which Uma did with a crazy heart, took them in front of the room. With an unexpected gesture, in front of the Throne Room, Uma grasped Luke's arm with panic
"Uma?!..." Wished Luke
"I'm afraid...Luke..." the door opened and Uma felt her heart in her throat, beating so strong that Uma sensed her head was going to be broken. What could make her so? Uma had a strange feeling, something wasn't right.
"Her Majesty Princess Uma..." called a man near the door.
Luke looked around, he had had the same feeling: like a dark cloud into the room.
***
At the end of the chamber, sat on her Throne, there was Dala, dressed with a splendid blue dress, on her head the princess crown. Sitting on the King's throne there was a man, dressed in black, with a crown too. Uma grasped with energy Luke's arm. The man looked at her and saw in her eyes the fear, a fear strong enough to vanish her training. Luke tried to calm her with his Force but the fear made her shudder; Sar was behind her, silent and passive. The dark cloud became bigger and bigger while they were walking through the big room.
Luke tried to find out who the man was, when Uma whispered trembling
"Fgar..." her voice was like a silent scream and Luke took his lightsaber, covered by the cloak. Uma noticed his movement and did the same. The battle was near, that was the feeling that filled the room. Dala stood up and walked forward Uma
"Dear..." said but her eyes were dark and empty.
"Dala..." Uma left Luke's arm and hugged her sister.
"Then you are a Jedi now..." Dala looked at her brown cloak
"Not yet..." Luke, with one hand still around his weapon, bowed and saluted the princess, "Princess Dala, it's a honor for me..."
"You're the Jedi Master...aren't you?!"
"Yes. I am..." but Dala stopped him.
"I know who you are..." said with a strange voice. Like a frozen wind came into the room, Fgar's voice iced Uma's soul. Luke with his Jedi knowledge made his heart calm, even if Uma was giving him all of her fear.
"My dear princess...let our guests talk..."
"As you want Milord."
"Please, come here. Princess Uma...how much time! You left us three weeks ago...and now you are a Jedi Knight...good!" Fgar tried to be friendly but his voice was full of his obscure feelings. Luke held Uma's hand and made her walk; Dala was in front of them. The strong princess, full of happiness and satisfaction, was now like a frightened child.
"Don't let the fear lead you to the anger and the fury...to the Dark Side." murmured quietly the Jedi Master.
"But...he is..." cried out Uma
"Control your emotion, be calm, the Force is with you, is your ally..."
"Master..." whispered sadly Uma with gloomy eyes.
Now they could look, if they wanted, in the dark and evil eyes of that man.
"Your Majesty..." bowed Luke, making Uma do the same.
"You're the famous Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker..."
"Yes it's me..." Uma wouldn't look Lord Fgar, but Luke got up and Uma had to do the same.
"Princess Uma...we are proud of you..." even if he had smiled, his smile was like a smirk
"Thanks Lord..." said Uma with a sigh. The Force she was drawing to made her stronger and braver. She didn't' shudder anymore. I'm proud of you young Jedi, thought Luke with a mental smile. Rising in all of her height Uma looked up following Fgar's movements. Lord Fgar took a step forward them and Uma looked inside his eyes, bravely.
"I'm sorry..." apologized Fgar, with his satanic smirk. Luke felt the danger and held Uma's shoulder, to make her draw back. A big cavity opened where there had been Luke and Uma. Dala was unluckily there and fell down in the cavity with a scream.
"Dala!" yelled Uma, looking her sister falling down in the dark hole. She would cry but it wasn't the right moment
"Fgar!" roared the young Jedi with all her dolor and anger
"Young Jedi...you had more fortune than your sister...but you'll have the same end!" laughed Fgar.
"I'll kill you now!" shouted Uma, lighting her lightsaber.
"A lightsaber...what do you want to do?"
"I'll..." Uma shut her mouth with one hand. Luke was behind her, with his weapon lit.
"I don't get angry..." shouted suddenly more to herself than to Fgar.
"Angry? You're already angry..."
"No!" Fgar was trying to demolish her but Luke couldn't do anything. He was going to touch her shoulder when in his mind he heard a familiar voice.
"She must do it by herself..."
"Ben!"
"Luke...let her go on..."
"But..."
"Don't worry, she is strong...you've made a good training with her..."
"But..."
"'But' wasn't your word, son...be calm, I have to tell you this!"
The voice disappeared, like an ancient echo and Luke came back to his position.
Fgar laughed and picked up from his black cloak a lightsaber.
"You're a Jedi Knight?" asked Uma with large and afraid eyes, drawing back of a step. Fgar lit the lightsaber, but Luke, Uma was still too young to feel this, didn't sense the power of the Dark Side of the Force in him and in his weapon. It was a lightsaber but who was holding it wasn't a Jedi Knight.
"Who are you?" asked Luke and Uma turned back looking him with a confounded expression
"What? Don't you see what I have here?"
"I see and feel...you aren't a Jedi..."
"What does give you this conviction?"
"You haven't the Jedi Force...who are you?"
"Ok...my mask didn't work I thought you could be more stupid than you're really...you ask me who I am...prepare yourself..." announced Fgar before he disappeared, leaving the black cloak.
Uma was terrified and searched support inside Luke's hug. The Jedi quenched his weapon and embraced her.
A terrifying laugh pervaded the room and, with a thunder, appeared a monster. A big and dark body, like an immense snake and a lucid black head: the most horrible creature Uma had ever seen.
Uma screamed but Luke surrounded her and lit his lightsaber
"You wanted to see me...here you are."
" A Spinbes..."
"Good Jedi Knight...so you know who I am..."
"Yes the most terrible parasite in the Universe..."
Uma came out the Luke's embrace to fight with the Spinbes.
"Uma..."
"Keep calm Master...this is my fight..."
"Are you sure?"
A pair of deformed arms was born from the horrible body; the beast open his arms and screamed out a terrible noise.
Uma and Luke had to cover their ears with the hands, suddenly in the room entered armed soldiers, their eyes were empty. Uma looked the soldier and noticed Sar...
"Sar..." called running to him but the General, under the power of Fgar, shot and Uma had to defense her, deviating the laser blast.
"Sar!" cried out Uma. Luke ran to her and surrounded her waist, taking her away from the fire, behind a big column
"Let me go..." Uma was like a wild horse and Luke did a thing he had never done before to calm someone: he slapped her face. Uma put one hand on the cheek
"I'm sorry Uma..." the girl looked at him with angry eyes but instead of a shout or another slap, she started to cry. Luke caressed her hair and put a finger under her chin to make her see his eyes
"I must save him...we must go. I don't want to leave him here."
"Ok...I understand. Uma now you do what I say...promise."
"I promise...what are your order?"
"You run long the wall, and reach the door. I'll keep the guards busy."
"Then?"
"Disarm all the guards you can. We must have a way to go through..."
Fgar hit the column and a big piece of rock rolled down, near Uma
"Go...May the Force be with you..."
Uma ran long the wall and instantly the guards shot her. Protecting herself with her lightsaber she reached the door. Luke shouted to the guards and they looked at him. Fgar was laughing, the scene was very funny.
Uma killed a guard but her heart didn't insist on that feeling. Another guard, but Uma didn't kill him; she hit him with the butt of the gun. A third guard looked at her and a blast hit her leg. The dolor was terrible.
"Help me..." Cried.
Luke's plan was vanished. It wasn't a good plan but it had been the first idea he had had... The soldier grabbed her, he was going to take her to Fgar but someone shot and the guard fell down. Another blast and the soldiers who surrounded Uma were on the ground.
"Sar..." whispered the girl looking up. Sar was there in front of her, with a smile
"Princess..." Uma smiled and, with new energy woke up. Sar rapidly was by her side.
"Come on, let's leave this spaceship..." a soldier shot but Uma protected Sar with the light blue blade.
"No... Luke's there!"
"Luke?" asked Sar. He helped her and what she was thinking about? Luke!
"Sar...there's a thing you must know...but now help me..."
"Ok..." agreed the man. Side to side the two young lovers killed other soldiers. Sar sometimes looked the man who he was shooting to, he was a friend, but the necessity killed the friendship. Fgar was still looking Luke who defended and attached, laughing and beating the ground with his big and viscid tail. Luke noticed Uma and Sar and smiled. Finally...they were together...
"Luke!" yelled Uma, while Sar was killing the remained soldiers.
The terrifying laugh stopped when Luke, left the soldiers and the battle, ran to the door. Uma and Sar were there, waiting for him.
"What's going on?" shouted, beating the tail on the ground, making the depths shake.
The soldiers stopped shooting and looked terrified at the alien.
"Let's go..." said Uma when she could hold Luke's arm. Sar was ahead them, looking for other soldiers. The spaceship shook again and Uma, whose leg was making her cry, fell down, rolling against a wall. Luke carefully reached her and held the unconscious girl in his arms. Sar looked at him, first with anger then with a smile.
***
The hangar was full of soldiers and Sar stopped a minute before they saw him
"Wrong way..."
"Uhm..." Luke was thinking and Sar looked at him eager. After a long minute Luke nodded and whispered
"I could create a diverting, and you can go to the spaceship."
"But Master Luke..."
"Don't call me Master Luke, we are friends...aren't us?"
"Yes..." agreed the boy lowering his black and ruffled head.
"Go...take care of Uma" said tenderly Luke leaving Uma in Sar's arms. The boy looked surprised at Luke, who smiled and added
"Wait until they will be occupied..."
Luke's blue eyes closed slowly, his breath was calm and his body was relaxed. In his mind, the Jedi tried to see a big box, that was in the hangar, and slowly he thought the box rose. The soldiers shouted, looking the box in the air. One shot but the box was going forward them. Sar waited until the soldiers were turned and gave him the back then ran in the hangar, silently and fast. Reached the spaceship Sar stopped. Uma opened her eyes and looked at Sar
"Where are..."
"Stsss..." whispered Sar.
"Where are we...where is Master Luke?" asked whispering Uma, looking around.
"He's behind that wall...he told me to go..."
"And what will happen to him?"
"I don't know...Uma we must go now."
"No! I won't abandon him here!" the spaceship shook and Uma fell down. Her leg was seriously wounded and she couldn't stand up. Sar surrounded her waist with one arm and with the other put her left arm around his neck
"Hold on dear..." Uma looked in Sar eyes. Dear. Yes dear. She was dear for him and for her he was...Uma smiled and caressed his cheek.
"Ok...Uma, you won. We won't go without Luke..."
"Thank you Sar..." with tenderness she kissed him on the lips.
Sar felt his heart beating like a drum in his throat; he hadn't the words...
An old spaceship was sleeping not far from them and Uma pointed at it
"That one..."
"Ok...I don't know if she can fly but we can try."
"Don't say try...do or not..." it was a phrase Luke said often to her and now she really understood what was her meaning.
"We'll fly away with that spaceship!" repeated convinced Sar.
The soldiers were away but they could come in every moment. Sar ran to the spaceship, holding Uma, and opened the door. Then Sar searched a place for Uma but the girl left his hug and sat down on a seat near the control cabin
"Go Sar...save him..." smiled the girl. Sar didn't want to leeave her here, so near to the door, but her words made him ran out, holding his weapon, to Luke. One soldier saw him and shot, Sar shot back and killed him.
"Master Luke...come on!" whispered Sar touching Luke's shoulder.
"Why you are still here?"
"Scold me later! With me!"
Sar held Luke's arm and made him run to the spaceship. The propulsion roared and screamed, but started working. Sar entered and looked around.
"This spaceship is old but can still fly. Come on I need a co-pilot. Would someone like to seat here, near me and help me?" Luke looked Sar and pushed him
"I need repose. Sar will help you."
"Ok! Sar come on!" the little guy sat near Uma
"Uma, when you want..."
"Come on baby, make me hear your additional power..." Uma lit the additional propulsion to make the spaceship fly while, at the doorstep of the hangar, the black body of Fgar was coming out and his tail hit the ground near the ship. The Spinbes screamed and beat the tail in frustration. The spaceship took off and flew out.
***
Fgar screamed until the spaceship became a little point in the darkness.
All in the spaceship were happy. Luke smiled and Uma embraced Sar with a big smile.
Sar felt unexpectedly all the weight of Uma's body on his chest and called
"Uma..." but the girl didn't answer. Sar's face became pale.
"Master!" cried out. Luke stood up and ran to the Control Cabin.
"What's going on?" Sar held Uma's shoulders and moved her. Her brown head, covered by the hood, hanged down without life.
"Uma!" yelled Sar.
"Sar...take her to the sleeping compartment." Sar held her in his arms and reached the bedroom.
Placed her on a bed, Sar looked at Luke.
"Don't worry, she is only in a faint."
"When will she get up?"
"Patience son...her leg is hurt...it's an ugly wound..." Luke shook his head
"What can you do?" asked anxious
"Let me examine her...you should go to the control..." Sar put one hand on the forehead, shouting.
"The control!" the young guy left the bedroom quickly and Luke sighed, looking at Uma. Gentle he took her cloak off, putting it on another bed. Her face was suffering and Luke took a lock of her hair away from her face.
Under the Jedi cloak the orange suit was burnt around the wound. Luke tested Uma's leg and got up searching for the first aid kit. Found it, opened the white box. Uhm...bandage...scissors, what else? Ah, a lenitive solution...
Sar was looking, out of the porthole, the sparkling stars in the darkness. How calm they were... His heart was full of love and preoccupation. He felt guilty for the situation of his beloved Uma. Why didn't you tell her who was on the spaceship? Stupid! You had to!
The intercom diverted him from his remorse.
"Sar... dial the co-ordinate for the hyperspace. Uma is sleeping..."
"Master Luke...would you like to come here...I need help..."
"I'm coming."
Sar sighed and looked at the computer, where could they go?
Luke entered the cabin and sat down, in the co-pilot seat.
"No...you'll seat here..."
"If you want to..."
"Yes, now I haven't the power to do anything" Luke put one hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be sad...Uma is strong. She's studying to be a Jedi, the Force will help her..." said smiling. Sar looked at him and got up. Luke did the same and they changed their seat. Luke dialed the co-ordinate and the computer did the operations to calculate the best way. After five minute, a much more long time for Sar, Luke smiled and announced
"We can go now...Sar the hyperspace awaits us..." Sar hardly smiled and pull the hyperdrive lever: bright lines filled the space in front of the windshield.
***
The Killer landed, gently, in the Military Hangar, not fat from the Senate.
The hangar seemed to be too little to contain the colossal ship and the space where the soldiers, the personnel and the Senators were waiting, was limited. Two short rows of soldiers saluted Renes. At the end of the human corridor, the commander could bowed and shook his hand with Mon-Mothma and the other Senators. His face was pale and the eyes, long and gray like the rainy cloud, were like two sharp menacing blades. There were all the Senators of the Restricted Senate, excepted Leia who, apologizing herself using her busy schedule, avoided the unpleasant meeting. The Commander of a spinbean war ship was the last person she wanted to meet.
***
***
All was dark. Uma was in the darkness and was floating. Around her: nothing. A terrified scream opened her mouth but she didn't hear her voice. Where I am? It was like a black sea: no lights, no noises. An emptiness. Where I am...Sar help me please!! A current was transporting her, but where?! All of a sudden a voice echoed in the darkness. With new hope Uma looked around searching for the person who had called her. Again...Luke's voice, in the distance. Luke I am here!!
Warm tears rolled down on her cheeks. His voice was like a whisper but in the darkness was clear and filled the emptiness. Then, like the sunshine, a bright light broke the darkness. Uma followed the light. Luke's voice became louder
"Uma dear, wake up we arrived..." a big and glad smile opened his mouth when Uma's blue eyes opened and looked at him.
"Luke...oh Luke!" cried out Uma, hugging the Jedi.
"Why are you crying now?"
"All...all was dark...oh!" cried the young woman.
"It's gone...calm now." Sar entered and stopped on the doorway.
"Excuse me, Master Luke..." Uma looked up at him. Smiling Uma drew out her arms to embrace Sar. The young guy didn't know what to do but his heart moved him. Smiling he surrounded his beloved princess and caressed her hair.
"Sar..."whispered Uma. All the jealousy disappeared. She was safe and was hugging him.
The universe could be green for him now...it wouldn't matter. Luke smiled and left them alone. For a moment his heart cried his solitude but the Jedi truing hissed it and Luke got out the spaceship.
***
Ah...Dagobah...the last place where their enemies could search them. The swamp was noisy and full of life. All was like he had left when, three months ago; he felt the necessity to come back to Tatooine. Three months...a long time... Now, thought Luke sitting down on a big rock, we have to repose ourselves and think. What can we do? The touch of something warm on his shoulder diverted the Jedi Knight from his thoughts.
"Master Luke...this is..." Luke nodded before Uma finished talking.
"What a beautiful place!"
"Yes, it's beautiful and peaceful" avowed the Jedi, nodding.
"Luke!" called Sar from the spaceship and Uma looked at him disapproving
"Sar be more respectful with the Jedi Master!" reproached Uma with an irritated voice.
"Don't worry Uma...I told Sar to call me Luke..." informed Luke. Uma opened her mouth to say something but closed it instantly.
"Ok...if you have the permission..." said with a red face.
"Uma...you have the 'permission' too..."
"No, you are a Jedi Master and you merit respect." the Jedi smiled, he couldn't change her mind. And, in the deep of his heart, the name which Uma call him with, made the Jedi Master proud of himself.
Smiling at that thought, the Jedi stood up and walked through the swamp.
Sar and Uma followed him with a little bit of difficulties. The young guy helped her beloved princess, but who could help him?! The ground was muddy and unknown animals were all around them. Luke walked slowly to let them follow him.
***
Senator Organa?!" Yana knocked the door again. Leia was on her bed looking the white roof. The Star Cruiser that had been in the sky till two minutes ago now was in the spaceport. Sighing the princess stood up and went to the door.
"Senator Organa?!"
"Wait a minute!!" yelled Leia, irritated. The door opened while the Corellian woman was going to knock once again.
"What do you want Yana?!"
"The Senators await you, Senator..." announced the thin woman with a professional tone.
"Why?!"
"Because of the Commander Renes..."
"Who is this Commander...Renes?" something inside her had already answered
"The commander of the Star Cruiser that is now in our spaceport." informed the Corellian.
What a surprise!
"Refer to the Senate that I'll be there in a minute..."
"As you want Senator Organa...good-bye."
"Bye." Yana went away and Leia closed the door. Her Jedi training imposed her to be calm. Jedi training...she was a Jedi...she would meet the enemy, because enemies they were, like a Jedi Knight.
Slowly Leia got dressed.
They have waited until then, they could wait another minute!
Her two bodyguards were out of the door, waiting silently. Put on the brown hood, Leia looked at her mirror image. Her lightsaber was at her sight and the cloak was perfectly arranged around her.
The door opened and the guards with the back leant against the wall, stood up and salute her. Silently the group reached the turbolift and still silently the elevator took them to the highest floor.
***
All was quiet. Four heavy-armed guards were near the door. Leia sighed and arrived at the doorway. A guard saluted her and she answered smiling. The guard opened the door and Leia entered the Council: there were all the Senator whose planet worked continuously in the Rebel Alliance and had survived the Death Star attacks, it was more like an informal reunion than a public congress.
Everyone in the room looked at her. Leia didn't notice them and, taking off the hood, sat on her chair. Mon-Mothma looked at her and saluted her friend, nodding. Leia nodded back
"Senator Organa, we're all impatient to have you here..." started the Senator Hermed'l Bar, deputy of Dantooine.
"But I don't understand the meaning of my call..."
"You saw the spaceship in our air fly-zone..." the Senator nodded
"And you know that your brother, the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker have gone away with a fighter. Do you know who was with him?" Leia looked silent at Senator Bar
"To make your memory back, I'll tell you...with him was the Princess Uma, from Teti..."
"Then?!..."Asked Leia noticing the man near the Senator, dressed in a military uniform.
"Then...the Commander Renes, who is now here, near me, wants to know where are they now."
"Why don't they use their technology to find them?"
"Senator Organa..." thundered Renes with a deep voice
"Yes?"
"We knew that the fighter had landed on a Tetian spaceship but that they had flown away with one of our mercantile spaceship."
"Are you sure?" there had to be a reason. What had happened?
"Yes...now, do you know where are the thieves or not?" asked upset the Commander.
"I can't help you, I'm sorry. I'm not in my brother's brain" with those words, Leia stood up and turned toward the door.
"Senator!" thundered very upset Renes. Leia turned back, looking in his eyes.
"I haven't anything to say..." the Senator took another step forward the door
"Senator Organa..." the voice was not Renes's. Leia turned back again. Two yellow eyes were pointing on her. The Chigan deputy didn't like human, especially women, especially that woman. He wanted to see the Alderaanian princess confessing the implication of her brother in an obscure plan. He had heard Renes' words and he was convinced that the two humans would be imprisoned; Alderaan and Chiga had ever been not friendly in their relations, and the involvement of the princess would be a victory for Chiga. Gharhad had waited a long time and now he could win
"Senator Gharhad..." answered Leia with a cold glance.
"Senator Organa, please sit down. Commander Renes wouldn't be rude..." she had to stay and confess!!
"He hasn't been rude. I just don't want to stay if I can't give him help. I have a busy day..."
"Ok...but if your brother contact you, you'll have to tell us..." Bar's voice filled the room like an order.
"I'll do...now, with your permission. Good-bye Commander Renes."
Leia left the Senate, smiling and sighing cheered up. The guards followed her to the turbolift, saluting their companions.
***
The Star Cruiser rolled dreadfully and a lot of soldiers were shunted from one place to another. Fgar's fury was terrifying. His screams filled the space.
Cadavers rolled everywhere. The Spinbes beat his tail in frustration. The princess had gone and he didn't know where she could be in that moment. Progressively his anger was pacified. His deformed body changed and the Spinbes was now Fgar, Lord Fgar the Conqueror.
The man came back in the Throne Room. The hole had disappeared; all the cadavers of the soldiers were scattered on the ground in mortals sculptures made for the Lord. Fgar stepped over two, maybe they could be three or four, cadavers, with an impassive expression. He was there not to count the dead soldiers but to pick up his cloak. Taken the black cloak, Fgar went to the Control Room.
Of all the people who were in the room only two were still there, not because they were more diligent than the others were but because they were too frightened to go somewhere. A red head appeared from behind a control panel but instantly disappeared.
"He's here..." whispered Tomas to Iulaon, near him with a blaster pistol in one hand and a comlink in the other hand. Iulaon nodded. Fgar had sensed them but he didn't want to see the two frightened soldiers and sat down on his seat. If there weren't anybody to make the spaceship go, he would do it himself, and dialed the co-ordinates, destination: Teti.
***
Yoda's home was little and Sar gave up entering where Luke instead had penetrated without difficulties.
"Yoda's home..." murmured Uma, looking around, sat on a fallen trunk. A compact fog surrounded the open space like a white ring.
"Sar...Uma come in..." called Luke from inside the house.
"It's too small!" shouted back Sar but Luke called them again.
"Come on, if I can come in, for you'll be a kid..."
"Sar...help me..." asked Uma drawing out the arms. She was still weak because of her leg, and couldn't stand up without help. Sar supported her and surrounded her waist with his arm. On the doorway Uma moved gently him away and fell down on the knees. Her face became a grief mask but no cry came out of her mouth. On all fours she came in and Luke welcomed her with a smile
"Where's your boyfriend?" Uma looked up red like a tomato
"Who?" asked trying to be calm
"You understood well..."
"Oh...well he's out and doesn't want to come in..."
"When the Rekaw find out that he was a good food, he'll run in..." said loudly.
"I'm not a good aliment..." Sar was in, trying to become as small as he could.
Luke smiled and went into the kitchen.
"Please have a seat...the dinner will be done in a minute..." announced form the little kitchen
"I hope he cooks better then his droid..." whispered Uma but Sar looked at her
interrogatively
"I'll tell you it another time..." smiled Uma, touching his shoulder and hanged her head on his chest.
"When all of this will be finished..." Uma nodded and closed her eyes, inhaling the smell of his body, in a total and universal calm, like they were on another planet far far away from Teti, Tatooine, Dagobah, the universe...
Sar caressed and kissed her brown hair. Luke looked up and smiled: how sweet was that sight! But in his heart something cried again. His solitude for the first time appeared like it really was. Immense. The only woman he had ever loved was light-years away from him. If only he had stopped her at the spaceport. They loved each other but they hadn't had the courage to show their love. Oh well...at the first occasion I'll go there and say " Irene will you marry me?"...I'll do...
But then, unconvinced, he shook his head.
I don't know if Jedi Knights get married...
"Your heart follow..." Luke's head rose and the hood fell behind. His eyes were gleaming.
"Yoda!!" whispered. looking around searching for the Master's spirit.
"If don't you try never will you know..."
"But..."
"You doubt!?!" yelled Yoda's spirit menacing the Jedi with his walking stick and Luke shook his head convinced.
"Now go..."
"And Uma? I'm her Master..."
"Proud you are...aren't you?" Yoda grinned.
"Well...a little..." admitted Luke, smiling.
"Like of you are we..." the spirit disappeared and Luke inhaled, something was burning...
"The soup!" shouted jumping up and beating the head against the roof. Uma ran, as fast as she could, to him and then looked at the fire. The soup was dark and it hadn't a very good aspect.
Luke shook his head.
"I'm sorry..." apologized with a sad voice.
"Don't worry!" smiled Uma touching his shoulder. Luke looked up. "The spaceship we came by is full of food...we can use that eats..."
"Ok...go and take the dinner..."
"Cheer up Master!" her happy voice made him smile a little. Uma disappeared and the Jedi Knight felt something he wouldn't feel. A cry, someone was crying desperately. Luke concentrated his mind on the cry, to make it clearer. Irene! One hand closed his mouth and the other ran to the lightsaber. Why was she crying? Suddenly the cry stopped and Luke was astonished, the blue eyes lost in the vacuity of the empty kitchen.
***
"You can't do this to me!" yelled Irene while two black dressed guards were pushing her in her cell.
Damn...I'm a Jedi Knight!
Sighing, the brown dressed woman used her Jedi Instruction to be calm. How can I be calm! A sad face looked up to the dark roof of the cell. The only little window was two meters upper her. The darkness was all around. In that moment so unhappy a person came in her mind...Hot tears rained on the gray deck. Sat on the knees, the head bent down covered by the hood.
Jedi, I'm a Jedi... repeated her mind.
But if she were a Jedi why now she was so frightened...
Suddenly her gloomy eyes looked up, then they closed and Irene clenched her hands.
"Luke!" screamed at the top of her voice. Slowly the body bent down, like a dying flower.
"Luke." repeated sighing. The echo of her scream died passing the heavy barriers around her.
No one answered but, even if someone had answered, Irene couldn't listen to him. With a sigh, prostrated and defenseless, the Jedi fell asleep.
***
Two levels up from the cellblock, Larson was speaking to Renes's hologram
"We have her..."
"Good..." the image trembled a little but was still clear.
"But and if he doesn't come?"
"He'll do...don't worry Larson...it's a sure information. Luke and that...what's her name? Ah...Irene Trounal are fond of each other...He's a Jedi Knight, he must sense that she's imprisoned."
"And...what will we do when the Jedi comes?"
"Behave following the plans we've done. We don't want him, we want the princess." The hologram disappeared. Larson looked around unconvinced. He had heard Irene screaming, minutes before, and had felt a strange feeling...They had taken her, in the middle of the night, stunned her and locked up. That had made her scream desperately that name.
***
***
The corridor was empty, no guards and no droids. Leia was running long the wall. There was another Comsys to use to talk to his brother. She knew exactly where they were and Renes had convinced some of the Senators that they had to help him, so she had to tell Luke not to come back.
"The princess must come back to his planet." Excepted for her and Mothma, the Senate didn't know who Renes really was.
The Senator touched the control panel of the door and slowly the door opened. Inside was dark.
"Turn the light on..." said Leia and the computer did. Now she had to be silent, as silent as possible. The Comsys was in a box, ready for the Recycle Dept., but it still worked.
Every personal comlink, and Leia hoped Luke had it with him, had a code for all the other comlink but, and this is a private information, every comlink had a secret channel, which couldn't be intercepted by the Communication Control System. Dialed the secret code, Leia waited for the blue light.
After two minutes of that awful waiting, the sleepy voice of her dear brother answered.
***
"Leia? What...do you want in the middle of the night?" whispered Luke trying to see in the darkness around him. He didn't want to disturb Uma and Sar and, on all fours, got out Yoda's house.
"Luke...You mustn't come back...Renes is here, he told the Senators you've robbed a ship..."
"That son of..."
"Don't get angry Luke" reacted Leia before he could say what he was thinking, "How are you?"
"Fine, considering that we escaped from Fgar..."was his sardonic answer.
"Fgar?"
"The Lord who wants Teti...but he's not a person...he's a Spinbes and he killed Uma's sister." His heart was distant now. Hesitantly Luke told Leia what he had felt and Leia promised to find information about Irene's condition.
"Where will you go? Yavin4?" asked painfully Leia.
"No, I think it's safer for us to stay here by now..."
"Don't' worry, I keep your position secret...Bye..."
"Bye" whispered the Jedi and yawning end the transmission. He couldn't sleep. Irene's scream was still in his mind.
What had happened to her beloved Irene?
Sat on a rock not far from the little house, Luke's memory came back in time. Irene had been the second Padawan he had had, after his sister Leia. Smiling, in front of his eyes appeared her sweet smile and her happy face when he had given her the Jedi cloak. Then those stupid words and Luke's heart seemed to be passed by a sword. "You're a Jedi Master...You've learned all I could teach you..." if he hadn't tell that phrase, probably now they had been together... Irene had disappeared in the darkness inside the spaceship that had taken her so far...and now she was in trouble and he didn't know where she could be. Where's now the Force, that Force which made Jedi so strong?
That thought was the most stupid thing he could think. But, if nothing happened by chance, what was the obscure message inward? Without he could prevent it, Luke closed his eyes and fell asleep on the cold rock, in dangerous balance near the dark swamp.
***
"Luke...please come here..." in a heavy darkness Irene was floating in front of him. He tried to run to her but something stopped him, a cold hand held his arm and dragged him down in a dark sea. He floundered for a while then impotent let the cold hand make him die. In the deep of his heart, in that unsure a fearful part of his soul, that was what he wanted: die, leave that Universe too big for him, with too many responsibilities. Being a Jedi had become too difficult; he wanted to give up.
***
Sar was taking breath down on the knees, with a cover on the shoulders. The gelid water he had swum into had frosted him till in the bones. Uma was near him but her eyes and her hands were on Luke's gelid body. Frenetically the woman tried to make him breath again, how pale was his face!
"Master please...don't die..." cried Uma and one tear fell on Luke's cyanotic lips. Like the best medicine in the cosmos, that little salad tear awoke him. Gradually his light blue eyes opened and the chest moved he was alive. Uma, too much happy to say anything, cried and hugged Luke. The Jedi coughed and moved a hand to caress her. Every movement was difficult, so difficult that, when finally he could touch her head, he had to take breath. Sar came near him and placed the cover on his shoulders.
"Don't cry Uma..." whispered Luke and her brown head rose from his chest, the face ruled by tears. His still cold hand caressed her, Uma's head curved to make that touch last.
"Oh Master..." cried softly. Sar helped Luke to stand up. Uma was near him, warming her Master with her arms around his chest.
Inside was warm and Uma left Luke for a moment to prepare some warm drink. Sar made him sat down near the fire.
"What did you want to do Master?" said under his breath Sar with an irritated tone.
"Die." Answered in the same silent way Luke and Sar's eyes became large, the eyebrows up in a shocked expression. The person he had known, so strong and brave, wanted to die...
"But...Why?" asked painfully.
"I'm alone...Irene...I don't know..." Sar, at the top of his endurance, slapped him. He wanted to leave Uma and it wasn't right! Luke, with empty eyes looked at him, then the emptiness changed in fury and Luke looked at Sar with an evil expression. Sar became pale, he knew Jedi power and if Luke wanted he could kill him.
"Leave me alone..." said slowly. Uma was coming back in that moment. "Leave me ALONE!" shouted then the Jedi.
The cup Uma was carrying fell down. Sar stood up and went to Uma to make her calm but the woman wasn't frightened. Her Jedi Training kept her calm. She understood Luke and held Sar hand, mute.
In Luke's soul there was a battle: the fear and the courage, the Jedi and the man. Whoever would win, Luke couldn't be the same nevermore. A part of him wanted to die and the other half part wanted to live. Being a Jedi had taken away the woman he loved and his adolescence; but being a Jedi was what he had conquered passing by Yoda's training, Obi-Wan 'lessons', his father death. How could he refuse all that?
Death became a stupid solution and slowly, like the high tide, his heart found the calm and the serenity he had lost. Even if he couldn't help by now Irene, he could give her his support with the Force.
In the warm light Luke's face smiled and in the gentle shine he cried his victory. Gleaming crystals rolled on his cheeks.
***
Teti was one of the planets that thought to be able to go on without the Republic. The kings and the queens who reigned were all calm and their behavior had been always peaceful. Lord Fgar wanted a new home for his people, after the other planets and moons they had squeezed till their end. Teti, that what the Spinbes thought, was the perfect place and began his conquest.
The Royal Palace was now his home. The elegant corridors, the beautiful rooms, all the green garden, were full of Spinbes. Even if the people were their servants, in their heart was still strong the devotion for Uma and her sister, who no one knew dead.
"Your Highness..." bowed the Particular Secretary. The horrible face of the new king turned and two little eyes looked down to the man.
"I hope you're going to tell me good news."
"Yes...we've the female Jedi who Luke Skywalker loves..." explained with a smile the secretary and Fgar smiled too.
"Where's now?"
"On the Star Duke. It would be here in ten minutes..."
"Good..." Grwender bowed again and got out the Throne Room, leaving the jolly Fgar to his thoughts.
"Master Luke!" Uma called the Jedi but he didn't turn. The woman ran to him and grasped his arm, making him turn.
"Where are you going Master?" asked Uma looking up at him. His face was in the shadow of the hood and Luke's eyes were mysteriously looking down, to deviate her glance.
"You can't come with me..." said Luke freeing his arm from the grip of the young Jedi
"Tell me why!" roared then the girl
"It's too dangerous..." was the whispered answer. Uma looked down then, with an angry face, looked up.
"What do you think I am? A baby?"
"No...but it's a personal problem..."
"I won't let you go alone...we can help you."
"No Uma..."
"Master! What the hell have you to do that we can't come?"
"Calm down..." with his persuasive voice and the movement of the hand, Luke convinced Uma.
The woman nodded and turned heading to Yoda's home.
"I'm sorry Uma..." whispered sadly Luke looking his Padawan disappeared in the green swamp.
The hatch closed and the ship took off, rumbling.
***
The sky was blue and clear. Luke's apartment was empty and silent. A Jedi, with the hood on the head, was sitting near the big window of the living room. The Comsys was on the gray ground. The personage sighed and a crystal tear watered the ground.
"Luke...why...tell me only why!" cried the individual.
Then with a sigh he took away the hood. Long brown hair shone in the light and the sad Jedi stood up and looked down the street.
The comlink buzzed and she pushed the answer button.
"Senator Organa..." Leia sighed, the familiar voice of her secretary was like a whisper.
"Ehi...Yana..."
"Senator, excuse me but the Senator Was wants to talk to you..."
"Tell him to come in Luke's apartment...I'll wait here."
"Ok...bye..." there was silent for a moment "Hold on Leia..." Yana end the transmission and Leia smiled for her encouragement.
The first thing to do was to make the Comsys disappear and Leia looked around, with the machine in her arm, searching for a good place...
Someone knocked the door and Leia looked at it, fearful.
"I'm coming, just a minute..." said then, trying to be calm. With a quick movement Leia threw the Comsys in the bedroom, running then to the door.
"Please Senator, come in..." smiled Leia. Was saluted her and entered.
"Yana told me you're coming but I didn't think you would be here so rapidly..."
"I'm here to talk to you about Irene Trounal..."
"I think not to understand..."
"Don't think I'm stupid Leia..." reacted Was with an angry voice.
"No...really I don't know..." her voice was calm but her heart beating was accelerated
"Leia...Yana told me that you've asked her to search information about that Jedi Knight..."
"Yana? You're wrong..." tried to defend Leia.
"I know all about Irene and Luke...now he's going to Teti..." her face became pale and she sat down on a chair.
"Why are you so pale Leia?" was the sardonic question. Leia looked up to the happy face of the Senator. Then, with a deep breath, got up and looked at Was.
"Now..." started Leia with the convincing voice Jedi could use. Her hand moved under Was' eyes "You'll forget whatever you know about Irene and Luke...everything."
The Senator nodded and Leia pushed him out of the door.
When the door closed Leia's heart was full of opposite feelings: she wanted go to Teti, but she didn't want be the involuntary spy who told to Fgar that Luke was coming there.
From Dagobah to Teti wasn't a not very long journey and if she left now she could be on the planet before her brother.
Leia called Yana and explained what she wanted to do and what she had to say to the other.
"Ok...I'll do..." after all, Leia still trust in Yana's fidelity.
***
The little ship and the co-pilot were waiting for her at a service dock, far from the spaceport and especially far from the Senate.
Leia ran to the ship and knocked the hatch two times, it was the signal for the co-pilot who lighted the propulsion and opened the hatch. Leia ran up the ramp and took a sigh of relief, when the hatch closed.
"Capt. Derek at your service, ma'am." Said with a formal voice the co-pilot.
"Nice to meet you, Derek..." Leia took away her hood and smiled to the captain, sitting on her pilot seat. Yana had done a good work. No one saw them take off and disappear in the blue sky.
***
The spaceport was empty and lifeless, and Luke expected this. At the doorways, armed guards controlled whom land and who fly. He had to pass by them. Sighing and using his Jedi training, Luke remained calm while the guards were controlling him.
Using the Force, he could hide his lightsaber from the metal detector they used. After the formalities, Luke could leave the spaceport to reach the King Palace.
The Capital was a calm city, excepted for the Spinbes, and Luke walked slowly and relaxed till the Palace was in front of him.
With his eyes closed and sat down near the big and beautiful building, Luke searched Irene using the Force and his love. She was there; he felt it and he wanted to rescue her.
A warm touch on his shoulder made him open his eyes.
"Leia?" whispered looking up to her face.
"I'm coming with you..." announced the Jedi before Luke could open his mouth and react. "I found a secret passage to enter...Uma told me..."
"Uma?" asked confounded Luke.
"I'll explain it later. Now, come on..." Leia ran behind a broken wall and Luke followed her, looking around.
***
Uma was on the rock, near Yoda's home, waiting for Leia's communication. The Jedi had promised her to contact them when they had entered the sewer system.
Sar came out of the house, taking a cup. He sat near Uma and offered her the warm tea he had done.
"Thank you Sar..." Uma smiled, warming her hands with the hot cup.
"Why don't you go inside, I'll call you when Leia contact us..." Uma shook her head, she put on the hood and drank the tea.
"Ok...I'll wait here with you then..." Uma embraced him and Sar kissed her hair. The voice of the swamp was the only sound.
The comlink buzzed and Uma left Sar to push the answer button.
"Blue pearl..." Leia's voice made Uma relax.
"Here Blue Pearl...Leia, nice to hear your voice!" answered Sar.
"Hi Sar...don't you have a map of this labyrinth?" asked sardonic the Jedi.
"Tell me what you see..." Leia sighed and the choleric voice of Luke roared in the microphone.
"Nothing!" Luke's voice made Uma startle.
Leia grasped the comlink from Luke's hand.
"Keep calm brother!" reproached Leia trying to keep the comlink out of Luke's sight "Uma? Sar?" said then and Uma answered
"Leia...where is the secret passage considering your position?"
"I don't know...It's dark here, the lightsabers can't light much space around us."
"Try to see...I can't help you if you don't say me what you see..."
"Ok...the passage is behind us...four meters I think...the road splits in two parts..."
"Go left...following the green conduit..." said Uma, drawing what she knew about the sewer system on a light board.
"Where are they?" asked Sar looking the picture
"Here." answered Uma, pointing a line on the drawing
"Do you know exactly their way?"
"Yes...don't worry Sar...I used the sewer to escape..." her voice was calm and Sar thought there was no reason to be preoccupied.
"The green tube is disappeared!" the alarmed phrase made Uma pay attention at the comlink.
"Ok...now are there three holes in the rock?" asked the young Jedi, trying to visualize the three holes.
"Yes..." whispered Leia.
"Well...now enter the first hole but..." a SPLASH! Covered her words "be careful...there is a deep cistern..." finished Uma, shaking her head while Sar was laughing.
"Leia? Luke?"
"Damn!" a known voice echoed.
"It's Luke..." said smiling Sar, pointing at the comlink.
"Luke?"
"Uma..."
"Where's Leia?" asked the young Jedi. In the comlink resounded Luke's voice
"I found her!" splashing Luke reached her.
"I'm fine...wet but alive...Uma now where we have to go?"
"Don't worry...you are already wet...now swim in the cistern, on the wall against the entrance there is a tube which take into another cistern...go into the cistern."
"Ok..." the communication end and Uma looked the drawing...
***
"How much time will it take them to the prison?" questioned Sar yawning and distending his arms and legs.
"If they are good swimmers five minutes..." answered Uma, worried.
"But it is not that part the most difficult. They have to rescue Irene and found an exit from the Palace...you know how hard it would be..." continued after a sigh.
***
The cistern was cold and Luke tried not to think that his hands, his face and his legs were like a block of ice. Leia was near him. He looked around, where were they? Leia activated the comlink, dry and ready to be used.
"Uma..." called the Jedi, swimming to the metal wall of the cistern.
"Leia...can you see now a big tube that goes up..."
"Yes...Luke where are you going? It's not that way! Come down!" Leia looked at her brother who, without his cloak, was climbing up the tube.
"Do the same Leia...climb up the tube..." invited Uma.
"Ok..." Leia took away the Jedi cloak, binding it around the waist, and started the climbing. The comlink taken by the mouth.
"Leia...there's a passage!" shouted Luke two meters up.
Leia smiled and reached her brother.
"We are in the passage...now?"
"Walk till you find a grating, remove it and you'll be near the prison...from there you'll have to do all by yourself..."
"Thank you very much Jedi Knight Uma..." Luke's voice was happy and what he said made Uma happy too. Her training was going on and her Master had called her Jedi Knight! Uma, smiling and relaxing, ended the communication. Now what she could do was wait, wait and hope for the best...
***
The two Jedi reached the grating and Luke destroyed it with his lightsaber. Their clothes were still wet but the warm air that was in the channel had dried them a little.
"Since you were...you could shout 'Hey we are here!'" reproached sarcastically Leia.
"Sorry Sis'" sighed the Jedi, they were twins but Leia demonstrated much more
concentration and calm. Luke, even if he was a Jedi Knight and a Jedi Master, was still impulsive, like the younger brother.
Luke jumped down and helped his sister doing the same. Both of them wore the Jedi cloak and put on the hood. The brown cloak was surprisingly dry.
"Where could she be?" asked whispering Leia, looking inside a cell
"She's near..." Luke closed his eyes and inhaled. Removed all from the mind and focused on Irene, her presence. Then he moved a step and another and another, until he stopped in front of a cell. Leia arrived and looked inside. Someone was sitting on the floor.
"Irene..." called the Jedi, while Luke was opening again his eyes
"Leia?" said hesitantly Irene, looking up then jumped up and reached the door "Leia!" shouted happily. "Luke!" said then looking his beloved and unforgotten Jedi Master. A cold hand came out of the grating and Luke took it smiling and caressing it.
"I know you'd come..." whispered Irene.
"I couldn't leave you here..." was Luke's tender answer. In their eyes glittered tears but someone's steps made them come back to the present
"Luke, Leia, hide yourself!" Irene sat down on the floor again and the two Jedi found a safe place, in the shadow of a column.
Two guards stopped at Irene's cell and opened the door.
"The King wants to see you..." the voice of the guard resounded in the corridor till to Luke and Leia. One of the guards entered to handcuff the prisoner. Luke couldn't watch anymore and ran silently behind the guard. The other guard was giving him the back and he hit the guard, taking him behind the column.
"Stay here..." were the only words Luke said to his sister before he wore the guard's suit. Leia couldn't say anything. Luke was far.
***
The Throne Room was empty excepted the King and four guards.
The two guards and the prisoner entered and five pair of eyes looked at them. Irene was between the two tall guards, with the hood on the head and the hand shackled behind the back.
Her eyes were calm and were taking a look around. She hadn't notice that Luke had been the guard and it was strange for her: her right arm was held with delicacy, while her left arm was squeezed by the guard's hand.
She couldn't linger on that thought no more. The guards, responding the King's signal, were taking her to the Throne.
Fgar sniggered and looked at the Jedi with conceit. How stupid the Jedi are! They think to be the best people in the universe, they protect, they serve. They are like the fortification of the universe. Their Light Side it's nothing!
The two Jedi could feel that thought and both of them smiled. Irene looked up, slowly. Luke, whose face was behind the guard helmet, wanted to demonstrate that parasite how strong a Jedi could be, but his heart had to calm down. The moment would come but he hadn't to hasten it. Patience...Learn the patience.
Fgar took a step to the prisoner and the two guards, Luke did it thoughtlessly, bowed making the prisoner do the same. Irene wouldn't but the two hands around her arms were too strong.
"So you're a Jedi Knight?" asked sardonically the Spinbes, the arms folded across his viscid chest.
"Yes..." Irene's voice was cold, her mind and her heart were distant.
"Why don't you ignite your lightsaber and kill all of us?"
"I'll do, don't worry..." her acid tone made Fgar smile.
"I don't think you can do anything...your life is in my hand..." he showed her his right hand, on the palm one of his rings, "And if I say it," the hand clenched instantly, "You'll die..." the hand opened and the gold ring fell down in a bright dust. Irene kept calm. She was a Jedi and she could always rely on the Force. "You're trembling...aren't you?" the triumphant voice resounded in the room but Irene shook her head
"No, I won't never give you this satisfaction." answered the Jedi firmly. Fgar became pale.
"Do you think I'm joking?"
"Yes..." replied sarcastically the Jedi. Luke looked at her. What did she want to do?!
"Guards!" shouted Fgar angrily "Take this stupid Jedi to the Arena!" that last word iced all the guards in the room. Irene looked down, smiling. Luke and the other guard turned back and took a step to get out the room. Irene talked one more time.
"Fgar, you can't do anything against the Force..."
"Take her out of here!" shouted Fgar, indicating irate the door
The two guards accelerated and escorted Irene to the worst place in the Spinbes' culture could exist.
***
How much time had passed since he had gone?
Leia was sitting behind the pillar. Lost in her thoughts, didn't notice the guards who were marching in front of her. One of them looked absent around and noticed a person in the darkness.
Yen pointed the pillar and all the guards looked in that direction; the group stopped. Leia felt something wasn't right and jumped up, ready to run. The guards shot and the Jedi blocked the blaster fire rapidly using the lightsaber. One guard died, hit on the rebound. Another blaster burst and a chip of stone hit Leia. Her right hand had to open because of the ache. The guards surrounded and cuffed her "Another Jedi, another female Jedi. We could ask the King to take her to the Arena with the other Jedi..."
"It's a very good idea!"
Leia ignored what the Arena was but knew well who the other Jedi was. A part of her heart was glad because her brother was still safe, but at the same time she was alarmed because of Irene. If she were in trouble, Luke would do everything, especially stupid things, to save her.
***
The Arena was full of agitated Spinbes and suspicious guards. The building had been built quickly and some stands were still under construction. The podium, the first finished part of the Arena, was more elevated than the rowdy stands. When Fgar sat on his throne, moved for the event, the bystanders clapped and acclaimed him. The king nodded gently (gently within Spinbes' limits!) and saluted the spectators with a movement of the jeweled hand.
Loud blares announced the arrival of Irene and Leia.
Luke was behind the Throne and his face became pale when he recognized his sister.
"Leia..." whispered but no one heard him behind the helmet.
A short man, with a long black dress and a lengthy knotty staff with a big black crystal took Luke and other four guards under the Arena where were placed the Kids.
***
The cells were the biggest Luke had ever seen roars and shouts occupied the space. The helmet attenuated the horrible smell of death.
"You..." said the little man pointing Luke's chest with his staff
"Me sir?"
"Yes, are you stupid? Take Rejhed and conduct her at the Arena's left access." Luke nodded speechless and started searching for Rejhed. The others guards disappeared, everyone had a Kid to take. When he finally found the right cell he stopped a moment.
"Rejhed...Hope in Spin, the name is nice, let's hope the Kid is nice too..." whispered Luke before his right hand touched the grating panel. There were two gratings. He had passed the first.
In the heavy darkness two gleaming green eyes opened and gazed him. A breath and a low roar followed the eyes. Luke stopped, studying the animal that had moved and now was all in the light. Big. That was Luke could think seeing the creature. The body was like a horse and the tail was long, like the reptile's, beating afraid the dark sand. The head was a mix of different animal's face. The Kid had the eyes of a lizard, the nose of the horse, the ears dangling at the side of the long head and long lock of hair interlaced with brilliant gems and a bloody ribbon, in the middle of the face.
Luke looked around searching for the tools to conduct out the Kid. In a corner there were all the necessary to...RIDE?! Luke's eyes became larger looking astonished the saddle and the reins, all the ceremony harness. Sighing, the Jedi Knight, declassed to only Knight, took the saddle and tied it up around the Kid's chest. The animal was calm and Luke was great to the creature for this.
When the Kid was ready for the entrance in the Arena, Luke smiled
"Ok pal, now don't be nervous and make me cut a fine figure, right?" the Kid nodded and Luke swore by animal's understanding. The roof was too low to mount and Luke took the Kid to the doorway.
***
A guard was waiting for him at the left access.
"Come on..." solicited upset the guard. Luke looked up to see him. Mounted, the two guards waited for the blares. Luke could see Irene and Leia in the middle of the Arena. They seemed to be not nervous.
The so much waited blares filled the air and the spectators started calling the Kid.
"Kid Kid Kid!" called three times before the animals entered the Arena.
Luke did the same thing he saw the other guard was doing. The Kids paced, calmly, in the clamor of the observers, until they formed a row under the Royal Podium. The guards made the Kid bow. Fortunately Rejhed did the bow without Luke's help. When it bowed, the Jedi fighted not to fall down elbowing on the saddle. The bow ended and Luke took a look at Leia and Irene. They answered with a cold glance.
The parade went on. After two turns under the stands the Kids took their position: four at the curves of the Arena and, unlucky, Rejhed was the Kid chosen for the central position.
An attendant gave Luke a long pole with a blade at the top. The cutting end of the pole shone in the sunlight. Luke was behind the two women. An anxious silent lowered on the Arena. What the hell are they waiting for?! Luke was there, speechless, motionless, without the pallid idea about what he had to do. The spectators started to beat the fists on the parapet. The noise grew up. Then, like the sun in the darkness, the same servant who had given him the pole called him moving the arms in the air. The movement he showed him was clear.
First the poles up in the air then down between the two women, forward the Royal Podium. The noise stopped. The servant did another motion and Luke did the same. The blade was stuck in the sand. That was the signal all were waiting for. The guards spurred the Kid that ran forward the woman. Leia and Irene stood impassible, waiting for the end. Luke rode Rejhed away from the women, while the Kids were stopping suddenly before the impact with the two women. The four guards held their pole, the same Luke had used before, and started turning around the women, pointing the blade against them. A wrong movement and they could die. Luke took the Kid near the servant.
"Thank you very much..." appreciated Luke.
"I saw you were embarrassed. It was the least I could do."
"What are they doing?!" asked then the Jedi looking the guards turning around the women.
"You really don't know?!" Luke shook his head
"Well...it's strange you don't know, but I won't tell you, if you don't know, see and surprise yourself. Don't forget your moment..."
"What?!" One more time in the middle of the Arena?! NOOO!!
"Don't worry, look at me..."
"Thank you again then..."
"Stsss..." the servant pointed the group in the Arena and Luke looked at them. Irene and Leia were in the center of that mortal choreography. The Kids' movements were calm and potent.
Their paws beat the sand making it fly, in a pallid cloud. The blades were shining in the light and were so near Irene could feel the displacement of the air on her face.
Leia looked around, searching for her brother but all the things she could see was the chests of the Kids.
The group stopped and the guards drove the animals away from the victims.
Luke's heart accelerated when he saw the guards pointing the blade forward the women.
"Now we'll see a lot of blood..." the excited voice of the servant bleached his face. The Jedi training, his interior calm, the echo of Ben's words, couldn't stop this.
Another blare and the Kids ran to the two women. Leia and Irene jumped before the four blades could cut them. The guards changed their position. Leia now was near the south stand and the Spinbes shout her to go in the middle, throwing what they were holding. Leia ran to Irene, who had fell down two meters left from the middle.
"What do they want?!" asked Irene looking Leia with a painful expression
"Probably kill us..."
"They won't...Luke is near and his heart is going to guide him, I feel it..." her voice was, instead of her face, calm and full of hope. Leia smiled and nodded. The guards were ready for another attack and prepared the poles. Once again the blare and the charge, and once again the Jedi jumped up but something went wrong. A blade cut Irene's left side and she fell down, beating the head on the ground. Leia ran to her and embraced her inert body.
The spectators roared their satisfaction. Fgar smiled triumphant. Luke drew out his hand when he saw his beloved on the ground. The servant called him
"Ehi, it's your turn now, go..."
"What do I have to do?!"
"Go now, I'll tell you..." Luke spurred Hope and drove it to Leia.
Her sister was embracing Irene and was trying to help her using the Force. Her eyes were full of anger when they looked up to him.
"Dear..." whispered Luke sighing and Leia's eyes changed expression, now they were surprised.
"Luke?!" asked hesitantly. The Jedi nodded and Leia smiled, "Help us out! Invent something!".
Before he could talk a crying alarm filled the Arena.
"Intruders!" shouted someone in the microphone and the Spinbes got up. Thousands and thousands of soldiers surrounded the Arena. Luke took a look at the doorways. Ten, probably more, soldiers closed the accesses. What could he do now?
The Spinbes shouted and yelled, exited. Fgar smiled, pleased for his success. An unexpectedly noise covered the Spinbes' voice. The Star Horse was on the Arena, rumbling. All the people looked up. Luke smiled then his face became serious. He could feel Uma's presence in the ship and her interior battle. She wanted to save them, to kill Fgar and the other Spinbes, and she wanted to do all at once!
The ship lowered gently in the Arena and Uma came out, jumping down from the starship.
Fgar laughed loudly and Uma, lighting the lightsaber, looked up gazing the beast. Luke took a step forward her, but Uma's hand rose and stopped him. "That is a private battle Master..."
"Oh! Look at who came back home!" bantered Fgar, pointing the Jedi in the Arena
"I'm here to keep my promise. I want to fight with your knight, for my people and friends' freedom. Accept it, if you dare!" her firm voice resounded in the Arena, icing the Spinbes. Fgar smiled again, a terrible smile.
"Are you so convinced?!" asked sarcastically.
"I'm a Jedi Knight. The Force is my ally. I win, because the Light wins always the Dark!"
"You're like the other Jedi Knights who tried to keep us on a planet! I'll destroy all of you, because you've destroyed my people!"
"You can't go around and squeeze planets to live!"
"Ok," the tawny teeth shone for a moment, in a terrible smirk "You'll fight my best knight."
"I'll do! And if I win, you'll leave Teti not to come back again!"
"So be it, Jedi, but if I win, you'll leave to me your planet!"
"I promise..."
The silence came in the Arena, filling the space. Fgar called with a move of the hand his secretary.
"Tell our friend that is his turn, he can come and kill the Jedi, like he wanted."
"Sure sir." The thin man disappeared.
***
The room was dark, an evil darkness. The man was sitting on the ground, covered by a black cloak. A quenched lightsaber in his pale hands. A sleeping revenge would be shown soon. Ah, now Master Luke, you'll see what your renegade apprentice can do. I'll kill your new Padawan. The Force is strong and I use it against you and your friends.
The secretary knocked the door and diverted the Renegade, as he wanted to be called, from his obscure thoughts.
"Who's there?"
"The King told me to say you that is arrived your turn...the Jedi is here."
"I'm coming..." the dark-worn Jedi stood up and opened the door. The secretary followed the taller man with a worried expression.
***
The left door of the Arena opened, creaking. Lukas was there, covered by his black cloak, with the hood on the head, and the lightsaber in the right hand.
Uma looked at him. The Jedi could feel the hate of the black-dressed man; he was there to revenge his honor. Luke felt it too but he sensed something that Uma couldn't feel. Who was in front of them had been his Padawan. He was Lukas! Luke ran to Uma. The Jedi looked at him
"Master?!"
"Uma, I know who that man is..."
"Really?!"
"He had been my Padawan but I told him not to go on with the training because his heart was too dark and viscid, I mistook: I shouldn't give up with his training...revenge was guiding him already before my admonishment to give up. He wanted to kill a person and revenge was filling his hearth then like now. The anger had grown up. Be careful Uma, he's strong. The Dark Side is strong, but the Light will win if you are more strong than him." The words came out gentle, softly whispered. Uma smiled and took Luke's hand in hers.
"Don't worry Master Luke. I'll do my best."
"May the Force be with you, dear..."
Uma smiled and looked at the black Jedi.
The two gladiators took away the cloak and threw them down. Uma was hardly keeping her heart calm and the Renegade smirked. Step by step they were now near, they could see in each other's eyes clearly. Lukas lit his lightsaber and Uma did the same, the battle anxiety was surrounding them and was growing up like a dense fog. Once another Luke would help his Padawan but he hadn't to. This time he didn't need Ben's voice, he knew what he had to do in that difficult moment: look, wait and hope. It was cruel but if Uma won that battle, she would be a complete Jedi and would govern her planet with the serenity it deserves. No one spoke; the Arena was like a dead desert. There were only the two people in the middle of the oval space, facing each other with the gleaming weapon between them. Lukas smirked before his dark blade, and that was the first time the four Jedi saw a lightsaber so dark (it could be blue, but a dark blue, dark like the deepest sea), tried to cut Uma's right hand. The girl drew back a step and parried the blow with a sparkle cascade. Uma had begun with a guarding tactics but now she could attack the enemy. Lukas was unbalanced and, with a rapid movement, Uma redeemed her lightsaber and Lukas hardly parried her violent cutting blow. After the firsts blows the combatants had changed position. Uma now could see Luke, Leia and an unidentified person who Leia was embracing. Luke had an anxious expression and was following the battle with an uncomfortable feeling. Uma smiled a little and Luke tried to smile back. Lukas noticed the moment of inattention and assailed the Jedi on the left side. In Uma's eyes there was a flash of panic for the unexpected attack but her Jedi truing moved her hand. The Force guided her action. Again the blades creaked. Uma attacked immediately. Up and down, rapid as a thunder. Uma stormed with a strange fury. The Freedom was burning her heart, the hate for the Spinbes was rising like a boiling sea, and she wanted to kill the man in front of her, and Fgar and all the Spinbes she could. No one of those murderers could escape. Lukas drew back under that blow storm. It was what Luke wanted to avoid. She hadn't to let the anger and the fury guide her hand!
Lukas fell down and Uma with a sarcastic grin put the top of the blade under Lukas's jugular area.
" Do you surrender?" asked after a big breath of relief. She couldn't see the pallid face of the King and his hand that was destroying the arm of the throne with the nails. The dark lightsaber was on the ground, Lukas called it using the Dark Side and the weapon flew in his hand.
Immediately Lukas hit Uma's leg and the girl fell down on the knees. Luke drew out a hand, but he knew he had not to move. Uma was strong and could win...
Uma was looking down.
How stupid I've been! Once again the leg. I haven't got the power to get up. I've failed.
Lukas looked at his ex-Master laughing evilly. Uma was crying silently, on all fours with the head defeatedly bent forward. The dark figure was above her, impending upon her like a dark hawk. The dark lightblade rose from the ground, buzzing menacingly; Lukas raised the weapon above his head, ready to cut Uma's head. Luke was motionless. It was as if the whole planet was taking his breath, waiting for the cruel end of the duel.
The blade buzzed but hit nothing. Luke had drawn out his hand and had carried Uma away. The woman took a look around and called her lightsaber. He Master ran to her and helped her up. In his hand flew graciously the lightsaber. Luke nodded and Uma turned to face his enemies.
The man took a step forward Uma, who was lighting the lightsaber, ready to parry the blow, but the Renegade at the last instant changed his target. Instead of Uma he hit the Master. The man rolled to the side avoiding the blow. Uma rose her weapon and hit Lukas's arm.
The man cried desperately, the smell of the burnt flesh was disgusting. A terrible light lighted in his eyes. With all his fury, the Renegade swept away his enemy like a falling river. Uma was hardly parrying the blows. Luke was helping her a lot attacking Lukas and the man was now starting to pant for the effort. Uma wasn't in better condition: her leg was making her cry but, gritting her teeth, she resisted.
"You're two and I'm only one, it will be more gratifying killing both of you!" laughed the Renegade. Luke tried to hit the man but Lukas was fast and parried the attack. Uma attacked. Up and down quickly. Lukas drew back a step and another, once again in Uma's heart was the fury, a wild fury, like the stormy wind. Luke hoped Uma didn't go on with that fury. The Jedi Master focused on Uma's mind; he had to reach her heart and made it calm.
Uma...called the Jedi Master but the furor covered his voice.
Uma, please hear me... this time something reached the Jedi. Uma looked at her Master; she had heard his call.
Master?!
Uma listen to me, don't be angry, you're too furious, you'll die if you go on...
But, I must win; he is the last obstacle...
Never let the anger make you so violent, you're fighting for your people, but what sort of queen will you be, if you choose the Dark Side? The limit between the Light and the Dark is weak and can be easily broken. You're still in the middle but you can fall in the wrong part.
I'll try not to think about all the death they had taken to my people.
You'll be a Jedi soon, if you win this battle.
Lukas was tired, the Dark Side couldn't help him anymore.
Finally, and this time Uma paid more attention, Lukas fell down. The lightsaber rolled away.
Luke pointed the blade against his throat, near the Uma's blue blade. A warm wind made the sand up, in a gleaming cloud. The battle was over. The Light had won.
From where he was, Fgar had seen all the battle and now was looking around, down, searching for an idea.
"Men! Kill the intruders!" the soldiers began to shoot and under a heavy gunfire the little group tried to avert the blaster fire. Uma and Luke had left Lukas, who was running behind a wall, and reached Leia and Irene.
"What shall we do now?" Luke searched inside his pocket and drew out a comlink. After a rapid work on it, the comlink was able to talk with the Star Horse.
"Han, we need help!" shouted Luke.
"Don't worry, two squadrons of X-wing are coming, we can't land, it's too small for this big baby..."
"Ok..." the man ended the transmission. The noise of the gunfire was covered by the roaring engine of the Jade1, a little medical ship that landed and took Leia and Irene. The blasts hit the deflectors shield of the ship exploding in a sparkling cascade. In the sky, then, gleamed the fighters and soon the noise of the blaster pistols was covered by the louder noise of the engines of the X-wing.
Like little mortal butterflies, the fighters flew down, near the Arena's stands and shot. Spinbes and soldiers died, while the animals were yelling terrified, running crazy around.
The soldiers, after the panic moment, shot back and a fighter exploded, colliding with the sand. The Star Horse had gone away, Solo had taken the ship away to let the fighters work in a free space. After a long long hour the soldiers who were still alive, ran away, leaving the Arena and the arms. Fgar had disappeared, but Lukas was still there.
Was like an evil apparition in the thick clouds, surrounded by a dark and dense smoke. The face was dirty and a red line divided it into two symmetrical parts. Um left the group.
"I must beat him, by myself. No Luke. You won't come..." the man agreed silent.
"You're stupid, like all the Jedi." Lukas said sardonically, looking at Uma.
"You're a stupid too, then..."
"I'm not a Jedi, I am a Lord of the Sith, the Renegade..." cleared up the man.
"Like you want Renegade...but being a Sith Lord won't save you, the end of all the Sith Lords is written in the Story, the Dark Side can't win..."
"I will be the exception of the rule! Prepare yourself, you'll be one with the Force soon..."
Uma wasn't frightened: Lukas could say all the things he wanted...
The battle began immediately, furious like the waves that tried to break the reef, but who would be the wave and who the reef?
The Arena was full of the noise of the lightsabers that screamed and made bright sparkle cascades.
Luke was following apprehensively the fight.
How distressing was that wait!
Down and up, left and right, jumping and lowering, the battle was like a mortal ballet in which a little error would signify the death.
During the conflict Lukas and Uma had traced a circle in the Arena and now were under the royal podium. Uma was a good warrior but was in a bad position and the leg had started to ache again; the wall was too close to her and Lukas was attacking like a storm, she had to escape that situation. A Jedi can do things other people could only dream, using the Force, had said Luke. Counting on the Force Uma bent her legs, careless of the terrible pain, and jumped. Now she was on the parapet of the podium. Lukas jumped too.
"You're escaping your destiny...a minute or two won't do the difference, you'll die and after your death, I'll kill Luke, and my training will be done!"
"No! You are too sure of yourself! Don't forget I'm his apprentice, I'll be a Jedi soon..."
"You'll die soon!" barked back Lukas.
The fight lasted for other five minutes, when at least Lukas did a fatal error and Uma used it. The Sith Lord, too young for that name, looked for a moment down and didn't see Uma's mortal jump forward him. The moment after, Lukas was death, the head rolled away. Uma looked without emotion the decapitated man. She quenched the lightsaber and sighed. A known voice reached the Jedi.
"You won...your people is safe...you're a Jedi..." a liberating cry watered the ground and Luke's chest.
The sunset colored the sky with a warm red caressing the two Jedi softly, with the purple and blue light of the early night. The day was over, so the menace of Fgar, who had ran away as fast as he could. Uma would be the new Queen of Teti a new member of the Galactic Senate.