Author's Note: This should brig all readers back up to where they should be. If you have not read the revised chapter by the end of chapter 5 you may find some parts hard to understand. If Chapter 2 or 1 is hard to follow due to a lack of scene change devices, let me know and I will repost them.
Chapter Three
The com sounded, waking him from his slumber. The chrono beside his bed said it was 0300 hours. Who could be calling me at this time of the morning?
For once Anakin was glad of a voice only com transmission, but in his case that still wasn't very helpful. He answered the com as he normally would, except he had flicked the switch on his com that would change his voice. "This is Lord Vader, why are you disturbing me at this hour?"
"The ship you ordered is ready and loaded with the crates you sent to us yesterday, milord."
"Thank you for being prompt. You shall be rewarded for your services if I find the ship to be as good as I asked for it to be."
"Thank you, milord. When will you collect the ship?"
"In two hours. However, I would like for you to leave all details ascertaining to the ship with the Rebel spy within your midst, a mechanic by the name of Levine."
"Yes, milord."
"That will be all. Anything else you feel I need to know, you are to leave with Levine to tell me." Anakin shut his com down in one swift movement and moved to change into some clothes. Imperialist morons. I'm not going to do as you think I will. Anakin had discovered Levine when he'd made contact with the Alliance two weeks ago. The Alliance had given Anakin, Levine's details so that Anakin could get off Coruscant and meet up with the Alliance. Levine was due for extraction and Anakin had been asked to bring Levine with him.
Once dressed, Anakin retrieved the bag he had packed the moment his order for the ship had gone through, a month ago, and left his quarters to wake Mara and leave Coruscant behind until it was safe to return.
The door sounded, waking her from her sleep and causing her to scan her room in case there was any sort of weapon lying within easy reach, considering the time. She easily found one.
With the weapon in her hand, Mara answered the door to find Anakin. "Do you have any idea what time it is, Anakin?"
"Yes I do."
"Why are you disturbing me?"
"It's time to go."
"Anakin, it's three o'clock in the morning. I need to sleep."
"We have to leave now. The sooner the better. The Emperor returns at midday. Now do you understand?"
"Yeah I do. What time are we scheduled to leave?"
"Just after 0500 hours. I thought you might like a bit of time to get ready."
"Thanks, I guess you'd better come in and wait for me."
"You're right, I should." Anakin replied as he stepped into Mara's quarters and closed the door behind him.
"I hope you did something about the security cameras on this level," Mara wondered aloud, as she put her weapon away.
"I did. I set them up to edit my image and yours out of any security footage taken within the next twenty-four hours. We don't have much time left before we have to leave, so hurry up."
"Ok, but you need to do me a favour."
"What?"
"Relax and get the two bags out of the closet over there. I need to get dressed," Mara said before she quickly walked to the 'fresher.
Anakin didn't say a word; all he did instead was arch his eyebrows and turn away to carry out the task assigned to him, before fulfilling a task he had set himself two weeks ago.
Mara stepped out of the speeder that she and Anakin were using to travel to the spaceport where their ship was docked before checking out her surroundings. She knew she should've checked her surroundings before she climbed out of the speeder, but she knew that Anakin was being overprotective of her and that she needn't worry about assassins or such being nearby.
"Come on. We can't afford to waste any time," Anakin said almost startling Mara from her thoughts.
"Agreed."
"Who are you? I was told to wait for Lord Vader," a voice trembled from the shadows.
"I'm Anakin Skywalker. I was last known as Lord Vader three and a half months ago. I have to leave the Empire or face being killed by the Emperor himself."
"What about you?"
"I'm carrying Anakin's grandchildren. My partner, Anakin's son, is a member of the Rebellion."
"What's so bad about that?"
"I work for the Emperor. For me, the punishment would be much worse. I wouldn't just be killed, I'd be tortured and my children would be raised by the Emperor. As for Luke, I have no idea."
"Why did you want me to meet you with the ship details? Before you answer that, your partner's Luke Skywalker, isn't he?" Levine queried with a slight tremor in his voice.
"Yes he is. I'd better leave Anakin to answer your first question," Mara replied with a slight smile.
"Your boss is an Imperialist moron. Need I say more?"
"I'm being extracted?" Levine stammered.
"Sadly, you are. It'll be safer if your family came with you. As far as I know, you may never return to Coruscant," Anakin explained.
"When do we leave?" Levine murmured, knowing that there were others on Coruscant who would willingly take up the slack left behind after his untimely departure from the Coruscant spy network.
"In a few minutes. Or rather, when your family get here," Anakin replied gently.
"It'll take them half an hour to get here. And even then they may not come."
"I contacted them before I left Mara's apartment. They will be here soon."
"Thank you. But what of their belongings?"
"I thought it was standard Alliance procedure to always be ready to leave."
"Oh yeah, it is."
"Anakin, someone's coming," Mara said suddenly. Sure enough, there was someone approaching, or rather, several people.
"Jay! What's happening?"
"We're leaving Coruscant and going to wherever the Alliance is currently based," Levine answered as he pulled a small sleepy child into his arms.
"Anakin! Where are we going?" Mara asked exasperatedly.
"Everywhere," Anakin answered calmly as he stood to leave the cockpit to look around his latest investment.
"What do you mean by that?"
"We have a few stops to make before we go to the current Rebel Alliance base."
"Where are these stops we have to make?" Mara asked calmly, as she began to rise from her seat.
"Corellia, Dagobah, Tatooine and Dathomir."
"I've never heard of Dathomir before. Where is it?"
"I can't really say. All I can say is that the Imperial in charge of the area is Zsinj."
"I've never heard of him. Why are we going to Dathomir and all of the other places?"
"The Emperor has about three hundred political prisoners currently being held on Dathomir."
"How are we going to get all of these prisoners off Dathomir? Because in case you haven't noticed, we only have a small ship."
"Zsinj's men only follow orders. I'm the one who assigned them to him," Anakin said smiling broadly and rather proudly, before continuing. "When we arrive in system, one of them will kill Zsinj or at the very least lock him up in the Detention Block. When we get onto the planet's surface though, we will have to face several darksiders. When I face them I want you to hide somewhere safe and protect yourself and your unborn children."
"Ok, I follow your drift. What about the other three places you mentioned?"
"Corellia is the home of the Corellian Jedi Order. I've been asked to get them to join the Alliance by Obi-Wan. He also asked me to collect Master Yoda from Dagobah, as well as a couple of Jedi families from Tatooine. We're heading to Dathomir first. I hope you are smart enough to realise why," Anakin replied quietly, knowing that Mara would understand.
"Is there anything you want me to do on Dathomir apart from hide?" Mara asked, hoping that she would be allowed to do something.
"You can talk to some of the locals."
"I thought you said there were darksiders there?"
"Like the Jedi Order, they cast out those who use the darkside. You will talk to those who use the light side."
"Ok and you're going to have to move."
"Why?"
Instead of speaking, Mara indicated her swollen belly. Her gesture told Anakin all he needed to know, so he stepped out of her way allowing to move to the 'fresher and rest for a little while. It won't be long now until Luke can protect her and their children.
Despite Anakin's best efforts it would be two weeks before either of them would be able to rest properly.
3
