Chapter Three:
Orin sat in nervous silence in the hold of the small shuttle he and Anakin had taken to Illum. He recalled with a grimace the experience, since it had been particularly harrowing. The Force, it seemed, was aware of Orin's plans to remove a certain child from the Skywalkers' possession. He'd had to accept that at some point he could be found out.
And he did accept that. But it would be far, far off if he had anything to say about it. So he'd dismissed the 'guilt' that had been his trial, and snatched his lightsaber crystal with all the confidence he had.
Now he had his second lightsaber before him: his original had been lost when his first master had been killed.
Orin's thoughts shifted to what had him nervous.
With a hard swallow, Orin stood and marched with more determination than he felt to the cockpit. Anakin had hardly left the pilot's chair in the several hours they'd been in hyperspace back to Coruscant. Orin took a steadying breath and settled into the seat across from the Jedi Master.
"All done constructing your lightsaber?" Anakin asked.
Grateful for a conversation starter, Orin nodded proudly and produced said weapon for the Master to view. Anakin took it reverently and gave it an once-over with a critical eye. Orin didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until Anakin handed the weapon back.
"It's very well done." Anakin nodded in respect. "You have an elegant hilt there too."
"Thank you Master." Orin bowed his head. "I couldn't have gotten here without you, though."
He felt Anakin tense ever-so-slightly, the man seemingly ready for the following remark he knew was to come. Orin had attempted this before, with negative results. But he wanted to do so again, just to be sure.
"Master Skywalker," Orin began, albeit a little timidly, "I think we could certainly put in more hours in the training field. Maybe we could spar daily, or go on more missions and..."
"Orin." Anakin interrupted, well aware that Orin was circumventing the actual query he'd come to ask. "Before I took you as a part-time student, I made it clear that it was temporary. I also told you in no uncertain terms that when Luke reached the proper age, I would be his master full time. We agreed to this together. And in any case, I am more of a tutor to you than a Master."
Orin thinned his lips, frustrated, before he felt his heart pull slightly. He turned solemn eyes onto Anakin.
"And what if I want you to be more than just a master or tutor?" he whispered.
Anakin sighed softly. He was well aware that Orin wanted to be closer with Anakin.
"Orin, you know you are welcome to call on me if you need something, someone to talk to, whatever," Anakin replied gently.
Orin heard only 'You're not my actual son' in Anakin's quiet rebuff. This only solidified his resolve to remove the brat Luke from the picture. Orin was of course extremely careful to keep his thoughts shielded, something he'd become quite adept at.
"I understand Master, and thank you," Orin said softly, standing and leaving the cockpit.
When they got back to Coruscant, Orin would start to enact his plan. He already had a classmate of Luke's in mind to help him with phase one.
Orin smiled to himself: this would indeed be fun.
00000
"Come on Wormie!" Pulin Maytare insisted. "Just give me your notes, and I'll take a holo of them on my datapad."
"But that's cheating!" Luke was adamant. "You can't cheat on a test. And if that's your choice, then I won't be the one to help you do it."
"I thought you were the kid of a Jedi. Jedi help people, so... help me out," Pulin reasoned, looking quite pleased at his use of logic.
"I would have gladly helped you before by reviewing the notes aloud, but I won't let you copy them to sneak answers." Luke shook his head. "Sorry Pulin."
Pulin glared blaster bolts at Luke, who was a good few inches shorter than the taller boy. "If I fail this test, I'll blame you."
"Didn't you study at all last night?" Luke asked with a concerned frown. He didn't want the boy to fail the test in their next class, but he refused to be an accomplice in this boy's dishonesty.
"You think I've got time for that boring crap?" Pulin barked. "Give me the notes!"
He began to tug at Luke's backpack, but the blond youth shrugged hastily away.
"I said no!" Luke snapped. "Cheat with someone else!"
Before the bully could harass him further, Luke ducked into the classroom and snagged his seat, grateful not for the first time it was several rows away from Pulin's.
He never noticed Pulin get pulled aside by a much older kid hiding in the shadows.
00000
"Psst."
Pulin spun around as the hall began to clear while students entered their classrooms before the bell rang. Standing in the shadow by a set of lockers was a teenager much older than anyone else at school.
Pulin wondered why a high-school kid was here, but the older boy waved him forward. With a wary scowl, Pulin inched closer.
"Who are you?"
"A friend," the older boy said, holding out a datachip. "I have a proposition for you."
Pulin frowned. "What are you talking about?"
The boy remained in the shadows, so Pulin could only see dark hair and a pair of steel-grey eyes. However, his next words caught Pulin's full attention.
"On this chip are the notes you needed from that kid, Luke."
Pulin's jaw dropped. "How did you get those?"
"It doesn't matter." The boy held out the chip invitingly. "I will give them to you in exchange for a favor."
"You name it," Pulin said instantly: if he failed class, his father would kill him.
"I need you to hurt Luke, bully him, and if you happen to... say, break his arm, I wouldn't complain."
Pulin hesitated. Break his arm?
"I don't know..." Pulin bit his lip.
"Come on, don't you hate how self-righteous Luke can be?" the older kid said, and Pulin thought he felt a slight pressure on his mind, but he shrugged it off as his being tired. "I mean, he was selfish enough to hog his knowledge. He didn't even try to give you hints, did he?"
Pulin glared at the chip being offered. "No: the little whelp."
"Then get him back, tell him you failed the test or whatever, or that you're tired of his attitude..."
Pulin was already nodding. "I'll do it."
"Good." The chip was dropped into his palm. "Have fun."
Pulin hustled inside the door just as the bell tolled.
00000
Luke was quite happy with his performance on the history test; something he'd studied good and hard for. In fact, he was so caught up in his certainty of a good grade that he forgot about Pulin's threat before their final class of the day.
Luke made his way to the locker he used, which happened to be right next to Leia's since the things were given out alphabetically.
"How'd your test go?" Leia asked as she arrived moments after him.
"Great!" Luke beamed. "I think I aced this one for sure!"
Leia shared his enthusiasm. "Well, thanks to you being such a great tutor, I think I finally got a decent grade on my own math quiz."
Luke hugged her warmly. "That's great Sis."
"So, Wormie, how'd your exam go?"
Luke froze, still holding Leia, when Pulin's voice sounded directly behind him. He swallowed nervously and released Leia. Luke then moved to stand in front of her; an attempt to shield Leia just in case something happened.
"How did yours go?" Luke asked tentatively.
"Oh, so now you care?" Pulin growled forcefully, snatching Luke's tunic and dragging him forward. "You left me to rot in there, you little brat!"
Luke squirmed anxiously, sensing this boy's anger. It had never been this potent before. Sure, Pulin liked to pick on others, but he'd never truly gone violent.
"I would be glad to help you study anytime you..." Luke tried to soothe.
A backhand to the face cut him off, and Luke reeled, slamming into the lockers from the force of the impact.
"Luke!" Leia cried, dropping to her knees beside him. Luke trembled from shock even as he tried to push her away protectively.
Then the actual even caught up with him, and sudden fear coursed through Luke. Pulin had hit him! Actually hit him!
What was he supposed to do?
Pulin solved that issue for him when he grabbed Luke and hauled him back to his feet. Luke shied away from his upraised hand again and, out of pure instinct, Luke raised his own palms...
Pulin was shoved away, and Luke gaped for a second at his use of the Force before he realized that Pulin was only more incensed. The taller boy roared furiously and surged forward.
Luke reacted on pure fight-or-flight instincts, and sprinted down the hall to get away from the enraged student behind him.
"Luke!" Leia screamed, but Luke was too far down the hall to respond, even if he'd had the presence of mind to do so.
Pulin was hot on his heels and gaining fast. Luke sought for some place to hide; anywhere, but the only thing was the school gym. Luke had no choice but to enter and hope he could evade Pulin within.
However, when he was greeted with only a wide-open and completely empty hall, Luke's hopes dwindled. Pulin charged through the doors after Luke, who shrieked in terror and blindly ran forward.
Finally, he could physically go no further, and when he turned, it was to see Pulin still barreling towards him. Luke cowered in fear, hugging the wall as if it would protect him. Then the taller boy was here, and he pounded a fist into Luke's gut.
"You are so full of yourself, Skywalker," Pulin grunted forcefully as he pummeled the other boy.
Luke's breath left him in a whoosh and he doubled over, trying hard to draw breath, but Pulin grabbed him by the hair and lifted his face so he could land a few hits to his face. Luke tasted blood and heard something crack.
He screeched, bringing a hand to his nose, which was now pumping blood.
"I hate how high and mighty you think you are!" Pulin grated, landing a sharp kick to Luke's gut, which only served to further suffocate him. Then, when Luke was sagging and beginning to see spots, Pulin finally dropped a limp and weakened Luke to the gym floor, where he lay gasping loudly.
"You are such a brat, always entitled just because you're a Skywalker," Pulin mocked angrily.
Luke thought that the boy had had enough, and was about to close his eyes in relief when Pulin abruptly grabbed Luke's wrist, extended the arm slightly up and out, and then grinned maliciously down at his classmate.
Luke felt his heart freeze in an odd mixture of confusion and sickening foreboding, even as his eyes widened.
"This one's nothing personal, but damn will it feel good!" Pulin gloated before he slammed his heavily-booted foot down on Luke's forearm.
Luke screamed in agony when the bone snapped audibly. He was in so much pain and despair that he never registered the slamming open of the double doors the pair of them had rushed through earlier.
Nor did he hear the shouts and demands of whatever adult had found them. He did, however, register a familiar presence when Leia dropped to her shaking knees beside him.
00000
"Luke!" Leia sobbed, her hands fumbling all over, not sure if she should touch him, or where it was safe to do so. "Oh, Luke!"
Leia felt a spike in the Force, and folded her body over Luke's in her own form of protectiveness when a still furious Pulin tried to beat him once more.
Thus, she cried out in pain when his toes hit her in the ribs.
"ENOUGH!" the teacher Leia had been able to find shouted at Pulin, dragging him bodily back from Luke.
Pulin struggled, but the teacher— a Devaronian who was much stronger than a human child— held him fast.
Leia saw more staff members arrive, including the school medic, who promptly dropped down beside the weeping Leia and sobbing Luke. Three teachers dragged Pulin from the gym while the principal stayed behind to bark orders to the office staff via his comlink.
Leia trembled with shock and fear, clinging onto Luke while he wept and struggled to breathe while choking on his own blood.
"Leia, I need you to let go of Luke so I can help him," the nurse said with gentle firmness.
Leia shakily nodded and sat up, though she stayed right next to her twin, wishing her father was there. It was several minutes after the nurse stopped the flow of blood from Luke's nose and had checked him for any other bleeding before the adult carefully helped the boy to his feet.
Luke was unable to walk properly, and was shaking far worse than his sister, so she stepped forward to take his other side as the nurse slung his arm about Luke's shoulders. He was still crying, and his head leaned toward Leia's in an effort to seek her comfort.
Leia freely gave him what she could.
00000
Anakin Skywalker barreled through the doors to the medical center, and didn't even acknowledge the reception droid who looked up to greet him. Padmé was already there and had commed him the moment she could to tell him to come to Coruscant Medical Facility.
He'd only been back on-planet for a few hours— time spent at the Jedi Temple— and to essentially come home to a crisis was frightening.
He hadn't gotten much from Padmé's harried message, but his wife's sense in the Force was enough to cause him great alarm. Anakin moved up several floors in a turbolift that he wished would go faster, and then he was racing at a barely acceptable pace through the halls to the indicated operating room.
"Padmé?!" Anakin cried as he finally entered.
"Anakin!" Padmé surged forward, flinging her arms about him desperately.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, even as he looked up and through the glass to the operating room beyond.
His heart nearly gave out on him when he saw not one, but both of his children in medical beds.
"Leia!" Anakin saw that she was sporting a bandage to her middle, but otherwise looked physically okay.
But her brother...
"Luke!" Anakin cried out, dropping to his knees when Padmé turned to follow his line of sight.
Luke had a pair of doctors and a medical droid surrounding him, tending to multiple injuries, including what looked like a broken nose and arm.
"What happened?" Anakin whispered hoarsely, feeling anger starting to rise within him.
"The school principal said another boy picked a fight with Luke because Luke refused to help him cheat on his test," Padmé explained in a shaky tone. "The boy is on a suspension, but they aren't sure why he suddenly turned violent."
Anakin growled, and Padmé put a hand on his arm. "I'm angry too, but it was another child who did this, Ani."
Anakin heard her 'silent' plea for him to stay in control, and took several deep breaths, willing away his anger. Let the authorities figure the other kid out: he had his babies to look after.
Padmé tugged him up and together they sat near the window where they could watch their children until they were permitted to be seen.
00000
It seemed like ages to Anakin before the Skywalker twins were moved to a room where visitors could be permitted. Anakin was trying to figure out whom to greet first and not be a horrible parent to the other, when he walked in to find Leia sitting upright in her bed as much as her semi-raised mattress would allow.
Anakin did a shocked double-take when he caught sight of an unconscious Luke. His arm was held up by a sling hanging from above the bed, and his waist was bandaged entirely. He sported a dressing on his nose as well as several more spots on his face and other limbs. The boy wore only a pair of shorts to preserve his modesty.
"Daddy!" Leia cried as soon as she spotted him.
Anakin flew to her side, enveloping her shaking form into his embrace. She only ever called him 'daddy' any more when she was traumatized or extremely afraid.
"Leia," Anakin said softly, feeling Padmé settle down beside him and join the embrace.
Leia clung to her parents desperately, her sorrow radiating off of her in waves.
At last the threesome pulled back, and Padmé tucked a strand of Leia's chocolate hair behind her ear. "Leia, what exactly happened?"
"Luke was minding his own business when Pulin came out of nowhere, and began to accuse Luke of making him fail the test they took in history class!" Leia said in a rush, her sentences coming out choppy and haltingly. "Luke tried to offer him help, but Pulin wasn't listening! He hit Luke, and then Luke ran away, trying to get free of him... but Pulin followed, and then I went for help, and," Leia hiccupped a sob, looking at her sleeping twin even as her shaking increased. "And when we got there, Luke was bleeding and screaming and crying, and..." she wailed abruptly, a keening sound that broke her father's heart, "... and I felt all of it, Daddy!"
Padmé gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror. She knew their bond was very strong and that the twins were extremely close, but this...
The attack had essentially happened to both her children! Padmé now had to fight her own growing resentment, gathering herself with an effort. It was over, and things would be dealt with accordingly by those whose job it was.
Anakin once again gathered Leia close, careful of her injury.
"How did you get hurt?" Anakin murmured into her hair.
"Pulin tried to kick Luke again after the teachers and I arrived, but I protected him!" Leia replied fervently.
Anakin smiled into her hair. "I'm so proud of you, Leia."
Leia sniffled, tightening her grasp on Anakin's waist. "Why did it have to be Luke that got hurt, Dad? He never does anything to anyone."
Anakin was wondering the same thing.
00000
It wasn't until late that night, when Leia was fast asleep— exhaustion had finally claimed her after she stubbornly refused to sleep— when Luke began to stir. Anakin and Padmé instantly stepped to his side, waiting for their son's eyes to open.
Finally they did so, albeit slowly and heavily.
Luke looked about in confusion for a moment before he took a deep breath... or started to when he cried out in pain and began to pant heavily. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the child lifted a shaky head to peer at himself... and Anakin saw the memory flood back into Luke's cerulean eyes.
The boy began to shake uncontrollably. He looked around in fear, as if he fully expected his tormentor to reappear had finish what he'd begun.
"Luke it's okay sweetheart," Padmé soothed urgently. "You're safe."
Luke caught sight of his parents and gave a start, as if not expecting to see them there.
"Mom? Dad?" his voice was hoarse, but not weak.
"Luke," Padmé knelt down and brushed her lips across his forehead. "We're here, Baby."
Tears flooded from their son's eyes, and he tried to reach for them, only to be held back by the sling that held his arm up and steady. That only added to his despair, and Anakin felt his distress increase as he struggled against his medical-captivity.
"Luke," Anakin said, coming over to his other side and placing a hand to his arm, also sending reassurance and peace through their Force bond. "Relax, Son."
Luke did respond positively to his father's soothing presence, but sobbed up at him. "Wh-why did h-he g-go so m-mean? H-he hurt m-me so b-bad!"
"I know," Anakin's voice cracked, and he knelt as well to be eye-level with the ten-year-old. "But it's over. You will heal, and things will get better."
"W-will I h-have to go b-back?" Luke stammered, his eyes wide. "P-Pulin will h-hit me again!"
"Like hell he will!" Anakin snapped, making Luke jump. "If he ever touches you again, he will have to answer to me!"
Luke nodded shakily, seeking his father's embrace. Anakin slung an arm behind Luke's neck and carefully hugged his son. Luke clung to him like a lifeline with his one free hand, and Anakin held the position until Luke began to fade back into sleep, his body demanding rest.
"D-Dad?" Luke whispered sleepily.
"Yes Luke?"
"P-please don't leave m-me..." Luke breathed as his head lolled.
"I'm not going anywhere, Luke," Anakin vowed, thought Luke was already out cold. "I promise."
