Hello, Goodbye

Chapter 7

"No! Leave my father alone you bucket of bolts!" cried Thrice. She then drew her sword from her belt and made her way to duel with Vader, but was stopped by Obi-wan.

"Out of my way, fool!" shouted the woman-warrior. She had no time for such nonsense. Yet, the young man did not budge.

"No, Thrice. Don't you see? We don't have to fight. You don't have to obey Blackswan anymore. Don't you see he's been controlling you? Don't you want your freedom? Don't you want to be with me?"

Lady Thrice ignored the young man's plea. She swung her sword out and slashed at him with all quickness and speed, but he blocked her blow for blow with his red lightsaber. She tried all her might to pass him and reach Vader and defend her father's life, but she couldn't break free.

She yelled, "No, Obi-wan! It is you who does not see. No one is making me do anything. I chose to follow my vows and I can break them anytime I wish. There is no penalty under Lord Blackswan's rule for leaving for I am not a Jedi, idiot!"

"Then why did you abandon me!"

Obi-wan then used the Force and placed Thrice in a Force-choke hold. Her elegant free hand reached up to her throat against the invisible attack while she still clung desperately to her sword. The young Sith then approached his now still prey and watched her with his glowing yellow eyes that were now filled with rage.

He asked in an angry tone, "Why don't you love me! Why do you despise me!"

The woman-warrior looked up at her attacker with wide ruby eyes filled with fear. And in a swallow of breath, she answered, "Y-you—think you are the only one in this room who is a clone? My entire race are clones. My refusal to love you has nothing to do with your heritage. I hate you now because you are trying to kill my father. You are forcing me to do things I don't wish to do. It's you who are making me a slave. I know now what I knew then—you only live to please yourself. You care for nothing but yourself. You are a childish fool!"

"Fool or not, you will submit to me."

In response, the ruby-eyed woman laughed mirthlessly, "You must be mad to think I'd submit so easily."

Lady Thrice then raised her sword and plunge it into swiftly into Obi-wan's side. The shock of the painful blow freed the woman-warrior from the Force-hold and she quickly made a mad dash out the door. She didn't look back or see the surprise written on the young man's face as he fell to his knees onto the floor.

Meanwhile, Lord Sidious smiled and said, "Don't worry, my apprentice. She will not get far."

***

Location: Yoda's swamp

Ben looked up into the early morning sky when he suddenly had a feeling that something terrible was happening somewhere very far away. It felt like the Force was telling him something…he wasn't yet sure, but it felt like it had something to do with Lady Thrice.

Yoda came up to Ben and asked, "Feel I do, a disturbance in the Force."

"Yes, Master. I feel it too. I feel that something has happened to Lady Thrice. I have sensed her fear. Someone new, someone dark." Ben frowned and rubbed his beard before adding, "I am deeply troubled Master. Lady Thrice is no ordinary warrior. Whatever has frighten her has to have been greatly disturbing."

"Wish you do, to help. Go you must."

Ben then turned to face the old mentor, "Yes, Master. My feelings are telling me there will be trouble on Naboo. I will go there and investigate if my hunch is right."

Master Yoda sighed, "Great danger I foresee, Ben. Take Luke, you must. Train him you will."

"I had a feeling you'd say that Master, but don't you think Luke would be better off staying here? It isn't safe on Naboo and you are by far a greater teacher."

Then unexpectedly, Luke emerged from the brush and sat next to Ben and gave him a sheepish smiled. It was obvious he'd been eavesdropping. He said, "I agree with Master Yoda, Ben. You might need me to watch your back. Besides, there's no way you're going without me."

The young knight rolled his eyes. He knew there was no stopping him. "Yes, Luke I can see that, but it will be dangerous and you haven't completed your training."

"Oh come on, Ben! You could finish my training. You where training me before you died. I'm sure you can still do it now as a clone. Don't you see, it's like the Force has already decided it."

Ben laughed and shook his head, "All right. There's no way I can beat the both of you. And who am I to disagree with the Force?"

"Yes! Let me go pack my things," shouted Luke. He then shot up from his seat and ran back to Master Yoda's house through the swamps.

Inwardly, Ben tried to release his worries into the Force and mumbled to himself, "I guess it's team Kenobi and Skywalker all over again."

***

Location: Goldbird spaceship

"I despise waiting!" shouted Lady Nina—"The allotted of the meeting is almost up! Where is my Lord Blackswan? Why has he not returned? And why in blazes hasn't Lady Thrice contacted me?"

With a huff, the second daughter of the clone Lord paced with aggravation. In appearance, Lady Nina was a petite woman finely dressed in an embroidered silk robe that was color of fresh snow. Her long white hair was braided and pinned on her head in an elaborate twist close to her head. And like her sister, she had a youthful face and a sword tied on her belt at her waist.

In a word, Lady Nina was refine. She was the most refine out of all her sisters. She was also the most high strung—constantly worried about manners and etiquette—she is never at ease. And her only one true joy in life is serving her Master, Lord Blackswan. The man who was at once her father, maker and teacher. The world literary evolved around him in her eyes.

Impatiently, the pale-maiden cried, "I will banish whoever has hurt my Lord to the seven pits of hell, if they dare lay a land on him!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and a scared messenger slowly inched their way towards her.

"Tell me what news do you bring on my Lord Blackswan?"

Frightfully, the messenger handed her a data PAD and answered, "An incident has happened on the Emperor's vessel. My Lord will not be returning. This message was sent addressed only for your eyes to read."

With a roar, Lady Nina snatched the PAD, "Curses, Thrice! What have you done now!"

/letter/

Dearest Daughter,

My instructions are to be obeyed. You are to inform Mistress Goldbird that we are all dead. No one is to know that Dr. Rin and I have survived our encounter with Lord Sidious. The Emperor has not honored our agreement. We have escape with the aid of Lord Vader to an unknown location. Lady Thrice's condition is unknown.

Your new assignment is to go to Naboo and retrieve the remains of a woman named Padme Amidala. You are to clone her and keep her secret. No pervious life memories are available. She will be under your care.

Do not under any circumstances come looking for me. I will contact you.

Respectfully,

Lord Blackswan

/letter-end/

Astonished, Lady Nina gazed up unseeing into space, "By the Stars…"

Then shyly, the messenger asked, "My Lady, is there something I can do?"

The pale-maiden frowned, broken free from her spell of shock and started to delete the message off the data PAD. She then turned to the messenger and said, "Yes, prepare me a med-ship. You are to make no reports to Mistress Goldbird. The representatives are to be reported as missing-in-action. Inform Lady Aria she is now in charge in my absence."

"B-but the Master?"

At the question, Lady Nina paused on her way to the door but didn't turn to speak. She tried to hold herself as straight and tall as possible before answering, "You must have faith."

TBC

***

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