***
He handed Dorme a blaster set to kill. The
charred remains of the ship still smoked in the entrance, burning Dorme's
nostrils and blinding her to nearby danger.
"I doubt the stormtroopers know that there's a cave
here, but if they do they'll come looking for survivors. Listen for
their footsteps, and if in doubt, look at Leia. Her Force sensitivity
will tell her when there are others around. If she whimpers or cries,
be careful."
"Where are you going?"
"I sensed Darth Vader when the ship attacked," Obi-Wan
responded, "I felt something, I'm not sure what. I have to go check
on Luke, just in case.
Though she stood up straight and nodded regally,
Obi-Wan knew she was frightened. Sith, the girl was younger even
than Padme Amidala by two years. Wonderful odds. A six month
old baby, a twenty four year old woman, and a thirty five year old ex-Jedi
knight who had the privilege of being known as "the one that trained Darth
Vader."
Leia gurgled complacently, and rolled over.
"I'll be back quickly, I'm sure there's nothing
wrong."
He didn't sound convincing. There was a ripple
in the force. Perhaps it had just been the ship exploding, the few
crew left on board dying. But there was something else, too.
He had to admit that after Anakin joined the Dark Side, his powers had
waned. Perhaps it was an aftereffect, some kind of echo...
Deep in his heart he knew he was trying to convince
himself. He already knew what he would find at the Lars homestead
without being there. He could feel it.
As he crested the hill, he saw it. The homestead
was burning, smoking. Obi-Wan sucked in his breath. Even Anakin
was not this far gone. Was he? His own brother, sister-in-law...
Beru and Owen's bodies lay under the Tatooine sun,
charred and skeletal. Though Kenobi had seen worse, he had to concentrate
on not throwing up in the sand. The idea that his Padawan had done
such a thing to the ones his mother had loved...
Where was Cliegg? He reached out with his
mind, and felt a tendril of consciousness greeting him. Without wasting
another moment, Obi-Wan sprung into action, leaping into the ashen remains
of the building, battling the heat and acrid smoke burning his lungs, finding
Cliegg in a little-noticed corner of a moisture storage room. Luckily
the water had kept down the flames. He was low to the ground, had
fallen from his wheelchair. Though the man was large, Obi-Wan managed
to pull him outside, making sure to turn him away from the bodies of his
children.
"Mister Lars," Obi-Wan whispered.
The old man opened pale blue eyes, watering under
the sunset. "It was Vader...he burnt down the door with his lightsaber...took
Luke. He ordered the stormtroopers to leave, but..."
"But what?" Obi-Wan demanded furiously, "What did
he do?"
He snapped his mouth shut, realizing how much like
Anakin he sounded like. Perhaps Anakin had simply inherited all of
his negative traits, Obi-Wan thought with horror. No, no, he reassured
himself, Anakin had been scarred long before the Order had found him.
"He took Luke...Oh, Beru! Owen! Shmi
would have been so..."
The man went slack jawed. His face calm, but
his emotions tempestuous, Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Anakin had done this.
Anakin had killed his entire family in cold blood just to take his child.
Sith knows what he was doing to poor Luke, what he had done with Padme.
He had thought that perhaps there was something of the innocent child he'd
known, something of Anakin, his sweet nature below the surface of anger,
but now, he realized nobody was safe.
He had to protect Dorme and Leia. They were
all that was left of the legacy of Padme and Anakin Skywalker.
***
Whoooooo...what's gonna happen next? Review review review!