Disclaimer: Saying that I own Star Wars leads to lying, lying leads to jail, jail leads to suffering.
***
Chapter 9
Luke stepped outside and looked around. Everything seemed normal, but he had a weird feeling that it wasn't.
"Thanks again for letting us stay at your house," Risa politely said.
"No problem. Do you guys need any help getting back?" Phyre answered.
"Only if you want..." Luke started to say.
"It's okay. We don't need any help. We can find our way back just fine," Leia said with a hint of rudeness in her voice.
"Leia! Be nice," Luke hissed at his sister. She just ignored him and walked away. Luke turned to Phyre and smiled. "Well, as I was saying, you can come if you want to."
"I'd love to," Phyre smiled at Luke, and pink highlighted his cheeks.
"Come on lover boy," Risa said, dragging Luke away from Phyre. They all start to walk towards the Lars' house. Risa starts to think about Jonah. Since she missed him a lot she decided to call him. Meanwhile Luke and Phyre were flirting as Han and Leia were chatting up a storm. (A/N: I love that phrase!!)
"So...Risa told me you owe Jabba money," Leia said, Han rolled his eyes but nodded. "My mother is a senator and would be more then happy to help."
"I don't need any body's help," Han sneered. Leia glared at him.
"Why won't you let us help you?!" Leia asked angrily.
Chewy growled in response.
"No Chewy, there's nothing you can do that will change my mind!" Han said to the wookie.
Chewy grumbled.
"And I'm not being stubborn!" he shouted. Chewy seemed upset so Iza comforted him, patting the tallest thing she could reach, his fingertips.
"Stop yelling!" Leia ordered him. Han turned to her but said nothing and continued to walk. Suddenly Risa screamed.
"OH MY FORCE!" she shouted and ran towards the smoking building. Luke and Han soon followed while Chewy covered Iza's eyes. Leia and Phyre stood transfixed until Risa screamed again.
"Risa? Are you okay?" Leia yelled to her. There was no answer so Leia and Phyre rushed inside. What they found chilled them to the bone. Risa was standing there, her left hand covering her mouth. The right hand was clutching a chair, steadying her since she was shaking. Smoking next to the wall were three charred bodies. The two girls shrieked loudly when they noticed the bodies. Loud, quick footsteps were heard before Luke and Han appeared.
"Risa! Come on," Luke said softly, pulling both her and Leia away from the burnt corpses. Phyre slowly followed, staring back at the deceased. As soon as they were outside, Leia fell to her knees, sobbing.
"How are we going to tell Iza her sister is dead?" Luke asked as he bent next to his sister. Han shrugged.
"Maybe Chewy will tell her, there seems to be a bond between walking carpets and kids," Han joked half-heartily.
"Now is not the time for jokes Han!" Risa yelled.
"I was only trying to make everyone feel better," Han muttered and looked around. "Hey look! A ship!"
"That's my mother's ship!" Leia said and ran toward it screaming. "Mom!"
"Leia wait!" Luke ran after his distort sister. Risa, Han and Phyre followed slowly.
"She's not here!" Leia cried, tears streaming down her face after she entered the cockpit.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be okay. We're going to find her," Risa said as she gave Leia a hug. Unexpectedly, they heard a few loud beeps which they followed to a closet. When Luke opened the door, R2D2 rolled towards them.
"Oh thank heavens! Master Luke! I told you we would be perfectly fine," C3PO said happily.
"Beep bop! Beep beep boop beep beep!" R2 beeped at him. (Translation: No you didn't! You said we were doomed!)
"R2! Where's my mother?!" Leia asked. R2 beeped and he showed her a hologram.
"Something is wrong," Padme thought aloud. R2 beeped in agreement. "Come on R2, we're going to go check it out," Padme said.
She grabbed her blaster and opened the ramp. A few seconds later a voice said, "Put down your weapon!" Then there was the sound of blaster fire.
***
"See, I told you Anakin. Swearing around those two would make them pick up that habit," An older man said to the younger one.
"Shut up Obi-Wan, now's not the time to be criticizing me," Anakin said to him.
"Well, when is since we're always in trouble because of you!" Obi-Wan argued, causing Anakin to argue back. A woman in her early forties tried to silence them but they ignored her. Jonah rolled his eyes and whistled loudly.
"Will you two stop bickering for one moment?" Jonah yelled at them.
"Thank you Jonah. I don't know how you put up with them," Count Dooku said and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Get your hand off him, Dooku!" Anakin ordered. Dooku just laughed.
"Why would I do that?" Dooku asked.
"He's on our side!" Anakin answered, well more like screamed in Dooku's face.
"You were a foolish one, that's why I will always be more powerful then you. You can't tell the difference between an enemy and a friend. Qui-Gon was also foolish in thinking that you could destroy the Sith, when you couldn't even tell that your friend's padawan turned to the dark side," Dooku laughed.
"Jonah's not on your side!" Obi-Wan spat at him.
"Right Jonah?" Anakin asked him. Jonah refused to look him in the eye when he shook his head. They all gasp in horror. Dooku turned and left. Anakin gave Jonah a look of disappointment as he turned and followed Dooku.
***
"We should go after them!" Leia said and started towards the ships controls.
"No! Five children, one padawan, one wookie, and two droids are no match for an army of clones! Besides, we don't even know where they took them," Risa said as she stepped in front of her.
"I don't know where they are, but I bet this will help us find them," Phyre said as she held up a mysterious dart.
"I know just the person who can help us," Han smirked and lead everyone back to his speeder.
"Who?" Risa asked him as she got into the rusty flying contraption.
"Dex," was the simple answer. They speed off in search of the greasy alien.
***
The seven-some (A/N: is that a word??) plus two droids [A/N: they're not good enough to be in the seven-some (which is now a word)] entered a rundown dinner that was dimly lit.
"We're looking for some named Dex. Do you know where he is?" Risa politely asked one of the waitress droids.
"He's right over there, sweetie," the droid responded and pointed towards the kitchen.
"Thanks."
Han casually strutted over to Dex and said, "Hey Dex, we got a present for you." Han handed the dart to Dex.
"What's the occasion?" Dex sarcastically asked.
"My mother and her friends are missing and we think they were taken by clones. But we don't know where they are. We thought this dart would help find them," Leia explained as Dex studied the dart, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmmmmm... This is a common dart, but these markings here indicate that it's from Adarlon, but this one special mark specify that it's an Ipharian-Da'Lor bounty-hunter." Dex said to the children. "It's funny you should bring this to me, two friends of mine were suppose to meet me here hours ago but never showed up. They wanted me to identify a dart too."
"Do the names Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi ring a bell?" Risa asked, nervously.
"Yes! They were the ones who wanted to meet with me. How do you know them?" Dex asked.
"Anakin is my master. I'm training to be a Jedi," Risa answered nonchalantly trying to hide her worry. "Do you know what they were going after? We think stormtroopers were somehow involved."
"I been hearing some rumors about those white rats. They've been taking over the whole galaxy, that's why I left Coruscant. They had completely over ran the whole planet. Last I heard they were building a battle station, but I don't know where it is. You know how secretive the Empire can be," Dex answered.
"I'll be right back," Han said and walked with Chewy towards some of his "scum friends". They talked for a few minutes as Dex walked back to the kitchen. Then Han and Chewy walked back over to the group.
"I know where the Empire's battle station is," Han said acting cocky.
"And how would you know?" Leia questioned.
"I know people who know people. Any way as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, the Empire's battle station is near Despayre. That's where your friends are," Han said.
"How are we going to get there? We don't have a ship, remember?" Leia stated.
"They are clueless aren't they, Chewy?" Han asked and turned towards the wookie.
Chewy made a growling noise that sounded like a laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Risa asked sounding a little angry.
"What do you thinks it is that we do? We're smugglers, and what do all smugglers have?" Han said.
"A ship," Luke answered.
"Finally someone is catching on!"
"So you're willing to take us there?" Leia asked looking at Han.
"Yes, but for a price," Han said and winked at Leia.
***
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter! :)
Sorry it took so long! School has made my life so busy. With all of the homework and three huge projects I have going on right now, I hardly have time to write the chapter. I will try my best to get the next chapter up sooner.