Chapter 10 day of cylinders: unexpected poles & saber delights
LUKE POV
Luke then turned to the diner that Newt and Soreli dropped him off at. Speeders passed on the ground road behind him. There were still some people around here this late at night.
Wait a second. Why am I always doing things at night? Never really in the daytime. Like time traveling back here was at night, the airbus hijacking was at night, Soreli and Newt finding me was at night, vandalizing Tarkin's dumb statue was at night, meeting and fighting my blockhead of a father was at night, and being dropped off here is at night. I'd have to say the only thing of significance that I did in the daytime was attempting to get to master Yoda and utterly failing at it, fighting off that retarded cleaning droid, and avoiding the Jedi.
Speaking of avoiding Jedi he was already clouding his force presence so hopefully no one knew he was here.
Heading toward the small diner he pushed the door open. There were comfy red seats and booths as well as stools by the window and a bar like long table. There weren't many beings in there but the ones who were there were surprisingly a variety of different alien species.
A grimy looking basilisk with a hearty booming voice was behind the counter preparing food and was wearing a dirty stained white apron. A pinkish maroon and silver waitress droid was taking orders around the diner and seemed in a rush even though there was hardly that many people this late at night, or maybe he should say this early in the morning. It was after all, as he looked at a clock hanging on the wall, nearly five thirty in the morning. Oh how time really does fly. Though it didn't look it outside but the sun would be rising soon.
He snagged a booth at the back of the diner off to the left side plopping down on the cozy red seat. He didn't have to wait long before the impatient waiter droid that he saw earlier came up to him.
"Here," it said in a robotic female voice, practically throwing the menu at him, "I'll be back in a minute hon," It called zooming away.
Well that was a bit rude.
After looking over the menu he decided to order some type of hot chocolaty steamy drink and something he was more familiar with, a bantha burger.
I can't even believe they sell those things here. It's been such a long time.
"Here ya go," the waiter robot dumped his food in front of him then asked, "need anything else."
"Uh, no thanks."
It swished away once again. As rude as ever and always in a hurry as ever.
He took a big bite of the bantha burger. He actually ordered two of them because he was starved.
The familiar warm taste of the burger reminded him of Tatooine. It felt so long ago when he had gone there. In another life, another time he and Biggs used to go get some after school sometimes when they had spare change. But now Biggs was dead. Killed by the empire. Which was techinically no more because it didn't exist yet and for that he was glad. Those days were just a distant memory. A whimsical little time when his world seemed so small. He never thought of the empire or the rebellion. He was just a simple moisture farm boy from a backwater planet that nobody hardly gave a second glance. How he'd wished to leave that dustball. Well that wish certaintly came true but not in a way that I would or could ever have imagined. I saved a princess, became a jedi, fought for a rebellion, destroyed a death star, found my father, found out I had a sister, became a murderer, was friends with a smuggler, and did so many other things. That was my life, or was my life.
"Old times," he sighed.
Turning his full attention back to his delicious smelling burger he bit in feeling the warm taste fill his mouth. It didn't take him much time to gobble the whole thing down because he was really hungry.
After he finished the burger he took a sip of the still steaming chocolate cocoa shake. It tingled his taste buds and its warm creamy smoothness washed down his sore throat. It immediately made him feel warm and fuzzy all over.
Almost like a nice warm blanket.
Oh gosh I could drink a billion of these things he thought eyeing up the chocolaty delight. It melted on his tongue and tasted blissful.
He sighed in content. It was delicious.
He stayed in Dex's diner into the midafternoon. Mostly dozing off but he wasn't told to leave if he kept ordering things. Small things mostly. Like a drink or a burger. Maybe some fries or some other weird food.
He was in the middle of finishing another of those hot chocolaty shake thingies when he started dozing off again and promptly fell into a light asleep. He was grateful for this interval in which he had to relax. It gave him time to contemplate on his next move and find out what he would do.
He decided to take a risk. He would head to the senate building because first of all it was close by, second of all that was the only place he could think of where he could learn anything more on chancellor Palpatine or should he say Sidious. Maybe he would even be able to talk to Bail Organa. If anything he would be one to help. He might be able to find out who his mother was. All he knew was that she was a kind caring senator who most likely looked like Leia who cared for the well-being of the people. She had fought hard to preserve democracy and the republic but perished giving birth. He would love to meet her. Longed to even. It didn't matter if she didn't know who he was. One conversation with his mother would be completely worth it.
He blinked sleepily as a way too familiar presence entered the diner. He opened his eyes and came across another sea of blue, a well-trimmed beard, slicked back light auburn brown hair bordering on a bit of an orangish color, and startling familiar features that reminded him of an old Jedi hermit he once knew.
"Ben," he queried groggily, not fully awake. Of course said Jedi didn't hear him because he was talking to that basilisk named Dex who pointed in the direction of his table.
They must be talking about me he mused.
Now fully awake from his drifting sleep he saw Ben Kenobi. Or maybe he should call him Obi Wan Kenobi. Jedi master. Looking crisp and clean. Eyes not shadowed with grief as they had been on Tatooine. He was so radient. So lively. There was a spark alive in him. Hope, happiness, and peace.
So different from the persona of the old ben I knew.
The difference was simply shocking and for a moment he could do nothing but stare at his old mentor who started in his direction.
Actually young mentor now since he's not a lonely exiled old hermit anymore.
Wait a minute. Obi wan is working for the Jedi. The Jedi thought he was some type of so super life threatening dangerous dark Jedi or sith apprentice or possibly even a sith lord! The only thing Obi Wan would do is arrest me and bring him before the council. Doing that would disrupt my plans. Basically I have to get outta here, and fast.
He picked up his half-finished chocolaty hot shake and dashed to the back exit chugging it down all the way. Han had always told him that when he entered someplace to always have an escape route figured out.
You never know when you would need to make a quick getaway.
He bolted out the back door, the hinges squeaking quite loudly, and heard Ben running after him yelling, "Wait, stop!"
Oh come on he thought this is just like in those police movies where the police tells the bad guy to stop. Do they actually think anyone would listen to them so why do they say it anyway? It's pointless. A waste of breath. It's common sense and knowledge that when someone tells you to stop you do the exact opposite, most of the time.
In return he just tossed the halfway empty chocolaty shake mug at him hoping to slow Ben down but the Jedi just batted it away looking slightly annoyed as what was the rest of the hot shake dripped down his face causing him to wipe the mixture out of his eyes with his tan cloak.
That was a huge mistake it seemed on Obi Wan's part.
One moment Ben was running full throttle after him. The next he slammed smack dab into a random telephone pole.
Unable to control himself he burst out laughing. That was just hilarious.
What's a telephone pole doing on Coruscant anyways? We don't even use telephones but at least it served a convenient purpose.
Ignoring the pole he kept on running.
After he lost Ben a while back he headed for the senate. After asking directions a couple of times and taking an airbus, without hijackers, he finally arrived nearby his destination.
After getting off at the airbus stop he walked the rest of the way to the senate building.
Walking up to the building among the pedestrians it really was a sight to behold.
He looked up, the sunlight glaring in his eyes. It very very large and very very tall. Before when he was avoiding Palpatine he never really took the time to marvel the complexity and beauty of the building.
Is it just me or does the senate building look like a big mushroom.
Curious and anxious to snoop around he made his way up to the senate mingling in with the flow of extraterrestrials going in and coming out of the mushroom.
Hey that's a nice nickname. The mushroom. I think I'll call this building that from now on.
He surprisingly walked straight in without a problem. He left the hood of his cloak down as not to draw too much suspicion. Someone might think he was an assassin or something. He passed these weird guards dressed in stupid looking blue robes wearing helmets with black feathers attached to the top. Each carried a black blaster rifle slung over one shoulder.
Senate guards.
Feather heads.
Boy, do they look like idiots.
No wonder Palpatino changed their outfits to a domineering red.
To inspire fear when one faces the unknown behind the red daunting mask of an imperial guard.
Seeing the ridiculous costumes almost made him miss the blinding red uniforms of the imperials. At least Palpatine had some taste. Even though he hated to admit it.
Sending a mild force suggestion mentally to those around him he willed them not to look at him or draw attention his way.
It worked thankfully.
Now he was fully inside the senate. Deciding to go off exploring for a while he went down one of the many grand halls that made up the infrastructure of the building looking for a lift that would take him higher up.
Maybe if he as lucky he could inspect the chancellor's office more closely now. It might just be worth it to find evidence that could claim him being an actual sith lord.
He saw a feather head (senate guard) passing by and demanded, "You will tell me where chancellor Palpatine's office is." He layered a force suggestion over the command.
It seemed to work as the blue featherhead complied and gave him instructions.
Birdbrain. He thought walking away with a smug grin plastered over his face.
He entered the floor number into a lift when he found one and the lift went up, up, up, and away…
…Probably to my doom. I hope I'll see another day. With Sidious around here I'd hardly like to stay. Such an ugly creature. That sith. All wrinkly and snobby. Don't like him one bit. Putting on an act that makes him looks like someone's kind grandpa. It's sick. But I can see through his act, so transparent.
He skipped up to the chancellor's office somewhat with ease. Hiding and ducking. Avoiding most of the cameras and force shielding himself.
One with the force, I'm one with the force…
It was little troublesome.
Slipping inside of the office a feeling of nostalgia hit him. This was the first place he had arrived. He could feel Palpatine somewhere in the building but he couldn't exactly pinpoint his location.
I have to make this quick. I have a feeling that the old bag of rotting bones won't be too happy to find me here.
Crossing the room he started to literally trash the desk.
No point in being discreet. He concluded.
Papers and data pads fell to the floor. Locked drawers were forcibly opened and emptied. He found nothing of use. Nothing suspicious. Nothing that could condemn that old faggot.
Except that dildo. He shivered. But luckily it was nowhere to be found.
Resuming once again with dynamism he rummaged around uncaring of the noise he was making.
Sithspit he thought frustrated. He flung Palpatine's nameplate forcefully over his shoulder and was met with the sound of glass breaking. He couldn't bring himself to care and even felt a sliver of satisfaction.
That was the start of Luke's decision to give Palpatine's dreary blood red room a serious personal makeover.
Out of my courtesy, of course.
He actually had some fun pulling out his lightsaber and burning big fat holes in the expensive blood red rug, leaving scorch marks on the walls, dismembering various extortionate pieced of furniture, cracking data pads, shredding important papers, not even the costly elaborate portrait of the peaceful landscape of Naboo was saved.
What really caught him by surprise though was when his frighteningly green blade plunged right through the painting with shocking ease and was met with no resistance on the other side. No wall.
It was a hollow space.
He tugged at the edges of the painting trying to remove it, but that was when…
Palpatine was near.
Sidious was coming.
He didn't have enough time.
Sithspit.
He pulled and yanked on the golden edges of the frame with all his might willing it to come off.
The painting stubbornly refused to budge.
He clenched his fists, growling in exasperation.
Finally giving up he plunged his lightsaber in the middle of the once beautiful landscape and carved a big ugly sizable hole.
Sticking his hand in he grappled around until grasped a cylindrical object.
His mind came to the only horrifying conclusion.
Please don't be a dildo.
Please don't be a dildo…
if it's a dildo I'm seriously going to…
But those assumptions were vanquished when he felt it.
Cool, hard, darkness…danger.
Drawing his hand back out he beheld a terrible object.
An entity responsible for countless murders.
Numerous kills.
Multiple slaughters.
It was Sidious's lightsaber.