Chapter 9: Messages and Memories
The holding cell was deathly dim, with only the bare minimum of illumination provided. There was barely enough to see the black metal walls and the high ceiling overhead. The cell was designed to maximize a prisoners feelings of helplessness, but this it failed to do. In fact the dim light was perfect for the sole occupants purpose. Luke Organa was sitting in a lotus position, his mind meditating on his master's training. Being trained in the alien martial art K'jtari, and the deadly Echani, and currently in the process of learning Teras Kasi had given Luke an inner calm that he now used to asses his situation. He was going to be tortured. He could feel it deep inside. He had always had an ability that he didnt understand. He would sometimes know what was coming. His father had always said to trust his feelings, and so he did. He prepared himself for the coming storm, and smiled when he heard the door hiss.
The metal door which began moving aside was as thick as his body - as if, he mused with a chuckle, they were afraid he might break through anything less massive with his bare hands.
He didnt even look up. He knew there were guards outside the cell, aiming blasters in his direction. They were taking no chances that the well trained hand to hand combatant wouldn't come out of the cell with escape on his mind.
Luke felt no fear as the monstrous black form of Darth Vader entered the room, gliding smoothly as if on treads. Vaders indominatable presence could not shatter his inner calm. Luke merely arched an eyebrow in his direction. "Have you come to apologize to the Alderaanian government?" Luke asked lightly.
Darth Vader made a gesture to someone outside. Something that hummed like a huge bee moved close and slipped inside the doorway. Luke stared in indifference at the dark metal globe. It hung suspended on independant repulsors, a farrago of metal ams protruding from its sides. The arms were tipped with a multitude of delicate instruments. Luke studied the ITO interrogation droid without emotion. He had seen this machine in his dreams, and almost laughed. He had heard rumors of such machines and knew that the Empire would have them about. Incorporated into its soulless memory was every barbarity, every substantiated outrage known to mankind - and to several alien races as well, but to Luke itt was simply a machine that could harm his body, but never his spirit.
Vader stood there quietly, giving him plenty of time to study the hovering nightmare. Vader did not delude himself into thinking that the mere presence of the ITO would shock him into giving up the information he needed. He felt the Force through this boy. He was strong. In another time, Luke would already be a Jedi Knight. Now he was his prisoner, and Vader would have to give the Inquisitor some time to break the young man's spirit.
After a suitable interval had passed, he motioned to the man outside. Luke looked on with disdain as Inquisitor Tremaine entered the chamber. The sinister looking man's left eye and side of his face had been replaced with cybernetic replacements, and he looked down at Luke like looking down at an insect. "And now Senator Organa, Prince Organa, we will discuss the location of the principle rebel base."
Luke looked at Vader and the Inquisitor with a small half smile. "I will not answer any of your questions." He said it with such absolute faith in his words that Vader never doubted him. Inquisitor Tremaine arched his human eyebrow and shrugged. "Then I hope pain is something you enjoy." Tremaine said in response.
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The adventurers had left the burning pyer of stormtroopers behind and headed to Ben Kenobi's humble home. The Jawa Het Krex would not be left behind, and had bid his family goodbye to help the honored Skywalker. Davin Felth and Leia were already starting to talk like brother and sister, and Unca Ben watched as the young man started to open up to his new friends. Arfive, Threepio and Artoo sat around a central table in Kenobi's hut. Leia wanted once again to shuffle through Unca Ben's things, but with a stern expression, Ben made her sit down and stop fidgeting. Davin sat down with his helmet in his lap. He was thinking about discarding the stormtrooper armor, but decided to hang onto it just in case some deception was needed. Ben then turned to Artoo and said "Now, lets see what all the fuss is about."
Leia watched with anticipation. "I saw part of the message," she began, "and I..."
Once more the handsome portrait was being projected into empty space from the front of the little astromech. Leia broke off, her excitement growing. Davin and the droids watched in silence as the message began.
"General Obi-wan Kenobi," the smooth voice was saying. "I present myself in the name of the world family of Alderaan and of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. I break your solitude at the bidding of my father, Bail Organa, Viceroy and First Chairman of the Alderaan system."
Kenobi absorbed this extraordinary declamation while Leia's eyes bugged wide with anticipation and glee. Davin had heard about the Rebellion, but had never faced anyone from them. He was glad to now be a part of it.
"Years ago, General," the voice continued, "You served the Old Republic in the Clone Wars. My father called you The Negotiator. Now my father begs you to aid us again in our most desperate hour. He would have you join him on Alderaan. You must go to him. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person. My mission to meet personally with you has failed. Hence I have been forced to resort to this secondary form of communication. Information vital to the survival of the Alliance has been secured in the mind of this astromech droid. My father will know how to retrieve it. I plead with you to see this unit safely delivered to Alderaan." The young prince paused, and when he continued his words were hurried and less laced with formality. "You must help us! Obi-wan Kenobi, your our only remaining hope! I will be captured by agents of the Empire. They will learn nothing from me. Everything to be learned lies locked in the memory cells of this droid. Do not fail us, Obi-wan Kenobi. Do not fail me!"
A small cloud of tridimensional static replaced the portrait of the prince, then it vanished entirely. Artoo Detoo gazed up expectantly at Kenobi. Davin, Arfive and Threepio watched in silent amazement, while Leia was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. "This is big! Real big!"
If the breathless, anxiety-ridden message the unknown man had just spoken into the cool air of the hut had affected Kenobi in any way he gave no hint of it. Instead, he leaned back against the rock wall and tugged thoughtfully at his beard.
Leia bounced on her chair next to Threepio. "This is so.. so.. !" Her farming background didnt provide her with the requisite words. Suddenly, something in the message caused her to stare disbelievingly at the oldster. "General! You fought in the Clone Wars! But... wow, that was a long time ago..."
"Um, yes." Kenobi acknowledged, as casually as he might have discussed the recipe for shang stew. "I guess it was a while back. I was a Jedi Knight once, like," he added, watching his neice appraisingly, "your father."
"A Jedi!" Leia exclaimed. Then she looked confused. "But Owen always said that my father didn't fight in the Clone Wars... He said he was just a navigator on a Spice Freighter... " She looked over at Het Krex. "But your father always told me stories of the great Jedi that came and spoke to him about my grandmama... He always said it was Anakin Skywalker. I always suspected that Unca Owen wanted to protect me from something." Het nodded at her, then turned to stare at the shiny Threepio... calculating how much he would fetch on the market.
Davin watched in silence, listening with rapt attention. The two astromechs listened while Threepio fussed over the Jawa staring at him appraisingly. Kenobi's smile lit up the room. "Your insight serves you well. Owen didn't agree with your father's ideas, opinions, or with his philosophy of life. He believed that your father should have stayed here on Tatooine and not gotten involved in..." Again, the seemingly indifferent shrug. "Well, he thought he should have remained here and minded his farming."
Leia stood up and stomped her foot. "I knew it! Owen never wanted me to know about him because he knew I would want to know what happened to him! What happened to my mother and father!?" She demanded. Obi-wan looked at her with a shocked expression. Davin looked concerned and simply listened.
Obi-wan considered for a moment, and then answered. "A young jedi by the name of Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine till he turned to evil, he betrayed and murdered your father..." Kenobi stared at her for a moment. "And your mother."
Davin spoke, making everyone turn in his direction. "Lord Darth Vader?" he asked tentatively. "The Emperor's right hand... death on foot... the Sith Lord. I saw him once, when he came to Carida. He... " Davin shuddered at the memory. "I was terrified of him." Het shivered at the words, and even the droids whistled in agreement.
Leia sat down hard, her thoughts turned inward. "He killed both my parents?" she said softly. Obi-wan came over to her and gently hugged her. "Shhh.. This is what Owen wanted to protect you from." Leia hugged him gently, and nodded. "No matter what, Im going with you wherever you go."
Obi-wan Kenobi nodded. He already knew her response. "Your Uncle Owen will not want you to leave."
"I don't care. If he wont let me leave, I'll just run away again and find my own way to Alderaan!" Leia said. "I will not be left behind on this Unca Ben!" She was bound and determined to find her love Biggs.. and if it gets her away from this blighted rock, so much the better.
The old man surpressed a smile, aware that Leia's destiny had already been determined for her. "All this reminds me," he said with deceptive casualness. "I have something here for you." he rose and walked over to a bulky, old-fashioned chest and started rummaging through it. All sorts of intriguing items were removed and shoved about, making Het squeel with repressed greed.
"When you were old enough," Kenobi was saying, "your father wanted you to have this... if I can even find the blasted device. I tried to give it to you once, but your Uncle wouldnt allow it. He believed you might get some crazy ideas about following old Obi-wan on some 'damn fool' idealistic crusade' like your father did."
Leia watched as Obi-wan stood up and and approached her with with a small handle looking device. Leia and Het approached and both of them studied the small innocuous-looking device with interest.
It consisted promarily of a short, thick handgrip with a couple of small switches set into the grip. Above this small post was a circular metal disk that had a mirror finish. A number of unfamiliar, jewellike components were built into both handle and disc, including what lookeed like the smallest powercell Leia and Het had ever seen. Whatever the thing was, it required a great deal of energy, according to the rating form of the cell.
Despite the claim that it had belonged to her father, the device looked newly manufactured. Kenobi had obviously kept it carefully. Only a number of minute scratches on the handgrip hinted at previous usage.
"Ee che ta?" Het asked. "Yeah, what is it?" Leai translated.
'You're father's lightsaber." Kenobi told them. Davin sat up straighter at hearing about the outlawed weapon. Het studied the weapon from an engineering standpoint. Simple and straightforward.
Leia examined the controls on the handle, then tentatively touched a brightly colored button up near the mirrored pommel. Instantly the small disk put forth a blue white beam as thick around as a thumb. It was dense to the point of opacity and a little over a meter in length. Het cocked his head as he studied the weapon. "No heat." he said, holding his little hand close to the blade, but not touching it. Leia nodded. She knew what the blade could do, she had seen Unca Ben use his alot... and she had seen another from a friend named A'sharad....
"This was the weapon of a Jedi Knight." explained Obi-wan. "Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon, from a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy... before the dark times.. before the Empire."
Davin tensed at those words. He had joined the Empire willingly, thinking it was something good and just, only to discover it was evil beyond redemption. Leia twirled the lightsaber once, and then deactivated it. "When do we leave?" She asked softly.
Obi-wan looked at the others in the room. "First, we will have to explain to your Uncle Owen that we are leaving. After that considerable hurdle has been crossed, we'll head to Mos Eisley and find us a ship." he turned his gaze to Het and Davin. "This mission is for us alone. You do not have to come with us."
Davin stood up and saluted. "Sir, Im going with you. Regardless of how I started, I want to finish on the side I know is right." the little jawa Het turned and looked up at Leia. "I will stand with the honored Skywalker. Where she leads, I shall follow. Until the sands run no more." he swore a Jawa Oath. Leia knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder. "I wouldnt want it any other way."
Arfive beeped and booped in determination. "Arfive refuses to be left behind as well, my lady." Threepio translated. Artoo beeped at Arfive, and both of them beeped in determination to follow Leia and Obi-wan as well.
Obi-wan smiled at the little group. "Very well. Lets get started."