CHAPTER ELEVEN – LAZARUS REARS HIS HEAD TWICE

Disclaimer: I don't own the Clone Wars. I do own Sierra and John Bonteri, Hero, and Oz.

Ahsoka stared at the comlink in her hand. Sitting on her nightstand was a piece of flimsi, and scribbled on it was a comm number followed by Call if you need anything, love Mina.

Mina needs to know, she thought.

She dialed the number. Mina picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello."

"Mina, it's Ahsoka. Do you have a minute? It's important."

"I do. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well, my sick leave is only for a few more days." Ahsoka smiled at the soothing lilt in the woman's voice, but her face turned serious again when she remembered the reason she was calling. "But this isn't about me. It's about Lux."

"Lux?"

"My master and I have called him over three times to tell him I was okay, and he hasn't picked up."

"That's not like him."

"I know." Ahsoka rubs her temples. "Mina, something is radically wrong over there. I can feel it. Get on a ship."

LUX

Saw goes into the bathroom to wash the eyeliner out of his eyebrow, Steela follows him to wash no less than 75% of Hero's makeup supply off her face, and Hutch goes to work.

That leaves only Sierra and I in the living room.

"Lux?" She says finally. "That Lazarus Steela was talking about, the one who protected a sick Jedi-."

"It wasn't him, Sierra."

"But it sounds like him. And we never saw his body, or Mom's."

"Did Dad like Jedi?"

Sierra chews on the end of her ponytail.

"No. But he would help kids." She replies. "He loved kids, and so did Mom. If it was a Jedi kid, they would have helped in a heartbeat."

The only missing young Jedi that comes to mind for me is Ahsoka (which only makes my stomach tie in knots over her welfare, she completely slipped my mind in all the craziness of Dendup, the idiot cop, Mary Sues, and a "resurrecting" Steela).

A mental image of my parents taking care of an ailing Ahsoka crosses my mind. It's weird.

"And while you were in the shower yesterday, Tandin and Saw took a call. They kept saying our names." Sierra continues.

The doorbell rings, and Tandin yells "I'm coming!" before shooing us into the back room.

Sierra and I continue our argument.

"It's not Mom and Dad."

"Who else could it be?"

"How many other people are compassionate?"

Footsteps approach, Tandin's voice showing someone around.

And then Sierra gasps and goes white.

"Sis!" I hiss and grab her shoulders, squaring off with her. "Sierra, are you okay?"

Sierra whispers. "Turn around."

"Turn around? Why am I turning around? You're white as a sheet! Is it a movie or something? I told Hero not to let you watch Tusken Chainsaw Massacre."

"Turn around." Sierra repeats.

"Okay, sis. Look, I'm turning around and there's - OH MY FORCE!"

Maybe I was on the right track with the horror movie. Because right in front of me are my parents.

My dead parents.

"AAHHHH!"

Saw comes racing to the door. "Bonteri! What's going on?"

"GHOSTS!" I scream, pointing to my not-parents.

"No, it's Mom and Dad." Dad says dryly.

Sierra passes out. I catch her before she hits the ground.

Mom plucks a jogan off the counter and takes a bite.

"Do ghosts eat jogans, Lux?"

And that's the last thing I remember before the world went black.

….

"I think he's coming around."

"Step back. Give him some air," Tandin suggests.

"I know what I'm doing, General." My mom replies. "I managed to keep him alive this long, haven't I?"

"Yes Mrs. Bonteri." Tandin says meekly.

My eyes pop open and I launch upward.

"Oh, not again." Dad laments, grabbing me around my waist. "Mina, you getting déjà vu at all?"

"At least he's not going to have fits." Mom points out. "Maybe we should bring Sierra in?"

Oh no they don't. I don't care if it's Mom and Dad, I'm not bringing Sierra into this.

Then stop struggling, you meathead. My common sense says.

I stop struggling.

"There we go," Mom says. "He's calmed down now."

"I'm not sure he's totally done." Dad replies. "Lux, please listen to me. We've talked to Sierra and Steela. The whole thing about us being dead, it was a trick."

"The Lazarus Project," I realize, my teeth setting on edge.

"Right," Mom says. "Except all of us were Lazarus. Dad and I didn't know you were still alive until very recently."

"Why did Dendup want us?"

"He didn't." Dad says. "Count Dooku did. He told us a Jedi had killed you and your sister."

"Said the same thing about you guys," I reply. "A ploy to make us hate the Jedi?"

Dad nods. "And to make the Separatists look like the heroes when we were all reunited. But it backfired."

"What do you mean, it backfired?" I ask.

Dad sighs. "A few weeks ago, my CO brought your friend Ahsoka into my cells. She was sick."

My eyes widen. "That was you? You saved her?" Oh man, Sierra is never going to let me live this one down as long as I live.

"Yes, that was us." Dad says. "I don't like Jedi, but she was just a little kid…"

"What's wrong with her? Is she all right?" I demand.

Mom nods. "She's fine, Lux. She's back with her master and Padme, and she's much better."

It's all right, Lux. Ahsoka is okay, and Sierra is okay, and Saw is okay, Hero is okay, Hutch is okay, and heck, Mom and Dad and Steela are all alive!

I start laughing. If I don't laugh, I'm going to cry.

But before anybody can ask, Hero bursts through the door.

"Guys!" she says. "We're on TV!"

SIERRA

"This crime will not go unpunished." The dumb cop says. "I'm looking for three kids named Shaquille O'Neal, Taylor Swift, and George Washington!"

Mom switches off the TV. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know."

"What can I say, Mom? The stupid plan gene runs in our family." Lux shrugs.

"Yeah," I scoff. "It's carried on the Y chromosome."

Lux opens his mouth to say something, but Hero cuts in front of him. "Stop it. What's important is that you didn't get caught, even with stupid names like that."

"And being chased by a bunch of Sues." I reply.

"And the cops." Saw adds.

"And we have proof Dendup committed a crime!" Lux cheers.

Dad sighs. "Lecturing them is the pot calling the kettle black, Mina. Case in point, the Tor incident?"

"True enough." Mom concedes. "Although, I would like to know why your hair is purple, Sierra."

I hold out a section of purple hair with distaste. "It's a long story, and one that's going to be dyed back as soon as-."

"T-Tandin? M-Mrs. Bonteri?"

Everyone turns in their seat.

Steela leans against the door frame, shaking.

"I-I need help," she squeaks seconds before she collapses like a sack of bricks.

(A/N: Oh no! What's happened to Steela now? Haven't I tortured the poor girl enough already?

Thank you to StarwarsRulz, Kasai1214, and starwarshobbitfics for your lovely reviews. And Kasai1214: Besides becoming the laughingstock of Onderon? They sure are.

The next chapter will be the final chapter of the story, which will lay some of the groundwork for the third story, "While Others Fell To Darkness." In the meantime, reviews keep me motivated and happy, so please drop one.

Thanks,

Lux's Sister