Chapter #29
Ben stood dumbfounded as Luke slammed the door in his face. Grasping the door knob, he twisted the handle and pulled.
"Ben." Jobal jogged up to him, placing a hand on his back. "What is going on?"
He paused looking down into the older woman's face. "It's Luke, he's about to do something extremely irrational."
"Does this have something to do with Mara?"
Ben gritted his teeth and let out a deep breath. "I don't know. To be honest, Jobal, I don't know exactly what is going on with the two of them. I've never seen Luke react that way with anyone, let alone his sister."
Jobal raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"But that's just it, Ben. She's not his sister."
"Not biologically, of course, but…what are you getting at?"
The older woman closed her eyes with a slight shake of her head. "Ben, Mara has feelings for Luke that are not of a familial nature."
"What?"
"She's romantically in love with Luke."
Ben pulled the door open the rest of the way. "I'm sure you're mistaken. Now I have to go. We'll talk some more when I get back."
"Promise?"
"Yes." Ben heard Mara sniffling from the 'fresher. "Look in on her, won't you. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Jobal nodded and closed the door.
Ben bolted down the sidewalk to the garage and paused. His speeder was gone. Luke must've taken it to the dorm. He pulled out his keychain, spying a key to Ruwee's vehicle and opened the door. Turning the engine over, he put the speeder into drive and roared out the driveway.
Dodging several slower vehicles, Ben sped past downtown Theed and raced toward the Imperial Academy dorms. How would he get in? He tried to call Luke, but he was not picking up his comm. unit. Stang! He'd never seen this side of the boy. Ben felt a sickening sensation in the pit of his stomach. He just couldn't understand how things had suddenly gone balistic. He swiveled his neck, feeling the tightness in his muscles. He must've missed the signs, just like he did with…Anakin. "Please, Luke don't do something foolish."
He pulled into the dorm parking lot and jumped out of the vehicle, the keys still in the ignition. Crossing the pedway, he pounced up the stairs using the Force to open the door. He looked down the hallway and strode to Luke's room. With a wave of his hand, the door was open and Ben slipped inside to an empty room. "Kriff!" Luke must've changed his mind and gone straight to Bree's house.
He quietly left the dorm and retraced his steps to Ruwee's vehicle. Sliding into the driver's side seat, he cranked the ignition and immediately tensed, sensing that he was not alone. Ben felt the stick of a needle in the back of his neck followed by an acrid smell as something was pumped into his blood system. His last thought was of Luke and Mara before he slipped into oblivion.
XXXXX
"Master Naberrie?"
"Hello, Simmons. Is Bree home?" Luke stood at the front door of the Daquan mansion hoping the butler would allow him to enter.
"Yes, sir. Won't you come in?" The stoic gentleman stood to one side, giving Luke room to pass into the foyer. "If you'll be so kind as to wait here, I'll let the mistress know you are here."
"Thank you, Simmons." Luke stood next to a marble credenza with a large arrangement of blooded gardenias on top. The scent was overpowering and made his stomach queasy. He glanced at his chrono and then at his comm. unit. Uncle Ben had called. Twice. At least it wasn't Mara.
"Luke?" Bree stood at the top of the stairs dressed in a silver gown that hugged her hips, then flared out, cascading to the floor. She looked like an angel. "Did we have an engagement tonight?"
He swallowed and shook his head. "Can we talk?"
"Of course, how about the library?"
"No!" barked Luke. "I mean, is there somewhere else."
Bree lifted the length of her dress, descending the stairs. The light overhead reflected off her gown, casting her as a character from some kind of dream sequence in a holo pic. She stopped in front of Luke and leaned in for a kiss.
He groaned as he met her soft lips and pulled her against him. Sweet Bree. She was everything he wanted. He just had to convince her that her destiny was with him. "Is there a room we can use?" he whispered hoarsely.
"Here." Bree pulled him into an anteroom off from the foyer. She closed the large doors and turned the lock. She smiled slipping back into his embrace and pressed her lips against his corded throat, trailing kisses up to his chin. "I'm so glad you're here. Father insisted I attend a stuffy old council meeting and I was about comatose with boredom." She pulled back and looked at Luke's tense face. "Something's wrong. What is it?"
"Bree…" Luke searched her lovely countenance, running his thumb across her cheek. He cleared his throat, shaking his head.
"Luke, you're starting to scare me." Her long black hair glistened in the candle light.
He led her to the lounger where they sat down together. His hand caressed her own and he marveled at the smoothness of her skin. "We need to talk about something. I need for you to hear me out before you say anything."
"All right." Bree leaned into the back of the lounger and lay her hands in her lap.
Luke sprang up and began pacing the length of the room, flexing his hands and then shoving them into his pants pockets. "I understand, Bree. You had no choice in the matter."
A puzzled look flashed across Bree's face. "Wha—"
He stopped in front of her and took a deep breath. "I know about your Father's plan."
Bree's face went white. "What plan?"
Luke dropped back down onto the lounger. "His plan to put me on the throne."
Bree gasped.
"His plan for us to marry and for him to use us like puppets—"
Bree jumped up and moved to the desk. "I-I don't know what you mean…"
Luke crossed to her and took both her hands. "It's okay, Bree. I know you had no choice, but it's all right—we can still be together. We can get married and leave Naboo."
Bree's eyes glistened. "You don't understand…"
"But, I do." He pulled her to him. "I know you're afraid, but I can protect you from him."
"No," whispered Bree, shaking her head. "No one can protect me from him."
Luke tipped her chin, gazing into her luminous eyes. "I can. I love you, Bree, and I know you love me, too."
A single tear trailed down her cheek. "I do, but Luke—you have no idea how powerful…and vicious he can be."
"No power is great than the power of the Force."
She blinked, her brows drawing together. "What are you talking about?"
"The Force. You've never heard of it?"
Bree shook her head. "Luke he has every resource available to him. The number of people he's murdered is…staggering."
Luke reached out his hand and drew a vase from the side table to him.
Bree's mouth dropped open as she gasped. "How…how did you do that?"
"It's the Force. I'm Force sensitive, a Jedi. I can use this power to manipulate objects or draw strength." He turned towards the lounger and lifted several pillows, then dropped them back down.
She backed away from Luke, her hand flying to her mouth. "How is this possible?"
Luke took a step towards her, but she backed away again. "It's okay, Bree. Jedi only use this power for good."
"I-I don't understand. Who are you? What are you?"
He reached a hand towards her. "It's still me—"
"Don't touch me!" Bree skittered to the window.
"Bree, I can protect you…"
"NO," she screamed. "You're some kind of freak!"
Luke froze, stung by her words. "Bree…"
"Get out!"
"But—"
Bree crossed to the door and unlocked it, tears streaming down her face. "I never want to see you again!" She slammed the door open and ran to the stairs.
"Please, Bree…"
"No, no no you're some kind of strange deviant! Leave me alone!"
Luke watched her charge up the stairs and disappear. He stood in the foyer, stunned. What just happened? He felt like he was in shock and couldn't put together a coherent thought. All his plans for them to be together…gone. She thought he was a freak?
His hand shook as he let himself out the door and moved to his uncle's speeder. As he gripped the steering wheel, he was overcome with despair and began to fall apart.
XXXXX
Ben lifted his head wincing at the pounding in his brain. Where was he? He attempted to move his arms, but they were confined in some manner. He opened his eyes, his lids feeling weighed down. They finally fluttered open only to quail at the bright light overhead.
His eyes took in a blurry room with men in masks pointing weapons at him. Imperials? No, they didn't appear to be in any kind of uniform. He looked down and noticed he was shackled in some kind of chair with strange apparatus attached to it. Ben swallowed against the bile rising in his throat and coughed.
"Oh good, you're awake."
Ben turned his head and looked up into the sinister face of Captain Gregar Typho.
"Welcome, Master Kenobi. You've no idea how long I've looked forward to this moment."
...to be continued.
