CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Luke and Mara stopped running; they figured they must have lost their followers by now. The people pursuing them, Cad Bane's henchmen, would think that they would be escaping via speeder, not on foot. Mara wasn't going to admit it, but Luke could be pretty smart sometimes.
They continued down the sidewalk.
"Where are we going?" Mara wondered.
Luke shrugged, "To Han and Leia. Wherever they are."
They made a turn into an empty street.
"So what craziness did you get warped into tonight?"
Luke scoffed, "Craziness is an understatement."
He wondered if he should tell Mara about the comlink he found in the secret Stormtrooper lair in the Undercity. Would she have known about it?
"Listen, Mara…" Luke trailed, trying to find the right words. "Cad Bane doesn't work for the Empire or anything, does he?"
Mara frowned, wondering how Luke could come to this conclusion. And then she remembered that Bane was in fact the very person who had located Luke for Jared several weeks ago. She bit her lip, not knowing the answer but also not knowing how to answer her friend.
Luke was no longer waiting for a response, however. He had stopped abruptly and stood still in the middle of the street as he stared off into the darkness. Mara halted, too, and frowned.
"What is it?"
Luke swiftly turned around and placed a hand on his belt, only to find it empty. Again.
"In need of a lightsaber?"
Mara saw what Luke was staring at and gasped.
Jared walked into view, grinning evilly at the two.
Luke and Mara heard a voice from behind them, "Who stole your lightsaber this time, Luke?"
Luke turned around again.
"Oh wait," Aria smiled wickedly, "I did…"
Jared laughed from behind them.
Luke and Mara were surrounded.
Aria smirked, "Look, Jared, two pathetic children walking around with no real weapons."
Jared laughed, "It's like they think the galaxy is suddenly a safe and happy place to live now."
The two siblings laughed, and Luke smoldered.
"What do you want?" Luke said facing Jared, his voice even and calm, though he was burning with fire underneath.
Jared stopped laughing and stepped closer to Luke, "I want you to pay for what you did."
Aria's amusement also faded as she glared at Luke with fire in her eyes, "No one defects from the Empire and gets away with it."
Mara shook her head forcefully, "No, Aria, you're wrong, Luke didn't defect!"
Aria raised an eyebrow as Mara shook Luke's shoulder, "Tell them who you truly serve!"
Luke stood there silently, glaring at Jared.
Aria shook her head, "As I expected. Get out of here, Mara, you already failed tremendously at your job."
Luke gave Mara a questioning glance and then returned his attention back to Jared.
"If you want to do it," Luke said calmly, completely unperturbed that he was outnumbered two lightsabers to zero, "just do it. What's the matter? You've surrounded us and we're unarmed. Do it. Kill me."
Jared took another step closer, his hand itching towards his lightsaber on his belt. He snarled, "What are you playing at, Blondie?"
Luke shrugged, "There's no game. You want to kill me? Go ahead."
Aria gave Jared a stern look, "Well? What else have we come for?"
Jared took out his lightsaber and ignited it, creating the snap-hissing sound. He lifted it up to point at Luke. The ominous red glow laminated Luke's face, but he stood unflinchingly in front of his old brother.
Mara's eyes were bulging out of her head, "Luke, what are you doing?"
Aria grabbed Mara's shoulders and pulled her back, "Back off."
Mara violently shook Aria off; she turned around and smacked her.
Aria gasped and placed her hand on her reddening cheek, staring appalled at Mara.
Mara just nervously chuckled and backed away from her. Luke and Mara were now standing back-to-back, with Luke facing Jared and Mara facing Aria.
"What's the matter?" Luke said, breathing heavily, "Two fully-armed teenagers can't handle two unarmed children?"
Jared scowled at Luke, his hatred bubbling over. He raised his arms to take a swing, and then BAM! Jared was violently pushed by some invisible force and collided with the wall behind him.
Luke walked up to Jared, smiling, "Just because I don't have a weapon, doesn't mean I forgot how to use the Force."
Jared rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Luke, feeling dizzy.
Aria growled; of course her brother would make such a blunder. Luke's power was not augmented with a lightsaber—he used telekinesis. She took our her own lightsaber and ran towards him, ready to thrust it in Luke's back and finish Jared's work. Mara tried to get in her way, but Aria forcefully pushed Mara to the ground.
Luke barely saw it coming. Just as he was about to turn around to see what Aria was going to do to him, Aria was unexpectedly and powerfully hurled back to the other side of the wall.
Luke frowned. He looked over at Mara to see if she had done that, but that was impossible. She was on the floor, still recovering from Aria's shove. Plus, she didn't know how to use the Force like that.
Jared got up from the floor and brushed off his pants. He stomped up to Luke with a fury in his eyes but then stopped halfway, completely stricken with fear. Luke frowned at him, but Jared wasn't looking at Luke. He was looking at something behind him.
Luke turned around.
Anakin Skywalker was standing in the middle of the empty street, his hands on his sides, staring austerely at the group of teenagers in front of him.
Aria, oblivious to what had just occurred, got up and angrily marched over to where Luke and Jared were standing. "Who just pushed me?"
"I did."
She turned to Anakin, who had just spoken. Her jaw ever so slightly dropped.
Aria whipped her head to look at Jared, and he turned to face Aria. They both looked as if they were communicating through the Force. They slowly backed away while each still keeping an eye on Anakin.
Anakin closely watched the two siblings.
"Either leave now," Anakin said in his stern, Jedi Master voice, "or stay to be arrested and interrogated."
Jared and Aria both broke out into a run and, in seconds, left from view completely.
Luke and Mara were the only ones left standing there, in front of the Jedi Master.
Anakin shook his head slowly at Luke.
"What were you two thinking?" Anakin began.
Mara bit her lip and looked over at Luke next to her.
He was staring at Anakin, filled with tangled emotions, "Why did you let them go?"
Anakin ignored Luke and turned around to leave from where he came, "Let's go."
Anakin escorted Luke and Mara back to his speeder. He opened the door to the backseat for them. Han was sitting on the other far side of them. Mara scooted in first to sit in the middle, and then Luke sat in the seat right behind Anakin's.
The first few minutes of the ride were deadly silent. Then, Anakin broke the ice.
"Well, it seems you four have had enough adventures for a life time."
Mara bit her lip, uneasy that she was with Luke—the now proclaimed defector—in a Jedi Master's speeder instead of with Jared and Aria.
"I must say," Anakin said coolly, "I expected this from Solo. I didn't completely write it out for Luke. I'm surprised about Mara, and I'm so disappointed in you, Leia."
Leia, who was sitting in the front, just scoffed and looked out the window to avoid making eye contact with her father.
He pulled the speeder over to an empty parking lot and turned around to face the three sitting in the back, "Anyone care to enlighten me to what has been going on for the past few hours?"
Everyone looked away from Anakin, not answering him.
He focused his stare at Mara, "What were you and Luke doing with those two?"
Han's head snapped to Mara's direction, "What two?"
Mara sighed, "Jared and Aria."
Han's eyebrows shot up and he looked between Luke and Mara, "What were you doing with them?!"
"That's what I was asking." Anakin said.
"Why do you care, Han?" Luke said, speaking for the first time since getting in the speeder. "Fear of missing out on a pow-wow with your best friends?"
Han gave a small chortle, "It speaks!"
Luke glowered at Han, who only shrugged, "Well, you might want to contribute to this little interrogation we're having. You could mention how this whole event tonight was entirely your fault!"
"My fault?!" Han exclaimed incredulously, "You're the one who always has to meddle and make things worse!"
"Well sorry for trying to save your life! Again!"
"Again?" Han scoffed.
"Um, remember when I got you out of prison?"
Han shook his head, "You think you're so smart and tough—"
"I've saved your behind more times than you can even count, and what have you ever done for me?"
"Whenever you needed someone, who was always there to help?" Han emphasized, "ME."
"You LIAR!" Luke exploded, "This whole situation happened because you didn't want to help!"
"This whole situation happened," Han retorted angrily, "Because you chose to run away from all of your problems! And I, being a good friend, sided with you all this time!"
"I told you why—"
"You didn't kriffing tell me anything!" Han screamed, "You never tell me anything! All I'm ever good for is going along with you on all your kriffing stupid adventures—"
"You never thought they were stupid at the time!" Luke interjected.
"—but I never know what the hell is going on!" Han continued.
"What?"
"Yeah!" Han nodded frantically, "Like today. What the kriff did we do for the past few hours?"
Luke's jaw dropped, "ARE YOU KRIFFING ME, that was all your fault!"
"HOW?!" Han exploded, "You were the one meddling! You didn't have to get involved!"
"How could you be so stupid, Solo?!" Luke went on, thinking about what Cad Bane told him about Han, "How could you borrow a speeder from him like that?"
"Shut up, Luke. Just shut up. And you owe me a speeder, by the way—"
"For all we know, he probably told Jared about us!"
"How was I supposed to know Cad Bane was a part of the Empire?!"
"Anyone who—"
"Whoa, whoa! Hold up!"
Luke and Han both stopped midway through their yelling to face the front of the speeder. Neither of them noticed how loud they were or that all eyes in the vehicle were on them.
Anakin was turned around in his seat to face the two boys, "You were with Cad Bane tonight?"
Luke bit his lip; Han just looked out the window—both were embarrassed by how they forgot their surroundings during their scream-fest.
"Well?" Anakin asked impatiently.
"What?" Luke shrugged.
Anakin shook his head in frustration, "Do you have any idea how dangerous Cad Bane is?"
Everyone in the speeder now either gave a slight chuckle, scoff or nod.
Anakin shook his head, unable to believe what was going on, "You two are going to tell me exactly what happened, right now."
The tone in Anakin's stern order made everyone in the speeder realize that they were in serious trouble. This wasn't just Anakin, this was Master Skywalker right now; and Master Skywalker was not a happy camper.
"It's not like Han and I planned this." Luke began, "I just ran into him when Mara and I were about to—"
Luke stopped.
"About to what?" Anakin asked sternly.
Luke bit his lip.
About to find a fancy place to rob.
"About to meet up," Luke lied.
Anakin raised an eyebrow.
Mara nodded, "Yeah, Luke and I were about to meet up, and later we found out that Leia was following us."
Leia nodded.
Anakin raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything in response.
"Solo was in the middle of an…argument." Luke continued, "So, Mara meddled and got herself involved."
Mara rolled her eyes, "I was trying to stop it."
"Mara, we all know what you were trying to do." Luke replied tersely.
"Luke, just because you're mad at Han doesn't mean you have to flip out on everyone—"
"Mara, shut up!"
Mara whipped her head to face Han, who had just rudely interrupted her, "Excuse me?"
"This was just as much your fault as it was Blondie's over there." Han gestured his hand towards Luke.
Mara raised her eyebrows, "How was it my fault?"
"Ignoring the blonde comment," Luke began, "he has a point. This whole night could have been avoided if you didn't feel the need to get involved."
"I was trying to help!"
"Why?" Luke asked angrily, "What has he ever done for you?"
"Alright, you three!" Anakin interrupted, "This isn't helping."
Luke, Mara, and Han all leaned back in their seats again and took a deep breath.
"Before we address the whole Cad Bane incident, we're obviously going to have to fix this problem first." Anakin said.
"Problem? What problem?" Luke asked harmlessly.
"There's no problem." Han added quickly.
"That problem." Anakin pointed out.
"I don't have a problem," Luke said, "he does."
"Actually, you have a lot of problems, Luke." Han replied, not directly looking at Luke.
"What do you know about any of my problems?"
"Nothing!" Han shot back, exasperated, "Because you never tell me anything!"
"YOU are my problem right now, Han."
Han opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped and gave a small smile. "Do you see how easy that was to just tell me?"
"I TELL YOU EVERYTHING!" Luke exploded.
"NO YOU DON'T!"
"Who did I go to when Jared turned into a psychopath?!"
"I told you why I couldn't help!"
"It's because you're a coward."
"No!" Han shouted, "It's because I didn't want to have a hand in killing my friend!"
Luke was at a complete loss for words, "Jared is your FRIEND now?"
"He's your friend too!" Han pointed.
"You need a serious wake-up call!"
"HE IS YOUR FRIEND!" Han repeated.
"HE PUT YOU IN JAIL, REMEMBER? AND THEN I BAILED YOU OUT!"
"NO! MARA BAILED ME OUT!"
"Don't get me involved!" Mara quickly interjected.
"YOU?" Han continued, "YOU DID NOTHING. I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT THE KRIFF YOU DID."
"Have you lost your mind?! I didn't go to kriffing prison for you or anything!" Luke said sarcastically.
"Kriff you!"
"KRIFF YOU!"
Both boys stopped and folded their arms, each turning their heads to face opposite sides of the speeder.
No one said anything. Anakin debated on whether or not he wanted to fix this problem. His Jedi instinct told him that Han Solo was just another bad influence on Luke, but his fatherly instinct felt that Han was one of Luke's very few true friends. He'd already been through a lot. Anakin wanted Luke to forget about his past, but he didn't want him to feel alone.
"When did all of this even begin?" Anakin heard himself saying.
Neither Luke nor Han answered.
"Mara?" Anakin said, facing the red-head sitting in-between two very angry teenagers.
Mara sighed, "Well… um…" She glanced at Luke. She knew that anything she was about to say could land Luke in a lot of trouble.
Luke realized that and turned to face Anakin, "I snuck out one night to meet Han, and we got into an argument. I wanted him to help me with something, but he said he was too afraid."
"What?!" Han burst, "Don't put words in my mouth!"
"Oh right, you don't want to have a hand in 'killing your friend,' sorry."
"This isn't funny!"
"You're completely fine with the fact the he wants to do away with me! That's totally okay!"
"You're putting words in my mouth!"
"Calm down, both of you!" Mara yelled.
Han shrugged, "Fine, I'm done."
Mara sighed, "Okay, good."
"I'm done too." Luke said.
Mara frowned, "Wait, what?"
"We're done." Luke told Mara.
"Great," Han said, "it's been nice knowing you."
"You too."
"Have a great life. I hope you accomplish everything you've ever wanted to kriffing accomplish."
"You too, Han. Have a great kriffing life."
"I intend to."
"Like I don't give a kriff about you anymore. To me, you're somewhere between a kouhun and that white stuff that accumulates at the corners of your mouth when you're really thirsty."
The look on Han's face was priceless.
Leia's eyes widened and Mara let out a surprised gasp.
Han suddenly had a trace of a smile on his lips, "You got that line from a holo vid."
Luke frowned, "What? No I didn't."
"Yes, Luke, you did."
"No, Han, I didn't."
"You kriffing liar, yes you did."
"Come at me."
"Come on! That holo vid we saw like three years ago? You did not forget."
"How is this even relevant right now?!" Mara interjected.
Han scoffed, "He stole a comeback from a holo vid. It's very relevant."
Luke put his hands up, "Uh oh, take me to jail."
"So you admit, you stole that line from a film. You couldn't even think of one good insult to use against me!"
Luke raised his eyebrows, "I could think of any comeback I want, I just don't want to waste them on you."
"Are you two seriously fighting about this right now?" Mara said, exasperated.
"We're not fighting," Han said, "we're having a squabble."
"A squabble?" Leia repeated.
"Yeah, but Han doesn't know how to have a squabble without criticizing me for everything I do." Luke said.
"When have I ever criticized you?!" Han defended.
"Just now!" Luke claimed, "When you said I stole that line from a holo!"
"Besides that!" Han waved off.
"You are just so annoying!"
"I'm annoying?!"
"Yes!"
"Well, you are the most annoying person ever!" Han continued, "All you do is whine! All the time! All the kriffing time! You really know how to throw someone off the edge by just whining to them all day!"
"I don't whine! You see how you're criticizing me?"
"No, do you see how you're whining?"
"I'm not whining! You're so stupid Han!"
"Why is that the first thing that always comes to your mind? You think everyone is stupid."
"That's because everyone is stupid."
"You see, this is why it's so hard to talk to you." Han accused.
Luke frowned, "It's not hard to talk to me!"
"It is!" Han reinforced, "You always make people feel stupid. You think you're just the smartest person in the galaxy and you have no time for simple beings like the rest of us."
Luke raised an eyebrow, "That is not true."
"Okay, okay." Han shook his head, "Has anyone in this speeder ever had a conversation with Luke?"
Everyone nodded.
"Han, what are you—"
"Just hold on." Han interrupted Luke.
Luke took a deep breath in through his nose.
"Have you guys ever noticed," Han began, "that whenever you talk to Luke or ask him a question, sometimes he just doesn't answer. Like, he just stares at you like you're a complete idiot?"
Mara laughed.
Leia smiled and bit her lip.
Anakin sighed but didn't disagree.
Luke's jaw dropped, "I don't do that!"
"Yes you do!" Han accused, "Someone could ask you a completely normal question, and then you just stare at them like they just sprouted wings or something."
Luke folded his arms and stared menacingly at Han.
Han flipped out and pointed at Luke, "Just like that!"
"You're so infuriating, Han!" Luke shot back.
"I know." Han smiled annoyingly.
Luke opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. He frowned at Han.
The two just stared at each other for a moment. Luke's expression held a slight trace of a frown while Han's held a slight trace of a grin.
Mara expelled a deep sigh, "Does this mean you two are friends now?"
Luke and Han both looked away and shrugged.
Anakin took that as a cue to start driving the speeder once again. The speeder became quiet as everyone watched the sun just about to rise on the Coruscanti horizon.
"This isn't finished, by the way." Anakin said, "When we get home, Luke, you're still going to tell me all about Cad Bane and your 'adventure' tonight."
Luke sighed and looked out the window, plopping his chin on his fist.
Han leaned forward and turned to ogle at Luke with an interesting look on his face.
Luke turned his head to look at Han, "What?"
Han gave Luke a hard stare. After a moment, he spoke ever so slowly, "Luke… Why aren't you in prison?"
Mara unexpectedly burst out laughing.
Leia turned around to face the three in the back, "What?"
Mara shook her head, "Nothing, it's just that… I always imagined that if I ever saw Luke or Han after a prolonged period of time, I'd ask the same question." She continued to laugh.
Han chuckled along and Luke smiled.
"You were kind of right." Luke said.
Mara nodded, "Yes, you were running away from the cops."
Han laughed and Luke continued to smile.
After the laughter died down, Han faced Luke again. "No, but seriously. Do you guys," Han gestured between Luke and Anakin, "like live together now or something? Why did you say…"
"Wait, you didn't know?" Leia interrupted.
"Know what?" Han asked.
Leia raised an eyebrow, "How did you spend the whole night with us and not know who we were?"
Han shrugged, "What, is he like your boyfriend or something?"
"What?!"
Han raised his eyebrows, surprised by the outcry of everyone in the speeder.
Anakin shook his head, still focused on flying, not sure whether he should laugh or cringe.
"That's just wrong…" Luke said.
Han frowned, "What do you mean?"
Leia chuckled and then bit her lip, "Han, Luke is my brother."
There was a long pause.
"…What?" Han finally said.
Luke sighed.
Han shook his head, "Hold up, you are his father? Like his real father?"
Anakin simply nodded, not looking back at Han.
Han just stared at Luke, "You… Do you see how you never tell me anything?!"
Luke groaned, "Let's not do this again."
Han sighed and then gave Luke a strange look. He started laughing uncontrollably.
Mara just stared at Han, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Way to totally switch sides, Luke."
Anakin raised an eyebrow.
Luke's eyes widened and he shot daggers at Han.
Han sighed, "There you go again with the stare."
Luke narrowed his eyes, "I hate you."
"Actually, you love me." Han refuted.
"No."
"Yes, I am your best friend."
"Not really."
"I know everything about you."
Luke raised an eyebrow, "Five minutes ago you didn't know everything about me."
Han shook his head quickly, "Minus that tiny detail."
Luke cracked a small smile.
Mara looked between the two boys and smiled. Everything was okay.
…For now.
