CHAPTER 35
PERIL
"Amethyst!"
The two wives of Luke Skywalker were supervising the setting of the table for the trio's evening meal. Both of them looked up at the angry yell from Luke's private suite.
"He's calling you not me," Callista said with a gesture that indicated she wanted nothing to do with whatever had caused the normally unruffled Jedi to bellow in rage.
Amethyst looked around the patio. "Where's Sassy?"
She was asking about an energetic puppy that she had brought home a couple of days earlier. She had talked Luke into allowing her to keep it with the stipulation that she keep it out of his way until it was trained.
"Amethyst, get in here now!"
"I'd say," Callista told Amethyst, "that Luke has found her."
Amethyst hurried into Luke's suite. He was standing in the middle of his sitting area. In his right hand, he held a wriggling ball of fur by the scruff of its neck. In his left hand, he held an expensive hand tooled leather boot. The top of the boot was now partially frayed.
Amethyst gathered the puppy into her arms.
"Thank you, Luke. I'd wondered where she'd gotten off to," she said brightly.
She turned to go back to the patio.
"Nice try, Amethyst," he said evenly. "Turn around here."
Slowly Amethyst turned back to Luke. She cuddled her face in the puppy's fur and looked enticingly up at Luke.
"Did you want something else?" she asked innocently.
"Don't you try that with me," he warned about her flirtatious attempt to distract him from his anger. "We had an agreement about that dog. It did not include her eating my best pair of boots."
"Luke, you said those boots didn't fit right anyway. I'll have a new pair made for you."
"They just needed to be broken in – and we're not going to just throw money away because you can't control that thing." He shook a finger at her. "You get a cage."
"No, Luke!"
"Yes. Listen I talked to Wedge. He use to keep dogs. He says the best thing to do is to have a cage. Think of it like a play pen for a baby. When you aren't watching her, that's where she's suppose to be." He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "Do it tomorrow."
"Okay ... if Wedge really said that."
He smiled. "Yes, he did. Is supper ready?"
"Two minutes. I'll lock her in my sleeping area while we eat."
Callista and Luke laughed at Sassy as she fought with Amethyst over a pull toy. The fluffy gold colored animal released the toy, let out a loud yelp and grabbed the toy again. Smiling, Amethyst released the toy. The pup rolled over backwards as the momentum of her pull sent her sprawling.
"You've had that silly thing for a month and I think instead of you training her, she's getting you to do whatever she wants. I'm not going to sit here all night and watch you and that crazy dog play. I'm going to bed," Luke announced rising to his feet.
He held out his hand to Amethyst. "Are you going to spend the night with me or with the dog?"
"I don't suppose you'd consider allowing her to sleep with us?" she asked taking his hand and rising to her feet.
"Sleeping, yes. But when you talked me into that last week, we spent the whole night picking her off the floor when she cried, being pounced on and then listening to her fall off the bed onto the floor again."
Callista chuckled. "I'll take care of her."
Luke leaned over and kissed her lips. "Good night, Cal. See you in the morning."
Luke sat up suddenly. He looked around in the darkness. Beside him, Amethyst moved.
"Luke?" she questioned sleepily.
"Did you hear anything?" he asked.
She muttered a negative sound. "Just you," she added, sleep still heavy in her voice.
She felt the air stir above her and she knew Luke had used the Force to cause his lightsaber to fly from the top of his work desk to his hand. She sat up, abruptly awake.
"What is it?" she inquired.
"I'm not sure. Stay here. Let me go check on Callista."
Luke moved assuredly through the darkness, the Force allowing him to move as if his way were brightly lit. Silently he moved across the hallway and into the women's area. The door to Callista's area stood open and he entered her area. With the dim light that filtered in from her windows, he was able to see her form in the bed. He watched as her silhouette moved with her gentle breathing. He went out into the women's sitting area. He stared out the patio door, looking over the grounds. He reached out with the Force but could detect nothing unusual.
After a moment, he returned to his own sleeping area. Amethyst had lain down again and had the blanket pulled up around her neck. Luke lay down beside her. She nuzzled against him and then shivered delicately.
"You're cold," she protested but did not move away.
He chuckled and put his arms around her. "You can warm me up."
She made a nuzzling motion against his shoulder and sleepily muttered something he was unable to understand.
He smiled, kissed her forehead, laid his cheek against the top of her head and followed her back into sleep.
Amethyst nuzzled against Luke and kissed his cheek. He chuckled.
"Didn't you get enough last night?" he asked as he gathered her tightly in his arms.
She kissed his mouth. "I will never have enough of you," she answered.
They kissed passionately for a long moment, the pre-dawn disturbance forgotten. Luke released her.
"Nevertheless," he told her lightly, "It's late and I have work to do. Go see if Cal has breakfast ready, will you? I'll be out just as soon as I check with Hodges on the com-link," he said referring to his senior ensign.
Amethyst hummed gently as she crossed from Luke's suite to the women's area.
"Morning, Callista," she greeted her sister-wife.
Callista smiled at her. "Is breakfast ready?" she asked.
Amethyst shook her head. "I thought it was your morning to order it."
Callista looked up at her. "Yeah, it is. I just figured since you've been up awhile that you probably were hungry and had ordered it."
"I just got up." She went into her own suite. "Where's Sassy?" she called across the sitting room the two women shared.
Callista had come to stand in the doorway of Amethyst's private suite.
"I thought she was with you," Callista answered. "I woke up a few minutes ago and came to take her outside. She was gone, so I thought you were up already."
"Great! Luke'll scream if she chews anything else. Look around in here – I'll go see if she's in the living area."
Luke and Callista met in the hallway as they both started towards the living area at the same time.
"Good morning," she greeted her husband.
She put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"And how are you this morning?" he asked responding to her with a deep kiss.
Before Callista could respond, they were interrupted by a blood curdling scream from Amethyst. They both ran toward the living area. Luke's lightsaber flew from his suite and landed in his artificial right hand as they reached the doorway.
Amethyst was on her knees in front of the glass wall that looked out onto the patio. Her hands were covering her mouth and she was sobbing. Motioning for Callista to stay back in the hallway, Luke ignited his lightsaber and moved so he could look past Amethyst.
As Callista watched, she saw his face grow pale. He shut off the lightsaber and slowly lowered his hand to his side, staring over Amethyst's head. Callista took a few steps and came to stand beside Luke. She gasped.
"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed.
"Get Amethyst out of here," Luke ordered harshly.
Callista took hold of Amethyst's shoulders and caused her to rise to her feet. Luke's dark haired wife looked at him with horror.
"Why?" she whispered as Callista lead her past Luke.
He reached out and stroked her cheek, his eyes sad.
"I don't know, darling. But I will find out."
The two women left and Luke walked closer to the glass wall.
On his patio was a wooden tripod approximately five feet tall. Hanging in the centre of the tripod, a rope around its neck, was Amethyst's dog. After hanging it, someone had disemboweled it.
Han and Lando sat in Luke's office. Both men had been to Luke's home before Luke had allowed the dog to be removed. All three were quiet for a long time.
"That was just sick!" Han said finally.
"And what was the purpose?" Lando asked.
"Someone came into my home, into one of my wives rooms, removed a pet from a cage and mutilated it outside my living area door. I'd say the purpose is to let me know I'm not safe in my own home!"
Luke pounded his fist on his desk with the last word and then angrily began to pace the room. The men left Luke alone for a few minutes and then Han stood up.
"Listen, buddy, I know you're angry. I don't blame you. But the answer is to try to figure out what the point of the terror is. Obviously they don't want to kill you or they could have done that last night."
Luke regarded him for a moment and then nodded. "That makes sense. Then what is the point?"
Han lowered his eyes from Luke's and shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted.
"Well, we'd better find out," Lando stated, rising to stand beside his friends. "We need to know if this is directed against you or your whole family."
"And if it's not just me?" Luke asked.
Lando shrugged. "Then I'd say our assassins are back."
"And up to some new tricks," Han added.
Callista greeted Luke at the door of their home. He could see her anxiety and the fact that she was very nervous. He gathered her in his arms. She clung to him tightly.
"You're trembling," he said.
Her only response was to tighten her arms around his waist and to nod her head as it lay against his shoulder. He stroked her light colored hair.
"You're safe. No one else will get into the house," he promised her.
She stepped back and looked into his eyes.
"I know," she said flatly. "I saw the armed guards."
Luke lowered his eyes and sighed. He pulled her back into his arms.
"I have to protect you and Amethyst first. Then I can be free to find whoever invaded our home." He ran his hand up and down her back. "How's Amethyst?"
She snuggled against his shoulder again. "Not good. I haven't seen her this despondent since she lost the baby."
He stepped back and reached out to caress her cheek. "I need to go see her," he said.
She nodded and gave him a kiss on his cheek before she stepped away from him.
Luke moved slowly down the hall toward the women's area. Amethyst lay on the bed, her back to the doorway. He sat down and began to rub her back.
"Amethyst ... what can I do?" he asked.
The only answer was a soft sound, something between a sob and a hiccup. Feeling something unusual from Amethyst, he picked her up in his arms and held her tenderly. He stroked her hair as she began to cry again.
"I could understand them doing it," she told him, her face buried in his tunic. "I could understand it as a warning. But why didn't they just kill her? Why did they make her suff ... suff ..." Her last word was lost in a sob.
"I don't know why they made her suffer like that," he told her.
He used the Force to try to soothe her tormented spirit. He was still unable to discern the feeling that came to him from Amethyst through the Force and the comfort he tried to send to her was blocked as if there were a wall between them. They sat for a long time. Finally, Amethyst pushed away from him. She lay on the bed, looking up at him.
"Luke, you are my husband and my Lord. I love you dearly ... more than my own life."
He took her hand and lifted her fingertips to his lips. "I know that," he acknowledged.
"That first night, when you found me in the prison and then you took me to the Falcon – do you remember what you said to me?"
Luke turned away, unable to meet her eyes. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look into the violet eyes that he loved so much.
"It will take a while. But you'll learn not to be afraid. If it takes the rest of our lives, I will see that you feel safe again," he repeated his words from that long ago night.
"Luke ... I'm afraid," she whispered.
Suddenly he understood the strange feelings he had experienced from her. They were humiliation and remorse. She was ashamed that she blamed Luke for how she was feeling. She felt guilty over her inability to control such feelings.
He knew what it cost her to say those words. She had been trained to manage his home, love his body, and ease his soul. The biggest difference between his two wives was that Callista treated him as an equal, Amethyst treated him as her liege lord – someone to whom she had been bonded, body and soul, since her birth.
His hand was trembling as he reached out to stroke her hair.
"I know you are and ..." his voice broke. "And," he continued after a moment, "I don't know how to fix it."
He stood up and walked out of the room.
Callista watched as Luke walked passed her as she sat in the women's sitting room. She was shocked into silence by the expression on his face. In the few minutes he had been with Amethyst, he had appeared to age twenty years.
She went to the door of Amethyst's sleeping area. The dark haired beauty was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. There was no response when Callista spoke her name. After a moment, Callista ran after Luke.
Luke as standing in the living area, staring out the glass wall to the spot on the patio where they had found the puppy that morning.
"Luke!"
At the fear he heard in Callista's voice, he turned to face her. She ran across the room and threw her arms around his neck.
"Hold me!" she cried.
Luke laid his head on her shoulder and held her tightly.
"What happened in there?" she asked finally. "You two are frightening me. What did she say to you?"
He led her over to the couch and they sat with Luke's arm around her shoulders.
"The night I found Amethyst," he shook his head. "You've heard how mistreated she was. Her hair was matted with her own blood. I reached out to brush it off her face and she pulled back away from me. It was an instinctual reflex on her part. She was sorry she'd done it. I told her I understood. I told her that it may take a long time but I swore to her that she'd feel safe again." There was a long pause and then he added. "She just told me she was frightened."
Callista stroked his cheek suddenly understanding the pain she was seeing on his face.
"Rest ... I'll bet you haven't eaten all day. I'll get the droids to serve something to eat." She leaned toward him and lightly kissed his lips. "And then I will send you out to make the galaxy right again."
He shook his head. "You don't understand."
"I think I do," she assured him. "But you listen to me. You may be a great Jedi Master to your pupils, and you may be Amethyst's lord and master, but to me, you are my husband. You are a man – a great man – but just a man. And right now, your wife says that you need to stop and rest and have something to eat."
He smiled sadly, "Okay."
"Better?" Callista asked as she and Luke sat in the living area an hour later.
The multi-colored lights of the sunset came into the room and blended with the abstract pastels that made up the living area. The result was the soothing effect of a gentle rainbow.
He pushed the tray that held the remains of his supper away and nodded with a smile.
"Yes, you were right. I do feel better," he said as he stretched out his legs.
"You ready to go do battle?" she asked.
He chuckled. "Actually, I'd kind of like to tuck my tail between my legs and slink off to my bed."
She giggled. "That would be a first."
He opened his mouth to respond, but before he did he sat up suddenly and turned to look down the hallway that led to the sleeping areas.
Amethyst came to the door of the living area.
"May I join you?" she asked quietly.
"Of course you may," Luke told her.
Callista patted the couch beside her. "Come sit with me."
Amethyst glided gracefully across the room and lowered herself to the couch. She glanced, involuntarily, out the glass wall and then lowered her eyes to her hands folded in her lap.
"Amethyst."
At the loving sound of Luke's voice, she raised her tear swollen eyes to look at him.
"What can I do?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I don't know," she answered simply. "I know that you are doing everything you can think of ... I know that you'll do anything I ask of you ... I ... I just don't know."
"I can still feel your fear."
"I'm aware of that. I'm sorry, I simply cannot control it."
"You have to surrender the fear to the Force. You have to use the Force to allow you to return to a state of tranquility."
She nodded and lowered her eyes again. Suddenly her head jerked up to look at Luke.
Callista reached out and touched her hand. "What is it?"
"His anger," Amethyst breathed softly. "It is so dark."
He rose to his feet and walked over to them. With each hand, he stroked the hair of one wife.
"But I won't use it to act," he promised.
Amethyst stood up. She tilted her head up so she could look into his eyes.
"I perceive that you are aware of the danger and can control it," she assured him.
"Then tell me what feelings you're still trying to keep from me?"
"It is shame, Lord."
He caressed her cheek. "Why?"
"I'm ashamed to be the cause of your conflict."
He took her in his arms. "It isn't your fault. It's the fault of whoever violated our home."
With one arm around Amethyst he held out the other hand to Callista. He led them to the glass wall. As they approached the wall, he could feel Amethyst shiver. His arm tightened protectively.
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Luke, it's not just Sassy."
"I know it," he told her soberly. "Callista's already complained about the guards." He glanced from one to the other. "I don't know what else to do right now," he told them. "I'm open to any suggestions. No one seems to have any idea what the point of the dog's death could be. That's what is so upsetting."
There was a knock on the door of the house.
"Are you expecting someone?" Callista asked.
"Yes, Lando and Han."
"We'll leave you to talk," Amethyst told him.
"No ... wait. If it's what I think it is, it concerns both of you."
Luke hurried across the vast room. A moment later he came back across the entrance way. Han, Lando and six men followed him. The six men lined up across the room and snapped to attention when the two women turned to look at them.
"These are the best men we could find," Lando told Luke.
Han waved toward them. "Every single one of them has been vouched for by someone that we've all known since the rebellion."
Luke walked along the line and studied the men intently. The two women exchanged puzzled looks. Amethyst leaned over and whispered to Callista.
"Do you have any idea what's going on? Why would he be using the Force to search each of these men?"
"I don't know," came the whispered answer, "He didn't say anything about this."
"Do you men understand the duty you're being asked to assume?" Luke asked the men.
"Yes, sir," they all answered.
Luke looked over at Lando expectantly. Lando walked over to the man closest to where he and Han stood.
"This is Ensign Darman Plushner. He's been with the security section for two years. He's trained in the use of blaster rifles and concussion weapons."
Lando stepped over to the next man in line. "This is Ensign Vincent LaMott. He's been with security for five years. He's trained in hand-to-hand combat.
"Ensign LaVarr Kramer, three years, strategy.
"Ensign Buster Gordon, two years, small weapons.
"Ensign Walton Arden, four years, hand-to-hand.
"Ensign Kirk Nimoy, six years, hand-to-hand."
Luke nodded his approval of Lando's selection. "And their new duties have been fully explained to them?" he asked Han.
"I did it myself," Han assured him.
"Do any of you men have any questions?" Luke asked them.
"If I may, Star Marshall?" Gordon took a half-step forward.
Luke nodded to him.
"After General Calrissian and General Solo explained everything to us, we six had a few minutes to talk together. I believe we all understand what's expected of us. We're all in agreement that we volunteer for this assignment, if volunteers are what you are looking for."
He stepped back into line, the other five nodded in agreement.
"Volunteers, yes," Luke told them. "But I'm looking for even more than that. You are going to be my wives' bodyguards. Unless they are in the women's area or with me, one of you is to have them within your sight every minute of every day. If I find either one of them alone, I will court martial the entire detail."
His eyes swept the group. He continued, his voice lowered to a dangerous tone.
"If anything happens to either one of my wives and her guard survives, he will wish he had not. Make sure you understand, if anything happens to either one of them, I will not be tolerant, I will not be charitable, I will not be merciful. Injury to either one of them will result in the swiftest, most severe, and totally uncompromising retribution you can possibly imagine."
He walked down the line, staring hard at each of the men.
"If any of you wish to withdraw from this detail, there will be no questions, there will be no reprisal," he informed them.
The men glanced at each other but no one made any move to leave.
"This is your last chance," Han announced. "If any of you have changed you minds, go now. Once General Calrissian and I leave you here you'll no longer be considered a part of the New Republic Fleet. You'll become personal attachés to a Jedi Lord. You'll be completely under his jurisdiction."
He paused a moment, but still no man made any move. Han shrugged.
"I guess that's it." He turned to Lando. "Let's get out of here."
With brief waves to the women, Lando and Han left the house. Callista and Amethyst stood shocked, staring at the six men that had invaded their home.
"Gentlemen," Luke said, "these are my wives. This is my first wife, Callista."
Callista gave a small wave of her hand.
"This is my second wife, Amethyst."
Amethyst acknowledged with a slight nod of her head.
"I'll expect you to move your belongings in here tomorrow," Luke instructed. "There'll be an addition built onto the service wing of the house. When it's completed, it'll service as a barracks for you. For now, you may stow your belongings in my work area. You'll bivouac out back of the house. Do you have any questions?"
"No, Star Marshall," they answered in unison.
He nodded. "Go set up your tents."
He walked over to the glass wall and pointed to the section of the yard where he wanted the tents. The men nodded and left.
"Luke?" Callista asked as the young men left the house.
He turned to look at them.
"I have just one question," she stated.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Have you lost your mind?" she exploded.
Amethyst lowered her face quickly so Luke could not see her smile. As usual, he didn't miss a thing. He turned to her.
"And do you agree with Cal?"
"I think this is something that should've been discussed," she answered cautiously.
"Shit, Amethyst!" Callista turned on her. "You don't like this any better than I do. This is no time to pull that lord and master crap. He's nuts!"
Amethyst bit her lips but said nothing. Luke smiled indulgently.
"You listen to me, Luke Skywalker," Callista told him shaking an index finger in his face, "I am not going to be followed around day and night by some kid in a uniform."
"Callista," he said calmly, "I – a Jedi Master and the highest ranking member of the New Republic military – have just threatened these six young men with their lives if you two are not followed day and night. Do you want to be responsible for their deaths?"
"I'm going to kill the first one that gets in my way," she stated as she stormed off to the women's area.
Luke smiled after her and then turned to Amethyst. "Work on her, will you?"
"Yes." She paused and then spoke his name tentatively, "Luke?"
He looked at her intently. Through the Force, he felt a rush of anxiety from her. He walked over to her and took hold of her shoulders.
"What is it, Am?"
"Why?"
He pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't know. Maybe some more assassins from the group that tried to kill us right after we were married – but then why didn't they kill us last night when they were in the house. Maybe someone who doesn't approve of our life style – but then again, why didn't they kill one or all of us while they had a chance. I think there has to be a deeper motive."
She looked up at him. "Luke, I felt no disturbance in the night."
He hugged her tighter. "I know ... I didn't either ... that's been bothering me more than what happened."
"Someone who is undetectable to a Jedi Master performing an irrational act with no perceivable motive," she murmured.
"What did you say?" he asked sharply.
"Someone who is undetectable ..."
He gave her a hard, fast kiss. "Amethyst, you are brilliant!"
"Droids?" Han asked the next morning.
"You want restraining collars on every droid on the base?" Lando questioned.
"Of course," Luke told him as if they were missing the obvious.
"I don't get it, Kid," Han – the only person in the galaxy who would still call Luke Skywalker kid – told the Star Marshall.
"Amethyst is the one who made me realized what we were looking for." He looked at first Han and then Lando and then quoted, "Someone who is undetectable to a Jedi Master."
Slowly the other two men began to nod.
"Of course," Lando stated, his tone one of a man who felt he had been hit on the head by the obvious.
Han shook his head. "After the stuff with the assassin droids last year, that should've been the first thing we thought of," he agreed.
"It had to be either a droid," Luke continued, "or it was ..."
"Was what?" Lando asked.
"Another Jedi," Han answered rising to his feet. "You think there's Dark Jedi, a Sith, don't you?" he confronted Luke.
"Maybe," Luke told him. "The first thing we do is eliminate the possibility of droids. And then ..."
Han rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Okay, we'll get started on it immediately."
"But there are hundreds of droids," Lando cautioned. "It may take several days to get collars on them all."
Luke nodded. "Start with the domestic droids. They'd more likely to have access and the ability to do what was done."
"Anything else?" Han asked.
Luke smiled slowly. "Yeah, as a matter of fact. Is there anyone scheduled to go to New Republic City and back in the near future?"
TBC