Mistaken: Chapter Two

It didn't always happen this way, but sometimes, when I was attuned with the Force, I could sense my comlink was about to chime. At the moment, Padmé was asleep on my arm, and I was forced to call forth the object from the nightstand into my other hand. The message was from the Jedi Temple. I was needed back there immediately.

We had decided to stay at Lake Varykino for a few days after the wedding to enjoy some time to ourselves before returning to Coruscant. Two days was all we had. It was hardly enough time, but I reminded myself that the golden band on my finger promised a lifetime. We'd have many more opportunities to be together.

Gently, I shook Padmé awake and explained what had happened. For a fraction of a second, I had seen disappointment in her eyes, although it vanished just as quickly. She had an amazing amount of control over her emotions. I supposed it came from working in politics.

House staff assisted us in packing and loading her private ship and in no time, we were bound for Coruscant, just as the sun was rising on Theed, its copper rooftops glinting against the morning light. I had never allowed myself to get too attached to one certain location, but if any place other than Padmé's apartment was home, it was Naboo. After all, it was where we first met, where we exchanged our vows and had the pleasure of spending two whole days in private bliss. We'd have to return here soon.

"Do you have any idea what the trouble's about?" she asked from the co-pilot's seat.

Unlike my Padawan, Padmé wasn't very fond of flying, so I took the pilot's seat. This particular vessel was almost a pleasure to drive. Almost. My problem with flying wasn't necessarily the actual act, but the lack of control of outside influences. Something always bad seemed to happen whenever I was at the controls. Today, apparently was going to be no exception.

"I'm detecting a quasar in the Aleen system," Padmé announced about three hours outside of the Chommel sector. "But it's not listed in the computer. A phenomenon, perhaps?"

No problem. "We'll just alter our course."

She stared at the navigational screen for a few seconds and frowned. I had a bad feeling about this.

"I'm not sure that's possible," she stated with concern.

"Why not?"

"Because it's expanding. Substantially in the past few seconds, as a matter of fact. If it continues to do so, Aleen will be drawn into it."

There was nothing we could do about the fate of a planet, but I could do something about ours. Quickly, I brought us out of hyperspeed.

"Switch all controls to manual," I commanded, to which Padmé immediately complied. Already, I could feel the effects of the approaching phenomenon. Its gravitational field was tugging on the ship and pulling at it from the port side. "Distance?"

"Approximately 130 kilometers and closing."

A warning light had come on, revealing the turbines were overheating. "Stabilize engine one," I commanded the astromech droids. Within twenty seconds, the annoying indicator had gone neutral, although that only meant the true battle had begun.

"Auxiliary power to shielding and engines. Shut down everything else."

"But that would leave us without navigation and minimal life support," Padmé reminded me.

I appreciated the advice and the way she had delivered it so calmly. "If we don't pull away, there won't be anything left on this ship to keep alive," I reminded her just as calmly. I'd faced many life and death situations before during my career as a Jedi, but never one where someone I loved was in so much danger. It was frightening the hell out of me!

After she had done what I'd asked, the interior lights dimmed and the cockpit glowed a dull red. All the ship's power was now in my hands. "If I can manage to steer clear, we can go back to hyperspeed and escape."

"With that many megawatts, we should deflect off the anomaly and bounce into space. You'll have to regain control quickly or else we could ricochet right into an asteroid or something."

"Be ready," I warned Padmé while gripping the controls tightly. "As soon as we're free, ignite the core engines."

Inwardly, I was smiling. How had I deserved someone not only beautiful but intelligent as well? She knew exactly what I had intended to do and hadn't argued with me. I really didn't need to explain much of anything.

"We're now 80 km out. It's now or never."

"Do it."

I punched the throttle on engine two and maneuvered the ship hard starboard. However, my plan apparently wasn't working and the strain on the ship was more than she could handle. Thankfully, I got another idea.

"Whip it," I said aloud.

"What?"

Within that question, I finally detected some nervousness in her voice.

"Kill everything. We'll come in on the edge and steer around its perimeter."

"It will pull us directly in."

Her assumption was correct, but as I saw it, we really didn't have any choice. "This is going to work."

Without further argument, Padmé bravely did as I requested. Our ship hurtled toward the approaching dark whorl and slid just inside it. It was all I could do to keep us away from the center and skirt the edge. Just like a whirlpool, the ship swam round and round, consistently gaining speed, until the vehicle was in danger of being ripped apart. Even though the H-types were a remarkable feat of engineering and boasted a chromium hull, the strain of the gravitational pull was causing a definite shimmer. She couldn't take much more.

"Engage hyperspeed, now!" I shouted excitedly seconds before I fully engaged the thrusters, shooting us out and away from the anomaly. The maneuver, however, automatically disengaged the lightspeed engines and caused the ship to go into a tailspin. We were spiraling out of control, the stars beyond the front portal a dizzying and blurred display of rapidly passing stars.

"Cut engines!" I called out, holding onto the seat. We were both in danger of passing out from the extreme levels of G-forces.

Helplessly, I watched as Padmé struggled to reach the controls, finally managing to do as I'd requested. The spinning had slowed some, but not enough to stop nausea from taking over. I struggled to stand and took over control of the ship myself, slamming the reverse engine throttle and steering into the spin. Finally, I regained control of the vessel, although my insides still felt as if they were rotating.

"I've got to contact Aleen. They're in critical danger!"

Padmé hurriedly opened a call to the galactic senate while I turned the ship around. This time, I was going to steer clear of the anomaly, but I was determined to take as many scans and readings as I could. It was highly unusual for something like that to appear out of nowhere and it needed to be investigated.

She had managed to contact a representative from the system but had been told something rather odd. Indeed, there had been an occurrence just beyond their orbit but it had disappeared as quickly as it had shown up.

We were about 160 km from Aleen and could find no evidence of a black hole. Nothing. Every scan we sent out came back negative for any type of gravitational anomaly whatsoever.

"I don't understand," Padmé uttered in disbelief.

It seemed like a time for complete honesty. "Neither do I," I humbly admitted.