Chapter 6: The Imperial Palace

After a confusing few minutes of being pushed around by Madden and watching Senator Lerrod answer questions from a jostling crowd of people with holo-recorders and voice amplifiers, Luke was taken back to the speeder and locked in. It was lucky the driver was still there, or he might have had to hotwire the lock to get out. She invited him to sit up front and Luke soon learned her name was Oleen and she'd been working as a chauffeur for Senator Lerrod for about six months.

"Did you know he keeps people in his basement and says they're pets? There's a Wookiee down there."

Oleen raised an eyebrow. "I've never been in the basement. Nothing would surprise me. You see it all, working for the rich and powerful on Coruscant. Laws don't apply to them."

"It was the same with people who worked for the Hutts on Tatooine," Luke said, sipping water from a bottle he'd found in the back.

Oleen glanced at him and then said, "So how did you end up in government care?"

Luke stared at the rim of the water bottle, feeling a wave of claustrophobia. Every time he thought about that night, he seemed to remember both a little more and a little less. Water splashed on his pants and he realised his hands were shaking.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," she said, taking the bottle and putting it in the cup holder. "I shouldn't have asked that."

They both jumped as another speeder came roaring up into the space beside them.

"Nerf herders!" Oleen said. "I bet it's a Corellian."

Luke couldn't tell if the woman who jumped out of the pilot's seat was a Corellian or not. She was dressed in some white and blue uniform. Another man climbed out of the passenger side and began tapping on Oleen's window.

"What the … who are these jokers?" Oleen said, picking up her comlink. Before she could activate it, the sound of a blaster shot caused both of them to duck. When Luke looked up again, he saw the newcomers had scattered, and Madden was rushing towards them, holding his blaster high. He slipped into the back seat in one movement and slammed the door.

"Go, go!"

"Do you owe them money?" Oleen asked, sounding halfway between angry and amused.

Luke stared at the landing pad as they lifted off, seeing senate guards pouring into the area.

"One of them came up to me in the hallway. Wanted to know where the boy was."

"Me?!" Luke said. "I don't know them."

"Maybe your deadbeat parents owe them money," Madden said. He swore then and slammed his hand on the seat. "This is the stupidest idea he's ever had. Kid, one way or another, you're going back to Family Services tonight."

"Fine by me!" Luke said, annoyed. "I never wanted to go with him anyway. And my parents weren't deadbeats!"

"Where should I go now?" Oleen asked.

"Just circle the city a few times and we'll make sure they aren't following. We'll go to the palace and regroup with the senator there."

Luke shuddered, suddenly feeling cold. What if his aunt and uncle had owed someone money? A powerful Hutt would have all kinds of scary people to send after them. They did have a bad harvest some years. Maybe they hadn't told him how bad it was and they'd made some terrible decision and now ... he reached up, feeling a tear threaten to fall.

They flew around and around for ages before Madden finally gave the order to go into land. Luke couldn't even bring himself to look out the window. He wanted nothing more for this day to be over and hopefully be reunited with Crix and Val at Family Services. They could run away again and maybe join the crew of some freighter. He could learn how to fly and travel the stars, just like his father had done.

He leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes, letting his old fantasy fully take over his thoughts.

The ship was sleek and chrome, the envy of the Mos Eisley docking bays. Luke stood in the entranceway, admiring it. Then a man came striding down the ramp. He had a friendly way about him, with blonde hair and blue eyes just like his. He smiled when he saw Luke, and then crouched down and opened his arms wide.

"Luke! Luke, my boy, I've missed you."

"Dad?!"

Luke ran to return the hug.

"I'm sorry I've been away so long," his father said.

"Nice ship," Luke said, looking up. "Is it yours?"

"Of course. Come with me? We can explore the stars."

Luke jumped in the air with joy. "Yes!"

"But where's your aunt and uncle?"

Luke's face fell. "I … uh …"

His father frowned then. "Where are they, Luke?!"

His tone had become accusing.

"I … I don't know what happened! It was so fast … I was scared! I'm sorry!"

"Maybe if you hadn't asked for so many birthday presents, they would have had enough money to pay the Hutts!"

Luke opened his eyes, sighing to himself. Nothing had changed.

"Sir, this area has been restricted!"

Vader stopped and stared at the senate guard, until she hastily lowered her arms and scuttled away. A stormtrooper captain rushed over to report as he came up the steps to the landing pad. It wasn't a heavily secured VIP landing pad used by the senators, but a lower level one assigned to office staff. There were cordons everywhere, but no sign of a fight.

"Lord Vader, we have secured the area and are in the process of questioning witnesses. We believe the reports of blaster fire are true, but they are the result of an overzealous bodyguard rather than any external threat."

"Do you have them in custody?" Vader asked, already anticipating the interview he'd like to conduct with a trigger-happy bodyguard who had caused a priority one security incident on Empire Day.

"I have a squad tracking him now, sir. We believe he has just arrived at the palace."

"Tell them to hold him there. I will conduct the interrogation."

"Yes, sir."

The captain glanced to the side, and Vader followed his gaze. Mas Amedda, the Imperial Grand Vizier, accompanied by a man unfamiliar to Vader, had just been escorted through the cordon. Mas Amedda had an expression like he'd just tasted some rotten fruit.

"Lord Vader. Captain," he said, looking from Vader to the stormtrooper. "May I introduce acting Senator Lerrod." There was more than a hint of disdain in his tone. "I believe he can shed some light on this incident."

The man stared at Vader blankly for a moment, and then smiled in a truly irritating way.

"Yes, yes, this was all a misunderstanding. My assistant was just coming back to the speeder and he saw strangers banging on the windows. There was a boy inside with a young woman chauffeur and he felt protective, you see. He's worked in security for years and can sometimes get a bit jumpy. You all know what I mean, I'm sure. Apparently a blaster was fired to ensure they stepped away and that was the end of it."

"What a coincidence," Mas Amedda said, folding his arms. "The late Senator Denna was also fond of blasters."

Senator Lerrod laughed. "Yes, he had quite a collection. Your office has been restored, I trust?"

"It is still being repainted." His tone was the opposite of amused.

"We have the other people involved here," the stormtrooper captain said, gesturing off to the side. "They remained to provide witness statements to the senate guards. One of them said she thought she recognized the speeder as belonging to the Chandrilan delegation and tapped on the window to say hello."

The senator laughed again, and Vader quickly turned to leave. If he remained here any longer, Coruscant would no longer have an acting senator.

Luke stared around in awe as he entered the main public hall of the Imperial Palace. Everywhere there were tall pillars, high ceilings, and massive sparkling windows. Statues of the Emperor appeared at regular intervals, as did all kinds of wall hangings and sculptures. It was so far removed from anything he'd known on Tatooine, he was waiting for one of the strange red guards to come up to Madden and demand he be taken away.

It had taken a lot of strong words from the man to get him through the security checkpoint after the underground landing pad. Apparently some application hadn't been filed, and they needed more information to give him a temporary security pass. Finally, after Madden's continual insistence that 'the senator will be extremely upset if there is any cause for delay', they came up with the idea of giving him the pass already in the system for Chilee Lerrod. Madden was sure the senator's son wouldn't show up at all, but in the event that he did, it would be simple enough to give him the pass and send Luke home.

"Where are we going now?" Luke said, his voice barely above a whisper. There were people wandering everywhere who looked wealthy and important.

"To an area designated for the press and senatorial staff," Madden said. "In about an hour's time, there will be a gala presentation in the reception hall and Senator Lerrod is giving a speech. We will wait on the sideline and he will call you over when you are required. Afterwards, your part will be done and I will call the chauffeur to escort you back home."

"What will I have to do?" Luke said, confused.

"Only to stand beside him. Nothing else."

Luke was about to ask further questions, when the sight of white armor attracted his attention. A pair of stormtroopers were coming through the crowd, walking straight towards them. The sight of them made him think of LJ. They both stopped in front of Madden, and the one of the right gestured off to the side.

"Sir, you will come with us. You are required to answer some questions about an incident at the Senate."

Madden sighed and glanced at his wrist comlink. "How long will this take? I have a lot of work to do."

"Please, come quickly and quietly," the trooper said, putting a hand on Madden's shoulder. "We don't wish to disrupt the celebrations."

Madden shrugged the hand off but he did begin walking where the trooper had gestured, mumbling to himself about overzealous security procedures. Neither trooper even glanced at Luke, but he followed them, nervous at the thought of being abandoned in this massive place. He badly needed a refresher, and perhaps there would be one in the place they were taking Madden.

They went through two massive carved doors with red guards on either side, and then down a winding stairwell. At the bottom, they emerged into a long, dark corridor. Luke glanced back over his shoulder as they turned corners and passed through another grim, heavy door. This was so different from the light and glamorous party atmosphere they'd just left behind upstairs. It was reminding him of stories on Tatooine about what happened to people when they were taken to see the Hutts.

Madden seemed to be feeling the same sense of danger, as his mumbled complaints turned into spoken complaints, and then near shouting.

"This is outrageous!" he said, when one gave him a push to keep him walking. "I am the chief of staff for Senator Lerrod, and I promise you, when he hears of this, you will both be court martialed!"

They didn't respond. Luke had hung back now, feeling a chill in the air. Up ahead, there was another heavy black door, flanked again with red guards. The troopers reached up to grip Madden's arms as one of them pressed the button to open the door, and Luke put his sweaty hands in his pockets, clutching his security pass.

Between Madden and the stormtroopers, Luke had a brief glimpse of a round black table and some chairs in the room beyond. Then, a cold, hissing sound like someone drawing breath through a tube. He took an instinctive step backwards, before finally turning and sprinting back up the corridor, feeling the need to move away from whatever was in that room as quickly as possible.

But they'd taken so many turns, and it was all so dark down here, Luke soon found himself lost. There weren't even any guards to ask directions. Finally, a green exit light above a door shone like an oasis in the desert, and he climbed the stairs two at a time, hoping he'd at least find some other people on the ground floor.

When he burst out of the door at the top, he looked left and right, seeing he was now in a corridor with actual daylight and fancy art. There were no party guests, although he could hear the buzz of conversation down the far end. He turned to the side so fast, intending to go down to see, that he bumped into a pedestal. The porcelain jug on top rattled back and forth, causing Luke to dive forward to prevent it from crashing. It was a full minute before he stopped shaking—the thing was probably worth a million credits and he had nearly broken it!

Luke looked around nervously, seeing an entire corridor of expensive looking art between him and his destination. How did a boy from a farm on Tatooine end up among all this?

He was not the only one to wonder that, because a red guard appeared beside him. He didn't say anything, merely stared down from what seemed like a great height to Luke. His helmet was so shiny, Luke could almost see his own reflection. His eyes wandered to the left, and he saw the guard was holding some kind of spear-like weapon. It looked dangerous.

Just when Luke thought he might have to start begging for his life, the man spoke.

"Did you lose your tour group?"

The strange sound of the words through the guard's helmet made Luke smile. He sounded a little like LJ did, yet more distorted. He also sounded amused.

"No. I'm here with … a man who works for Senator Lerrod. But some stormtroopers took him downstairs and … I was supposed to stay with him, but …" Luke frowned, realizing he had no idea what to do next. "It was scary."

"Senator Lerrod is due to arrive here shortly. I can take you to the VIP landing pad to wait for him, if your security pass allows access to that level."

"That's a good idea," Luke said, sighing with relief. He reached for his security pass, but his fingers closed around nothing but pocket lint. The cheap material had caused the inner seam to split at the bottom "I've lost my pass!" he said, looking around. "I … I had it downstairs. Wait! Let me find it!"

Going back down there was the last thing he wanted, but being dragged away by a spear-wielding guard because he was in the Imperial palace without a pass was even worse. He turned and went back down the stairwell, keeping an eye out for the silver and red pass. Once at the bottom, he turned to find the guard had followed him.

"I swear I did have a pass!" Luke said, raising his hands.

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't," the guard said, still sounding amused. "When did you last have it?"

"It was in my pocket when I was outside the room where they took Madden." Luke thought for a moment, remembering how he'd turned and ran. It could have fallen out then, but he didn't want to tell this guard he'd run for his life because he heard a strange noise.

His companion raised his head for a moment and stood still. Luke was looking around, trying to decide if he could actually find his way back there, when the guard looked back down.

"Your pass is there. Follow me."

Luke wondered how he knew. Maybe the guards had some way of communicating with each other through their helmets. In any case, he was glad this guard was going with him, as he was feeling nervous again. But maybe it would all be okay. Perhaps Madden had finished with the stormtroopers and he could go back with him. Nothing was ever as scary the second time around.

"Take the body to the morgue," Vader said, turning to leave. He would arrange to have it delivered to Senator Lerrod when it would have the maximum effect.

As soon as he exited the doors, he was brought up short by the sight of two terrified bright blue eyes. A child. No, not merely a child. The Force rippled with his glowing presence, dulling his own sense of the Dark Side. A Force-sensitive child. Curious indeed …

The boy turned and fled up the corridor, dodging a royal guard who was a few paces behind him. Vader glanced down, seeing the boy had been about to pick up a visitor security pass. He used the Force to summon it to his hand and looked at the name.

Chilee Lerrod.

Of course Lerrod would be too stupid to understand children were not invited to the palace event. Or, more likely, he believed his child was an exception.

It never failed to amaze Vader, the number of parents who believed the galaxy revolved around their child. If that's what parenthood did to a person, Vader was glad he would never be inflicted with that particular condition.

After a good hour of hiding in a refresher stall, head spinning with the increasing unreality of his life, Luke began to form a rough plan of action. He would get out of this place one way or another, and then find his way back to Family Services. From there, maybe he could convince them to transfer him back to Tatooine. He needed to get as far away as possible from that pure sense of terror he'd just experienced down in the basement. That magazine picture did not do that Darth Vader person justice.

He managed to avoid attracting attention from the guards by walking confidently and keeping his head up, in complete contrast to how he was feeling inside. Up ahead, there was a large statue of the Emperor with his back to him, his arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture. It seemed to Luke like the type of thing that might be near an entrance, so he walked faster, hoping he'd see the way out once he went past it. He was two paces away from it when he felt a rough hand on his shoulder, and then he was jerked around to face Senator Lerrod.

"Where the hell have you been?! Where's Madden?"

Luke raised his hands. "I don't know! He was taken away by stormtroopers. I've been trying to find my way out of here!"

"What do you mean, find your way out? For star's sake! This is the Imperial Palace! You were both supposed to be there for my speech."

Luke frowned. "I want to go back to Family Services."

"No, you are coming with me and I'm going to introduce you to some people. Don't say a word."

He tried to grab his arm, but Luke reared back. "I don't want to meet people. I want to leave! This place is weird and scary."

Just as he said the word scary, Luke saw the source of his earlier terror stepping out of a nearby elevator. Nothing had been improved by the fact he was now in daylight and not the pitch dark basement corridor. Luke looked around desperately, hoping to see a large door leading outside.

Before he could run, Senator Lerrod succeeded in grabbing his arm and gave him a shake.

"One would think, after paying twenty thousand credits, I could have got a child with at least half a brain!"

Lord Vader was less than ten meters away now, coming right for them. Luke desperately tried to free himself, and finally, the senator must have sensed the cold fog approaching behind, as he straightened up, glancing over his shoulder. As soon as he let go, Luke turned and ran, only to run head first into a royal guard. He looked up, recognizing the one who assisted him earlier.

"Oh! You!" he said.

The guard looked down at him, and then over at the senator and Lord Vader. Luke didn't dare turn around. Just hearing that breathing noise was enough. No words were exchanged, but the guard then put a gloved hand on his upper arm, guiding him on.

"Come with me."

The senator was droning on about the honour of being asked to speak at the occasion, and the possibility of meeting the Emperor, but Vader barely heard him. He was staring after the boy as he was led away by the guard. It was a cruel twist of fate that a two-faced, bootlicking politician like Lerrod should have a Force-sensitive son. He was certainly strong in the Force—even clearer now that they were in such close proximity. But not much else. Short, skinny, and the worn clothing did not help. He looked like he'd spent some time in a detention centre.

Vader glanced at Lerrod then. This man was decked out in the latest Coruscant fashion, complete with a fully embroidered floor-length robe. Something didn't add up.

"Your son?" Vader enquired, gesturing after the boy.

The senator laughed in a truly irritating way. "No, no. My son should arrive shortly. I'd be honoured to introduce him to—"

"Then what is your relationship with that boy?" Vader asked, pointing a finger at Lerrod's chest. "Answer quickly."

"Quickly," he repeated, seeming to finally catch on that perhaps trying his patience wasn't a wise use of his time. Despite his intention, his explanation was anything but quick. "Ah, yes. It all started when I saw the holos of the Jedi attack at the Family Services centre. Just the thought of all those poor kids without parents to take care of them. It broke my heart! So I thought 'here am I, with all my wealth, the least I could do would be to take one of these poor, lost souls into my home and care for them'."

"He came from the Family Services centre?" Vader said, feeling the Force hum with the revelation. So. He was what the Jedi were after.

Lerrod nodded. "They said, 'Sir, we've got a boy here who keeps running away and getting into trouble. He'll end up in juvenile prison if we don't find a home for him soon. Everyone has turned us down so far.' So what could I say? I had some reservations about having a delinquent child in my home, and my wife wasn't too impressed, to say the least. But I thought, don't we all deserve another chance? Don't we all just need a leg up now and then? So I agreed to take him."

This speech sounded very rehearsed, like he'd already delivered it several times today.

"Who were the boy's biological parents?" Vader asked.

Lerrod actually looked confused at the question, as if it hadn't occurred to him the child might have parents. "I'm not sure, my lord."

Vader was willing to bet his life the boy had been sired by a Jedi. He appeared young enough to have been born after the purge began ... perhaps the remaining exiled Jedi had made the decision to reproduce, to restore their flagging numbers. They were out there, somewhere. Planning to raise these new padawans to bring down the Empire. Vader looked towards the circular window at the end of the hall, contemplating the city beyond.

Obi-Wan and this other Jedi had come to Coruscant to retrieve the boy. But something had foiled their plan, or they would have taken their prize already. Perhaps they didn't dare risk a strike while the boy was in such close proximity to the Sith.

Lerrod had been droning on in the meantime, and Vader resumed listening.

"It hasn't been easy, adjusting to life with a new member of the family. But I know it will be worth it in the end."

"I wouldn't get too attached to the boy, if I were you," Vader said, more to the window than to Lerrod.

His tone finally reduced the senator to silence, and Vader turned and walked back to the elevator. The senator would likely faint if he told him the boy would have to be killed. Politicians never did like getting their hands dirty.

When, was another question. Now that he knew Obi-Wan's plans, perhaps he could use the boy as bait to draw out the remaining Jedi. The Emperor might even let him forgo these endless Empire Day ceremonies if he presented a sound plan. In the interim, he would assign some ISB agents to guard him.

"You seem so normal," Luke said, staring at the now helmet-less guard. The man had readily agreed that he needed to leave the Imperial Palace as soon as possible, and had even offered to give him a ride back to the senator's mansion.

As soon as they had entered the black speeder marked with the Imperial flag, his new friend had removed his helmet to pilot the speeder, revealing a 30-something bearded man with black hair.

"Should I take that as a compliment?" he asked, glancing over at Luke.

"No ... I mean, well I didn't mean it as an insult. I didn't mean to say you were boring."

"It's okay if you do," he replied, smiling. "My son thinks I'm boring. He's around your age."

"You have a son?" Luke said, surprised. "This is what I mean. You don't think of guards as having families. Maybe I'm just used to the stormtroopers at Family Services—they're retired clones and don't even have proper names."

"Oh, we have proper names. They're generally kept secret, though. Except to our fellow guards."

"Can you tell me?" Luke said, grinning.

"I could ... but then I'd have to kill you."

Luke stopped smiling and stared in shock.

"I'm just kidding," he said, smiling, "Sephan Jarnet, captain of the fourteenth squadron of the royal guard. And you are?"

"Luke Skywalker."

"I figured you weren't actually Chilee Lerrod. The senate guard warned us to assign a squad to him if he actually showed at the palace today, but you seem fairly harmless."

"More like two squads," Luke said, frowning.

"So how did you end up in the company of the senator, Luke?"

Luke raised his hands in a shrugging motion. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself. He showed up at the Family Services centre and handed over thousands of credits in exchange for me. Then I find out he has a Wookiee locked up in his basement, and no one seems to care. Coruscant is so strange."

"I can't argue with that." He was no longer smiling. "Is he treating you all right?"

Luke was about to tell him he was planning to grab his T-16 and high-tail it out of here as soon as he was able. But he hesitated. The guard might try and talk him out of it or want to call the police. He didn't need the attention.

"It's fine," Luke said.

The guard looked at him in a worried way that reminded him of his aunt and uncle.

"It's a lot better than the Family Services centre," Luke said. "That place got attacked by a Jedi."

This seemed to satisfy him. "Yes, I heard about that. Hard to believe there are still Jedi around."

They were dropping out of the traffic, and Luke looked at the senator's mansion in disgust. To think he'd thought this place looked interesting when he'd first arrived. The fancy exterior hid an ugly truth inside. Like many things on Coruscant.

"Thank you for the ride," Luke said, as they set down.

"You're welcome. Perhaps I'll see you over at the palace again."

"No way!" Luke said, "I'm not going back there! First, I could have broken that expensive vase. Then I nearly bumped into Lord Vader in the basement! That place and me don't mix!"

"That wasn't the basement," Captain Jarnet said. "It goes down a lot further than that."

"Does it get even scarier the further you go down?"

The guard looked like this was a revelation to him. "I suppose it does. Gets pretty scary at the top as well. In the middle is generally okay."

Luke smiled. "I'll remember that if I'm ever forced to come back." He started to open the door, but the guard raised a hand.

"Wait." He removed a notepad from the glove compartment. "This is my comlink frequency. Call me if you need help."

"Uh … thanks," Luke said, accepting it. Maybe he hadn't believed him when he'd said he was fine. He quickly slid out onto the landing pad before he was asked any more questions. "Bye."

"Goodbye, Luke."

Always one to stand on ceremony, the Grand Vizier gave Vader a look of disapproval as he entered the anteroom to the main banquet hall. The Emperor was waiting to enter, preceded by five pairs of royal guards.

"Ah, Lord Vader," the Emperor said. "You were delayed?"

"Yes, my master," Vader said. "My apologies."

"No more shooting, I hope."

Vader hesitated, conscious of Mas Amedda's presence, and the various other members of the Imperial hierarchy in the room beyond. He normally let the Emperor take the lead on whether it was appropriate to discuss Sith matters in front of an audience.

"There have been … developments in the situation with the Jedi," he said.

The Emperor stared at him for a moment, and then waved a hand behind him. "Leave us."

It took a moment for the room to be cleared. The guards in formation remained, but the Emperor moved away from them.

"You have sensed Kenobi again?"

"No, Master. But I have discovered what they are after. It is a Force sensitive child, as I suspected."

"Where is this child now?"

"Nearby, at Senator Lerrod's home. After the attack, the senator went to the Family Services facility to procure a child for his political campaign. I have assigned several agents to watch the building and report on any change in the situation."

"You want to use the boy as bait to draw out the Jedi?"

"Yes, Master."

"There is a risk in your approach. They may succeed."

"I will sense their arrival."

His master appeared skeptical, but he nodded. "Be mindful. They may take advantage of the crowds in the city for the evening parade." He raised a crooked finger. "No public incidents. If you must leave the ceremonies, do so discreetly and make sure it is handled without destroyed buildings and random fires."

Vader was about to protest he hadn't destroyed a Coruscant building or caused any random fires in years, but then he wasn't entirely sure that was true.

"I will endeavour to do as you wish, Master," he said.

The senator's home seemed deserted when he walked through into the main hall. In Madden's office, a comlink was beeping insistently. A roving security droid floated past, but it paid no attention to Luke. Walking further than he'd been before, past the senator's office, he found a dining room with fruit bowls laid out and jugs of water and glasses. He'd already devoured a whole bunch of berries when a serving droid appeared.

"Good afternoon, young sir," the droid said. "May I get you something?"

"Stars, yes, I'm starving," Luke said. "What kind of food do you have?"

The answer was pretty much everything, from bread and soup to pie and ice cream. There was an entire leftover baked meat and cheese dish which the droid said would be disposed of at the end of the day. He was happy to put it in a container for him, as Luke had an idea for a better use for it.

Once he'd eaten his fill, he made his way downstairs, his arms full of all the leftovers he could carry. As soon as he entered the cage room, the Wookiee snarled.

"It's me," Luke said, ignoring the sound. "I brought you some food."

The snarl changed to a more friendly sound, and Luke walked around to the slot and conveyor belt that transferred food. It took a minute to unload all of it, and then Luke looked down at the tiled floor, feeling a wave of helplessness. "I'm sorry I can't help you more."

There was nothing he could do but walk away. It was getting late in the day now, and he wanted to be away from here before dark.

But as soon as he came through the doors, he felt rough hands grab him and shove him against the wall. Luke didn't even need to look up to know who his unwelcome company was.

"Did you feed them?" Chilee yelled. "They're my pets!"

Luke struggled against Chilee's hold, but it was useless. Chilee was older, stronger, and bigger.

"They're not pets, you sleemo!" Luke yelled back. "They're people!"

Chilee shifted his hand up to Luke's throat and pressed him harder against the wall. "Why aren't you at the palace with my father?!"

Luke attempted to kick Chilee in the shins. It didn't hurt him, though, as he was wearing thick padded boots. Chilee tightened his grip, and Luke struggled to breathe. He stared into his eyes, seeing only a sadistic type of pleasure. Luke felt fear rise up in his chest in response. There was no one around, no one to help him. Chilee was so angry, so crazy ...

Just when Luke thought he was really going to strangle him, Chilee suddenly let go. Luke fell to the floor in a daze. His laughter sounded muted as if he was hearing it through a comlink. The blurry image of six hands were reaching down to grab him.

Without thinking, Luke kicked out and sent Chilee staggering backwards. It gave him the much needed moment to recover from his lack of oxygen. Encouraged by his momentary success, Luke jumped to his feet and held his fists ready.

Far from ready to back down, an enraged Chilee charged back into the fight, smashing both of them into the wall. Luke had been in fights before, in the schoolyard on Tatooine, but never against an opponent so angry. He swung his fists wildly at Luke, not caring if they hit their target or cracked into the wall. One finally slipped through Luke's defenses and hit him viciously in the face.

Luke felt his nose begin to bleed and something inside him snapped. He felt a surge of energy fill the air around him, and he hit back, pushing all this new found energy into a weapon. When he finally managed to focus again, he was still standing, but his opponent had fallen against the wall at the other end of the corridor. He'd been thrown about ten meters.

Luke stared in surprise. Who had done that?

Chilee began to stir, and Luke didn't stick around to wonder about it. He ran for the elevator as fast as his battered body could carry him.