Chapter 7: Jedi Bait

Obi-Wan couldn't help but think of Anakin, as he sped and dodged his way in and out of the Coruscant traffic lanes.

Sorry, Master. I forgot you don't like flying.

I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide!

Anakin had been determined, then. He always was when someone he cared about was in danger. If only he was here right now—he could certainly use his help.

Isn't that the problem, though?

Obi-Wan shook his head, suppressing the thought. He had long ago given up on making that connection in his mind. It was simply too painful. Nothing of the compassionate, caring apprentice he had raised remained in Vader. To think of Vader as Anakin was a disservice to everything Anakin had believed in.

It hurt, though. It hurt to have to hide Luke from him like this, even if Vader didn't retain the spirit of the man who had fathered the boy. He would like him to at least see how much Luke had inherited, from both his parents.

"Master Kenobi?"

The speeder comlink lit up with an image of Agent Bass.

"I'm on my way. What's your status?"

"The boy has left Senator Lerrod's residence and appears to be making his way into the heart of the Imperial City district. We have a security droid tailing him. I should be able to pick him up in the next thirty minutes."

"If you reach him before I do, tell him you're working with Ben Kenobi," Obi-Wan said. "That's the name I used on Tatooine and he'll remember me. I won't be far behind."

"I will. See you shortly."

As Obi-Wan reached up to turn off the comlink, he took his eyes off the lane. He would regret his distraction, later. It was a critical mistake.

He didn't even see it coming until it was too late. A black shadow, flying out of the sky, lightsaber ignited. Obi-Wan jumped up to face him, but the attacker already had the advantage of surprise. Obi-Wan was hit in the chest by a powerful Force push, one which sent him tumbling over the side of the speeder.

Then he was falling down, down ... and this time, Anakin wouldn't be waiting to pick him up.

It had taken Luke an hour to find his way to the public walkways and bridges that passed for Coruscant's streets. Every store and restaurant was decked out in Imperial flags, and the crowds were so thick, it was difficult to move.

Stormtroopers and hovering security droids appeared on every corner, but Luke didn't attract their attention in the throng. He'd never been in the streets of this wealthy part of Imperial City before and despite his dire situation, he couldn't help but wonder at how clean it was, compared to the murky dark alleyways surrounding the block where IFS was located.

Eventually, he found signs pointing to an airbus terminal, but there were long queues of people waiting to travel out of Imperial City and even more streaming in, and far too many droids checking for valid tickets. He would have to hide somewhere and wait until things had calmed down.

The abundance of neon lights and lack of alleyways made it harder to find a hiding place, though. Soon, he was hopelessly lost in a network of transparent overpasses that led between a shopping district and a restaurant area. When he was pushed aside by a large group of Nautolans in fancy clothes, he reversed into a stormtrooper who gripped him by the arm.

"You all right, kid? Are you lost?"

Luke quickly pulled away. "No, I'm fine! My parents are just over there!"

He ran off, pushing past the Nautolans and jumped into an elevator that was closing. A young girl held the door for him, and he smiled at her as he slipped inside.

"Thank you."

"Your nose has blood on it!" she said, pointing up.

Luke wiped at it with his sleeve. "It's nothing." Maybe he should find a refresher and wash his face.

The elevator was going up, and he stayed on until the top floor, which led to some rooftop bar. The security guards took one look at him and then pointed down.

"I think you have the wrong floor, kid."

Luke stared past them, seeing the bar had a view out over the floodlit Emperor statue in front of the Senate. At least he knew where he was now.

"Yes, you're right," he said, pushing the button for the lowest floor. Perhaps he'd have more luck down there.

It took a good fifteen minutes to travel down, stopping at every floor to collect people who then exited a couple of levels down. When he finally reached the bottom, he found it much less crowded, to his relief. He could even see a public refresher sign down past a bridge. The only other 'person' getting out at this level was one of the hovering security droids, but it darted away when he stepped out.

He was busy staring around at the somewhat shady looking stores in this area, when he heard a woman's voice behind him.

"Luke Skywalker?"

Luke jumped around in one movement. It was one of the people who had tapped on the windows of their speeder at the Senate, right before Madden had started shooting.

"How do you know my name?" he said, looking around in confusion.

"I'm helping Ben Kenobi. He's here looking for you."

"Ben Kenobi?" Luke said, feeling a sudden rush of hope. "From Tatooine?"

She nodded.

"Where is he?" Luke said, taking a step towards her. As soon as he did, the woman ripped out a concealed blaster, aiming it over his head. He turned again and could hardly believe his eyes. Over the bridge, under the public refresher sign, he could see someone else walking towards them. His view was blocked by a slow-moving protocol droid, but there was no mistaking that overly thin body, the creeping gait, and the deep crimson laser sword. Was he hallucinating?

"Luke! Run!" the woman shouted, firing a few shots towards the murderer of his aunt and uncle. Luke tried to get back to the elevator, but instantly there were two security droids and four stormtroopers pouring out of a nearby cantina. The amount of blaster fire in the area only increased after that, and Luke dived behind a row of dumpsters. As soon as he had caught his breath, he risked a glance over the top of the lid.

He couldn't see the woman anymore, but the stormtroopers shot randomly at the Jedi, pumping hundreds of laser bolts in his direction as if their blasters had unlimited power. The shadowy figure deflected them all into the permacrete paving, and some came flying back towards him and hit the wall above his head, exploding in a shower of sparks. Luke quickly ducked down, but when one shot hit the dumpster, crushing him against the wall, he looked to the elevator. A security droid had collapsed in the doors, holding them open.

Luke felt a familiar panic rise in his chest. This was just like that terrible night on the farm. No, he couldn't think about that now. Just count to three and go.

The next thirty seconds happened in a blur. He ran for the elevator and immediately felt a searing pain burning in his leg, sending him tumbling to the paving. This was it. He was really going to die. Hopefully he'd be reunited with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. And his parents. He closed his eyes, thinking about how good it would feel to finally share a hug with his father.

Then he felt a hand grabbing the back of his shirt, yanking him up. It wasn't until he was half-thrown, half-pushed into the elevator that he realized it was a stormtrooper. The man was badly limping too, but he was still holding his blaster and he was shooting steadily over Luke's body. Adrenaline kicked in and Luke used his good leg to shove the broken droid out of the elevator doors. They immediately closed.

"Thanks," the stormtrooper said, sinking back against the far wall.

Before Luke could respond, part of a lightsaber blade cut through the doors. The stormtrooper quickly hit a button, while letting loose several swear words. The elevator began to move, but just as Luke managed to get back on his feet, they both heard something bang on the other side of the elevator floor.

The stormtrooper hit another button, and the elevator came to a halt at the next floor. The trooper reversed out, blaster at the ready, holding Luke upright with his other arm. Everytime weight rested on his injured leg, Luke gasped at the pain. Any second now, that Jedi would burst through the elevator floor and what chance would they have then?

"Luke!"

Luke turned, seeing the woman from earlier, now at the controls of an open-cockpit speeder. She shouted something else, but he couldn't hear her over the blaring alarms. Past her, he could see troop transports rushing into the area, ready to coordinate an evacuation. He started to move towards her, but stumbled, grazing a knee. In a moment, she had brought the speeder up beside him, and he used the door handle to pull himself up.

"Come on!" Luke called to the stormtrooper.

"We're not taking a buckethead," the woman said, with an air of disdain.

"He saved my life!" Luke said, frowning. Gritting his teeth, he limped over to pull the trooper towards the speeder. He still had his blaster trained on the elevator. Just as Luke reached him, there was a flash of black and red, and someone burst through the elevator floor.

"We need to get out of here!" Luke shouted.

The stormtrooper finally turned and ran for the speeder, throwing himself into the back. Luke was a second behind, and the woman fired her blaster past him to cover their escape. A second later, they had roared off into the Coruscant sky, throwing Luke back against the passenger seat.

"Great," the woman said. "And now we have more bucketheads on our tail." She gestured over her left shoulder.

Luke couldn't turn his head far enough to look. At this point, he didn't care if half the Imperial navy was on their tail, as long as it wasn't that Jedi. That guy was an unstoppable machine.

"Where are we going?" he mumbled, trying not to look at his injured leg.

She didn't answer. Luke glanced at her, feeling suddenly doubtful. Ben Kenobi? That old hermit? How would he have the credits to travel to Coruscant to find him? And why would he? More likely this woman was a bounty hunter, perhaps working for the Hutt who was trying to collect on his aunt and uncle's debt. Maybe they thought they could recover it by selling him into slavery.

The idea made him shudder in the cold night air. He looked over the side, wondering if he'd have a chance to escape when they landed. They flew across the Senate square, where thousands of people were gathered with flags and glowing sticks. Then past the Senate, past a rectangular park filled with fountains and gardens, and finally to a white tower. The landing pad had an entire team of people dressed the same as the woman, with white uniforms and blasters. It didn't put Luke's mind at ease.

As soon as they landed, there was a screeching noise behind them, and Luke finally eased his leg into a position where he could look. Another speeder, this one fully enclosed with tinted windows, had landed behind them. A black-suited commando trooper climbed out and shouted for everyone to drop their weapons.

Luke had no idea who these people were, but he had a feeling they weren't going to obey. The woman beside him jumped out of the speeder and stood ready with her blaster raised.

"This embassy is under the jurisdiction of Alderaan," she said. "You will put down your weapons!"

"You have until the count of ten to drop your weapons or we will open fire!"

"I can't believe this," Luke mumbled. He looked over the seat at the stormtrooper, who was lying down and breathing heavily. "You okay?"

"Been better, kid," he said. "But I'll live. You should take cover. This doesn't sound good."

"I can't believe what my life is right now," Luke said, flinging himself over to the pilot's side. The woman was distracted with the fight and didn't notice as he slipped out onto the ground. A moment later, the inevitable blaster fire burned through the air, causing red and green to blur at the edges of his vision. He gave up crawling and began to run towards the building as fast as his burning leg could carry him.

He kept looking over his shoulder as he moved, half-expecting to see his Jedi hunter shoving everyone else aside to reach him. It was just like his nightmare. No matter how fast he ran, he could feel him getting closer. As the last of his adrenaline began to run out, Luke stumbled with exhaustion.

Finally, he reached a corridor and fell to his knees beside the wall. His hand triggered a touch-sensitive button and a small compartment slid open next to him. Crawling in, the door immediately slid closed beside him, leaving him shrouded in pitch darkness, but he didn't care. All he could do now was wait. He couldn't run anymore and he was too injured to fight. The Jedi would find him and then … maybe it would finally be over.

As he flew over the crowds, Vader had the speeder's HoloNet terminal tuned to the official Imperial coverage of the Empire Day festivities. The talk of a 'minor security precaution' in the Senate entertainment precinct made for an interesting juxtaposition with the ISB agent's report on the other end of his comlink.

"... three stormtroopers were killed in the confrontation. The Jedi escaped down an elevator shaft into the lower levels. I've ordered an area search, and we have emergency back-up teams in the area now."

Vader clenched his fingers around the steering controls. Leaving the Empire Day banquet 'discreetly' had meant he'd just missed the reappearance of the elusive Jedi. He could have ended this right now if he'd been five minutes earlier.

"Where is the boy?" Vader asked.

"An agent working for the Alderaanian government picked him up and has taken him to their embassy. A death trooper squad has pursued them."

"Tell them I will be there shortly," Vader said, changing direction. Wherever the boy was, the Jedi would soon follow. As to how the Alderaanians were involved, he didn't have the energy to theorise.

As soon as he swerved out of the traffic lane, he could see a fire on the embassy landing pad. He glanced at the rear view HUD and saw a fire ship was already on its way. He shifted aside and fell back to let it pass, trying not to think about the Emperor's last instruction. If he hadn't insisted on him attending the banquet in the first place, this might have been avoided. At least the building was still in one piece.

The fire ship had the entire landing pad covered in fire suppressant in under a minute, and Vader followed it in to land. As soon as he stepped out of the speeder, he felt the presence of the boy humming in the Force around him. It was hard to miss.

An ISB agent approached him from behind one of the Alderaanian ships, her armor marked with blaster burns.

"My lord, these Alderaanian scum opened fire when we tried to retrieve the boy, and then ran for their lives. We're currently trying to find him."

"I will find him," Vader said. "Take all Imperial personnel and vacate this building immediately. You have drawn too much attention."

The agent saluted and immediately went to carry out his order. Vader turned and followed his sense of the boy's presence. It led him a few meters inside the building, to a utility compartment in the wall.

He was about to open the door, when another Force presence flared at the edges of his perception. This one was unfamiliar, but the nature of the Force that surrounded the presence was not. Angry, fearful … pure hate. It had sensed him as well.

Vader ignited his lightsaber and began to move towards the malevolent presence, but it shielded itself and vanished into the ever changing energy of the city. Part of him wanted to pursue and chase this Dark Side pretender to the ends of the galaxy if need be, but a shuffling noise from the wall compartment made him halt.

He waved his black-gloved hand in front of the door, causing it to slide back with a whoosh. There was no sign of movement within, so he tilted his lightsaber into the darkness. The red glow instantly lit up the figure of the boy, cringing against the wall and shielding his face with both arms. His terror buffeted against his mental shields, causing him to take a step back.

Vader glanced towards the landing pad, wondering if he'd been hasty in dismissing the ISB agents. This wasn't exactly his area of speciality.

He turned back to the child and found the boy was staring at him in surprise, as if he'd been expecting someone else. Vader felt equally surprised by his appearance. Part of his face was swollen and bruised. Blood ran from his nose and trailed down his gray shirt. The agent who had been following the boy had made no mention of injuries. If the Jedi were intending to rescue him, they would hardly inflict this damage. Perhaps the boy had resisted his capture.

"What happened to you?" Vader demanded. "Do you know the Jedi you were hiding from?"

The boy's only response was to try and squash himself behind a cleaning droid. Vader looked from his lightsaber to the boy and decided he might make better progress if he switched it off.

"You have nothing to fear," Vader said, holstering his lightsaber. "The Jedi has gone. Come out into the corridor."

He stepped back from the entrance to give the boy room to climb out. After a few seconds, in which no sounds of movement were forthcoming, Vader glanced back in annoyance. Had he just been disobeyed? By a child?!

"Hurry up!"

The boy only cringed at his words, looking not unlike a frightened bantha cub.

Vader looked around, hoping for someone else, anyone else, who would know how to handle this situation. Sith Lords and children did not mix.

The corridors remained deserted and quiet.

Looking back at the boy, he found himself in two minds about what to do. He could order the ISB agent to return and escort the boy back to the senator's home. That might tempt the Jedi into making another attempt to retrieve him, and Vader did not intend to let him survive the next one.

So why didn't he? Vader continued to stare at the boy, wondering why the child's gaze seemed familiar. Perhaps he had killed the boy's Jedi parent at some stage. Or perhaps he or she had been an acquaintance of Anakin Skywalker.

Whatever the reason, it was silly to stand here in a state of indecision. Perhaps he should take heed of the old axiom and trust his feelings.

"I am not going to hurt you," Vader tried, attempting to sound less threatening. "Now, come out of there immediately." He embedded a healthy dose of Force suggestion into his last command, hoping it would do the trick.

To his surprise, the child simply brushed it off. "You'll just t-take me back to the senator."

Vader sensed genuine fear behind the words. Curious. It suddenly occurred to Vader that the boy may have obtained his injuries from the senator himself. It was difficult to imagine Lerrod being capable of such brutality, but appearances could be deceiving. The thought made him feel increasingly angry.

What to do about it was another question entirely.

While he considered the idea, the boy suddenly launched himself out of the compartment and tried to bolt. Vader reached out to block his path, but it turned out to be unnecessary. As soon as the boy tried to put his weight on his legs, he sunk to his knees and would have collapsed if Vader hadn't caught him.

Now that he could see the boy in the light, his injuries appeared far worse.

"You need medical attention," he said, feeling a wave of concern he couldn't explain. There wasn't time to wonder about his feelings, though—he had to get the child to a medcenter or he could forget about using him as bait for the Jedi. He propped him up against the wall. "Can you walk to the speeder?"

The boy rubbed his head for a moment and then nodded.

"Good." Vader let him go, and the boy began to limp forward, heavily favoring his right leg.

"Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan rubbed his head, feeling a tender bruise forming under his hair. He opened his eyes and found several sets looking back at him.

"He's coming around."

"It's about time."

"Shhh!"

A hand was placed on his chest, and he felt waves of healing flow through his body, helping him call on the Force for strength. He waited until he was fully aware and then sat up quickly.

There were no weapons pointed at him. Only concerned gazes. Except one, which he recognized as belonging to the Lars' murderer.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The one who had spoken first pulled back her brown hood.

"Isel?" He smiled in recognition of the Saslum Jedi healer. "Isel Arperh. I had no idea you were still alive."

"I can say the same about you, Master Obi-Wan," Isel said, reaching out to pat his shoulder.

Obi-Wan cast his eyes around the other two in the group, not recognizing them. Judging by their ages, they wouldn't have been more than eight or nine at the time of Palpatine's takeover. Their presence in the Force was weak, barely stronger than that of a non-Jedi. Perhaps that was why they had managed to survive.

Obi-Wan looked past his companions and saw he was in the hold of a rundown ship. Taped wires were visible in the walls, and a bucket was positioned a short distance away, catching a coolant leak.

Before him, his nemesis stood up and drew back his hood. His gray head was shaped like a squashed triangle, and his eyes were of the large, compounded variety. Now that he could see him in the light, he was vaguely recognizable to Obi-Wan. He believed he was knighted shortly before Anakin, but he'd left the order during the Clone Wars.

In the Sectoid symbol of greeting, he extended all six abdominal appendages from the folds of his robe. It appeared the one Obi-Wan had sliced off on Tatooine had since grown back.

"We meet properly at last, Master Kenobi," he said, in the same raspy, hissing tone Obi-Wan had heard on the terrible night of the Lars' murder. "I am Murzil Tis, former padawan of Master Lee Yanbur."

"I fought with Master Yanbur in the Battle of Konopal," Obi-Wan said. "He was a dedicated Jedi of unswerving faith. How would he feel to know his former padawan had become a murderer?"

"Grateful that he was a good enough master to prevent his padawan from turning traitor," came the sneering reply.

"Stop it!" Isel said, standing between them. "Tis, who did you kill?"

"A pair of innocent farmers, while they slept in their beds," Obi-Wan supplied.

"It was necessary to retrieve the boy," Tis replied. "Besides, they resisted. I would have let them sleep if they hadn't started screaming."

"Resisted," Obi-Wan repeated. "Fancy that. You were going to kill their nephew!"

"I was never going to kill the boy."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, but Isel spoke up in his defense.

"Our plan was to train him," she said, turning to Obi-Wan. "We need a Jedi, a strong Jedi, to defeat Sidious and Vader. Many have tried, but all have fallen."

Obi-Wan nodded. He had thought along similar lines himself.

"Who better than the son of Anakin Skywalker?" Isel continued. "I learned of his existence during a vision. We all know Anakin was one of the strongest Jedi the Order had ever seen. He may be injured now, but he is still powerful. Only someone of Luke's strength will be able to defeat Vader in combat."

"Your plan is sound," Obi-Wan admitted. "But he was never yours to train. Owen and Beru Lars were his rightful guardians—it was their choice, and they said no. I was watching over the boy until he reached an age where he could decide for himself. Jedi do not steal children from their guardians!"

"The Jedi are all but dead and you want to talk rules?!" Tis replied.

"No, I want to talk principles," Obi-Wan said. "What is the point in restoring the Jedi if we violate all the values we stood for?" He looked up at Isel. "You agree with what he's done?"

She shook her head, turning away. "I don't know anymore," she said. "It's been a decade since the Empire was born, and we have made no progress. If we wish to succeed against the Sith, perhaps we must become as ruthless as they are."

Obi-Wan shook his head, feeling like a cloud had been cast over his mind. If even a Jedi healer could be corrupted like this, perhaps there was no hope for any of them. All this made him feel old and tired.

"Where is Luke now?" he asked. "I was going to retrieve him when you attacked me."

"I nearly had him," Tis said. "Then Vader showed. How do you like that, Kenobi? Luke has now been captured by Vader, thanks to your efforts to hinder me."

"What did he do with him?!" Obi-Wan asked, fearing the worst.

"I don't know. He sensed my presence, and I had to run. The boy is probably dead now, thanks to you."

Obi-Wan stretched out with the Force, seeking confirmation. It was difficult, though. The Force was a swirling mass of many different threads, all of them intertwined. One of them belonged to Luke, but which?

"I don't feel his death," Obi-Wan said, finally.

Isel smiled. "Then we will have another chance!"

"Not if Vader continues to take an interest in the boy," Tis said. "I cannot fight Vader alone."

"What if Obi-Wan were to assist you?" Isel suggested. "One of you could distract Vader while the other one took Luke."

"Excellent idea," Tis said. "But there is one problem." He pointed a clawed appendage in Obi-Wan's direction. "He is too holier-than-thou to assist us."

"Obi-Wan," Isel said, coming and kneeling down next to him. "Surely you can't believe Luke is better off where he is. If the two of you work together, we can get Luke back."

Obi-Wan looked aside, considering it. Working with the Lars' murderer went against every instinct he possessed. But Isel was right—Luke was in grave danger. Getting him away from the Sith was the first priority. After that, he could see about getting him away from Tis.

"You could help train him," Isel added. "You are one of the greatest Jedi. He could learn a lot from you."

"I'm not sure that's the best idea," Tis said. "Given your track record with Skywalkers, a few years in your presence and we might have another Vader on our hands."

"That would be more desirable than what you will do with him," Obi-Wan said. "At least Vader doesn't pretend to be a Jedi."

With a sweep of his black robe, Tis suddenly drew his lightsaber and stepped menacingly towards Obi-Wan.

"No!" Isel said, again jumping in the way, "Give him a chance to change his mind!"

There was a tension-filled moment, and then the blade was switched off.

"I am willing to cooperate with you to retrieve Luke," Obi-Wan said. "But I will not tolerate attempts to train him to use the Dark Side of the Force."

"I don't trust you," Tis said, turning away. "You''ll double-cross me at the first opportunity."

"Then you be the one to retrieve Luke," Isel said, "while Obi-Wan distracts Vader. Fair enough?"

Tis nodded.

"When will we move?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Leave it to me," Tis said. "Reconnaissance is my specialty. Tomorrow, I will return to Coruscant and determine what Vader has done with the boy. You better hope your former apprentice has enough scruples to spare his own flesh and blood, Obi-Wan."

He walked out of the room, leaving him alone with Isel. Obi-Wan looked at her, shaking his head.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Not too far from Coruscant," she said. "I know many hiding places." She looked down. "I have always tried to help our kind. But now I fear we are the last of them."

"If we are the last, then it is even more vital that we stick to our principles," Obi-Wan said. "I can't allow him to train Luke. He will teach him to hate Vader and Palpatine as much as he does."

Isel shook her head, sadly. "The Dark Side is strong, Obi-Wan. The Jedi are not."

Obi-Wan sunk back to the floor, fearing that Isel might just be right.

"Is it true that you command the entire Imperial starfleet?"

Vader looked over at his passenger, wondering what had brought this on. After they'd entered the speeder, Vader had located an icepack in the medical kit and given it to the boy to hold against his leg. It seemed to have made him more impudent, rather than provided any useful medical benefit.

"I have no interest in answering idle questions," Vader said, taking his hand off the steering controls to point at the boy. He didn't notice, though, as he was too busy watching wide-eyed as Vader dodged an oncoming speeder one-handed while not even looking at the traffic.

"Sorry, sir," he mumbled, in an annoyingly endearing way.

Vader spotted the Senate building below and breathed out with relief. There was a medcenter in the lower levels, intended for use by the government staff, and so it was open all hours. He'd asked an assistant to have Senator Lerrod meet him here at the earliest opportunity.

"People tell me I'm too curious," the boy mumbled, rubbing his head. "I can't help it."

Vader plunged the speeder downwards, accelerating rapidly, until he pulled out at the last minute and brought it down in a gentle landing.

"Wow, you fly like nobody's business," the boy said, his eyes wide.

Vader was annoyed to find himself feeling amused by the boy's remark. "Do they also say that you talk too much?"

The boy shook his head, but Vader suspected he wasn't being entirely truthful. Unless it was the effect of his presence that caused the boy to babble like this. A situation he very much doubted. The boy took his point, however and withdrew into a silent state as he climbed out onto the landing pad. He remained that way as they entered the building, a situation for which Vader was grateful. A child feeling brave enough to speak to him went against the natural order of things.

He studied the building directory on the wall opposite the entrance and ran his finger down the list until he located the medical center.

"Keep moving," Vader said, eyeing the boy's limping gait. "It is only a short distance to the elevator bay."

He nodded but was clearly reaching the end of his endurance. He was a fighter, though, that much was clear. The boy had refused to rest during the journey to the speeder and struggled on towards the elevator bay without complaint. He had a strong spirit to match his strong presence in the Force.

It was almost a shame he would have to be killed once he'd served his purpose. He would make a good apprentice. Perhaps the Emperor could be convinced to make other arrangements for the boy.

The bright blue eyes glanced up at him, becoming aware he was being analyzed. Vader quickly focused on the elevator buttons. Floor eight was their destination. He hoped the senator would be waiting.

But the medical facility was deserted, as the Senate was in recess for the Empire Day holiday, with the staff usually either returning to their homeworlds or enjoying the festivities outside. The automatic transparisteel doors slid open, revealing a comfortable reception area with a circular desk in the middle, attended by a silver protocol droid. The boy collapsed onto a chair while Vader approached the desk.

"This boy needs medical attention now," Vader said, gesturing.

"Yes, sir," the droid said. It turned its photoreceptors on Luke and tilted its head for a moment.

"I'm sorry, sir," it said, finally. "That boy does not appear in our patient database." The droid produced a datapad form faster than a speeding podracer. "Please fill in these details."

Vader eyed the form, warily. Name, date of birth, place of birth, name of first parent, name of second parent ... as if he would have any idea.

"I am not filling in any form," Vader said, angrily. "I said the boy needs medical attention now."

Said boy was gazing at him with a fearful expression, but Vader didn't care. He wasn't leaving here until the boy was in the hands of someone competent. If he left the boy with this secretary droid, he would likely be dead before the gears of bureaucracy finished grinding.

"We cannot treat a patient without details," the droid said, indifferent to his anger. "May I suggest you try the public medical centre five blocks to the north-east?"

Vader was infuriated. The droid was only saved from a lightsaber dissection by the appearance of a human doctor.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said. "You'll have to excuse L-160 here. His programming is … experimental."

"This boy needs medical attention," Vader said, gesturing at the child, who was looking more pale by the minute.

"Yes, sir. If you'll please come with me ..."

The doctor led the two of them away from the waiting area and into a private surgery. Vader noted the name on the door as they entered—Doctor Leeson. Human doctors on the payroll was a sure sign of a medical facility that catered to the wealthy on Coruscant. The medical droids inside the room were polished up with a gold finish and were undoubtedly the very latest models.

One of them self-activated and rolled over to assist the doctor as he helped the boy up to sit on the examination bed.

"So young man," the doctor said. "Where does it hurt?"

The boy failed to smile at the doctor's poor attempt at humor, and Vader couldn't blame him. The doctor was trying to help him relax, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect. The boy was staring at the medical droid, looking confused.

"This is my assistant," the doctor explained, patting the droid. "He's going to help me assess your injuries. If you tell him your name, he'll tell you his."

Vader listened curiously, but the boy didn't reply. He was staring at the floor, looking miserable.

"The shy type, huh? Never mind. Perhaps your friend will be able to fill me in."

Vader bristled at being referred to in such a fashion, but he supposed that was what you had to expect when you were in the company of children. Especially difficult children such as this one, who babbled away one minute, then played shy the next.

"This boy is in the care of Senator Lerrod," Vader explained. "He is supposed to be meeting me here to discuss the situation. If you require any information, I suggest you ask him."

"His son?" the doctor enquired.

"No. He is an orphan whom the senator procured to assist with his political campaign. I found him abandoned in this condition at a local embassy."

The doctor glanced over at the boy, looking concerned. Vader followed his gaze and saw the droid had rolled up the boy's clothing, and revealed a nasty looking blaster graze across his leg.

The boy had been shot?

Vader's wondering ceased when he heard voices outside, and he recognised the Force presence of the senator. So, he'd finally decided to show his face. This was one conversation he'd been looking forward to. Abruptly, he turned, leaving the doctor alone to work.

Senator Lerrod had come with two aides and a bodyguard. They hastily backed away when Vader appeared.

"Ah, Lord Vader," Lerrod said, bowing. "I received a message that you found the boy injured and of course I came as soon as I—"

Vader squeezed his throat slightly, cutting him off. It was so very tempting to squeeze harder, but he knew he had to refrain.

"If you have a taste for violence, Senator, I would be happy to indulge you," he said. "Such a fight would be fairer than you and that boy."

"Sir, I swear to you—I never touched the boy!"

He was telling the truth. Reluctantly, Vader released his Force grip.

"Then who did?"

"He ran off! He probably tried to steal from someone and got into a street fight. It won't happen again ... I'll assign a security guard to keep a better watch on him."

"See that you do," Vader said, ominously.

The senator swallowed. "I'll go in and see how the boy is, if you don't mind, sir."

Vader stepped aside and stared after the senator as he entered the surgery. His work was done here. It was unlikely Lerrod would allow anything to happen to the boy again. He may be a scheming politician, but he had learned from his predecessor's mistake where he was concerned.

But it still didn't feel right to simply leave the boy in Lerrod's care. Yet it was the logical thing to do. The senator was his guardian, after all, despite the somewhat shady circumstances under which he obtained that right. If the boy was to be used as Jedi bait, the senator's home would be the best place for him. It was far enough away from the palace to let the Jedi think they had a chance.

Besides, what else could he do? Take the boy back to the Imperial Palace? The Emperor would conclude his plan had failed and order the boy killed.

There was nothing to be done. He would arrange for extra ISB agents to be assigned and remain close by. Finally, Vader turned for the exit.