It was barely dawn, the sun was barely beginning to peak over the mountains when Leia awoke from her healing trance. Groggy and disoriented she pulled the covers off so that she could hoist herself up into a sitting position, her feet coming to rest on the cold metallic floor.
She hissed as she grabbed her side and fought back a sudden rush of nausea, although she doubted that there was anything in her stomach to vomit. Pulling away at the poor excuse of a shirt, she examined the bandage that had been wrapped around her abdomen before she peeled it back, ready to make a mental catalog of the damage.
A darkened portion of skin, a result of cauterization no doubt but other that, all was fine. It looked worse than it really was, and by then Leia had learned not to judge the severity of one's wounds based on appearance. She would be fine.
She allowed the shirt to fall back down before her eyes scanned the interior of the ship that they had escaped on. She was a bit startled to see an unfamiliar child resting opposite of her, a large blanket wrapped around her small figure and a lush expanse of vibrant red curls spooling out from each direction while a small green hand rested below her cheek.
Leia observed the sleeping child for a moment, not bothering to be shocked by her appearance. Judging by the girl and her own appearance, which was in dire need of a shower, Leia could only surmise that she had been out of it for quite a while.
Anakin must've picked up a straggler along the way.
Speaking of Anakin-
She pushed herself up to her feet, a bit dizzy from the sudden movement and stiff from the inactivity. She steadied herself, her hand braced against the wall as she reached out with the Force, clumsily and not nearly as poised as Anakin or Luke would've been as she felt the tendrils in the invisible yet ever-present sea that was the Force.
She felt Anakin nearby and followed the exceptionally bright presence that belonged to the young Jedi until she found herself stumbling into the cockpit.
Anakin was picturesque as he sat at the pilot's chair, his knees drawn beneath him while his arms rested at his side. He looked so calm, serene, and still that Leia thought that he might be sleeping, but she knew he wasn't.
He was so deep into his mediation that he had yet to notice her presence there, and Leia wasn't in a rush to grab his attention as she watched him inquisitively for a few moments. He looked so peaceful and rested that she didn't want to bother him.
The orange and pink rays from the sunrise cast on his face and glistened in his hair, making it look like freckled gold. Just like Luke, Anakin's skin had a faint glow to it, a vestige of their time spent on Tatooine being marked by the twin suns that Luke had described to her on several occasions.
Luke-
She winced as a small but discernible wave of pain radiated out from beneath her bandage, not too bad, but enough to make her clutch her side in annoyance more than anything. However small her pain was, it was enough to snap Anakin out of his meditation.
He turned around to face her, his eyes coming to rest on her as he took in her appearance.
"Leia," he breathed out, "you're awake! How do you feel?"
"Fine, I-" she clutched her side as another wave of pain began to build.
Anakin was out of his chair and by her side before she could even blink, his hands steadying her as he looked down at her with worried eyes, his gaze piercing and sharp.
"I spoke too soon," she said with a sardonic chuckle. Anakin was not amused.
"You shouldn't be out of bed. You could aggravate your wounds and make it worse," he said pointedly.
"I think I've been in bed long enough," she said as she politely nudged away from his grip, although she could feel his penetrating gaze on her as she made her way over to the pilot's chair. He stayed close behind her as she observed the view from the cockpit.
"Where are we?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
"Aenear," he said as he rested his hand against the armrest.
"Never heard of it," she mused as Anakin shook his head.
"There's not much that comes out of this system worth hearing about, at least there wasn't in my time," he said with a simple shrug.
"You seem to be more familiar with this system than I," she commented as she looked back at Anakin.
"Not really," he admitted before he cleared his throat. "When I was a child on Tatooine, space pilots and traders would often come through the shop where I worked. I learned a lot just listening in on their conversations and this system seemed to be a recurring topic."
"That bad, huh?"
"No one ever had anything good to say," said Anakin, "and from what I've seen, it's gotten worse over the twenty-eight years I missed."
"A lot can happen in twenty-eight years," she agreed as she looked back down at him before doing a double-take, her eyes scanning over his forehead.
"You're injured," she stated as she pointed to her right eyebrow.
"Oh, that?" asked Anakin, as if suddenly remembering the laceration. "Just a small cut. I put bacta on it earlier."
"That'll scar," she noted.
Anakin shrugged nonchalantly, a clear sign that he didn't really care and was altogether indifferent. A small grin grew over his face, one side of his lips tugged up into an uneven smile.
"At least it'll look cool."
Leia scoffed behind him as she elected to ignore his comment as she sat herself down in the adjacent chair next to him.
She said nothing for a few moments as Anakin stared at her, waiting for her to ask whatever was on her mind.
"I don't remember what happened that well," she stated as she drew her arms across her chest.
"That's no surprise. You were pretty out of it," he said simply.
"After the explosion, everything was hazy. I couldn't really understand what was going on, but I do remember waking up on the ship earlier. You asked for permission to go into my mind," she looked over at him. "You put me into some kind of- some kind of trance I think. It wasn't really sleeping, at least it didn't' feel like sleep."
In all actuality, Leia wasn't sure how to describe what the trance felt like. She had been somewhat aware of everything that was happening around her, but she had also dreamed at the same time. She had dreamed of Alderaan and her parents, her family and her people alive and well.
"A healing trance," he offered, "it slowed down your metabolic system and sustained your vitals until I was able to obtain more bacta."
"Is that why we're here on Aenear? You came looking for bacta for me?"
Anakin nodded, "it was my only option at the time. You were very sick, Leia. You wouldn't have survived if we had not come here. The healing trance only slows things down, but it's not a permanent solution."
"Thank you for that by the way. It couldn't have been easy getting ahold of the bacta treatment."
Anakin shook his head, "it isn't me you should be thanking. I wasn't the one who got you the bacta."
"Then who-?
"I did," came an unfamiliar voice behind them, soft and definitely feminine.
Leia turned around to see a Togruta female leaning against the doorframe casually with her arms crossed over her chest as she regarded the two humans. She was tall and athletically built and also imposing, although Leia could tell she wasn't trying to convey that image of herself.
"Who are you?" asked Leia, her tone firm as she took in the sight of the mysterious woman. There was a sort of familiarity about the Togruta, but Leia couldn't quite place her finger on just why that was. Perhaps this woman was a Rebel?
The Togruta smiled before she uncrossed her arms and pulled away from the doorframe, exposing her two lightsabers that had been neatly clipped to her utility belt to Leia.
"It's nice to meet you Leia Organa. I've heard so much about you," she replied easily enough, a soft smile on her lips enough to convey that she was sincere in her last statement.
"Leia, this is Ahsoka Tano," said Anakin, a small smile on his lips that did not go unnoticed as the Togruta nodded her head, "I'm sure you've heard of her before."
"Fulcrum?" asked Leia, a little bit flabbergasted. She had never met the woman before, but she heard so much from those who had known her. A Jedi turned Rebel, Ahsoka, otherwise known as Fulcrum had been one of her father's closest confidants and one of the greatest heroes the early Rebellion had ever known. And apparently, she was neither dead nor missing in action as was suspected.
"Princess Leia, it is an honor to finally meet you," said Ahsoka as she took a step forward and stuck her hand out, "I've heard so much about you."
"Good things, I hope," said Leia with a large smile as she shook the woman's hand.
"Without a doubt," said Ahsoka with a grin, "I must say, I've been a bit of an admirer of yours for a while now."
"Of me?" asked Leia in surprise.
"Don't sound so surprised, Princess. I doubt there isn't a person in the Rebellion who doesn't know what you did on the Death Star. If it weren't for you, the Rebellion wouldn't have gotten those plans and the Death Star would've never been destroyed. Your father was right when he said you could be trusted."
Leia shook her head, "I just did what my father asked of me. The real heroes were on Scarif."
"Either way, your father would be so proud of you if he were here," said Ahsoka solemnly while Anakin watched the two of them interact silently.
Leia nodded, "and I'm sure he would be pleased to hear that you are still alive and fighting. We had heard that you perished on Malachor, but it seems as though we were misinformed."
"What happened on Malachor is another story altogether," breathed out Ahsoka before glancing over at Anakin, "but I am here."
"I ran into Ahsoka in the spaceport," said Anakin to Leia, "she was the one who paid for the bacta."
"Someone had to," bantered Ahsoka.
"And I am eternally grateful," concurred Anakin while Leia shook her head in confusion, her eyes traveling between the two Jedi.
"Do you two know each other?" she finally asked, a bit unnerved at how seemlessly they talked with one another. It was apparent by then they knew each other or were at the least acquainted and it made Leia wonder if they had met prior.
"Uh, sorta-?" said Anakin, almost unsure of his answer.
"Anakin Skywalker was my teacher back when I was still a Padawan learner in the Order," said Ahsoka wistfully, "he was my Master and one of the closest friends I ever had."
"You knew him back then? During the Clone Wars?" asked Leia in surprise.
"We fought in them," said Ahsoka with a small grin before her features grew solemn. "I also knew your mother, Leia."
Leia paused. In all of Anakin's time here, she had never dared to breach the subject of her to him. She had always had a deep and strong desire to know who the woman in her faint memory was. The sad yet beautiful woman whose face had been the subject of her earliest dreams and perhaps, her memory. But she had not asked Anakin about her.
"My- my mother? You knew her?" she asked in both excitement and dread before she turned to Anakin. "And you? You've met her in your time? You know who she is?"
Anakin nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but he never got the chance to before the green-skinned girl that Leia had seen sleeping only a few minutes prior walked into the cockpit and loudly exclaimed.
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you guys!" she said as she stalked over to Anakin and Ahsoka. "Are we going to go find my papa?"
Leia shot Anakin a curious and imploring look before he silently mouthed the word later to her before he returned his attention back down to the green-skinned child, her questions about her mother temporarily forgotten.
Leia was slightly irritated that she had not received an answer as to the identity of her mother, but her annoyance had dissipated as soon as she looked down at the girl who was covered in dirt and grime, her vibrant red hair tangled and matted in some places while her clothes looked no better than rags.
"Who is this?" asked Leia.
"This is Neri. We found in her wondering around the spaceport alone. She's looking for her father," said Ahsoka.
"Her father? What happened to him?"
"He was taken by bad men," said Neri simply.
"Bad men?" asked Leia incredulously as she glanced at both Anakin and Ahsoka, waiting for them to provide a further explanation. There was something going on that she was not aware of and she wanted to know just what that was and how this strange little girl tied into it all.
"They came in the night and they wore masks," said Neri as she circled her hands around her eyes for dramatization, "all I could see were their eyes. My papa told me to run so I ran but they took him. I haven't seen him since."
"When did this happen?" asked Leia as she took in the girl's dirtied appearance. Matted hair and grimy clothes that were riddled with rips and tears. It was obvious the girl had been living on the streets and Leia's heart went out to her.
Neri shrugged, "a few weeks ago, I think."
"And Anakin and Ahsoka promised to help find your papa?" asked Leia as she glanced at the two Jedi.
"Yeah, about that-" began Anakin, "there are a few things you should probably know."
"Like what?" asked Leia as she narrowed her eyes at the blond Jedi.
"We'll tell you, but over breakfast, cause I'm starving," said Ahsoka.
About an hour later they all sat around the table with their bellies full of stale old rations that had probably been in there since the Clone Wars. Both Anakin and Ahsoka had told Leia everything that had transpired over the past day while she had been unconscious and then Neri had also relayed her story to her as well.
"Actium mines? Are you sure?" asked Leia as she tightened her grip on her water glass, her eyes darting between the three people who sat opposite of her.
"We're positive," replied Ahsoka.
Leia shook her head, "but- why does the Empire need that much Actium for in the first place?"
"It's valuable," supplied Anakin, "and rare. I'm not entirely sure what all of its properties are, but it's obvious the Empire needs it for something."
"We just don't know what they intend to use the Actium for," added Ahsoka dourly as she pushed the rest of her rations to the side.
"Well obviously something big," suggested Leia, "or else they wouldn't be working with the Hutts."
"Do you think they're trying to build another superweapon?" asked Ahsoka, her voice strained.
"Like the Death Star?" asked Anakin. "Or maybe not another Death Star, but another weapon similar to it?"
"It's possible," agreed Ahsoka with a nod, "I wouldn't put it past the Empire to attempt it."
Force, Leia hoped that wasn't what the Empire was trying to do. Hadn't they learned their lesson the first time around?
"Or maybe it isn't a superweapon," said Anakin as gave Leia a comforting glance, "maybe they're trying to recreate the weapons from the Ordun Station."
"Or upgrade them," said Leia dismally.
"Or that," agreed Anakin as he gestured towards Leia.
"Whatever they're using the Actium for, we can figure it out later. Right now, our main priority should be finding this Black Storm and finding Neri's father," interjected Ahsoka as she laid her hand down on the green-skinned girl, who had been given new clothes to wear and a few wet-wipes to clean herself with. "Maybe they can tell us just what's going on around here."
"That's if they're willing to talk," replied Leia.
"Then we'll make them talk," said Anakin, his tone firm and unyielding as he regarded the two women, "I know some thing's going on around here and I intend to find out what it is."
"The Black Storm is dangerous, Anakin. The last thing we want to do is make enemies with them," said Ahsoka pointedly to her future/former Master.
"I agree," said Leia, "violence won't solve anything in this case. We must be diplomatic if we're going to get them to talk with us."
"I'm not saying we should go in blasters ablaze," remarked Anakin, "I'm just saying we need to be prepared for the worst. They may not be willing to talk with us at all."
"That is a possibility that we are prepared for," replied Ahsoka, "but for now, let's stick to our original plan. If they aren't willing to talk then we'll give them a good reason too. And if they try to kill us, then we'll kill them first."
"But what happens if-" Leia paused before she nodded over to Neri, who was on the other side of the room playing with a dejarik board, oblivious to their conversation.
"-What happens if we get there and find out Neri's father is already dead?" whispered Leia before she looked back over to Neri to ensure that she had not been heard. The child continued to hum to herself as she moved the avatars across the board.
Anakin leaned forward, "we're hoping he's not, but if he is then we'll have to find the parts elsewhere."
Ahsoka shook her head, "I'm hoping that's not the case."
"But what if it is? What would we do with-?" she pointed over to the girl.
"Get her off the streets for starters," replied Anakin, his voice still barely above that of a whisper, "maybe to an orphanage or to a family member, if she has one."
"I know a guy who can help her out if need be," commented Ahsoka, "but let's not worry about that right now. If that is the case, which I doubt it will be, then we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But for now, I'm curious as to what her father did to get the attention of the Black Storm."
"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough," replied Leia as she rose from her seat, her hand coming to rest over her bandaged abdomen. She let out a small hiss as she clutched the fabric of her shirt tight in her hands.
"You're not coming with us," said Anakin as he folded his arms together before giving Leia a stern glance, "not with that injury."
"Of course I'm coming with you," replied Leia, "I'm not staying here, that's for sure."
"Leia-"
"I'm coming," said Leia, her voice firm. "I'll be fine, I just need more bacta."
"Are you sure?" asked Ahsoka as she glanced between the two individuals uneasily. "You could stay here if you wanted. It'd be better than traipsing through the woods all day. It's gonna take us a while to reach the abandoned mines."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm sure I'll be fine," said Leia as she gathered up the rest of her rations and made her way over to the dispenser before disposing of them.
Anakin looked unhappy at the decision but said nothing as Leia made her way out of the room with Neri, who had been promised new shoes and a jacket by the latter. The little girl would need it for the ensuing hike they would be making that day.
"She'll be fine, Skyguy," said Ahsoka as she broke the silence, "stop worrying so much or you'll give yourself an aneurysm."
Anakin snorted, "I'd gladly take an aneurysm right now."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes, "oh stop with the melodrama. I'm sure everything will work out just fine."
Anakin snorted in dissatisfaction but said nothing further. He had already made his opinion clear and that was all he could really do at the moment. He knew that everything would work out; he just needed to stop allowing his doubts to cloud his mind, although that was in itself a chore.
"Master Yoda died this morning," he said out of the blue, his voice breaking the silence between them. "I was meditating and I felt him go."
His death was still fresh in his mind, although he had tried not to think of it all that much. He was sad that the little green Master had died alone, but at the same time, he knew that Yoda had been at peace when he joined the Force.
Something told him that Yoda had been waiting for death for a long time and that when it had come for him, he had greeted it as though it was an old friend. After all, it was Yoda who said that they should rejoice for those who died and not mourn them or miss them.
"I know," replied Ahsoka. "I felt it too."
"He shouldn't have been alone," said Anakin dejectedly as he wrung his hands.
"He's one with the Force now, Anakin. We should rejoice in that," she reminded him, her voice gentle.
Anakin sighed, "I know. It just feels strange not having him here anymore. I was so certain he would outlive us all."
"He wasn't immortal," commented Ahsoka to which Anakin nodded in agreement.
"No. He was not."
Neither one of them said anything further on the matter as a heavy silence settled in between the two of them, neither one of them caring to break it until Ahsoka rose from her seat.
"We should probably get a move on it if we want to make it to the mines before sunset," she declared.
"How do you know we'll find the Black Storm there?" asked Anakin, his tone skeptic as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Ahsoka shrugged, "like I said earlier, they're just rumors really. The northern province used to be rich in quadranium until the mines starting to dry up a few decades ago. There are still a few active quadranium mines left, but for the most part, they've all been abandoned. And from what I've heard, the mines are all interconnected into one big underground maze."
"Which makes it the perfect hiding place," surmised Anakin.
She nodded, "some of those mines are practically ancient while some of them are newer."
Anakin tilted his head, "you know a lot about this planet, don't you?"
"This isn't my first time on Aenear," replied Ahsoka before she frowned, "although the last time I was here they weren't mining Actium. Must be a recent thing."
"How long ago were you here?"
"About ten years ago, I think. I was on a mission for Bail Organa during that time," said Ahsoka offhandedly. "I learned a few things from the locals."
"So what? We go to these abandoned mines and hope we find them?" he asked as he rose from his seat and followed Ahsoka out of the room.
"Just trust me on this, Skyguy. I know what I'm doing-" she paused, "at least I hope I know what I'm doing."
"That's not in the least bit comforting."
"I know."
That morning proved to be bitterly cold as all four of them began their trek through the mountainous terrain. A low fog had settled across the valley beneath them and was slowly, but surely creeping its way up towards them. The sun, which had been visible and bright just an hour ago was hidden behind a thick canopy of clouds and it didn't seem to want to make another appearance any time soon.
"Are we going to find my papa?" asked Neri as she skirted her way up the trail before she stopped to look back at her companions, a hopeful smile gracing her lips as she bounced excitedly on her feet.
"That's the plan," replied Ahsoka as she readjusted her bag over her shoulder.
"Where do you think he is?" asked Neri as she sidled up next to the Togruta, her large rain boots clumping heavily onto the mud as she struggled to keep pace. The shoes that Leia had procured for the girl from one of the compartments on the ship had been too large for Neri's small feet and had to be filled with gauze so that they fit the child's abnormally small feet.
"We think they might've taken him to the abandoned quadranium mines, but we're not sure," replied Ahsoka.
"Oh," muttered Neri before her brow crinkled in confusion, "why do you think that?"
"Jedi intuition," said Ahsoka with a small grin.
"Oh okay."
Neri accepted the answer without further questioning before she turned her focus elsewhere, her young mind hyperactive as she asked the older Togruta all sorts of questions to keep her occupied. Ahsoka didn't seem to mind one bit as she answered all of Neri's questions, no matter how strange some of them were.
Anakin had to admit that for a young child her age, Neri seemed to be quite resilient in her efforts to stay positive. If it had been him in her position, he didn't know if he would be able to cope as well as she seemed to be doing, but still, it was quite obvious that the girl was scared and lonely.
"You okay?" asked Leia, her voice snapping him out of his reverie as she sidled up next to him.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine," replied Anakin simply. His pace slowed down a bit as both Neri and Ahsoka trailed ahead of them. "I was just thinking about Neri."
"I know me too. I really hope we find her father and figure out what's going on around here."
"And get the parts for the ship," replied Anakin.
She nodded, "and then we go find Luke and regroup with the rest of the Alliance- that is if there's still an Alliance to regroup with at all."
She sounded crestfallen as she turned her gloomy gaze away from Anakin, her jaw set and waxy as she refused to look at him.
"Have you tried contacting anybody?" asked Anakin, trying to lift her spirit and give her hope. He had to admit, the situation was anything but good and they had no idea how bad the Alliance had been hit or what shape it was in anymore. They had no idea how bad the casualties were or if the Empire had managed to do even more damage during their time there.
But most of all, Anakin was worried for Luke's sake. He had no idea what was happening to his son or where he was in the galaxy. It was even worse knowing just who Luke was with.
"He's not going to hurt me, Anakin. I can sense that he means me no harm. He needs me."
Luke's words haunted Anakin. Yet, Anakin knew to have faith in them at the same time.
"Not yet," said Leia as she reached into her pocket and produced her personal comlink, which had seen better days judging from the damage done to it. "It's broken. I can't get a hold of anybody."
"Does Ahsoka have one?" asked Anakin as he took the comlink out of her hands and examined it with a critical eye. It was possible to fix, but not at the moment.
"I already asked. Hers is an older model that's not currently linked to the Alliance's secure transmission frequency," replied Leia as she shook her head, "we have to change the transmission frequency every few months to ensure it doesn't get hacked."
"Maybe you should change it every few weeks," muttered Anakin under his breath. He was now wishing that he had taken the time to grab his own personal comlink, which he had accidentally left in his X-Wing after he and Luke had returned from Dagobah.
"Perhaps," said Leia in agreement. "Do you think you can fix it?"
Anakin nodded, "yeah, the wiring is a little jacked, but it's fixable."
"Good," breathed out Leia, "cause we're going to need contact somebody."
"What about Lando and Chewie?" offered Anakin hopefully, still uncertain of their fate. He hoped they had made it out along with Threepio and Artoo, but he had no idea.
"Or Rex," said Ahsoka as she interjected herself into the conversation. Apparently, she had been eavesdropping on their conversation as she slowed down her pace so that both she and Neri could walk alongside Anakin and Leia, her interest piqued.
"He's still there, right?" she asked, her eyes widening.
"Alive and well last I saw," replied Anakin.
"So you've met him then?" asked Ahsoka, a grin forming. "How did that meeting go? Was he shocked to see you?"
"Luke explained the situation to him."
"And he believed him?" asked Leia curiously. It was obvious that she was disappointed she hadn't been there to see the Captain's face when he had seen a young General Skywalker alive and well- and quite younger than he remembered him to be.
"He had a lot of questions, but yes. We talked a bit. I don't think he knows that Vader is-" he trailed off, refusing to mutter the last statement aloud in front of Neri, who was listening intently to their conversation. Plus, both Ahsoka and Leia already knew what he meant.
Ahsoka shook her head, "no, he wouldn't have known. I had already left the Order at that point and Rex wasn't on Coruscant when Order 66 was issued."
"So Obi-Wan never had any further contact with you or Rex?" asked Anakin.
"We all thought Obi-Wan had perished in the Purge," replied Ahsoka truthfully, "he sent out a warning to all the Jedi warning them what was happening on Coruscant and then he completely vanished. We never heard anything from him and we never saw him again, so we just assumed that…"
"He survived. Went into exile on Tatooine and changed his name to Ben," said Anakin idly. "He watched over Luke from afar for nineteen years."
"All that time and he was alive," commented Ahsoka, "I wonder who else survived."
"Those who did survive were later hunted down by the Empire," said Leia, although she was being generous with her words. They were hunted down by Darth Vader and slain, their lightsabers joining the Emperors- collection. Leia had seen it before in his throne room on Imperial Center years ago when she had just been elected to the Galactic Senate. Hundreds upon hundreds of lightsabers had adorned the wall leading up to his throne. His trophies, he had called them.
"If there are any left, they aren't making their presence known," commented Anakin.
"What are you guys talking about?" asked Neri, her voice soft as she looked up at the three adults. She had been so quiet for the past few minutes that they had almost forgotten about her presence there.
"We're talking about the Jedi and how there aren't many left in the galaxy," said Anakin in shortened terms.
"My friend told me they all died but that can't be true because you guys are here," said Neri matter of factly. "And Luke Skywalker too. He's the Jedi who blew up the Death Star!"
"Ah, you've heard of him then?" asked Anakin as he entertained the small child.
"Who hasn't? He's the biggest hero ever. He's gonna kill Darth Vader and the Emperor," said Neri simply, wholly and completely unaware of just how deep her words ran to those around her.
"Maybe," was all Anakin said, unwilling to refute her words. He wasn't even offended by the statement.
"At least that's what my papa says, but people say Vader can't be killed because he's a machine and nobody knows anything about the Emperor. I've heard he looks like a prune though."
Anakin had to laugh at that statement. "A prune?"
"She's not wrong," said Leia, "he is pretty wrinkled and nasty looking."
"You've seen him before?" asked Neri to Leia.
"I've had the displeasure of meeting him, yes," said Leia as she shuddered.
"Did you meet Vader too?" asked Neri, her eyes wide with fear as she regarded the Princess.
Anakin looked away.
"Yes," said Leia, her voice strained. "I did."
"Was he really scary?" asked Neri in morbid curiosity.
"Yes, he was," said Leia. It was all she could say on the matter.
They had decided to make a small detour to check out the Actium mine that Neri had told them about earlier and they were not disappointed by what they found there. Nestled behind the shrubbery, all four of them watched the scene before them intently, unable to take their eyes off the grim sight.
Anakin's blood boiled at the sight of the slaves who were working the mine. A few dozen was all that he could see at the entrance, but he knew that there were possibly over a hundred down in the mine shafts, all of them being forced to work in deplorable conditions for just a little bit of Actium.
"Those are Stormtroopers," commented Leia as they watched a few them walking around the premises, their blaster rifles trained on the workers as they barked orders at them.
"And those are Hutt mercenaries," added Anakin as he pointed to another group of soldiers who also stood guard, blasters ready in hand as they watched the slaves every movement. A large electrical fence blocked the entrance to the mine off, trapping the slaves there with no way of escape.
"How do you know?" asked Leia as Anakin shook his head.
"Trust me. I know what those scumbags look like."
Growing up on Tatooine, Anakin had seen everything that the Hutts were capable of as well as those who did their dirty work for them. It was not uncommon to witness the private mercenaries torturing and killing slaves all on the command of a displeased Hutt. They had loitered around the cantinas, drunk on cheap ale and money bought with the blood of slaves and they had boasted about their deeds as if they were somehow honorable.
"Force," muttered Ahsoka under her breath as she observed the scene before them, her jaw set and waxy, "this is much bigger than I originally thought it would be."
"And much worse," replied Anakin as he shifted his feet beneath him in an attempt to get more comfortable, "look at how much Actium they're mining."
He pointed down to the large tubules that contained the glowing rocks. Actium was incredibly rare, perhaps the rarest element known the galaxy next to Coaxium. Only a couple planets had been found to have Actium, but even then only a small amount could be harvested at a time for fear of total depletion. That, however, was not the case here. They were practically raping the ground of every little bit they could find and they didn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.
"How did they not know this was even here?" asked Leia.
"My papa says Actium is hard to find because it's only found deep in the ground," supplied Neri.
"They probably accidentally stumbled upon it while trying to find more quadranium. It's happened before," said Anakin as he shifted his feet again.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Ahsoka as she shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away.
"It doesn't bode well with me either," said Anakin in agreement, "none of this does. They're up to no good, I can sense it."
They continued to watch in silence.
"My feet hurt."
Anakin looked back at the little girl to see that she had once again taken her boots off in favor of walking barefoot through the forest. Her excuse up until that point had been that the boots were too big and uncomfortable, so she would take them off and then complain that the ground was hurting her feet. It was an endless cycle that was starting to test Anakin's patience.
"Then put your shoes back on," said the blond Jedi sternly as she examined the girl's already muddied feet.
Force, he really was starting to sound like Obi-Wan.
"But they're too big," pouted Neri, her lower lip jutting out as she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. It was obvious that the girl was tired and starting to get cranky and Anakin couldn't blame her for that. They had been walking for hours at that point and Neri was only five and barely equipped for the journey at hand.
"Here," said Ahsoka as she handed her bag to Anakin and crouched down so that Neri could climb onto her back, "I'll carry you."
The little girl climbed onto the Togruta's back without further complaint as she wrapped her arms around Ahsoka's shoulders and curled her legs around her middle. Neri was so small for her age that Ahsoka had no trouble lifting her up and walking down the path with her.
Maybe the small stature was just normal for her species.
"How are your bandages?" asked Anakin as he slowed his walk down to keep pace with Leia. The Princess may not have been as vocal as Neri was, but Anakin could tell that she was also struggling to keep up with them. Her face was sweaty and small strands of her hair were starting to plaster to her skin as she lagged behind them, a hand resting noticeably around her middle.
"Fine," she said, stubborn.
"Do you need a minute?" he asked, concerned.
She considered his words for a minute before she nodded and resigned her stance, her steps coming to halt before she stepped off the path to sit on a fallen tree.
Anakin wasted no time in pulling out his water canteen and handing it over to her. She gulped down a good portion of the clear liquid before she wiped her mouth and handed it back to him.
"Thanks," she muttered under her breath as she leaned back onto the tree and stretched her legs out. She massaged circles into the muscles of her leg while Anakin allowed himself a water break.
"You're in pain," commented Anakin, "and don't try to tell me you're not. I can sense it."
Leia pursed her lips, "I've been through worse."
"That's not the point."
"It is now," said Leia as she rose to her feet and gave Anakin a rather defiant look. Even though she was an entire foot shorter than him and bent over as she grasped her abdomen in pain, she still managed to give an icy look.
"Just take it easy, okay? We'll stop if you need us too," was all Anakin said as Leia made her back onto the path.
"Fine," was all she said before she made her back onto the path. Ahsoka had stopped up ahead of the path where she had been watching them silently for a few seconds to ensure that everything was okay before she set off on the trail again, Neri still wrapped around her shoulders and neck.
Anakin kept a close eye on Leia for the remainder of the journey, but she hid her pain well behind her stony gaze and deep-set eyes that looked troubled at best. He could tell she was tired; they all were, but her especially. By the time they reached the entrance to the long-abandoned mines, she looked as though she was ready to collapse.
It was nearing sunset when they descended into a small rocky canyon like valley that vaguely reminded Anakin of Setauri V with its strange rock formations and cave entrances. Moss grew on the side of the wet looking rocks and hung down like green curtains that swayed in the wind.
"Where are we going?" asked Anakin, a feeling of unease forming in the pit of his stomach. The hairs on his arms and neck began to tingle as he gazed up at the top of the canyon wall.
"One of the entrances is just over there," said Ahsoka as she pointed just ahead of them. "Why do you ask?"
Anakin said nothing as he looked around the canyon, his eyes searching worriedly for something- or someone.
"Anakin?" asked Ahsoka, her voice strained. She knew her former Master too well to know what that look meant.
"Shh," replied Anakin as held a finger up to his mouth before he quietly pointed to a spot just above them on the right. There, at the top of the rocky embankment leading down into the canyon was a figure dressed in dark clothes and crouched down low and who had been ostensibly watching them.
Both Leia and Ahsoka's eyes widened, but they said nothing as they forced their eyes forward, giving no hint that they had seen the figure watching them from afar.
Anakin slowed his pace down considerably while Ahsoka and Leia took the lead. Neri was too tired to notice what was going on around them as she buried her face into Ahsoka back and tightened her grip on the woman, her eyes closed as she began to doze off.
Anakin did a mental survey of the terrain around them, internally berating himself for allowing them to be so foolish. They had just walked into a possible trap and none of them had been any the wiser.
How many there were out there watching them just waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump them, Anakin wasn't entirely sure. But he was, however, acutely aware that whoever these people were, they outnumbered their group.
Were they the Black Storm they had come to find? Or were they just lawless bandits looking for valuables to sell? Or maybe they were slavers. This was the Outer Rim after all…
"There are more," he whispered, his jaw set and waxy as he glanced sideways back at the hooded figure that continued to watch them.
"What do we do?" whispered Leia, her voice terse and constrained.
Anakin watched from the corner of his eyes for a few moments, his pulse starting to quicken as the Force churned in warning. He looked to the other side of the embankment where he could see a few more clad and robed figures also crouching down. Some with blasters in their hands and others with vibro-blades and double-edged spears that looked as deadly as they were.
He watched the hooded figure start to rise from his crouched position and reached into his coat to produce a vibro-blade before he ignited it, the plasma laser glowing bright red in his hands as he along with all the others in his group rose to their feet. They too ignited their weapons.
"Run!"
AN: Sorry for the late update. Hope you enjoyed!