The disclaimer. Starwars and all the wonderful characters in it are the property of Lucasfilm. I will not make an Imperial credit out of any of this. Thanks for letting me borrow the characters for a while. This is my first venture so any feedback will be appreciated. Anna.S.Hamilton@BTinternet.com
Chapter 21 - Survival of the Light
The Millennium Falcon - Caaper Ginnohlm
"Bring him on board, hurry" the frantic Princess paced at the loading ramp of the Falcon as the unconscious Jedi was carried on board by Chewbacca. Luke lay sprawled lifeless on the deck, clothing torn and bloodstained. His face looked as if it had been battered to a pulp and dried blood clung to his matted blond hair. If he was breathing, it was only just.
"Get us out of here Han. Now!"
One week earlier
It had not been an easy trip, the atmosphere had been stifling with a pervading sense of looming darkness. Antaara and Prime Minister Rivn had been barely civil. There had been none of the 'special' friendship which had existed on Coruscant.
The planet was being armed for conflict. Young people were conscripted into the army, weapons production had increased and the most frightening thing was the fanatical geam in the eyes of the leadership. The atmosphere on the streets had also changed, the people muttered quietly in darkened bars and cafes over the death of their King, but all were too afraid to speak openly. Opponents of the regime had been rounded up and had quickly disappeared.
"Typical Imperial procedure," remarked Leia very quietly to Han after receiving a coded message from Page.
It had been three days of urgent negotiations before the Falcon had even landed at Caaper Ginnohlm Spaceport, and a full week before Leia had been able to visit the Diplomats in prison. Leia bit her lip as a well of rage washed over her. They'd been treated exactly as Maija said they would have been. Eventually they'd allowed the diplomatic staff to leave. Leia and Han watched as they filed into the waiting shuttle. Chief Larant was visibly thinner, his face bruised and tired. Several others also looked to have injuries, but it was the air of fear hanging over their bowed heads and one of the women softly sobbing as they left.
Leia turned to Rivn angrily. "I must protest at the treatment meted out to Employees of the New Republic."
"Protest all you want Your Highness, but it will do you no good here. Deegan refuses to accept the jurisdiction of the New Republic." The portly Prime Minister sneered.
"Now look here!" Han began
"Han!" Leia warned softly. Things were not good. That evening the NR party were locked into their quarters, but not before Antaara introduced them to Admiral Gtrec Joulwe. Again Leia felt as if she was being warned by the force. Antaara's colours were dark and when she shot two attendants without a qualm because they displeased her, Leia knew they had to get out of there.
"She's psychotic." Han stated grimly. "We're being kept as hostages Leia, haven't you realised. The NR will not come in and pulverise the planet because we are here. We're the winning sabacc card."
"I know, I only hope Luke and Page are faring better than we are."
"They are here Gtrec. I can feel their presence. The force in them is too strong it calls to me. I will have my revenge."
"The Jedi?"
"Yes." satisfaction dripped from the word. "I can get rid of Skywalker, but it is the girl I want. She ruined my mission."
"Is she worth it?"
"Is any Jedi? She interfered with out plans and must pay. I had a vision, if we allow her to survive, the Jedi will rise stronger than ever before. We will destroy the light of the force and the dark side can grow and thrive. You and I, my love will have the ultimate power."
The Admiral spoke into his comlink, search the city. We will find them. Perhaps if we use Organa Solo and the smuggler as bait they will find themselves for us." He chuckled softly, grey eyes gleaming.
The New Republic Ship - Rebel Dawn
The medics clustered round the unconscious man, as they fought to reach him. "Luke! Come back to us please." Leia entreated her brother desperately.
"We're losing him, hurry!" one medic screamed at the medical droid.
"No!" Leia screamed.
"Luke, buddy, it's not your time. Please fight this. Don't let them win."
It wasn't the first time Leia had to watch her brother as he lay on the edge of life. She'd watched him in the bacta tank on Hoth and had cradled him in her arms after Vader had cut off his hand on Bespin. Anxiously chewing her lower lip she turned to her husband in tears. "Oh Han! What if he doesn't make it?"
Han rubbed his hand over his eyes, he tried to reassure Leia, wanted to believe after all they'd gone through it would be alright. His mind whirled with all the thoughts that rushed through it. Luke and Leia were twins, his wife had seen too much destruction in her short life, Han feared if Luke died it would be the last straw, for Leia.
The figure moaned, barely audible in the midst of so much confusion. "Luke!" Leia was at his side instantly, followed by Han. "Kid."
The battered face looked up at them with such despair that Leia stepped back a pace. He was barely conscious, but the expression in the blue eyes was one of a man tormented almost beyond his reason.
"Mmm........"
"Don't talk Luke, save your strength"
"Mmm.......ai.....ja"
"Leia's here kid," murmured Han gently. "You got us out. That's another one I owe you Junior. We may be even in the rescue stakes."
The blue eyes widened and he stared into his sister's brown eyes, as if willing her to understand. "Maija," he finally managed to rasp. Leia held some water to the cracked and bloodied lips. "They got Maija."
"Luke please, try to rest,"
"I... can't...."
"She distracted the Imperials long enough for Han to get into the Falcon and for Chewie to grab you. A stun bolt took her down before we could get to her."
"Many lives have been lost so the galaxy can remain free, even if Deegan is not."
Luke coughed weakly and a trickle of blood ran down his face from a cut on his forehead. "She's still alive," he insisted fiercely.
"Luke if you don't keep still you'll make your injuries worse."
"Do what she says Luke," added Han.
But breathing unevenly, sweat beading on his forehead, the man on the bed tried to rise.
"Woah! - stay!" Han pushed him back.
"You don't understand." Luke sounded desperate as he attempted to control his trembling limbs.
"What don't we understand?" Leia soothed. "Rest and it'll take care of itself later. We'll sort it out." She gestured quietly to the medical droid. "We'll have to put him under, he's not doing himself any favours like this."
Han grimaced at his wife. "He always was a stubborn son of a ...., but at least he's alive."
"But Leia," the voice rose slightly as panic hammered at him. "They've taken Maija. I have to get her back." It was a cry of pain.
"Ssh, Luke. We'll get her back." Han shook his head at his wife. Maija had to be dead.
"She's not dead, I tell you, she's alive." Luke's voice cracked. He attempted to rise again, but Han held him down and he screamed in pain from the broken ribs. Suddenly Han and the medical droid were picking themselves out of a corner at the far side of the room. Luke had employed a force shove to move them from his side. "I have to get her back," he mumbled dully.
The droid rolled forward, needle at the ready.
"Luke, please..."Leia begged, chills running up and down her spine.. "You need to rest."
The Jedi's eyes were wild in his bruised and bloodied face. "Not till I get her back." he cried and tried to shift his legs to the floor.
Leia looked to Han for assistance, but he was still picking himself up from the floor. Suddenly the young Commander broke into racking, agonising sobs, head in his hands, as his weakened body disobeyed his commands. His mental anguish tore at his sister's heart. Again she nodded at the droid, this was doing her brother no good at all. The droid moved to the injured Jedi
"They've got my wife"
There was an instant of complete shock from everyone in the room. The only sound to be heard was the subdued grieving of a husband for his lost wife. Luke's soft sobs echoed in Leia's ears and sent wretchedness to her heart.
"Leia!, Can't you understand," he pleaded brokenly. "They've got my wife and I have to get her back," he grieved softly, as the droid slid the needle into his arm.
"They've............got...........my.....................wife.......................Mai." he repeated as the drugs took effect and he slid once more into darkness.
"Oh Alderaan" Leia whispered.
Luke and Maija had worked their way round Caaper Ginnohlm, they'd acted like tourists from up country doing all the sights. Page and some of the others had located all the detention centres in and around the area. Maija had broken into some of the security files, but there was no sign of Paman Roet. Then the release of the NR diplomats was announced, the special operative team watched on the holoprojectors in their apartments. Maija's fists balled as she took in the state of the diplomats, she'd known many of them on Coruscant and had trained with some of the others. It was the air of defeat and shock that surrounded them. Luke wrapped a steadying arm around her shoulder. Then a figure detatched itself from the crowd and followed the diplomats into the shuttle. "Did you know about this?" questioned Luke. But Maija shook her head. "But you did? I suppose it's always good to have a wild card." When the signal came from Page they had to be ready for anything.
"They're not letting the Falcon go!" Maija's voice rose sharply in panic. "Leia , Han and Chewie are being held as a guarantee."
"What!" Luke was incredulous.
"Don't you see Luke, it's not that they want them at all, it's us, I mean....me." she finished.
"Oh no, not on sweetheart."
"They know we're here. She's not announcing it, but she knows we will watch and act."
"Of course. Antaara has a force ability. But you're not going to do it."
When Luke woke up the next morning, he was alone in the bed. Maija had gone. Sending a coded message to Page Luke reached out with the force to try and locate his wife. "Of all the stubborn..."
"I'm sorry Luke, you should have guessed."
"Be careful," he smiled.
"Be at the spaceport in two hours."
"I will." He reached out again, but she had closed the link. Looking at his chrono he pulled back the bedcovers and grabbed his clothes, there was no time to waste.
Luke and Page wandered into the part of the Deegani palace open to the public. Luke had disguised himself by using a force illusion and Page was nondescript at the best of times. Leia, Han and Chewie had been collected from their luxurious prison, by a Deegani Palace guard and were driven to the spaceport. Han had started to argue but the sheer size of the guard with a blaster lodged firmly in your back somehow made you keep quiet. The driver of the vehicle glanced once at the Royal group, then with a nervous look at the guard had driven them to the spaceport.
Leia choked down a feeling of hope, that was Maija at the helm of the transporter. Where was Luke.
'He'll be around shortly, I would suspect your Highness. We've replaced the guards at the Falcon with our own operatives. It's ready to fly. Be ready to act."
Luke eased himself into the secure spaceport area after Page. "I don't know how she does it. But she's got them."
"Possibly Luke, she's been allowed to get them. I don't want to worry you, but..... All I'm saying is keep yourself open to the force. "
The fight at the spaceport was brutal and deadly. Maija hit the guard sharply on the back of the head and he crumpled like melting plasti. "Sorry," she whispered. Quickly she freed the captives from their bonds and watched as Han dashed up the ramp into his beloved ship. The NR guards had been briefed by Page and leapt into action to defend the Falcon's Crew, but only Han managed to make the break. Then the trouble started. A group of the elite black clad Deegani enforcers arrived and started firing on all the people. The area where the Falcon had been docked had been busy with some Deegani guards,some NR troops, some of Page's ops disguised as techs and general spaceport mechanics. Luke arrived to see Maija and Leia crouched behind some fuel containers, but it was obvious that the black enforcers were winning the fight and they were getting nearer to their hidden position.
"What on Coruscant possessed you Maija to rush off without letting me know." "Save it Luke." She cut the link.
"You ok Your Highness?" Maija glanced at Leia.
"Yes Maija, I think so. We have to get to the Falcon, and skip all this Highness business."
"Yes Your Hi........ When Luke gives the signal, make a run for it."
The two women gave each other for the first time grins of companionship. Leia's danger sense prickled. Maija jumped up spun around and launched herself into the air. Foot met chin with a sickening crunch. Leia snapped off a few shots with her blaster.
"Aah!" something burned into her shoulder.
Luke watched as Maija despatched a menacing figure with a swift kick to the chin, before going down as a blast caught her across the shoulder. He ignited his saber and rushed towards whoever had felled his wife. "I'm ok, Luke just bruised." she directed. Then she screamed, "Luke beware." A lithe figure came up behind the jedi Knight and clobbered him with a staff. He went down senseless, and then with a distinctive snap hiss the figure ignited a lightsaber and brought it up to finish the job. Maija gulped, that had to be one of Antaara's people because Luke hadn't been able to sense the danger. They were going to kill him. She closed her eyes and willed something to happen.
"No-oo!" the force scream was agonising in it's intensity. Distracted the figure stared in Maija's direction, only to be brought down by the knees as Luke recovered. Igniting his own saber he charged at the figure which laughed and jumped nearer to the Jedi. Still feeling dizzy Luke was attacked on all sides as the figure issued orders in a gutteral rasp heard through the voice modulater, attached to the black mask. He was cutting his own swathe through them, but he was hoplessly outnumbered. Spotting his sister still hiding near the transport he urged her to make a run for it.
"I'll cover you, get to the Falcon. Go Leia, Now!"
Unleashing her own saber, the diminutive Princess blocked off some blaster fire as Luke drew away most of the attention towards himself. "She's there," Luke heard Maija's voice in his mind. The action around the Jedi intensified, Luke was besieged on all sides. Leia and Han fired blaster shots from the Falcon, to no avail. Luke finally went down and lay still.
"He's still alive Leia," Maija's voice spoke in her mind. "Get Chewie to pick him up and get the hell out of here. If you don't, he won't survive. Just get him out of there. Now." the Lieutenant's voice had turned shrill with the strain. "One of Page's operatives is working in the control tower. I'll stage a diversion, but don't come back for me, there won't be time. It's me they want anyway."
"No Lieutenant, we'll get you out" Leia instructed. "Just keep out of trouble and be prepared to run."
|The Wookiee barked at Leia's softly issued orders and Han warmed up the engine. The fighting was still going on, acrid smoke momentarily obscured the view and Chewie made a run for it firing his bowcaster. He took out some of the troops near Luke's position.
"Finish him off," The voice spoke to the enforcer wielding some sort of club, who then fell as Maija hit them in the back. There was still time to do it his companion smiled to himself as he viciously kicked the prone figure. Some Jedi this guy turned out to be. He picked up his staff again and started to beat the unconscious Luke into oblivion. Maija felt each blow as she died inside. Whatever Leia thought, Maija knew her only hope to keep Luke alive was to get caught herself and she would do it, she would do it for him.
The enforcer continued to beat Luke until he was unrecognisable, it was as if a red mist of madness had come down in front of his eyes. The dark side in them laughed. He must be dead now. It didn't laugh for long, with a howl of pure rage the Wookiee ripped the figure in two, before picking up Luke. He'd really been hurt bad this time. The remaining enforcers turned towards the Wookiee. Chewie hesitated then stared over their heads to a small figure. She flipped him a salute.
"May the force be with you. Now Go!"
She then pulled off her helmet and with dark hair tumbling down her back took off at a run in the opposite direction. The leading figure in the group who had felled Luke the first time turned his attention away from the Wookiee and the unconscious Jedi towards the fleeing girl. Chewbacca didn't hesitate and charged to the Falcon, his precious burden in his arms.
"Set all weapons to stun. I want this one alive."
The guards complied and the girl went down hard as a flash of blue hit her from behind. The last view Chewie got of Maija was as the black clad guards dragged her off.
From another observation point Gtrec Joulwe smiled thinly. She was efficient, even though the Solo's were not supposed to escape and certainly not with the Jedi Knight. But from the state of him, Gtrec would have sworn that he was dead. The planetary defences would finish off the Falcon, but the NR would not interfere, not with a Super Star Destroyer guarding the planet.A pity really, you had to admire the rebel's luck and resourcefulness.
The leading enforcer pulled off their helmet and it was the beautiful cold face of the Princess Antaara. She ran her hand through her flowing blond tresses and reattached her saber to her belt.
"I like you in that outfit Taara," he drawled through the comlink. "Very streamlined."
"He's dead" she announced . "I couldn't sense his life force when the furry alien picked him up." she wrinkled her perfect nose in disgust. "Lieutenant Maija Darklighter will also join him in that state before long, but I want to make it worth my while."
On board the NR ship Rebel Dawn the state of the Jedi Skywalker still hung in the balance. Leia sat by his bedside, her face pale and drawn. Han paced at the back of the room unable to do something to help. Leia was in shock. Maija and Luke had married, but when and why keep it a secret. Did the Imperials know that they had the Jedi's wife in their clutches?
"Han! Why didn't they tell us?"
Han walked over and enfolded Leia in his arms. "I don't know sweetheart. Maybe he didn't want to put her more at risk. Perhaps he wanted a bit of privacy. I'm sure they would have told us in their own time."
Artoo beeped mournfully. Threepio sat silent in the corner, upset that he hadn't managed to save the master from his latest catastrophe.
"Artoo, when did Commander Skywalker marry Lieutenant Darklighter?"
A stream of whistles frantically erupted from the little droid. Threepio stiffly came to life. "Very well Artoo. Master Luke said we hadn't to tell you anything about this, but Artoo and I agree that.." The little droid whistled warningly. "Artoo, now be reasonable. Master Luke said we had to let Princess Leia and the General know if anything happened to him. As I am ....."
"Threepio" Han growled warningly, and glared at the little astromech droid too for good measure..
"About six weeks ago in Kestic Township." The golden protocol droid shuffled stiffly back to his corner and Artoo let out a long mournful wail.
"Thanks Threepio" Leia turned to Han and laid her head on his shoulder.
"When I trusted Maija, maybe. Well she proved herself again and has paid with her life and what Luke will do..."
Page stared at the man in front of him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm the wild card."
Leia rubbed her forehead, the ache in her heart intensifying as she stared at her comatose brother. Even in that state he was restless and called for Maija the agony in his voice apparent for all to hear. Words came to Leia from Luke's teacher Yoda. "If you honour what they fight for." Would Luke want revenge for the death of his wife? It was not the way of the Jedi.
"Mai!" The man on the bed cried out again.
"Any change?" Han put his hand on his wife's shoulder. She shook her head sadly.
"We've had a coded message from Page.
"He's still down there?" her voice lifted in spite of itself.
"She's been taken to the maximum detention centre in Caaper Ginnohlm, but will probably be transferred to Kallinn, if she's not killed while encarcerated by Antaara."
"She's alive!"
Luke sat bolt upright. "I told you she was. I have to get her back." then collapsed on the bed apparently unconscious again.
The Solo's looked at each other in astonishment. "He's supposed to be out for at least three days, but the drug isn't working properly, he's fighting it and the medics daren't give him any more. That's why he's so restless, but he's not supposed to be aware enough to follow conversations."
"Perhaps he isn't but what if you sent a signal through the force when you heard that Lieutenant Darklighter was alive?"
"If what he told us is true. She's Lieutenant Skywalker now."
"Think Leia, what a weapon to have in your hands."
Leia suddenly paled as the thought struck her.
"Oh Han, the Jedi's wife, what a powerful bargaining tool in any hands, especially if she's on the way to becoming a Jedi herself."
"You've seen how protective he was of her."
"That's why he kept this wedding a secret. He didn't want to go on this mission without marrying her. You know how noble Luke can be, yet he didn't want to make her more a target than she already was."
"Would any one else know of this?"
"I would be very surprised. The officiator on Bestine is Councillor Varis Fotwell, an old pal of Xen's. But something tells me that those two told no-one at all, apart from Artoo and Threepio.
"Sort of like an official record to the NR just in case."
"Although there is something I wonder about. On many of these worlds to get married there you have to be a resident. I'm just supposing that all those times Luke went missing of late he's been somewhere on Bestine."
"But why wouldn't he tell his family about it?"
"He's changed Leia, and I love you very much, but I know you've been giving him a lot of pressure recently."
"About?" she fixed him with a steely glare, but was so tired that it kept wilting.
"His role in the NR and how he should marry someone suitable, how he should perform many of his duties and what he should be doing with his life. He's had enough sweetheart. He wants his privacy, but he tried to please you because he loves you, but I don't think he could do it any more. I think he just rebelled, pulled out of Rogue Squadron and started to look around. I figure that he always knew Maija was there waiting for him, perhaps not consciously, but he knew." Han regarded at his wife carefully.
"I guess it makes sense, but she always avoided him like the Krytos plague."
"Perhaps because she knew too. She's Jedi. Wedge says they met in the staff tapcaf near the civil comm centre. Maija went there to hide and Luke just found himself there. See! He's been entrusted to make sure the Jedi rise again. Maija is Jedi also and therefore is a part of his destiny." Han laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm beginning to sound like you guys too." He shrugged wide shoulders. "The meeting in the Tapcaf was luck, but Obi Wan once said there was no such thing as luck The thing is sweetheart, Luke hasn't been ready to take the step of training a new generation of Jedi, he's been putting it off, flying around with the Rogues, all the hunting for the lost Jedi records. He just wasn't ready for the responsibility, you were groomed for it Leia, for the politics and the intrigue. He was stuck on Tatooine on a moisture farm. He's done so much since he came off the dustball, but he still has this task to fulfill. In a way it isn't fair on him, but he's the only one who can do it."
"Do what?"
"Rebuild the Jedi Order," Han shrugged wearily. "One way of building the Jedi is the way I plan to do with you some day. Who says the kid hasn't had a prompting by the force but in the same way."
Leia stiffened as the credit dropped, then yawned, fighting to keep the exhaustion from her countenance. "But Luke's a Jedi."
Han looked confused. "What has that got to do with it?"
Leia frowned and tried to make her tired brain come up with an intelligent comment, but the events of the past week had been beyond her comprehension. The 2-1-B came forward and lifted an instrument at Leia.
"If you do not mind me saying, Your Highness," the droid spoke slowly in it's measured metallic voice. "But you do need to rest. The Commander will be quite safe and will recover. He has come through other crises just as threatening."
"Yeah, come on Highnessness." Han cajoled and it was testament to Leia's strength of mind that she let herself be led to her quarters where she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Luke left the medical centre to the alarm of the medical droid two hours later, the sticky taste of the bacta still in his mouth. Somehow he had detoxified himself of the drugs in his system and begun to partially heal himself, but he'd be tasting bacta for days. Flicking on his comlink, he summoned the faithful Artoo to his side and crept through the ship till he came to the bay where the snub fighters were kept. Spotting a small shuttle he crept into it using the force to screen himself from the outside world. He was going to get his wife and no-one was going to stop him. Artoo beeped with concern. "All right Artoo, I've felt better, but I'll heal in hyperspace. I'm getting her back, she belongs with me." The little domed head swivelled round in agreement. "I knew you'd see it my way, pal. Thanks." He started the engines on the ship and received a squawk from the bridge for his trouble.
"Blue leader on routine patrol." He infused his voice with calming force tones and there was no further protest. The shuttle lifted shakily and exited the ship, then with a blurring of starlines it vanished into space.
"Luke!" Leia awakened from sleep, with the feeling that something was wrong.
"Han! Something's not right. It's Luke."
The smuggler turned General opened bleary eyes, which quickly came to life when he grasped what his wife was getting at. Reaching for his comlink, he contacted the medical centre.
"What !!" he sat up and grabbed his trousers. "Leia, we'd better get to the Falcon."
Her eyes widened in horror.
"Luke's gone."
Caaper Ginnohlm Detention Centre - Maximum Security Wing
Drugged and disorientated the girl lay still as death on the sleeping pallet. A bruise on her temple marred the perfection of her features. The medic who'd been sent in to increase her dosage wondeed at what he was about to do. Swiftly picking up a limp arm he injected the clear solution, but it was not the drug which would slowly kill the prisoner, this was in fact an antidote. He didn't know what had made him wake up to the atrocities being committed, but he would make his own small statement, even if for this poor girl it was too late. For two days now he'd injected a harmless solution into the prisoner, but she showed no sign of regaining consciousness. It was as if she'd gone to some far away place where it was safe. He knocked on the door and and exited the cell.
The Millennium Falcon
"Can we contact Page?" asked Leia thoughtfully. "Tell him Luke's on his way, but what sort of state he will arrive in I don't know."
"I knew I was brilliant. cos I already did that." Han turned round to smirk at his wife, and the Wookiee snorted in amusement. "Hold it, we've a message coming in ...... it's from Page."
"She's still on the planet, but we don't know what kind of shape she's in."
"You know Luke's returning." Leia inserted urgently "...and I don't know what kind of shape he's in either. Did you know that he and Maija married in Kestic Township six weeks ago."
"Sith! I knew they were sleeping together, but..."
Leia raised shocked eyebrows at Han. Did everyone realise this but her.
"......No, I wasn't aware of that nugget of information. Well, well. Again he's managed to surprise me and that doesn't happen too often. Don't worry Your Highness we'll watch out for him, but I fear that this time he's on a losing tack. But with Luke I've given up warning him. I'll keep in touch."
Caaper Ginnohlm
She was in a safe place, she knew that. It was warm and comfortable and she felt secure. The healing trance she'd put herself into was working and so far any attempts by Antaara to get into her mind had failed. The medic was kind, the fake injections had helped to clear any lingering effects of the drug Antaara had originally introduced into her system. She saw Luke, but he was well and whole, not battered and bloody as he'd been the last time she'd seen him. He smiled at her, the way she remembered. "Mai, sweetheart. I'm all right and I'm coming to get you back."
"Luke, I knew you wouldn't desert me, but it's too dangerous. You have to let me go."
"Never. The force has welded our destinies together. The light grows ever brighter when we are one. The light must grow."
"Then don't come for me here. I'll be shipped to Kallinn for sure, our wild card will let you know the rest." She slipped back into nothingness.
"Maija" but there was no reply.
Hyperspace
Luke awoke with a start. His dream had been so real, but perhaps it was more than that. His wife had seemed so beautiful and radiant, despite what she must be going through. I wonder if Han and Leia have reached a position where I can contact them. He smiled through his pain. He would bet that they would only be a couple of hours behind him. He stretched out with the force.
"Han. It's Luke. We can pick him up in two hours. He says he's achieved his objective."
"He couldn't possibly have Lieutenant Darklighter, I mean Skywalker, yet."
Leia sighed resigned. "Apparently we are that predictable. He raced off and was counting on us to follow."
Chewbacca barked a pithy retort.
"Yeah, you said it Chewie. But we'll have to get our hands on him first. So the kid does have brains and all that force stuff hasn't completely addled them."
"He needs us. If we don't get her back, he'll depend on us for sure. He can't have had time to heal properly. He's not fit to tackle anything, he'll be a liability to himself."
"Hey it's us. Impossible rescues a speciality."
"Thanks laser-brains."
"Think nothing of it Princess."
Chewie laughed to himself. It was good to see them like this. His family. They were going to get it's newest member. he hadn't forgotten the gentle speech she'd given in halting Shryiiwook. The kid was depending on them.
Luke transferred aboard and was instantly engulfed by his family. Wincing from the pain of his still tender rib-cage he managed a careful smile. His recently force-healed jaw-bone still ached.
"Why didn't you tell us."
The young Jedi didn't misunderstand his sister. "It would have given Antaara and Joulwe just one more weapon against us. There's a chance that Maija would be given a hard time, then shipped to Kallinn. That's what I'm hoping for, but......" his face sobered. "If I have to waltz into an Imperial Detention Centre to get her in front of the execution squad. By any moisture on Tatooine I'll do it. But before I do that, can I sit down? This leg was broken in a couple of places and I still haven't time to work on it properly. I didn't remain in the bacta tank long enough."
"So it's serious then. The two of you." Han joked, after directing a quick look at his wife. Leia rushed to support her brother to a seat.
"If the Imperials knew who it was they had, there would be much more fuss and she'd be dead. I'm under no illusions about Antaara. I'm not so sure about Joulwe, he's the real brains of the pair and he doesn't care about Maija, but if he knew who she really was........." Luke's face froze in misery for a second. "They would use her as a pawn and I'd never see her again."
"There's a call coming through. Says it's the wild card to speak to Commander Skywalker." Han raised his eyes in disbelief.
Princess Antaara paced the observation window staring at the motionless figure. They'd only spoken once, when the Lieutenant had recovered consciousness after the stun bolt.
"You caused me to fail my mission and for that you will die. You spied for the alliance against the glorious Empire. You are a traitor to your people. You, who trained at Raithal and received the best that was offered." She tried to apply the choking hold on the small figure in front of her, but realised that in Maija Darklighter was a will as strong as her own. She'd survived the ZX Pryon blaster after all.
"The Empire is finished as it once was. It will not rise again, but the Jedi will. The light side of the force will conquer all. You killed my best friend, you laughed when my parents and the entire world of Alderaan died. While claiming to be a benefactress of the poor and underpriviledged, you've used your position to create destruction and cruelty. Your own father got in your way, so you had him removed. You're venal and manipulative. If you kill me. So be it, but I will become one with the force and become even more powerful."
"Silence!" Antaara yelled and viciously slapped Maija. Her head jerked back and hit the wall. For an instant Maija saw stars and the room whirled.
"Maija smiled, even though the blood from her lip trickled down her face and Antaara's mark was clearly visible on the young Lieutenant's pale cheek.
"Even Lord Vader didn't understand the true power of the force. If you strike me down I'll become more powerful yet. The crimes you've committed will fester in your mind and destroy you from the inside out."
Antaara raised her blaster, but something stopped her and she slammed her fist into Maija's stomach, the girl wilted and hit the ground. After applying a few swift kicks she reached for her comlink. "Take the prisoner out of here. Get her ready for interrogation."
Maija raised her head from the floor. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. Antaara cringed at the look in her eyes and almost ran from the room. The girl's last statement had sounded like a prophecy.
The interrogation had revealed nothing. Maija Darklighter was force strong after all, but had left her in a weakened condition. The medics had over used the Skirtopanol and the prisoner had been comatose ever since.
"Increase the dosage, then get her ready. I've lost interest in this one, she's too unimportant for the NR to take interest in. We'll ship her to Kallinn with the next bunch of slaves. There she will die."
Lieutenant Brekkin smiled as he received his orders to travel with the next shipment of slaves to the mining planet. He glanced at his quarters in amusement, it was time to go home for good. He shifted the heel of his Imperial issue boot and clicked on the small transmitter. "This is wild card...."