The stars shone brightly in the dark sky over Naboo and Anakin Skywalker was sitting cross-legged on the terrace. His hands rested lightly on his thighs and he had his eyes closed, turning his mind outward, into the void of space. Therefore he was not overly surprised, when three star destroyers dropped out of hyperspace. Looking straight up at the three warships closing in on the planet, Anakin stood gracefully and went to meet the enemy.
The soft grass of the rolling hills outside of Theed was being flayed by the roaring winds of assault shuttles` exhausts and the deafening roar of heavy crafts landing drowned out all other noise. Admiral Daala had chosen not to violate the ruined city, if only because landing there would have been much more difficult. As she stepped out of the lead craft her eyes took in the pristine beauty of Naboo and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Who would have thought, she mused quietly, then shook hear head. "Begin with the assault," she ordered and went over to board her own hovercraft, driven by two stormtroopers. Her troops were in top shape, as always.
Just over six months ago, they had come up against the traitor Darth Vader. He had tested them, heart and soul and they had all survived his trials. Although Daala sometimes wished he had not come to Maw Installation and then later told her the truth about the Empire´s fall, making it clear that he was only toying with her troops, that his promises were just another lie designed to demote the Empire´s glory further. Daala had nearly lost her belief then. But that had been nothing compared to the bitter disappointment she had had to go through when rejoining what remained of the once glorious Empire. Petty squabblings and powerplays between greedy and selfish self-styled overlords and warlords, who did not care about the idea behind the Emperor´s New Order. And she and her troops, bent on action and revenge had been laughed at, humiliated even. No. This was not the dream she had longed and fought for over all these years. She knew who was to blame though.
The hoovercar came to a screeching halt in the middle of the great plaza in front of the Royal Palace´s main entrance, with more craft filling the square in the matter of seconds. Up on the rooftops soldiers were taking up position and, Daala thought, all in all this operation had gone smoothly so far. Now the Admiral was staring hard at the sole figure standing halfway up the giant stairway leading into the half - ruined structure. She felt fear rising up her throat, but fought it down valiantly. They had not come here unprepared, after all. "Lord Vader!" she called out loudly and held her breath. The figure began its slow descent with measured steps, black cloak flapping lightly in a nightly breeze. An eerie silence filled the plaza with anticipation. "Admiral Daala," he answered and the sudden sound of his rough voice nearly made her jump. She hopped off the car and strode towards him, stopping halfway. He had not moved at all and if he had noticed the six guards slowly surrounding him he did not seem to be impressed. Even though he must be well inside the Ysalamiri´s Foce bubble by now. Instead he gave them all a measured look and shrugged out of his cloak. The thick, black fabric dropped to the ground at his feet, but he stepped over it without noticing and closed the distance to the waiting Admiral. Standing face to face with him again she felt her will and determination fade under his mega-watt stare. For someone who was well and truly caught he seemed remarkably calm.
Then Daala´s emerald eyes hardened as she motioned the six troopers forward. The Dark Lord did not even turn around to face them. But the Admiral saw his blue eyes flicker for a millisecond, and she knew the small reptiles did fullfill their purpose indeed. A mistake, she immediately realized, when he suddenly exploded into action. Three of the guards were already down, and the nutrient cages on their backs squashed with them, before Daala´s stun - bolt caught Vader in the back and dropped him to the ground. She exhaled slowly and felt the adrenaline rush fade away as she stepped over to where he lay motionless. Kneeling next to him she checked his status and found his clear blue eyes looking up at her. That calm gaze seemed disturbingly out of place. "Why did you attack the soldiers instead of me? I was standing right in front of you," Daala asked him quietly, knowing full well that he would not be able to answer. To her surprise, he managed a tiny smile and a barely perceptible shake of his head. "Well," she sighed and stood again, leaving her troops to carry Vader´s limp body over to her hoovercar.
Anakin Skywalker was feeling hot and uncomfortable. Hanging on to consciousness had become a struggle under the Ysalamiri´s influence, and the remaining three were now spaced evenly around where he lay in the middle of a force-field square. It reminded him a bit of the cage Streen had fabricated to catch him, but this one really was inesacpable. What had he been thinking to confront Daala and her troops like that? Why had he not taken his ship to escape? He sighed. The answer was that he simply did not know where to go. There was no safe haven for him anywhere. And ever since he had realized that his mind was slowly slipping away, he had sought more and more challenges, to prove to himself that he was still alive. Not dying. But Luke had had to suffer his lack of control and he was still shocked by how close Mara Jade had been to the mark when confronting him about it. Rolling around on his stomach he heaved himself up on his elbows to examine his surroundings. There was not much to see apart from the force-field generators and the Ysalamiri´s nutrient cages. Just perfect, he thought and sat up on his haunches, swaying slightly when a wave of dizziness hit him. Black spots began to dance in front of his eyes. "So we meet again," Admiral Daala´s voice sounded pleased as she stepped into the room, two stormtroopers at her heels. He turned around slowly and stood up.
Admiral Daala nearly took a step back when Vader rose from his crouch in one graceful, slow movement, exuding power even in captivity. He smiled lazily and waited for her to continue. She took a deep breath and forced a likewise smile on her lips.
"You don´t seem to be surprised."
"No. But I am curious: How did you find out about Naboo?"
"It took some research, but...Anakin Skywalker? Well, that name rang a bell somewhere: The prince consort to Queen Amidala of Naboo."
"I see. And what do you want from me?"
"What you took from us."
"And what is that?"
"Our belief in the Empire."
"By now you must know that there is nothing left of the Empire worth believing in, like I told you before. Is that not so?"
"It is true. And that is why we need you. With you to lead us, the Empire can become great again."
"What makes you think I would ever return to the Empire?"
"Where else can you go? The New Republic would hunt you down if they knew how to catch you. There are other enemies waiting for their chance to kill you."
"You yourself called me a traitor."
"Yes. But then I had not realized that whatever else you may be, you are a man of honor. Unlike those fools who now think they lead the Empire. Or what is left of it."
"What has honor got to do with this?"
"In my mind, everything."
"Admiral, I could tell you that you are loath to give up antique military values. But the Empire never did embody honor. Nor does it now."
"Then maybe that is what we really need."
"What the Empire needs and what the New Republic needs is peace. Nothing more and nothing less."
The Admiral had regained her calm composure throughout the discussion, while her prisoner seemed to weaken with every passing moment. He was swaying slightly and sweat beaded his forehead. Daala looked into his feverish eyes and frowned. Then she waved a hand at the stormtroopers: "Call a medic in here," she ordered curtly and stepped closer to the force-field. "What is it?" - "Nothing," he hissed, but his tone belied the fatigue he was feeling. When he suddenly dropped to the floor, unconscious, the Admiral knew that they had not only been well prepared and lucky on Naboo. There was something wrong with Vader. She was gazing thoughtfully upon his still form, and still stood there, when the medics arrived. The Dark Lord was immediately transeferred to the medical ward.
Anakin was fighting his way back into consciousness, trying to sort out his thoughts. In the depths of his own mind he felt confused, as if walking a labyrinth of thousands of impressions: Past , present and future merged together in a neverending dance of images spinning around in his head. And there was darkness everywhere. The sharp needle of a syringe piercing his skin brought him back into the here and now. He wanted to shout, wanted to warn them, but too late. Pain exploded in his chest with a vengeance and made him scream out loud, before he felt nothing anymore. He found himself floating in sweet, nothingness, oblivious of anything, yet acutely aware of the Force. Until a strong electrical current arched through his body, shaking him back into life. Panicking, he tried to reach out to the Force again, but found the way blocked. Curse those Ysalamiri! Finally he managed to open his heavy eyelids very slowly, just in time to see Admiral Daala storm into the room:
"What has happened!" she demanded, pushing past the medics to get a closer look at her prisoner.
"His heart stopped back there," one of the doctors explained calmly,"We will have to examine his blood cells. I think there was a reaction with the transquillizer."
"Do that. And fast."
"Yes, ma´am." The Admiral gave Anakin a hard look, then left, a thoughtful expression on her face.
One of the doctors bent over his patient and smiled: "Can you speak?" he asked and Anakin, his gaze still lingering on the doorway, nodded slowly after a while.
"What might have caused the reaction?"
Now the doctor had the Jedi Lord´s full attention and flinched back when cold blue eyes locked with his own: "A substance that is injected into a victim´s blood-stream and sends neuronic signals to the brain, convincing it that the body is experiencing incredible pain. I do not know the name of this substance."
"And you have been injected with this...poison?"
"Yes."
"Over how long a period?"
"Six years." The doctor inhaled sharply:
"That is....Poisons like you have described it have been developed for short-term usage in torture sessions. Nothing remotedly as long as this. Orten!" he called over his shoulder, "We need a blood sample."
It was two hours later, that the doctor came back to inform Anakin on their progress in determining the source of his heart attack.
"Well, the poison is called Dolorphyn. It was developed about 10 years ago and has never been used, except in your case, it seems. Now, since the poison was not removed from your bloodstream and due to the very long period of time you were exposed to it, it has reacted with your blood cells, poisoning all of your body. Tell me, why did you not consult a medic after you were released from the torture?"
Anakin smiled grimly and shook his head: "I am a Jedi, doctor."
"Then why did you not heal yourself?"
"Because I found that I could not."
"Back to question number one: Why not consult a doctor?"
"It was too late for that, believe me." The medic sighed:
"Alright. That still leaves us with one problem: You are dying."
"I know."
"You know. Fine. Then I can just tell you that it is a slow, painful death, as you may already know too."
"I am not afraid to die."
"Most people believe that."
"But they have never experienced death before. I have."
"You...What do you mean?"
Anakin chose not to answer. After all, he was the prisoner on this ship and this conversation was slowly turning into an interrogation. The doctor waited for a few seconds, then shrugged and turned away, report in hand, and left. The Jedi Lord leaned back in his bed and stared at the ceiling. He knew that he was dying. No need to remind him of this particular fact. He could only guess at Palpatine´s motives when he began the Dark Lord´s torture seven years earlier. Revenge, yes. Turning him back to serve the Dark again, possibly. And then...death? What was the purpose of that? Anakin did not understand. Had Palpatine not expected him to live that long anyway? Everything seemed possible. But the fact still remained.
Only fifteen minutes later the door swished open to admit Admiral Daala. She waved the guards out of the room and came to stand at Anakin´s side.
"The doctor just told me about his findings."
"Did he now."
"Well, I won´t let you die."
"And why not?"
"Because you are still needed here. Back there you said that what this galaxy really needs is peace. I am the first to admit that I do not like the rebels in particular, but then, this is an old grudge, something we all can overcome. And, in essence, this continued struggle is foolish anyway."
Her cheeks had been flushed with a timid red during her little speech and now, staring hard at the man lying in front of her, green eyes flashing, Anakin could nearly feel her strength of will. Seeing her in a new light than before he suddenly understood what drove her, saw the core of her being plain: She was a warrior and as such bound to protect the ideals she honored. And she was ambitious, anxious to prove her own strength, proud of her accomplishments. The fact that noone but her own troops seemed to want to recognize her skills had made her bitter, and there was a feeling of not belonging anywhere that was nagging at her. Actually, Anakin realized, she was much like himself: They both had a goal to reach, but no ground to start from.
"Maybe," he said and gave her a weak smile, "it is indeed time to put old enmities to rest at last." She looked surprised, then returned his smile:
"Good," she said and nodded. Slowly, she turned away, still smiling.
"Admiral."
"Yes?"
"You could not by any chance have those Ysalamiri removed? They really give me a headache." Daala frowned hard at his dead-pan expression, then laughed and shook her head:
"I think we will have to build up trust first," she answered teasingly and left. Well, it had been worth a try, Anakin thought and tried to sleep.
Three days later the Admiral´s fleet had reached it´s old hiding place: Maw Installation.
Daala had visited Anakin on a daily basis to talk, but both were seemingly unwilling to give up their own defenses.
Now though, standing side by side at the viewport of his room, looking out at the Black Hole bordering the Installation the Jedi Lord mused aloud:
"Another similarity between us, Admiral: We have both been hurt and disappointed throughout our lifes so many times that now trusting someone has become the greatest gift we have to give."
The look of surprise on her face pleased him so much that he even smiled at her. But her face became cold and closed as she answered:
"I think you have hurt yourself more by your actions than anyone else could possibly hurt you." He thought about that for a few minutes:
"You are right. Not entirely so, but nevertheless, there is some truth to your words. What about you? Your service to the Empire brought you both joy and pain."
"You are referring to Willuf Tarkin, I take it. Yes. He was the one who discovered my talents, who nurtured them. We became very close, lovers. What he gave me was more than trust. And I have tried to honor that gift for all these years. When you told me about his death I felt a huge emptiness pierce my heart, deep loneliness and a profound sense of loss. Tell me, have you ever felt like this?"
"Yes," he answered at last, "I know that feeling well."
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she turned to face him and for the first time since he had known her it blossomed into a real, beautiful smile, lighting up her eyes with an inner glow.
"Thank you," she whispered and squeezed his arm, then turned away. To his own surprise, Anakin found his hand touching her shoulder gently:
"What for?" he asked, not understanding.
"For listening. And for your honesty."
Then she really did leave, and Anakin stood for a long time facing the door, unsure of his own feelings. But somewhere something fundamental had changed, that he knew for sure.
It was the next day that two stormtroopers out-fitted with Ysalamiri nutrient cages on their backs came to lead the Jedi Lord to the Hydra´s bridge. Admiral Daala was standing straight-backed, hands clasped behind her back, and Anakin noticed the eyes of the crw memebres on him,a s he strode towards her, head held high. "You asked to see me," she greeted him and he nodded.
"Yes. I have thought about your offer and have made my final decision."
"So you will join us?"
"No."
"No," she repeated, clearly taken aback, and a hint of betrayal in her voice, "And why not? I thought we had agreed on the necessity of working together."
"Working together, yes. But that does not mean that I am staying here. I will return to Coruscant, and I suggest that you and your troops rejoin the Empire on Bastion."
"You know," Daala told him calmly, "that we will not accomplish much that way, if anything."
"I do know that my rejoining the Empire would rekindle the conflict and the New Republic would not rest until all of the Empire was destroyed. That is not what I want, nor, I think, what you want."
"You are right, Lord Vader, but nevertheless, I feel that we are making a mistake."
"Maybe, but only time will tell. I have to go now."
"May the Force be with you."
"And with you," he smiled and turned to leave.
An Imperial shuttle was waiting for him and he was just checking it up, when he heard light steps behind him. It was the Admiral. Standing in the shuttle´s cockpit together, their eyes locked and once more, Anakin felt that something was happening here, something he had thought he would never feel again.
"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly, a sad smile on her lips.
"I do not know, Admiral. There is a lot to do and I do not have much time."
"You will live to see peace at last, I know it."
"Perhaps," Anakin replied," I wish you were right."
"It is what I would want for a friend."
"Thank you, Admiral. I will honor that friendship for as long as I live."
When she suddenly stepped foward to embrace him, Anakin was more than surprised. He felt elated by her touch, by the bond he could feel between them, a bond of trust and understanding. Holding her tight, he kissed her gently, their lips touching tentatively at first, then with a searing, desperate hunger for something they both had missed for a long time.
"I really have to go," Anakin whispered, when finally they had disengaged again, still holding on to her slender arms. The slightly hurt look she gave him made his heart ache, but he was so unsure of himself, of his destiny and future, that he could not cope with this kind of comittment right now. Although he longed for her as much as she did for him, he knew that he was not ready to love again like this. And with the little time left to him, he was afraid to gain something just to lose it again so soon. "Goodbye, Anakin," she replied, her voice rough and caressed his left cheek with a brush of her fingertips. "Goodbye," he answered and watched her go.
Much later, alone in hyperspace and on his way to Coruscant, he sat meditating in the back of the passenger compartment and reached out to the Force again. Feeling it flow all around him he let it ease his pain and regret. So enemies become friends, he thought, still wondering at what had happened back in the Hydra´s hangar bay. He had fallen in love with Daala, no doubt about that. But it was a love that would never be, he knew, could not. He had other obligations than that. Do you really? a tiny voice in the back of his mind mused aloud, Other obligations than your own happiness? - That would be selfish, he answered back, angrily. - You are keeping yourself apart from everyone, everything, because you fear that you might hurt those you love, and hurt yourself that way too. Like you did before. The Jedi are part of Life, part of the Force, remember? - I do remember. - Then you are fearing the sacrifices you would have to make more than those you are making now. - I do not want to lose my freedom again. Never, ever again. - Think about it. Make up your mind. Maybe then you can find peace. It was a long flight and Anakin spent it with meditating and exercises, thinking about what had happened to him so far, examining his mistakes closely. When finally the shuttle dropped out of hyperspace over Coruscant, he knew what he had to do.
Leia Organa Solo was tired. It had been a long, long day of meetings, discussion and even more paperwork. Now she was only glad to be home, in the cozy little haven that was the family´s apartment in the Imperial Palace. Han had already gotten the children into bed and he and Chewie were deeply immersed in discussing what kind of spare parts they needed for yet another repair due on the Millenium Falcon. "Hey, hon´," Han called when he saw her standing in the door way. He stood to meet her and kissed her cheek gently. "Are they asleep?" she sighed and flicked her eyes towards the flight of stairs leading up to the bedrooms."Yeah, all asleep. Are you hungry?" - "No, I had dinner with the Bakuran ambassador. What a boring evening." - "Poor Leia," he said teasingly and led her towards the table, drawing out a chair for her. The moment she had sat down though the door bell chimed. "Oh no!" Han exclaimed, "This is just typical. I´ll just go and tell them they can get back at a more civilized hour," he huffed, then saw the distant look in his wife´s eyes. "It´s alright, Han. It is Anakin," Leia sighed and smiled at him. "Oh, great. What does he want here?" - "Let him in and maybe he´ll tell us," she smiled. Han shrugged and went to open the door.
Anakin Skywalker looked the worse for wear. His eyes looked tired, his skin pale and waxen. "Hey, come in," Han told him, swallowing the cutting remark on arriving without calling ahead he had prepared beforehand, and led his father-in-law into the living-room. Leia immediaely rushed to her father´s side, squeezing him affectionately.
"What´s wrong? " she asked, "The students? Are they alright?"
"What?" he answered, confusion showing plain on his face," Oh my, I completely forgot about them. Luke isn´t back yet?"
"No, he´s not back. What happened?" He gave her a rueful smile and dropped into one of the chairs:
"I ran into Daala."
"Admiral Daala?"
"And she was in the charming company of three Ysalamiri."
"You were captured?"
"Yes. But as you can see, she let me go again."
"Why?"
"Very simple. We want to work together on bringing peace to this galaxy."
"Peace? What do you mean?"
"I mean that we can end the war between the New Republic and the Empire. I just have to talk to Mon Mothma."
"Which won´t be easy," Leia mused, already working out a plan," She still tells me that you´d better not show your face in New Republic space."
"Too late for that," he replied with a smile.
"Definitely. So, we will have to set up a meeting. Don´t drop in on her unannounced. Still, that leaves us with one problem."
"The apprentices."
"Exactly."
Gantoris and Kyp felt more than a little uncomfortable on this gloomy world. Before joining Luke Skywalker´s Jedi Academy they both had lived on worlds very similar to this one, Kyp in the prison mazes of Kessel and Gantoris on the planet Eol Sha, amidst volcanos and geysirs. Then they had spent a few months on Yavin 4, later even more time on Naboo. Both planets were peaceful and beautiful, full of green vegetation and life.
Hopping out out of a speeder´s path Kyp stumbled into Gantoris who was trudging along the passageway with an air of annoyance. "Sorry," the younger man mumbled and drew his raincoat tighter around his shoulders. It had been raining like this for two days now, ever since they had arrived. Gantoris didn´t answer. Theoretically they both knew that Master Skywalker saw this as some kind of test for his students. But why did he have to pick Juro? On their journey here they had studied the planet´s history closely. Formerly an Imperial world and still close to the border, the planet had developed into a trade center for the seedier kinds of business. Absolutely everything could be bought and sold here, even souls, it was rumored.
What they were supposed to do here was beyond Kyp. "This looks promising," his older cmpanion said suddenly and grabbed the youth´s arm. "What? What looks prom....Ooooh," Kyp stared wide-eyed at the dim interior of the establishment Gantoris had chosen. The heat and stink of too many bodies pressed together made his head spin, but he used the force to ease his breathing quickly, finding that Gantoris was doing the same. "What are we doing here?" he hissed, but was only dragged further into the crowd. Gantoris had again donned the cloak of leadership he had worn for years as head of the small community of people on Eol Sha. Head held high and moving with a deadly grace, he pushed his way towards the bar. Kyp watched him closely as the older man lay a hand flat on the bartop, waiting for the barkeeper to notice him. "You buying?" - "Yes," Gantoris answered calmly, his nod slow, but firm. "I´ll get your drinks over there," the barkeep told him and pointed towards the far corner.
Gantoris nodded again and gave Kyp a fleeting smile before pushing into the crowd again. What does he think he´s doing? We aren´t buying anything! Not on this world. Before he could voice his misgivings about joining the buyers´group Kyp found himself already seated next to Gantoris. Beings of various species sat together, talking in low tones and eyed the newcomers warily.
"Your interest?" a Rodian, obviously a mediator, asked. "Meat," Gantoris told him and a predatory grin appeared on his lips. "How much?" - "I will have to check the market first." - "Of course. This is Ghe`tha. Whatever you desire, he can deliver." Pointing them towards a fat Twi´lek the mediator turned to see to his other customers´needs. "What was all that about?" Kyp managed to hiss before they reached Ghe´tha, but Gantoris laid a quieting hand on his forearm. "Greetings," he told the Twi´lek, "We have a market interest. You offer?" - "Excuse me," the new voice was low and female. Kyp turned his head and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Mara Jade smiling at him. She grabbed his arm, nodded at Gantoris and headed for the exit. The two men shared a glance and followed.
Once outside Mara didn´t stop, but led them back towards the spaceport, where they finally found themselves seated in her ship´s rec area. "Now, tell me why you were inquiring after slaves," she demanded, arms folded in front of her chest. So that was it! Kyp thought, shaking his head, disbelieving. "Well, I thought we could as well do something useful while we´re here," Gantoris answered calmly. "And where did you learn the trade?" - "My father was a slave. The people of Eol Sha all were." - "I see. But I have another job for you." - "Wait, Master Skywalker sent us here," Kyp put in, but Mara simply smiled at him: "I know. It was him who sent me here too." They both could feel the truth in her words. "What kind of job?" Gantoris asked, suspiscious. "One that you two are the perfect guys for: We are scouting out a Sith planet."
Tionne´s silvery hair gleamed in the morning light of Tattoine and Kam was watching the rapt expression on her face with a smile, as they walked side by side along the dusty streets of Mos Eisley, strolling over the market place and taking in the colorful stalls. Suddenly the roar of a crowd tore through the lazy silence of the morning, getting the two Jedi´s immediate attention. At the other end of the plaza about twenty people had gathered, seemingly assaulting someone standing with his back to the wall. Kam immediately ran to offer his help, pushing into the crowd and the people quickly gave way to his tall, powerful frame. Tionn, who had followed in his shadow, knelt next to the creature half-crouched against the bare white wall The white skin shining out of dark short fur on his chest glistened with cool sweat. "What has this one done to you?" Kam demanded harshly, his blue eyes scanning the crowd coldly. Noone answered.
"He is a stranger," Tionne said in low tones, regarding the stocky alien calmly," he is different. That is why they are afraid." - "Do you know what he is?" - "I have read of his species. Grssnyr they call themselves. They come from the Unknown Regions." - "What is he doing here then?" - "I suggest we find that out. Quickly." Laying a friendly arm on the aliens shoulder they rose together. Shaking her head once, Tionne stood proud and tall, her perlescent eyes glistening with contempt. And one by one the onlookers lowered their heads and sullenly stalked away. Kam gave his companion a surprised look. "You handled that very well," he praised and she gave him a little smile. "Why is everyone always so surprised whenever I accomplish something?"
The Gryssnyr said something in it´s own language, but the Jedi did not understand. Just as Kam was about to employ the Force to translate for him Tionne held up her hand warningly. "The Gryssnyr are very special. Never ever try to use the Force on them. It will all reflect back on you. Fortunately, they are quick learners. If we cannot understand him, maybe he can understand us." - "Maybe." The three of them made their way back to the Jedi´s ship and settled into a cleared space in the rec area on the floor, as per Gryssnyr custom. Then Tionne, never-tiring, set to learning the alien´s language in record time. And really, their new friend was a quick study. "You are a warrior," he asked Kam haltingly and Tionne smiled broadly. "You bet he is," she answered gleefully. "Hey, maybe I can answer his questions myself?" - "You are a scholar?" - "Yes. I am.What about you? How did you come here?" - "On ship." - "What ship was that?" -- "Called `Darkened Sun´. It left me here." The Jedi shared a glance. "Maybe we can find it for you."
For once Kam´s hardened air came in handy when they inquired after the Darkened Sun in one of Mos Eisley´s many bars. But the first two days they weren´t very succesful. Instead, Kam found that his companion was more than someone he wanted to protect. She was a beautiful woman, full of wisdom and peace. A true Jedi. The Darkened Sun, as it turned out, was licensed to Nar Shadaa. And so that was where they went.
Nar Shadaa´s dank corridores reeked of evil intentions, Kirana Ti thought. It was also the loudest city she had ever been to, the exact reason for Master Skywalker sending them here. Streen, her companion, had a hard time shutting out all the noises, but it was good exercise. Knowing the city´s reputation she was dressed in her reptilian battle armor, leaving a lot of skin exposed, but the vital parts well protected. But now, sitting next to Streen at a table in one ofthe many cafés she felt that her choice of clothes could have been better. More than one male was leering at her and she felt uncomfortable. The old man sitting by her side noticed her nervousness and smiled faintly. "You would not want to hear what most of them are thinking," he told her, and had the satisfaction of seeing her blush slightly. "I have found my mate already and besides...," she stopped herself short when a tall alien entered the café. His muscular body was set off exquisitely by the tight pants and tunic he wore and there was a deadly grace to his movements that Kirana Ti found most appealing.
When he looked in her direction she found herself smiling darkly. Taking in his handsome face, the bald head with a black topknot crowning it and the cool sheen of his greenish reptilian skin, she did not even notice that he came closer until he stood right in front of their table. He ignored the smiling Streen completely. "I would be honored to meet you....alone," he said, his voice like a caress and Kirana Ti found herself smiling again, but she shook her head no. He might be attractive, but so was her mate. She did not need another one. When he turned away again, a look of slight bafflement on his pretty face, she nearly laughed. Who did he think he was?!
Xixor, formerly Dark Prince of Black Sun, had felt pretty good up to this point. His plan was coming along nicely and with any luck he could wipe out all his enemies at once. The only fly in the ointment was Mara Jade´s unexpected visit to Dromund Kaas. Talon Karrde held information about his organization tight and the former Emperor´s Hand was very skilled at not leaving any traces. And Skywalker had been with her. Luke Skywalker. That was something else to keep in mind. Still, his contact on Coruscant had confirmed that Vader had fallen for their trap. The man was so predictable! Life was great. And it would have been perfect if he had been able to convince that deadly beauty to join him for the evening. Whatever was she doing with this old grandfather? Well, it didn´t matter anymore anyway. "I take it she declined your offer?" Only Guri would be so bold to ask something like this. Xixor turned around facing his bodyguard. She was a Human Replica Droid and the most deadly assassination machine ever built. And she was all his.
Kirana Ti tapped Streen´s hand and left the café quickly, the old Bespin hermit following. Standing together on the street she was searching the dark corridores for the presence she had felt only moments before. "Kirana Ti! Streen!" Tionne whispered out of the shadows and the two Jedi slipped into the narrow street her friend stood in, Kam looming protectively behind her. "I am so glad we found you two," the silver-haired apprentice said apologetically. "What is it?" - "Later. First let´s get back to the ship." Just as they turned to leave Kam stopped them short and pointed towards the bigger corridore, where Kirana Ti´s would-be-suitor was just leaving, bodyguards in tow. "Do you know him?" Kirana Ti asked quietly. "Know him? That is Prince Xixor, and he is supposedly dead. Wait a minute. I think I know now who the Darkened Sun belongs to. Let´s go back."
When the three Jedi and the Gryssnyr were finally seated together, Kam began to explain. "Xixor used to run the biggest crime organization around and part of it was transportation. A big part of it. One day he crossed Vader one too many times and boom, no more Xixor. Or so everyone thought. Lord Skywalker should know this. And the rest too. I think we should return to Naboo immediately." - "What about Kyp and Gantoris?" - "We´ll call them back." But hailing the two missing Jedi students proved more difficult than they had thought. Noone answered when the tried to reach their ship comm. "That doesn´t mean anything," Tionne reassured the little group," You can still feel them, right? So let´s just get back and contact everyone from Theed." Finally they all agreed and the students readily admitted to each other that they were looking forward to seeing Naboo again.
Leia returned to the family´s apartment late the next day to the delighted giggles of her children. She found the three of them in the twin´s bedroom, together with their grandfather. Anakin´s face was lit up by a fascinated smile while, completely undignified, chasing Jacen and Jaina around the room on hands and knees, with little Anakin riding his shoulders. "Father?" Leia asked, wearing a broad smile herself. He looked up, slightly embarrassed, then deposited his grandson gently on the floor and stood. "Han and Chewbacca are off for repairs, you know," he explained, as if he needed any excuse for playing with the children. "It´s alright," his daughter told him and snatched Jacen from the floor, hugging him tightly. "Mommy!" Jaina called loudly, wanting to be held too. Leia tousled her daughter´s dark hair, then sent the children off for dinner.
"I have talked to Mon Mothma," she said finally, when the three kids´little feet could be heard pounding down the stairs.
"And what did she say to my offer?" Anakin asked, placing his hands on his hips.
"She will see you. Tonight."
"And how many people know of that meeting?"
"The Defense Council will be informed. And the President´s bodyguards, of course."
"Where?"
"Her residence. Please, be careful."
"Do not worry. I know what I am doing."
"You always do."
When Anakin Skywalker neared the President´s front door he could not but notice the guards staying descreetly just out of sight in the garden´s shadows, but close enough to respond to any threat immediately. Well, this was, after all an official meeting. A household droid opened the door and led the nightly visitor towards Mon Mothma´s private office. The President was dressed in a flowing dark-green robe, her short hair was combed back neatly and she gave Anakin a relaxed smile, making him feel welcome at once. "Please be seated, Lord Skywalker," she offered and gestured towards the chair standing in front of her desk. When he had sat down she took her own place and folded her hands on the tabletop.
"Your daughter has told me what little she could, but I would like to hear from you, what exactly you and Admiral Daala are planning."
"Very well. You know us both as warlords, fighters, but what we really seek is peace and stability for the people of this galaxy. But the conflict between Republic and Empire stands in the way of peace. There are now, three possibilities of how to proceed, two of them violent: If the New Republic chose to end the threat of the Empire once and for all, or the Empire decided likewise. The third option would then be a simple peace treaty, uniting the two governments."
"Which is all but impossible."
"What do you mean?"
"These two governments are too different. The Empire still clings to military might and its people are still suffering under antialien biases."
"It certainly would be a challenge, but not an unsolvable problem. Even here, inside the New Republic you have different factions, different views, and that is how it should be. People are different from each other after all, and races and species even more so."
"I see. You may be right, Lord Skywalker, but it would need a very strong, compelling personality to accomplish such a feat."
"Yes."
"And who do you have in mind?"
"You."
"Funny, I myself was thinking of you."
"You are mistaken about my intentions, I believe."
"Am I really? Palpatine´s heir does not seek to follow in his master´s footsteps?"
"I could have crushed you on Onderon with ease and I did not. Nor will I now. We must work together towards peace, without violence."
"I cannot imagine you not acting violently."
"Then you do not know me at all. And I can see that this meeting is taking us nowhere. I will leave, but I ask you most sincerely to think again about this offer."
He stood, more than disappointed and a little angry and she followed his lead promptly.
Her eyes betrayed a turmoil of emotions: fear, hatred, hope and resignation all mignled together, but Anakin knew that she could not or would not act now. Maybe he had been foolish to expect anything else, but he had always seen her as a strong leader who knew where she must take her people.
"I will consider your offer. But you have to convince the Defense Council to do that too. I will set up a meeting, how does that sound?"
"Most promising," he answered, and gave her a tiny smile, "Thank you."
Leaving her house behind he felt elated. This had not been as bad as he thought at first.
Hopefully Daala was having similar successes.
"The proposition is rejected, Admiral. " Daala stood straight-backed, facing the Imperial Moffs and administrators on Bastion, who all seemed to wear the same expression of incredulous doubt. But she had not really expected anything else but refusal. Nodding slightly she made her leave, fuming inside. Why had Anakin insisted on leaving? They would have listened to him, if only out of fear. Still, there were other possibilities to convince them of the need for peace, and she would use them.
Back on Coruscant Leia and Han were rudely awoken by her comm blaring loudly in the middle of the night. She rose quickly to answer the call and was most surprised to see General Bel Iblis´grim face staring at her. "Garm, what is it?" she demanded, suddenly wide awake. Had something gone wrong with the meeting? Was Anakin back already? Behind her she could hear Han straighten up and leave the bed, joining her. "What´s up?" Han asked sleepily, but Leia could feel tension building in him too.
"The President has been murdered."
"What?! When!" Leia´s voice had become shrill with shock, but Han slipped an arm around her, squeezing her gently for reassurance.
"Her body was found in her office not an hour ago."
"What about my father?"
"Is he not with you?" Bel Iblis´ frown deepened suspiciously.
"I´ll have look," Han answered and vanished in the directio of the guest bed room. Only a few moments later he was back, shaking his head. "Noone´s been there all night."
"He´s not here," Leia told the general unnecessarily, but her mind seemed to have gone numb.
"We will find him, if he is still onplanet."
"No, you won´t," Leia snapped, suddenly angry," And he would not kill her, never."
"Leia, please. We both know your father and his past. There is nothing he would not do if it could benefit his plans."
"No," she whispered in denial, shaking her head.
"I am sorry," Garm told her softly, "But he is the prime suspect. There is a search warrant already out. If he comes to you, please tell him to contact me."
"We will," Han answered and broke the connection, "Hey, hon´, don´t worry. He´s managed to get out of any mess before too."
Leia was close to tears when he led her over to sit on the bed, but suddenly the comm chimed again. Han answered it.
"What has happened?" Luke demanded, confused, "We are being held in orbit and noone´s inclined to tell me what´s going on!"
"Mon Mothma got killed."
"No! When?"
"Just an hour ago."
"Do we know who it was?"
"Presumably your father." Han saw his friend´s mouth harden.
"You cant´be serious."
"Hey, I didn´t say that. Bel Iblis just called."
"Then I will contact him. I´ll be with you as soon as I can."
Luke rushed into the apartment two hours later and hugged his sister affectionately.
"Any news?"
"No, except that I´ll have to do Mon Mothma´s job pro term, until the election. And I really don´t need that right now."
"I understand. I just wanted to see you before heading over to see Bel Iblis."
"Good luck, then."
Anakin Skywalker was walking along the beach thoughtfully. What Mon Mothma had accused him of deeply disturbed him. He did not seek to follow Palpatine, not at all. Perhaps that was the problem. No. He shook his head. The New Order had only pretended to want peace and stability. None of it had been real. If Mon Mothma did not want to give peace a try, who would? The whole process would take long, very long. Who had the skills and the patience? Not himself, that he knew. And besides, his life would soon end. He sighed deeply, then turned back towards the city.
It was early morning and General Garm Bel Iblis tried to shake off Luke Skywalker, but the young Jedi Master was persistently following him around the military complex.
"Luke, there is really nothing you can do, except for getting your father here so he can tell us himself what happened."
"This is ridiculous," Luke snapped, "Why should he kill her? What´s his motive?"
"When did he ever need a motive?"
"You are going too far."
"No. It is you who is overstepping himself. The Jedi left the New Republic, remember? And your father knew very well that if he ever showed up on Coruscant again, we would take any precautions to make sure he did not go anywhere we did not want him to go nor let him do anything he wanted to do without us knowing. It was mere politeness to let him meet with Mon Mothma. And with all that security around her it could only have been a Jedi who killed her."
Luke glared at him, but didn´t answer. Instead he simply brushed past the general and left. Walking the streets of Coruscant Luke tried to pick up his father´s Force signature, but there were too many people around. This whole incident was most unfortunate. Luke had always admired Mon Mothma for her quiet strength and her skillful leadership. And now she was dead and her formerly fiercest enemy the prime suspect. Would anyone even believe Anakin that he was innocent? If he was. No. That was unthinkable. He would not do anything like that, would he? And with a guilty feeling Luke thought back on Mara´s warnings. What if he is really going mad? A sudden movement in the crowd brought his attention to a stocky alien coming straight at him. It was of average height, with long forearms and short dark fur covering it except for the chest, where white skin shone like a beacon out of a glistening pattern of dried blood. Luke looked up sharply, but the being did not seem to be injured at all. And still it was coming. Maybe if he could follow it....Smiling faintly he reached out to the Force and let it flow into the alien´s mind.
"Leia!" Han stood in the doorway to the twin´s bedroom, panting as if he had run all the way up the stairs. "What is it?" Leia asked from where she was sitting on the floor with the three children and reading a story to them, before she would have to leave for her first day in office as President, "It´s Luke. He´s been injured."
Half an hour later Leia stood by her brother´s side. She held his cool bionic hand in both of hers, still disbelieving that he again lay in a coma. Security had told her that he had reportedly been attacked by an alien, species unknown. Bystanders had alerted medics and so he had ended up here. "Oh, Luke," she whispered tiredly. Han had returned to the family´s apartment an hour ago to see to the children and now she was here all alone except for concerned doctors, who did not know what to say. It was like the incident with Exar Kun all over again. She could not feel his presence in his body, but he was alive.
The morning news were full of reports on both Mon Mothma´s death and Luke´s injury.
When Anakin heard both, sitting in a tiny tapcafé in the suburbs for breakfast, he felt the hair on his neck stand on end. Somehow those incidents were connected, and he knew what the connection was. Which meant someone else was now in grave danger. Throwing some credits on the table he left in a hurry.
Jaina was standing tall, arms spread wide to cover her little brother with her own body. Both children were pressed against the wall and watched the stocky alien come towards them. Aware of little Anakin squirming behind her, Jaina tried to supress her own fear. She had to protect him no matter what. Suddenly the sound of the front door breaking made the assassin spin around lightning quick. All three heard a scream of rage from the living room downstairs and then someone mounted the stairs quickly. Jaina felt like laughing, when she saw her grandfather round the corner. He killed the assassin without a word, hitting it so hard in the face that it´s neck broke instantly.
Wordlessly, he took Jaina and Anakin in a tight embrace, kissing them both on the forehead. Then he carried the children downstairs and sat them down on the sofa. He bent over Jacen, feeling his neck, frowned and repeated the procedure on Han. Suddenly a movement by the kitchen door caught his attention. The second assassin was racing towards them, and Anakin held his left palm out, grunting in surprise as he was lifted off the ground by an unseen force and thrown hard against the wall, the sofa table flying over the children´s heads and crashing hard into his legs. He screamed in pain and dropped to his knees, pushing the broken table out of the way. When the assassin vaulted the sofa to deliver a killing blow, Anakin´s hand shot out, grabbed it´s neck and smashed it against the wall with a sickening thud, using it´s momentum to add to his own strength.
"Jaina," he hissed, his voice a growl,"call your mother for me, will you?" She nodded and rushed over to the comm, calling up her mother´s code. "Jaina, dear," Leia wore a tired smile, quickly replaced by a shocked expression, "What´s up? What happened!" Leia nearly shouted, when she noticed the destruction behind her little girl.
"An assassination attempt," Anakin answered from where he had heaved himself over the sofa´s back to pat his little grandson´s frightened head," Han and Jacen are injured. Call two med vacs over here. And make sure that there is always enough security around you. They´ll try you next."
"What about you?" his daughter asked, frowning at him. He gave her a weak smile:
"My legs are broken. Lucky day for the New Republic, huh? Finally they get to catch me. See you later," he broke the connection.
Mom was in danger too? Jaina turned fearful eyes on her grandfather´s grim face. "Don´t worry, little one," he told her, smiling, "Everything will be alright." But the little girl wasn´t entirely convinced.
Leia Organa Solo stormed into the medical ward, where she first spotted her father, sitting on a chair, his huge black-clad form standing out among the bustling doctors and frail patients. He was surrounded by security personnel, but they didn´t seem to bother him at all. Giving her one of his ironic smiles he said: "I am sorry I cannot stand up to give you a hug, but ..." - "It´s alright," Leia replied breezily, rushing past him and grabbed the shoulder of one of the doctors, "Where are Han and the kids?" He led her away.
Han and Jacen lay in two opposite beds, with Jaina and Anakin sitting on Winter´s lap. Leia´s friend looked up with a warm smile and stood, putting the children on the chair.
"They are alright," she told the princess, who was already bent over her sleeping husband.
"Do you know what happened?" she asked the other woman, silent tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well, your father said there were two assassins at your house. He surprised them in the act, it seems."
"And does security believe him?"
"I don´t know. You´ll have to ask them. His legs are broken, and he won´t tell them how that happened."
"Why not?
"As I said, he wouldn´t say."
Leia shook her head, he would tell her, she knew, but it would have to wait. She was still shocked from today´s happenings. First Luke, and now she had nearly lost her husband and children too. Shaking all over, she sat down on another chair by Jacen´s bed, stroking his little hand gently. She still could not fully comprehend what had happened and why.
"Leia?" a husky voice called her name softly. Her father was standing tall in the doorway on broken legs held together by the power of the Force, not admitting to the pain his injuries caused him and that he supressed nearly unconsciously, "I got to go. Please come by later. We need to talk." Leia nodded and watched him being led away by security. His capture would undoubtedly cause much glee and joy in this evening´s Senate meeting. The Defense Council was already in a meeting, called as soon as the news had reached it´s members.Very well. Another crisis to master. But this one would be harder than the ones before, she could feel it.
Anakin Skywalker had settled on the metal bunk. His legs had been professionally splinted in a way that made it impossible for him to walk or stand, which had been the purpose of the whole exercise all along, of course. He had told Bel Iblis over and over again that he had had nothing to do with Mon Mothma´s murder, but the general and the rest of security had a hard time believing him.
Suddenly the door swished open to admit his daughter, face tear-streaked and red after hours of sessions in the Senate and with the Defense Council and, knowing her, even more hours spent with her family. She dropped on the bunk at his side and slung her thin arms around him, crying.. Anakin kissed her forehead and stroked her shoulder gently, trying to comfort her. "Luke´s condition is still stable," she whispered, barely audible. He closed his eyes for a moment and did not answer at first, prompting her to lift her face sharply looking deep into his eyes.
"Why don´t you say something? Anything? I nearly lost my family today and you did too. But when I came into the medical ward you even tried to be funny."
"And did you think me tactless?"
"A bit, perhaps. Han and Jacen are recovering. And Chewie is pretty upset that you saved them instead of himself."
"Where is Luke now?"
"Still in the hospital. Do you know what´s wrong with him?"
"I guess he tried the same I did with the assassin at your house. Like slapping a ball hard against a wall and have it rebound and hit you in the face. That´s how I broke my legs, throwing myself against the wall instead of the attacker. Knowing Luke he´ll have tried something more subtle, perhaps convince the assassin that he wasn´t really there. Mean trick that. And when it backfires..."
"Can you help him?
"Get us to Yavin 4 and the answer will be yes." Leia stood apruptly and turned her back on him.
"That decision does not lie with me, I´m afraid."
"What do you mean?"
"Fey´lya called for a vote of no confidence, since, as he claims, I am emotionally not fit to deal with anything right now, let alone my own father. Most agreed with him."
"A vote of no confidence, fancy that. Let me guess: Fey´lya got your job?"
"Of course."
"Well, it is my own fault. I bound my own hands by coming here. Either way, my presence would have disrupted proceedings in the Senate and now I can´t even leave without hurting your image further."
"I don´t care about my image, Father, I care about the people and my family."
"I know you do, child, and I hope Fey´l ya isn´t so stupid to try and make this personal. He knows I´ll get him if he does. That is, of course, if Coruscant hasn´t changed in more ways than one since last I was here?"
"Nothing you couldn´t handle, I´m sure. But I can guarantee you that when Fey´lya comes to visit this cell will turn into an energized cage. They are still afraid."
"And perhaps they should be."
"Why do you say that? Sometimes I am not sure if you ever renounced the Dark Side, or part of it."
"If I still were Darkside your family would be dead. I wouldn´t have cared. But I do, and I want you to know that I will always be there for you, whenever you need me."
"And that is what makes you vulnerable. Fey´lya will use you to demote my image, we both know that."
"Yes."
Her father´s simple answer brought Leia close to despairing. This would become ugly and she knew she did not have the strength to deal with this right now.
"Leia, I do not want you to interfere on my behalf. I can handle this on my own."
"You really think so? They will tear you apart publicly, you know?"
"Then maybe I have deserved it."
"You have deserved it. And that is the whole problem."
"I know. But still, I do not want you to be overtly associated with this whole affair. Perhaps I can even surprise you when it comes to diplomatic talk."
"You must be crazy if you think they will let you win."
"Not crazy, Leia. I just think differently. Let´s face it: Fey´lya wants me dead and you out of the way of his political rise to fame. If anyone can persuade him differently it is me. As you said, they are still afraid."
"You want to do this then?"
"Yes. Now please go back to your family. They need you."
"Alright. I´ll come by tomorrow then."
"No, please, stay away for a while. Leia..."
"Yes?"
"Didn´t you forget something?"
Leia´s broke into a smile as she came back from where she had already been headed for the door and kissed her father on the forehead, embracing him tightly. "Take care." - "I promise."
Alone again he leaned back, resting his head against the wall and closed his eyes. There was so much to do and so little time. But he would not give up. He would not rest before the Jedi had taken their place as guardians again and had regained the trust of the people they protected. Whatever it takes, Anakin thought grimly, but fear clawed its way silently into his heart, paralyzing him for a few seconds. He exhaled slowly and tried to relax. Well, life was never easy. The murder and the attack on Luke were connected and that connection was him. Whoever was behind all this really must hate him and, unfortunately, that made for quite a few possible suspects. But the very first in line was Borsk Fey´lya.
Finally he could concentrate again on the problems at hand. Reaching out to the Force he healed broken bones and torn sinews with much effort, dodging the darkness lingering in his mind at any turn and treading treacherous ground all along the way. In the end he slumped onto the bunk, exhausted, lost his balance and hit the floor hard. With a groan he pulled himself upright again, when he heard someone approach. Hurriedly Anakin smashed the plaster cast and bandages open, freeing his shaking legs, then straightened up, when the door opened.
Two New Republic guards preceded Borsk Fey´lya as he entered the Jedi Lord´s cell, and three more followed him in. His mind still spinning, Anakin barely had time to recover from the sudden new impressions, emotions and movements assaulting his senses before the first two guards raised their blasters, stunning him. He was thrown back against the bunk and slid to the floor, his muscles slack and useless. Looking up he saw Fey´lya examine the torn bandages and frown. Then something changed about the room and Anakin remembered Leia´s warning. An energized cage...This whole situation so reminded him of his imprisonment on Byss that it became very hard not to simply embrace the madness and fury and end this once and for all. Kill Fey´lya, kill the guards, kill every one of these fools who think they know what´s best for the people, all those who deny the power of the Force....But, no. He had to remain calm, for his children´s sake, for his own sake.
"Now, Lord Skywalker, I think we have a lot to talk about," Fey´lya´s voice flowed like dark honey, slimy and sticky. Anakin frowned at him as best he could. "First I want to make it clear that I do not share the same views as the former President concerning your status. I have found it intolerable that the New Republic government protected you so far from the punishment you do deserve. But no more. In two hours a press conference will reveal the truth to the public."
"Do you think I do not know what you are trying to accomplish?" Anakin hissed weakly and shook his head. Stay diplomatic, he reminded himself.
"Nothing but to bring out the truth."
"The whole truth, or only the parts that suit your image best?"
"What do you mean?"
"A lot of people have been on Onderon. Do you intend to have their voices muted too?" The slightest hesitation on Fey´lya´s face betrayed him:
"I have nothing to do with the murder of Mon Mothma," the Bothan snapped irritably.
"Neither do I. Who does that leave then? I know what you are planning, Fey´lya, but it will back-fire in the end. And besides, do you really think that I would permit you to spread your fame on the shoulders of those who really did accomplish the building of the New Republic?"
"In a day or two noone will even remember them," Fey´lya told him, smiling. So much for politeness and diplomacy.
"On the other hand, everyone does remember my name and, furthermore, my reputation. Who, they will ask, is Anakin Skywalker? And then I want to see you trying to explain to them that you are accusing a dead man of his past crimes."
"You were resurrected, it´s that simple."
"Ah, I see. `Palpatine resurrected him and then tried to turn his son to the Dark Side. By the way, Luke Skywalker saved the galaxy again when he sabotaged the Emperor´s vile World Devastators. And his father, well, he was really in no shape to help Palpatine, who had had him tortured for over six years. Did I mention that it was Anakin Skywalker who killed Palpatine in the end? Twice, as I recall.´ Yes, I can see that this press conference will be most interesting." The slow smile spreading on Anakin´s face made the Bothan flinch. "You lose, Fey´lya, either way."
"We will see."
"Oh, no. You only have this one choice. Let me go now, or be destroyed."
"That was a threat, wasn´t it?"
"No, not a threat, just a simple reminder. And if you dare harm my children in any way, you are dead. Is that clear?"
"One day, Lord Skywalker, one day you will make a mistake."
"But for now I win."
"You do indeed. But I advise you to leave Coruscant immediately. Take your son with you. An if you ever show up here again there will be no more talks."
Leia was the only one to see him off, as he stood high on one of the Palace´s landing platforms at his shuttle´s ramp, with New Republic guards surrounding them grim-faced.
"Be brave," he whispered in her ear as he hugged her slim body to his chest, "Brave and strong. That´s my daughter. I will take good care of Luke, don´t worry."
"What are you going to do?"
"I will take up a friend on her offer."
"Then you are playing into Fey´lya´s hands."
"If I do it will be my concern, not yours. May the Force be with you, child."
He kissed her forehead and left. Seated in the pilot´s chair he saw her and the guards leave hurriedly. The shuttle took off smoothly and then, escorted by a flight of B-wings, made it´s way out of the system, leaving Coruscant behind and heading for Yavin 4.
To Anakin the jungle planet was like a bright beacon in an endless night, full of Light and Life. Setting the shuttle gently down on the huge plaza in front of what had once been the Jedi Academy, he inhaled deeply. His decision had beeen right, he knew. And Leia could take care of herself and her family.
Unstrapping from the flight restraints he made his way back to the passenger compartment and beyond, into the single officer cabin where Luke lay motionless on the bed, as if in death. His father took him in his arms and carried him out into the open and into the deserted temple. The task laying ahead would be risky and difficult, but he would manage it nevertheless. Had to.
Laying Luke down at the foot of the stair leading up to the Great Hall´s dais, he sat next to him and concentrated. Reaching deeply into his own self, ignoring the confusion and madness lingering like vultures at the edges of his consciousness Anakin touched the Force again. the bright light filled him to bursting and he felt his mind being pushed outward, expanding beyond his body, beyond the Temple, until he could see the green planet in front of his eyes, pulsing with life.
"Luke," he called softly, his voice sounding hollow in his own ears, like an echo. There was no response. Searching deeper Anakin left the realms of the present behind and wandered along the gulf of time. "Luke!" he called again, this time more urgently. he could not stay here long, else he would lose himself just like his son had. Suddenly everything seemed to twist and turn around him. He felt the hot desert wind of Tattoine on his cheeks, the tiny grains of sand caressing his exposed skin."Luke," he said, a smile on his lips, when he saw the boy standing not far away on one of the rough rocky cliffs of Beggar´s Canyon. Walking towards him he could feel his son´s presence growing brighter with every step he took. Finally they stood side by side. Blue eyes locked with blue ones and father and son smiled. "Let´s go," Anakin whispered and took Luke´s hand. They jumped together, into the present.
Reality hit him with brute force and he found himself gasping for air desperately. In front of him Luke still lay motionless, but breathing evely. He would wake soon. And until then there was still a lot to do.
When Luke Skywalker opened his eyes again he could see the starlit nightsky through the skylight high above him. The temple´s Great Hall was plunged in nearly total darkness, but a shimmer of yellow light caught Luke´s attention. Turning his head slowly he saw his father bent over some kind of machinery. A lightsaber, Luke realized, suddenly frightened. Anakin had not worn any weapon since his resurrection. What had prompted him to build another lightsaber now?
"Why are you worried?" The whispered words echoed through the giant chamber and Luke met his father´s eyes in the dim light.
"Mon Mothma, they said..."
"Don´t tell me you believed them."
"No. I did not. But still....Are you feeling alright?"
"Never felt any better," Anakin Skywalker answered and his son frowned at hearing him lie to him for the first time they had known each other.
"What is wrong?"
"Did you talk to Mara Jade?"
"Yes."
" I see."
"And is it true? Are you losing control?" When Anakin turned around to face him fully he could see the sadness in those tired blue eyes.
"It is true." Those words, spoken in his father´s rough voice cut deeply into Luke´s heart.
"Why?" he whispered, barely able to speak, "Why didn´t you tell me? Tell us? We could help..."
"No you can´t," Anakin snapped angrily, "I am sorry, Luke, I didn´t mean to be so rude." He turned to look away into the darkness, avoiding Luke´s intense gaze. The young Jedi Master propped himself up on his elbows, eyes narrowing:
"What is happening to you?"
"I am dying. It is that simple. And don´t tell me it will be alright somehow because it won´t." The harsh words took a moment until they registered in Luke´s brain.
"No," he said, for once feeling absolutely nothing. But he knew that it was true, could feel his father´s pain and despair. "How?"
"Palpatine, who else. The details do not matter. But what does," and here he turned his eyes on Luke again," is my children. I do not want to see the Jedi hunted again. And I will do anything in my power to not let that happen, regardless of whatever Borsk Fey´lya wants or plans."
"Father," Luke pleaded, standing up," you cannot die now." Anakin´s soft laughter sounded sad and incredibly weary.
"There is nothing anyone can do. I am sorry. But what time I have..."
"You will spend with your family? No, I thought not," his son sighed when he saw the nearly imperceptible shake of his head, "What is your plan?"
"I will join the Empire again."
"No! You can´t be serious!"
"But I am. Admiral Daala has made an offer I cannot refuse. There is too little time left."
"Daala!" Luke exclaimed, incredulous, but his father´s fierce gaze shut him up, "You are serious."
"Very much so."
"Is that why you are building that lightsaber?"
"Partly. But mostly I expect to be fighting a lot of enemies along the way."
"Including the New Republic?"
"We shall see." Pressing the activation button Anakin let the laser-beam hiss into existence. The lightsaber´s dark red blade made Luke shiver in memory of the Dark Lord he had faced on Bespin. "Behold the power of the Dark Side," Anakin Skywalker whispered, a tiny smile playing on his lips as he gave his son a look from out of the depths of madness.