Star Wars: The Dark Calling
By R. C. Carpenter
Chapter Three
"I'm telling you, Han, this kid was amazing! She picked up a kid and the rocks at the same time. . . she couldn't have been older than ten or eleven. Then, she did a mind transfer. . . *with me*! I never thought a child of that age could be so strong in the Force, and without the training, too." Luke paced back and forth across one of the rooms that had been prepared for them.
He knew that sometimes children could tap into parts of their powers at young ages, like Jaina and Jacen, but rarely did they already know how to consciously manipulate it to do their bidding. But of course, there was Anakin, and he somehow knew automatically just how to use the invisible entity.
Yet one thing bothered the Jedi, when the girl had touched his hand, why didn't he feel such a strong presence of the Force? He hadn't even felt the slightest sign it was present when she transferred her thoughts. Could she some way know how to cover the energy, if that was possible? Or was there something other than the Force, something he had yet to come into contact with?
"If she was all that powerful, why didn't you ask her to go train?" Han really had no intent of raising Luke's spirits after he just up and left him to deal with that damn tour guide of a guard. He flopped down on a fluffy white couch that had been stuffed with Conokra feathers and tufts of cotton. He folded his hands behind his head and his feet fell upon a footstool made of the same silken material as the couch. This would be the highlight of his day for the next week, he decided.
Luke opened a gapping hole that was made of an elegant crystal and was artfully crafted into a spherical shape with downy designs plastered through out its glistening body. He peered out the open window and scanned the panoramic view across the vast Cimmeria.
To his dismay, the orphanage was not in sight.
Han secretly wished he could help his longtime friend in some way, but he hadn't even seen the child Luke was so interested in. Lucky for him, he had been deeply involved with a political figure and a conversation, both of which he found quite dull. He reached over the edge of the couch and grab a handful of salt-water taffy, direct from Bakura, and shoved them one by one into his waiting mouth.
"Why don't you go back and ask?" Han's first question had deemed no answer so he tried again, this time with a slow mocking tone to it and a pile of sticky sweet goo.
Luke shot a glance at the Corellian that said 'Why don't you?' But he took it back.
"Maybe," he halted in his words and then started again in his spent and work-worn voice, "But I don't think it's up to her. The owners of the institution won't give her up at the drop of a hat. I mean, just because I walk up to them and say 'Hi, I'm Luke Skywalker, I'd like to take this girl off your hands 'cause she displayed a lot of potential in a field I specialize in, and I'd like to have her come and train in the Force!' Well, for one thing, they'd probably think I was lying about being myself, only a handful of people in the entire galaxy know we're here. And. . ."
He took a deep breath, "And I don't think she's supposed to use her powers. When I talked to her, she seemed scared that I might 'turn her in', whatever that is. I think I might be better off just. . . adopting."
Han nearly choked on his candies. Could Luke be serious? Could he really want to take up raising a child? He knew that Leia and Han had a hard enough time raising their own kids, let alone rearing a child that wouldn't be his and probably would be scared to death of all the people who would crowd around any time she entered into public just because who she was. Han should know, he had that problem plenty of times, didn't even get to see the twins until they were two.
"You gotta be kiddin' me!" He shot forward in his seat, disbelief covering his anger now. "No! There's *no* way you would want a kid," *Trust me, I know what I'm talkin' about,* he thought.
He eased from the cushions, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Jacen, and Jaina, and Anakin, but," he paused for effect, "kids are a full time job! You have to feed 'em and clean 'em and. . ."
Luke cut Han short, he knew where this was leading; feed, clean, put to sleep, walk 'em. . . they were just like pets, only they lived longer. He raised a hushed finger and shut his eyes showing he didn't want to hear it.
Han, determined to change his mind, like he had done so many times before to him, continued, smoothing his words to ease Luke's refusal.
"All I'm sayin', kid, is give it some time, think it over. . ." he had added the demeaning 'kid' to his speech intentionally, hoping that it would strike Luke that he himself was only a kid, or at least in Solo's eyes. Han paused for a minute, disgusted in his next choice of words, "*Discuss* it with someone. Call Leia, she'll tell ya!"
Luke smiled slightly, amused with Han's reaction, ignoring his attempt to ruffle his feathers. He let out a short mumbled snicker. Han was something else, he'd give him that. He turned back.
Han was standing still, his hands clasped in front of him in mock plea.
"Please?"
He paused, stewed few a minute on the plea. He gave in to make Han happy.
"Oh, all right. I'll think for a little longer," he added quickly, "But I don't think it'll change my mind, I'm pretty set on this."
Solo's attitude changed suddenly from utter despair, where he would go to any length to stop Luke, to a friendly urge.
"Ya, sure, think about it. If this is something you really want, though, I'll be behind you in full. . . Leia, too!" He knew he couldn't speak for Leia, but it sounded good. Besides, he figured if Luke wanted to adopt, he was positive his wife would be behind her brother just as much as he was. Although what in the name of the Maker would possess him to even consider, he'd never know.
"That's always good to know." Luke gave a genuine smile and he went back to the window.
He needed to find that girl She was an obsession now, all that he could think about. But he needed an excuse that would get past a pirate. *Oh, excuse me!* he corrected himself, *Ex-pirate.*
Han, seemingly believing his work there was done, moved towards the door in a swift motion.
"I'm, uh, gonna go check and see if Chewie fixed those blinking lights in the *Falcon* yet and check in on Wedge." the door slid open and the tall man rounded the corner.
He returned a second later, his right arm coming around the wall to stop the hatch from closing. He grinned menacingly at his friend, and leered at him, "But I'll be back."
Luke manually picked up a stuffed pillow near him and, with a pity-smile on his face, shoved it towards Han, hitting the wall nowhere near him. Han ducked anyway, of course, laughed and left. Luke had bad aim, he determined, he'd stick to good old fashioned Force manipulation.
When the star pilot had left the hall, Luke peered around the corner.
No one.
And with, that he left for the orphanage.
******
The halls of the great Imperial palace were lined with metallic grayed walls that amplified the noises from around. Stiffly, a figure the size of a man, walked down the picturesque aisle, its golden skin bouncing glistening streaks from the rays of light let forth from the ceiling's skylights above the majestic walkway.
Behind the glossy creature came a smaller stubby tripodal machine. It glanced around the vast corridors and every so often he would let out an awe-struck whistle or beep that were comprehendible only to the counterpart.
"Come along, Artoo. We must inform Mistress Leia the good news!" The droid spun to his stout friend and called him to come as he waved his flaxen limb rigidly and stood still a moment to let the smaller droid catch up. The little R2 unit let out a few impatient discords, then protruded his third wheel and rolled alongside the uneasy See-Threepio. Threepio took to his task at hand and moved down the meandering footpath to find his present mistress, Leia.
As they neared Leia Organa Solo's chamber, the sounds of a quarrel could be heard from within, "Oh, no! Artoo! Quickly, open the door! Hurry, we have to help her!"
The little arm that had protracted from Artoo's torso, slowly connected into one of the sockets at the base of the door that were made specifically for astrochem droids. He felt skeptical of Threepio's judgment, he could almost feel the returning pain of an electrocution surging through his slowly deactivating circuits. Ever sense the protocol droid had inadvertently suggested that Artoo try and translate with an electrical outlet, he was always a little more than precautions when he was ordered to stick any of his appendages into an unknown hole. Fortunately for him, he spent most of his earlier years on Coruscant memorizing every outlet and what it was. This one did infact lead to a computer terminal.
He rotated the arm around twice and the door slid open. Inside, a startled Leia sprung back from her fright as she saw See-Threepio 'magically' originate out of thin air, followed by a more announced Artoo-Deetoo. She must had been not fully entrusted in the Force, see where she didn't even realize they were coming. But she couldn't blame the Force, after all, these were droids, not people.
"Princess Leia, are you all right?!" his programmed voice hit a high note, higher when he saw what happened as the princess looked away from her training.
While the holographic Leia's enemy was preoccupied, she lashed out at the Jedi. Leia, thrown off by Threepio, tried to turn back to block the slice. But the moment she had spared to the droid gave the programmed woman enough time to successfully swing her saber. The replica went through Leia's right hand, the one that was up in fighting position, and sent the real saber flying across the floor from the magnetic shock, deactivating as it went.
"Ahh!" Leia crashed down to her knees, clutching her throbbing wrist in her lap. Though the replica was not set to go through any form of matter, only send any weapon that might be near the area hit soaring off, it was set to disturb the area that was struck, and so the woman was in great pain.
Threepio backed up, seeing his mistake of intruding on the sword play. But little Artoo didn't think in the same way as the human like droid. Then again, since when did he think the same way as a protocol droid who was fluent in over six million forms of. . .
He approached his wounded companion and let go a slow concerned beep. The Jedi turned up and smiled, weakly, at her tiny comrade and decided to go have a talk with her other droid. She stumbled upward, turning to the glinting droid that was apparently quite terrified.
*Good, he should be. When I get my hands on a good metal welder. . . No, I can't do that. Anger, it leads to the Dark Side, remember, Leia?* She decided that she was well off, and one little explosion at the most annoying droid in the entire galaxy wouldn't make her cross-over to join the dark calling.
"Oh dear. . ." he tilted his head over to his colleague who had since returned to his side, "Artoo, I don't think we should have come in."
Artoo made a sarcastic toot that stated his agreement, swaying back and forth in a nodding motion.
Leia lifted her good hand and raised a threatening finger to Threepio's stone-blank face. Her mouth dropped open, ready to begin its mad quest, but instead she took a deep breath, murmured an angry, yet incomprehensible, insult and stormed out the door, growling in a foreign tongue the whole way.
"That didn't go very well at all." said a confused Threepio.
By R. C. Carpenter
Chapter Three
"I'm telling you, Han, this kid was amazing! She picked up a kid and the rocks at the same time. . . she couldn't have been older than ten or eleven. Then, she did a mind transfer. . . *with me*! I never thought a child of that age could be so strong in the Force, and without the training, too." Luke paced back and forth across one of the rooms that had been prepared for them.
He knew that sometimes children could tap into parts of their powers at young ages, like Jaina and Jacen, but rarely did they already know how to consciously manipulate it to do their bidding. But of course, there was Anakin, and he somehow knew automatically just how to use the invisible entity.
Yet one thing bothered the Jedi, when the girl had touched his hand, why didn't he feel such a strong presence of the Force? He hadn't even felt the slightest sign it was present when she transferred her thoughts. Could she some way know how to cover the energy, if that was possible? Or was there something other than the Force, something he had yet to come into contact with?
"If she was all that powerful, why didn't you ask her to go train?" Han really had no intent of raising Luke's spirits after he just up and left him to deal with that damn tour guide of a guard. He flopped down on a fluffy white couch that had been stuffed with Conokra feathers and tufts of cotton. He folded his hands behind his head and his feet fell upon a footstool made of the same silken material as the couch. This would be the highlight of his day for the next week, he decided.
Luke opened a gapping hole that was made of an elegant crystal and was artfully crafted into a spherical shape with downy designs plastered through out its glistening body. He peered out the open window and scanned the panoramic view across the vast Cimmeria.
To his dismay, the orphanage was not in sight.
Han secretly wished he could help his longtime friend in some way, but he hadn't even seen the child Luke was so interested in. Lucky for him, he had been deeply involved with a political figure and a conversation, both of which he found quite dull. He reached over the edge of the couch and grab a handful of salt-water taffy, direct from Bakura, and shoved them one by one into his waiting mouth.
"Why don't you go back and ask?" Han's first question had deemed no answer so he tried again, this time with a slow mocking tone to it and a pile of sticky sweet goo.
Luke shot a glance at the Corellian that said 'Why don't you?' But he took it back.
"Maybe," he halted in his words and then started again in his spent and work-worn voice, "But I don't think it's up to her. The owners of the institution won't give her up at the drop of a hat. I mean, just because I walk up to them and say 'Hi, I'm Luke Skywalker, I'd like to take this girl off your hands 'cause she displayed a lot of potential in a field I specialize in, and I'd like to have her come and train in the Force!' Well, for one thing, they'd probably think I was lying about being myself, only a handful of people in the entire galaxy know we're here. And. . ."
He took a deep breath, "And I don't think she's supposed to use her powers. When I talked to her, she seemed scared that I might 'turn her in', whatever that is. I think I might be better off just. . . adopting."
Han nearly choked on his candies. Could Luke be serious? Could he really want to take up raising a child? He knew that Leia and Han had a hard enough time raising their own kids, let alone rearing a child that wouldn't be his and probably would be scared to death of all the people who would crowd around any time she entered into public just because who she was. Han should know, he had that problem plenty of times, didn't even get to see the twins until they were two.
"You gotta be kiddin' me!" He shot forward in his seat, disbelief covering his anger now. "No! There's *no* way you would want a kid," *Trust me, I know what I'm talkin' about,* he thought.
He eased from the cushions, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Jacen, and Jaina, and Anakin, but," he paused for effect, "kids are a full time job! You have to feed 'em and clean 'em and. . ."
Luke cut Han short, he knew where this was leading; feed, clean, put to sleep, walk 'em. . . they were just like pets, only they lived longer. He raised a hushed finger and shut his eyes showing he didn't want to hear it.
Han, determined to change his mind, like he had done so many times before to him, continued, smoothing his words to ease Luke's refusal.
"All I'm sayin', kid, is give it some time, think it over. . ." he had added the demeaning 'kid' to his speech intentionally, hoping that it would strike Luke that he himself was only a kid, or at least in Solo's eyes. Han paused for a minute, disgusted in his next choice of words, "*Discuss* it with someone. Call Leia, she'll tell ya!"
Luke smiled slightly, amused with Han's reaction, ignoring his attempt to ruffle his feathers. He let out a short mumbled snicker. Han was something else, he'd give him that. He turned back.
Han was standing still, his hands clasped in front of him in mock plea.
"Please?"
He paused, stewed few a minute on the plea. He gave in to make Han happy.
"Oh, all right. I'll think for a little longer," he added quickly, "But I don't think it'll change my mind, I'm pretty set on this."
Solo's attitude changed suddenly from utter despair, where he would go to any length to stop Luke, to a friendly urge.
"Ya, sure, think about it. If this is something you really want, though, I'll be behind you in full. . . Leia, too!" He knew he couldn't speak for Leia, but it sounded good. Besides, he figured if Luke wanted to adopt, he was positive his wife would be behind her brother just as much as he was. Although what in the name of the Maker would possess him to even consider, he'd never know.
"That's always good to know." Luke gave a genuine smile and he went back to the window.
He needed to find that girl She was an obsession now, all that he could think about. But he needed an excuse that would get past a pirate. *Oh, excuse me!* he corrected himself, *Ex-pirate.*
Han, seemingly believing his work there was done, moved towards the door in a swift motion.
"I'm, uh, gonna go check and see if Chewie fixed those blinking lights in the *Falcon* yet and check in on Wedge." the door slid open and the tall man rounded the corner.
He returned a second later, his right arm coming around the wall to stop the hatch from closing. He grinned menacingly at his friend, and leered at him, "But I'll be back."
Luke manually picked up a stuffed pillow near him and, with a pity-smile on his face, shoved it towards Han, hitting the wall nowhere near him. Han ducked anyway, of course, laughed and left. Luke had bad aim, he determined, he'd stick to good old fashioned Force manipulation.
When the star pilot had left the hall, Luke peered around the corner.
No one.
And with, that he left for the orphanage.
******
The halls of the great Imperial palace were lined with metallic grayed walls that amplified the noises from around. Stiffly, a figure the size of a man, walked down the picturesque aisle, its golden skin bouncing glistening streaks from the rays of light let forth from the ceiling's skylights above the majestic walkway.
Behind the glossy creature came a smaller stubby tripodal machine. It glanced around the vast corridors and every so often he would let out an awe-struck whistle or beep that were comprehendible only to the counterpart.
"Come along, Artoo. We must inform Mistress Leia the good news!" The droid spun to his stout friend and called him to come as he waved his flaxen limb rigidly and stood still a moment to let the smaller droid catch up. The little R2 unit let out a few impatient discords, then protruded his third wheel and rolled alongside the uneasy See-Threepio. Threepio took to his task at hand and moved down the meandering footpath to find his present mistress, Leia.
As they neared Leia Organa Solo's chamber, the sounds of a quarrel could be heard from within, "Oh, no! Artoo! Quickly, open the door! Hurry, we have to help her!"
The little arm that had protracted from Artoo's torso, slowly connected into one of the sockets at the base of the door that were made specifically for astrochem droids. He felt skeptical of Threepio's judgment, he could almost feel the returning pain of an electrocution surging through his slowly deactivating circuits. Ever sense the protocol droid had inadvertently suggested that Artoo try and translate with an electrical outlet, he was always a little more than precautions when he was ordered to stick any of his appendages into an unknown hole. Fortunately for him, he spent most of his earlier years on Coruscant memorizing every outlet and what it was. This one did infact lead to a computer terminal.
He rotated the arm around twice and the door slid open. Inside, a startled Leia sprung back from her fright as she saw See-Threepio 'magically' originate out of thin air, followed by a more announced Artoo-Deetoo. She must had been not fully entrusted in the Force, see where she didn't even realize they were coming. But she couldn't blame the Force, after all, these were droids, not people.
"Princess Leia, are you all right?!" his programmed voice hit a high note, higher when he saw what happened as the princess looked away from her training.
While the holographic Leia's enemy was preoccupied, she lashed out at the Jedi. Leia, thrown off by Threepio, tried to turn back to block the slice. But the moment she had spared to the droid gave the programmed woman enough time to successfully swing her saber. The replica went through Leia's right hand, the one that was up in fighting position, and sent the real saber flying across the floor from the magnetic shock, deactivating as it went.
"Ahh!" Leia crashed down to her knees, clutching her throbbing wrist in her lap. Though the replica was not set to go through any form of matter, only send any weapon that might be near the area hit soaring off, it was set to disturb the area that was struck, and so the woman was in great pain.
Threepio backed up, seeing his mistake of intruding on the sword play. But little Artoo didn't think in the same way as the human like droid. Then again, since when did he think the same way as a protocol droid who was fluent in over six million forms of. . .
He approached his wounded companion and let go a slow concerned beep. The Jedi turned up and smiled, weakly, at her tiny comrade and decided to go have a talk with her other droid. She stumbled upward, turning to the glinting droid that was apparently quite terrified.
*Good, he should be. When I get my hands on a good metal welder. . . No, I can't do that. Anger, it leads to the Dark Side, remember, Leia?* She decided that she was well off, and one little explosion at the most annoying droid in the entire galaxy wouldn't make her cross-over to join the dark calling.
"Oh dear. . ." he tilted his head over to his colleague who had since returned to his side, "Artoo, I don't think we should have come in."
Artoo made a sarcastic toot that stated his agreement, swaying back and forth in a nodding motion.
Leia lifted her good hand and raised a threatening finger to Threepio's stone-blank face. Her mouth dropped open, ready to begin its mad quest, but instead she took a deep breath, murmured an angry, yet incomprehensible, insult and stormed out the door, growling in a foreign tongue the whole way.
"That didn't go very well at all." said a confused Threepio.