Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews so far. It's totally awesome! This chapter is a little shorter than the first two. *shrugs* Oh well. Thanks again for your support guys! On to the story! :)
Chapter Three
Confusion
The Falcon was back in hyperspace, her destination.....Yavin 4. Ani was recovering well, although he could not yet talk or walk by himself. He used the Force to aid himself as much as possibly. He hated to be helpless and only allowed Kitster to help him walk around. He carried about the flimsy and pen, writing messages in shaky handwriting, which became better every day. He was getting along so well with Han and Chewie, especially because he was extremely interested in the Falcon and was a great sabacc player. In between all this Luke helped tutor him with his control with the Force. His power seemed endless, but partially uncontrolled.
At the moment, Ani, Han, Chewie, and Luke were locked in a intense game of sabacc. So far Ani was beating the pants off all of them. He had the perfect face for playing. He always made it appear as if he had really bad cards and let the others use this to his advantage. No matter how many times he did this, they could still not second guess him. He always seemed two steps ahead.
"So, kid, where'd you learn to play sabacc?" Han asked, interested.
Ani smiled, secretively, and wrote out a message. If I told you that would be cheating, it read. Chewie chuckled in his deep wookie voice. He was becoming very fond of Ani, everyone was. Ani understood enough wookie to get him by the basic things Chewie said. This satisfied the wookie, though he was working on helping Ani learn more. Ani smiled at Chewie, as the wookie ruffed his hair.
"So, Ani, how old are you?" Luke asked. None of them had bothered to find out yet.
20, Ani wrote.
"Prime of life, huh?" Han put in.
Ani grinned roguishly down at his cards in response. The transmission signal went off, indicating an incoming message, just as the game began to really heat up. Kitster got up to get it. He came back in a minute to tell Luke it was his wife. Luke folded in his hand of cards.
"No more for me guys," Luke smiled.
"Couldn't stand the pressure," Han remarked.
Ani's shoulders shook in silent laughter. Han folded in his hand next. It was between Chewie and Ani now. Both were hunched over their cards. The timer called for them to lay their cards out. Chewie went first, thinking he had the perfect combination to win. Ani looked disappointed as he spread his cards out. He grinned as the last one slid out, showing that his was the winning hand by one point. Chewie roared out something about unfairness and cheating. Han thought they were gonna have a bloody mess on his hands in second. No one intentionally beat a wookie unless he had a death wish. They could be rather poo losers. Ani fixed the wookie with a fierce, piercing look. It was an obvious challenge. C'mon Chewbacca, I dare you!, Ani's eyes seemed to be saying. Strange coming from a temporarily crippled Jedi. Han waited for the fight to break out, but it never did. Something in the clone's gaze unsettled Chewie. Chewie shook his head, grumbling, but backing down nevertheless. Han was surprised to see the wookie back down. Han started to laugh, as Ani collected his credits from the table with a satisfied expression. Chewie shot Han an indignant look, then stalked off in the direction of the engine hold.
Luke switched on the holoview screen. Mara's face appeared, smiling at him.
"Luke, how are you?" Mara asked.
Luke smiled," I'm fine, Mara. We're on our way back."
"What did you find?" Mara wanted to know.
"It's rather hard to explain really. I'd like you and everyone else to see it with your own eyes," Luke replied, not telling her what 'it' was.
"Luke, you know I hate it when you do that," Mara sighed, resignedly.
Luke shrugged.
"How's everyone else? Leia wanted to know if Han got into any trouble," Mara said.
"Everyone's just fine. Tell Leia the worst Han did was get into a bar spat before we left. Nothing major," Luke reassured her with a grin.
"Leia, won't be happy about that." Mara grinned back at him.
"Tell Leia and the kids hi for me. I should be back with in a three or four days," Luke informed her.
"Ok, be careful," Mara answered.
"Take care, Mara. See you soon," Luke blew her a kiss.
"I love you," Mara said.
"I love you too," Luke responded.
He ended the transmission with a sigh. How was he going to explain about Ani?
*******
Anakin Solo snuck away from the door of the communications room. In the years past when the Rebellion had used the old temple it had been a battle station room. It was filled with old computers, communications units, and other assorted things. It was now used only for sending and receiving transmissions, monitoring incoming ships, and keeping the shield generator going. Anakin ran down the hall, being careful to check and make sure he had not been caught in his spying act. He wanted to tell his twin siblings the news he'd just heard Uncle Luke tell Aunt Mara. He knew eavesdropping was wrong, but he learned some of the most interesting things while doing it.
He found Jacen and Jaina with Tenel Ka and Lowbacca, in Luke's office looking over the discs Kitster had given them. Luke had given them permission to look over them while he was away. He raced into the room, shutting the door behind him. He dropped into a chair, trying to catch his breath. The twins looked up at him, suspiciously, but their attention stayed focused on the holo disc they were watching.
The disc was from an old security surveillance camera. It had caught Anakin Skywalker in the process of breaking into a side door to a factory building. Anakin looked to be about 15 years old in this clip. A humming sound alerted them to the presence of the security droids that had caught up with Anakin. Anakin's azure blade jumped into existence as he whirled around, deflecting blaster fire and batting it back at them. He took them all down in a matter of several seconds, with out even breaking a sweat. He picked up one of the fallen blasters, grinned charmingly at the camera, and then shot it. The discs picture fuzzed out in a haze of static.
"Uncle Luke is coming back!" Anakin nearly shouted with excitement, when the holo ended.
Jacen looked up at his little brother. "Where did you hear this from?"
Anakin waved off-handedly. "Doesn't matter. He's bringing-!"
"You were eavesdropping again, weren't you?" Jaina remarked.
"Yes, but-!" Anakin tried to interrupt.
"Anakin!!" his sibling berated him.
Lowie growled something, which they all understood. He wanted to know if they were gonna let Anakin finish what he had been telling them. The twins really were interested to find out, but didn't want to admit it.
"Alright, tell us," Jaina relinquished.
Anakin smiled, broadly. " Uncle Luke did find something! He wouldn't tell Aunt Mara what it was though, but he's bringing it here!"
"What do you suppose it is?" Tenel Ka wondered.
"Maybe he's found information on some big super weapon!" Anakin exclaimed.
"Or more Jedi training technique information," Lowie growled hopefully.
Tenel Ka nodded, "That would be good."
"Well whatever it is, Uncle Luke would rather have us see it then try to explain it," Anakin told them.
"That's very unlike Uncle Luke. Very odd," Jaina muttered.
No one had any answers to that.
*******
Ani lay on his bunk staring up at the darkened ceiling. The others slept soundly around, but he could not. His mind was a jumble of confusing thoughts and unanswered questions. He'd been that way since he's gotten out of the tank. That was one thing he didn't understand. How in the galaxy had he gotten in that tank? He sat up slowly, glad that the paralyze had worn off enough for him to be able to do this with out help. He was beginning to be able to talk a little bit, but his voice was strange. It didn't sound like his yet.
He got to his feet with some difficult. He hobbled, stiffly, over to the door. Using the Force, he pressed the door panel. He hated this feeling of not being able to control his body properly. He felt helpless and useless. He carefully made his way to the cockpit, using whatever hand holds he could find. He was still to unsteady to walk around without holding onto the wall or nearby things for support. He made it to the cockpit and settled into the pilot seat. Han showed him earlier where all the controls were and what they did. He knew how to fly the Falcon. The itch to fly her was overwhelming, but he knew he could not just yet.
When was the last time he had flown?
The thought brought back a flood of memories that threatened to overwhelm him. It had been on his last mission. The mission to protect Senator Padme Amidala. The bounty hunter Jango Fett had made an attempt on her life and Palpatine had asked for Jedi protection for her. Something she had not been to happy about, because of the debate that she was to take place in the Senate. He'd taken her back to Naboo and then to Tatooine to find his mother. And he remembered, bitterly, that his mother was dead. Then they had flown to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, who'd been captured by Dooku while trying to find Jango Fett. He remembered being captured and put into a an arena to die with Padme and Obi-Wan. He remembered Padme professing her love to him before they were brought into the arena. As he thought about her, he felt the thrill of love run through him. He remembered just how much in love he was with her. What had happened to her? Had he failed in his mission to protect her? He could not sense her through the Force anywhere. Was she dead? The very thought made him nearly sick. He shoved it out of his mind, as impossibility. She couldn't be dead.
The last thing he remembered, before he had found himself in that tank, was the battle with Count Dooku. His taunting face and his dark side power. During that battle something had gone terribly wrong. He remembered being thrown off his feet by a powerful dark lightning Force attack. He remembered the pain of the electricity running through him. He thought of how much he'd wanted to kill Dooku for all the pain and killing he'd caused that day. Dooku had killed over three hundred jedi and nearly Obi-Wan, Padme, and himself. He didn't remember anything after that. He didn't remember having gotten back up again after that attack on him. Then, he'd awoken in a tank full of green, bubbling liquid and could not get out. What had happened? What could have gone wrong? How long had he been in the tank?
He remembered when he'd woken up once, and thinking he was seeing himself. The person outside of the tank had looked just like him. He knew it was not his reflection, because he could sense the other through the Force. The other had felt just like him. He'd watched his 'twin' at the computer console recording a holo message there. Then he had slipped back down into the depths unconsciousness. What did it all mean? Had that really been just his imagination?
He felt utterly confused and uncertain. Something was nagging at the back of his mind about the whole thing, but he couldn't grasp it. It eluded him most frustratingly. Something just did not make sense or add up. He had a hundred questions that needed answering. He hoped Luke had some of the answers, but he could not ask until he could speak again. He slumped down into the pilot seat, watching the starlines fly by outside. He was unaware that less than a week ago, Luke had sat in the same spot waiting for answers to questions too.