"Senator Amidala," said Mace.
"Master Yoda, Master Windu." said Padmé acknowledging them, her voice taking on her diplomatic tone.
"Your children these are?" asked Yoda.
Padme's tone softened a little, "Yes, this is Luke, and this is Leia," she said gesturing at them.
"Hello sirs," said Leia, using the diplomatic tones as Bail and the Alderaanian scholars had taught her to.
"Hi," said Luke vaguely, who was staring at Yoda's strange appearance.
Leia elbowed him, her face not moving a muscle.
Yoda chuckled, "Strong in the force they are," he said to Padmé.
Padmé, Yoda, and Mace began to talk about all that had happened, but Luke tuned them out. He was going to follow his father. "Psst, Leia," he said, whispering.
"What is it?" she asked, out of the corner of her mouth.
"Make sure they don't notice I'm gone."
"Gone?" she asked.
"I'm going to follow Dad. He showed me where he was going on a map of the Galaxy yesterday. I wrote down the coordinates. I want to help fined Obi- Wan and Mara."
Leia turned to look at him as though he were crazy, "Luke, there's nothing you could do anyways." she told him matter-of-factly.
"Yes I can. You'll see! Just make sure they don't notice I'm gone!"
"Fine, but if anyone asks, I had nothing to do with this!"
"Thanks, Leia!" said Luke, as he began to back away slowly.
Be careful! she thought.
I will. he thought back.
Luke spotted a one-man fighter pilot immediately. Although he had never been off Tatooine he was a fair pilot for his age and inexperience. He could pilot just about anything he got his hands on when he was on Tatooine. Owen and Beru had been frantic- especially Owen- but one time he had even found an old smashed up pod, fixed it, and flew around in it for a while. He had wanted to try to enter a race, but his- he paused in his thoughts at a loss of what to think of them as- but his Aunt and Uncle wouldn't let him.
Luke climbed into the cockpit of the ship. He glanced over at where his mother and Leia were standing. Apparently Leia had managed to keep them from noticing.
Lets see what this thing can do! Luke thought to himself. He looked at the controls. They weren't to different from that old racer he had fixed. He would be able to work them easily. He pulled out of the hangar bay and into the atmosphere with ease. He looked at his hand where he had written the coordinates. He punched them in and his ship soon took off, the stars swirling into blackness around him.
~*~
"Well it was good to see you again, Master Yoda, Master Windu. Leia, Lu-" Padmé stopped what she was saying. Luke was no where in sight. "Leia, where did Luke go?" she asked her daughter.
Leia only pointed at a small, one man fighter that was leaving the hangar bay. Padmé caught a glimpse of the pilot. It was Luke
~*~
Even when he had been perhaps the most evil man in the galaxy, Anakin had always been able to sense Padme's feelings, no matter how far away they were. Something was wrong. She was in shock, and she was saddened and surprised. He used his force sense to reach out and touch her mind. It was Luke he had done something.
"Master says there's a comm. coming through for you," said Katana, entering the ship's passenger area, where Anakin had been meditating. Katana was Siri's 17-year-old apprentice, a mon calamari female.
"Thank you," Anakin replied, standing up to go into the pilot's compartment.
"Siri, what's the comm. say?" Anakin asked.
Siri turned to grin at him. "Anakin, your son has followed us. Apparently he wrote down the coordinates we would be going to and he's taken a small fighter and left."
Anakin sunk into the co-pilot seat next to her. "Do they have his comm. frequency?"
"Yes, but he's got it turned off. No one can contact him."
"Did they have any idea of what we should do?" he said, shutting his eyes.
Siri snorted, "None. The just told us that so we could 'be prepared'"
"How much longer until we arrive?"
"15 standard hours." came Katana's voice.
"Do you have any ideas, Padawan?" asked Siri, turning to look at her. "I haven't any, and I doubt Anakin does either."
"Well... Anakin could try to talk to his son with the force... I mean if its his son they must have some kind of connection, right, Master?"
"I suppose its worth a shot," said Anakin. He reached out with the force. Luke he called. And to his surprise, Luke answered. What is it, Dad? came the reply.
"It worked," he murmured, so Siri and Katana could hear.
Luke, I want you to turn your ship around and go back to Courescant. Anakin thought at him.
No, Dad! I want to help Mara! I want to help you find her!
You'll be helping Mara and I both by turning around and going back to Courescant. I don't want you to get hurt.
I won't! I promise! Luke thought Mara is my best friend! I want to help her! I want to help you!
Luke! Please go back to Courescant.
Luke said no more as he was set on helping Mara.
Please Luke! Anakin thought. But Luke simply ignored this. Okay, Luke, now I'm not asking you to go back, I'm telling you! Go back to Courescant!
Dad, I'm not going back. I'm sorry.
~*~
Mara sat at the controls of her ship. It was only 13 more standard hours until she would reach the Emperor's ship- with her new lightsaber in hand. She gripped it in her hand. It was just the right size. It fit in her hand perfectly. She had done well on building it.
_*_
AN: I have the rest of this plot written out on a piece of notebook paper, so its good as done since all I have to do is actually write/type the next few chapters. Right now it looks like There will be around 3-5 more chapters as well as a sequel that should be around the length of this story. I also plan to rewrite the first few chapters of this as I feel they aren't very well written at all, and I became surprised upon rereading them that I haven't received any flames about them- yet that is. Thank you for all of your support and I will try to update soon! ^ - ^
- Sarah