Shadowlight
the conclusion to the Luke and Callista trilogy
edited by Ambassador Cara Jade and Jedi15
We are not making any money off of this story. Most of the characters aren't even ours, anyway.
chapter 1
The small cantina was dimly lit, smoky, and dingy. He could not believe he'd fallen into such filth. Ten years ago, he'd been one of the most powerful people in the galaxy.
No, he thought. In the Universe.
Now here he was, ten years later, having to lower himself to such...plebeian surroundings.
His lips formed a smile. But not for much longer, he thought.
He caught sight of his aide in the far corner, accompanied by another man. Drawing his hood closer around his face to hide his face from the infidels around him, he started over to him.
His aide looked over her shoulder, causing her thick blond hair to swirl around her shoulders, and saw him there. She made a small gesture of obeisance. The other man stood, but did not bow.
This man, he thought. This man...one of the most feared men in the galaxy. Soon after they'd first met, he'd been reported dead. But then that had proven false.
Definitely to his advantage.
There were a million copycats of him in the galaxy, and it made it fairly easy for him to blend in. The blue-gray Mandalorian armor and the bullet shaped helmet had been his signature mark, and struck fear into even the most hardened individual.
"Boba Fett," he said. "So good to see you again. Please, sit down so we may start our negotiations."
The bounty hunter did as he was told. "Let me begin this way," he said through his helmet's voder. "When I first went after Skywalker, he was nobody. Now he's a galactic icon. This is going to be more difficult then it was the first time I was hired to do it. My bounty has gone up." He paused. "Two million credits."
"I don't want you to go after Skywalker," he said. "I want you to kidnap his daughter. You will deliver this toddler to me, and I will hold her for ransom against the New Republic."
"How much ransom?" Fett asked.
"Control of Coruscant." He said. "After I have that, you will get your two million credits."
Fett nodded. "Where is this child?"
"At the moment, the young Skywalker family is on Coruscant, visiting the Solo extension of their clan. I want you to get her before they leave."
"It will be done, Prince Xizor."
The Dark Prince smiled. "Excellent. Guri will give you the rest of the details." He nodded to Guri, who sat beside him, and to Boba Fett, and took his leave.
Xizor smiled. With the daughter of Luke and Callista Skywalker in his clutches, he would have absolute power of the Jedi, and the Chief of State.
Black Sun was on its way back to power.
Coruscant at midday was as busy as Callista Skywalker had ever seen anywhere. Humans and aliens alike milled around Imperial Square, conversing in a thousand languages.
Nothing changes, she thought. Even when she'd first come here, a wide- eyed teenager from a literal backwater world, the streets had always been full, the skies trafficked with ships of all kinds.
With a quiet smile, she thought, There are some things that evil will never destroy.
"Mommy?" Her daughter, Hope, wriggled in her mother's arms. "When we gonna see Annie?"
Callista smiled and bounced the little girl on her hip. "Soon, honey. They're going to be so surprised, you've gotten so big!"
It was Hope's third lifeday tomorrow. Callista, Hope, and her husband Luke had agreed to come to Coruscant to spend the festivity with Luke's sister and her family. Ever since Hope had been born, she'd had a special connection with the Han and Leia's youngest son, Anakin. The bond had been strong enough to save her parents.
Callista looked briefly at her free hand, saw the scar the Nightsister's spikes had left. It sent chills down her spine to remember what had happened on Dathomir, where Hope had been born.
Beside her, Luke lifted Hope from his wife's arms and hoisted the little girl on his shoulders. Hope squealed in delight. "Maybe we should tell them what a little troublemaker you've been, and then you won't get any presents!"
Hope laughed, knowing that her father was joking.
"Luke! Callista!" Han was jogging towards them, his lopsided grin lighting his face.
Luke raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Han!"
"Long time, no see!" Han said as he clapped Luke on the back. "How's everything going?"
"Oh, same old, same old," Luke said with a grin, looking up at Hope. "What with having to run the Academy, spending time with my wife, and changing Hope's diapers, I've had a pretty busy year."
Han chuckled. "Sounds familiar. At least you've only got one kid to worry about. Leia and I have to live with three of them." He grabbed Hope by the arms and swung her into the air. "Hey there, life day girl! How's my favorite niece doing today?"
Hope squealed with delight as he swung her even higher a second time. "Uncle Han, I'm your only niece! Where's Anakin? I can't wait to play with him again."
"They're all waiting inside," Han said as he set the little girl down. He turned to Callista. "Hey, Callista. Is it just me, or do you seem even more beautiful than ever?"
Callista smiled, slightly embarrassed, slightly flattered. "Are you hitting on my wife, Han?" Luke asked jokingly. Han took a step back, raising his hands in surrender. "How are things going with the Verpines and the Barabels?" Callista cut in. Han sighed. "No luck. They're still at each other's throats. After weeks of negotiations, she's no closer to ending their feud than she was ten years ago. I don't think they can even remember what the original conflict was all about."
Luke nodded in sympathy. "Well, if we could live through the Empire, we can most certainly survive this."
"But enough about that," Han said, changing the subject. "Let's all head inside, where the party's waiting."
"Yippee!" Hope cheered as the small group headed for the turbolift. "I can't wait until I see Anakin again!"
"Yeah, but don't you two go causing any more trouble like last time," Luke warned.
"Awww, but Daddy," Hope said with an innocent smile. "Annie and I weren't doing anything bad. We were just having fun."
"You call slipping a spider-rat in Jaina's toybox fun?" Callista said.
"Jaina didn't mind," Hope said. "She liked the spider."
"Well, judging from the screaming we heard," Luke said with a smile, "I think Jaina anything but liked the spider."
"Do you think she's still mad at me for melting her lightsaber experiment?" Hope asked.
Callista snickered. Her daughter was certainly a wild child. She probably got that from her father. "Just promise us that you'll behave yourself while we're here," she said. "No picking on Jaina anymore, okay?"
Hope quickly nodded. "Okay," she said, crossing her fingers behind her back as the group started for the turbolifts. "Uncross those fingers, young lady," Callista said over her shoulder, and Hope groaned as Luke lifted her up.
When the group approached the turbolift, the doors slid open, and a cloaked figure strode out, bumping none-too-gently into Callista.
"Hey!" she grunted in surprise. "What's your problem? Look where you're going next time!"
The figure walked on, not looking back.
Callista and Luke shared a glance. "I wonder what that was all about," Luke said.
The figure watched from the shadows as Han, Luke, Callista, and the child entered the turbolift. When the elevator doors shut and took them upstairs, she pulled the black hood away from her face.
"Gotcha," Cray Mingla said, a smile curving at the corners of her mouth.
Hope could barely contain the excitement within her as she, Uncle Han, Mommy, and Daddy headed down the hallway. She always loved coming to Coruscant; the city-covered landscape was so much different from the humid jungles of Yavin 4.
Plus, visiting Coruscant meant that she could play with Anakin.
Hope and Anakin were best friends. Jacen and Jaina were okay, she thought, but a little dumb. Jacen always tried to make her laugh by telling jokes that a bantha wouldn't find funny, and all Jaina ever did was take things apart and try to put them back together.
Anakin, however, was completely different from his brother and sister. Whenever Hope would come to visit, she and Anakin would always play games together, like hide-and-seek in the air ducts. Or they would team up to annoy the heck out of Jacen and Jaina. Like the one time when they snuck into Jacen's room while he was sleeping and dumped all his clothes into the garbage disposal. Or the time they accidentally broke Aunt Leia's favorite Alderaanian vase and put the blame on Jaina. Jaina, of course, wasn't too happy about that.
Although Hope loved playing indoors with Anakin, something else also caught her eye. Several times, she had heard the grown-ups talk about a dark, scary place called the "lower levels". Apparently, the lower levels were the bottom floors of the city skyscrapers, where hardly anyone lived.
Mommy and Daddy had told her several times that the lower levels were dangerous, and should always be avoided. Hope wondered what kind of monsters she would find if she ever went down there. That would be so cool!
"Here we are," Uncle Han said, as he rang the door chime to his apartment. A few seconds later, the door slid open to reveal Aunt Leia.
"Hey, everyone!" Leia exclaimed as she reached over and gave Mommy and Daddy a big hug. "I was wondering what took you guys so long."
Daddy smiled. "Bad traffic," he said. "It certainly hasn't improved since we last visited."
"That's for sure," Aunt Leia said, then smiled down at Hope. "Hello, lifeday girl!" she said as she picked Hope up and gathered her in a hug that squeezed all the air out of her body. "How does it feel to be three years old now?"
"Um...great, until just now," Hope said as she struggled to get out of Aunt Leia's grip. She was cool and everything, but man, her hugs could kill!
Leia finally set her down and invited everyone in. "Glad you all could make it," she said. "We were just about to begin the party."
Hope squealed with delight as she ran with the speed of a tauntaun into the apartment. "Annie!" she called out. "Annie, where are you?"
Anakin got up from watching the holovid in the living room. "Hey--" was all he could say before Hope tackled full force into him. The two children fell to the floor, playfully wrestling with each other.
The grown-ups looked on, proud. "Wow. Just look at those two," Mommy said. "Has Anakin been working out or something?"
"No, he's just filled with an endless amount of energy," Aunt Leia said. "Typical of kids her age."
Chewbacca entered the room then. With a loud growl, he picked the two kids up and swung them into the air.
"Whoa!" Hope yelled as she twirled up in the air and landed right back in Chewie's arms. Anakin followed shortly after, and he swung them back up again, roaring with laughter.
"This is fun!" Hope screeched as the Wookiee caught them again. "Do it again!"
"Why, hello, Master Luke and Mistress Callista," See-Threepio said as he came out of Jacen's room. "It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Right back at you, Threepio," Daddy said. "Where's Jacen and Jaina?"
Threepio groaned. "Oh, they're in Master Jacen's room, sir, engaging in another...food fight."
Aunt Leia laughed. "Not again."
"I tried to stop them, Mistress Leia, but they joined forces to turn on me," Threepio said. "I was lucky to survive without a scratch."
"These kids are quite a handful, aren't they?" Daddy said.
Uncle Han gave him a good-natured grin. "They sure are. But I wouldn't have it any other way."
Chewie tossed Hope and Anakin in the air one last time, then set them down on the couch. Hope giggled. She loved Chewie.
"You're just in time," Anakin said as he turned the holovid back on. "The Adventures of Captain Zarckan was just about to start."
"That is such a lame show!" Hope said, as she took the remote pad out of his hands. "Let's watch The Warrior Girls of Dathomir instead."
"Awww, do we have to?" Anakin groaned. "That is such a girly show."
"Well, I am a girl," Hope said. "Besides, girls get whatever they want. You don't, because you're just a boy."
"I don't think so," Anakin said, snatching the remote pad from her. "This is my house, and in my house, we watch what I want. If we were on Yavin 4, we would get to watch what you want. It's as simple as that."
Hope groaned and resigned herself to suffering through another boring episode of Captain Zarckan and his faithful droid companion, Pookiee-3. The grown-ups all went into the kitchen to get the food and presents ready.
Halfway through the show, Hope asked, "Hey, where's Jacen and Jaina?"
At that moment, as if on cue, the twins burst into the living room, covered in milk, pieces of rice pancakes, and gravy.
Anakin moaned. "You just had to ask," he said.
"Hope, how's it going?" Jaina asked politely.
"Just fine until you guys came along," Hope retorted.
"Hey, Hope, wanna hear a joke?" Jacen said.
Hope groaned.
Ignoring her, Jacen said, "What did one dead frog-dog say to the other dead frog-dog?" He paushed dramatically, then said, "CROAK! Get it? Croak, as in 'dead'. Come on, that was funny!"
Hope didn't laugh.
"So, I heard that negotiations with the Verpines and Barabels didn't go too well," Luke said as he sat himself down at the dinner table.
Leia sighed as she worked at wrapping up one of Hope's presents. "Not at all," she said. "Our spies found an entire load of Verpine body parts in several Barabel merchant ships. The Hive Queen wasn't too happy about that. I'm beginning to think that war in inevitable?"
"Is the Republic going to intervene?" Callista asked.
Leia shrugged. "I don't know. Someone has to, or else thousands of people are going to die. The problem is, neither side is bad. Unlike the Galactic Civil War, there is no good guy and bad guy. We can't just take one's side and help obliterate the other."
"So, what exactly are we gonna do?" Han said.
"I'm not sure," Leia said, the stress palpable on her face. This whole Verpine/Barabel conflict was starting to take its toll on the Chief of State. "It's times like these that make me wish I was just a normal person who had a normal job and didn't have to worry about the fate of the galaxy."
Luke got up and laid a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Hey," he said softly. "You'll get through this. Because you have family here."
"If there's anything we can do to help," Callista offered. "We have hundreds of Jedi Knights at our disposal."
"Well, now that you mention it," Leia said, turning to Callista. "Callista, when you were still a student, did you ever face a situation like this?"
Callista thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I had a friend named Ilios. He was an orphan, and had spent most of his life in the gutter of Aldera. Another student, Cerante, was really well off; you know, high society and all that. They were always disagreeing with each other, always fighting. No matter what Master Djinn did, he could never get them to calm down. And one day, during a lightsaber training session...Cerante almost killed Ilios."
The kitchen grew quiet then, as the three adults listened intently to Callista's story.
"What happened afterwards?" Han asked.
"Well, we took Ilios to our medical center, where he eventually healed. When he was released, he was overcome with hatred. Hatred for Cerante. I tried to help him, to tell him that hatred lead to the dark side...but he wouldn't listen. A few days later, Cerante challenged Ilios to a duel. I tried to stop them but.Cerante killed Ilios. Cerante died soon after." "How?" Han prodded. Callista bit her lip. "Well, um.I.killed him."
A heavy silence fell over the group. Leia moved in closer, her face paler than it was a second ago.
"So, there was no reconciliation?" Leia said. "No truce?"
Callista sadly shook her head. "It was tragic, but things like this happen all the time. My master and I tried so hard to help them, but in the end, they chose to solve the conflict in their own way." She met Leia's eyes. "You may not be able to prevent the Verpines and Barabels from ripping each other to shreds, Leia," she said. "All you can do is do everything in your power to save them." "And if I can't?" Leia said. Callista paused. "Then you can't. You can't always succeed, Leia. It's as simple as that."
"I wonder what they're talking about," Jacen said as he leaned against the closed kitchen door, trying to listen in on the grown-ups's conversation.
"Grown-up, stuff, probably," Jaina said. "In other words, boring stuff. And--" She grabbed Jacen by the arm and pulled him away from the door. "--stuff we shouldn't be listening to."
Hope sat next to Anakin on the couch, watching the remainder of The Adventures of Captain Zarckan. "This guy is such a moron!" Hope said in disgust. "Why is he trying to sneak onboard a Star Destroyer without stormtrooper armor? That's just gonna get him killed! Sheesh, I don't even know why you like this stupid show."
"It is not stupid!" Anakin snapped back. "And be quiet! I'm trying to watch the show."
Hope got up and started dancing around the couch, singing in a loud voice, "This is a stupid sho-ow! This is a stupid sho-ow! This is a stupid sho-ow!"
"Knock it off!" Anakin shouted.
"You two fight like an old married couple," Jaina observed as she tinkered with her multitool.
"Maybe they should get married," Jacen said jokingly.
Hope and Anakin let out a simultaneous, "Ewwwwwwwww!"
"That is nasty!" Hope said. "Don't even joke about that, Jacen!" She turned to Anakin. "I'm bored now! Let's go play a game."
"Sure," Anakin said. "So, what do you wanna play? Hide-and-seek? Children's Sabacc? Paint Threepio Purple?"
"Nah, we already did all those," Hope said. Then an idea occurred to her. With a wicked grin, she said, "I know. Why don't we go down to the lower levels?"
Anakin gasped. "Are you kidding? It's scary down there!"
"Yeah, but it sounds like fun!" Hope said. "Come on, please. Pleeeeeeeeeeease. I promise I'll never say another word during The Adventures of Captain Zarckan ever again! Pretty please?"
Jacen gave Anakin a warning look. "Anakin, you know what Mom and Dad have said. Never go down to the lower levels. It's dangerous."
Anakin thought about it for a while. When he finally reached a decision, he grinned back at Hope. "All right, Hope Skywalker," he said. "Let's go check it out."
Hope grabbed him by the arm, and they headed for the door--
--only to be blocked by Jacen and Jaina. "Where do you two think you're going?" Jaina demanded.
"Outta the way!" Hope snapped.
"If you leave, we're telling," Jacen said. Hope and Anakin shared a glance, then turned toward the twins, a sly grin lighting both their faces. Jacen and Jaina cried out as a powerful Force shove pushed them back into a closet. With her mind, Hope slid the door shut before they could get out and locked it.
The twins's muffled cries could barely be heard outside the door.
Hope turned to Anakin with a triumphant grin. "Let's go," she said.
Anakin gestured toward the door. "Ladies first."
"Hope!" she heard her daddy call. "It's time to go home!"
Hope groaned loudly. "Daddy! Do I gotta? Ani and I were having fun!"
"I know, honey," Callista said. "But how can you enjoy your life day if you're half asleep?" She stretched her hand out and Hope reluctantly took it.
Anakin ran over to Leia. "Mom, can Hope stay here tonight, pleeeeease?"
At this, Hope brightened. "Yeah!" She started jumping up and down excitedly. "Can I Mom, can I can I?"
Callista looked at Leia, who shrugged, then Luke, who did the same. "Yeah, go ahead. You're almost three, you're big enough for sleepovers."
"YAY!" Anakin and Hope cried in unison.
Luke hugged his sister. "Call us if she gets too rowdy." he said, kissing Leia on the cheek. They all exchanged hugs, and Luke and Callista left.
"All right," Hope whispered to Anakin. "Now we can go down to the lower levels and play as long as we want!"
"Anakin," Han said. "Where're your brother and sister?"
Once they got back to their suite, Luke and Callista slumped onto the couch. Callista curledup, resting her head in his lap as he pulled her close. "She's getting so big, Luke."
Luke chuckled. "And harder to handle. Maybe we should have delivered her on some peaceful world, like Khomm, or something..."
Callista smiled. "I wouldn't have her any other way, my love." She sighed. "Her first sleepover. Seems like only yesterday all she could do was blow raspberries."
"Leia said it goes by fast." He kissed Callista's forehead and stroked her arm.
Callista snuggled closer. "Soon she's going to be training as a Jedi...in the Old Republic, you know, they used to start training them before they were a year old. Simple exercises, just letting them learn what the Force feels like."
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm." She didn't say anything for a moment. "She's going to be leading the new generation of Jedi. It's getting closer, Luke. The new Jedi order is getting stronger. We just have to teach them all we can before handing off the duty of defending the galaxy."
Luke sighed and stood up, displacing Callista. "Yes, well, Master Obi-Wan used to say to keep our focus on the here and now. And now, our daughter is spending the night with her cousins. And that means we have this place all to ourselves until sunrise." He held out his hands and helped Callista to her feet.
"What do you have in mind, Master Skywalker?" Callista asked, mock- dubiously.
In answer, Luke gave her a passionate kiss and led her to the bedroom.
Later that night, when everyone else in the apartment was asleep, Hope and Anakin decided to make their move.
Hope, who had been staying in Anakin's room, quietly opened the door, making sure that it didn't creak, and peaked outside the hallway. All the lights were turned off, and she could barely see her hand if held in front of her face. She stretched out with the Force to make sure that everyone was indeed asleep, and then nodded at Anakin.
"Coast is clear," she said.
"Okay," Anakin said, heading over to his toybox. "If we're going down into the underworld, we're gonna need supplies."
Hope watched impatiently as her friend took out a mini-glowrod, some animal crackers, and a tracking device. "Come on, come on," she said.
"Hold your tauntauns, Hope," the little boy grumbled, putting all his stuff in a small duffel bag. He slung it over his shoulder and grinned at her. "Okay, now I'm ready."
Hope smiled back. "Let's go."
The two kids furtively stepped out of Anakin's bedroom and crept down the hall, careful not to make too much noise. In Jacen's room, Hope could hear him snoring loudly, and talking in his sleep.
"No, Jaina, I don't have your multitool...no, I didn't mess with it...Anakin did it...Stop looking at me! Don't look at me like that! Stop! You're scaring me! Let go of me, you big bully, or I'm telling Mom!"
Hope and Anakin shared a glance, shrugged, and continued on.
Threepio stood in one corner, halfway through his sleep cycle. Hope and Anakin moved past him, heading for the front door.
"Almost there," Hope said, the adrenaline building up within her.
"Hey, Hope," Anakin whispered, careful not to let his voice carry, "what if someone wakes up and sees that we're gone?"
"Don't worry," the little girl assured her. "They won't. We'll be here before anyone gets up. We won't even be gone for that long. I just want to take a little peek at the underworld."
The two kids finally reached the door. The only barrier that stood between them and the ultimate adventure. Hope punched in the command, and the door silently slid open.
Anakin gulped. "Well, here goes nothing."
With Hope leading the way, they left the apartment and headed for the underworld.
"Mom! Dad!" Jacen ran into his parents' room, screaming the roof down.
Han groggily slapped the glowpanels on and sat up. "What is it, Jace?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Ani and Hope are gone!"
"You know what?" Callista whispered, running her hand up Luke's arm.
"What?" Luke asked.
Callista leaned in, shaking her hair back over her bare shoulders. "I think Hope should have more sleepovers."
Luke chuckled, raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. "I very much agree, my love," he said before moving to her lips
The chirp of the kitchen com interrupted them, and Callista groaned, flopping back into the pillows. "Not tonight," she whispered with an amused chuckle.
Luke smiled. "They'll call back," he said as he kissed her neck.
"No, if they're calling this late, it's important. Maybe it's Leia." She disengaged herself from Luke's arms and slipped out of bed. As she made her way to the kitchen, she threw her blue robe around herself.
Callista sat on a stool and answered the com. "Leia? What is it?"
Leia took a deep breath. "Anakin...Hope..."
Callista sat up straight. "Hope? What happened? Leia?"
"They're gone. You need to get over here right away."
Hope and Anakin skipped through the dark streets of Imperial City, laughing and joking between themselves. "Bet you can't catch me!" Hope squealed.
"Can too!" Anakin cried and ran past her.
"Hey!" Hope threw her little legs into full gear and sped after him. They failed to notice that the number of people around them grew smaller, the night darker, and the fog thicker.
Hope skidded to a stop, and realized she had no idea where she was. "Anakin?" she called out. "Anakin, where are you?"
No answer.
"Anakin Solo, this is not funny!" The little girl cried indignantly, tossing her fists to her hips. "Come out right now, or I'll tell your mommy!"
Then she felt something behind her, and she turned.
There was no one there. "H--hello? Anakin?"
She tiptoed closer to where she heard the sound, and squinted her eyes. "Anakin?"
A large, gloved hand reached out and grabbed her, covering her mouth so she could not scream.
Callista paced the Solo's living room, arms folded. "Do you have any idea where they might be?"
Han, seated on the sofa beside Leia and Jaina, shook his head.
"I do," a quiet voice mumbled. Luke, standing in the corner, came over.
"Jacen," he said to the little boy. "Did they say something to you?"
Jacen nodded. "Hope said she wanted to see the Underground."
"There's a way to get in in Imperial Square." Leia said. She stood up and beckoned the rest to follow. "Come with me. Jacen, Jaina, stay here in case they come back. We won't be long."
Anakin wandered through the fog, "Hope! I don't want to play 'hide-and-go- seek' anymore. Come out!" Hedidn't see her, he couldn't see much of anything, the fog was getting thicker.
"Hope! Hope, this isn't funny! Please come out!" He keep walking even though he had no idea of where he was going. Maybe they would run into each other.
"Ouch!!" Whatever he'd hit sure hadn't been Hope. Running his small hands over the form, he realized it to be a bench. Maybe this was an old park, Anakin thought as he sat himself down on the bench. It sure dosn't look like one though. Then again I can't see anything, so how would I know if it looks like a park or not?
"Well if I can't find Hope with my eyes, I'll just have to find her with my mind." he said out loud, his voice echoing slightly through the halls.
Reaching out with his mind, he searched for his cousin. Nothing. Anakin tried harder, he now could feel his family's fear for his and Hope's safety, he could sence strange life forms from the lower levels. But not Hope. There was no trace of her.
This really scared Anakin. From the time Hope had been born, they had been able to sence each other, even talk to each other across space.
Anakin got up from the bench and ran. He ran home as fast as his legs could go. Because somewhere inside his head, a little voice told him that Hope wasn't playing 'hide-and-go-seek' anymore.
And that little voice never lied.
Hope had never been so afraid in her life. The gloved hand remained tightly clamped over her mouth, preventing her from making any noise. She tried to scream with all her might, but it came out muffled and barely heard. What was she going to do?
Help! her mind shouted, over and over again, sending her message across the entire city, hoping that somebody--anybody--would hear her. Help me!
The person holding her finally released his grip on her and spun Hope around, bringing her face-to-face with the scariest monster she had ever seen.
"Hope Skywalker, I presume," the monster said, his voice ominously low and menacing.
Hope tried to wriggle free from the monster's grip, but he held onto her by both arms. He was far too strong for her. "Wh-Who are you?" she demanded, trying to put some strength behind her voice, but she was too scared to do so.
"Boba Fett," the monster said. "Black Sun has taken an interest in the daughter of the Jedi Master. There's a bounty on your head, and I plan to collect."
Hope gasped as she recognized the name. Daddy had told her about a scary bounty hunter named Boba Fett, who had captured Uncle Han and brought him to Jabba the Hutt in a block of carbonite. She had never heard of Black Sun, but why would they be interested in her?
"No!" Hope shrieked, as she tried with all her might to escape. But Fett kept a hold on her with one hand, and withdrew his blaster pistol from his holster.
A blue beam lanced out of the pistol, hitting Hope squarely in the forehead, and she dropped to the floor. As she fell, darkness ate away at the world around her, and by the time she hit the ground, dark oblivion overtook her...
Jacen and Jaina sat in the living quarters together, anxiously awaiting the return of their family.
"I can't feel Hope anywhere, Jacen," Jaina said, helpless. The chances of finding Hope through the Force were growing weaker and weaker. Jaina tried one more time, stretching her mind to the limits. Hope had to be in Imperial City somewhere.
"You know, I really hate to say this," Jacen said, "but maybe Hope had this coming to her."
Jaina dropped her search and gave Jacen a look of shock and disgust. "How can you say that? She may be annoying, but she's still our cousin. Our family. I have issues with her, but she didn't deserve this. And aren't you forgetting that our brother is also missing? Do you think he deserved that too?"
Jacen prepared to say something back, then reconsiderd. He looked away from his twin sister, not meeting her eyes. "I guess you're right," he said. "So, any luck finding them?"
Jaina sighed. "Nothing," she said. "I can't sense them anywhere. Not in the building, not in the Underworld...nowhere. What if something horrible happened to them?"
Jacen put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he said.
Jaina felt a little comfort return, but only a little. She hoped the grown-ups would find them soon.
As she prepared to try again, she felt a coldness rip through her heart, like a powerful wind had just burst into their home. She gasped and straightened up, a hand clutching her chest.
"Jacen," she said, her voice quivering, "did you feel that?"
Her brother nodded, his paled expression mirroring Jaina's. "What was that?" he asked.
Jaina swallowed hard. "A disturbance in the Force," she said. "Someone very evil is on this planet somewhere...and it's after Hope."
Callista, Luke, Han, Leia, and a contingent of New Republic guards waited in silence as the enormous turbolift brought them down, deeper and deeper into the forbidden Underworld.
Callista could barely keep her fear in check. She never should have left Hope; she should have known that her daughter would have tried to do something like this. And now she and Anakin were missing in the most dangerous part of Imperial City.
As if sensing her emotions, Luke laid a calm hand on her arm, silently assuring her. Callista tried to smile and hope for the best, but it was too hard. It was difficult being an optimist when your own child was missing.
Minutes later, the turbolift ground to a halt, and the doors slid open with a quiet whoosh. One by one, the large group stepped out of the elevator and found themselves immersed in fog.
Callista shivered as she stepped out into the cold. She had never been in the Underworld before; she had only heard stories from Luke and Han.
Apparently, as the city of Imperial City grew layered with skyscrapers after skycrapers, the lower levels of the city were slowly abandoned by the population, leaving it in darkness and disrepair. According to Luke, the undercity consisted of mostly seedy taverns, demolished buildings, and wrecked equipment; its population mostly street gangs, granite slugs, corridor ghouls, and mutated subhumans. Callista shuddered at the thought of encountering creatures like these.
But she was willing to do it. I will go through the depths of Hell to bring my daughter back, she said to herself, and she believed her words.
"My scanner isn't picking up any life signs," Han said, sharing a concerned look with his wife. Callista's heart went out to them, for their own child was missing as well.
"I can't feel them anywhere nearby," Luke said, his eyes closed as he concentrated.
Callista herself stretched out with her feelings. Something--she didn't know what--was blocking her senses, or else she would have picked up Hope's presence by now.
The question was, who was or what was doing this?
"Then we have to hurry," she said grimly.
"The Underworld is a large place," Leia said, her eyes taking in their gloomy surroundings, "it would take a while to find anyone."
"I don't care how long it takes," Callista said. "I will find them."
Luke's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he went ahead of the group. Callista followed him, hoping against hope that he may have found something. Within seconds, everyone else was following suit.
Luke bent over and retrieved something from the ground. He showed it for everyone to see, and Callista barely suppressed a gasp.
"Hope's shoe," the Jedi Master said. "A struggle happened here, just minutes ago."
Callista unknowingly shook her head, and snatched the shoe from her hand. No, she said to herself. No, she couldn't be...she couldn't be...
"Callista, don't worry," Han said. "We're gonna find them."
Callista looked up at him, determination emblazoned in her eyes. "I know we will. But we won't do it by just standing here."
"Should we split up?" Leia asked.
Callista nodded. "We'll cover more ground that way. Good luck to you all."
The group dispersed, with Leia heading off in the West Zone, Han in the North Zone, Luke into the nearest tavern, and Callista in the East Zone. The guards separated as well and went their various ways. Even with these many people, it would take several weeks--perhaps even months--to scour the entire Underworld.
As Callista walked onward, her lightsaber her guide through the darkness, a strange chill crept up her spine. She felt a presence--dark and malevolent, something that felt very familiar...
She stopped in her tracks and looked around. She saw no one in the alley but her, but something told her that she was being watched.
Trying to quell her anxiety, Callista bit her lip and continued searching for her daughter.
Han wandered through the underground, searching for any sign of the missing children. The air down here was cool, but even so, Han could feel sweat drip down his back. It wasn't from exhaustion, but from fear. It terrifide him that his son and niece were lost down here; in the Force knows what kind of danger. All he could think about was that horrid episode with the clone Emperor. The thought of that happaning again was enough to cause him to break into a cold sweat. The fact that Leia, Luke or Callista couldn't sense the children didn't help his nerves in the least.
Han had pulled out a glow rod and was holding it in his left hand, the other hand rested on his blaster. Against all his smuggler instincts, he had it set on 'stun'. Living with a certain princess for 13 years caused some of her "proper" habits to wear off on him. In his day, you shot first and asked questions later. Boy had things changed.
"Hope! Anakin! Where are you?" Han yelled, flashing the glow rod down a deserted hall. Nothing. Not even a foot print in the brownish slime that covered the floor. And the walls and the ceiling. he thought. A drop of the stuff fell from the ceiling and landed on his head. And my face.
Han stopped at a crossway, not knowing which way to go; Left into what looked like fog, or right into more slime. He turned to the right, glancing down into the brown goo. There were no prints. 'Guess I'm going left' he thought as he turned.
As he went farther down the corrider, the fog got thicker. At least there's no slime Han had to smile, despite the circumstance.
Suddenly he stopped, hand instantly going for his blaster, finding it already there. He eased the gun out slowly, never making a sound. 'There's something out there. I know I heard something.'
The sound came again and this time Han realized what it was; Staggered footsteps and ragged breathing. His heart caught in his throat. Could this be the children? Or was it some monster that could rip his apart in a second?
The footsteps had stopped, but the harsh breathing remained. Taking a tentative step forward, holding the light as far ahead as possible, Han Solo called into the fog, "Who's there?"
"Dad?"
At hearing the sound of his son's voice, Han's heart nearly stopped with joy and relief. "Anakin!" he shouted, making sure that he would hear him. "Anakin, it's me! Can you see me?"
The footsteps started up again, and Han could make out a shape emerging from the fog. Too far for him to see its face, but something told him that it was Anakin. Han may not have been Force-sensitive, but he had something that all being in the galaxy possessed: intuition.
And it was telling him that he had found his son.
Han brought his blaster down and ran forth toward the figure, intending to gather his little boy in a powerful embrace.
Instead, what he saw nearly sent his heart to a pulsing stop.
A person draped completely in black stood amidst the fog, like a demon risen from the depths of Hell, one hand gripped around Anakin's throat. The boy squirmed and struggled in the figure's grasp, trying fruitlessly to get away.
Han's eyes widened. Horrified, he went back for his blaster and aimed it at the stranger's head in less than a second. "Get your hands off my son," he said, his voice dripping with enough threat and anger to send a rancor running.
The figure merely shook its head, and squeezed Anakin's neck tighter. "That is not going to happen, Solo," it said in a very feminine voice, indicating that it was a woman. "This boy is very special. He is part of the Bond the Kerash seek."
Han's grip on his blaster wavered. That voice; it sounded so familiar...
Suddenly, the stranger attacked.
Callista heard Han's scream in her mind.
"Han!" she shouted, her senses burning. Closing her eyes, she scanned the area for her friend.
She found him a second later. A few miles northeast of her. His scream continued echoing in her ears. He was in so much pain, and she could feel his fear. Not fear for him...but for his son.
"I'm coming, Han!" Callista said instinctively, knowing that he wouldn't hear her. She took off running at full speed, heading in his direction.
Callista considered contacting Luke, Leia, and the others, but she decided against it. That would take too long, and Han needed help immediately. She doubled her speed, her lightsaber leading the way. She tore away at the fog that surrounded her, clearing her vision.
Within seconds, she had reached Han.
Her friend was laying on the ground, a bleeding, bruised mess. It looked as if he had been hit by a speeder bike. He was unconscious, but needed medical attention.
Callista's eyes searched, and she saw Han's attacker a few feet away. A black-cloaked person--much like the one she had encountered earlier today- -and it was struggling with a very frightened Anakin.
"You hurt my Dad!" Anakin shrieked, biting at the attacker's hand. "You're gonna pay for that!"
"Silence!" The attacker struck Anakin with enough force to put a hole through the wall. The little boy crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
Callista gritted her teeth and ran forth, determined to end this now. As the figure reached down to pick up Anakin, she came from behind, grabbed the person by the arm, and pulled her back so tht she was facing her.
"That's my nephew you're messing with," Callista growled, her lightsaber almost touching the other's throat.
In reply, the figure's hand moved up in a flash, knocking the lightsaber away. Her fist hit Callista in the jaw, sending the Jedi into the wall of a run-down building.
Callista's body landed hard like a downed starfighter, relearning how to breathe. She weakly looked up to see the cloaked figure standing over her, face still hidden.
"Long time no see, Callista."